I don't understand........

HorrorChix89

Just spend 60 seconds eating peanut butter. 4 spoonfuls...it's like 500 calories. Not hard.

What if you're allergic to peanuts? Then it IS that hard

81Katz

Just spend 60 seconds eating peanut butter. 4 spoonfuls...it's like 500 calories. Not hard.

What if you're allergic to peanuts? Then it IS that hard

Well just eat them anyhow. Because you know someone online said you should. :laugh:

AlsDonkBoxSquat

Peanuts are often contaminated with a carcinogenic mold called aflatoxin, and they are also one of the most pesticide-contaminated crops.

What about almonds? Almond butter is a great substitute for peanut butter.

I see you didn't quote the entire back and forth discussion, so let me go ahead and do that for you so that you can see they mentioned that their house consumes almond or macademia nut buttters:

Just spend 60 seconds eating peanut butter. 4 spoonfuls...it's like 500 calories. Not hard.

If I am not hungry, I am not going to eat. Period. That is stupid.

And peanut butter is no longer in my house as it is not healthy. I will opt for almond or macadamia nut butter for a snack on a piece of fruit or celery.

I don't really understand how all natural peanut butter is unhealthy.

peanuts are loaded with omega-6 fats that distort the omega-3 to omega-6 ratio. This ratio 0f Omega-3 to Omega-6 should be 1:1.

All we need to know is that the American diet is typically from 20:1 to 50:1 in favor of omega-6, so any effort to reverse this trend is important for combating over 10 different common diseases including Alzheimer’s, rheumatoid arthritis, and diabetes.

Peanuts are often contaminated with a carcinogenic mold called aflatoxin, and they are also one of the most pesticide-contaminated crops.

Thank you for that explanation. I actually don't eat nut butters very often, or even peanuts but has recently found myself eating more almonds (I like the butter toffee ones when I'm craving a sweet but don't have a ton of excess calories for the day to indulge in some empty chocolate). This is definitely food for thought.

Antjebeth08

I've run into this myself lately. I upped my calories and found I was struggling. I think for me it came down to not wanting just any calories to reach goal. That, and mentally it's tough to eat when you are not hungry and in the process of trying to lose weight. Just my 2 cents.

That's exactly how I feel. Why should I force myself to eat junk food or any food just to reach my calorie goal for the day when I know that I am actively trying to lose weight?

kaylz0106

Surely people on here cannot be that ignorant! Each of you take a look at yourself and ask yourself one question "do you know anyone in the world who is exactly like you?!"...I'm guessing that the majority wil say 'No' and that would be because each person is different there will be so many things that you could and probably should take into consideration before you go judging people for their calorie intake.

I have days where I meet my goals, days where I don't and others where I go over....know why? Becuase I'm human! I know exactly why each of these days happens. For example...If I hit my calorie intake it's becuase I have planned what I am going to eat and stuck to it. I am under or sometimes over becuase I havn't had the time to plan what I am goign to eat so I wing it and this also happens if I have had a good workout, dpending on the time I either don't feel at all like eating becuase its 10pm and all I want to do is sleep or I feel like stuffing myself silly because I have done and early morning run at 5am!

Also did it ever occur to anyone that maybe the people posting about not eating their calories (so called attention seekers) just need a bit of guidance? Maybe some of you know exactly what it is you are doing but others dont and are looking to you for help at the end of the day isnt that what the forums are for?!?

iuangina

Here's my problem and the reason for the original post: people post about not meeting their calories and then they want to make excuses about it. I don't really care what your reason for not hitting your calories may or may not be, but if you don't want to take the advice and don't want to do something about it....why post asking for help?

