(rant) "Help, I can't eat enough calories!"

DavPul

I had no problem hitting 1200+ calories when eating 2 cookies with every meal. It's a lot harder now that I'm not.

Then go back to eating the 2 cookies. Cookie calories won't stall your progress. Eating too few calories will

This seems extremely counterproductive and not a helpful thing to say at all. I am trying to have a healthy diet and add extra calories through fruits and vegetables. Eating sugar from chocolate and candy makes me feel awful. (Also that's not 2 cookies per day, that's way, way more than that and I was eating way above any rational deficit.) I'd rather slowly figure out how to have a diet that is nutritious than just eat cookies to get up to some arbitrary number.

Nice response. Sooooooooo there's no food item you can think of between cookies and carrots? I bet there is something you can eat that could split the difference.

And if not, eat the cookies

poohpoohpeapod

nut butters or nuts, avacados are "quality foods" and have plenty of calories. You dont have to eat egg whites and dry toast.

farway

I had no problem hitting 1200+ calories when eating 2 cookies with every meal. It's a lot harder now that I'm not.

Then go back to eating the 2 cookies. Cookie calories won't stall your progress. Eating too few calories will

This seems extremely counterproductive and not a helpful thing to say at all. I am trying to have a healthy diet and add extra calories through fruits and vegetables. Eating sugar from chocolate and candy makes me feel awful. (Also that's not 2 cookies per day, that's way, way more than that and I was eating way above any rational deficit.) I'd rather slowly figure out how to have a diet that is nutritious than just eat cookies to get up to some arbitrary number.

Nice response. Sooooooooo there's no food item you can think of between cookies and carrots? I bet there is something you can eat that could split the difference.

And if not, eat the cookies

Or maybe make a carrot cake & eat that?

mockchoc

this!!! before i started to lose weight, i could eat a macho bacon and egg breakfast burritto from del taco which is about 2000 calories just by itself... and still be hungry just 20 minutes later... theres a big difference between low quality unhealthy food, and high quality, nutrient dense, filling food. why post this other than to insult others who are trying to better themself? there are days, where im so full now, and still need a couple hundred more calories in, but just cant. i make a salad, full of crap, lettuce, tomatoes, orange, red / yellow / green peppers, red onion, cucumber, pomegranate seeds, avacado, chicken breast, vinigar and low cal italian dressing that actually fills up a mixing bowl by the time im done making it, and the entire thing is under 365 calories... the answer is very simple... before, when i was obese and didnt care, i would eat high cal high fat junk crap, now im eating good wholesome food, and it makes a big difference.

The low cal italian dressing is where you could have done something about this without actually eating more. 2 tablespoons of a balsamic & olive oil dressing for example is around 200 calories. Quite a lot of difference to a low cal italian I'd think. Also you don't have to use chicken breast, you could use the thigh which is more calories. How was that breast cooked? sauteed in some oil? probably not. You don't have to eat nothing more to get to your goals if you just change things around a little.

terilou87

Like OP I am in the same boat. No matter how much I try I can't seem to break the 30,000 calorie/day mark. Someone help plz

haha

Alatariel75

Like OP I am in the same boat. No matter how much I try I can't seem to break the 30,000 calorie/day mark. Someone help plz

haha

Triple chocolate cheesecake brownies with a salted caramel base. Just sayin'

tnemeth99

Everyone has their own story. I struggle getting 600 calories a day in. This stalls me out and I can no longer lose weight, in fact, I will sometimes gain, even though I work out at least 5 days per week. Your body goes into starvation mode and stores calories. I have to be conscience of what I eat, I eat protein first then other healthful foods after that. I need to eat 1000-1200 per day and I am working hard at that. This morning I dropped 2 lbs because i have been conscience of the fact that I need to eat more. Situations in everyones lives are very different.

ThriftyChica12

if you're eating only fruits and veggies and are trying to fit 1,500 calories into a vegan, low-fat diet, then you're just as unrealistic as someone trying to hit their macros comfortably at Carl's Jr. every day. It's hard to eat 1,500 cals of produce.

actually, i am vegan, trying to eat lower-fat, don't eat sugar or junk, and find it hard to stay UNDER 1600 cals. i could eat 3000 cals a day of produce, grains, beans and nuts, and some healthy oils. yesterday, b/c of poor planning i went 1000 cals over.

