How can it be hard to eat all your calories?

jessieinblue

I don't get it either. I LOVE food and will eat too much if I'm not careful. Pasta is a biggie, but I also could go way over just with almonds. Or, like you mentioned, cherries. Had some of those today . . . mmmm.

Honestly, I think some (not all) of the people who find it difficult to get to their calorie allotment are underestimating the calories they eat.

lmclaine

I have trouble eating all of my calories.

I don't eat breakfast, it makes me sick. I drink 1 cup of coffee. About 10, I will eat a snack, a cereal bar, generally. For lunch, I eat left overs from the night before, or I pick something up. And then I eat dinner. Today I ate 2 slices of a homemade(-ish) pizza and 2 small red potatoes with butter & cheese for lunch, and we are having pancakes, beef bacon, and scrambled eggs w/ cheese for dinner. I with all of that, I will be just barely over 800 calories. I still have to fit in at least 400, and I haven't worked out yet. I am full, and I will BE full. I will try to have a snack after I work out, but, it still won't be a 400+ calorie snack.

Say what you will. I am not hungry. I ate 1/4 of a pizza for lunch, and was hungry an hour later, so I cooked potatoes (I had them in my desk). When I am hungry, I eat. Trust me. I have even been known to eat potato chips, candy, chocolate bars, etc to get my calorie intake up. Today will be one of the days I don't eat many veggies, and really, my calorie intake is higher today b/c of it. I drink water constantly.

I just don't see how someone could eat more than me and still be hungry all the time.

Oh, and this is just to hit 1200, I cannot eat back my workout calories, there just isn't enough time in the day. I have only hit my "goal" of 1340 one or 2 times, and it was when we went out to eat.

I call B.S. that 1/4 pizza, potatoes w/cheese plus that dinner is less than 800 calories. :noway:

lmclaine

That's me!

backinthenines

It's not as easy as you might think. MFP gives me 1560 calories a day.....if I do 60 to 75 minutes of cardio...which I try to do at least 5 days a week, I can burn up to another 1200-1300 calories....that's 2860....its a lot of food. Too much. I never eat exercise calories....just consider it a bonus weight loss........

Wait you mean you burn 1300 calories in an hour?

The leaner you are the harder it is to get that burn in that space of time. One of the hardest cardio sessions would be a good spin class, and in 60 mins I would burn an absolute maximum of 700 calories.

You can't really compare the burn rate of larger people to slimmer folk. Think about the Biggest Loser... some of them can lose 14lb in one week!! That doesn't happen when you only have 20lb to lose overall, so you need to consider that.

On training days when I double up (train before & after work) I can easily accrue 1000+ calories extra. I won't eat them all, but I listen to my body. I eat very regularly and a lot of it is lean protein which is very filling. I never go hungry.

I gotcha, but isn't the ratio the same? The calorie allowance is a bit higher because the burn is? So they'd have the same amount left over, relatively speaking?

Personally I don't think you can compare it. It can be a lot harder for a 125lb woman to drop to 120lb than for a 350lb woman to drop to 330lb.

At the beginning weight loss is easy. It just drops off you if you eat right and train right, because it's truly "spare". When you get towards your lean weight and you have much more lean mass than body fat, it's much harder to even shift a small amount of weight. Often it requires you mixing your training up loads so you avoid plateau as your body gets used to most exercises and becomes very efficient at getting through sessions with less and less effort. That's all part of getting fitter, your cardiovascular efficiency improves and you can do the same thing with more ease, so you need to mix things up a bit.

lulu_beans

A lot of people on here eat less than 1000 and they say they are just not hungry....it's all a lot of talk, they are hungry, they just won't eat. And they want the satisfaction of someone telling them it's okay.

I really take offense to this statement. I find it very hard on some days to eat my calories. Especially on the days that I eat a protein or fiber loaded meal. If I eat a lot of fiber or protein, and drink my typical gallon of water, then I really am not hungry. I will sometimes force myself to eat something, even though I'm feeling bloated from being full...and this can't be healthy either, because you are then training your body to overeat.

HarlequinDeath

I'm given 1500 calories per day. I eat between 900-1300 each day. I rarely, if ever, eat 1500. And I am not hungry. You can say it is bs or that I'm lying all you want, but I have forced myself to eat to try to get my calories up, and it makes me sick. I love food as much as the next person, but I eat really small portions.

