Help I have trouble eating under 2000 cals a day!

MsPudding

Most of the post in this thread where absolute garbage by people who need to get a clue and a grip. Below are some of the useful post from people who actually can read and comprehend. One of the best quotes ever *if the person next to you is scarfing McDonalds, and you find yourself jealous because they're not fat...you should remind yourself that they'll be ****ting all of that out in about 45 minutes anyway, so who cares. *

I wouldnt say jealous just wondering why its ok for them and the same is not okay for me lol..

IMO you need to work out your TDEE well. I know you have a job where you're walking all day, but if you're anything like me then you won't be burning off anywhere near what you think you are. For example, the last time I entered a dog walk at 3.5mph in MFP they suggested that I'd burnt over 300 calories, however my HRM that I wore whilst doing it reported I'd burnt 124....big, BIG difference. HRMs are also only meant to record short bursts of aerobic exercise, they're not an accurate tool for logging all your daily movement.

I'd suggest trying the following TDEE calculator that allows you to break down your day into minutes of sleeping, sitting, normal walking, fast walking, heavy exercise etc. http://iifym.com/tdee-calculator/ When you've got a figure from that, take 20% off it and use that as your goal calories.

Eating a 900 cal breakfast doesn't matter, however what *does* matter is that if everything you eat during the day is the kind of junk food you were logging back in mid-January, then you will feel hungry a lot of time because you're essentially inhaling empty calories. In fact if all you normally exist on is potato chips, taco bell, McDonald's etc then you may find that you're in this weird situation where you are both obese but nutritionally starving:

"Diets that contribute to obesity are high in calories, grains, starches, trans-fats and modified fats, and cholesterol. But these diets are lacking in vitamins, minerals, monounsaturated fats and micronutrients. Unhealthy food leaves people feeling less full, making one inclined to eat more of it. Diets that contribute to obesity leave us overfed and undernourished.
Read more: http://www.care2.com/causes/simultaneously-eating-and-starving-to-death-obesity-in-america.html#ixzz2N2Kuq63g"

So once you've found your calorie level, it doesn't matter how you spread it across the day, but you do need to be changing your choices so that junk food makes up the minority of your diet, not the majority. Make the changes slowly if it's too much of a shock; dump the tacos and baked potatos for breakfast and have a big bowl of porridge (made with whole oats, not the easily processed 'quick' stuff) with some ground flaxseed and a dribble of honey on top. Or have a breakfast 2-egg omelette with tomatoes, onions and mushrooms in it - so basically slow-release carbs and/or protein. Try that for a week with what you normally eat for lunch and dinner so it's one small change.

Then work on your lunch - as in taking in your *own* lunch. Pretty much every office these days has a microwave, so try taking in a carton of soup and making up a big salad nicoise to go with it to get some protein in. If you prefer sandwiches, choose wholemeal/granary bread and make a big tuna/salad sandwich or cooked turkey breast (way more healthy than buying sliced, processed meat that's heavy in preservatives). Then try that new routine for a few weeks.

Finally move on to dinner and start cooking. If you feel shattered when you get home at night then invest in a slow cooker - some beef shin, root veg, baby potatos, rosemary, bay leaves and a slug of red wine thrown into a slow cooker in the morning transforms into a wonderful stew by the time you get home at night...and it's filling! You can poach a chicken or do a pot roast in the same way. If you feel like a pudding, get a big cooking apple and bake it for 30 minutes with some dried fruit in the middle and a small spoon of brown sugar or dribble of honey.

Then you've got your snacks - nuts, seeds, lean meats, fruit (whole, not as a shop-bought smoothie) etc.

The reason for eating the way I've described is simply because it's full of nutrients, wholesome and will keep you fuller than the calorie-dense, nutrient poor stuff churned out by fast food chains.

Lastly, if you are absolutely convinced that you cannot lose weight then step #1 would be to either prove your suspicions correct or disavow them by going to the doctor and getting a thyroid test and a hormone profile. If everything is ok there then you know, absolutely, that it's simply a matter of getting the right calorie levels for you.

