Help I have trouble eating under 2000 cals a day!

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  • Alatariel75
    Alatariel75 Posts: 17,959 Member
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    So by normal, you want to be able to eat junk and lose weight. Not going to happen. You're not the people you're watching eat crap, and if you were, you wouldn't be on here needing to lose weight. If you want to lose,you have to change the way you eat. Not necessarily LESS in volume, but better choices.

    900 cal for breakfast is nuts.

    BUT... maybe you should look into low carbing instead of low cal. Atkins may interest you, you'd have to ditch the carbs but you can eat as much as you want of meats, cheeses etc.
  • dgljones
    dgljones Posts: 89
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    You are setting yourself up to fail. Anything out of exactly what you want to eat is 'not eating like a normal person', so you will just go back to 'normal' and tell yourself you tried.
    If you want to lose weight you have to be willing to make some kind of compromise from eating the way that made you fat.
  • Warchortle
    Warchortle Posts: 2,197 Member
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    I like when people assume that they're different. I see all these people eat X and when I eat X I get fat and they don't. Yea, but for example what if that's there only primary meal for the day. I had a 1000 breakfast today and still hit my goals just fine. You need to learn to separate mental hunger over real physical hunger if you can. The best way is to cut simple carbs / sugars and make sure you hit your fiber and daily water consumption.

    Frank Yang and Michael Phelps eat 5,000-10,000 calories because they expend that much energy. The average person doesn't. The real answer is. If you can't find anything that works food wise to get you a caloric deficit you have to burn it off through exercise.
  • Sunny____
    Sunny____ Posts: 214
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    When you cut out processed foods, your food cravings and hunger pangs go away. Eat clean to cleanse of processed foods and sugars. It usually takes around three days to detox from this. A way to tell if you're truly hungry is to ask yourself if lettuce sounds good. If it does, then you are hungry. If it doesn't then it is a craving.

    Again, it takes time to get used to. Begin by cutting a little a day and really focusing on change. Slowly, you just change. After my fruit and veggie cleanse. I am lucky to get 1,000 calories. Last year I ALWAYS ate over 2,000 calories. My stomach growled if I didn't. Now I eat under goal, but I listen to my body. If it isn't hungry, I am not feeding it more, no matter what MFP says I should do.
  • nornyb
    nornyb Posts: 224 Member
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    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!

    how easy it is to have a 900 cal breakfast.

    2 small flour tortilla shells 100 cals each, 90% lean beef @ 400, 1 oz cheese 110, 1/4 cup beans 60 cals, medium potato 150... yea because a linebacker eats just enough meat to fill the small tortilla shells, 1 0z of cheese between two tacos and a quarter of a cup of beans and 1 potato ::eyeroll::

    Anyway I watch all the people at work eat garbage everyday this typical day for one of my coworkers is taco bell or fries and a dbl cheeseburger... another one she had a bag of marshmellos eating them like candy and a big bag of bbq potato chips and sour cream to dip them in and a bag of twizzlers.... i jut watch these people and im like wtf am I in bizarro world they all eat normal meaning just whatever nothing extra special or even healthy and are skinny to average body type.... i know i have to lose the weight in order to be able to eat "normal" but it would be nice to be able to eat what is considered a "normal or whats considered average amount of daily cals which is 2000 and lose" probably wont happen.. if anyone has done it let me know!
    My point is that your definition of normal seems to be messing you up. "Normal" can be very subjective. Are the "normal" people at work individuals you would consider healthy and fit? If so, ask them how they are maintaining their health while eating like that. If not, find a couple of people who you would consider healthy and fit and make them your new "normal". And no, I don't know what linebackers eat for breakfast, but the point is that 900 calories for breakfast is a LOT of food. The meal you described is a LOT of food. In order to achieve the changes you desire you have to change how you are doing things.
  • Sunny____
    Sunny____ Posts: 214
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    I haven't looked at your diary and it sounds like you would benefit from more nutrient dense food,
    Yes, You need more nutrient dense foods.
  • slrose
    slrose Posts: 164 Member
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    well...to lose weight you have to eat stuff thats not junk

