My theory on why people fall under their calories
Replies
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Honestly it may be they just don't eat a lot. I get full VERY fast. And I tend to eat really caloric filling veggies. If I don't work out on a day I have to force myself to get to 1200-1400. I've never been a big eater (I'm just skinny fat)
Or I think it's that mindset of ZOMG must not eat to lose weight.0 -
And if you've already eaten peanut butter twice that day and 5 times that week, maybe you don't want to eat it AGAIN just to eat more calories. Sometimes, it is difficult finding variety in what to eat to get a few hundred more calories.Sorry, I just think this is stupid. I'll never understand it. One serving of peanut butter is 200 calories. A serving is pretty small. It doesn't take long to add up. Combine that with a banana, my favorite snack, and that around 300 calories. PB&J is around 450 calories or more. I mean, those are just a couple quick examples. An avocado has over 300 calories. It is so damn easy. I just think this is stupid. Really, really, really idiotic. " oh help me. I'm on a calorie site and over weight, but I can't eat 1200 calories ". Shut up.0 -
I try to eat as clean as possible... and buy very little commercial foods if it can be avoided. I don't buy chips, cookies, etc. I don't eat out fast food or restaurants. Not because I think I "can't" but because I want to give my body good wholesome foods instead of empty calories.
That being said, most days I do find it challenging to hit my goal despite the fact that I'm ALWAYS eating. Occasionally I'll add a glass of Red Wine in with dinner to use up an extra 120 calories, though I try to only have it a few times a week.0 -
I find it very easy to rack up a calorie overage on vegetables alone. Sure, a serving of broccoli has 30 calories, but after you have four or five servings in a day that is 120 cals. Then add the drizzle of olive oil and its gonna be around 200. People who can't meet their calorie goal just arent trying. Especially if there is a chicken breast involved. Also, I think people have at that point gotten almost afraid to eat any thing with higher calories. They have been eating so much garbage for so long, they may worry that a high calorie item is a bad idea. I think it takes time to get comfortable in a new dietary plan.
I disagree with this post. I have fallen under my calorie goal on a number of occasions because I just didn' t want any more food. And I'm not going to force myself to put oil on my veggies if I don't want any that day or eat some peanut butter just to meet my calorie goal if I don't want the peanut butter. Some people may not be trying and some people may not know what to do. But some of us eat what satisfies us or eat what we want at the time and stop. If I fall under my calorie goal for the day, then so be it.0 -
I tend to think of metabolism being like a furnace. The key is to keep calories just high enough to get the maximum fat loss, but not to low that fuel will not wan't to be burned. It takes energy to burn energy lol, seems ironic but it;s true.0
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And if you've already eaten peanut butter twice that day and 5 times that week, maybe you don't want to eat it AGAIN just to eat more calories. Sometimes, it is difficult finding variety in what to eat to get a few hundred more calories.Sorry, I just think this is stupid. I'll never understand it. One serving of peanut butter is 200 calories. A serving is pretty small. It doesn't take long to add up. Combine that with a banana, my favorite snack, and that around 300 calories. PB&J is around 450 calories or more. I mean, those are just a couple quick examples. An avocado has over 300 calories. It is so damn easy. I just think this is stupid. Really, really, really idiotic. " oh help me. I'm on a calorie site and over weight, but I can't eat 1200 calories ". Shut up.
Seriously, that is just not a problem. There are a lot of calorie-dense foods out there that will not hurt you. Nuts, seeds, avocado, olives--anyone can eat these (anyone without nut allergies, that is). And if you do not restrict yourself to vegan foods, it's even better--canned fish (love me some sardines or kippers), ice cream, hard ripened and soft ripened cheeses, pâté... the list just goes on and on.0 -
Sorry, I just think this is stupid. I'll never understand it. One serving of peanut butter is 200 calories. A serving is pretty small. It doesn't take long to add up. Combine that with a banana, my favorite snack, and that around 300 calories. PB&J is around 450 calories or more. I mean, those are just a couple quick examples. An avocado has over 300 calories. It is so damn easy. I just think this is stupid. Really, really, really idiotic. " oh help me. I'm on a calorie site and over weight, but I can't eat 1200 calories ". Shut up.
