Hard time getting enough cals without junk:/

anifani4

Hi. I don't have your problem at all. I am struggling to stay at my alloted calories and not go over. I don't eat junk food at all either. Just healthy stuff, whole foods, a very balanced food plan with some treats....like chocolate.

It seems like you are just starting out and learning what will work for you. A big congrats to you for getting started. Be open and seek out knowledge of nutrition and keep changing your meal plan until you find what works for you. I think you took a couple of good suggestions. Try that for a couple of weeks and see how it goes.

Good luck.

KaraAlste

Hi. It sounds like the main source of your diet is healthy. So, I think it's fine to add some of your favorite treats & snacks & drinks to fill in any gaps. :flowerforyou:

Bettyeditor

I commend you for loving exercise but up to three hours is not only excessive, it's also driving your net calories too low. If you are having difficulty eating enough in lieu of such exercise volume, cut down the exercise. From a dietary angle, don't be too rigid by consuming only low-fat/calorie foods.

^^this

I agree with this too. You really only need a very modest amount of cardio to be fit, conditioned, and lose weight. Any cardio beyond a modest amount 2 times a week to keep your cardiovascularly conditioned is not accomplishing anything other than creating a larger deficit to eat to. Which is only really useful once in a while like when you have a party and want to eat extra calories.

The key activity that will melt the pounds and reshape your body and rev up your metabolism is strength training. Which luckily burns much fewer calories. :glasses:

I'm sure you've heard this before: Weight loss happens in the kitchen, fitness happens in the gym. (I lost 70 pounds doing zero exercise and zero cardio.)

CoderGal

breakfast:
1 egg
half scoop of chocolate protein powder
a table spoon of crunchy peanut butter
1 avocado.
coconut oil
milk

put coconut oil in frying pan
cut avocado into rings and put in pan
mix protein with egg
poor into avocado holes
flip
add crunchy peanut butter on top.


There, you have about 1200 calories in with your chocolate peanut butter pancakes in little avocado rings, wash it down with a glass of milk.

Also with that amount of cardio and that little food you are going to set yourself up for injury. I'm all about the excessive cardio sometimes (yay day long hikes), but I fuel myself to do it.

honeydawn329

There are plenty of foods you can eat that are high in calories and they aren't "junk". Peanut butter isn't junk (if you are worried about added ingredients, it is very easy to find it made totally with peanuts). Or just eating a handful of nuts can give you a nice bump. Avocados are great for added calories, quinoa, sweet potatoes/yams, and eggs (if you aren't vegan) are other options I include in my diet.

Are you sure it's not that you aren't hungry and that you're just afraid to eat more? I'm not trying to assume, but it seems odd that you have a hard time feeling hungry by only eating a few hundred calories, as you said in one of your replies, but maybe it's just because i can't relate. Whatever the reason, i hope you found some of those suggestions helpful - good luck! :flowerforyou:

I'm not affraid to eat more I just have to get in the habbit of not grabbing quick stuff and eating at a regular schedule. For many years I have only ate a couple of times a day and someone else said that eating too little for too long can surpress appetite so that may be a big part of my problem. I know I love to exercise so I plan on continuing my 1.5-3 hours daily. I will try and up my almond and peanut butter intake and start adding in protein shakes/bars since most people seem to agree that would also be a good thing. I dont really like eggs, avocados or quino, but I like sweet potatoes so maybe I can up those. Thank you for helping:)

honeydawn329

Potatoes also have a TON of calories... But they are also very filling...

Gonna up these, nuts, peanut butter, and add in protein bars/shakes! Thanks for helping:)

honeydawn329

I commend you for loving exercise but up to three hours is not only excessive, it's also driving your net calories too low. If you are having difficulty eating enough in lieu of such exercise volume, cut down the exercise. From a dietary angle, don't be too rigid by consuming only low-fat/calorie foods.

^^this

I agree with this too. You really only need a very modest amount of cardio to be fit, conditioned, and lose weight. Any cardio beyond a modest amount 2 times a week to keep your cardiovascularly conditioned is not accomplishing anything other than creating a larger deficit to eat to. Which is only really useful once in a while like when you have a party and want to eat extra calories.

The key activity that will melt the pounds and reshape your body and rev up your metabolism is strength training. Which luckily burns much fewer calories. :glasses:

I'm sure you've heard this before: Weight loss happens in the kitchen, fitness happens in the gym. (I lost 70 pounds doing zero exercise and zero cardio.)

I have been Leslie Sansone's dvd 5 Really Big Miles where she incorporate a resistance band for 2 of the miles. I do The Firm sometimes that combines strength training and cardio. And I also like Zumba. I figured the 5 miles was fine to do daily since we all walk every day anyways. And I figured that The Firm was a great mix in cause it always seems more strength training to me than cardio. I am going to work hard at upping my cals, but the exercise makes me feel better.

honeydawn329

breakfast:
1 egg
half scoop of chocolate protein powder
a table spoon of crunchy peanut butter
1 avocado.
coconut oil
milk

put coconut oil in frying pan
cut avocado into rings and put in pan
mix protein with egg
poor into avocado holes
flip
add crunchy peanut butter on top.


There, you have about 1200 calories in with your chocolate peanut butter pancakes in little avocado rings, wash it down with a glass of milk.

Also with that amount of cardio and that little food you are going to set yourself up for injury. I'm all about the excessive cardio sometimes (yay day long hikes), but I fuel myself to do it.

I will def try it! Def working on finding a balance on everything! Thanks for helping.

KatieHall77

A very small steak is 500 calories. And who eats just a tiny little steak? And what good is steak without a wedge salad with blue cheese and bacon?

Joking aside, just enjoy your food and try to allow yourself plenty of fats like nuts and avocado, even mayonnaise if you enjoy it. Or steak. Some people will say that fats are unhealthy, but really they help get you to your goal.

Sabine_Stroehm

A very small steak is 500 calories. And who eats just a tiny little steak? And what good is steak without a wedge salad with blue cheese and bacon?

Joking aside, just enjoy your food and try to allow yourself plenty of fats like nuts and avocado, even mayonnaise if you enjoy it. Or steak. Some people will say that fats are unhealthy, but really they help get you to your goal.

I agree with your post, but a "very small" steak is 500? Not my steaks!:happy: