Help, Too many Calories not enough time in the day

SKMC0214

Ok, here it goes. I have only been doing this about two weeks, but I am really having issues eating enough calories. I am super positive and know this is finally the thing for me that is going to work. I feel great. I am making smart choices all day, eating well balanced healthy meals and snacks, then after dinner time, I still have 600 or more calories left. I am supposed to have 1840 calories a day and I am struggling to hit that. Then I seem to have to on purpose sabotage my entire day of healthy food by eating something I one do not want and two that isn't healthy just to reach my goal. I was going to try and supplement with a protein shake, but I am very close or over my protein daily. I lost 8 pounds my first week, 3 my second, and 31 inches total and am incredibly ecstatic about that., but just don't want to put the junk in my body any longer. Please help, any suggestions, ideas or constructive criticism will be greatly appreciated.

Makoce

Posting here cause I have similar questions Hopefully someone will swoop in and save us.

Graelwyn75

Nuts, seeds, avocado, nut butters, eggs, dark chocolate, smoothie. Gong over your protein isn't a worry unless you have kidney problems. Many on here exceed 100g per day, especially if active. But nuts and seeds are a very easy way. 600 odd calories per 100g.

Nikiki

Plan ahead!! Figure out your meal breakdown the day before so you know what you need to eat an when. Adding calorie dense foods like throbbing Graelwyn mentioned plus meats will help. Also don't fall into the diet food trap, just because you're losing weight doesn't mean you should eat only diet foods, pick the full fat version, it tastes better anyway

SKMC0214

I will definitely try the suggestions below. I appreciate the help. I am trying to do the majority of whole foods, I shoot for very little processed and totally try to stay away from the "diet" food. I am afraid to begin exercise more because there is no way to eat that much. It broke my heart to have to over eat to get the goal calories. I cannot wait to try tomorrow.

MoreBean13

I would try to plan a little bit more calories to each meal. It's easy to jack up the calories by cooking with a little extra olive oil or coconut oil or adding butter to your veggies.

Then, I would have a nice big glass of milk with a warm PB&J on toast before bed. That's my absolute favorite bedtime snack.

Alatariel75

I had a similar issue, now I add some grated cheese to my salad, use full fat dressing or oil on salads, use full fat cheese, snack on a handful of nuts or olives, swap my super low cal crispbread for heavier, more grainy crispbreads, using a little butter to fry my egg instead of dry-frying...

hastinbe

Good fats can help you get there. As you might know, 1g of fat contains 9 calories which is more calories than 1g protein and 1g of a carb combined. Graelwyn75 made some great suggestions. Another way to get there is to either add a condiment to your existing meals or start logging condiments you're using to your diary if you're not. A lot of people don't add stuff like ketchup, but it can add up very fast. Another is to consume liquids that contain calories, a common choice might be 8-16oz glass of milk. If you're taking a whey protein supplement, instead of mixing with water try it with milk.

geekyjock76

There is no need to be perfect and categorize foods as being healthy and not healthy - it's all about context. What that means is you can meet all your micro and macro nutrient needs before you even hit your goal of 1800 calories. Thus, you can fill in the remaining calories with whatever you want whether it be cookies, cake, ice cream, etc. As long as it's within your calorie goal, feel free to treat yourself and not be so rigid. Rigidity is what makes people quit.

gfedex

I'm in a similar position. I started tracking about two weeks ago, and every day I'm under my calorie goal- generally by around 500, but sometimes up to 1000. I have difficulty believing that I wouldn't be hungry (and I'm not) if I was actually undereating so significantly and exercising daily (which I do).

JO4IT

I don't have that same problem, but I think ALMONDS are a great choice for a quick, healthly calorie boost (and delicious!)

geekyjock76

I'm in a similar position. I started tracking about two weeks ago, and every day I'm under my calorie goal- generally by around 500, but sometimes up to 1000. I have difficulty believing that I wouldn't be hungry (and I'm not) if I was actually undereating so significantly and exercising daily (which I do).

Research leptin, your satiety and master hormone. It's levels drop during restriction ultimately to the point you are getting false confirmations that you have met energy needs when you truly have not. So it's very easy to underfeed your body if you simply listen to skewed hunger cues.

Bonnieelizabeth

I usually go over my protein amount every day. However my dietican told me that she would rather me be over the protein and not the carbs. I tend to go over every day but I am loosing. The key here is that protein fills an satisfys most people. The protein will not make you gain weight but will help you to loose it. Protein does not have carbohydrates in it so that works for me. Hope this helps! Have a Health day tomorrow. Try mytip and see what happens. Best Wishes

Guamybear

I started adding KIND Bars everyday.. Good for you..lot of nuts, fiber, vitamins.. great way to use some calories up.

shorty35565

There is no need to be perfect and categorize foods as being healthy and not healthy - it's all about context. What that means is you can meet all your micro and macro nutrient needs before you even hit your goal of 1800 calories. Thus, you can fill in the remaining calories with whatever you want whether it be cookies, cake, ice cream, etc. As long as it's within your calorie goal, feel free to treat yourself and not be so rigid. Rigidity is what makes people quit.

This ^^

DavPul

Stop looking for some perfect, healthy food and eat something. A slice of pizza won't make you fat. Neither with a glass of chocolate milk. A peanut butter and jelly sandwich won't kill you. Hell, have a snickers bar before you end each day 800 cals under goal. And let's be clear, you already have a deficit built into your calories, so 800 below is actually 1800 below.

Let's step it up and eat some food.

BarackMeLikeAHurricane

Peanut butter + spoon

CABasile

Yes, as others have said--add sunflower seeds, walnuts or other nuts to your salad. Perhaps a tblsp of peanut butter with celery and other vegies for a snack? It seems that whenever I include nuts as my snack, I don't have a problem getting close to my daily requirement (although I am under sometimes, but not too much.)

libertarian4321

A couple of slices of pizza should do the trick?

Or I guess you could go with something high in protein like low fat cottage cheese or chicken breast.

CABasile

I wanted to add one other comment. I'm not an expert--just my thoughts. Personally, I would stay away from the philosophy that once you have eaten your balanced diet and are still under the calories, you can finish up with anything your heart desires--cake, cookies, etc. I think that since I've started eating better foods (more vegies and less meat) my body feels better when I don't put the processed sweets in it. Sometimes I crave a little something sweet and I will eat a cookie (and track it), but I think for me, if I ate too many of them, my body would start to crave the sugar again. Then I might start hoarding the calories just so I could eat more sweet things. So although I will allow myself to have an occasional sweet, I try to remind myself that my body and mind feel better if I stay away from them.

pucenavel

Peanuts, almonds, avocados.

All of them are healthy and LOADED with calories.

AnvilHead

There is no need to be perfect and categorize foods as being healthy and not healthy - it's all about context. What that means is you can meet all your micro and macro nutrient needs before you even hit your goal of 1800 calories. Thus, you can fill in the remaining calories with whatever you want whether it be cookies, cake, ice cream, etc. As long as it's within your calorie goal, feel free to treat yourself and not be so rigid. Rigidity is what makes people quit.

^ All of this. Exactly.

I ate light throughout the day today, so had plenty of calories left at dinner time. Dinner ended up being 1250 calories and I still had room for a piece of ricotta cheesecake as my evening snack.

Don't be afraid to eat. You can screw up your weight loss efforts as badly (or worse) by undereating as you can by overeating.

mamacita721

Almonds and Avocado.

Dont worry about being under your goal once in a while, and never worry about being over on protein.