Struggling to meet minimum daily caloric needs

RockyColorado

Hello!

Since I have been exercising consistently, eating healthy, and counting calories I have struggled to meet my daily caloric needs! I am just not hungry. I am eating 3 meals a day, 300-500 calories a meal....Also eating snacks when the urge comes to me


With my weight 195.5 here is what I "should" be consuming each day ...

Maintenance 2619

Fat Loss 2095

Extreme Fat Loss 1571

Even eating 1571 calories can be a chore! I am concerned I am messing up my metabolism! I do not want to put my body in starvation mode, where it will come back to haunt me!

Is there anybody else who has or is going through the same thing? If so your experiences?

Thanks!

Rocky

RockyColorado

bump

njohnson1966

Bump. Wish I had an answer for you but I'm in the same boat. I just ate a pb&j I didn't want to get to 800 something net. Never a problem I thought I'd face. I obviously know how to eat or else I wouldn't be here!

RockyColorado

Anybody else going through this or have thoughts/ideas?

bcf7683

Start eating high-calorie healthy foods, I had this problem as well- I also wasn't hitting my fats for the day.

I started adding in sliced almonds to my salads or cottage cheese each day, most nuts are high calorie and contain good fats. Also, avocado is a good one. Find a good recipe for homemade guacamole and put that on salads instead of dressing, or put it on a piece of grilled chicken/fish with salsa for a mexican vibe. Peanut butter can be a good one, slice up an apple/pear and pair it with some peanut butter for a good snack.

bcf7683

You could also get a protein supplement and add that in as a snack each day- can't go wrong with extra protein in the diet (I mix mine with almond milk because of the low-cal properties, you could use plain milk for more calories as well). There are some types out there that contain a high amount of calories for people looking to add weight/meet calorie goals

dinerroll

assuming you're hitting your minimum protein you can get the calories any way you want and you really should get them or you'll plateau a lot faster than otherwise. no "starvation mode" per se, just plateau (starvation mode, as the term is normally used, is scientifically proven to be a myth... that being said, you should still be getting all your cals).

I would recommend peanut butter on a spoon, very easy relatively healthy way to get the extra calories. If you can spring for it, almond/cashew butter both have slightly better macronutrient profiles and are quite tasty (but more expensive).

LNZimmer

I am the same way - I have started eating almonds if I haven't hit atleast 1200 at the end of my day. That has been my biggest problem. (Not eating enough)

vtmoon

ya I had this issue last month with the way I was eating, so I started eating higher calories food, P&J sandwiches work if you aren't on a strict sugar intake.

kitka82

Yep, I've been there. I can't see your diary to see what you are eating. I would make sure you are eating nutritious, calorically dense foods. Whole grain breads, pastas, and brown rice have plenty of calories and little fat. A quick way to add healthy calories is to include a serving of nuts as a snack, or add maybe 1/3 avocado to a salad or dish. A serving of lean protein is about 4 oz, so you should get plenty of calories that way.

Either that or increase the number of meals you eat each day. Add a snack or two between meals, but make sure they are real food, like greek yogurt and fruit or something like that.

Portion control is important, but the quality of your food is more important. I try to pair good carbs with lean protein and healthy fat for each meal. Hope this helps.

randomtai

Um start eating more calories... I really never understand these posts... You knew how to eat that much before you came to MFP. :huh: :noway:

lambertj

nuts, peanut butter, cheese.....this is tough, i've never had a problem eating 1500 calories

cmeade20

Try marinating your meat and veggies in olive oil. Snack on cheese, nuts and peanut butter

ObtainingBalance

Um start eating more calories... I really never understand these posts... You knew how to eat that much before you came to MFP. :huh: :noway:

Exactly what I'm always thinking. I'm not trying to be rude , either.

But, you gained the extra weight with eating OVER maintaince calories...(1 lb of fat = 3,500 calories... You'd have to eat all you burn in a day + that to gain anything) ... now you can't even eat enough to have a healthy deficit!?

Add nuts. Add junk food. Add eggs. Cottage cheese. Cheese. Milk. Meats. Grains. Just get a balanced meal each time, have a few snacks.... it isn't that hard. I know, you might not feel hungry... but have a treat during the day then, not every meal has to be salads and fruits.

ohheyy125

I'm in the same boat. junk food calories add up a lot quicker than healthy food calories. I say don't worry too much about it and just eat what you're comfortable with.

janet0513

I looked at your profile hoping to check out your diary....and totally understand about not being your typical Coloradian. I grew up in MA/NH then moved to CO for 7 years but now I am back in NH.