I don't attempt to eat back all of my exercise calories. It's impossible most of the time for me to do that because of the intensity of my workouts, but I also don't sit here on MFP and complain about not losing weight because I lose weight (at about 2 - 3 lbs per week). I know the balance that I have to strike between food being fuel for my workouts and my daily activities and hitting my calories. If I attempted to eat only 1200 calories, I would die. If I eat more that 1800 calories I feel sick. There's a balance and everyone has to find that for themselves.

jhm57

I agree it's an issue. For me, Ihave difficulty "eating back" calories on workout days. My daily goal is 2020 calories. A cardio workout usually burns 700-750 calories. I endorse the idea that you should eat these back, but it's very difficult to do. What I try to do is spread these calories over two days. I'm not sure if it's correct, but on a weekly basis it should work out.

kaylz0106

Here's my problem and the reason for the original post: people post about not meeting their calories and then they want to make excuses about it. I don't really care what your reason for not hitting your calories may or may not be, but if you don't want to take the advice and don't want to do something about it....why post asking for help?

I don't attempt to eat back all of my exercise calories. It's impossible most of the time for me to do that because of the intensity of my workouts, but I also don't sit here on MFP and complain about not losing weight because I lose weight (at about 2 - 3 lbs per week). I know the balance that I have to strike between food being fuel for my workouts and my daily activities and hitting my calories. If I attempted to eat only 1200 calories, I would die. If I eat more that 1800 calories I feel sick. There's a balance and everyone has to find that for themselves.

As I said people generally post for guidance so instead of posting about how you can't grasp what they are on about guide them to a better understanding!

iuangina

Attempts at guidance lead to excuses about why it can't be done......

Here's my problem and the reason for the original post: people post about not meeting their calories and then they want to make excuses about it. I don't really care what your reason for not hitting your calories may or may not be, but if you don't want to take the advice and don't want to do something about it....why post asking for help?

I don't attempt to eat back all of my exercise calories. It's impossible most of the time for me to do that because of the intensity of my workouts, but I also don't sit here on MFP and complain about not losing weight because I lose weight (at about 2 - 3 lbs per week). I know the balance that I have to strike between food being fuel for my workouts and my daily activities and hitting my calories. If I attempted to eat only 1200 calories, I would die. If I eat more that 1800 calories I feel sick. There's a balance and everyone has to find that for themselves.

As I said people generally post for guidance so instead of posting about how you can't grasp what they are on about guide them to a better understanding!

ZugTheMegasaurus

Here's my problem and the reason for the original post: people post about not meeting their calories and then they want to make excuses about it. I don't really care what your reason for not hitting your calories may or may not be, but if you don't want to take the advice and don't want to do something about it....why post asking for help?

I don't attempt to eat back all of my exercise calories. It's impossible most of the time for me to do that because of the intensity of my workouts, but I also don't sit here on MFP and complain about not losing weight because I lose weight (at about 2 - 3 lbs per week). I know the balance that I have to strike between food being fuel for my workouts and my daily activities and hitting my calories. If I attempted to eat only 1200 calories, I would die. If I eat more that 1800 calories I feel sick. There's a balance and everyone has to find that for themselves.

I think a lot of it has to do with the number-slinging that tends to happen on MFP and similar sites dealing with weight loss. Just check a few threads and you'll see people saying that it is IMPERATIVE to eat a SPECIFIC number of calories and if you don't do it then you'll be fat and miserable and the universe will implode. People get scared and think that it's really that specific and drastic. So they post freaking out that they're not doing it right. You've got the right perspective in realizing that it's variable for everyone and you have to figure it out, but a lot of people believe that they must follow strict rules and plans to a T lest they damage themselves.

bazfitness

And that's probably about all they are an expert at. I could google and dig up 20 studies that suit my ideals and opinions. Wouldn't make them fact because for every 20 I find, someone else could find 20 more than contradict my theory.

i would say to be fair that there is a difference between Googling for what suits your ideals and opinions and Googling to see all the different arguments and judging by quality of the posts/posters and then subsequently by trial and error. Obviously our own biases might get in the way, but people who make an effort to learn via Google and/or participation on great sites like MFP are probably on average going to be more expert than those those who don't.

I think a clearly intelligent poster like SirBen81 who has given sensible replies I'll always at least listen to before I'd dismiss what he said.

HorrorChix89

Just spend 60 seconds eating peanut butter. 4 spoonfuls...it's like 500 calories. Not hard.

