Eating more?!

Is it already adjusted to TDEE-20%?

If it is then you do not need to eat back your exercise calories because TDEE takes your activity level into account.

In my personal experience, and in the results I have seen in others, TDEE-20% has generally been more than what people start out eating. It has worked for me and I have seen it work for others. I am now at TDEE-10%

I've been having trouble making calorie goals lately also. I switched my milk to a higher fat version (whole), and I've been eating more peanut butter.

Great suggestions. Peanut butter is also a go-to of mine. I also like nuts, cheeses, and I cram as many veggies and fruits in as I can.

Overall, I think you are doing pretty well there! Some great choices and some solid protein counts. Well done!

Totally agree that TDEE-20 is the way to go (maybe even -10 for a bit, if you've been low calorie for awhile). But, don't worry if it takes you a week or 2 to get there. I'm easing up slowly myself right now.

Best suggestions would be to add some nuts in, particularly your AM snack. 18 almonds would be a great addition.

What about a home-made or natural protein bar in the PM?

Wouldn't hurt to either add a light carb at dinner, or up your carbs a bit during the day. Not drastically, but enough to balance out your macros (as you will need it with the increased calories).

Is it already adjusted to TDEE-20%?

If it is then you do not need to eat back your exercise calories because TDEE takes your activity level into account.

In my personal experience, and in the results I have seen in others, TDEE-20% has generally been more than what people start out eating. It has worked for me and I have seen it work for others. I am now at TDEE-10%

When I calculated my TDEE I put in light activity, so that is what is on MFP.

Well if you are working out 5-6 days a week at least 30 min at a time, I would say you are doing more than light activity. I would increase that to moderate.

Also, MFP makes things difficult when eating based off of TDEE. I don't even log my exercise calories because, one, I don't need to eat them back, and two, it screws up my macros. If you set your calories on MFP to your TDEE-20% and you log your exercise calories, you still don't need to eat them back. You don't need to net your TDEE-20%, your total intake just needs to be TDEE-20%.

I apologize if that was confusing.

EDIT: You could eat a big ole steak Quinoa is a great source of healthy carbs and proteins and it is very filling!

You really just have to add in more food everytime you eat a meal. Like for dinner, it says you ate Tilapia and Vegetables... which is healthy and great and all, but you really need to add a couple slices of toast with this, a starch of some sort. You have so many calories left over that I even suggest a cup of whole wheat pasta (for 175 calories) or some potatoes or rice in moderation. (3/4 c potatoes is 140 calories) I know potatoes have a bad reputation because of the whole glycemic index fad (which hasn't even been proven to be all that true) and if you follow the serving size they aren't all that bad for you; they also have a variety of vitamins and minerals in them. If you're really just not hungry for more at dinner-time an easy calorie booster is to pour a bit of olive oil over your vegetables. Olive oil is pretty high in calories but has healthy fats in it that your body needs in order to absorb other vitamins in the foods you eat throughout the day. I really agree with the peanut butter thing, too. Peanut Butter also has a bad reputation, primarily because it's high in calories and fat. But it's high in healthy fats mainly, and anything that has fats in it is going to be higher in calories. Aim for a tablespoon in the morning and a tablespoon at night on toast or a rice cake or even plain out of the jar! Haha. If you don't like peanuts, there's almond butter and sunflower seed butter etc. If you just don't like the texture of any nut butters, snack on some more nuts plain. Macadamia nuts are about 18 calories per nut (so I usually grab five for 100 calories), and walnuts are also a good option- high in omega-3s. Almonds are good, too, especially the Emerad Cocoa Roast kind. All different nuts have a variety of benefits. I'm not saying to eat cups and cups of nuts, since if you do, you'd obviously go over your calorie limit, but a handful is actually really good for you!

I'm looking at your lunch. My suggestion is to try to find a higher calorie veggie burger. I'm a vegetarian and I've found Light Life Veggie Patties for 170 calories per burger. (Yes, I too had to increase my calorie intake a lot recently also) Or if you really just love Boca Burgers, have two of them. From looking at your meal diary it looks like you're trying to cut out a lot of starches. You have plenty of calories left over, so why not try putting your burger on a whole wheat bun,or two slices of whole wheat bread? You need whole grains in your diet; they're included on the food pyramid for a reason.

To eat about 2200 calories per day, here's a quick guideline for you:
- 500 calorie breakfast
- 100 calorie morning snack
- 500 calorie lunch
- 200 calorie afternoon snack
- 600 calorie dinner
- 300 calorie late night snack

It looks like you've been eating meals less than 300 calories; that number definitely needs to be increased if you don't want to be under your recommended intake by 1000 calories every day!

Hope this helps! I know it's going to be hard eating bigger meals if you're used to eating smaller meals, but it'll feel natural when given time. I had to do the same thing, hence why I blabbed so much (sorry haha!) I totally relate :-)

Good luck!!