Hitting goal calories :(

chasetwins

So the 1200 cal thing was NOT working for me..I raised my calorie needs by using the spreadsheet someone posted on here which includes my estimated exercise. I am not extremely athletic but I do at least 30 minutes of something every day (treadmill 3-4 mph, 30 day shred, zumba etc.)
So the spreadsheet (tdee i think it is called) is saying 1514 goal calories...I am having a hell of a time trying to eat that much without eating BAD stuff just for the calorie content. I do NOT feel deprived I LOVE everything I have been eating and even have several cups of coffee per day with cream (which I count every tsp of creamer even if I dump out half due to it getting cold..happens to every other cup) but I struggle eating that much. I made pop corn last night because it is light on my stomach but I read somewhere to stay clear of pop corn till hitting goal (assuming because the enormous carb count). But I needed something to add calories.

Has anyone had this issue? Have you figured out healthier things to eat with higher calories? I am afraid that I will go another month with no loss because I can not hit my calorie goal. I am hitting above 1200 now, previously according to MFP I was netting below 1200 almost daily I am trying to keep my carbs lower and as much of them from veggies / fruits as possible.

If I am hitting above the 1200 but below my estimated goal do you think I will lose weight?? - I am sick of stressing over this LMAO

It is 8 PM - I am not hungry and I have almost 500 calories to eat yikes!!!

bzmommy34

I have a serving of almonds every day. I'd have a hard time hitting my cals without them and they are a good, healthy choice. Also, if you aren't on the protein smoothie train - jump aboard! Great cals with great macros.

chasetwins

hmmm LOVE almonds I used to (pre diet) add them to all my salads and some veggies - and smoothies would be great too since I can drink when i am not hungry...just not eat. LOL Thanks Bzmommy!!!

NavyMommy

You only had 1 egg white and a mini banana for breakfast? That would be a great place to start getting more in. I would add to that maybe another egg white or two (I buy the packaged ones, they're really good) and maybe some greek yogurt or a slice of toast.

Also, protein drinks are good for getting more calories in. I mix mine with milk to add a few more and it's delicious. Almonds, peanut butter, and avocado are all great ways to add in more calories. Getting ready to head to bed and you're low on calories? 2 Tbsp of PB is almost 200 calories and easy to eat.

Feel free to look at my diary, it's open and I also aim for about 1500 calories a day. I didn't log over the weekend, met with a dietician and she suggested I try something new, but it wasn't working so I'm back here.

gemmaleigh1989

I hit 1900 calories some days and then exercise it down to 1200. Most days though are the 1500 - 1600 mark and again, burning it down to 1200.

I get this by eating almonds, celery with peanut butter, Yoghurt, protein shakes, bananas, porridge, and sometimes pasta. It's really very easy! It just takes some planning the day before.

3dogsrunning

No food is "bad" on its own. Forget about that. Obviously you want to choose nutritious foods for the most part but high calorie or high fat is not necessarily "bad".

I looked at one day of your diary - first thing - egg whites. Eat the whole egg. Most of the nutrition is in the yolk. I do add a couple of egg whites to boost protein without boosting calories but if you are struggling to meet calorie goal two eggs would be good. Second thing - low fat peanut butter. Eat regular peanut butter. 100 calls per tbsp. And its good for you.

Stop eating "diet" foods and you will find it easier to meet your calorie goal - dairy, salad dressings, cheese, etc.

bakerandacook

I totally agree with 3dogsrunning! Great advice. It is working for me, too.

Having been trained as a cook when I was young, I do not eat any "diet" foods. I cook all of my meals from scratch so I have a hard time coming in under 1200 for the day. I figured out pretty quickly that if I was going to "diet" (for the first time in my life, at 48) I needed to figure out which meal was going to be my largest. Turns out, it's breakfast. I now get up an hour earlier, fry an egg on toast, make a large latte and check my email before I go to work. I love my new routine. For lunch I usually have a big salad, which tends to be a bit caloric because I use olive oil, garlic and vinegar.

What do you enjoy eating that other folks tell you shouldn't eat on a diet? I am a lover of bread (former baker by trade) so I eat whole grain bread every day. I'm still losing weight and I'm eating what makes me happy.

Do you have a food scale? If you like pasta, weigh it. A serving of pasta is 2 ounces, which looks like NOTHING when you are hungry
Plus if you ever want to bake something, having a scale will help.

Eat (or drink something) that you really enjoy - life is too short to eat cardboard, because you are "supposed" to. Bottom line, though, if you aren't hungry, then don't eat.

gemmaleigh1989

You don't eat the yolk? Man, that's the best part!! The cholesterol in it isn't even bad cholesterol!

chasetwins

I only like the yolk if it is hard boiled egg Hence the egg whites. It is not because of health or diet, I just do not like it. I had the banana first at 7 AM..I have an extremely hard time eating before 10 AM so the banana and the egg white at 8 AM was actually me pushing myself to eat something Half the time my "breakfast" is forced down my throat mid gagging.

I do have a food scale and measure every morsel

Thank you ALL so much for the advice I truly appreciate it. i do LOVE pasta but I am kind of afraid to incorporate that right now. Going to try the shakes and almonds