not hitting calories - thinking of drinking them- thoughts?

mskimber99

having difficulty getting in 1200-1300 daily calories, let alone eating more when i exercise so have been thinking of doing a smoothie/shake for breakfast. i am up at 4am with coffee at that time but i figure i can bring the smoothie to work for a 9ish type of breakfast.

any thoughts? friends are telling me it is a bad idea to drink my calories.

RedwoodsIris

I was also having problems getting enough calories, but mostly having problems getting enough protein. I was working out and still not losing lbs, well I started drinking a shake on the days I am low on my protein and the lbs have started to drop plus I feel so much better. I had a neighbor ask me what I was doing because I was really starting to look good and spry. I have arthritis in spine, knees and had a shoulder replacement surgery so someone calling me spry made my day

kandienicole

I find it hard to reach enough calories, as well, when you are making the right choices in foods...many foods that are good for us are low in calories. Yay! However, there are some calorie dense foods that will keep you on track....try a 1/4 of almonds (around 170 calories) or a handful of popcorn (whole grains and fiber that will help fill you up). I personally do not think there is anything wrong with "drinking your calories" if you do it right. I will have a Slim-Fast high protein shake in the morning and feel great through mid-morning, then have a snack to tide me over until lunch. While Slim-Fast is high in sugars, I have great results with it! I think the problem comes when you get your calories from sodas and other drinks that are higher in sugar than Slim-Fast AND on top of that-they don't provide any nutritional benefits whatsoever. So, in short-go for the smoothie or shake! Just ensure that it is the right one for you...Jackie Warner also has a great shake that you can add a scoop of whey protein to...just google her morning shake and the recipe should pop right up! Hope this helps you!

senyosmom

Go to smoothie places - they can ad stuff in you smoothies for a variety of goals (weight loss, protein, etc).

Or try eating healthy stuff that is higher in calories like avocados

.... 1200 shouldn't be that hard to hit.

jenlarz

I think smoothies are great. To me, I think of drinking calories as having pop or sweet tea type of things that don't provide you with anything else. Smoothies usually have protein and vitamins and can keep you satisfied.

myfitnessnmhoy

Check your fats, carbs, and proteins. Try to eat (or drink) whatever you are missing the most of each day.

If a smoothie can have the right add-ons thrown in to help you increase what needs increasing (for example, if they can add protein powder if you are chronically low on proteins), then it's a wonderful idea.

"Drinking" your calories is no different from "eating" them if you're talking about drinking something beneficial. If you're drinking Yukon Jack or Coca-Cola by the quart to try to fluff in calories, I'd say probably not advisable. But you are talking about pureed food here. A gram of protein is a gram of protein, whether it's in the form of a spoonful of peanut butter or a spoonful of protein powder.

The important thing is to get as much as you can of your goal of fats, proteins, and carbs every day, with as little sugar as you can reasonably manage. Eat it, drink it, have it injected through an IV tube... doesn't matter.

KatieJane83

Nothing at all wrong with it. When you think about it, usually a smoothie does actually have food in it, like bananas or strawberries, it's just liquefied. My breakfast every morning is a protein shake since I'm not really hungry when I get up and it's worked great for me!

p.s. - When I first read the title of your thread I was thinking you were asking if you should be adding in alcohol to drink your calories! :laugh:

alexbusnello

Good idea about making smoothies n shakes to make up for the calories. I dont think I get enough, either...

tazzy_toon

The reason smoothies are not he best choice is because they are what's called "predigested" What that means is that your body doesn't have to work to digest it making your body convert it to sugar faster. Having said that, I still think that it's better then nothing and adding natural protein and fibre will slow the process. We all have to decide whats right for us in the long run, so maybe try it and see how you feel. I like to add hemp hearts to my yogurt and salads for extra cal's and protein.

Good luck to you.

Pedal_Pusher

difficulty eating 1300 calories a day? I doubt it. Just sayin'............

myfitnessnmhoy

p.s. - When I first read the title of your thread I was thinking you were asking if you should be adding in alcohol to drink your calories! :laugh:

Same here. I came to the thread with the intention of an imposing lecture about "consuming quality calories". But OP was already talking about consuming what could be quality calories if done properly.