PLEASE stop blaming plant based diets for the ridiculous "i just cant swallow 1200 cals--help me eat MORE" claim.

i am vegan, and eat plenty of food. my challenge is staying within cals, even when my day is low in fat and filled with many plants.

if anything, i think a bigger culprit in this "i cant eat enough" thing is diet foods, fake foods, and "dressings with no calories" (ie: plastic in a bottle.

the only no-calorie item that passes my lips is water.

--fat happy vegan, hoping to become thinner happy vegan

Mcgrawhaha

this!!! before i started to lose weight, i could eat a macho bacon and egg breakfast burritto from del taco which is about 2000 calories just by itself... and still be hungry just 20 minutes later... theres a big difference between low quality unhealthy food, and high quality, nutrient dense, filling food. why post this other than to insult others who are trying to better themself? there are days, where im so full now, and still need a couple hundred more calories in, but just cant. i make a salad, full of crap, lettuce, tomatoes, orange, red / yellow / green peppers, red onion, cucumber, pomegranate seeds, avacado, chicken breast, vinigar and low cal italian dressing that actually fills up a mixing bowl by the time im done making it, and the entire thing is under 365 calories... the answer is very simple... before, when i was obese and didnt care, i would eat high cal high fat junk crap, now im eating good wholesome food, and it makes a big difference.

The low cal italian dressing is where you could have done something about this without actually eating more. 2 tablespoons of a balsamic & olive oil dressing for example is around 200 calories. Quite a lot of difference to a low cal italian I'd think. Also you don't have to use chicken breast, you could use the thigh which is more calories. How was that breast cooked? sauteed in some oil? probably not. You don't have to eat nothing more to get to your goals if you just change things around a little.

no no no, your misunderstanding me. i am not compaining. im not asking how to get more calories in... i get all my calories in most of the time, and if i dont, i dont mind a bit. i was answering the op's sarcastic question of why all of us "fat people" were able to stuff our mouths before and now find it hard to reach a calories goal. the answer is simple. different foods and better habits. i dont need your ideas on increasing calories, im happy with the calories im at, and have no intentions of changing anything at this point, as i have found what works perfect for me. what im doing is working, ive gone from 246 to 188 since september. my point of my post is that eating 2000 calories of pure junk is much easier and a smaller amount than 2000 calories of good, wholesome, nutrient filled food. like i said before, i make that huge salad and come in at 365 cals, and im happy with that... but the same size salad, made differently could easily come in at over 1000 cals if made with no regard. im not interested in that. thanks!

FlaxMilk

Seriously though. I find many people who defend the 1200 calorie catch all to those of us who say its low tend to assume those eating more than 1200 or find 1200 low are simply filling up on "bad" food (like the fruit loops comment). I also eat predominantly whole foods that are generally consider "good" or "quality" food like lean protein, veggies, etc and rarely have an issue reaching goal.
It really agitates me when I see someone suggest that if you find 1200 difficult to maintain you must be eating all "junk".

I often find in diaries of people who post saying reaching 1200 difficult are the ones eating "light" "low fat" versions of food and often avoid nutrient dense food that is also calorie dense - like nuts, whole eggs, etc.

I eat 1200 calories when I want to lose (I have found out for sure after eating higher calories but less than 2000 that I definitely gain at numbers that many others can lose at, luckies!) I tend to eat "clean" and have a pretty restrictive diet for different reasons. I have no issues reaching 1200, and if I don't count, no issues eating way over it and feeling just fine. I think it's fair to say that people who can't reach 1200, barring medical issues (emotional or physical), are probably avoiding healthy fats, as you suggest. There are still many who believe that fat is what makes you fat.

SKMC0214

MCGRAWHAHA Thank you so much for understanding what I was trying to get at. You are doing awesome, keep it up!!!

tasha2155

I thought this was a site for encouragement, not belittling people over something you may not comprehend. Ignorance is a terrible thing, especially when you put it out there for everyone to see.

If you don't understand this problem, then don't read the thread, as you provide nothing informative to the discussion. The only reason I came across this post is cause I have the same issue and was looking for advice.

People's bodies change over years. While I was pregnant with my son, I had morning sickness, actually it was all day sickness as I was nauseous all day, the entire time of my pregnancy; not one day passed that I didn't vomit. I had to force myself to eat then but the only things I could keep down were fruits and very small amounts of meals. It wasn't healthy to eat so few calories, but I couldn't eat much more, cause I would throw it up anyway.