Everyone has their own individual challenges, and it doesn't make them a liar, it doesn't make them 'less than you', and it doesn't mean it is bs.

spacecase76

I call B.S. that 1/4 pizza, potatoes w/cheese plus that dinner is less than 800 calories. :noway:

it is a homemade pizza. Mostly. I buy the crust pre-made. I don't care for much cheese or sauce on my thin crust pizza. I had 3 ounces of 96/4 beef across the whole pizza, and onions, green onions, mushrooms, and baby bellas. I have it added up as a recipe, into 4 servings, they are 340 calories / 13 g of fat in 2 slices (I cut it into 8 slices...2 slices = 1/4 of the pizza)

Doubt me, whatever.

2 small red potatoes = about 74 calories. 1/2 tbsp of country crock butter = 25 cals / 3 g of fat, 1 slice of Borden 2% American cheese = 50 cals, 3g of fat.

As far as dinner, did you even consider portion sizes? One 4-inch pancake = serving. 1 slice of bacon = serving. 1 egg = serving.

I am not sitting down to a feast. I am sitting down to a semi-light supper. Which is all I need. Especially after a heavy lunch.

Janworkingitout

I have trouble eating all of my calories.

I don't eat breakfast, it makes me sick. I drink 1 cup of coffee. About 10, I will eat a snack, a cereal bar, generally. For lunch, I eat left overs from the night before, or I pick something up. And then I eat dinner. Today I ate 2 slices of a homemade(-ish) pizza and 2 small red potatoes with butter & cheese for lunch, and we are having pancakes, beef bacon, and scrambled eggs w/ cheese for dinner. I with all of that, I will be just barely over 800 calories. I still have to fit in at least 400, and I haven't worked out yet. I am full, and I will BE full. I will try to have a snack after I work out, but, it still won't be a 400+ calorie snack.

Say what you will. I am not hungry. I ate 1/4 of a pizza for lunch, and was hungry an hour later, so I cooked potatoes (I had them in my desk). When I am hungry, I eat. Trust me. I have even been known to eat potato chips, candy, chocolate bars, etc to get my calorie intake up. Today will be one of the days I don't eat many veggies, and really, my calorie intake is higher today b/c of it. I drink water constantly.

I just don't see how someone could eat more than me and still be hungry all the time.

Oh, and this is just to hit 1200, I cannot eat back my workout calories, there just isn't enough time in the day. I have only hit my "goal" of 1340 one or 2 times, and it was when we went out to eat.

Your daily intake seems like a lot more than 1200 calories...butter, cheese, eggs, pizza, all in one day? That's amazing...lol!

Cbandelier

My daily calories are 1200-1600ish depending on exercise. The only times I have had trouble eating everything was if I didn't eat enough early in the day and had to try to pack it all in during the evening. And didn't have any decadent desserts laying around to help catch up, lol. This almost never happens, generally it requires some planning to make sure I don't go over pretty much every day.

heathersmilez

It isn't, they are lying, we support ya


* Only exception, the very petite.

amuhlou

I wish I had trouble eating all mine! I usually come in right around my calorie goal of 1200.

Many meals I prepare use olive oil so those calories can really add up fast. It was alarming to see the calories for the first time. I occasionally experiment with using less oil here and there, but staying within my calorie limit has been doable thus far, so I see no reason to modify my cooking too much.

Like some folks, I exercise frequently because it allows me to eat more. I rarely eat back all of my exercise cals though.

AKosky585

I used to only eat 700 calories a day and after exercise was NET 500. I was full on this. I truly was. It took me months of eating more and forcing myself to eat more to get to 1200 calories and now I NET 1200...I eat back almost all of my exercise calories, and you know what...now that I am eating more, I am hungry a LOT more often than when I was starving myself. Not sure what is going on with that, but I can eat 1500 calories a day after exercise, and still be hungry, But I am also losing more now too. So I can see how somebody can eat less than 1000 calories a day and feel full. If that is what they are used to...and it probably took weeks to get that 'full' feeling on so little. I know when I was doing that, I was starving for the first couple of weeks, but I told myself I did not NEED more, and refused to eat more...and after time, I just wasnt hungry any longer.

I am glad that I am not going down that road any longer.

Manda1987

It's hard for me to stay under if I'm not watching myself like a hawk.

