I can't reach my Cals goal... any advice?

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kimchi989
kimchi989 Posts: 17
in Health and Weight Loss
Hi everybody!
I'm writing to you because I've have a bit of a problem. My goal is set to 1200 Cals, but i hardly ever reach it. Worst is when i've "extra Cals" from working out...
So does anyone have some tips and tricks to reach that goal? I've already switched my 0% yogurt to Greek yogurt. The nutritional values are almost the same, just a little bit more Cals.
thank you
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Replies

  • Chadomaniac
    Chadomaniac Posts: 1,785 Member
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    Increase fats: 1tbs olive oil is like 115Calories so add it to salads etc...
    peanut butter
    nuts and seeds
    Beef as a protein source
    cheeses
    Don't eat low-fat products . They literally just higher carbs and lower calories

    It should be extremely easy to eat 1200cals a day . Eat more
  • Roaringgael
    Roaringgael Posts: 339 Member
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    A lot of people don't eat back their exercise cals.
    Having said that 1200 is hard to maintain for the long haul.
    I'm sedentary due to injury and go for 1300 which I often reach or am very slightly under, I'm an older woman though.

    Before coming here, if you were over weight you easily at more, so get serious.
    Maybe you eat like a bird, just eat more. Its not hard.
  • amcsouth
    amcsouth Posts: 283 Member
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    Cheese (my favourite), avocado, olive oil, butter, nut butters, milk, raw nuts, whole eggs, more protein (I mean more chicken,beef fish, tuna), beans, cottage cheese, fruit (bananas are good), wholewheat bread, protein shakes, pasta, rice, seeds (I like ground flaxseeds - I add them in to smoothies), quinoa :happy:
  • kimchi989
    kimchi989 Posts: 17
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    A lot of people don't eat back their exercise cals.
    Having said that 1200 is hard to maintain for the long haul.
    I'm sedentary due to injury and go for 1300 which I often reach or am very slightly under, I'm an older woman though.

    Before coming here, if you were over weight you easily at more, so get serious.
    Maybe you eat like a bird, just eat more. Its not hard.
    I was overweight, but I ate very little, but very bad. My usual day before trying to get healthy was: one slice a bread with a lot of chocolate paste, instant ramen, and junk food.
    I'm not used to eat a lot... I'm forcing myself to finish my plate now
  • kimchi989
    kimchi989 Posts: 17
    Options
    Increase fats: 1tbs olive oil is like 115Calories so add it to salads etc...
    peanut butter
    nuts and seeds
    Beef as a protein source
    cheeses
    Don't eat low-fat products . They literally just higher carbs and lower calories

    It should be extremely easy to eat 1200cals a day . Eat more

    I know it was a mistake to eat low-fat products. When i see the nutritional values of the greek yogurt and the ones of the low-fat yogurt they're similar...

    Like I said i used to be a tiny eater but eating junk food. So i force myself now to eat more.
  • MeanderingMammal
    MeanderingMammal Posts: 7,866 Member
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    I'm writing to you because I've have a bit of a problem. My goal is set to 1200 Cals, but i hardly ever reach it. Worst is when i've "extra Cals" from working out...

    Your diary is private so it's difficult to tell, but from what you've said upthread it may be that you need to structure how you're eating. It doesn't look like you have fixed meals but that you graze.

    Personally I eat about 5 times per day, three meals and two snacks. Use fruit, nuts or dried fruit as snacks.

    Some people will come in and tell you to eat spoonfuls of peanut butter etc, personally I'd rather plan around hitting the goal, rather than things like that. They don't strike me as healthy behaviours if I'm honest.

    That said, 1200 cals isn't a great deal, so the other option might be looking at how accurate your estimations are. You'll get some advocating weighing everything, but for now I'd suggest just looking at how you're assessing and identifying where you may be underestimating.

    For reasons of wider health and sustainability of your eating patterns it's inadvisable to consistently eat below 1200 cals per day.
  • kimchi989
    kimchi989 Posts: 17
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    I'm writing to you because I've have a bit of a problem. My goal is set to 1200 Cals, but i hardly ever reach it. Worst is when i've "extra Cals" from working out...

    Your diary is private so it's difficult to tell, but from what you've said upthread it may be that you need to structure how you're eating. It doesn't look like you have fixed meals but that you graze.

    Personally I eat about 5 times per day, three meals and two snacks. Use fruit, nuts or dried fruit as snacks.

    Some people will come in and tell you to eat spoonfuls of peanut butter etc, personally I'd rather plan around hitting the goal, rather than things like that. They don't strike me as healthy behaviours if I'm honest.

    That said, 1200 cals isn't a great deal, so the other option might be looking at how accurate your estimations are. You'll get some advocating weighing everything, but for now I'd suggest just looking at how you're assessing and identifying where you may be underestimating.

