I don't get it... "hard to make calories"?

thisismynewmindset

I think I am just jealous... but I see lots of people on here saying that it is hard for them to get up to their 1,200 calorie goal for the day because they just aren't hungry enough or they have already eating a large volume of food.

I don't get it. It's hard for me to stay under 1,200 calories let alone get up to 1,200 calories....

Am I alone here???

unsuspectingfish

Nope, definitely not alone. Of course, I'm set at 1700 calories, which you think would be ridiculously hard to hit, but it's really not. I'm a vegetarian, too.

lilRicki

my problem is I burn so much and I have to eat that back...I've already consumed a ton of food, but I have to eat back at least half my calories burned right? the past two days I've been at 800-some odd calories Net, but I ate 2000 calories worth of food, I just worked it off...I feel like I'm eating constantly and my calorie goal is 1320

yiffanarff

I think it depends on what you're eating. In general, I haven't found it "hard" to meet my calories, but if I wasn't tracking I think I would be consistently under. This is just because I've been really focusing on eating healthy, unprocessed foods lately. For example, oatmeal for breakfast, white bean soup with carrots and hummus, lenitl curry, garden salads with nuts and seeds etc, a lot of these things are not high in calories. Also, I try to eat most of my exercise calories, so i do sometimes have to find other things to snack on in order to get enough calories.

That being said, when I get hungry when I'm at the mall, and get some french fries, or when I have something like a bagel with peanut butter for breakfast, I have to plan the rest of my day out better, otherwise I'll go over in calories.

Jellyphant

It goes both ways for me. Mine's set at 1500. Some days, I can have as much as 300-400 calories left and have absolutely NO desire to eat them back, and some days I'm like, but I waaaaaant this or that, and I only have 2 calories left. haha
When the latter happens, all you gotta do is workout so you can eat more!

oravavaara

I really don't get how people can have such a low calorie goal, and still have a hard time meeting it! I suppose, I do eat quite a bit of junk food for someone losing weight (corn chips, ice cream, and wine have been my favorite snacks lately), but I really feel like I do what I need to do to stay happy and satisfied. I did have a moment yesterday when I was working out in the field and couldn't finish my lunch. I packed a salad and some brown rice with beans- I got through the salad and couldn't eat anymore! I wish that would happen more often :S

thisismynewmindset

Yes I am with you oravavaara.

I mean... isn't the reason most of us are on here is because we are overeaters and therefore heavier than we want to be? Stemming from that you think it would be hard to keep your calories down for the day... not hard to MEET you calories.

I guess I just have to do this for longer to have the feeling of "oh I am so full on my ever-so-healthy food... I don't know if I can make it to 1,200 today!". --- This is only day 8 for me. Maybe it's too soon to be able to enjoy that feeling (I still crave chocolate... mmmmmm chocolate...)

skinnyinnotime

I guess I just have to do this for longer to have the feeling of "oh I am so full on my ever-so-healthy food... I don't know if I can make it to 1,200 today!". --- This is only day 8 for me. Maybe it's too soon to be able to enjoy that feeling (I still crave chocolate... mmmmmm chocolate...)

LOL! I'm with you on this, I'm hungry ALOT of the time, about an hour after a meal i'll start thinking how long it will be before I can eat again! Wish i could feel full up on these measely calories i've been allocated.

joyoungolivia

I guess I just have to do this for longer to have the feeling of "oh I am so full on my ever-so-healthy food... I don't know if I can make it to 1,200 today!". --- This is only day 8 for me. Maybe it's too soon to be able to enjoy that feeling (I still crave chocolate... mmmmmm chocolate...)

LOL! I'm with you on this, I'm hungry ALOT of the time, about an hour after a meal i'll start thinking how long it will be before I can eat again! Wish i could feel full up on these measely calories i've been allocated.

i couldnt agree more.....i fond myslef constantly thinking about food!!

Dragonwolf

I don't understand it, either. My calorie goal is at 1800, I've been at this for two months, and it's still easy for me to go over my calorie goal. Some days, like others have said, I have a deficit and have no desire to eat them, while others, I'm just like, "but...but...where did they all go?" I can't even fathom 1500, let alone this 1200 some of these other people have been citing.