Before having my son, I would eat until I was stuffed, but since having my son, I can't eat any kind of big meals without feeling nauseous. I don't know if it was a hormone change, but I'm just not hungry anymore and usually won't feel hungry until 2 or 3 pm.

I'm doing high intensity workouts 6 days a week for an hour, and drink a lot of water during my workout, and even after sweating so much from my workout, I'm still not hungry afterwards and have to force myself to eat something. I eat a lot of turkey and chicken, vegetables, and fruit, and feel very full after my meals, though I barely reach 900 calories some days. And I know I need to eat more, but if I do, I will just feel sick.

So while this may seem like a ridiculous idea to you, it is a very real thing. I want to eat more, I'm just not hungry. You don't know the circumstances surrounding everyone's weight gain, it's not always because they couldn't put down the fork.

Everyone can be such a-holes, especially hiding behind the internet.

The title of this forum is general diet and weight loss HELP, so if you're not providing any HELP, then you're just wasting space.

foleyshirley

You can rant all you want....But I am having a hell of a time consuming 2100 calories a day and I have 16 lbs. to lose.....If you don't get it...I do.....ITS CALLED QUALITY FOOD....So instead of have a bowl of Fruit Loops (or whatever) for breakfast I now eat 6 egg whites with a piece of swiss cheese, a slice of dry toast, 1 tbls of salsa and a fruit smoothie totalling 429 calories in all. I burn damn near 3000 calories a day according to my fitbit. So...yes...its the quality of food that makes it difficult to adjust. We are here to help one another....not rant and complain that you see to many posts with people trying to help one another.

Amen Brother. :glasses:

Eat the whole egg. 342 more calories, there ya go.

Lol. This is exactly what I wanted to say.

RobinvdM

I thought this was a site for encouragement, not belittling people over something you may not comprehend. Ignorance is a terrible thing, especially when you put it out there for everyone to see.

(snip)

Everyone can be such a-holes, especially hiding behind the internet.

The title of this forum is general diet and weight loss HELP, so if you're not providing any HELP, then you're just wasting space.

Rather than call you out on your hypocrisy I thought I would, instead, suggest you read how this is a rant thread meant to blow steam off. A lot of folks on here would rather guide and direct towards making better choices for eating calories. It isn't a matter of how much food you stuff in your mouth, which a lot of people lose sight of quite easily, but instead the QUALITY of the foods. A good, nutrient dense food will also have good solid calories (take raw nuts for example.) No one is saying: please eat 5 meals to get to your cal max, then workout for 700 cals, then figure out how to eat even more food. They are saying, pick your foods wisely.

If you are worried about the numbers, then you shouldn't be eating a lightweight calorie day when you know you are going to be busting a high calorie workout. Rather than opt for the 70cal apple after a workout, eat a 100cal banana or a half handful of walnuts100cal. Same stomach space taken, but better caloric results. That is all people have been, are, and will continue trying to say to people who freak out over being unable to fill out their calorie budget.

Have a fab day :drinker:

tasha2155

@robinmvd

I would love to know what was hypocritical about my post. If it was people can be a-holes, especially on the internet, nothing I said was mean, I simply came in defense of people that have an issue and seem to get blasted for it.

If the OP's argument was why so many people write a thread about the same thing, when they could just search for the answer, then I would understand. But the OP basically stated that you were fat at one point, so you shouldn't have problem eating the calories you need, and this statement is inaccurate.

I actually don't watch my calories cause I need to increase them. I don't like nuts so adding that to my diet won't work. And I do opt for more calorie dense options but that still doesn't get around the fact that if I'm not hungry, I don't want to eat.

I stand by everything I said and if you can't offer help, what's the point of posting. You see it as ranting and letting off steam, but I see it as hurtful, and could really be detrimental to some people's weight loss experience with MFP. Weight loss can be a very emotional and having someone state that you are lying or are being dramatic and want attention isn't helpful at all. I know OP says that their intent is not to imply that people having this issue are lying, but that was basically all the post was about.

