Struggling to eat enough..

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3wdl
3wdl Posts: 45
edited November 2023 in Getting Started
So I get 1,800 calories a day but because of exercising I am finding it a struggle to eat them all.

Today:

314 breakfast
313 lunch
543 dinner
86 snacks

849 calories burnt

So I've got 1,423 calories left to eat. it's almost midnight and I'm not hungry! Perhaps this is a good thing - but worried it may have a negative effect on my body. Any suggestions here?
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Replies

  • Vivian06703188
    Vivian06703188 Posts: 310 Member
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    There is a point where you don't have to eat all the calories back. If you are getting all your macros in and you are not getting dizzy. I'm sure you are fine. Just make sure you get your basic calories before exercise. If your body needs the extra calories you are burning by exercise you will know it.
  • shancheer24
    shancheer24 Posts: 22 Member
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    ^ agree

    I also wouldnt binge at night to make up for your days calories either.
  • highervibes
    highervibes Posts: 2,219 Member
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    have a piece of pizza some ice cream or a beer. problem solved.
  • geekyjock76
    geekyjock76 Posts: 2,720 Member
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    I cannot emphasize this enough, but NEVER rely on hunger cues to determine whether or not you are actually meeting energy needs when chronically restricting calories - especially when assuming larger deficits.

    Anorexics will have depressed levels of leptin with elevated levels of ghrelin. This results in days where they will feel satisfied, despite eating very little, whereas other days one will experience extreme hunger.

    Similarly, morbidly obese persons gain their weight partly because of elevated ghrelin levels which tell the person to eat more despite consuming calories well above maintenance.

    If chronic restriction/overeating persists long enough, even the receptors themselves can mutate in a manner which impacts their ability to accurately assess changes in hormone levels. This further leads to a false sense of satiety/hunger.
  • whierd
    whierd Posts: 14,025 Member
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    Eat higher calorie foods.
  • lucan07
    lucan07 Posts: 509
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    The way it was explained to me while the bodies food intake is being cut it doesn't like huge extra energy demands being made upon it!
    So it starts holding on to what it can so eat some more or exercise less.
  • auroranflash
    auroranflash Posts: 3,569 Member
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    I've had the same problem lately. The only fix I've found is making my own smoothies... +protein powder + milk and either frozenfruit or a chocolate/peanut butter/banana combo, having a larger breakfast, or eating higher calorie snacks. But sometimes my breakfast is big, and I'm not hungry until dinner.

    I always thought people were silly when they said they couldn't reach their goals but now that I'm exercising regularly, it's an issue. I only net 950 calories yesterday and my goal is net 1800..... yipes!

    Good luck, I think it takes a few adjustments at a time. ... Good excuse to have pizza or pasta for dinner though :D
  • manda1978
    manda1978 Posts: 525 Member
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    Eat higher calorie foods.


    yep thats pretty much what I do as I was struggling too. I snack on nuts, peanut butter, add avocado to my wraps at lunch etc. You donl't ahev to eat 'more', just eat higher calorie foods.
  • RonW956
    RonW956 Posts: 105 Member
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    I would suggest to not let the calorie counter get to ya. I think this calorie thing is blown way out of proportion.
    Everyone bodies are different and if your fine eating less calories then your ok. Im eating just a normal breakfast, lunch and a dinner and at the end of the day thats about 1100-1300 calories. Its the ones who say that is too low that need to look at their own eating habits and wonder if its them, thats eating too much..
  • ndj1979
    ndj1979 Posts: 29,136 Member
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    curious - how did you become overweight if you struggle to eat 1800 calories a day..??? I would assume, correct me if wrong, that you ate way more than that before joining this site...yes?
  • 3wdl
    3wdl Posts: 45
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    Thanks all! Really useful advice.