What if you're allergic to peanuts? Then it IS that hard

Well just eat them anyhow. Because you know someone online said you should. :laugh:

Well I guess if you're dead then you can't gain weight :laugh:

TheDoctor90

Depends on how many calories you need.
I need to eat 4000 a day and sometimes struggle.

sheree0003

When I started, I could eat twice my calories, no problem!

Then I started eating a better balance of fats, proteins, and carbs (which in my case meant fewer carbs, a little more fat, and a good bit more protein). Now the foods I eat tend to make me feel more full, and full for longer periods of time, and I'm slowly learning to differentiate between different types of hunger (and differentiating hunger from thirst, which can be surprisingly tricky sometimes, especially after a lot of sodium!).
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Wow that makes a lot of sense... something to think about... (I read the above from someone else's post earlier)

Zichu

I've slowly upped my calories bit by bit and it's not that hard really. I started at 1600 and I am now at 2120 and haven't had any trouble filling the gap in my stomach lol. There always seems to be a gap in there...

Depending on how much I have gained this week, I might have to up my calories again... It's not good increasing it by loads and finding out I can't handle it.

grimm1974

I see this asked a lot, so here is an idea how someone who is obese can have issues eating their calories:

Me Before MFP:

Food

Breakfast - nothing
Lunch - Burger or something along those lines. Around 1000 calories or so.
Dinner - usually chicken and some sides. Usually 800ish calories
Snacks - Probably a candy bar or so. About 300 calories maybe.

Hey, only 2100 calories of food. No big deal right?

So, throw in 3-4 sodas with those meals and throughout the day. Now you are looking at around 2800 calories. You have occasional binge days here and there over the past few years. Some holidays here and there that you go 1000 calories here and there over. Gotta have birthday cake at those birthdays, and etc. In a few years, you find yourself obese.

So, now I find myself on MFP. I track these calories and discover that I am wasting 600 calories a day on stuff that isn't food. I'm eating candy bars which are way high in bad stuff. I start eating right. I avoid high sugar, calorie-dense foods. I do not drink sodas at all. Mind you, calorie-wise, since I gave up sodas almost completely I already eat at a good calorie range of 2100 or so as long as I don't binge eat. So, when I eat lower calorie, and healthier foods, I am eating way more food to reach that 2100 than before. I'm just not used to eating that much food, so I struggle to do it at times.

So, that is it in a nutshell. Someone who is obese, isn't necessarily a big eater like most people seem to assume.

bazfitness

great post grimm1974, should help clarify to those who genuinely want to know the reasons why people who were formerly overweight now struggle with actually eating enough.

iuangina

great post grimm1974, should clarify to those who genuinely want to know the reasons why people who were formerly overweight now struggle with actually eating enough.

Yes, thank you for your post. I guess my issue here is that it seems like we go from one pattern of disordered eating to another. Where is the balance?

LiddyBit

Regarding people who post about it but don't want to change their habits (i.e. take your advice), I think the problem lies partially in the rhetoric of the site itself. My diary tells me that O NOES! STARVATION MODE! Your body is CANNIBALIZING ITSELF ALSO YOU WILL STAY FAT OMGGGGGGGGGGG! (okay, that was a -very- dramatic reenactment of what actually happens, which is that you get a little note telling you that you'll go into starvation mode, which is as ridiculous in concept as my reenactment was in fact). I think people get unnecessarily concerned by that, and want to find out if they are indeed going to simultaneously die of fat and starvation for going under their calories.

It's such an irresponsible myth to perpetuate. There is a whole lot of ground to cover between your body shutting down and eating a few hundred too few calories.

dolldreams

great post grimm1974, should clarify to those who genuinely want to know the reasons why people who were formerly overweight now struggle with actually eating enough.

Yes, thank you for your post. I guess my issue here is that it seems like we go from one pattern of disordered eating to another. Where is the balance?

I don't think that not being able to eat all of your calories some days is disordered at all. You have days that your eat too few, too many, and just enough. People who are normal weight have days like this too.

My husband is eating crap loads of donuts at his office meeting right now and I doubt he's too worried about it. He's thin and some days he doesn't eat a lot at all. Some days he eats a ton. It's not disordered...just life.