If I am watching, it's hard for me to meet it. I find that when I'm making healthier choices, I'll opt for salad (with tons of lettuce) instead of sandwiches, drink tons of water and exercise instead of snacking. For instance, today I had taco salad followed by a bit of homemade peach cobbler, and it came in under 500 calories. The salad must have weighed over a pound... but it had an entire romaine lettuce heart in it. I'd also missed breakfast because I slept in.

It's not B.S. I just really don't need that much to fuel my body. My eyes are much bigger than my stomach in most cases.

gehlerc

I'm reluctant to wade into this, but here I go:

I am one of those people who has trouble eating any more than 1100 calories a day. I have a moderately active job and I burn at least 350 calories (often more) in cardio exercise daily. The reason I'm in this predicament, I think, is because I'm eating so many vegetables, and some fresh fruit. On a typical day, I eat 1.5 cups fresh vegetables, 2 cups of salad greens, another cup of steamed vegetables (at least), and often a snack of low-sodium V-8. I also try to get two medium pieces of fresh fruit. I fill in the rest of my daily food intake (lean protein, whole grains) around those basics. The vegetables really--I mean REALLY--fill me up with few calories. I often find myself at the end of the day having consumed under 1000 calories and having to eat something else just to get above 1000.

So, there you have it, for what it's worth. I think we're all just different.

Good luck.

Don't be reluctant, I'm grateful for the inside perspective! So, why not have a piece of toast with peanutbutter in addition to all those veggies? If you're interested in staying within your goal calorie range and vegetables aren't cutting it?

Quite honestly, I'm following the eating plan in _The Mayo Clinic Diet_ book (published by the Mayo Clinic). They recommend at least four servings of fruit and two servings of vegetables per day, no sugar, whole grains only, etc. So, I start out with the recommendations for the veggies (and they dictate that, for most vegetables, a serving is 1 cup; for salad greens one serving = 2 cups), followed by the recommendations for the fruit. Beyond that, I'm just not hungry enough to add another slice of toast with peanut butter to my day. Truly, I am very full from all the veggies. And, I won't eat past a certain time in the evening.

Sammyk50

Lol, I feel the same way! I never have a problem eating all my calories, I could eat twice this amount if MFP would let me!

lmclaine

I call B.S. that 1/4 pizza, potatoes w/cheese plus that dinner is less than 800 calories. :noway:

it is a homemade pizza. Mostly. I buy the crust pre-made. I don't care for much cheese or sauce on my thin crust pizza. I had 3 ounces of 96/4 beef across the whole pizza, and onions, green onions, mushrooms, and baby bellas. I have it added up as a recipe, into 4 servings, they are 340 calories / 13 g of fat in 2 slices (I cut it into 8 slices...2 slices = 1/4 of the pizza)

Doubt me, whatever.

2 small red potatoes = about 74 calories. 1/2 tbsp of country crock butter = 25 cals / 3 g of fat, 1 slice of Borden 2% American cheese = 50 cals, 3g of fat.

As far as dinner, did you even consider portion sizes? One 4-inch pancake = serving. 1 slice of bacon = serving. 1 egg = serving.

I am not sitting down to a feast. I am sitting down to a semi-light supper. Which is all I need. Especially after a heavy lunch.

Sorry to doubt you but when you say pancakes, bacon, eggs, cheese, I'm not picturing a 4 inch pancake, one slice of bacon and one egg--that's a dinner? And that fills you up? That's barely a snack to me. I would eat that while cooking dinner lol! Seriously, different strokes....I have always had a problem with portion control and overeating. I have a hard time finding foods I like that are healthy and I can eat enough of to satisfy my hunger. It's getting better since I've been on this program (26 days) but we all agree it's mainly mental and a life change. It's a work in process!

ladyhawk00

I'm reluctant to wade into this, but here I go:

I am one of those people who has trouble eating any more than 1100 calories a day. I have a moderately active job and I burn at least 350 calories (often more) in cardio exercise daily. The reason I'm in this predicament, I think, is because I'm eating so many vegetables, and some fresh fruit. On a typical day, I eat 1.5 cups fresh vegetables, 2 cups of salad greens, another cup of steamed vegetables (at least), and often a snack of low-sodium V-8. I also try to get two medium pieces of fresh fruit. I fill in the rest of my daily food intake (lean protein, whole grains) around those basics. The vegetables really--I mean REALLY--fill me up with few calories. I often find myself at the end of the day having consumed under 1000 calories and having to eat something else just to get above 1000.