You're so friendly and full of advice!0 -
I understand what the OP Meant. I got to 185 pounds from eating way too much fast food and snacking on high calorie snacks. So now that I don't eat fast food and changed to healthy snacks..I do have calories left over in the evening.
But this is why I have easy snacks that I can grab to get those last 100-200 calories in the day.0 -
Sorry, I just think this is stupid. I'll never understand it. One serving of peanut butter is 200 calories. A serving is pretty small. It doesn't take long to add up. Combine that with a banana, my favorite snack, and that around 300 calories. PB&J is around 450 calories or more. I mean, those are just a couple quick examples. An avocado has over 300 calories. It is so damn easy. I just think this is stupid. Really, really, really idiotic. " oh help me. I'm on a calorie site and over weight, but I can't eat 1200 calories ". Shut up.
This was totally uncalled for.0 -
I find it very easy to rack up a calorie overage on vegetables alone. Sure, a serving of broccoli has 30 calories, but after you have four or five servings in a day that is 120 cals. Then add the drizzle of olive oil and its gonna be around 200. People who can't meet their calorie goal just arent trying. Especially if there is a chicken breast involved. Also, I think people have at that point gotten almost afraid to eat any thing with higher calories. They have been eating so much garbage for so long, they may worry that a high calorie item is a bad idea. I think it takes time to get comfortable in a new dietary plan.0
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it depends on what your goals are..
If you are trying to lose as much as possible and are just eating in a deficit with minimal exercise, then this should really not be a problem.
If you are exercising more and trying to lose then you have to eat a little bit more.
If you have pretty much hit your goal weight but are now trying to maintain as much muscle as possible and lose body fat % (I fall into this category) then you are going to be eating more and eating in slight deficit...
if you are eating at maintenance and/or trying to bulk then you are going to be eating more, and it will be hard to get to 3000 or even 3500 calories depending on your TDEE. In this case you will pretty much be eating about 750 to 1000 cals three to four times a day...
So the answer to your question OP is that it depends on which of these levels one fits into...0 -
Now I didn't read everybody's responses, but here is my take on it.
So last year I went on the pink diet and during what they call the reset phase which really sucked for me! You should never be hungry doing this. You can eat as much as you want of the available foods on the list which are all mainly raw low cal low carb veggies. But they are also high volume nutrient rich foods. So you eat and eat and eat and eat and you really can't make your calorie goal for the day. That doesn't mean you didn't eat or that you are hungry. OK well for me I can only eat so many raw veggies before you want to kill somebody! LOL. After a couple of days you don't have to worry about the not moving (you aren't supposed to exercise in this 3-14 day phase) because you only want to sleep! So I get the "why" they are having trouble hitting their calorie goals. But they will find like the rest of us it is just not sustainable for long periods and will find themselve toe up in a chocolate cake!0 -
Sorry, I just think this is stupid. I'll never understand it. One serving of peanut butter is 200 calories. A serving is pretty small. It doesn't take long to add up. Combine that with a banana, my favorite snack, and that around 300 calories. PB&J is around 450 calories or more. I mean, those are just a couple quick examples. An avocado has over 300 calories. It is so damn easy. I just think this is stupid. Really, really, really idiotic. " oh help me. I'm on a calorie site and over weight, but I can't eat 1200 calories ". Shut up.
Bitter much?0 -
Sorry, I just think this is stupid. I'll never understand it. One serving of peanut butter is 200 calories. A serving is pretty small. It doesn't take long to add up. Combine that with a banana, my favorite snack, and that around 300 calories. PB&J is around 450 calories or more. I mean, those are just a couple quick examples. An avocado has over 300 calories. It is so damn easy. I just think this is stupid. Really, really, really idiotic. " oh help me. I'm on a calorie site and over weight, but I can't eat 1200 calories ". Shut up.
umm not sure what peanut butter you eat, but the one I use is 90 calories..
