Any ideas on how to increase my calorie intake on Low Carb?

Stompp

Hi, I seem to have trouble hitting my recommended daily calories (1200) while following Low Carb, any ideas on low carb foods that are higher in calories? I'm not feeling hungry every day by eating fewer calories, so I don't necessarily need bigger meals?

These are my nutrition figures so far:

Day 1 - 17g carbs | 981 Net cals
Day 2 - 18g carbs | 703 Net cals
Day 3 - 15g carbs | 894 Net cals
Day 4 - 22g carbs | 795 Net cals
Day 5 - 19g carbs | 672 Net cals

There is no reason to count calories if you are low carbing and eating all natural, whole foods.

The key is to eat nutrient dense foods, it has nothing to do with the amount. Remember QUALITY over QUANTITY - always.

If you ignore calories, you're setting yourself up for failure, I agree with nutrient dense foods, but saying the amount doesn't matter isn't the answer. If you put your body into starvation mode for not eating enough, then your body isn't going to process things right and you're not going to be healthy. Healthy is fantastic, but eat enough

AdAstra47

To answer the original question: definitely go with foods high in protein. If you're not getting your energy from carbs, you'll need to get it by burning fat & protein. The chemical reaction that turns fatty acids into energy also requires amino acids (protein). It's roughly three parts fat to one part protein. So you need to make sure you are eating plenty of protein to keep that reaction going.

And you might also try eating constantly throughout the day rather than having only three meals. Everyone's body is different, some people's metabolisms are more efficient than others. Some people can eat all their daily calories in one sitting and it won't affect them; others, like me, need to make sure & split our calories among 6 meals per day. So you might see whether eating more often helps you get your calories in.

My go-to snack foods: hard-boiled eggs, cheese sticks, beef jerky, hummus, plain Greek yogurt, cottage cheese. If you don't like plain cottage cheese or yogurt, you can add half a scoop of flavored protein powder, or half a packet of Crystal Light, to get sweet flavors without the carbs.

Also, if you choose lower-carb veggies, you can eat more of them without going over your carb limit. Stay away from corn (which is really a grain, not a veggie, anyway) tomatoes (really a fruit, not a veggie), beans, potatoes, and high-sugar veggies like peas & carrots & sweet potatoes. Instead, eat things like spinach, leafy greens, sprouts, bell peppers, mushrooms, asparagus.

I also use a lot of protein powder. Syntrax Nectar has a wide variety of 0-carb flavors, and I can mix a scoop into a glass of water & drink it with my meal to add healthy protein calories.

Nothing like a good old-fashioned steak. Any meat, poultry or fish provides calories without carbs. My George Foreman grill helps a lot, I can have a steak with some mushrooms, or wrap a chicken breast in bacon & grill it up, or do some shrimp shishkabobs with mushrooms & peppers.

Hope this helps. Good luck to you!

Grokette

Hi, I seem to have trouble hitting my recommended daily calories (1200) while following Low Carb, any ideas on low carb foods that are higher in calories? I'm not feeling hungry every day by eating fewer calories, so I don't necessarily need bigger meals?

These are my nutrition figures so far:

Day 1 - 17g carbs | 981 Net cals
Day 2 - 18g carbs | 703 Net cals
Day 3 - 15g carbs | 894 Net cals
Day 4 - 22g carbs | 795 Net cals
Day 5 - 19g carbs | 672 Net cals

There is no reason to count calories if you are low carbing and eating all natural, whole foods.

The key is to eat nutrient dense foods, it has nothing to do with the amount. Remember QUALITY over QUANTITY - always.

If you ignore calories, you're setting yourself up for failure, I agree with nutrient dense foods, but saying the amount doesn't matter isn't the answer. If you put your body into starvation mode for not eating enough, then your body isn't going to process things right and you're not going to be healthy. Healthy is fantastic, but eat enough

You will never go into "starvation mode" when eating nutrient dense foods.

I have lost nearly 50 pounds over the past 10 months simply by eating higher fat, moderate protein and carbs coming from vegetables and a little bit of fruit. I have not counted calories at all. Some days I eat more than others, but I know and pay close attention to my body.

The only vitamin that I am deficient in is Vitamin D and that is because it is winter and I live in an area that doesn't get a lot of sun.

How did people ever survive before calorie calculators, etc??? They were way healthier back in the day than we are now days. Simply due to all this calorie counting notion and thinking everything in moderation is ok when that person is truly starving their body of nutrients.

Acg67

I always tell people to make them stop and think................Grains are fed to livestock to fatten them up. What do you think it is doing to us?

There is a reason that when the agriculture meat market went away from free range, grass fed meats and start giving grains is along side the start of the obesity epidemic for humans...........

Such garbage, correlation =/= causation, i'm the obesity epidemic has nothing to do with the population becoming more sedentary over time while increasing overall caloric consumption, it's just the evil grains making people fat

ShrinkingNinja

I always tell people to make them stop and think................Grains are fed to livestock to fatten them up. What do you think it is doing to us?

There is a reason that when the agriculture meat market went away from free range, grass fed meats and start giving grains is along side the start of the obesity epidemic for humans...........

Such garbage, correlation =/= causation, i'm the obesity epidemic has nothing to do with the population becoming more sedentary over time while increasing overall caloric consumption, it's just the evil grains making people fat

It isn't just the grains by any means, but they do not help.

LATeagno

I always tell people to make them stop and think................Grains are fed to livestock to fatten them up. What do you think it is doing to us?

There is a reason that when the agriculture meat market went away from free range, grass fed meats and start giving grains is along side the start of the obesity epidemic for humans...........

