How to get enough calories?? sounds dumb but serious.

BrittanyMG3
BrittanyMG3 Posts: 163 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I swear i feel like i'm always eating smaller meals/snacks but when i track my calories i dont even come to HALF of what im supposed to be getting in. What foods have higher calories but are still healthy?

Im really careful not to eat crappy junk food it just seems like the food im eating is almost too healthy because it has so few calories (salads, raw veggies). I eat every 2 or 3 hours whether its a snack or a meal and eating more often than that just feel like im gorging.

I really need some help because ive always ate this way because i feel full and assumed (until using the calorie counter) i was either eating enough or MORE calories than i actually was.

ANY ideas?? or suggestions for food??



anddd..i just realized i should have posted this under food and nutrition...whoops lol



***** I Replied below and I also just made my food tracker journal public. I only started it yesterday so theres only one entry but i guess it may give an idea for some suggestions of where to add things it, thanks ***

Replies

  • nornyb
    nornyb Posts: 224 Member
    Grilled chicken breasts, egg whites, cottage cheese, apples with cheese or peanut butter (or bananas)....
  • BrittanyMG3
    BrittanyMG3 Posts: 163 Member
    Thanks for replying...i eat all those things (except cottage cheese, ive never liked it) I just dont know how often i should be eating or how big my meals should be to get enough calories. :ohwell:
  • sheepiegail
    sheepiegail Posts: 56 Member
    Last night I was almost 500 cals below my recommended 1500 so I had Greek yougert with a half cup blueberries. Put me on target for tdee minus 20% for weight loss. Very filling and protein plus fiber!
  • nornyb
    nornyb Posts: 224 Member
    Hmmmm......I guess it depends on how often you get hungry. I eat 3 meals with one or two smaller snacks, aim for 300-400 calories per meal but don't always get even coverage. My calories for the day are 1480 and I don't usually have any trouble getting there (I have a wicked sweet tooth so its not unusual for cookies to find their way into my plan). I'm not what many would consider "perfect" but it works for me. Feel free to check out my diary if you want to.
  • Naptownbabi
    Naptownbabi Posts: 256 Member
    nuts have a lot of calories, im eating almonds. 180 calories per serving(22 almonds). Avacados, maybe some veggie dip with all your salads and veggies.
  • Unknown
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  • majope
    majope Posts: 1,325 Member
    Thanks for replying...i eat all those things (except cottage cheese, ive never liked it) I just dont know how often i should be eating or how big my meals should be to get enough calories. :ohwell:
    If you open your diary, people will be able to give more specific advice. If we just guess and suggest things, we don't know if you're already eating them or not.
  • jcfromtb
    jcfromtb Posts: 15 Member
    Whatever you do, don't fill your leftover/extra calories with carbs. Try eating protein rich foods (chicken, wild salmon, greek yogurt). If you have to, buy a jug of lean whey protein and mix up a shake with 6-8oz of Almond milk. It gives you a shot of protein, boosts your metabolism, and adds in some healthy, lean calories. You could also buy some protein bars and break them into thirds or quarters to snack on throughout the day. If you use protein bars, be sure that the protein to carb ratio is at least 2:1... eating a "protein bar" with 24g of protein but 37g of carbs is counter-productive!

    You mention eating every 2-3 hours, is it possible to try eating something every 60-90 minutes? People are astonished at my weight loss because I am literally eating all day long. My trainer actually told me "Dude, you got this heavy by excessive eating. So nows your time to shine!".

    Check out my diary to see what I mean. I haven't gone vegan, and you may notice a cheeseburger on Sunday... but the way I see it, if I eat clean 95% of the time but want a cheeseburger or a slice of pizza for lunch or dinner once a week... Im going to eat it! No sense in demonizing food...
  • taunto
    taunto Posts: 6,420 Member
    Try to get some dense food. Like nut butter, a bit more fatty meats etc. Use butter etc

    This is something I used to keep at home. I would roughly chop Roasted almonds, pistachio, cashews, walnuts etc and fill up a jar. Then put some honey in that jar. Just enough to use the honey as a glue for the nuts. Thats 90 cals per tbsp right there and you can easily eat 1-2 tbsp. Yummy and nutritious!
  • ladyraven68
    ladyraven68 Posts: 2,003 Member
    I swear i feel like i'm always eating smaller meals/snacks but when i track my calories i dont even come to HALF of what im supposed to be getting in. What foods have higher calories but are still healthy?