So, there you have it, for what it's worth. I think we're all just different.

Good luck.

Don't be reluctant, I'm grateful for the inside perspective! So, why not have a piece of toast with peanutbutter in addition to all those veggies? If you're interested in staying within your goal calorie range and vegetables aren't cutting it?

Quite honestly, I'm following the eating plan in _The Mayo Clinic Diet_ book (published by the Mayo Clinic). They recommend at least four servings of fruit and two servings of vegetables per day, no sugar, whole grains only, etc. So, I start out with the recommendations for the veggies (and they dictate that, for most vegetables, a serving is 1 cup; for salad greens one serving = 2 cups), followed by the recommendations for the fruit. Beyond that, I'm just not hungry enough to add another slice of toast with peanut butter to my day. Truly, I am very full from all the veggies. And, I won't eat past a certain time in the evening.

I'm no expert, but that would seem to make for a somewhat strange ratio of protein/carbs/fat. Obviously, theories abound on what those ratios should be (high protein, low carb, low fat, high fat, whatever). But it would seem really hard to get a very good ratio with those restrictions. However, I guess I'm biased, as I'm a firm believer in everything in moderation and a very balanced diet.

Anyway, hope it's working for you. Good luck! :flowerforyou:

cflorkie

I pretty much never eat all my calories.

When I'm stressed, I'm sick to my stomach.
When I'm busy, i forget to eat.
When I'm hungry, i eat sensibly.
I'm also a vegetarian.

I try and get 1200 net a day. Sometimes i get closer to 800. Being stressful and busy with two children can do that to you. I could set my calories higher, but it's not like I'd be able to reach them anyway. I'm maintaining my weight roughly week to week, so i don't think there's Anything wrong with what I'm doing.

I don't have an eating disorder and resent the insinuation. Just because one poster did does not mean everyone that cant eat their goals has one....

Let's flip this around. How can anyone possibly go over their calories. They clearly must be overindulgent pigs...Hang on, let me dissect your food diary. Clearly you must be using it wrong...

Hmm offensive to anyone? I figured as much.

lexicalabrese

According to Tosca Reno- the author of the Eat Clean Books- you really do not have to count your calories if you are eating clean. Those are excellent books! I find it really hard to eat that striclty- although I know its the best thing for me!

I actually tried the Eat Clean Diet and GAINED weight...I was always stressed about what I was eating, when, maintaining the correct portion sizes, etc. Now I just try to avoid processed foods if I can and count my calories because THAT is what has always proven effective for me

backinthenines

I don't have an eating disorder and resent the insinuation. Just because one poster did does not mean everyone that cant eat their goals has one....

Let's flip this around. How can anyone possibly go over their calories. They clearly must be overindulgent pigs...Hang on, let me dissect your food diary. Clearly you must be using it wrong...

Hmm offensive to anyone? I figured as much.

I actually agree with you.

The post that said something like" They are hungry but they won't eat and want others to tell them it's ok"... hmmm... bit of a generalisation me thinks... A bit like saying "They are stuffing their faces with junk, come here and moan about it and want others to tell them it's ok".

happy_vegan

I totally agree with the first poster. I'm vegan, eat at least five servings of veggies a day. But I live in a cold climate so I need heated food...a can of soup is 120-300 calories. My example day is typically

Oatmeal 150
Soy capp 150

Soup. 300
Salad or veggies 100

Snack: veggies, fruit, nuts anywhere from 50-300

Dinner: soup or pbj 300
Salad 100

That, I feel is a really "clean" diet...and I'm up to 1200 without even thinking. No room for bad foods, unless you don't count the capp..most days I drink drip coffee to avoid the cals/sugar.

lmclaine

I pretty much never eat all my calories.

When I'm stressed, I'm sick to my stomach.
When I'm busy, i forget to eat.
When I'm hungry, i eat sensibly.
I'm also a vegetarian.

I try and get 1200 net a day. Sometimes i get closer to 800. Being stressful and busy with two children can do that to you. I could set my calories higher, but it's not like I'd be able to reach them anyway. I'm maintaining my weight roughly week to week, so i don't think there's Anything wrong with what I'm doing.