    Any suggestions for higher calorie foods that don't have much fat in them / are the "right" kind of calories?
  • 3wdl
    3wdl Posts: 45
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    ndj1979 - I've been overweight all my life - so yes, was eating more, or rather eating the wrong stuff! Plus I don't have a job that involves moving so definite lack of exercise. I don't think I have a problem eating the 1,800 calories on their own, but throwing exercise in every day and trying to eat less is where I am struggling a little!
  • stacydawn75
    stacydawn75 Posts: 23
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    manda1978 has the right idea- the higher calories of highly nutritious foods, even if they're higher in fat, are the way to go- nuts, avocados, olive oil come to mind. We eat a lot of those in our house.
  • auroranflash
    auroranflash Posts: 3,569 Member
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    Thanks all! Really useful advice.

    Any suggestions for higher calorie foods that don't have much fat in them / are the "right" kind of calories?

    Don't be scared of fat... it fills you up, it has more calories per gram than protein or carbs, and healthy fats help your hair, skin, nails, and circulatory system.

    Some good, calorically heavy foods which contain healthy fats:

    Avocado, nuts, etc etc... you can google and find lists of higher calorie foods you can try to sneak into your diet, or you can try using the forum's search function, I'm sure someone has posted something similar in the past.
  • Linda09189
    Linda09189 Posts: 80
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    never eat your burn calories
  • auroranflash
    auroranflash Posts: 3,569 Member
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    never eat your burn calories

    MFP is designed for you TO eat your burned calories, that's why they're added back. You already have a deficit built in, when you exercise you create more of a deficit.
  • ndj1979
    ndj1979 Posts: 29,136 Member
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    ndj1979 - I've been overweight all my life - so yes, was eating more, or rather eating the wrong stuff! Plus I don't have a job that involves moving so definite lack of exercise. I don't think I have a problem eating the 1,800 calories on their own, but throwing exercise in every day and trying to eat less is where I am struggling a little!

    Ahhh ok that makes sense...

    i would recommend eating things like steak, eggs, greek yogurt cottage cheese, bacon (yes you can have this),etc..

    right now I am at about 1900 for the day ..here is my menu..

    two eggs and two egg whites
    two slices bacon
    half serving of shredded mexican cheese = 355 calories

    lunch - 7 oz chicken breast, half cup cottage cheese, 1 6oz container greek yogurt - 413 cals

    dinner - 4.5 whole wheat linguine, 1 cup tomato sauce, 9 oz beef (made them into meatballs) - 1050 cals

    late night snack - one scoop GNC protein powder - 95 cals...

    total 1912 ....

    good luck ....
  • ndj1979
    ndj1979 Posts: 29,136 Member
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    Oh and if you are using MFP for your "burned calories" you might want to be careful as MFP tends to overestimate...

    you might want to bump the MFP burn estimate down by about 15-20% so you are not over eating on accident...
  • _liftnlove
    _liftnlove Posts: 194
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    Thanks all! Really useful advice.

    Any suggestions for higher calorie foods that don't have much fat in them / are the "right" kind of calories?

    Any particular reason you want to avoid high-fat foods? I only ask because I have had greater success and gotten much leaner eating full-fat foods than I ever had eating low-fat. I am so much happier and less hungry on a high(er) fat diet, too. I'm just curious if there's a medical reason you need to go low-fat?
  • CyberEd312
    CyberEd312 Posts: 3,536 Member
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    Thanks all! Really useful advice.

    Any suggestions for higher calorie foods that don't have much fat in them / are the "right" kind of calories?

    Any particular reason you want to avoid high-fat foods? I only ask because I have had greater success and gotten much leaner eating full-fat foods than I ever had eating low-fat. I am so much happier and less hungry on a high(er) fat diet, too. I'm just curious if there's a medical reason you need to go low-fat?

    This..... I'm curious too...... Nothing wrong with calorie dense foods..... Lots of good fats in peanut butter and I have lost a few pounds eating it pretty much everyday... and to add to ndj1979 that is pretty much spot on with my percentage of calories that I eat back.. I eat back 85% of my calories burned....
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