Cant eat enough calories

willowglimmer

Started mfp again, not doing too badly losing weight steadily, 10lb off since Oct but I can't eat enough calories I'm eating breakfast, lunch and dinner and one or two snacks in between but if I do any form of exercise I can't eat back those calories. I'm justnot hungry enough. I've had cereal this morning with milk, sweet potato with cottage cheese and pineapple for lunch and glazed chicken and rice for dinner. Almonds and goji berries as a snack and water and diet 7upfor drink but mfp says I stillneedto eat another 500 cals!!
Exercise consists of vigorous aerobics for approximate 20 mins, jumping jacks and lunges for 5 mins and 5 push ups ( can't do more lol) as of next week I'll be walking approximate 4 miles a day with the puppy too so I'm worried about the deficit I'm building up.

Any advice??

bigsal911

Simple solution: stop exercising while dieting? I stay away from any strenuous activity while on a calorie restricted diet. Always works well, once the weight is off, then I can work out to keep it off.

HardKnocks

If you're getting the results you want, I wouldn't worry. It sounds like you're eating healthily. I have a hard time meeting my calorie goals, too.

BriannaSkye

eat a small handful of nuts, its will bring you very close as they are so high in calories

Mindful_Trent

Simple solution: stop exercising while dieting? I stay away from any strenuous activity while on a calorie restricted diet. Always works well, once the weight is off, then I can work out to keep it off.

I don't agree with this advice. Exercise is very important if you're trying to be healthy, which should be your main goal (not just losing weight). Exercise helps keep you strong, lowers cholesterol, keeps your overall body running better and prevent you from losing muscle mass.

Try fitting in a little more calore-rich but healthy foods (avocado, whole milk dairy instead of low/no-fat, cook with olive oil - a healthy fat, etc.)I recommend getting away from the cereal for breakfast - try eggs and oatmeal or something of that caliber - a bowl of cereal doesn't provide much protein/fat, which is important to keep you going all day. I aim for 300-400 calories per meal (breakfast/lunch/dinner) plus snacks. I would add broccoli or lima beans or something like that to the dinner you mentioned - a higher calorie veggie to go with the chicken and rice. Maybe add a good protein along with what you had for lunch (more than what the cottage cheese provides).

It would be hard to make all these changes at once, but pick one thing and work on a little at a time. I'd start with breakfast, then work on consciously adding more calories to lunch and then dinner. Evening snacks are okay too - it's a myth that it's bad to eat at night!

Mindful_Trent

By the way - here's a good link about calories deficits. It explains why it's important to eat most of your calories to keep your deficit from getting too high.

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/69708-calorie-deficit-for-dummies-a-little-long

redefiningmyself

Simple solution: stop exercising while dieting? I stay away from any strenuous activity while on a calorie restricted diet. Always works well, once the weight is off, then I can work out to keep it off.

I don't agree with this advice. Exercise is very important if you're trying to be healthy, which should be your main goal (not just losing weight). Exercise helps keep you strong, lowers cholesterol, keeps your overall body running better and prevent you from losing muscle mass.

Try fitting in a little more calore-rich but healthy foods (avocado, whole milk dairy instead of low/no-fat, cook with olive oil - a healthy fat, etc.)I recommend getting away from the cereal for breakfast - try eggs and oatmeal or something of that caliber - a bowl of cereal doesn't provide much protein/fat, which is important to keep you going all day. I aim for 300-400 calories per meal (breakfast/lunch/dinner) plus snacks. I would add broccoli or lima beans or something like that to the dinner you mentioned - a higher calorie veggie to go with the chicken and rice. Maybe add a good protein along with what you had for lunch (more than what the cottage cheese provides).

It would be hard to make all these changes at once, but pick one thing and work on a little at a time. I'd start with breakfast, then work on consciously adding more calories to lunch and then dinner. Evening snacks are okay too - it's a myth that it's bad to eat at night!

I totally agree.

bigsal911

Simple solution: stop exercising while dieting? I stay away from any strenuous activity while on a calorie restricted diet. Always works well, once the weight is off, then I can work out to keep it off.

I don't agree with this advice. Exercise is very important if you're trying to be healthy, which should be your main goal (not just losing weight). Exercise helps keep you strong, lowers cholesterol, keeps your overall body running better and prevent you from losing muscle mass.

