How to eat more? I know, sounds weird.

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redraidergirl2009
redraidergirl2009 Posts: 2,560 Member
in Food and Nutrition
I just decided to try eating TDEE - 20% which for me is 1916 calories, I usually eat between 1100 and 1500. Today is my first day and I've managed 1700. I don't really have an issue with dinner, but making breakfast and lunch bigger is a challenge. I would prefer my cals be healthy sources. Any tips or should I go up slowly? I decided to try TDEE since I think I killed my metabolism eating so few cals and working out so much I was not losing for months.

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  • lieselLalor
    lieselLalor Posts: 169 Member
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    I would do smoothies with protein powder. The ones I make are around 300 calories.

    1cup frozen fruit
    half cup plain greek yogurt
    milk/water
    scoop of protein power

    Delish

    Also nuts-I like raw almonds, protein, healthy fat, and high in calories
  • smichelle65
    smichelle65 Posts: 45 Member
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    Two good breakfast sandwiches:

    1. Peanut butter & banana (or sliced apple) on whole wheat toast

    2. Tomato, avocado, & thin sliced provolone on whole wheat toast
  • tatd_820
    tatd_820 Posts: 573 Member
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    Go up slowly. Maybe add a few smaller snacks during the day to help rack up the cals. I'm at TDEE -20% at 1884 and it is tough some days to get them in when eating healthy.
  • gonnamakeanewaccount
    gonnamakeanewaccount Posts: 642 Member
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    Try incorporating more healthy fats into your diet such as avocado, nuts, and olive oil.
  • emcclore
    emcclore Posts: 38
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    bump
  • FlaxMilk
    FlaxMilk Posts: 3,452 Member
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    Have dinner foods for breakfast: pasta with sauce and protein, stirfries with rice, etc.
  • redraidergirl2009
    redraidergirl2009 Posts: 2,560 Member
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    Two good breakfast sandwiches:

    1. Peanut butter & banana (or sliced apple) on whole wheat toast

    2. Tomato, avocado, & thin sliced provolone on whole wheat toast

    The Avocado one sounds really good!
  • AmyRhubarb
    AmyRhubarb Posts: 6,890 Member
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    Add walnuts, greek yogurt & fresh fruit to oatmeal.

    Dip apples, bananas, or dark chocolate in a tablespoon of peanut butter.

    Avocado on almost anything. :tongue: Coconut & olive oils in cooking and salad dressings.
  • rschreiber
    rschreiber Posts: 23 Member
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    I'm in the exact same boat. Been trying to eat TDEE -20% this week and went over yesterday and was under 500+ today. Oh well. I'll figure it out. I can say though that I just needed a break from it all and was less careful this week, plus the increased calorie goal, and I lost 1.5 lbs. After plateauing for 3 weeks.
  • smichelle65
    smichelle65 Posts: 45 Member
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    Two good breakfast sandwiches:

    1. Peanut butter & banana (or sliced apple) on whole wheat toast

    2. Tomato, avocado, & thin sliced provolone on whole wheat toast

    The Avocado one sounds really good!

    It is quite yummy--and satisfying!
  • Shadowknight137
    Shadowknight137 Posts: 1,243 Member
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    Chocolate.
  • matt2442
    matt2442 Posts: 1,259 Member
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    my advice is to open your mouth

    place food inside

    chew

    swallow

    goodnight :flowerforyou:
  • mrsartis1
    mrsartis1 Posts: 42 Member
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    I make KALE, spinach, carrots, almond milk, peanut butter, frozen fruits for my breakfast and it is around 300-400 calories.
  • Warchortle
    Warchortle Posts: 2,197 Member
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    /sigh people don't know how to reverse diet and how metabolisms actually work... If you're recovering from work outs, feeling full, and are fine with the results you don't NEED to bump up your calories. People go around following each other like lemmings going "YUP YUP YUP YUP, NOPE NOPE NOPE NOPE." Listen to your body and go from there.
  • hailzp
    hailzp Posts: 903 Member
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    Nuts are great, I have chopped walnuts, brazil nuts, almonds and prunes on wholegrain oats with chia seeds in the morning. Comes to around 400 cals with a piece of fruit. A snack of almonds in the afternoon with a banana will add about 250ish, peanut butter on toast or crackers. avocados, add an extra 50grams of meat or carbs to your dinner, have some dark chocolate, full fat yoghurt and berries. Full fat cheese and apple. Peanut butter on celery. More chocolate! Make some healthy bran cakes or muffins (google for recipes). Make some energy balls using nuts and seeds, honey, nut butter, cocoa etc. I love roasted salt and vinegar chick peas for a snack. Great alternative to chips/crisps and have a good number of calories in them. Dates dipped in tahini, carrots and cream cheese,
  • redraidergirl2009
    redraidergirl2009 Posts: 2,560 Member
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    /sigh people don't know how to reverse diet and how metabolisms actually work... If you're recovering from work outs, feeling full, and are fine with the results you don't NEED to bump up your calories. People go around following each other like lemmings going "YUP YUP YUP YUP, NOPE NOPE NOPE NOPE." Listen to your body and go from there.

    I tried that for the better part of a year and maintained at 155 so I guess that will work once I get to a weight I am comfortable and healthy at. I would just like to be within a healthy range for my height which is something like 115-140.
  • redraidergirl2009
    redraidergirl2009 Posts: 2,560 Member
    Options
    Nuts are great, I have chopped walnuts, brazil nuts, almonds and prunes on wholegrain oats with chia seeds in the morning. Comes to around 400 cals with a piece of fruit. A snack of almonds in the afternoon with a banana will add about 250ish, peanut butter on toast or crackers. avocados, add an extra 50grams of meat or carbs to your dinner, have some dark chocolate, full fat yoghurt and berries. Full fat cheese and apple. Peanut butter on celery. More chocolate! Make some healthy bran cakes or muffins (google for recipes). Make some energy balls using nuts and seeds, honey, nut butter, cocoa etc. I love roasted salt and vinegar chick peas for a snack. Great alternative to chips/crisps and have a good number of calories in them. Dates dipped in tahini, carrots and cream cheese,

    Thanks for the ideas! I totally forgot about nuts and chickpeas. We actually have a big bag of almonds. I could roast those. I already eat greek yogurt but I used to eat it for breakfast, it was my whole breakfast actually so maybe I could pair it with some nuts and a piece of fruit. Just try and make small changes at first to what I am already eating.
  • Warchortle
    Warchortle Posts: 2,197 Member
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    /sigh people don't know how to reverse diet and how metabolisms actually work... If you're recovering from work outs, feeling full, and are fine with the results you don't NEED to bump up your calories. People go around following each other like lemmings going "YUP YUP YUP YUP, NOPE NOPE NOPE NOPE." Listen to your body and go from there.

    I tried that for the better part of a year and maintained at 155 so I guess that will work once I get to a weight I am comfortable and healthy at. I would just like to be within a healthy range for my height which is something like 115-140.
    When you reverse diet normally you keep your protein diet the same since you're already eating .8-1 g of protein per lb of lbm. Adding carbs slowly over weeks is how you add back calories... like 20g of carbs a week at a time.
  • Lyadeia
    Lyadeia Posts: 4,603 Member
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    If you only need about 200 or more calories, just add some fruit, or maybe some peanut butter...or some mixed nuts. Small amounts of those add up to big calories. I get fairly large apples from the store that average 150-250 grams which is between 100-200 calories right there.

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