Not reaching target calorie intake and I don't feel hungry..

Truhvn

Okay, so I'm working really hard to watch what I'm eating. Fruits and veggies (mainly veggies) and some protein (mainly chicken, turkey, or fish) is what I've been working on...you know mostly natural unprocessed stuff. I admit I'm not perfect at it because frankly it costs money to eat all natural (and some cooking ingeniuity, which I have none of) so I have a diet soda every now and again. I have to allow myself those cheats every once in a while or I will give up completely. At any rate, I can't seem to hit my target calorie intake of 1200 eating this way! It's so frustrating! It might even make a difference if I was still hungry and not eating, then I would understand that I am putting myself in starvation mode, but how do I up my calories without adding lots of stuff I don't need? Especially when I don't feel hungry. "Don't eat if you're not hungry." Isn't that the mantra I'm supposed to be following?
The times I DO find that I'm hungry is late in the evening, say oh around 8 or 9 pm. I'm getting ready to hit the sack after that so I don't want to eat that late. I have been including exercise 3-4 times a week in my healthy body regimine, which for me is great because I'm a reforming couch potato and probably was the definition of "sedentary." !
I guess I'm looking for advice on how to reach my calorie goal (especially on those days where I exercise as this bumps up my calorie intake and from everything I've read on here I'm SUPPOSED to eat those). I'm trying to stay at 100g of carbs or lower a day, but maybe this is my problem. HELP!!! Recipe tips, nutritional info, anything would be appreciated!
BTW, I have kids and I haven't been able to include them in my healthy eating because I'm so used to cooking hamburger helper, corn dogs, and pizza...store bought boxed stuff (yes I know, that stuff is bad bad bad). So kid friendly advice would be appreciated as well.

mikkimomof3

Would you consider nuts? Almonds are great for you and they are high in calories...a couple handful throughout the day may really help!

lilRicki

yep nuts are super high in calories but they're really good for you add some dried fruit too, or eat some avacado...i would drink my calories if i were you...go get a boost or even sunrype not from concentrate apple juice (120 calories per cup, you could polish off 2 cups no problem) but if you're not hungry, than drink! good luck

erickirb

Try adding peanut or other nut butter, eat full fat versions of food that you eat (sour cream, milk, yogurt, etc) switch from skim to 1% milk, eat 2% cottage cheese, add avocado to salads, have a handful of nuts or seeds, substitute one glass of water for juice add olive oil to soups and sauces.

You don't have to eat more in quantity of food to eat more calories, you just have to make more calorie dense choices. Once you go to maintenance your calories will increase and you will have to eat a lot more calories than 1200, use the tips above to help get you there.

MLgarcia3

If you want to include your kids on the healthy eating, check out sneakychef.com :-)

Truhvn

Thanks for the tips so far! Is eating 1/2 and avocado a day bad for you, because I could probably eat a whole one every day and I know that would definitely help on calories!?! Trying to wrap my head around eating full fat versions of sour cream and milk will take some getting used to as it has taken me a long time to get down to Skim milk and other low fat versions of cottage cheese and the like. I would feel counter productive! Adding the nuts though and juice is a great start. The olive oil bit is genious.

Keep it coming!

kaymd

I've been having my last snack of the day between 9 and 10pm and I have been losing weight. If it were me I would eat that last snack of the day.