Anyways, I would add some calorie dense foods like nuts, nut butter, avacados, cheese, meats, healthy oils, dried fruit etc. If you are not low carb incorporate rice, pasta, bread, beans and oatmeal. You can add protein bars or powders. Eat full fat versions of food (don't buy low fat or sugar free). Try eating more often as well.

jgsparks89

You could try breaking down your three meals into six or eight mini-meals, and focus on high protein foods. Given that you are young and female, it is also important that you meet daily needs for fat and other key nutrients such as folic acid, vitamin D and calcium. Look for "good" fats (i.e: avocados, omega 3s in fish, olive oil, nut oils, etc.) and consider a supplement shake or bar. You may also want to try strategically timing your meals with workouts. For example, higher carb meals in the hour or so before you workout, and higher protein meals in the period immediately after. This has the double benefit of feeding your body when it is primed to build muscle and keeping your metabolism high. Ultimately, if you are meeting your needs for fat and protein (both macro-nutrients are higher in calories than carbs) and eating a sensible amount of carbs from whole grains and the like, you should be able to meet you calorie goals as well as continue to lose fat (and build muscle if you are trying). Good luck

RockyColorado

Thanks for some great advice....Some great ideas to increase my caloric intake instead of low calorie snacks

A few of you I think misunderstood my post and comment...

I have struggled to meet my daily caloric needs

I am often "Just not hungry" so I am finding it hard to meet my minimum daily caloric needs
for extreme fat loss....

I am sure some of it is from the healthy eating and exercise....It is weird for me to feel this way.

Regarding the junk food I "ate" before.....I allowed myself fast food for a meal last week and I couldn't even eat half
of it....which I liked!

I am concerned with so few calories I might mess up my metabolism.....

TheeGeeMarie

I had a similar problem when I started counting calories. Most of what I would suggest has already been mentioned - avocado, peanut butter/almond butter, almonds, skim milk. I slice an avocado in half and just go after it with a spoon. It's an easy and portable snack with more calories than fruit or other things I was snacking on. I'll have some almond butter with an apple sometimes. I started mixing up my protein shake with skim milk instead of water. All fairly easy ways I was able to add calories without really upping the amount of food I eat. Another easy way is cooking with olive oil if you aren't already. I was almost exclusively cooking with non-fat cooking spray, but I was able to up my calories by using a teaspoon of olive oil instead. Eggs are good too. If you're only eating egg whites, mix a yolk or two in there.

ohheyy125

some of these posts are seriously annoying. ” just eat more you didn't have a problem eating before you came on the site” no kidding but I'm eating healthier now so the calories don't add up anymore. I use to eat bacon cheeseburgers from Fridays and that alone was 1200 calories. not to mention the fries and appetizer

CHERUBUMS

I hate when people assume because your overweight that you over eat. I think I've undereaten a majority of my life and yet I'm still overweight.

Before fitness pal, I didn't move as much, and I certainly didn't eat as much. I've doubled what I was eating in the past and its just now that I'm seeing pounds being shed. With tracking my foods here on MFP I could see that I was only getting 700 to 1000 calories per day at the most!

Now that I've started tracking and started moving my body, I'm developing a hunger and a thirst that I've not experienced before.

Like others have suggested, for meals and snacks, I typically end up adding almonds, walnuts, avocado, olive or coconut oil and cheese.

I'm surprised that most days I do feel hungry now and its such a foreign feeling.

Good luck!

randomtai

some of these posts are seriously annoying. ” just eat more you didn't have a problem eating before you came on the site” no kidding but I'm eating healthier now so the calories don't add up anymore. I use to eat bacon cheeseburgers from Fridays and that alone was 1200 calories. not to mention the fries and appetizer

For real.. :flowerforyou:

Murf1968

some of these posts are seriously annoying. ” just eat more you didn't have a problem eating before you came on the site” no kidding but I'm eating healthier now so the calories don't add up anymore. I use to eat bacon cheeseburgers from Fridays and that alone was 1200 calories. not to mention the fries and appetizer

Excellent post :happy:

714rah714

What were you eating when you were putting on weight?