Such garbage, correlation =/= causation, i'm the obesity epidemic has nothing to do with the population becoming more sedentary over time while increasing overall caloric consumption, it's just the evil grains making people fat

I think it's a mixture. Grains shouldn't be on the bottom of the food pyramid, but the amount of sugar/grains that Americans (earthlings?) eat in combination with a sedentary lifestyle is a recipe for disaster.

Stephie_J

Hi, I seem to have trouble hitting my recommended daily calories (1200) while following Low Carb, any ideas on low carb foods that are higher in calories? I'm not feeling hungry every day by eating fewer calories, so I don't necessarily need bigger meals?

These are my nutrition figures so far:

Day 1 - 17g carbs | 981 Net cals
Day 2 - 18g carbs | 703 Net cals
Day 3 - 15g carbs | 894 Net cals
Day 4 - 22g carbs | 795 Net cals
Day 5 - 19g carbs | 672 Net cals

Why are you eating so low on carbs? add olive oil to soups and sauces. have avocado on salads and sandwiches, or as a snack. Nuts and seeds are great as well.

Because I am following a Low Carb diet. Have just started and am meant to have 20g carbs in the first 2 weeks. It works as I did it last year, but MFP keeps saying I need more calories.

Stephie_J

Is there a reason you are doing low carb?

Because it works for me and I lost 36lbs last year following low carb.

Stephie_J

Hi, I seem to have trouble hitting my recommended daily calories (1200) while following Low Carb, any ideas on low carb foods that are higher in calories? I'm not feeling hungry every day by eating fewer calories, so I don't necessarily need bigger meals?

These are my nutrition figures so far:

Day 1 - 17g carbs | 981 Net cals
Day 2 - 18g carbs | 703 Net cals
Day 3 - 15g carbs | 894 Net cals
Day 4 - 22g carbs | 795 Net cals
Day 5 - 19g carbs | 672 Net cals

There is no reason to count calories if you are low carbing and eating all natural, whole foods.

The key is to eat nutrient dense foods, it has nothing to do with the amount. Remember QUALITY over QUANTITY - always.

Ah good As I said in another reply, low carb worked fine for me last year eating similar sorts of foods and losing a healthy 1-3lbs a week in the process. I was just wondering if I should have more calories as MFP kept telling me that I was under.

Stephie_J

I understand where you are coming from! I just re started my low carb diet yesterday and tend to eat around 1,000 cals while following my plan, so if I exercise I net about what your stats look like. I like the nuts idea.

I like the nuts idea too

I also brought some pork scratchings last night, full of fat and calories with 0 carbs

Stephie_J

eating like this will set you up for failure, unless you are anorexic.

Believe me I am definitely NOT anorexic!! I followed Low Carb last year and lost 36lbs eating similar foods!

Stephie_J

So much low carb bashing here. Ugh.

Low carb will tank your appetite. When I'm doing induction level carb intake, I usually can't get above 1300 cals. Mind you, this is coming from someone who is significantly overweight and used to consume like 3000 cals a day! LOL.

Fat is good on low carb. It's energy. Do not be afraid of it so long as it's natural! Full fat cheeses, cream in your coffee, swirled meats, mayo (i often eat tuna salad with mayo when I need more cals because it's relatively calorie dense; one can of light tuna in water with two tablespoons of mayo is 280 cals and no carbs), avocados, etc. I often have to eat despite the fact that I just don't feel hungry because my appetite is so curbed thanks to LC.

Good luck and don't let the haters annoy you! LOL. Since I started LC about 10 months ago, my total cholesterol dropped from 147 to 118 and my fasting blood sugar from 119 to 71. My BP has also dropped. It just works for some of us-- some people just don't understand that.

THANK YOU Oh, I LOVE mayo!!! I have it every day in a prawn mayo salad (full fat mayo of course!) The issue of not being hungry means I don't feel the need to have extra snacks, but I did by some pork scratchings last night!

I have only been low carbing again since Thursday, (weighing myself on Friday) and have lost 5lbs since then (I weighed myself last night) so it does work for me

ShrinkingNinja

So much low carb bashing here. Ugh.

Low carb will tank your appetite. When I'm doing induction level carb intake, I usually can't get above 1300 cals. Mind you, this is coming from someone who is significantly overweight and used to consume like 3000 cals a day! LOL.

Fat is good on low carb. It's energy. Do not be afraid of it so long as it's natural! Full fat cheeses, cream in your coffee, swirled meats, mayo (i often eat tuna salad with mayo when I need more cals because it's relatively calorie dense; one can of light tuna in water with two tablespoons of mayo is 280 cals and no carbs), avocados, etc. I often have to eat despite the fact that I just don't feel hungry because my appetite is so curbed thanks to LC.

Good luck and don't let the haters annoy you! LOL. Since I started LC about 10 months ago, my total cholesterol dropped from 147 to 118 and my fasting blood sugar from 119 to 71. My BP has also dropped. It just works for some of us-- some people just don't understand that.

THANK YOU Oh, I LOVE mayo!!! I have it every day in a prawn mayo salad (full fat mayo of course!) The issue of not being hungry means I don't feel the need to have extra snacks, but I did by some pork scratchings last night!

I have only been low carbing again since Thursday, (weighing myself on Friday) and have lost 5lbs since then (I weighed myself last night) so it does work for me

I weigh everyday, because my body will tell me if something I ate the day before didn't work with me on the scale. I have a program that I plug that daily weigh in into and then I report my "trendline" from that app on here as my weight once a week.