How can it be hard to eat all your calories?

backinthenines

But what's annoying to see (sorry, but it is) is the "how can I make it to 1200 calorie" threads everyday.

hmmm... for every one of those threads there must be at least an equal number of "1200 calories only - are they serious???" threads... So what...?

HMKan

Just read through all the replies to this post, I should have done it before I wrote my reply but hey...

Folks, honestly, every one is different... different walks of life, diets, sizes, heights, life choices, mentalities even... just because one person has to eat 20,000 calories or 10 calories, it doesnt mean everyone else does... Yeah, some of us eat like pigs, yeah some of us cut back toooo much but I thought MFP was all about tracking our own calories and be supportive towards others, not grinding them down because they are indiffernt to ourselves... why not be helpful and share tips instead... ? aint it easier? I know I could do with some.... Just my thoughts after reading through...

I read through the entire thread, amazed at the opinions and 'tones' that came across in the messages --- decided not to post on one side of the fence or the other. But I must say --- I completely agree with you --- well said!

I agree with this too. Everyone is on this site because they want or need to track their food intake. But we're all different. I get that when things work for us, we tend to think we have the answer and want others to hear it too. But the "answer" is different for everyone so we should just be supportive. I'm trying to not be offended by some of the implications that people who struggle to eat their calories for the day are either: 1) anorexic or have an eating disorder, 2) crazy and have an unhealthy look at dieting or 3) begging for attention. I'm sure maybe there are those out there that fit into that mold. But even if that were the case, wouldn't that mean we should be reaching out and encouraging those people even more? But for the rest of us, it'd be great if we didn't make blanket generalizations about each other, but try to encourage and support (or give constructive criticism IF it's requested of you).

I think this was an interesting topic and I'm glad the OP posted it. But the point was to gain perspective from each side of the coin, I don't think the intention was to create a hostile environment.

msemejuru

My son is very active so after playing soccer, hiking or running while he rides his scooter I've burned another 300 to 400 calories. Added to my 700 calorie burn from my morning workout that means I get to eat another 1,000 calories a day. After being used to 1,200 calories a day while not working out 2,200 seems like a ton. I eat a ton of fiber because I love oatmeal with flaxseed and my hubby is a vegetarian so I get lots of steamed vegetables and whole grain pasta. That stuff is just filling. There are also days where I'm starving at 1,200 so it just depends.

cclala

Sorry guys I didn't realize I'd be opening such a huge can of worms here. In my original post I was mostly trying to educate myself about other's eating habits in the hopes that I might learn something, since I seem to have trouble staying under, even on my clean eating plan. I was beginning to feel a bit frustrated that it seems so easy for me to reach my calorie goal, like I was doing something wrong when others are having a hard time making it to 1000. (Cclala, Back. Away. From. The. Almonds.) I thought maybe I'd pick up some info that would help me to stay under.

(On that note, not putting olive oil on my salad has been this week's godsend, just in case anyone else is unaware of this secret calorie death trap!)

I go to bed peckish most nights and wake up super hungry. I can't wait to get to the maintenance phase so I can ratchet up a few hundred cals daily.

I hope everyone has a successful, healthy weekend---and congrats on making it another week.

shannonshock13

I don't think that that by me saying I'm having trouble getting to 1,200 cals a day, is me trying to get attention to my under eating... because well... i don't under eat!! I eat a lot during the day! I am trying to be a clean eater, so most things that i eat are whole and unprocessed.

I am in no way having trouble getting to 1,200 BEFORE my workout it's AFTER I workout that I may have a problem with. After the gym my food tracker is telling me that I still have 600+ calories to go to reach my 1,200 a day goal. I'm trying to watch fats and sugars and the food tracker says i still have 7 sugars left as well as 16 fat and a ton of carbs.

I'm not really keen on just eating an avocado... but i would really like some advice on what to eat during the day (thats low to no sugar) to fill in those extra calories i earned by working out. Do i even need to eat those extra calories, or can I just leave it at the 1,200 I already consumed??
I'm super confused!!

I have my program set to lose 2 pounds a week.

cclala

I don't think that that by me saying I'm having trouble getting to 1,200 cals a day, is me trying to get attention to my under eating... because well... i don't under eat!! I eat a lot during the day! I am trying to be a clean eater, so most things that i eat are whole and unprocessed.

