Eating enough calories a day!

I'm 5'5 "ish" and way around 184LBs after discovering my BMR and amount of activity each day, I am supposed to eat 1889 calories a day and am finding it hard to eat even 1000 without feeling stuffed after each meal. I need help! (This is without exercise.) I would also like to know if this many calories is realistic? My goal is to loose 35 pounds by September this year.

Replies

  • bc2ct
    bc2ct Posts: 222 Member
    If you consistently eat larger portions and more frequent meals your stomach will stretch and you will no longer struggle to consume a larger amount.

    Be careful with that BMR by the way... yours is probably closer to 1650 than 1900 and it will go down as you drop weight. You could probably lose weight quite fast and get fit by eating 1600-1700kcal a day and doing light to moderate exercise for about 30-45 minutes.
  • Im going through the same thing right now. I have to make myself eat. Just use this oppurtunity to eat as healthy as possible can \. You dont have to reach 1889 a day just.dont go to low on your cal intake you should be just fine.
  • _Zardoz_
    _Zardoz_ Posts: 3,987 Member
    If you consistently eat larger portions and more frequent meals your stomach will stretch and you will no longer struggle to consume a larger amount.
    Just to correct you your stomach does not stretch outwith of normal bounds except in exceptional circumstances. What is off is the posters hunger signals and the more she eats eventually they will kick back in. A normal stomach will hold around a litre of food and if really pushed to extreme around 4 litres but this is still within normal capacity. The only time your stomach will stretch is if you're something like a competitive eating and than it can be dangerous and they have spent a long time pushing pints and pints of water to do this.
  • gigglesinthesun
    gigglesinthesun Posts: 860 Member
    I'm 5'5 "ish" and way around 184LBs after discovering my BMR and amount of activity each day, I am supposed to eat 1889 calories a day and am finding it hard to eat even 1000 without feeling stuffed after each meal. I need help! (This is without exercise.) I would also like to know if this many calories is realistic? My goal is to loose 35 pounds by September this year.

    how did you get to 184lbs? I can assure you that unless you have a medical issue you ate more then a 1000 cals a day. In conclusion just eat a bit more like you did before and I think you'll find it won't as much of a struggle to go past 1000 cal. If in doubt add nuts.
  • Be careful with that BMR by the way... yours is probably closer to 1650 than 1900 and it will go down as you drop weight. You could probably lose weight quite fast and get fit by eating 1600-1700kcal a day and doing light to moderate exercise for about 30-45 minutes.
    Thank you! I currently exercise about 35 minutes most days. I just struggle with eating enough. I have changed the things I eat and am now eating less junk food. This is difficult for me because there are less calories in the foods I eat now and still become full off the same portion sizes as before. I will try eating around 1600 calories a day and become more active.
  • Thank you!
  • HK2PT
    HK2PT Posts: 3
    Maybe instead of eating 3 large meals, try eating throughout the day, then you'll never be super full. Also, if you're eating a lot of low cal weight loss products then maybe instead try eating 'clean' or 'real food' or however you want to put it. If you're having trouble reaching calories then don't go for calories restricted fake food (supposed to fill your up with little cals) but rather try to follow to a food guide or something to try to get protein/dairy and fruit/veg into each meal (assuming you're not vegan or lactose intolerant or gluten free etc etc, then modify as needed). The biggest thing with not getting enough calories is not getting enough nutrients and your body going into starvation mode and doesn't work efficiently. It needs glucose for your brain and energy, and protein for your muscles and healthy fat for your cells (ie olive oil). So you don't want to just eat anything to up your calories, but rather give your body what it needs to serve you best. If you have salads then use/make olive oil based dressings, it brings up your calories in a healthy way. I try to have one protein and one fruit/veg at every meal with some carbs thrown in there. For me it usually ends up looking something like this:

    breakfast - vector cereal, almond milk, fibre buds (protein and fibre) or instant oatmeal (carbs/filling)
    snack - yogurt (protein) and berries (fruit/antioxidants and all that good stuff)
    lunch - pear (fruit), 1 cup pasta (carbs) w/feta (protein), tomatoes (veg, antioxidants), and olive oil/pesto (healthy fat)
    dinner - ham steak/steak/chicken (protein) and 2 cups frozen veg (veg) with garlic chili olive oil (healthy fat)
    dessert - cool whip to satisfy my sweet tooth without getting ice cream :P (not 'clean' at all)

    This usually gets me around 1200 cals - if I work out, I eat more - ie apple and peanut butter - so good! or you can make a high calorie awesome shake with chocolate protein powder, spinach, peanut butter, mixed berries - so good, filling, healthy and high calorie, and you don't taste the spinach at all, my roomies make them all the time. Just watch with protein powder scoops - your body can handle about 20grams of protein at a time and the scoops are 30grams so don't waste that 10g of expensive powder, just don't fill the scoop all the way. My BMR is around 1700 cals a day so this is set up for me for weight loss, but once I get to my goal then I'll up my food so I'm at my BMR and not in deficit anymore.

    Anyways, I hope this helps. I, like most people, am an over eater opposed to an under eater like yourself so I can only say so much. Good luck to you! :)
  • how did you get to 184lbs? I can assure you that unless you have a medical issue you ate more then a 1000 cals a day. In conclusion just eat a bit more like you did before and I think you'll find it won't as much of a struggle to go past 1000 cal. If in doubt add nuts.

    The foods I was eating before we're a lot higher in calories but were mostly fast food and instant meals.
  • Thank you! This is helpful.
  • AmyRhubarb
    AmyRhubarb Posts: 6,890 Member
    Calorie dense foods - nuts & seeds, nut butters, avocados, use olive and coconut oils, full fat dairy, cheese, whole eggs, etc. These foods pack good cals into small portions and will get you to goal without having to eat a ton. And don't be afraid of butter. :bigsmile:
  • HK2PT
    HK2PT Posts: 3
    Eggs! Butter! How could I forget about those delicious things! Yes eat these, just as they are (well, cooked for the eggs is fine :P)!
  • chasetwins
    chasetwins Posts: 702 Member
    I am 5'5 and now 166 - I was eating between 1600 and 1750 calories at your weight depending on work outs. I had no issues and did not stall.

    If you can not eat a lot at one time - stretch them out through the day. Grab higher calorie healthy foods nuts, fruits etc. Make some protein shakes :)
  • I am 5'5 and now 166 - I was eating between 1600 and 1750 calories at your weight depending on work outs. I had no issues and did not stall.

    If you can not eat a lot at one time - stretch them out through the day. Grab higher calorie healthy foods nuts, fruits etc. Make some protein shakes :)
    Thank you!