Eating over 900 calories too hard?!

juuliv

Hi everyone. I started using MFP a week ago. It gave me 1200 Cal for my calorie goal. I'm 18, weigh about 116 pounds and I'd like to be around the 100's. I know it's not much but I'm petite and it would really make a difference. Now, I thought I ate too much and that with MFP I would see all the extra calories that I could cut back. Then when I started using it I realized I didnt have to mny calories, around 1100 a day, but I thought I could do less and easily went down to 700 or 800. Those were extra calories I didn't need mostly stuff like a granola bar I can totally skip. Now I realize it's not healthy to have that amount of calories. But it's too hard from me to have 1200. What can I do?

farway

Skip the granola bars and substitute fresh fruit, like apples / oranges / bananas . They have natural fruit sugars as well as fibre, minerals etc. They will increase your calorie intake as well as being "good for you"

ILiftHeavyAcrylics

Substitute calorie dense foods. Avacado, unsalted almonds, peanut butter, and Greek yogurt will all give you more calories for lower volume of food. So you'll get your calories without feeling like you're eating a ton more.

DairByNature

i agree, it is hard trying to eat loads, but if u dont eat enough ur body will go into starvation mode, but i agree that eating little & often is the best way & eat plenty more fruit & veg than u would normally i promise in a short space of time u will notice the diffrence x x

Jacole18

why do you want to weigh 100 lbs? that seems low to me...but who am I ::huh:

Brunner26_2

I have a similar problem. I keep repeatedly hitting myself in the head with a hammer. Does anyone have any suggestions on how I can fix this?

TexasSunny

Put down the hammer.

gabbymom2

Trade the granola bars for a lower sugar protein bar. So much better for you!

jojorocksforeva

Just make sure you get all your nutrition on a low calorie diet if you do that i dont see the harm in it ..

onedayillbeamilf

Trade the granola bar for peanut butter?

bonniecarbs

Some of the answers on here are very good. You will get good answers from most people when you post something. Some answers wont be as nice. Welcome to MFP.

Skinny_minny_mo

why do you want to weigh 100 lbs? that seems low to me...but who am I ::huh:

i'd like to weigh 100lbs too. i;m 5ft and this would be a heakthy weight for me.

perhaps the OP is the same?

Skinny_minny_mo

Put down the hammer.

:laugh: :laugh: :laugh:

californiagirl2012

Hi everyone. I started using MFP a week ago. It gave me 1200 Cal for my calorie goal. I'm 18, weigh about 116 pounds and I'd like to be around the 100's. I know it's not much but I'm petite and it would really make a difference. Now, I thought I ate too much and that with MFP I would see all the extra calories that I could cut back. Then when I started using it I realized I didnt have to mny calories, around 1100 a day, but I thought I could do less and easily went down to 700 or 800. Those were extra calories I didn't need mostly stuff like a granola bar I can totally skip. Now I realize it's not healthy to have that amount of calories. But it's too hard from me to have 1200. What can I do?

You weigh 116 and you want to weigh 100? WHY? How tall are you? I'm 5'1" and 100 lbs is not within my healthy weight range . Unless you are extremely short (like something way under 4 ft tall!) that is not a healthy weight range. You do need to go see a doctor.

When I was obese and needed to lose a lot of weight I could eat lower then 1000 under a doctors care and with the full fat reserve for my body to pull from, mainly because I'm sort and my LBM is closer to the 1200 limit compared to most people. As a female you don't have to worry about starvation mode if you have more than 12% body fat. However once you get below 12% you DO RISK starvation mode. I'm under 12% now so I can NOT eat that low anymore.

I'm willing to bet you are taller than 5'1", which means you are likely below 12% body fat. Which means YOU WILL GO INTO STARVATION MODE if you eat under 1000 calories.

That is ulgy. No one here can condone that. Not even me, miss "eat less" queen and it is only because I'm so tiny that I needed to do this.

Go see your doctor.

Added later:

Okay, I went and looked up my chart from my Venus Index books. For my height 5’1” the weight rand for this height is 99 – 128 Lbs. So it's possibly that this could be a healthy range if you are 5'1" or shorter. HOWEVER, you need to seek you doctors advice on the lower calories. However, since you are only 116 lbs you don't have the fat reserves to have too big of a deficit. You need a smaller deficit at this point. You need to check with your doctor. If you are short it might be close to 1000 or 1200 but you need to check with a doctor. No one here can tell you. I can tell you that under a doctors care at 5'1" with lots of fat reserves I could eat less than 1000 calories. But once I got leaner I had to taper that up. If you try to eat too low when you have low body fat your hunger hormones will go crazy and you will binge out of control and start doing the ugly yo-yo and at your age this will set you on a very very very bad path in life.