I'm one inch taller than you, was 4lbs heavier than you a month ago and I'm 12 years older than you and I can lose weight. No, in my 40s I don't lose it as fast as someone in their 20s and at my age, managing CFS and having slightly dodgy knees, I can't lose as much via butt-busting exercise as some can....but what I could do was make small changes and the result of that has been that weight is slowly shifting (this morning I logged in another 1lb off the last week.)

You can do it - you just need to find your baseline calories, log food properly and make small, sustainable changes. Lastly, forget what other people around you can eat because you are not them - we all have friends that can inhale a chocolate cake and not gain an ounce, but the bottom line is that if we were them, we wouldn't be here trying to lose weight.

SteveJWatson

I actually dont think this thread was a troll, but I do think the OP was given some really poor advice through people not reading the first post properly (and her not logging very well, plus not knowing how off HRMs could be).

I think there are very few circumstances when somebody who spends most of their shift on their feet, walks to work and exercises needs to eat 1400-1600 cals and 'just get used to being hungry' as a lot of people seem to have suggested. Yes, she reacted to some of those, but Its kinda what I would have been thinking and have been to polite to say.

I dont walk about for all my workday, I drive a truck and so on (Farmer) and I still need to consume 2100 cals and eat my excercise cals back to maintain a 20% deficit.

adyoda

1. 2000 calories is to low for the level of activity you do ... it should be more according to the data you provided
http://scoobysworkshop.com/accurate-calorie-calculator/
(it is easy to over evaluate the activity you do)

2. You need to log your food better ... not just quick calories added. When you log your actual food you can check the % protein/carbs/fat in your diet so you can include more fiber/whole foods/protein and reduce sugar/simple carbs. It is possible you are always hungry because of the lack of protein or good fats.

3. Bring to work some raw unsalted peanuts (1oz/30gr or so) , good source of protein and fat .... it is far better than anything you can buy from a vending machine

4. Listen to this podcast when you exercise, they have allot of good information : http://www.fat2fitradio.com/ .

5. http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/912914-in-place-of-a-road-map-3-2013 interesting thing to read

Hope this helps,
sorry for grammar mistakes

taliar93

You say all posts are welcome yet you mock them.....most people who eat 900 calories for breakfast are fat.

This^

But seriously op, if you're not ready to handle peoples suggestions, then why bother posting anything at all?
your definition of "normal" is obviously very different to other peoples, you talk about "normal" breakfasts being high cal and fat, because for some people they need to be, like tradies and such, but you work in an office, and are sitting here moaning that you're having trouble sticking to 2000 cals a day and you're not losing any weight, maybe stop eating so much crap? Doritos for breakfast... really op? A bacon and egg breakfast (two eggs a slice of bacon) is around 300 cals depending on the cut of bacon. The thing that disturbs me with your posts op is that you seem to think when you get down to your goal weight, you can eat like your coworkers do, but the fact is you have no idea what they do at home etc, they could hit the gym for two hours after work for all you know, you can't sit there and think once you're a healthy weight you can just eat crap all day, because you'll be obese again in no time. I'm not going to waste my time giving you any advice or personal opinions since it seems like you can't handle the truth. either way Good luck with your weight loss but seriously chill out, people on here are taking their time to comment on your post and give you their two cents, so don't sit there and treat them like a-holes.

Iron_Feline

Op, you may have answered this and I missed it - but what is your job please?

Also a HRM isn't designed to work out calories you doing in a day job - you'd need a fitbit or something similar to do this.

traceygl1967

I am 267lb so around your weight and i would not have 900 calories for any of my meals let alone breakfast because if I did I would be even bigger than I am now. I lose slowly and have to eat around 1300 -1500 max a day and exercise at least 3 hours a week to lose at all. I do eat proper meals not all fruit and salad and yes I feel hungry sometimes but thats life !!
I can make a healthy burger with cheese slice ,relish and salad with 250g of potatoes made into oven baked frenchfries for like 500 calories

Woomytron

Now that I read even more it is pretty clear that you just wanna eat what you have been and still lose weight. If you want to lose weight that bad you will learn to replace stuff with healthier choices.