    try
    eggs over easy in the morning with peice of toast an oatmeal
    WHOLE fruit ,veggies and hummus, yogurt, or nuts for snacks
    soup, salad and half a sandwhich for lunch
    lean meat, baked potato and veggies for dinner
    frozen yogurt or air popped popcorn at night

    seriously try it, you should be alot fuller,be getting more nutrients and feel alot better
  • IWantToo
    IWantToo Posts: 162
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    I like when people assume that they're different. I see all these people eat X and when I eat X I get fat and they don't. Yea, but for example what if that's there only primary meal for the day. I had a 1000 breakfast today and still hit my goals just fine. You need to learn to separate mental hunger over real physical hunger if you can. The best way is to cut simple carbs / sugars and make sure you hit your fiber and daily water consumption.

    Frank Yang and Michael Phelps eat 5,000-10,000 calories because they expend that much energy. The average person doesn't. The real answer is. If you can't find anything that works food wise to get you a caloric deficit you have to burn it off through exercise.
    That wasnt the point of the post. The point of the post was, I could never eat like that. even if i consumed what they consumed just on their lunch break if that was my meal for the whole day I would not lose, i would likely maintain and I would have to be way under the average daily intake of 2,000 even with exercising everyday and having a physical job.. im just saying that sucks for me!

    FYI at nearly 300 pounds with a physical job and exercising I am always in a deficit.... yet i lose no weight eating 2000 cals, which means i cant eat 2000 cals. SImple as that it sucks and NO. I DONT EAT CALORIES BACK IF I CANT LOSE AT A DEFICIT HOW CAN I LOSE AT A SURPLUS SMH..
  • mockchoc
    mockchoc Posts: 6,573 Member
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    You very well might be able to eat 2000 a day and lose weight! Lucky you. I had a look at this calorie calculator for you and since I don't have all your stats I guessed a couple of them but I do know you are 260lbs and 31 yrs old if your profile is right. It asked your height and I put in 5'5 as a guess and your activity level I put in the lowest of them as little or no exercise (desk job) and it says your TDEE would be 2329. So if you ate 2000 you'd have a deficit of 329 a day! Good news?

    Here is the calculator so you can work it out properly for youself and please let us know what it come out to for you.

    http://www.fitnessfrog.com/calculators/tdee-calculator.html
  • danielleburwell97060
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    MFP gives me an allowance of 2500 cals a day to lose half a pound a week. If you have a lot to lose you should change your settings to that pronto. I tried having it at 2lbs loss and it failed for me because on days where I didn't work out I felt too restricted (1700 I think was my allowance). When you have a lot to lose, it will come off faster anyways.

    Second, I don't work out because I enjoy it. I work out because I like to eat and I earn what I want to eat. Find some stuff you can do to earn back some cals.

    Third, don't stress so much day to day. Look at the bigger picture of the week. I've gone over a tiny bit 3 out of 4 days this week but I will be damned if I don't end up under for the week on a whole.