Here is some documentation that backs up what I am saying. You are too lean to eat at a BIG DEFICIT. If you truly are 5'1" or shorter and want to go to 100 (that is within your weight range), then you need to do this SLOWLY at a smaller deficit and UNDER A DOCTORS CARE. I was able to do this to lean out for my pictures in March. So my diary shows me floating around 1000 calories from January to March of this year, that was a long slow shallow deficit for me so I could be ready for my photo shoot, UNDER THE DOCTORS CARE. He checked my blood work on a regular basis.

The Theory of Fat Availability:
•There is a set amount of fat that can be released from a fat cell.
•The more fat you have, the more fat can be used as a fuel when dieting.
•The less fat you have, the less fat can be used as a fuel when dieting.
•Towards the end of a transformation, when body fat is extremely low you
may not have enough fat to handle a large caloric deficit anymore.

At the extreme low end, when your body fat cannot ‘keep up’ with the energy deficit
you've imposed on your body, the energy MUST come from SOMEWHERE. This is
when you are at risk of losing lean body mass during dieting (commonly referred to
as ‘starvation mode’). This happens at extremely low levels of body fat, under 6% in
men and 12% in women [Friedl K.E. J Appl Phsiol, 1994].

-Brad Pilon and John Barban, The Reverse Taper Diet, from the Venus Index and Adonis Index manuals

proudandprejudiced

Substitute calorie dense foods. Avacado, unsalted almonds, peanut butter, and Greek yogurt will all give you more calories for lower volume of food. So you'll get your calories without feeling like you're eating a ton more.

this is the best advice there is, i struggle to eat my calorie goal sometimes, and when i'm low i eat nuts/peanut butter!

senyosmom

You can eat BETTER without eatting MORE. Look at what you are eating.... anything boxed, packaged or otherwise prcessed? Fast food? These sorts of things can be replaced with better for your food like fruits, veggies, lean meats, etc.

Maybe instead of a granola bar eat an apple. Probably similar in calories but the apple is better for you.

Brunner26_2

Put down the hammer.

Surely it's not that simple.

jeleclekat

No offense, but 100 lbs seems low unless you are under 5ft. or want that sickly skin and bone look seemingly popular with girls your age. You say your're 18 so immediately I think of "vanity" pounds. You CAN be too thin, too . If you get seriously sick, what will your body fall back on for fuel? But as others have mentioned , substitute.

opuntia

If you've been naturally eating 1100 calories, before calorie counting, then why is eating over 900 calories too hard? I would go with what your body is comfortable with. If you feel like you've been really overeating and your body feels stuffed and your head feels overwhelmed, then eating less is a good idea. But if you've naturally been eating the amount you're eating, and you feel happy and comfortable with it, then there's no real reason to eat less. If you do strength exercises, your body will improve in tone - you'll lose excess fat and gain muscle, and you'll be smaller in inches, and you'll have more definition to your body.

chivalryder

How tall are you? Unless you're 5' or shorter, you don't want to weigh 100 lbs. If you do, you're on the wrong site. No on here will support an unhealthy goal like that.

djc315

Hi everyone. I started using MFP a week ago. It gave me 1200 Cal for my calorie goal. I'm 18, weigh about 116 pounds and I'd like to be around the 100's. I know it's not much but I'm petite and it would really make a difference. Now, I thought I ate too much and that with MFP I would see all the extra calories that I could cut back. Then when I started using it I realized I didnt have to mny calories, around 1100 a day, but I thought I could do less and easily went down to 700 or 800. Those were extra calories I didn't need mostly stuff like a granola bar I can totally skip. Now I realize it's not healthy to have that amount of calories. But it's too hard from me to have 1200. What can I do?