Did you assume that all peanut butter brands are same calories? Now that is stupid...
Also, a 60 gram servicing of Avocado is 100 calories...where did you get 300 from?
Also, I think the OP said that eating just chicken breast and veggies it was hard to his calorie goal for the day...which is a legitimate question. OR did you not read the original post..again stupid...0 -
Now I didn't read everybody's responses, but here is my take on it.
So last year I went on the pink diet and during what they call the reset phase which really sucked for me! You should never be hungry doing this. You can eat as much as you want of the available foods on the list which are all mainly raw low cal low carb veggies. But they are also high volume nutrient rich foods. So you eat and eat and eat and eat and you really can't make your calorie goal for the day. That doesn't mean you didn't eat or that you are hungry. OK well for me I can only eat so many raw veggies before you want to kill somebody! LOL. After a couple of days you don't have to worry about the not moving (you aren't supposed to exercise in this 3-14 day phase) because you only want to sleep! So I get the "why" they are having trouble hitting their calorie goals. But they will find like the rest of us it is just not sustainable for long periods and will find themselve toe up in a chocolate cake!
I prefer the "red diet, or "porn star diet" myself...0 -
Sorry, I just think this is stupid. I'll never understand it. One serving of peanut butter is 200 calories. A serving is pretty small. It doesn't take long to add up. Combine that with a banana, my favorite snack, and that around 300 calories. PB&J is around 450 calories or more. I mean, those are just a couple quick examples. An avocado has over 300 calories. It is so damn easy. I just think this is stupid. Really, really, really idiotic. " oh help me. I'm on a calorie site and over weight, but I can't eat 1200 calories ". Shut up.
umm not sure what peanut butter you eat, but the one I use is 90 calories..
Did you assume that all peanut butter brands are same calories? Now that is stupid...
Also, a 60 gram servicing of Avocado is 100 calories...where did you get 300 from?
Also, I think the OP said that eating just chicken breast and veggies it was hard to his calorie goal for the day...which is a legitimate question. OR did you not read the original post..again stupid...
Shut up! Stupid!!!!! :drinker:0 -
I think it's partly mental conditioning-- logic tells us that if we eat less, we lose more.
But the other part of it, and this is what I'm currently struggling with, is balancing several things:
- Conflicting TDEE/BMR numbers from various sites, including pretty much every link I've ever seen included in these forums. MFP is telling me to eat 1200, other sites say 1400, some other sites say 1600.
- Calorie counts for foods and activities that may not be right on point. I'm not in this to weigh every single thing I eat (I will measure, however), as that will end up discouraging me, and I can't afford to pick up a HRM just yet. So then I end up erring on the side of caution.
- Conflicting information. Fasting is good for you, fasting is bad for you, less than 1200 is terrible, less than 1600 is terrible. Eat more, eat less, eat more, but only eat certain things, eat whatever you want but only eat a little.
It's overwhelming. So that results in the KISS method-- eat leaner/lower cal foods and fewer calories during the day, exercise and drink lots of water... and hopefully benefit?0 -
I also have trouble getting to my 1500 a day that MFP says I need to be at. Actually, just today I decided to add 3 eggs to my breakfast. Before today, I had just been eating fruit for breakfast normally, a flat bread sandwich for lunch, and usually a healthy dinner of some sort. This would leave me at literally like 900 calories.
This weekend I am going to start adding Whole Raw Milk from my buddy's farm so that should help as well and give me some added nutrients and brown fats.
I have never heard of brown fat. What is that?
A brief explanation...
http://directorsblog.nih.gov/brown-fat-white-fat-good-fat-bad-fat/0 -
Totally agree!
I'm completely and utterly satisfied on 1300-1500 calories worth of good, nutritious stuff. But my weight was stalling because I wasn't reaching my goal of 1700. Then I calculated my TDEE -20%, and found I had to actually eat 1920(!).