I don't have an eating disorder and resent the insinuation. Just because one poster did does not mean everyone that cant eat their goals has one....

Let's flip this around. How can anyone possibly go over their calories. They clearly must be overindulgent pigs...Hang on, let me dissect your food diary. Clearly you must be using it wrong...

Hmm offensive to anyone? I figured as much.

Who insinuated you had an eating disorder? I guess I missed the post that was questioning your eating habits--it wasn't me! I started this by posting how difficult it is to for me to change from eating 2,000-3,000 calories/day to 1,500 and that I neeeed the exercise calories so I can at least eat enough to keep my hunger at bay. I seem to eat every calorie I am allowed! As for going over calories, how could you ask that of any overweight person? That is clearly not a problem

TheMaidOfAstolat

It isn't, they are lying, we support ya


* Only exception, the very petite.

Exactly. I'm just under 5 feet tall...my maintenance cals are 1285...wow, a whole 85 whopping calories more than the recamended 'base ' amount. I'm trying to gain muscle so I'm eating around 1300 prior to excersize and 1/2 to all of my additional calories.

cflorkie

The post that i found very offensive was on the first page. Of course i don't think that of anyone here, i was just using it as an example, flipping it around so you could see how offensive it is to be called sick over eating habits.

HMKan

People say they can't reach 1200 cals because in their mind if they reach that they are fat.
That is how I felt not too long ago and still feel like that.

There is no way in hell anyone can not reach 1200. It's easy to reach 1200 even on fresh foods...etc!

A lot of people on here eat less than 1000 and they say they are just not hungry....it's all a lot of talk, they are hungry, they just won't eat. And they want the satisfaction of someone telling them it's okay.

I've been through it, and still struggling to reach 1200 most days because in my mind I'm scared Im eating too much when I know Im not.

This is interesting, thanks for sharing. I didn't think that there might be some hidden psychology behind it, I was just taking it at face value.

I agree this might be the case for some people, but I think there are others who struggle with eating the calories without these underlying phychological aspects. I have my daily calories set to 1300 and I work out every day. I'm constantly making a peanut butter and banana sandwich at night just to fill up the remaining calories I have leftover. Eating 1300 plus eating back the 500 every day is tough for me. I don't have any problem with eating over 1200 calories. In fact, sometimes I find it's necessary in order to break through a plateau.

I think my problem with reaching my caloric intake is because I drink a LOT of water (like 16 cups a day) and I also drink a lot of brewed green tea while I'm at work. Because of this, I don't snack at work and tend toward smaller lunches and breakfasts. When I get home I work out and that sort of staves off hunger too for some reason. But to answer your question, I think maybe some people are taking in a lot of fluids which curb the desire to eat, and when they check in, they realize they didn't distribute their calories very well throughout the day.

elenee

HI, I have trouble eating all my calories lots of days. My plan is to eat every 3 to 3.5 hours but with all my calories divided out. Breakfast is eggs with spinach (a lot) and or onions/mushrooms/peppers or salsa (no grain) and maybe a low glycemic fruit like berries or grapefruit (peel the whole thing leaving as much of the white on as possible for added nutrients) Sometimes I eat oatmeal for breakfast with protein powder or eggs.. Second meal is a HUGE salad with fish (I usually eat a can of sardines or part of a can of salmon) and maybe a little hummus or avacodo (no crackers). Third meal is a fruit (low glycemic) with some raw nuts and a protein shake made with Garden of Life Raw Protein Powder, spirulina and Vitamineral Green. Fouth meal (if I'm driving is half a cake of tempeh (fermented soybeans and brown rice) marinated in 2 tsp. tamari in a ziplock bag and a LOT of raw veg.
As you see I'm eating over 20 grams of protein at each meal, which helps me keep building muscle or not loosing it while I'm loosing the fat, and NO simple carbs. When I work out hard, I have to eat additional calories so I add starchy carbs like sweet potatos, or lima beans or no fat (you have to read the ingred. list, the label lies) refried beans. This is simple, easy to fix and pretty much portable. It looks to me like you may be eating too many grains. They are the least nutrient dense of the food groups...many people do better with few grains. Consider that when the grain is ground and then reformed into another shape it is much more easily digested than the actual whole grain. Whole grains should be eaten whole (oatmeal, brown rice, quinoa etc for the lowest glycemic impact) I highly recommend subscribing to this newsletter http://www.whfoods.com/ Great ideas for simple and very healthy food prep

cclala

I don't have an eating disorder and resent the insinuation. Just because one poster did does not mean everyone that cant eat their goals has one....