I am in no way having trouble getting to 1,200 BEFORE my workout it's AFTER I workout that I may have a problem with. After the gym my food tracker is telling me that I still have 600+ calories to go to reach my 1,200 a day goal. I'm trying to watch fats and sugars and the food tracker says i still have 7 sugars left as well as 16 fat and a ton of carbs.

I'm not really keen on just eating an avocado... but i would really like some advice on what to eat during the day (thats low to no sugar) to fill in those extra calories i earned by working out. Do i even need to eat those extra calories, or can I just leave it at the 1,200 I already consumed??
I'm super confused!!

I have my program set to lose 2 pounds a week.

I was actually wondering if maybe those who struggle to fill up don't account for exercise until the very end of the day. You know what I do? I log it early on--before I've done it. That way I can ration my food better throughout the day, and as an added bonus I get all these congratulations notes from my friends, and it makes me guilty if I don't go do it! Haha.

You need to eat back at least some of your exercise calories. This topic has been discussed tons, feel free to run a search, but basically MFP has already accounted for a calorie deficit you will need for successful weight loss. So, if you don't eat back what you burn off, you are stuck with double the deficit....MFP, plus your burn. Let's say you are eating 1200, as you stated. If you work off 400 and don't eat them back, you'll be giving your body 800 calories a day, which is not enough to fuel you. It needs more than that just to hang around the house. This will cause your body to sense you're in starvation mode and hold on to fat in order to survive.

This explains the relationship between starvation mode and metabolism: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/3047-700-calories-a-day-and-not-losing

If you want to take a look at my diary, you can see how I try and space things out. Yesterday was a bit of a mess because I thought I'd work out and ate accordingly, then couldn't make it and had to skimp on dinner to stay within my goals.

But most days I plan everything out in advance, so you can add a treat of your choice to fill it up. Do you like nuts? They are super high calorie. I know you said no sugar, but are you avoiding fruit? Assuming you don't have a medical reason for avoiding fruit, t's helpful to have a well balanced diet and not avoid any one food group all together. So I'd say grab a handful of nuts and berries, or maybe a turkey and cheese roll, or a whole wheat tortilla with cheese spread...greek yogurt is great, protein bars are delish, the sky is your limit:-) PM me if you have questions-

ladyhawk00

I don't think that that by me saying I'm having trouble getting to 1,200 cals a day, is me trying to get attention to my under eating... because well... i don't under eat!! I eat a lot during the day! I am trying to be a clean eater, so most things that i eat are whole and unprocessed.

I am in no way having trouble getting to 1,200 BEFORE my workout it's AFTER I workout that I may have a problem with. After the gym my food tracker is telling me that I still have 600+ calories to go to reach my 1,200 a day goal. I'm trying to watch fats and sugars and the food tracker says i still have 7 sugars left as well as 16 fat and a ton of carbs.

I'm not really keen on just eating an avocado... but i would really like some advice on what to eat during the day (thats low to no sugar) to fill in those extra calories i earned by working out. Do i even need to eat those extra calories, or can I just leave it at the 1,200 I already consumed??
I'm super confused!!

I have my program set to lose 2 pounds a week.

I agree with Cclala - but just wanted to add a little. Remember that all sugar is not created equally. Putting too much emphasis on sugar intake in your diary can be detrimental, because MFP does not distinguish between processed/unprocessed sugar. It puts the sugar from a donut and the sugar from an apple in the same place. I've heard people time and again frustrated that they can't keep their sugar under goal - and it's because they're focusing too much on the NUMBER and not the source of the sugar. Eating a banana will spike your sugar in your diary - but is it bad to eat a banana? Of course not. So if you're intent on watching sugar intake, pay more attention to what kind of sugar it is, rather than how much. Same thing with fats - some are healthy, some are unhealthy. Of course, you don't want to be WAY over on it all the time, but it's far more important to be aware of what kind of fat it is, rather than just what the amount is.

Second, while you're not really close to goal yet, you probably are not in a position to lose 2 lbs per week. I would recommend reading this thread, it may help you figure out what a reasonable loss/week goal will be for where you are.

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/61706-guide-to-calorie-deficits

Anyway, hope this helps. Good luck to you!

lulu_beans

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.

Ahahahaha! :laugh: