My low caloric intake

MsKeaW
MsKeaW Posts: 9
in Food and Nutrition
Hello All!!
I'm new here. I decided to take control of my body about 4 weeks ago. By that, I mean eating more healthfully, sleeping right, exercising, and cutting back on stress, alcohol and cigarettes (with the goal of quitting).
My whole life, my issue has been that I don't eat enough to sustain my weight. I want to be (a healthy) 145- it's hard to maintain more and workout. I am used to eating, only, once a day (dinner) and drinking coffee, water, and Red Bull for the rest of the day. Since I have cut back on coffee and killed the Red Bull addiction, I am starting to lose weight at an alarming rate. I am trying to incorporate healthy juices like Bolthouse Green Goodness and Naked Green Machine for breakfast and fruit with peanut butter for lunch, thus far. But, that is far from enough :-(.
I'm wondering of any tricks you all have to increase appetite or even easy to eat foods that I can try to introduce to my diet. I walk/jog about 2.5-3mi/day and do light strength training about 5-6days/week. I've been working on eating more so, I consume about 1300 calories (give or take). Please advise in any way you can.

Replies

  • wordena
    wordena Posts: 177 Member
    Chocolate pprotein powder with water or milk. Tastes like a milk shake. Quick calories. I'd try to eat more by upping my calorie goAl. Check out eat more to weigh less.
  • WendyTerry420
    WendyTerry420 Posts: 13,274 Member
    I think that making a conscious effort to gradually increase calories is important, and it might be helpful to add a serving or two of some high calorie, nutrient-dense foods like nuts and avocado, and adding a little olive oil/peanut oil to your cooking, and switching to full-fat dairy (if you are not already) will help a great deal.
  • Beckyloo80
    Beckyloo80 Posts: 1,088 Member
    i use a protein powder for breakfast. I use Visalus. It fills me up.

    Sometimes I will precook some egg whites and just heat them up.

    good for you for taking control and best of luck on your journey!
  • ChitownFoodie
    ChitownFoodie Posts: 1,562 Member
    I eat a lot of calorie dense foods like avocado or nuts, and have peanut butter every single day. When I have a protein shake, I will add fruit and peanut butter to it just to add calories. I typically eat 2000+ a day and have a hard time gaining weight. Maybe you should try that.
  • LorinaLynn
    LorinaLynn Posts: 13,247 Member
    Adding a little tiny bit to each meal and snack is easier than trying to make up calories at the end of the day. A slice of cheese here or there, an ounce or two more protein with dinner (ie, 5 or 6 oz of chicken instead of 4), a glass of chocolate milk, a protein bar, etc.
  • KombuchaCat
    KombuchaCat Posts: 834 Member
    I eat a lot of calorie dense foods like avocado or nuts, and have peanut butter every single day. When I have a protein shake, I will add fruit and peanut butter to it just to add calories. I typically eat 2000+ a day and have a hard time gaining weight. Maybe you should try that.

    I would totally agree on this. I would also recomend adding in more healthy oils and maybe some ghee.
    I practice ayurveda which uses food and lifestyle as healing. I bet if you took a dosha quiz you would be Vata (air). If this is totally new just google ayurveda or dosha quiz. The reason I suggest this is if you know your constitution you can find food guides on what to eat and lifestyle recomendations.
    It sounds like you made many changes at once, all of them certainly good, but I think the weight loss might just be a knee-jerk reaction to all of it and it should level out. Great job so far!
  • MsKeaW
    MsKeaW Posts: 9
    Thank you!! Oh, thank you all for the great ideas. I need all the support I can get (I hope you all don't mind if I friend you). I'm going into all of this completely blind (looking things up here and there). I came to MFP because I have nowhere to ask these types of things and get real advice. I already have lots of peanut butter and I love all types of nuts, as well as avocado :-). These are nice places to start. As soon as I am able, financially, to get into the protein shakes and bars I will. What brands do you all buy? Also, adding a little snack here and there may be helpful. I find it daunting when I look up, at 8pm, and realize I've only eaten 800 calories (including my coffee with sugar & creamer). Thanks again for the great responses.
  • MsKeaW
    MsKeaW Posts: 9

    I would totally agree on this. I would also recomend adding in more healthy oils and maybe some ghee.
    I practice ayurveda which uses food and lifestyle as healing. I bet if you took a dosha quiz you would be Vata (air). If this is totally new just google ayurveda or dosha quiz. The reason I suggest this is if you know your constitution you can find food guides on what to eat and lifestyle recomendations.
    It sounds like you made many changes at once, all of them certainly good, but I think the weight loss might just be a knee-jerk reaction to all of it and it should level out. Great job so far!

    Thank you. I will google these right now.
  • babzog
    babzog Posts: 19
    Keep snacks (protein bars, granola bars, nuts, etc) at your desk and snack away.

    I'm actually jealous of you - having such an easy time losing weight, etc. LOL I'm the complete opposite - I merely LOOK at a carb and I put on at least 2x it's weight. But, I get where you're coming from. Heck, if I had your problem, I'd eat a large shawarma or Wendy's every day, snack on Doritos or crackers all night long.... Mmmmm..... but if _I_ did that, I'd be 10,000 lbs by the end of the year.

    Good luck!
  • Dlacenere
    Dlacenere Posts: 198 Member
    I agree with Lorena on simply increasing some of your portion sizes. I get sick of protein shakes so I mix my protein powder with a little water and some pure pumpkin as a treat or mix it with a little water and then add it to my coffee. Bars without a lot of added junk like quest bars are always an easy way too.

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