    Oh and people who sit at their desks and eat marshmallows like candy and all that other junk you mentioned, please don't define that as eating like a normal person. It is not normal to eat marshmallows like candy and it won't get you anywhere that could be considered healthy. Please understand that just because a person is skinny or "normal" looking in appearance doesn't make them healthy!
  • Sunny____
    Sunny____ Posts: 214
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    Another thing I thought of would be, if you're going to eat a taco for example to change the ingredients which you can for the lower fat version. Also ditch the cheese on such things as cheese and sandwiches, because you can't taste it on there so it is a wasted calorie. Sometimes cheese counts and you can taste it, but on a taco, you won't miss it. A co worker learned that trick from weight watchers. She's right. If you eat sr cream, eat the lower fat version, etc. If you eat omelets only use one large egg and then egg whites (saves tons of fat). When i want cheese in my scrambled eggs, instead of cheddar, I use low fat cottage cheese, tastes the same if not better. Small changes can make a big difference. If you go to Tosca Reno's clean eating website called the kitchen table you will learn tons of recipes on clean eating and food switching such as I mentioned above.
  • rbrtsmth
    rbrtsmth Posts: 1
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    Always keep your diet healthy, manage the time of your meals, if you have your meals on time that would help your metabolism. Include a lot of vegetables in your diet, they are high in fiber content and low in calories, that is just what your body needs. Skipping meals is not a healthy option for a diet, skipping meals don’t help you lose weight, they weaken you, make you dizzy, and increases stress on you. Stress is never good for your, especially at the time of dieting, it makes it more difficult to stay on one. Most of the times in stress we wound up eating junk food, munching on snacks and that make a lot of difference. Snacking should not be there, only proper meals on proper time.
    Stock your house with fruits and vegetables, whenever you feel hungry other than your meal timings rather than resorting to snacks, eat a fruit, or a light salad. You should go according to your appetite; keeping yourself hungry won’t solve anything. This is where fast diet pills come to use, they lower your appetite and boost your metabolism. You gain all the nutrients required from the food, and don’t feel hungry very often.
  • glovepuppet
    glovepuppet Posts: 1,710 Member
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    2 soft tacos and a baked potato... for breakfast?
    i might manage 2 soft tacos OR a baked potato for dinner.
    this isn't an especially constructive post, i know.
    but maybe you need to adjust your definition of 'normal'?
  • IWantToo
    IWantToo Posts: 162
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    2 soft tacos and a baked potato... for breakfast?
    i might manage 2 soft tacos OR a baked potato for dinner.
    this isn't an especially constructive post, i know.
    but maybe you need to adjust your definition of 'normal'?

    ALL POST ARE WELCOME!

    Lmao @ two tacos OR a baked potato i couldnt possibly manage both and either would be far too large for breakfast maybe for dinner...

    lmaooooooooo sorry it made me LOL especially when most people have eggs, "toast, pancakes or waffles" a slice or two of bacon or sausage maybe both and lets not forget the condiments butter and syrup etc... breakfast is a big and fatty meal for a lot of people.... thats not an abnormal meal if you google breakfast you will likely get the above... so one baked potato for dinner is a large meal for you?
  • LisaLamb1
    LisaLamb1 Posts: 149 Member
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    If I may make a suggestion, Try for one week to not "diet", but, write down everything you eat (amounts/size/servings, etc.), input them into MFP when you can. Take a good look at what you are ACTUALLY eating - Look at the macros and see where issues may be (too much sugar, not enough fiber, etc.)Then from there, commit to making 1 change at a time (like this week, I will cut my sugar intake by eliminating soda, or I will eat more fiber by having at least x number of fruits and vegetables today) I think you will be amazed by the difference that will make. I am 238 lbs currently and I eat anywhere from 1400 - 2000, my diary is open. I feel like I do eat like a "normal person" and I don't feel like I am missing out on anything.
  • kms1320
    kms1320 Posts: 599 Member
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    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!

    how easy it is to have a 900 cal breakfast.

    2 small flour tortilla shells 100 cals each, 90% lean beef @ 400, 1 oz cheese 110, 1/4 cup beans 60 cals, medium potato 150... yea because a linebacker eats just enough meat to fill the small tortilla shells, 1 0z of cheese between two tacos and a quarter of a cup of beans and 1 potato ::eyeroll::

    Anyway I watch all the people at work eat garbage everyday this typical day for one of my coworkers is taco bell or fries and a dbl cheeseburger... another one she had a bag of marshmellos eating them like candy and a big bag of bbq potato chips and sour cream to dip them in and a bag of twizzlers.... i jut watch these people and im like wtf am I in bizarro world they all eat normal meaning just whatever nothing extra special or even healthy and are skinny to average body type.... i know i have to lose the weight in order to be able to eat "normal" but it would be nice to be able to eat what is considered a "normal or whats considered average amount of daily cals which is 2000 and lose" probably wont happen.. if anyone has done it let me know!

