it's kinda hard for me to meet my calorie minimum...

if you really want to meet your calories goal you just need to make small changes
- stop eating lowfat cheese and eat the real stuff
- put some avocado slices and mayo on that burger
- make sure you're eating full fat yogurt like Fage and not some low cal one
- stop eating low fat dressing
- eat 6 oz of chicken
- replace the protein bar with a protein shake made with milk, protein powder and fruit

I agree with her. You can go the whole route without an issue. Also, you'd be shocked how many calories nuts have in them. It's like 10 walnuts equals 200 calories. You could easily eat nuts of different types and end up with the calories you require. Walnuts are pretty good and so are others like cashews. I'd get a few big bags and a measuring scale and you could easily weight and eat what you need easily.

You are only 16 years old and a male. Do you want to screw up your metabolism and growth so young ? Get a grip and start eating more.

right, but I'm not going to shove an extra 1,000 calories down my mouth simply because I don't have the time or desire to. I will take it slow

I don't think anyone's suggesting you "shove food" into yourself. 2000 calories is not actually a huge target to aim for. 4000, yes, I could see how that would be more difficult, but 2000 is not that much, especially for a young male. You don't have to shovel food in, you can get there with a bit of planning, and accepting that you don't have to eat only "diet" food to lose weight. Some great suggestions have already been made. Basically, eat foods that are still nutritious, but are calorie-dense. Avocados, oily fish, full fat cheese, other dairy products - full fat, lean meats, nuts, nut butters, seeds, oils added to salads and cooking. Drinks like milk, nut milks, smoothies and protein shakes. It's not about eating such a quantity of food that you feel full and uncomfortable. Just like someone has to plan and adjust their diet to make it more low calorie, you can do the same to reach 2000.

It sounds like you're pretty active. At 16, you're probably still growing too. Give your body the nutrients, and energy, it needs to perform properly and be healthy. You've done a fantastic job so far in losing 41 lbs, but you don't have to drastically under-eat to get to your goal. From comments you've written elsewhere, it sounds like this might be more of a psychological issue, that you just don't want to eat that many calories.

But that's the thing, if I overeat from what I'm eating now I'll just get that full, tired, bloated feeling. I'm eating a lot, just lower calorie items. And, based on what I'm eating now, 2000 is sort of a tough goal to reach because that's another 3 meals right there on top of what I'm eating, and like I said I really don't have the time to pencil in 3 extra meals AFTER classes that's too much.

In terms of psychological, it's not a psychological problem. Before school and activities started (during the summer) I was eating 1600-2100 calories a day, eating at 9 AM, 12 PM, 3 PM, 5 PM, 7PM, and probably 9PM (nothing big). Now it's more like 8 AM, 2:30PM, 5PM, and 8PM. & that's simply because of my schedule...

Other people suggested random snacks like rice cakes and such, I will try that

Did you read the part about not eating only low calorie items, and eating more high calorie items? If you eat things that are higher in calories, you won't need to eat a larger quantity of food, and you shouldn't feel stuffed or bloated. Why don't you at least give it a try?

Some people are taught not to overeat what they're craving/wanting.
Also, there are a lot of nutritionally dense foods that keep you full without tons of calories.

You posted saying that you are struggling to meet your calorie goal, so why are you trying to avoid calories? You can't do both.

if you really want to meet your calories goal you just need to make small changes
- stop eating lowfat cheese and eat the real stuff
- put some avocado slices and mayo on that burger
- make sure you're eating full fat yogurt like Fage and not some low cal one
- stop eating low fat dressing
- eat 6 oz of chicken
- replace the protein bar with a protein shake made with milk, protein powder and fruit

I agree with her. You can go the whole route without an issue. Also, you'd be shocked how many calories nuts have in them. It's like 10 walnuts equals 200 calories. You could easily eat nuts of different types and end up with the calories you require. Walnuts are pretty good and so are others like cashews. I'd get a few big bags and a measuring scale and you could easily weight and eat what you need easily.

Yes I know, walnuts have tonss of calories but they're good calories. I stopped eating nuts though at first because I thought that if I were to eat enough of them I'd gain weight lol, but I can fit them in during a snack in class.

What makes you think walnuts are not "good calories"? Walnuts are very nutritious.

Are you sure 1 cup of hash browns is 60 calories? I doubt it. And how much cheese are you adding to your burger?

Scroll up. I asked the same and he provided the brand name. Checked it out on their site myself. It is accurate.

Will adjust according to the first quote, they seem like passive changes that wouldn't take much time at all in terms of preparation.

And yeah, but it's:
1 cup of broccoli - 30 calories
1 cup of hash browns - 60 calories
ketchup - 15 calories
The burger - 250 calories
the cheese - 25 calories

that's 380. maybe it's the brands that i'm using that're low on calories, but my plate seems to be full

1 cup of hash brooms for 60 calories?

You also just mentioned you had a shakology shake. Unless you are adding stuff in, they are very low in calories. By using a different protein powder or meal replacement, you could easily add in extra calories and not necessarily add extra food.

and what cheese for 25?

pfft you shouldn't care if your not reaches your calorie minimum, your losing weight aren't you? You're not starving yourself are you? Then it doesn't matter.

