Struggling to eat enough already - what am I supposed to eat

lynnmarsh52

Okay, so here's my problem! MFP says I should eat 1220 cals per day. On average I only get up to this amount once a week. I struggle to eat this many calories. I physically cannot fit that much food in my body!

I have recently started Insanity, and should now be eating 1600 cals per day! How on earth can I do that if I struggle with 1220 cals already?????

Any suggestions on how I can make up these extra calories without upping my 'fat' intake? Every time I mention it to my husband, he says - have some biscuits, have some cake! Yes, there are lots of calories, but also lots of fat!

Is this amount of cals each day going to help me lose weight? (I'm 5ft 4" and 137lbs) I'm scared that this amount of cals will put more weight back on. Sounds like a hell of alot to me!

Oh, and by the way, I'm in week 2 of Insanity and have gained a pound!!! Wasn't expecting that! :grumble:

DixiedoesMFP

Have you tried a protein shake? Or adding a scoop of protein to something you are already eating? If you are doing Insanity, you will be building a lot of muscle (probably responsible for the pound gained) and you need to make sure you are eating enough protein to support that. I use the vanilla bean Reclaim from complete nutrition and think it's pretty tasty. I tried a cheaper version from Wal-Mart and it was not so tasty.

guppygirl322

I would cook with healthy fat, like olive oil. Or have a handful of nuts. They have a decent amount of calories, and the fats in them are the good fats.

Tritan342

Almonds. And they are also healthy.

kbizzleoo

If you do a peanut butter sandwich it can help a LOT to add calories. 2 tablespoons of peanut butter is 190 calories...and you can even just eat that without the bread. I'm not sure if youre looking to lose or gain weight, but it's definitely a healthy source of protein and fat - and very low in sugar considering how sweet it is (4 grams of sugar for the JIF 2 tbsp)

lisapickering

Since you are already at a healthy weight it is important to eat the calories. If you don't your body won't burn as much as it knows you're not going to feed it. This is probably why you gained a lb... or could be a thousand other reasons.

To eat the calories try things like peanut butter, avocados, nuts - walnuts, almonds, pistachios. It's easy to get a couple of hundred calories from these things without being really heavy.

TanajaP

i 2nd protein shake.. maybe like light muscle milk? if it taste good you're more likely to drink it and for it to feel less like "food"

RedHotRunner

Have some healthy fat like nuts, avacado or olive oil. Or try some greek yogurt.

And yes, the pound is probably muscle.

Bighank7752

If you are seriously working out, I agree with the protein shake.

CassieAtEatLoveFit

What do you eat if you have trouble getting to 1200 calories? My gosh I find it near impossible to keep mine down that low! Are you eating three meals a day?

anner53108

I like the suggestions given. Avocado or guacamole are other good options -- they have "good fats." (As long as you have the guacamole with low-fat chips or veggies, of course!
Also, try googling "calorie-dense healthy food" -- there are lots of great lists out there!

~ Ann

mgreen10

What are your favorite foods? Just have those. I have never had this problem...of not wanting to eat. Except when I was seriously depressed about something maybe. There really isn't anything you want to eat?

LauraMarie37

Fat is a good thing that's essential to maintaining the health of your brain and the lining of certain chambers of your heart, among other things! YES, eating 1600 calories a day (if you are doing a trenuous workout like Insanity and at your height/weight) will help you lose weight. It will probably make you better at Insanity as well! If you aren't eating enough, your body thinks it's starving and will go into starvation mode, hoarding calories and converting almost evrything you eat to fat to save up for hard times ahead! (Your body, which learned nutrition basically as a caveman, will think you are about to face a long winter where food will be scarce, so it will add fat to eat off of in the coming months and to keep you warm.)

So it's ok, eat cookies or cake! Or add extra cheese or nuts to your meal, or eat a fruit smoothie with yogurt, or add wheat germ or something with fiber to your sauce/cereal/sandwich/whatever. Don't be afraid to eat fat - eating more will help you feel better in many ways, AND lose weight!

trac3

Nuts, avacados, olive oil on your veges/salads, and protein shakes are all great to add calories, healthy fats and protein to your diet if you feel you can't eat enough. You'll need them since you are closer to your ideal body weight ~ your body won't want to give it up as easily! If you are exercising hard and building muscle, don't get overly excited with a couple of pounds creeping up ~ it'll even out as you continue to keep your calories in check and lose fat. Go by the tape measure and how your clothes fit just as much as the scale!

Good luck! You'll get there!

Kelly_Wilson1990

I also struggle to get in my 1200 calories a day. I eat six small meals a day instead of trying to eat three big ones. I try to eat about 200 calories per meal. I also supplement with protein drinks. Lately, I have been Body Fortress Protein Shots. These drinks have 26 grams of protein but are only 2.9oz. I bought them in a box of six from Walmart.

Rloral

If you find out the secret will you let me know. I'm with you; I can barely eat my 1280 calories. When I add exercise which was 5-6 times a week I wouldn't come no where close to 1200 net calories.

Mtsidad

I eat back more than my daily minimum (which is about 1500 calories) but I find that the exercise calories listed just don't make sense. I worked for 3.5 hours moving boxes on Saturday, and 2 hours mowing the lawn today. I think that's about 3000 extra calories for the two days, and I just cannot physically eat that much unless I gnaw on a stick of butter. So I eat a bit richer on these days (6 oz of wild salmon for dinner, for example), but I just can't get that much more food down.

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registers

Okay, so here's my problem! MFP says I should eat 1220 cals per day. On average I only get up to this amount once a week. I struggle to eat this many calories. I physically cannot fit that much food in my body!

I have recently started Insanity, and should now be eating 1600 cals per day! How on earth can I do that if I struggle with 1220 cals already?????

Any suggestions on how I can make up these extra calories without upping my 'fat' intake? Every time I mention it to my husband, he says - have some biscuits, have some cake! Yes, there are lots of calories, but also lots of fat!

Is this amount of cals each day going to help me lose weight? (I'm 5ft 4" and 137lbs) I'm scared that this amount of cals will put more weight back on. Sounds like a hell of alot to me!

Oh, and by the way, I'm in week 2 of Insanity and have gained a pound!!! Wasn't expecting that! :grumble:

I don't know why people make it hard, if you eat more calories then you burn, you will gain weight, burn more calories than what you consume you will lose weight.

You sound like a body builder trying to bulk up. Get that stuff out of your head. The purpose of the "eat back your calories" is for people who are "too stressed" not eating. It's for slow gradual changes, if you're fine WITHOUT eating them, don't eat them.

ssteele09

A easy way to add calories is put a scoop of protein into your oatmeal, if you are an oatmeal person! It's absolutely delicious, sounds gross but it's not!

I also agree with the person above me, if you are fine without the calories don't stress too much over eating them. ( :

lynnmarsh52

Wow, thanks for all the advice!

I do have a protein shake every day, so I may add another 1/2 shake a day.

Can't snack on almonds/nuts/peanut butter - I don't like them (

Nor avacado/yoghurt! I know - I'm just too picky!!! lol

Must admit, although I wasn't doing 'massive burning exercise' before I started Insanity, I have been healthy eating for over a year and have never 'eaten back my exercise calories' and I've lost 49lbs, so I know that my body must have been 'ok' with it. It's just now trying to lose that last 7lbs ( I'm having so much trouble with shifting it! Perhaps I should just concentrate more on toning up rather than losing the numbers on the scales. I'm just worried that I'm not eating enough - the last thing I want is to be sick (

Why does the human body have to be so complicated???!!! And never do what you want it to do!!! :bigsmile:

:flowerforyou:

LauraMarie37

I'm also on my last 7 pounds and have been for the past 4 months. I spent the last two months eating way under my calorie goal (working out, intensely, 2-4 hours a day and eating around 1000-1200). I couldn't lose ANY weight and was SO frustrated with myself! But since I started MFP I've made it a point to get within 300-400 of my calories every day (including eating back my burn), and I am losing weight much more quickly again!

Just my $0.02. I DO think it's a problem if you have trouble getting to your goal calories every day - I don't think it's as simple as "if you eat less than you burn, you will lose, if you eat more, you will gain", unfortunately. I encourage you to try to find new foods you like and get closer to your calories - I bet that will help!!!

hagamivida

I am 5'1" and 180.2 pounds. I am vegetarian and have been for four and a half years. I got fat from being lazy, not so much from my eating habits, especially once I went veg. Then a medication I was on for three months shot me up 45-50 pounds. I don't eat much, usually, though on rare occasions I do over eat. I am also really struggling to eat more than about 850 calories a day. I went above 1,200 calories once this past week. I worry that my lack of calories may be putting me into starvation mode and thereby sabotaging my efforts to lose weight. Anyone have any thoughts?