Let's flip this around. How can anyone possibly go over their calories. They clearly must be overindulgent pigs...Hang on, let me dissect your food diary. Clearly you must be using it wrong...

Hmm offensive to anyone? I figured as much.

I actually agree with you.

The post that said something like" They are hungry but they won't eat and want others to tell them it's ok"... hmmm... bit of a generalisation me thinks... A bit like saying "They are stuffing their faces with junk, come here and moan about it and want others to tell them it's ok".

Yes, that poster was definitely using her own experience as her guide. I see where you're coming from, I doubt EDs are to blame in every case.

But most of us are on here because we overdo/overdid it on the calories to begin with, so it's a bit of a head-scratcher that there are those who now have trouble eating the minumum. That's where the confusion arises I think. It's not quite the same as asking how someone could possibly go over their calories...most of us are here because it's way too easy for us to go overboard, elsewise we wouldn't be here, trying to lose or maintain.

I think that the change in food choices might play a role. If someone goes from eating 2,000 calories a day in fast food, it's about the same level of fullness as 1300 calories of fresh food. But, my cross to bear is I could plow through about 2,500 cals a day eating clean, esp if nuts are involved. I do love my nuts.

syl312

I'm reluctant to wade into this, but here I go:

I am one of those people who has trouble eating any more than 1100 calories a day. I have a moderately active job and I burn at least 350 calories (often more) in cardio exercise daily. The reason I'm in this predicament, I think, is because I'm eating so many vegetables, and some fresh fruit. On a typical day, I eat 1.5 cups fresh vegetables, 2 cups of salad greens, another cup of steamed vegetables (at least), and often a snack of low-sodium V-8. I also try to get two medium pieces of fresh fruit. I fill in the rest of my daily food intake (lean protein, whole grains) around those basics. The vegetables really--I mean REALLY--fill me up with few calories. I often find myself at the end of the day having consumed under 1000 calories and having to eat something else just to get above 1000.

So, there you have it, for what it's worth. I think we're all just different.

Good luck.

THIS IS EXACTLY TRUE!! IM A VEGETARIAN AND I CANT EAT MY 1200 CALS A DAY.. IM TRYING AND IM GOING TO TRY HARDER BY ADDING MORE FOODS IN MY DAY.. I EAT PRETTY MUCH ONLY VEGGIES, SPINACH, FRUIT, EGGS & LOTS OF BEANS !!
(IM NOT YELLING BUT MY CAPS ONLY WORK RIGHT NOW) LOL..
ITS NOT IN OUR HEAD OR SOME SORT OF GIMMICK ? YOU TRY TO EAT ONLY VEGGIES IN A DAY AND SEE IF YOU CAN EAT 1200 CALS A DAY ADN WORK OUT AND BURN 500 CALS OR MORE.. ITS DIFFICULT..
(JUST MY THOUGHTS ) THANKS!

dkb228

I only have an issue eating all my calories on days when I exercise more than my usual 30 min bike ride. When I add a long walk pushing the stroller or yoga to the mix, I then end up needing to make up a 700-100 calorie deficit. So while I usually manage to eat most of my calories including what I work off doing cardio, I am consistently 5-100 below my 1260 net. This is because (and I wonder if this if the reason why others find it hard to eat all their calories) because I'm not just watching my calories - I'm paying close attention to my saturated fat and sugar intake. It's difficult for me to eat 1300+ calories and not go over in those areas. What can I say, I love my milk and cheese. And I suppose I could fill up on empty calories just to match my net, but it seems counterproductive considering that's what got me into this overweight mess to begin with! Lol

dkb228

This is directed to all vegetarians -
Have you tried quinoa? One of my best friends is vegetarian and eats quinoa (and quinoa pastas) to add calories/grain/protein to his diet. I've actually found that I really like it, too! Ancient Harvest makes a quinoa linguine (one 2 oz. serving is about 200 cal) that tastes like the real thing. And I love to use quinoa in a stir fry rather than just boring rice.