Having trouble eating enough calories...

I have that problem too. I eat a lot of fruit and vegetable, and it's quite filling! I don't force myself to eat because the feeling of being overly full is really uncomfortable. I think with time you will probably learn to adjust and be able to take more in. IDK my son.

Replace some of those cheese sticks and low fat yogurts with some peanut butter, avocados, various nuts, olive oil dressing on salad maybe - for starters.i can't imagine how 900 calories in an entire day (especially with the majority being from cheese sticks and 4 oz yogurts) are filling you up. I don't mean to sound rude or assume anything, but are you entirely sure it isn't partly psychological? Maybe it isn't, but 900 calories makes ME cranky.

Okay...so you can only eat cheese sticks at work? I mean, if you like them, that's cool and all, but if you're asking for suggestions on how to get more calories in your diet, I still stand by my suggestions. Many of the things I mentioned are just as easy to transport and store as cheese sticks are and the only reason I am even suggesting replacing some of them with other things is because they are so low in calories. You can bring peanut butter sandwiches to work - two tablespoons of peanut butter is almost 200 calories and won't make you feel stuffed. You don't even need to use bread, you can use a variety of different types of puffed cakes. (multi-grain, corn, rice, spelt, etc.)

I don't eat the junk like you mentioned either, so for some people it may be weird that I have low calories but actually eat a good amount of food...

However if you add some things that the others have mentioned, especially nuts, nut butters, avocados, & olive oil, you can get your cals up there. Plus those are all really good things to consume & you can totally have them every day as part of a healthy diet.

If you're not vegan: eat cheese. I would eat SO much more cheese than I do now if my fat content allowed for it. Cheese is amazing. I'd eat a pound of cheese a day if I could, but usually limit myself to maybe 3oz. It's my only vice that I limit really.

One thing I've learned is that my appetite is not an accurate measure of how much food I need. Relying on it was what got me fat in the first place. I was obviously eating more than I needed. It actually works both ways. Just as it's possible to feel hungry when you don't need food, you can NOT feel hungry when you do need food.

What has worked for me is to just have regular meals. None of that "listening to your body" stuff. If it's a mealtime, I'll eat. Generally (not always), if it's not a mealtime and I feel hungry, I won't eat. It might help to plan out your meals, so you know you're going to have all your calories covered by the end of the day. I know this completely goes against most advice about eating, but in my opinion, I'm dealing with a body where the hormones that control hunger and satiety don't seem to be working properly. It seems to work for me.

if its that much of a struggle have 1 or 2 protein shakes per day. Liquid calories are not filling!

1 protein shake with 2 scoops of powder and milk works out at around 300 calories. easssy peassy.

Go for high density foods rather than low density foods.. For instance If your having chicken and salad for lunch, opt for less salad, and instead add a few tablespoons of good fat, avocado, and some almonds to the meal. That meal you can turn into 700 calories easy!

I have the opposite problem. i struggle to stay under 2000 ! I'm trying to gross 1850 calories but often go over. I find after dinner I have to turn to things like jelly to fill me because i am still hungry. This is a good sign my metabolism is firing

oh another easy snack. Add some cheese to your chicken and salad. easy to make 2000 a day.

edited to say. there is something wrong if you are not hungry and have only eaten 900 calories for the day. Dont starve your body to lose the fat, think if this as fueling your body for performance and improvement. i highly recommend downloading tim venutos book "burn the fat feed the muscle"

Can I have your left over calories? :-)
I need a few more, I am finding it hard to limit myself to 1400

Yeah, cutting processed foods doesn't have to mean cutting meats. Anything you prepare at home can be healthier than procesed and fast foods. My favorites are super easy... I love whole grain tortillas (look for one around 100 calories, high in fiber & protein), and in it I put ground beef with cheese, ground turkey, or plain chicken breast. Like tacos??? And some taco sauce. Like hamburgers? Add ketchup & mustard. With ground turkey I like garlic & mozzerella. With chicken I like hot sauce or bbq sauce. My wraps ususally get between 300-400 calories each. And I cook enough chicken for 2-3 days (usually 5 chicken breasts in crockpot, 1/2 cup water, 6hrs on low), and usually a 2 meals worth of beef or turkey (just on skillet). These are really the staple of my diet. Sometimes I switch it up and put on whole grain noodles, or whole wheat bun. Thats usually lunch and dinner. Add some fruit, eggs, veggies, yogurt in to that and I can get my day to around 1500 (where my diet is). You need more...and an extra bowl of cereal in or make two sandwiches. My point is, don't be scared of food...just work on making it at home and from ingredients and less of a box meal or can.

I always recommend following hunger signals, but let's be real. You are no where near getting enough nutrients for your frame, and of you continue this caloric restriction it will probably backfire.

You can absolutely eat 2500 calories from whole natural foods. Throw in the almond butter, sunflower seeds, coconut oil, eggs, and full fat dairy. Little things will absolutely add up, and you don't need to be unpleasantly full.

You're a foot taller and about 2.6 times my weight. My breakfast and a snack alone are 900 calories.

Point of the story? Ignore your clearly defunct hunger signals and eat like a man :laugh:

So I changed my diet away from processed crap, fast food and soda and now it is very hard for me to reach the calories needed. Yesterday after exercise I was supposed to eat almost 2550 calories (6'0" 250 lbs, 1.5 lbs a week loss). I ended up at a mere 900

I'm about half a foot shorter than you and half your weight and could easily put down 2550 and more in one sitting. I know. I do sometimes,it's nice.

Eat more calorically dense foods and eat foods you enjoy. You're in no way helping yourself by undereating.

Peanut butter sammich and a glass of milk.

Seriously, your calorie intake affects your hormonal balances. There are hormones that regulate your hunger signals. Do some research on "leptin" and "ghrelin". These tell your body when you are hungry, eat something, and when you are full, stop eating. When you eat a very low calorie diet, you actually suppress the hormone that says you are hungry. You also create too much cortisol which is a stress hormone. Chronic excess cortisol can cause many major health issues.

So, not feeling hungry or feeling hungry is not always a very good indicator of whether or not you should eat more. Get the proper amount of calories. Otherwise you are just messing up your body and while you may lose weight now, this will come with further difficulties down the road.

Many people will say they don't care about the future difficulties, they just want the weight loss now, regardless of any possible future consequences. But do yourself a favor and do it the healthy way.