    For reasons of wider health and sustainability of your eating patterns it's inadvisable to consistently eat below 1200 cals per day.

    since i'm eating healthy, i've planned meals. In the morning i usually eat a fruit and vegetable smoothie with a yogurt. lunch i eat 2 slices of whole wheat bread and one egg plus some vegetables. Dinner i usually eats a medium-large sweet potato with fish or turkey, plus vegetables. For the snacks i've my post work out smoothie which is a yogurt and some fruits. I also eat carrots, fruits, nuts, ... In general a lot of fruit and vegetables (because i've discovered i like those).
    I weight everything i eat, if the product isn't in the database here i add it,...

    thanks very much for the advice^^
  • MeanderingMammal
    MeanderingMammal Posts: 7,866 Member
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    That sounds reasonable, so I'm surprised that you're not hitting 1200 cals, unless your portion sizes are miniscule.

    I'm the same, eat vast quantities of fruit, but I don't eat a significant amount of meat.
  • kimchi989
    kimchi989 Posts: 17
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    That sounds reasonable, so I'm surprised that you're not hitting 1200 cals, unless your portion sizes are miniscule.

    I'm the same, eat vast quantities of fruit, but I don't eat a significant amount of meat.

    Maybe i don't weight corecctly, or simply maybe i should make the portions a little larger :)thanks
  • gigglesinthesun
    gigglesinthesun Posts: 860 Member
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    well, clearly at some point in the not so distant past you managed to consume more then 1200 cals, so perhaps add a few of those foods back in you diet and you're golden.

    You don't have that much to lose and you are working out and your pictures shows a young woman, so unless this is all wrong and you are really a 200lbs overweight, sedentary, 70 year old, 1200 is probably too low for you anyway.
  • kimchi989
    kimchi989 Posts: 17
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    well, clearly at some point in the not so distant past you managed to consume more then 1200 cals, so perhaps add a few of those foods back in you diet and you're golden.

    You don't have that much to lose and you are working out and your pictures shows a young woman, so unless this is all wrong and you are really a 200lbs overweight, sedentary, 70 year old, 1200 is probably too low for you anyway.

    Hey,
    It was easy for me to consume more than 1200 Cals before. In one night i could eat those 1200 Cals, just eating french fries and fried snacks and pizza and all-you-can-eat-sushi-buffet,... long story short it was easy to get those 1200 Cals from junk food.

    I'm a young women (turning 25 this August), and I'd like to lose 12.5 kg (about 30 lbs) so i guess that won't be that hard^^ I set myself 6 to 7 months to manage it^^ Just hard for me to eat throughout the day... I've only started eating healthy for a little more than a week so i guess it's just time to adjust then after that i'll be ok^^

    1200 is the recommended goal set by myfitnesspal... Maybe i should put some cals more...
  • parkscs
    parkscs Posts: 1,639 Member
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    If you aren't going hungry at 1200, stick with 1200. The reason you would want to increase it is if you're constantly going hungry and miserable on your diet. If that's not you, you're fine to stick with 1200. As for getting to 1200, it should be easy if you eat the right foods and I'd guess you're already at 1200 from the meals you described in one of your posts. If you aren't underestimating and truly need more calories, it's pretty easy to add calories to your smoothies, add some cheese to your lunch, substitute a fatty veggie like avocado, and so on. You don't have to eat all "light" products or diet products to lose weight. You simply have to control the amount of energy you're taking into your body.
  • SarahJains
    SarahJains Posts: 35 Member
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    I find it hard to stay under my calorie goal when eating minimally ! Not hitting it must mean somethings off somewhere? lol Maybe the measures or the calories?
  • Seajolly
    Seajolly Posts: 1,435 Member
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    A few pieces of chocolate as a snack during the day is what I do when I'm a few hundred cals short for the day! Or I'll have a beer or a glass of wine... :wink: Cheese is great too, however once I get the cheese out I can't stop, so I try to limit how much cheese I have.
  • WalkingAlong
    WalkingAlong Posts: 4,926 Member
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    If you've only been restricting a week or so and you're eating that diet described above each day, you will probably get bored with it and start feeling more hungry. Nothing wrong with that menu, it just looks restrictive and like it'd get very repetitive if you eat those things daily. Though some do fine with eating the same things for long periods, too.
  • jennegan1
    jennegan1 Posts: 677 Member
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    are you counting your coffee and creamer? or any other drinks that have calories in them? That should help
  • mamahannick
    mamahannick Posts: 322 Member
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    Two words: peanut butter.
    I like adding it to vanilla Greek yogurt, in my oatmeal with fruit, on top of a baked sweet potato with cinnamon, on apple slices, on a banana.
    You could also snack on portion-controlled trail mix. Healthy fats are important.
  • Beastmaster50
    Beastmaster50 Posts: 505 Member
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    A spoonful of peanut butter a few times a day should help
  • juleszephyr
    juleszephyr Posts: 442 Member
    Options
    Increase fats: 1tbs olive oil is like 115Calories so add it to salads etc...
    peanut butter
    nuts and seeds
    Beef as a protein source
    cheeses
    Don't eat low-fat products . They literally just higher carbs and lower calories

    It should be extremely easy to eat 1200cals a day . Eat more

    ^^^^^^ This and maybe add a couple of snacks that are highly nutrient / calorie dense. Seriously you should have no trouble reaching 1200 if you make the right choices and eat three (min) meals a day.

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