    Im really careful not to eat crappy junk food it just seems like the food im eating is almost too healthy because it has so few calories (salads, raw veggies). I eat every 2 or 3 hours whether its a snack or a meal and eating more often than that just feel like im gorging.

    I really need some help because ive always ate this way because i feel full and assumed (until using the calorie counter) i was either eating enough or MORE calories than i actually was.

    ANY ideas?? or suggestions for food??



    anddd..i just realized i should have posted this under food and nutrition...whoops lol

    Plan your day better - instead of just eating as low calorie as you can and then finding out at the end of the day that you haven't hit your targets.
    Try logging your food the night/morning before , so that you can adjust your meals, add snacks etc to hit your goal.

    Avoid the low fat/diet versions of foods and eat the full fat versions, add some oil to your cooking, add cheese to your salad, drink milk/fruit juice.

    There are lot's of ways of eating more calories without eating more volume.

    Good luck.
  • TravisBikes
    TravisBikes Posts: 674 Member
    I like to mix it up with nuts and seeds. Raw almonds, cashews, pumpkin seeds (shelled), and sunflower seeds. I seem to prefer the raw taste over roasted, and plus not all that extra salt. They have made me go over quite a few times due to poor daily planning on my part.
  • Topsking2010
    Topsking2010 Posts: 2,245 Member
    Bump
  • stormsusmc
    stormsusmc Posts: 228 Member
    steak, nuts, raisins, avocados, brown rice, cheese, dark chocolate
  • sunsnstatheart
    sunsnstatheart Posts: 2,544 Member
    How about giving yourself a break and actually eating something you like then? Get some pizza, ice cream, a hamburger, heck maybe even a pop tart.
  • CoderGal
    CoderGal Posts: 6,800 Member
    Avocado, nuts, seeds. Adding things like steel cut oats or chia to yogurt etc.
  • BrittanyMG3
    BrittanyMG3 Posts: 163 Member
    Thank you for all the suggestions!! i will deffinetly will grab some of those foods today.

    I only started my account yesterday so ive only made one food entry. Its not that i worry about only eating food with lower calories, i just know that those things are better for you so thats what i grab for a snack. My account told me i should be taking in a little more than 1200 calories each day so i will try thinking about it as "I need ___ calories per meal" instead of just saying " plus this plus that" then hope i reach my goal....

    The sad thing is i dont have an eating disorder...i guess i just have no clue how to eat properly. My mom always told me eat salads and chicken and veggies but never told me about anything else.

    I appreciate the responses!!
  • LorinaLynn
    LorinaLynn Posts: 13,247 Member
    I swear i feel like i'm always eating smaller meals/snacks but when i track my calories i dont even come to HALF of what im supposed to be getting in. What foods have higher calories but are still healthy?

    First, don't just use your food diary to TRACK your meals. Use it to PLAN your meals. And include your exercise calories into your goal as you're planning, too, so you're not trying to make up a bunch at the end of the day.

    Plan your day, and see what you're missing. Did you get enough fruits and vegetables? How's your protein and fat intakes? Adjust accordingly. If you're lacking in the produce, have some more of that. If you're lacking in protein, have a slightly larger serving of whatever protein you're having (ie... no one is "too full" that an extra ounce of chicken will make them vomit) or consider protein bars or shakes. If you're low on fat, make sure you're not using lowfat or nonfat products, and/or add olive oil or butter or nibble on some cheese or slice up an avocado for your salad or just dip a spoon in a jar of peanut butter.
  • BrittanyMG3
    BrittanyMG3 Posts: 163 Member
    I swear i feel like i'm always eating smaller meals/snacks but when i track my calories i dont even come to HALF of what im supposed to be getting in. What foods have higher calories but are still healthy?

    First, don't just use your food diary to TRACK your meals. Use it to PLAN your meals. And include your exercise calories into your goal as you're planning, too, so you're not trying to make up a bunch at the end of the day.

    Plan your day, and see what you're missing. Did you get enough fruits and vegetables? How's your protein and fat intakes? Adjust accordingly. If you're lacking in the produce, have some more of that. If you're lacking in protein, have a slightly larger serving of whatever protein you're having (ie... no one is "too full" that an extra ounce of chicken will make them vomit) or consider protein bars or shakes. If you're low on fat, make sure you're not using lowfat or nonfat products, and/or add olive oil or butter or nibble on some cheese or slice up an avocado for your salad or just dip a spoon in a jar of peanut butter.


