Is it ok to eat over cals/ even though I'm not hungry?

you wont gain muscle unless you eat enough calories. If you have your goals set to gain weight, you should eat your goal. If you aren't meeting your goals, then you need to eat higher calorie foods. Also, in order to gain muscle, you need to eat protein.

yeah, in order to gain muscle you need to have a calorie surplus. you can't gain muscle on a deficit. i would recommend getting the bulk of your calories from to whole foods-- lots of lean protein, healthy sources of fat (olive oil, avocado, nuts, ect), carbs from things like rice, oats, potatoes (i prefer sweet potatoes or purple potatoes), veg & fruits. and you HAVE TO STRENGTH TRAIN.

I have to force myself to eat. My body seems to feel full on 700 calories below my goal, but not enough calories equals no gains.

While you're there, do you have a counsellor? You need to talk through this concept of 'bad food'. Find out what it is about it that makes it bad.

A calorie is a unit of energy. Actually, it's the energy required to raise the temperature of 1 cubic centimetre of water one degree celsius - or something like that. But there's no such thing as a 'bad' calorie.

A calorie is just potential energy.

People who do a lot of work will eat a lot of pies, hot chips, icecream, bread, sausages, chocolate. To them these calories are not 'bad' - in fact they're vital. They can't get 4000 calories in a day without using them.

You have to unpick your relationship with food and ask yourself how you got there, and feel your way through it. When you unlock that you might be in a better position to eat your calories without fear.

cheers, Bridgette (a mother. )

I think some people are a bit afraid of eating certain things...like food rich in saturated fats. I know I was/am afraid of fat. The reason is because we hear how a diet rich in fat supposedly causes cardiovascular disease, or encourages the progression of it, over time. Now, whether that's actually true or not if you're sticking to appropriate macros...I don't know. For example, is it any less dangerous to spread your cup of ice cream out throughout a day rather than eating it all at once and plunking a lot of fat into circulation at the same time? I don't think anyone knows the answer to this. And as long as there is uncertainty, people will have fears. Is the fear justified in this case? Probably not.

While you're there, do you have a counsellor? You need to talk through this concept of 'bad food'. Find out what it is about it that makes it bad.

A calorie is a unit of energy. Actually, it's the energy required to raise the temperature of 1 cubic centimetre of water one degree celsius - or something like that. But there's no such thing as a 'bad' calorie.

A calorie is just potential energy.

People who do a lot of work will eat a lot of pies, hot chips, icecream, bread, sausages, chocolate. To them these calories are not 'bad' - in fact they're vital. They can't get 4000 calories in a day without using them.

You have to unpick your relationship with food and ask yourself how you got there, and feel your way through it. When you unlock that you might be in a better position to eat your calories without fear.

cheers, Bridgette (a mother. )

I think some people are a bit afraid of eating certain things...like food rich in saturated fats. I know I was/am afraid of fat. The reason is because we hear how a diet rich in fat supposedly causes cardiovascular disease, or encourages the progression of it, over time. Now, whether that's actually true or not if you're sticking to appropriate macros...I don't know. For example, is it any less dangerous to spread your cup of ice cream out throughout a day rather than eating it all at once and plunking a lot of fat into circulation at the same time? I don't think anyone knows the answer to this. And as long as there is uncertainty, people will have fears. Is the fear justified in this case? Probably not.

That's a good point. But what the young lass who is OP seems to be showing is that she is a recovering anorexic, and all calories are bad in her eyes. I hope I'm not hurting your feelings saying this, OP. and I certainly don't judge you or anything.

OP: some fats are exceedingly good. Fish fat is fantastic. So is avocado fat. Calories are not, per se, bad. Think of them as fuel for a car.

Your car is not getting enough fuel. You can choose high octane fuel, you can choose low octane fuel - but you definitely need more fuel and at the end of the day, any fuel is better than no fuel. And you'll get a heart attack far faster from being underweight than you will from being overweight. It's actually far more dangerous.

PS I used to think bread was not very good for you: but it has all sorts of goodies in it. So do potatoes. What we think of as 'empty' calories are often not empty at all.

Given that you've posted regularly about ED, undereating, food fears, and wanting to gain, I think you already know the answers to your questions. I don't mean that as a criticism, but as an acknowledgement that sometimes we still need encouragement to act on what we already know.

To reach your goals and to get happier and healthier, you need to eat. You need to meet your calorie goal or your body will simply not have the means to gain the muscle you want. So not only isn't this bad, but it's necessary and good.

The time of day that you eat does not matter, only that you do eat and that you allow yourself to keep moving toward a healthy relationship with food and your own health. Don't overthink it and let your unhealthy habits keep you from getting what you want.

If you aren't already talking with a health provider about this, I think you should consider it. It is an ongoing problem and not just the question of the day.

Take care!