Ranting is fine when it's not hurtful, but if you don't see an issue with making yourself feel better (via a rant) while making others feel bad, then there's really nothing more I can say on the matter.

quirkytizzy

This is a GIGANTIC pet peeve of mine as well. I understand traditionally healthier foods require more volume, but it annoys me to no end to see grown adults swing from one extreme to the other. Starvation is not healthy and those who attempt to sustain themselves on calorie goals that toddlers can blow past aggravates me. I get annoyed with the preponderance of these threads, as if there is some overwhelming need for people who are overweight suddenly wanting to be seen for having spent time eating so little.

I've known and lost too many people to eating disorders to validate that.

blu_meanie_ca

I get annoyed with the preponderance of these threads, as if there is some overwhelming need for people who are overweight suddenly wanting to be seen for having spent time eating so little.

this bears repeating

neandermagnon

well it's actually not so simple as got fat by overeating. before I got treatment for PTSD I was in a cycle of not eating anywhere near enough (by accident) because I was so stressed out (try having flashbacks of a really indescribably horrible past situation several times a week and see if you have much of an appetite....). Then, when going through phases of feeling comparatively less stressed, I'd overeat massively (i.e. basic human survival response from too few calories) and I got fat that way and probably burned up some lean body mass as well during the failing to eat enough phases, i.e. totally screwed up my body composition

so getting into healthy eating, well intellectually it's quite straight forward, i.e. eat the right amount of calories every day, no undereating = no rebound overeating and = slow and steady fat loss. Well try sticking to that when you have anxiety issues, flashbacks and the rest and you know you have to eat but the idea of actually eating makes you want to puke.... so yes, I had trouble eating enough calories on a very regular basis....

thankfully I'm a lot better from the PTSD these days, it's not gone away completely but nowhere near as bad. Heavy lifting has helped a lot with getting rid of some of the physical symptoms caused by anxiety. I'm at a healthy body fat percentage and just working at improving it and gaining some lean body mass as well.

So its really nowhere near as simple as many of you think!!

just quoting my post

it's never so simple as you'd think. And not everyone gets obese simply as a result of continuously overeating. Alternating between undereating and overeating can also cause obesity, and the cure for that is to focus on not undereating to begin with (because the overeating usually happens as a rebound to prolonged undereating), but that can be a lot easier said than done. And undereating can be caused by a number of different physical or mental health issues, it's not as simple as someone choosing to eat too little. Or as simple as someone who used to eat too much every day suddenly not being able to eat enough every day. There are way more factors in this.

Ed98043

I get annoyed with the preponderance of these threads, as if there is some overwhelming need for people who are overweight suddenly wanting to be seen for having spent time eating so little.

this bears repeating

My thought, too. It's such a novelty to be struggling to eat enough calories instead of the opposite, that they kind of want to shout it from the rooftops. So they come up with a fictitious "problem" to bring up the subject.

It also bear repeating that the OP was only criticizing those people who post the eternally stupid question: "I'm not meeting my calories, what should I doooo?" when the answer is pretty frickin' obvious (eat more). Maybe if they were more specific, such as "Need suggestions for higher calorie foods that are still healthy" (which is also brought up several times a day) then they wouldn't sound like such brainless twits.

And since I'm feeling critical...I'll add to the list of irritants people who ask for higher caloric foods but then come back with "Well, I don't like nuts, don't like avocado, don't like dairy, don't like ________, so NOW WHAT?". *sigh* We all have to eat stuff we don't particularly like sometimes, people. Unless you're allergic, it won't kill you.

jen81uk

I agree, the only days I have eaten 1200 or under were flukes cos I was busy, ill, starving! I cook a lot of my meals from scratch and find 1500-1700 a lot more maintainable 1200 isn't a lifestyle change, it's a quick fix. I feel a lot better eating 1500-1700 and doing exercise and am still losing. I don't eat all my exercise cals back, I just eat till I'm full. I only want to lose another 10-12lbs and want to be able to maintain that weight. Eating 1200 cals and exercising will keep me losing weight, so I've started to up my cals so I can maintain when I get there.

If people are really big and have lots to lose they should be eating more so that it comes on at a healthy pace. If I would lose 2lb a week at 1200 at 145lbs someone over 200 etc should eat more to get there body used to less cals and would still lose 2lb or more a week.

I really don't endorse eating 1200 cals a day as technically it borders on anorexic... kids are meant to eat 1500, I know people want to lose but isnt it about lifestyle changes?? Something sustainable and 1200 is not this!!I still have treats, that's part of my life... I don't intend on eating naff all forever!