I don't get where the myth of "you shouldn't drink your calories" came from. Pureed food is still food, right?

Now if we were talking about juicing (specifically the type of juicers that filters out the pulp and leaves you with transparent juice), I'd say the nutrients were in the "gunk bin" and the best policy is to eat the contents of the "gunk bin" and pour the actual juice down the drain.

Pureeing food, however, is basically just chewing it up before it hits your mouth. Certain carbohydrates might not be digested properly because saliva is required to start digestion, but other than that there's really no significant difference.

lizzardsm

1200-1300 calories is not at lot of calories at all. You should be eating more than that to sustain your body. Yes you will still lose weight (I really stalled my weight loss after doing 1200 for a long time). I'm eating 1600/day and losing. Check out the eat more to lose group. I'd be seriously concerned that you aren't getting enough nutrients with how much you are eating. Not to mention, your energy will skyrocket if you eat more than 1200 which will allow you to do more and more intense exercise.

For example, in the morning you could eat something more like:

Breakfast
1 egg, english muffin, peanut butter

Snack:
Yogurt & nuts

Eating every couple of hours will fuel your metabolism and reduce the risk of overeating at any given meal. Also, to add good calories if you are low try:

1 scoop protein powder, 3/4 c. milk, 1/2 banana, 1/2 tbsp. cocoa powder. 1 tbsp peanut butter.

Please eat more. Please.

RedwoodsIris

For me is wasn't the calories that was giving me trouble but on some days I just had a hard time getting enough protein, I love all my fruits and veggies. So now I make myself a shake with a natural whey protein power I get @ our local Co-Op and I am feeling better every day ;~)

myukniewicz

drinking your calories is a perfectly good idea as long as it is providing nutrients. smoothies are the best

my smoothie recipe
1 cup greek yogurt, plain
1 cup frozen fruit
1/2 cup fat free milk, or soy milk
1 packet truvia
1 tablespoon flax seed

you get calcium and protein from the yogurt and milk, fiber and vitamins from the fruit, and omega-3's and fiber from the flax seeds
(and using frozen fruit allows you to not have to use ice which always leads to a watery smoothie)

❤melissa

RomanIVsMom

I think that's a great idea - I do a Body by Vi shake in the morning as my intial breakfast at 7am, then have a breakfast sandwich (turkey bacon, egg white, english muffin) around 10am. I get protein, calcium and all the vitamins from the Body by Vi shake and add to that with the 2nd half of my breakfast. I feel so much more energized for my workouts.

ElizabethRoad

any thoughts? friends are telling me it is a bad idea to drink my calories.

Generally when people say that it's because it uses up calories you'd want to use for food. It seems like a waste to some people. This isn't your situation at all.

davidsgirl145

make a smoothie with 2 or 3 bananas. bananas+1/2 water+ice.

That will get you 2-300 calories and it's delicious. it's Much easier than eating 3 bananas. and Super cheap!

RuthSweetTooth

Even a diabetic must consume 130 g of carb a day minimum. Try getting in two fruits a day, see if that helps, then add some crackers to your peanut butter, but if you don't get your carbs up, you're going to get sick. Your blood sugar will get too low and your brain will not be able to function. If this happens, eat a piece of sugar and then some peanut butter and crackers.

Ruth

davidsgirl145

any thoughts? friends are telling me it is a bad idea to drink my calories.

Generally when people say that it's because it uses up calories you'd want to use for food. It seems like a waste to some people. This isn't your situation at all.

Agree

you are in a different situation! You NEED more calories... drinking them is an easy way to fix the problem you are having.

lizziebeth1028

I looked at your diary and since you don't eat breakfast(?).....you might want to make a protein shake for your morning meal. Or eat some eggs and bacon.

Nuts are also packed with nutritious calories
peanut butter
and a tablespoon of olive oil mixed into whatever is an extra 119 calories.

Or just eat bigger portions at meal time.

ElizabethRoad

Even a diabetic must consume 130 g of carb a day minimum.

What are you talking about? That's so wrong.