People kept telling me to eat calorie dense food like peanut butter and nuts. Well, I already had the nuts covered, I love those. But they kept whining about the peanut butter. Who wants to eat 3 1/2 spoons of peanut butter at the end of a day just to reach their calorie goal? I didn't.
So I ate more nuts, and had a couple spoons of peanut butter. I also added brown rice to dinner (I usually just have a meat and vegetable). Those things alone added like 520 calories to my day. Just those three things and I was there.
But now I feel uncomfortably full at the end of the day.My weight is moving again... but at the expense of feeling stuffed like a turkey all the time?![:\](https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/resources/emoji/confused.png ":\")
Don't get me wrong, I indulge all the time. I get 680 calorie Frappuccinos, and eat junk every now and again (Friday is my designated "junk" day), but I feel like **** when I eat ****... go figure.
And I'd like to also add... I don't buy low fat anything. I eat the calorie dense whole wheat bread, full fat cheese... I don't buy anything that is touted as "low calorie" or "low fat." Ain't got time for that!
I don't have the luxury of eating the fats (haywire gall bladder) so most foods have to be non fat. I also have chosen not to eat meat for the same reason. That makes it tougher to meet the daily calorie intake. After couple of months of tweaking, I find my higher calorie gotos are reduced fat shredded cheeses, nonfat cottage cheese, guacamole snack packs and nuts for snacks. If I try to eat too much of the heavy carbs like bread, beans or other grains, I also get that stuffed turkey feeling. I also have one day a week that I go "off the grid".
These things have helped to bump up the calories enough to avoid the dreaded red message, "You have not eaten enough calories today." And if I get that message, I don't freak and try to eat up the calories for a bedtime snack. I just add more calories the next day. Your supposed to trick your metabolism anyway to keep it from storing calories as fat.
I have been losing a steady average of 2 pounds a week with no slips doing this.0 -
This is the first diet I've been on where I'm not starving and cheating all the time. My calories are at 1300 (very sedentary) and have been staying slightly under that level with virtually no hunger in-between meals. This amazes me because before this, I was hungry ALL the time. Starving. I ate and ate and ate all day, always having a hungry feeling in the pit of my stomach where some nights I went on wild binges. I must have eaten three times what I have the past week and a half. The difference? MUCH less processed junk, MUCH less carbs, MUCH less sugar (I haven't had soda in almost 2 weeks where I was having multiple servings every day). MUCH MORE regular whole foods while not going crazy on fruits. Eating protein with a little fat keeps me from even thinking about snacking. If I eat fat-free dairy I'm never satisfied. If I eat whole fat dairy, I am. This is amazing to me because I thought that that whole fat foods were bad for diets and to only buy fat free or reduced fat foods. If I fall a little under my calories I don't worry because I know I'm eating balanced and my body would tell me if I needed to eat more. Last night I forced myself to eat additional fruit before bed because I was quite a bit under my calorie goal but I didn't even have the appetite for it and probably should have just listened to my body.0
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Actually, I did not take "offense". I was pointing out that that is not all I eat. Even on my veggie only days I can reach my calorie goal easily. Naturally my calorie goal is not going to be 2500 as your is. You should know better than to compare our calorie goals. You seem to be the one getting offended anyway.I find it very easy to rack up a calorie overage on vegetables alone. Sure, a serving of broccoli has 30 calories, but after you have four or five servings in a day that is 120 cals. Then add the drizzle of olive oil and its gonna be around 200. People who can't meet their calorie goal just arent trying. Especially if there is a chicken breast involved. Also, I think people have at that point gotten almost afraid to eat any thing with higher calories. They have been eating so much garbage for so long, they may worry that a high calorie item is a bad idea. I think it takes time to get comfortable in a new dietary plan.
i eat 2500 to 2700 calories a day and there is no way I am going to hit that on brocoli and olive oil ...
OP - I see what you are saying. I sometimes will have dinner which is usually around 1000 to 1200 cals and am like damn I am eating a lot ...but if you substitue in some steak or pork then you can usually get there and not feel like you are stuffing yourself....I usually do not have chicken for dinner..it is more steak strips with brown rice...something slow cooked..fish on my low cal/rest work out day..etc...