ObtainingBalance

I hate when people assume because your overweight that you over eat. I think I've undereaten a majority of my life and yet I'm still overweight.

Before fitness pal, I didn't move as much, and I certainly didn't eat as much. I've doubled what I was eating in the past and its just now that I'm seeing pounds being shed. With tracking my foods here on MFP I could see that I was only getting 700 to 1000 calories per day at the most!

Now that I've started tracking and started moving my body, I'm developing a hunger and a thirst that I've not experienced before.

Like others have suggested, for meals and snacks, I typically end up adding almonds, walnuts, avocado, olive or coconut oil and cheese.

I'm surprised that most days I do feel hungry now and its such a foreign feeling.

Good luck!

getting overweight on 700-1,000 calories. Thats a joke. I don't think you were honest with yourself on how much you ate,
You would be slowly losing if you ate 700 and no exercise... or your bodies metabolism might slow down. But you wouldn't be gaining much at all.

I'm just admitting that it took overeating calories for me to gain weight in the first place, thats why I'm here. That's why 85% of us are here (Some might be here to gain weight for body building)

neverstray

Before MFP, I suppose you were eating way more, right? So, why is it now so hard. I just don't understand these posts. I see them everyday, and I can't tell if they are genuine, or some kind of strange self-fulfilling prophecy. It is very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very easy to eat 1200 calories a day. So, easy that its hard to stay under that. I don't get it. Truly. I'm not being a smart butt. I seriously think these posts are a joke.

Coalforchristmas

some of these posts are seriously annoying. ” just eat more you didn't have a problem eating before you came on the site” no kidding but I'm eating healthier now so the calories don't add up anymore. I use to eat bacon cheeseburgers from Fridays and that alone was 1200 calories. not to mention the fries and appetizer

Excellent post :happy:

Yeah no kidding. A lot of people just ate tons of garbage to put on weight. I know I did. When people are saying "well you ate enough to get fat didn't you?" they forget that people eat things like oreos and cake that are real easy to eat a lot of.

RockyColorado

Thanks to you and some others who understand my situation. I am focused on today and tomorrow
the past.

JanNg2012

I suggest that you can eat some nuts rather than unhealthy snacks when you are craving for snacks.
It works for me when I start to be starving after my meals and the most important thing is that an appropriate amount of nuts is good for our health.
Fruits are good options too!

Besides that, you can have oatmeal when you are hungry.I have Quaker instant oatmeal as my lunch these days and I feel satisfied after having a bowl of it.It only has 129kcals every bowl (35g) according to the nutrition facts on its package.

TheeGeeMarie

I hate when people assume because your overweight that you over eat. I think I've undereaten a majority of my life and yet I'm still overweight.

Before fitness pal, I didn't move as much, and I certainly didn't eat as much. I've doubled what I was eating in the past and its just now that I'm seeing pounds being shed. With tracking my foods here on MFP I could see that I was only getting 700 to 1000 calories per day at the most!

Now that I've started tracking and started moving my body, I'm developing a hunger and a thirst that I've not experienced before.

Like others have suggested, for meals and snacks, I typically end up adding almonds, walnuts, avocado, olive or coconut oil and cheese.

I'm surprised that most days I do feel hungry now and its such a foreign feeling.

Good luck!

Cherubums brings up a good point about feeling hungry. Your body learns your patterns and tells you you're hungry accordingly. There was a few years where I was living off coffee and one or two meals a day and my body got used to not being fed, so I wasn't ever very hungry. When I decided to get serious about getting back in shape one of the first thing I did was start eating 5-6 meals a day and being diligent about feeding myself. I know a lot of people will argue that you shouldn't eat unless you're hungry, but if you're shooting for a healthy calorie goal your body isn't used to, you might have to train it a little. My trainer came up with a really specific diet for me to follow the first few weeks (all good, clean foods). I told him I couldn't eat that much and he told me to suck it up and do it. At first I felt like I was stuffing myself and I wasn't at all hungry at mealtimes. I did what I was told though, and a few weeks in, my body realized I was feeding it a little something every three hours and I started to be hungry when it was time to eat.

jvdx

high calorie shakes. add in fruit, icecream, oats, peanut butter, what ever.
my post workout shake is 820calories from just milk, protein powder and some oatmeal.