Eating, just for calories?

jordalyssa94

I've focused on only eating when I'm hungry, and stopping when I'm no longer hungry. Needless to say I've been eating 500-800 cals a day but burning basically everything I'm eating .. so I've been eating to catch up on calories but I absolutely hate it, what do I do now .. anyone with similar issues?

iLinduh

You're only eating 500-800 cals a day??

lilojoke

And your still alive?

Brunchstress

You're not eating enough calories. You will put your body into a starvation mode and then when you actually do eat your metabolism will be so screwed up that you will gain weight. Make sure to eat at least 1200 calories a day. If you exercise eat more. You will lose weight slowly and keep it off for the long term.

jordalyssa94

Right now today, my deficit is 1300...... I'm having pasta for dinner, lots of veggies, I'm a vegetarian, but since i stopped eating just because of boredom, I stopped eating most of my food, I'm never hungry !

tkcasta

Try going for some more calorie dense foods, like nuts, peanut butter, bananas, pasta etc. That should make up the difference without you having to pack in more and more food.

Edit - avocados are another good one. You said you're vegetarian, but didn't say if you're vegan so you could add some cheese.

SergeantSunshine_reused

500-800 calories a day then burning those off? :sick:

Yes you need to be eating MUCH more. Or else you will look "skinny fat" from muscle loss and not the bombshell body in your head!

angelashay42

Your body adjusts to your actions. If you don't eat, you will eventually not feel hungry anymore. You should focus on eating, even just a small snack, every few hours, even if you aren't feeling "hungry". Your body tells you in other ways too. If your stomach isn't grumbling, you may feel tired or jittery or light-headed or cranky. These are all symptoms of hunger.

Kristy_Elizabeth

As someone who has had trouble eating in the past, I would say you are flirting with an eating disorder. Please work your way back up to a healthy amount of food each day. I have used support from something-fishy.org in the past. If you want to talk about anything that might be bothering you, feel free to message me. I'm a very good listener. =D

jordalyssa94

I was anorexic for 5 years, and in my recovery I went into depression and gained an unhealthy amount of weight.. I've been healthy for a year or so but realized I was doing most of my eating just because it was there.. so it's quite hard to eat when I;m not hungry once my mind is set to it

WaterBunnie

Sounds like a risky path to follow. You could end up with malnutrition. Planning your meals to include more calories will keep you healthier.

angelashay42

I was anorexic for 5 years, and in my recovery I went into depression and gained an unhealthy amount of weight.. I've been healthy for a year or so but realized I was doing most of my eating just because it was there.. so it's quite hard to eat when I;m not hungry once my mind is set to it

Eating 500 calories a day is anorexia. It sounds like you may be relapsing. You should see your physician or talk to a professional.

Darlingir

I was anorexic for 5 years, and in my recovery I went into depression and gained an unhealthy amount of weight.. I've been healthy for a year or so but realized I was doing most of my eating just because it was there.. so it's quite hard to eat when I;m not hungry once my mind is set to it

if thats the case i would think of finding a reputable nutritionist and councilor to work with you.

MelKut

Continue to eat more. Your body NEEDS and DESERVES that fuel. I know it may be hard to consume that much, but really try to fit in all you allowed calories plus exercise calories for the day. Some people's struggle is that it is extremely difficult to eat less, and are called lazy if they can't. Some, like you, have the struggle of eating more. Don't be lazy, it take work to get to a place where you are eating right. Just because you don't 'feel' hungry doesn't mean that your body is getting all the nutrients you need.

Its not all about eating less, its about eating enough (not too much or too little). Add high calorie foods to your diet if you need to. Add protein shakes, or just protein mix to oatmeal and things like that. Switch to full fat items if you eat reduced fat now. You can make those changes.

Darlingir

I was anorexic for 5 years, and in my recovery I went into depression and gained an unhealthy amount of weight.. I've been healthy for a year or so but realized I was doing most of my eating just because it was there.. so it's quite hard to eat when I;m not hungry once my mind is set to it

Eating 500 calories a day is anorexia. It sounds like you may be relapsing. You should see your physician or talk to a professional.

what she said..

thelovelyLIZ

This is actually a big reason I stopped calorie counting and logging daily. I was having the opposite problem though- I would have leftover calories and then use it to eat junk. Now I focus on honoring my hunger cues and eating foods I know are good for me.

That being said, you really should be eating more than that. Try including some healthy and calorie dense foods in your diet, like nuts and nut butters, sweet potatoes, etc. Also, make sure you're getting all the nutrients you need. I eat vegetarian a lot, so sometimes that means eating a little extra to get my protein in for the day.

Also, have a post workout snack, even if you're not hungry. Your body needs that food pretty quickly after a workout to help replenish carbs and build muscle. Try some protein shakes, peanut butter and toast, or homemade granola bars (or a carefully selected premade one, like Lara of Clif Bars.) I'm never hungry after a workout, but it's still a good idea to eat then.

jordalyssa94

I know that everyone might think I'm relapsing back into old habits, but really I can control it, I eat extra just to get the calories in because I know I need the calories, the 500-800 cals I eat are the ones I'm actually hungry for, I just thought people may have some advice

joejccva71

My daily intake is 2250 calories. Even if I'm full and no longer hungry at 1800 calories or whatever, I STILL eat and force myself to eat to get 2250.

shbretired

doctors recommend 6 small meals a day;

bowl of cereal with lowfat milk or soy milk

orange

veggie burger on flat bread

frozen fruit & lite yogurt

1/4 cup pistashio

Home made burrito;

Mission Tortilla 1.5 gram fat
Chicken breast meat
Olives
Pico de Gallo; onion, cilantro, tomato
Red onion
Favorite taco sauce
1 cheddar cheese stick

Roll up heat in oven 15 minutes, add guacamoe

docdrd

You can always also have ice cream for dessert. YUM!! Good ice cream (like Ben and Jerry's) is hugely caloric and delicious. I can promise you that if I had that many bonus calories waiting for me at the end of the day, that is how I would spend them.

And for the record, people here are ABSOLUTELY right. You are good to not eat just out of boredom, but you must eat more calories or else you will relapse. Your body cannot function on such a low amount and it will affect your health. Please either eat more or seek counseling.

Good luck!

Ttopeka

I just thought people may have some advice

If you open your food diary or give us an idea of what you eat, we're more able to help you. Right now you tell us you have too few calories, so we tell you to eat more -- but if we know exactly *what* your meals are like, we can be more specific and help your reach your caloric goals without just stuffing yourself with food.