Try fitting in a little more calore-rich but healthy foods (avocado, whole milk dairy instead of low/no-fat, cook with olive oil - a healthy fat, etc.)I recommend getting away from the cereal for breakfast - try eggs and oatmeal or something of that caliber - a bowl of cereal doesn't provide much protein/fat, which is important to keep you going all day. I aim for 300-400 calories per meal (breakfast/lunch/dinner) plus snacks. I would add broccoli or lima beans or something like that to the dinner you mentioned - a higher calorie veggie to go with the chicken and rice. Maybe add a good protein along with what you had for lunch (more than what the cottage cheese provides).

It would be hard to make all these changes at once, but pick one thing and work on a little at a time. I'd start with breakfast, then work on consciously adding more calories to lunch and then dinner. Evening snacks are okay too - it's a myth that it's bad to eat at night!

Cutting out exercise for a few months while dieting isn't going to cause your body to shut down or make you less healthy. If the OP is having a hard time eating enough calories to make up for the working out then they should either force more food or work out less.

Mindful_Trent

Cutting out exercise for a few months while dieting isn't going to cause your body to shut down or make you less healthy. If the OP is having a hard time eating enough calories to make up for the working out then they should either force more food or work out less.

And eating more food is by far the healthier option. I disagree that cutting out exercise for a few months is not going to cause any problems. Your body won't shut down and you may not have any obvious bad health effects, but I know from personal experience that when I stop exercising for more than a few weeks, I can definitely feel a difference. Exercise has so many benefits - mental, emotional and physical. It's key to good health.

gnrshelton

Almonds are a good way to get the calories in and are good for you. A pure protein bar is like eating a candy bar and is 200 calories and 7 protein. Great before a workout. Sounds like you are doing well.

claribeln02

How much weight are you trying to loose? I believe exercise will help you get the weight of faster with better visible results. I exercise 5 days per week and am usually under my total daily calories, and I'm still healthy. (Says the Doc. ) Once you meet your goal weight you can always up your calorie intake to maintain the weight. Exercise is important.

DanOhh

Nuts/peanut butter

tigerblue

I almost never eat all my exercise calories and I've done fine. I do try not to drop below 1200 cals, though and I eat if i'm hungry. The problem for me is adding calories that are healthy! I would have no problem adding them with cookies and chips!!!

bigsal911

Cutting out exercise for a few months while dieting isn't going to cause your body to shut down or make you less healthy. If the OP is having a hard time eating enough calories to make up for the working out then they should either force more food or work out less.

And eating more food is by far the healthier option. I disagree that cutting out exercise for a few months is not going to cause any problems. Your body won't shut down and you may not have any obvious bad health effects, but I know from personal experience that when I stop exercising for more than a few weeks, I can definitely feel a difference. Exercise has so many benefits - mental, emotional and physical. It's key to good health.

Oh I agree it's the healthier option, but OP said they can't eat enough calories. So it's either go to McDonald's or stop(or reduce) the exercise.

CakeFit21

Cutting out exercise for a few months while dieting isn't going to cause your body to shut down or make you less healthy. If the OP is having a hard time eating enough calories to make up for the working out then they should either force more food or work out less.

And eating more food is by far the healthier option. I disagree that cutting out exercise for a few months is not going to cause any problems. Your body won't shut down and you may not have any obvious bad health effects, but I know from personal experience that when I stop exercising for more than a few weeks, I can definitely feel a difference. Exercise has so many benefits - mental, emotional and physical. It's key to good health.

Yes, exactly. Plus, if you read the OP's profile you would see that arthritis and a family history of cancer is a concern. Exercise is crucial to keeping arthritis at bay and we all know a healthy lifestyle is important factor in reducing cancer risk. Should I even mention osteoporosis and other things that women in our age group need to start being concerned about?

Please, keep exercising! Treat yourself to delicious avocados, (if you can get them) Also, try greek yogurt with 1 or 2% fat. Another thing to try is Quinoa! It's a complete protein and has a higher calorie count than other whole grains. Use like you would use rice, it's really delicious and SO healthy!

willowglimmer

Thank you all for your advice, it's really helpful to have lots of opinions. If I don't exercise I just sit on my bum and do nothing. And having suffered with post natal depression need to do Something to boost my endorphins etc. And as Karincakes noted my families medical history is a concern to me and prevention is better than cure so it really is a case of more good calories rather than give up exercise.
Peanut butter sounds good and I've got nuts in the house (I'm married to one lol!) I need to start a list of good healthy high calorific foods to boost my normal (trying to be healthy) diet.
Thank you again :-D

willowglimmer

Oh and I need to lose approx 30lbs.