Doesn't seem like you are in that place at this time because you shut out nearly everyone that was trying to help you.

Stop eating crappy food and replace it with something more filling and healthy and you will notice a big change in your calories. 2000 calories of fruits and veggies and healthy grains and meats would be so much food that you probably wouldn't be able to eat it all. So either change your eating habits or remain the same.. its pretty simple.

tsdaughe

Cut out the process stuff like fries. Baked potatoes are not too bad it just depends what you add on it. There is leaner ground beef as well. I buy 96% lean ground beef which is 140-150 calories per 4 oz depending on the brand.

Sounds to met like you need to get more lean protein in your diet such as chicken, fish, reduce fat cheeses such as string cheese. Tuna is another good one. I buy those just for one vegetables for when I work. For brocolli with cheese or brocolli and carrots with italian seasoning it is only 40 calories. There are healthier alternatives for breakfast such as eggs, or egg whites with some spinach and tomotoes. You can even put them in a carb balanced small tortilla. You could have two tortillas with egg whites a serving of cheese and some spinach and tomoatoes and salsa for under 400 calories.

Here are some examples of things I eat:
chicken, lean ground beef, pork chops, veggies, lots of fruit. Protein bars, string cheese, 100 calories packs of almonds and walnuts. If I am at work and didn't have any prepared food to bring I heat up a stouffers chicken and mashed potato meal or a lean cuisine meal with some fish or chicken and pair it with fruit and veggies. Oatmeal and even had some protein powder to it for flavor and extra protein. Drink lots of water.

blably

coming of of your diary, based on the foods that you did actually log...youre eating the foods a person who would like to gain weight would eat.

and you can eat like a normal person, but instead of a hamburger and fries you have baked potatoes and chicken / salmon / small steak.

instead of a cupcake you have some fruit, even strawberries covered with chocolate.

the point is, you need to start making healthy choices, you know, where you put a whoooooole cup of vegetables, or a small cupcake. what will make you full longer?

Dauntlessness

Okay, so basically I need SOME ADVICE from people who have had trouble eating under 2000 cals a day...

I know all the simplistic answers make healthy choices, pack your lunch, stay away from junk etc... but i work long hours on my feet all day and at work i grab the nearest thing around, ive been good these last couple of days about not eating a crazy amount of cals but still i ate way over 1500 and felt like was darn starving myself.. how do you do it? Seriously my stomach grumbles and im having hunger pains.. i dont see how people sustain themselves off salad and a few chunks of chicken breast or fruit and water.. i feel like i ate nothing.. plus who wants to eat two hard boiled eggs for a meal wtf.. you know how it(2 boiled eggs) is on the menu in every restaurant:huh: :indifferent: ... i want to eat like normal.

like for breakfast i had 2 homemade soft tacos and a baked potato and it came out to @ 900 cals for two small tacos and a baked potato...

for lunch a homemade hamburger and fries almost 600 cals.. and it not like im using fatty meat... 90% lean ground beef is 200 for a quarter pound, bread is 100 cals, cheese 100, condiments about 50, potato and ketchup @ 150 cals...

you get my point... is anyone eating like a normal person and losing? I mean at work im gonna grab something convenient if i missed breakfast and am starving and the only thing in my vending machines are junk! chips and cupcakes etc... im not going to be hungry... this seems way more difficult than it should be.. Eat Less Cals, Exercise = Lose Weight.. but Doesnt seem like it works like that for me.. seems like im going to have to be in pain and starve and eat carrots and grass...

Time for tough love here.
What you are eating is crap food. You need to change your thoughts about what is healthy and what is not. Your like me when I first started out. I had a black or white attitude about "dieting". I thought, I can only eat greens, eggs, lean meat and deprive myself of all the good things I want" or I would eat the good stuff which was high cal and pretty bad for me but tasted amazing! There is a middle ground and there is a ton of food you'll probably like but its going to take time for you try experiment with them. This is a learning process and for you to expect to know everything overnight is just not feasible.