    Thanks sadly i never thought of planning out meals with it, i will give that a try too. I will also pick up some protein shakes to try to fill in..ive ate this way for as long as i remember not realizing what i was doing and until yesterday i would have never considered that i needed to eat more to lose weight..Its probably the reason ive struggled for so long to lose weight and havent been able to...i feel like an idiot.
  • shewearsfunnyhat
    shewearsfunnyhat Posts: 24 Member
    I will drink a large glass of milk before bed if I still need calories. It also gives me protein.
  • 3dogsrunning
    3dogsrunning Posts: 27,167 Member
    Your day of logging shows 2 low fat yogurts - switch them for regular yogurt.
    You also have a salad with fat free dressing - also can be switched out or use olive oil and vinegar, whatever.

    Get out of the mindset of eating "diet food" and into eatin food.

    As others have suggested nuts and nut butters, avocado, eggs. Even cheese. You can choose different cuts of meat as well, salmon instead of white fish.
  • misssiri
    misssiri Posts: 335 Member
    Your day of logging shows 2 low fat yogurts - switch them for regular yogurt.
    You also have a salad with fat free dressing - also can be switched out or use olive oil and vinegar, whatever.

    Get out of the mindset of eating "diet food" and into eatin food.

    As others have suggested nuts and nut butters, avocado, eggs. Even cheese. You can choose different cuts of meat as well, salmon instead of white fish.

    This right here. Quit eating fat free crap. And eat whole eggs, not just the whites. Peanut butter, cheese, full fat dairy, nuts, avocado, greek yogurt, real ranch dressing or olive oil based dressing, dark chocolate.
  • OMGItsErinPratt
    OMGItsErinPratt Posts: 48 Member
    I'm in the same boat as you!

    I recently began my weight loss journey on Feb. 21, 2013 and in the first 3 weeks, I lost 15lbs. Then it just stopped. Losing weight became harder for me for some reason. Like, NOW I'm actually losing fat instead of water/salt. So I joined MFP.

    It gave me 1400 calorie a day limit. So the past 3 days I've been tracking my food and I have yet to make it over 1000. I am just not hungry... so why would I need to eat 400 more calories just to meet my limit. I don't understand. :/ And then under my food diary, it says that I'm putting my body in "starvation mode" but I'm not starved! I'm not even hungry. So I feel your pain and hopefully both of us can get some answers. :)
  • BrittanyMG3
    BrittanyMG3 Posts: 163 Member
    I'm in the same boat as you!

    I recently began my weight loss journey on Feb. 21, 2013 and in the first 3 weeks, I lost 15lbs. Then it just stopped. Losing weight became harder for me for some reason. Like, NOW I'm actually losing fat instead of water/salt. So I joined MFP.

    It gave me 1400 calorie a day limit. So the past 3 days I've been tracking my food and I have yet to make it over 1000. I am just not hungry... so why would I need to eat 400 more calories just to meet my limit. I don't understand. :/ And then under my food diary, it says that I'm putting my body in "starvation mode" but I'm not starved! I'm not even hungry. So I feel your pain and hopefully both of us can get some answers. :)

    I'm glad someone understands and congrats on your weight loss!! I would be lucky just to lose 5lbs in the first 3 weeks! lol

    What helped me was preplanning my meals with the calorie tracker on here and doing some math. Dividing my calories by 5 (3 meals 2 snacks) but changed it a little and did a few more calories during a meal and a little less during a snack.

    I know i have some water weight that i'm going to drop first but in the last 2 days ive already lost 1lb before i joined this site I weighed myself a week ago and so far i've lost 3lbs and i'm eating more than i was before. my calorie tracker added another 280 something calories it said i needed to eat after I worked out (?) I thought that the point of working out was burning calories, not adding them back on again so im not 100% sure why its doing that but even with my fat free foods I was only origionally 28 calories short of my daily goal so i figured that doesnt matter as much to switch back to regular instead since its working.

    Good luck with your weight loss, feel free to add me as a friend if you would like. :) maybe looking at the suggestions above as well as looking at other peoples food diaries might help you get a better idea of what you should try to eat, thats what I did.

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