TourThePast

If I get organised enough, and eat healthily with lots of vegetables for every meal, then yes it's hard to get through my calories.

Doesn't happen that often though, and very occasionally, like today, nothing I eat seems to satisfy my hunger.

capricorn144

For me I think that its what I eat.

I eat a salad or two a day. I think its just bulky food. I rarely use all the calories but I am eating really "clean" and very little processed food or high calorie food.

I log everything in and I am losing weight but I am one of those that feels full and is not eating all the cals allotted. :blushing:

yiffanarff

I guess I just have to do this for longer to have the feeling of "oh I am so full on my ever-so-healthy food... I don't know if I can make it to 1,200 today!".

Haha, well in fairness to me at least (maybe it's not the same for others), my calorie goal is set to about 1500 a day, and on the days when I find I have to work at meeting my goal are the days when I burn 500 or 600 calories during exercise. I try to eat my exercise calories, because it seems to work for me, so it's more the days when I'm trying to eat 2000 calories of salad and lentils. I'm also vegan, which probably makes a difference. If cheese was still an option for me, I would have NO issues meeting my goals. I used to be a huge cheese fiend.

fteale

I am totally with the OP. I feel starving on 1200 cals a day.

bachooka

In all honesty... over eating may be what got alot of the people on here plump but now what kept them that way. We would like starve ourselves and then binge like crazy and then our body would hold on to all the fat. People who are fat because of that are the ones most likely to have issues with eating all their cals because they need to adjust to eating normally all the time instead of eating like a bird and then spending an entire saturday eating like food was going extinct.

emylourow

I guess I just have to do this for longer to have the feeling of "oh I am so full on my ever-so-healthy food... I don't know if I can make it to 1,200 today!". --- This is only day 8 for me. Maybe it's too soon to be able to enjoy that feeling (I still crave chocolate... mmmmmm chocolate...)

I'm only just at the point now where I'm eating more healthy food, so some days I have to make an effort to eat something high cal just to meet my 1200. Other days I'm like give me more!! Actually, this has just made me realise I've not had chocolate for a week :O That is not like me at all.

reddcat

I am finding myself to be one of those annoying people that have a hard time getting their calories. I am set at 1210 and I have at least 30 pounds to lose. If I do not exercise, then yes, 1210 goes REALLY quick. But when we exercise (depending on which theory of thought you are part of), we get those calories we burned back. So, I get my 1210 plus anywhere from 400-700 more. So, I get 1610 to 1910. I try to shoot for three four hundred calories meals, and then 400 in snacks.
For me, the problems sometimes comes in the breakdown. For example today, I am over in fat and protein, and still have calories to eat. Yesterday, I had over 300 calories left to play with......but they had to be all carbs, no fat or protein. What the hell is that food???
So, for me, it is not 1200 per se, but getting it sometimes twice, and then trying to figure out what to eat to meet my goal when the rest of the categories are used up. Extra lettuce/fruits/veggies will only get you so far.

jujubean1992

i've had days like that... like today my lunch was filling and less than 200 cals (4oz light yogurt, 1 oz light string cheese and a nectarine). i've exercised today but feel like i haven't burned enough cals off even though i've burned almost as many as i ate today, and i'm not that hungry yet even though it's time for me to eat again. but some days i just want to eat junk which usually dosn't keep me full for very long and i want more food in like a half hour. and i go over

Schwiggity

I think most of us have problems knowing what real hunger is sometimes. I know I scoff at people saying they can't eat their 1200 calorie goal sometimes, but really I think I eat a lot more out of boredom than true hunger.

thisismynewmindset

Hmmm..... these are alll interesting thoughts. Thanks everyone!

I am not a big fan of working out though, and when I do I usually burn about 300 and I am sweating buckets. So maybe that's where it is hard for me. I don't have a lot of exercise calories to "eat back", if any.

I am also flabergasted at some people's calorie burning ability! 700 - 1000 calorie workouts?? What are you doing? How do you get such a high calorie burn??

kellyscomeback

Hmmm..... these are alll interesting thoughts. Thanks everyone!

I am not a big fan of working out though, and when I do I usually burn about 300 and I am sweating buckets. So maybe that's where it is hard for me. I don't have a lot of exercise calories to "eat back", if any.