Your simply eating the wrong foods and too much of them. You cant expect to lose weight when you eat the same way as you did. you need to CHANGE. Tacos, hamburgers...fries. Really??? Its okay to have those things but it smaller amounts, maybe once a week and with an altered recipes so like instead of sour cream-greek yogurt, instead of beef-ground Jennie o turkey...This is possible and I was on a 2000 calorie diet when I first started. I was working out 2-3 hours a day at the gym too but the weight fell right off. If you cant exercise every day you need a smaller number. Its all about calories in/calories out but also the type of food too.

Saying that, I do eat a normal diet. I am not talking about this "never eat sugar,never eat carbs, drink shakes, clean clean clean" sort of thing. Blah blah blah. That just does work for me. I eat cake, I eat beef, I eat chips, I go out to eat more than I should actually BUT I really watch myself. Like yesterday I ate Taco bell for the first time in over a year-it wasn't worth it and was icky- but anyhow, in the past Id have fast food once or twice a week. Id eat cake or candy every day....(I still struggle with a sweet tooth) but I set limits for myself but I also allow myself leeway so I don't feel deprived.

This is an example of my diary on a typical week day: I am on a 1718 calorie diet

Dole shaker- usually the mixed berry but they all have the same stats- 190 calories prepared
Orange juice 55 calories
Coffee Creamer - fat free coffee-mate-its good- 25 calories
Coffee - 2 calories
Double chocolate protein bar 21 grams protein -190 calories

463 calories for Break fast

Lunch
Cherry limeaid -10 calories
Romaine lettuce 3 cups- 20 calories
Homemade dressing -145 calories
A can Mandarin oranges drained 72 calories

247 Calories

Dinners vary for me, so like:

6 oz chicken breast = 195 calories with a dry rub (no calories)
A huuuge side of green bean casserole made with ff celery soup and Frenches onions 225 calories
Success brown rice 150 calories

570 calories for dinner

Thats a whopping 438 calories left for snacks for me

720 calories left for you to snack on....Do you know how much fruit that is? A Whole heck of a lot. There is no reason why you cant do that.

ILiftHeavyAcrylics

Bottom line is that if you're not losing weight then you're not in a deficit. Either your calorie burn is off (because of using a HRM the way it's not really intended), you have a medical condition that is affecting the calories out side of the equation, or you're underestimating your food. Did you ever say whether you've been to the doctor?

But since you just want to insult everyone who tries to help you I'm sure this will fall on deaf ears. Good luck OP, I hope you figure it out.

glovepuppet

I have a tough time believing you burn 8000 a shift.

CarmenSRT

Man OP, I'm sorry I took you seriously and tried to be supportive now. Your attitude is the PITS.

Sjenny5891

Okay, so basically I need SOME ADVICE from people who have had trouble eating under 2000 cals a day...

I know all the simplistic answers make healthy choices, pack your lunch, stay away from junk etc... but i work long hours on my feet all day and at work i grab the nearest thing around, ive been good these last couple of days about not eating a crazy amount of cals but still i ate way over 1500 and felt like was darn starving myself.. how do you do it? Seriously my stomach grumbles and im having hunger pains.. i dont see how people sustain themselves off salad and a few chunks of chicken breast or fruit and water.. i feel like i ate nothing.. plus who wants to eat two hard boiled eggs for a meal wtf.. you know how it(2 boiled eggs) is on the menu in every restaurant:huh: :indifferent: ... i want to eat like normal.

like for breakfast i had 2 homemade soft tacos and a baked potato and it came out to @ 900 cals for two small tacos and a baked potato...

for lunch a homemade hamburger and fries almost 600 cals.. and it not like im using fatty meat... 90% lean ground beef is 200 for a quarter pound, bread is 100 cals, cheese 100, condiments about 50, potato and ketchup @ 150 cals...

you get my point... is anyone eating like a normal person and losing? I mean at work im gonna grab something convenient if i missed breakfast and am starving and the only thing in my vending machines are junk! chips and cupcakes etc... im not going to be hungry... this seems way more difficult than it should be.. Eat Less Cals, Exercise = Lose Weight.. but Doesnt seem like it works like that for me.. seems like im going to have to be in pain and starve and eat carrots and grass...