Wrong, wrong wrong. You're body needs a certain amount of calories just to live off, ie. breathing, heartbeat, proper brain function, etc. if you eat too little, then you start harming your organs by not getting enough nutrients to them. Also, eventually your metabolism will get so slow, every little thing you eat will start packing on the pounds. You're body goes into starvation mode, even if you are eating. The same thing goes for fad diets, ie low fat, low carb etc. your body needs fat and carbs, for energy, and healthy fats are a must for your brain. When your diet lacks anything from fat to carbs, your body starts holding on to them, hindering fat loss.

Eurgh guys.
MFP says I should be eating 2,000 calories daily, but I rarely reach half that...

The thing is, no, I am NOT starving myself.

I eat 3 full meals a day including an occasional snack like yogurt a few times a week.

I have a protein meal bar in the morning (190 calls), along with my multivitamin and supplements and head right to my classes because they begin at 8:30.

Then I'll finish, work out, which usually burns 300-500 calories depending on the day/duration, and have lunch, which this week has been a 5 oz. burger with lowfat cheese, a cup of broccoli and a cup of hashbrowns and some ketchup.... this ONLY comes out to 375 calories and it fills me up..


Then I'll have dinner, which this week has been 4 oz. of chicken, 2 cups of salad, another vegetable like peas or corn, and low-fat salad dressing, and this comes to 330.


As you can see, I'm far below my calorie limit, especially with my exercise calorie deficit.
It's not that I work out obsessively; I do an hour of either walking on the treadmill/DVDs each day depending on the day, and NEVER GO ABOVE 60 minutes. I just seemed to have worked out a meal plan that fills me up but is low on calories...

I just don't see why I should fit in another 1,000 calories when I'm not hungry. But I also don't want to destroy my body or something. So far I feel fine though, is this normal..?

To say eat more is wrong.

To say eat less is wrong.

To find the exact calories needed for YOU to be in a healthy sustainable calorie deficit is the right answer. Wait, if you need to adjust by 100 do it, wait, adjust, wait, adjust, wait. The tortoise wins this race.

All that matters is calories. A healthy balanced diet within a calorie budget for a deficit that is right for YOU is all that matters for weight loss. Don't make it complicated.

It really depends on your RMR. If you are short like I am then your RMR is really just above the 1200 limit so you really don't have much room for a calorie deficit and going up is less likely to work. If you are taller you will have a higher RMR and can go up or down and still be in a deficit so you can lose no matter what. All that matters is a calorie deficit.

Some people can eat at a big calorie deficit and some people can't. Everyone is different. Even a small calorie deficit puts your body in a state of flux with hormones as such, add a new workout routine, and those will make more spikes. This is a huge waiting game and requires much patience. Add in emotional eating issues and then you have more complications.

Also people play mental accounting games with calories just like with finances. Make steps to make sure you are making accurate measurements. Packaged foods can have MORE than they say but not less (they get in trouble if less so they would rather error with MORE).

If you typically intake sodium at a certain rate your body adjusts, but if you make a sudden change then you will see a spike.

Exercise is for making your lean body mass pretty (especially lifting weights) for when the fat is gone. Losing fat with no muscle is ugly and cardio alone will not make you pretty. You cannot out exercise too many calories.

What is the exact number of calories for you?

We’ve been trying to figure out an exact NUMBER of calories that everyone should be eating, without recognizing that everyone is slightly different. In truth, the calories aren’t the end game. Your body is. So the EXACT amount of Calories that are right for you is the EXACT amount that will allow you to maintain your ideal bodyweight no matter what some calculator or chart says.

In other words, an online calculator might tell you that you need to eat 2,500 calories
per day to maintain your ideal bodyweight. But the only way to know for sure if this is
the right amount for you is to test it out. If you gain weight or can’t lose weight eating
that much, then you know you need to eat less to lose weight no matter how many
calculators and text books say otherwise.

This doesn’t mean your metabolism is broken, it just means the estimate of your needs
was just a bit off.

-John Barban (The Body Centric Calorie Guide from the Venus Index and Adonis Index Manuals)

The good thing is you don't have to worry about the starvation mode myth if you are fat. Only skinny people have to worry about starvation mode. It does not mean you have the capability to eat at a large calorie deficit if you have emotional eating disorders or other issues going on, but at least you don't have to be afraid of it anymore.

The Theory of Fat Availability:
•There is a set amount of fat that can be released from a fat cell.
•The more fat you have, the more fat can be used as a fuel when dieting.
•The less fat you have, the less fat can be used as a fuel when dieting.
•Towards the end of a transformation, when body fat is extremely low you
may not have enough fat to handle a large caloric deficit anymore.

At the extreme low end, when your body fat cannot ‘keep up’ with the energy deficit
you've imposed on your body, the energy MUST come from SOMEWHERE. This is
when you are at risk of losing lean body mass during dieting (commonly referred to
as ‘starvation mode’). This happens at extremely low levels of body fat, under 6% in
men and 12% in women [Friedl K.E. J Appl Phsiol, 1994].

-Brad Pilon and John Barban (from The Reverse Taper Diet in The Adonis Index and Venus Index manuals)

you could also reasses your goals..2000 seems high..mine is 1200 at the moment..at the most its been is 1500/1600

I'm not huge into the starvation mode deal either, CG, but his doctor has put him at 1400 calories, MFP at 2000, and he's often not meeting 1000. To say "eat more" is not wrong. He's a 16 year old male. Eating under 1000 calories is going to be very rarely "right" for someone with those stats, and in his case, he's been told by a medical professional to eat more than what he eats now.