I am also flabergasted at some people's calorie burning ability! 700 - 1000 calorie workouts?? What are you doing? How do you get such a high calorie burn??

The heavier you are the more calories you can burn. And there are some programs that are calorie burners like TurboFire, 30 Day Shred, Zumba, etc.
For example I do a alternating cardio/wt training program and I can burn 400 calories in an hour. And if I go for a power walk on top of that, well there's another 500 burned in an hour. Then I have a hard time eating back all of my calories.

koosdel

I'm on year four of maintaining a healthy weight, and eating.. umm.. better. At first, it was difficult. I have no idea how much I ate before. I could easily eat an entire pizza, a box of bread sticks and a two liter of Pepsi for dinner. Not counting the three or four hot dogs for lunch, dozens of Mountain Dews, and donuts.

Now, I have somewhat healthier foods. Defnatly more balance in my diet. My stomach has shrunken, my tastes have changed. I feel full longer after eating and have much more strength to push the plate away.
My calorie needs for today are near 3,000. There is no way I can eat that much.. unless I dig into a bucket of fried chicken. Which isn't going to happen anytime soon. I just can't allow myself to go back to what I was. I've worked way too had for this.

I hope you guys do well, I really do.

koosdel

Hmmm..... these are alll interesting thoughts. Thanks everyone!

I am not a big fan of working out though, and when I do I usually burn about 300 and I am sweating buckets. So maybe that's where it is hard for me. I don't have a lot of exercise calories to "eat back", if any.

I am also flabergasted at some people's calorie burning ability! 700 - 1000 calorie workouts?? What are you doing? How do you get such a high calorie burn??

I used to think my 450 cal burns were good. At least until I saw the cyborgs on here.
My advice; heart rate monitor, determination, and patience.

Janworkingitout

I'm still waiting for the day that I have a hard time eating all my calories :laugh: I just wish those people who have a hard time eating them all, could give me some of theirs!

reddcat

I recommend Zumba and 30 day shred. Both burn a lot in a short amount of time. Plus, Zumba is a lot more fun than hanging out on a treadmill half the day.

LimeyTart

I have a hard time making my calories frequently. I can't ever get anywhere close to getting through my exercise calories either. I eat a LOT of fruits and veggies with lunch and dinner. So I'm stuffed, but my meal total might be 300 calories. I could eat less produce I suppose. But I don't really like much outside of produce, cheese, chicken and salmon. I try to avoid processed foods/carbs, so that restricts me even more.

Divabonita88

i pretty much Sike my mind by increasing my calories to about 1400-something on the mfp profile.. and now i'm always closer to the 1200 range...it's worth a try

christine24t

My BMR is 1957 calories, and I usually reach it every day or go over - I'm not sure why some people have trouble meeting it. I'm guessing it's because they eat lightly in the morning and then it's overwhelming at night to have to eat a lot of calories. That's why I try to eat a lot of fruit or sides of veggies with my meals to add in those calories.

abalicious

lol I'm at 1500ish and its so easy to hit! but sometimes, especially eating back exercise calories, I find it hard to reach the full 1500

capricorn144

I'm on year four of maintaining a healthy weight, and eating.. umm.. better. At first, it was difficult. I have no idea how much I ate before. I could easily eat an entire pizza, a box of bread sticks and a two liter of Pepsi for dinner. Not counting the three or four hot dogs for lunch, dozens of Mountain Dews, and donuts.

Now, I have somewhat healthier foods. Defnatly more balance in my diet. My stomach has shrunken, my tastes have changed. I feel full longer after eating and have much more strength to push the plate away.
My calorie needs for today are near 3,000. There is no way I can eat that much.. unless I dig into a bucket of fried chicken. Which isn't going to happen anytime soon. I just can't allow myself to go back to what I was. I've worked way too had for this.

I hope you guys do well, I really do.

I so want to be in that long term maintenance place and not blow it this time. [Where I go back to old large portion habits.]
congrats on your success and determination.
:happy:

stefraab

I always question those posts... if you find it hard to eat 1200 calories, why are needing to lose weight anyway? If you ate like that all the time (provided it was healthy food) you'd be skinny as a rail!

But I guess if they're exercising a TOOOOON - like 800 calories - it'd be a bit hard to eat that all back. I guess. I can eat 2000 cals pretty easily.