Just for clarification... How did you come up with 2600 calories a day? Are you a nurse or waitress with a very physical job?
My job varies so I went with no exercise and add it in each day.
I don't know about your co-workers, but I work nights (10p-6a) I tend to eat around 500-600 calories a day at work
I know it has been said before.... PACK YOUR LUNCHES!! The "food" in the vending machine is nothing but Sugar, Sodium, and Calories. You can get the "same" things from the grocery in premeasured 100 calorie increments.

Try making a menu for the week. If you don't eat breakfast before leaving for work plan it in. There are breakfast sandwiches you can buy at the store and heat up at work. Try a protein bar. When I was pregnant, I would pack dry cereal to munch on.

The fast food is a killer. Hamburgers and Potatoes are high in Calories. You can change it up by making Pot Roast with Carrots and Potatoes.
You aren't logging your food, so I can't tell if you are getting any fruit or Veggies. They are a low Cal way to get snacks in. You can add Low Cal Ranch dip to give them flavour.

Also make sure you are getting your 8 glasses of water each day. That helps.
Send a message if you need to talk. I know it is hard.

FlaxMilk

I'm not sure what is going on if you are burning more than you consume and not losing. That's the point where you should see a doctor. I'm not sure how much you know about logging and TDEE estimating. I'm sorry if I missed it in all the talk, but what kind of work do you do? Not necessarily the specifics, but are you walking around all day, or are you doing hard manual labor all day?

I would just reiterate the substitution ideas already mentioned. I think tacos for breakfast are fine. A lot of traditional breakfast food is less nutritious than that. If you don't like veggies, I would recommend processing some so small that you can't really taste it and mixing it with your meat for added fiber and bulk. Add a cup of veggies to eat along side your fries. If you like baked potatoes, which are also fine, try swapping those for the fries. It's not necessarily fewer calories, but if you eat it with the peel, it may keep you full longer. When you eat your burgers, use half a bun instead of a whole bun. Throw some fresh spinach on there. You honestly can't taste fresh baby spinach.

I'd say thicken up your meals wherever you can with lower calorie foods to see if that helps you. Sometimes when you are not ready to stop eating the way you are used to, it helps to add highly nutritious foods rather than take things away. You may find that all the adding helps you with energy and satiety and you no longer need some of the extras (like potato chips on a frequent basis or the baked potatoes with the tacos.) Think onions, peppers, and lots of lettuce in those tacos. Extra spice instead of lots of cheese.

traceytwink

I have a tough time believing you burn 8000 a shift.

I second that, I burn on average 1000 cals, that's a whole load of sweating if you burn that much in a day your co workers must love you

WendyTerry420

It sounds like your definition of "normal" needs to change. 900 calories for one meal would be normal for, maybe, a linebacker. Or an unhealthy person. I think I eat like a "normal" person. I don't restrict anything, if I want it, I have it. And I am usually right where I need to be for calories. If I am going to eat more I exercise and "earn" some more calories. Check out my diary, it is open.

Are you serious? A line backer eats 2 soft tacos and a baked potato.. LMAOOOOOooo um okay.. im not sure what kind of linebacker you're accustom to, but definitely not a normal one!

For one, she's correct.

Two, why are you giving attitude to people clearly trying to help you?

When I first started here a year and a half ago, I was eating 1200 calories and did just fine. I eat 1800 calories a day at maintenance now, but only because I strength train and do HiiT cardio on a daily basis AND I'm only focusing on fat loss and loss of inches at the moment.

Unless you're an intensive sports athlete, as a woman, you don't need 900 calories for one meal.

Ok, I wasn't going to post here, but I had to add my opinion. I'm no linebacker, and I eat between 1900-2000 calories a day to lose weight. I'm *not* an athlete. My workout consists of basic bodyweight exercises for strength, and the occasional jog up a couple flights of stairs, and that's about it. When I *was* an athlete, in my younger days, I ate about four tacos with a side of rice and beans and a large soda. (Not a baked potato though; not sure how a baked potato is a side for tacos) Currently, I have 1000 calories meals occasionally. My dinners are sometimes as low as 500, but often upwards of 700 or 800.