I didn't say I only eat broccoli and olive oil. Geesh.
OK I stand corrected you said "I find it very easy to rack up a calorie overage on vegetables alone"
On vegetables alone I am never going to hit my goal for the day of 2500 to 2700...I was just using this as an example..sorry if you took offense..geez....lighten up people..some of you take MFP threads way too seriously...0 -
Not to burst your bubble, but being in the bodybuilding scene for years, you are only really reading about the top bodybuilders diets. Trust when I say there are more "dirty" eating bodybuilders out there than clean ones. And the majority of them don't eat the amount of vegetables and fruits that would rival what they eat in protein and carbs.To be healthy no, but to sculpt a body yes. Bodybuilders are extremely tight on their diet and they only eat these kind of lean meats and veg/fruit etc.
They eat monumentos amounts of food because they eat these kind of foods, they could easily make their calories up in burgers, crisps and sweets.
So it depends what your going for, but I know many large blokes who do ONLY eat these foods and their is a reason.
Add in some enhancement......boom. And enhancement isn't just anabolic steroids...............insulin, GH, and clenbuterol.....well let's just say that pro and amateur competitive bodybuilders (non natural of course) aren't he epitome of healthy living.
A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 28+ years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition0 -
Sorry, I just think this is stupid. I'll never understand it. One serving of peanut butter is 200 calories. A serving is pretty small. It doesn't take long to add up. Combine that with a banana, my favorite snack, and that around 300 calories. PB&J is around 450 calories or more. I mean, those are just a couple quick examples. An avocado has over 300 calories. It is so damn easy. I just think this is stupid. Really, really, really idiotic. " oh help me. I'm on a calorie site and over weight, but I can't eat 1200 calories ". Shut up.
umm not sure what peanut butter you eat, but the one I use is 90 calories..
Did you assume that all peanut butter brands are same calories? Now that is stupid...
Also, a 60 gram servicing of Avocado is 100 calories...where did you get 300 from?
Also, I think the OP said that eating just chicken breast and veggies it was hard to his calorie goal for the day...which is a legitimate question. OR did you not read the original post..again stupid...
Shut up! Stupid!!!!! :drinker:
stupid is, stupid does sir!0 -
I agree!! 110%0
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Sorry, I just think this is stupid. I'll never understand it. One serving of peanut butter is 200 calories. A serving is pretty small. It doesn't take long to add up. Combine that with a banana, my favorite snack, and that around 300 calories. PB&J is around 450 calories or more. I mean, those are just a couple quick examples. An avocado has over 300 calories. It is so damn easy. I just think this is stupid. Really, really, really idiotic. " oh help me. I'm on a calorie site and over weight, but I can't eat 1200 calories ". Shut up.
umm not sure what peanut butter you eat, but the one I use is 90 calories..
Did you assume that all peanut butter brands are same calories? Now that is stupid...
Also, a 60 gram servicing of Avocado is 100 calories...where did you get 300 from?
Also, I think the OP said that eating just chicken breast and veggies it was hard to his calorie goal for the day...which is a legitimate question. OR did you not read the original post..again stupid...
Shut up! Stupid!!!!! :drinker:
stupid is, stupid does sir!
To get back on a food track here...
If you love peanut butter and really want to get the calories down, go to the health food store and buy defatted peanut flour. DON'T go to the peanut butter section and buy the defatted peanut butter, it's almost twice as expensive and has extra salt.
I use it on toast and I also use it to make peanut sauce for Pad Thai noodles.
Also, try some of the fruit flavored applesauces to use for your PBJ. That should also cut some sugars down.
I'm looking at this change of eating as a challenge--how can I make healthy substitutes and still have the flavors and textures I like in my foods. Make it fun--not a chore!0 -
Totally agree!
I'm completely and utterly satisfied on 1300-1500 calories worth of good, nutritious stuff. But my weight was stalling because I wasn't reaching my goal of 1700. Then I calculated my TDEE -20%, and found I had to actually eat 1920(!).