    I've been just over, at, and now just under 2000 for my entire journey so far. You need to get better at reading labels and making better substitutions. I use 96/4 lean beef. 130 cal for a quarter pound. The bread I use is 35 calories a slice. Kraft lowfat 2% cheese slices.. 25 calories a slice. Heinz low sugar ketchup, 10 calories for 2 tablespoons. Slice of tomato, piece of lettuce, no sugar added pickles.. My quarter pound cheesburger comes out to around 240 calories. I eat 2 of them and I'm still not at 500 calories.

    here's an example of my breakfast..
    2 large eggs, 1 full cup of egg whites, pepper, pico de gallo, 2 tbsp low sugar ketchup, 1 slice of 35 calorie bread toast, 1 tbsp of smuckers sugar free jam (10 calories), and a Low carb Monster (20).. my total for a giant bowl of scrambled eggs and jelly toast - 335 calories

    I have that for breakfast, a peanut butter and jelly for a snack (35/ea for the bread, 10 for the jam, 95 for the PB) for 175

    the 2 burgers for lunch with water

    Another pbj and a protein shake for the afternoon

    12oz chicken (360), 2 cups broccoli (60), 2 tbsp low sugar bbq sauce (45) for dinner

    Post workout snack of a protein shake (150) and jelly toast (45)


    The total for that day is a whopping 1975 calories! On top of that, drink 1-2 gallons of water a day. Do you think you can eat all of that and say you are starving throughout the day?
  • nornyb
    nornyb Posts: 224 Member
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    2 soft tacos and a baked potato... for breakfast?
    i might manage 2 soft tacos OR a baked potato for dinner.
    this isn't an especially constructive post, i know.
    but maybe you need to adjust your definition of 'normal'?

    ALL POST ARE WELCOME!

    Lmao @ two tacos OR a baked potato i couldnt possibly manage both and either would be far too large for breakfast maybe for dinner...

    lmaooooooooo sorry it made me LOL especially when most people have eggs, "toast, pancakes or waffles" a slice or two of bacon or sausage maybe both and lets not forget the condiments butter and syrup etc... breakfast is a big and fatty meal for a lot of people.... thats not an abnormal meal if you google breakfast you will likely get the above... so one baked potato for dinner is a large meal for you?

    You say all posts are welcome yet you mock them.....most people who eat 900 calories for breakfast are fat.
  • BridgeKiki
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    I eat just like you wrote it. After 3-months eating healthy a salad is wonderful! Never wanted salad before, fruit, or vegetables. I add a lot of vegetables into my smoothies and they taste yummy to me. Before I started eating healthy I didn't eat green veg's at all. Love it now.

    Don't give up, just try a smoothie with veg's, fruit, and scoop of protein.

    Hmmm, hmmm good!
  • Jessel0001
    Jessel0001 Posts: 24 Member
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    I'm sorry, 900 calories for a meal is crazy. I only eat like on my once a week pizza night after burning at least 900 calories in the gym. I eat on average 2300 calories a day (trying to add some muscle) and I don't even over 700 calories for breakfast. When I'm cutting I eat around 1800 calories a day averaging 300 to 350 calories a meal. Carbs in morning are okay, but try to lower them through the day to have a higher fat and protein dinner. For breakfast I have a cup of fiber one cereal and a cup of skim milk with a banana and for dinner I usually have a large salad, with 2 tablespoons of balsamic viniagrette dressing and 4 oz of chicken breast and a serving of un-roasted un-salted almonds.
  • Alatariel75
    Alatariel75 Posts: 17,959 Member
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    2 soft tacos and a baked potato... for breakfast?
    i might manage 2 soft tacos OR a baked potato for dinner.
    this isn't an especially constructive post, i know.
    but maybe you need to adjust your definition of 'normal'?

    ALL POST ARE WELCOME!

    Lmao @ two tacos OR a baked potato i couldnt possibly manage both and either would be far too large for breakfast maybe for dinner...

    lmaooooooooo sorry it made me LOL especially when most people have eggs, "toast, pancakes or waffles" a slice or two of bacon or sausage maybe both and lets not forget the condiments butter and syrup etc... breakfast is a big and fatty meal for a lot of people.... thats not an abnormal meal if you google breakfast you will likely get the above... so one baked potato for dinner is a large meal for you?

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

    Funny about this - the OP has not responded to one single constructive post, but has only responded to scoff at people.