How tall are you?

juuliv

Thank you sobmch everybody! I've never gotten so many replies this fast on a forum. Well I am 5'1''. Although I realize I'm not overweight, I think for being so young I should be not only skinnier but living a healthier life. Since I hit puberty I haven't been able to wear a skirt in public.
Sadly I can't buy peanut butter as I'm not from the US but all the other advice is great. Thank you.

joyceca

Eat some healthy fats like avocado or bananas. They're high in calories but not tough to eat. Slow complex carbs are surprising high in calories too. Try quinoa, beans or sweet potatoes! Weigh them out and find the calories for those. Don't go for granola bars they're empty in calories and imo they still dont fix my appetite. High calorie healthy natural foods is all you need. Good luck

jflint86

Just curious, where are you carrying your "excess weight" that you want to lose? Ideal body weight for a woman your age and height is between 95 and 127 lbs. You fit perfectly within that range. That being said, I am very petite and my ideal weight is about 100 as well. I am VERY tiny, though. 28.5inch hips and tiny frame. If you're any larger than that, you NEED to be above 100. Honestly, 116 sounds perfect for you

janehen12

woah wait where doesnt have peanut butter!?
tbh thats my only point on this.. otherwise i echo the calorie dense food

rachelshead

Its really not hard. What do you usually eat for breakfast? (yes you have to eat breakfast) if you eat some egg whites, toast and fruit thats probably about 200 calories already. or a bowl of healthy cereal is still almost 200 calories. I typically eat about 200-300 calories in the morning and around 400-500 for lunch and dinner depending on how hard i worked out at the gym. On every plate you have you have to make sure you have a protein, a carb/starch and a fruit and vegetable. Before you eat add up what you are eating before you sit down and if its not enough go add some more protein or veggies.

Also Im guessing you're hungry during the day if you cutting it down to 900 (that's crazy) and skipping snacks. Do not skip snacks during the day. Have a banana with peanut butter or a string cheese anything small but useful to your body. You can even have 2 a day. I don't know if you know this but if you starve your body (constant state of being hungry) you wont lose weight how you want. Your body eats away at muscle first before it does fat. Yes the scale might say your shedding pounds but really your body is just eating itself.

I suggest going to the gym at least 4-5 times a week so you can build up healthy muscle and it will become more pronounced as you eat well and stick to a diet. You can not simple diet alone.

Last part I swear ... I am also 5'0 tall and I'm trying to get down to a smaller weight (Im 120) but Im really trying to get toned and lean most of all. So I go to the gym everyday and it really makes a difference. It's not all about losing weight, because nobody except you and you're doctor know how much you weigh on a daily basis. The thing people see if how healthy and fit you are on the outside. If you shrink down and get super skinny trust me people find that unhealthy because people like that, look weak and like they just might break in half. You have to have strength behind you're weight and then it wont matter what the scale says.

Hendrix7

2 large salmon fiilets
1 sweet potato
olive oil dressing
scoop of peanut butter

thats probably 1000 calories in one meal.

I fail to believe any adult could not eat that over a 24 hour period.

DeviantDarkwolf2

To the OP I think you are aiming too low but that is your choice, in regards to you question an idea would be to make a high cal shake with fruits etc in it, much faster way of getting those cals with less effort. Please stay safe whatever your choice.

Crystal_Pistol

I'm gonna give you some of what my juvenile delinquents call "REAL TALK":

Your profile says you want to be healthy. In what warp zone does eating 900 calories sound healthy? I can't stand it when people say they can't eat over X number of calories... Eat the granola bar you cut out. Drink some juice. Eat a scoop of ice cream.

I KNOW I don't have to reply, but I am kind of OVER being nice and/or ignoring. As someone with actual work to do on here to lose weight, this **** just rubs me the wrong way. Go to a doctor and get a healthy weight recommendation. If it is a psychological thing, which I assume it is whenever someone tells me they CAN'T eat over X number of calories, see a therapist.

If you plan to say "I don't want to eat junk, I want to "eat clean." Well juice is "clean." Drink some. Problem solved.

This is why I preface ALL of my friends requests with "I am blunt and honest." People don't really want the truth, they want nonsense.

cmeade20

Substitute calorie dense foods. Avacado, unsalted almonds, peanut butter, and Greek yogurt will all give you more calories for lower volume of food. So you'll get your calories without feeling like you're eating a ton more.

This. Beans, eggs, chicken breast, lean beef etc can all help and they aren't "crap" food. Also try marinating your veggies or meat in some olive oil. Its very calorie dense but has good fats that you need.

jflint86

Oh, and in response to the original question of how to get extra calories in...I started out thinking it would be too hard as well...2 weeks in and it's a piece of cake for me now. Not kidding! I used to struggle to get to 1000 calories, now I hit 1500 easily without hardly trying. My diary is open is you'd like to get an idea of how I get my calories in. I eat a lot of things like string cheese, carrots with ranch dressing(high calories), brazil nuts, sunflower seeds, yogurt, bananas, peanut butter, fruit with whipped cream, meat, grapes, chili w/cheese, eggs, turkey bacon, etc. Those calories add up pretty quick as long as you're spreading them out throughout the day

Edited to add: extra high cal foods