People kept telling me to eat calorie dense food like peanut butter and nuts. Well, I already had the nuts covered, I love those. But they kept whining about the peanut butter. Who wants to eat 3 1/2 spoons of peanut butter at the end of a day just to reach their calorie goal? I didn't.
So I ate more nuts, and had a couple spoons of peanut butter. I also added brown rice to dinner (I usually just have a meat and vegetable). Those things alone added like 520 calories to my day. Just those three things and I was there.
But now I feel uncomfortably full at the end of the day.My weight is moving again... but at the expense of feeling stuffed like a turkey all the time?
Don't get me wrong, I indulge all the time. I get 680 calorie Frappuccinos, and eat junk every now and again (Friday is my designated "junk" day), but I feel like **** when I eat ****... go figure.
And I'd like to also add... I don't buy low fat anything. I eat the calorie dense whole wheat bread, full fat cheese... I don't buy anything that is touted as "low calorie" or "low fat." Ain't got time for that!
I do not believe in low fat milk or cheese....if it's something naturally lean, then fine....but not stuff that naturally has fat in it. I think the low-fat craze is down right stupid! I've seen so many fat people who eat low fat to know it doesn't work! I mean a cow isn't going to have skim milk coming out it's udders!0 -
However if I try and meet that 600 calories in chicken and veg, I would have to eat 3-4 large pieces of chicken breast and a MASSIVE plate of veg.
My guess is that you don't weigh and measure. An average chicken breast weighs about 12 ounces and 330 calories. There's no way you could eat 3-4 of them plus a heaping plate of vegetables (and some vegetables have a lot more calories than others, ie peas, corn, cabbage, carrots) and have it equal 600 calories.0 -
However if I try and meet that 600 calories in chicken and veg, I would have to eat 3-4 large pieces of chicken breast and a MASSIVE plate of veg.
My guess is that you don't weigh and measure. An average chicken breast weighs about 12 ounces and 330 calories. There's no way you could eat 3-4 of them plus a heaping plate of vegetables (and some vegetables have a lot more calories than others, ie peas, corn, cabbage, carrots) and have it equal 600 calories.
Wha? I eat chicken breasts all the time (both pre-butchered and cut off chickens I baked myself) and I have never seen a chicken breast that's bigger than 7 oz. They must be selling miniature dinosaurs masquerading as chickens wherever you shop
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However if I try and meet that 600 calories in chicken and veg, I would have to eat 3-4 large pieces of chicken breast and a MASSIVE plate of veg.
My guess is that you don't weigh and measure. An average chicken breast weighs about 12 ounces and 330 calories. There's no way you could eat 3-4 of them plus a heaping plate of vegetables (and some vegetables have a lot more calories than others, ie peas, corn, cabbage, carrots) and have it equal 600 calories.
Wha? I eat chicken breasts all the time (both pre-butchered and cut off chickens I baked myself) and I have never seen a chicken breast that's bigger than 7 oz. They must be selling miniature dinosaurs masquerading as chickens wherever you shop
Maybe you are buying tenders or cutlets? Or are weighing post cooking?0 -
However if I try and meet that 600 calories in chicken and veg, I would have to eat 3-4 large pieces of chicken breast and a MASSIVE plate of veg.
My guess is that you don't weigh and measure. An average chicken breast weighs about 12 ounces and 330 calories. There's no way you could eat 3-4 of them plus a heaping plate of vegetables (and some vegetables have a lot more calories than others, ie peas, corn, cabbage, carrots) and have it equal 600 calories.
Wha? I eat chicken breasts all the time (both pre-butchered and cut off chickens I baked myself) and I have never seen a chicken breast that's bigger than 7 oz. They must be selling miniature dinosaurs masquerading as chickens wherever you shop
Maybe you are buying tenders or cutlets? Or are weighing post cooking?
Nope, and nope. I weigh them raw. The chickens I buy are organic, though--perhaps they don't grow as big. Just like natural bodybuilders.0
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