Real linebackers will eat over 3000 calories a day, professionals probably eat closer to 4000 because they weight about twice what I do, and full of muscle.

900 calories for a meal is NOTHING. :ohwell:

WendyTerry420

Time for tough love here.
What you are eating is crap food. You need to change your thoughts about what is healthy and what is not. Your like me when I first started out. I had a black or white attitude about "dieting". I thought, I can only eat greens, eggs, lean meat and deprive myself of all the good things I want" or I would eat the good stuff which was high cal and pretty bad for me but tasted amazing! There is a middle ground and there is a ton of food you'll probably like but its going to take time for you try experiment with them. This is a learning process and for you to expect to know everything overnight is just not feasible.

Your simply eating the wrong foods and too much of them. You cant expect to lose weight when you eat the same way as you did. you need to CHANGE. Tacos, hamburgers...fries. Really??? Its okay to have those things but it smaller amounts, maybe once a week and with an altered recipes so like instead of sour cream-greek yogurt, instead of beef-ground Jennie o turkey...This is possible and I was on a 2000 calorie diet when I first started. I was working out 2-3 hours a day at the gym too but the weight fell right off. If you cant exercise every day you need a smaller number. Its all about calories in/calories out but also the type of food too.

Saying that, I do eat a normal diet. I am not talking about this "never eat sugar,never eat carbs, drink shakes, clean clean clean" sort of thing. Blah blah blah. That just does work for me. I eat cake, I eat beef, I eat chips, I go out to eat more than I should actually BUT I really watch myself. Like yesterday I ate Taco bell for the first time in over a year-it wasn't worth it and was icky- but anyhow, in the past Id have fast food once or twice a week. Id eat cake or candy every day....(I still struggle with a sweet tooth) but I set limits for myself but I also allow myself leeway so I don't feel deprived.

This is an example of my diary on a typical week day: I am on a 1718 calorie diet

Dole shaker- usually the mixed berry but they all have the same stats- 190 calories prepared
Orange juice 55 calories
Coffee Creamer - fat free coffee-mate-its good- 25 calories
Coffee - 2 calories
Double chocolate protein bar 21 grams protein -190 calories

463 calories for Break fast

Lunch
Cherry limeaid -10 calories
Romaine lettuce 3 cups- 20 calories
Homemade dressing -145 calories
A can Mandarin oranges drained 72 calories

247 Calories

Dinners vary for me, so like:

6 oz chicken breast = 195 calories with a dry rub (no calories)
A huuuge side of green bean casserole made with ff celery soup and Frenches onions 225 calories
Success brown rice 150 calories

570 calories for dinner

Thats a whopping 438 calories left for snacks for me

720 calories left for you to snack on....Do you know how much fruit that is? A Whole heck of a lot. There is no reason why you cant do that.

You take that back! Tacos and hamburgers are NOT "crap" at all!

You want to know what "crap" food is? Ground turkey. Now *THAT'S* crap food!

Jax_30

Take out the bad carbs, ie; breads, wraps, burger buns, tacos, if u NEED breads... Try a high fibre type, 4g or higher ans limit to 1 or 2 a day. Fries are not on any weight loss program, ever. Maybe a treat when you have worked hard for a while with successes.
Try adding protein, when I feel hungry I eat yogurt, add oat bran or some granola for the extra fill. oat bran swells up ur belly with a glass of water after for a longer full feeling and is full of fibre. drink water.... 8 250ml glasses a day minimum.
Loosing weight is easy, it's habits that are hard to change.
Finally..... Walk a half hour a day, not at work, not to your car..... Just get out and walk for exercise.

glovepuppet

I have a tough time believing you burn 8000 a shift.

I second that, I burn on average 1000 cals, that's a whole load of sweating if you burn that much in a day your co workers must love you

I have a feeling they really don't.