Struggle with upping calories

honeylissabee · February 2014

I started out in December with Weight Watchers before moving to calorie counting on Sparkpeople for a few weeks. When counting calories, I typically ate under 1,300 calories, but would occasionally eat closer to 1,500.

Right now, I've increased my goal to eat my BMR (which is also approximately my TDEE-20%. I was also just hired at a new job, so my TDEE should increase allowing me to eat more.

The only problem is, I'm having a hard time doing that. After a couple months eating a little more than 1,200 calories a day, I've developed some new habits. Rather than have toast and eggs for breakfast, I have eggs over spinach. While foods like peanut butter, nuts, and boxed macaroni and cheese (Annie's Organic whole wheat shells and white cheddar) aren't necessarily "bad" or "off limits" on WW, I tend to avoid them because they are so costly calorie/points-wise. They have the idea that a PB&J is great on reduced calorie/ lite bread made with reduced fat peanut butter (or PB2) and sugar-free jelly. I think PB&J needs to be on homemade 100% whole wheat bread (or Ezekiel bread is a fine alternative) made with natural peanut butter and all-fruit spread. A sandwich like that can be 10 points before you even add the glass of whole milk, baby carrot sticks, and apple slices to round out the meal.

I know part of this is a mental block. I make breakfast and lunch based on what I ate counting calories, etc, and come dinner, I have close to 1,000 calories left. Yesterday, my dinner was only 300-something calories, and I had nearly 500 calories left for a snack. I could not eat them all (I had an apple with maple almond butter and an 80 calorie pack of pistachios).

I know all of WHAT to eat to add more calories. I cook with olive and coconut oils. I love avocado (though I rarely get it). When I was doing a month-long primarily real-food diet, I had celery and apples with peanut butter (creamy on the celery, crunchy on the apples). I prefer full-fat dairy (though will still use some low-fat and fat-free things like mozzarella (low fat) and some flavored yogurts).

I'm also not a big between-meal snacker, though that may change with work,

Any ideas for getting over the mental block with increasing calories? I know that part of it is that it is hard for me to fathom that I can actually lose weight eating things like peanut butter almost every day.

neanderthin · February 2014

Ok, well a few 100cal snacks throughout a waking day should be pretty easy, even some junk if that works.

SugaryLynx · February 2014

You can lose weight eating anything as long as you're in a deficit. I lose weight eating all sorts of awesome things. Don't look at foods as good or bad. See them for what they are, fuel for your body. I focus primarily on finding foods I love that are nutrient dense to hit my macros, then look to fun things to use the rest of my calories .. calories are a unit of energy that is important for your body. Think of it that way. Peanut butter and regular fat things are good for you. Easy way to get more calories in. Why so much low fat? Fats are very important for your body. Just curious

Spiderkeys · February 2014

I'm struggling to stall my weight loss too, probably an easy way is get the junk food out again, but I've trained myself to only eat healthy foods, despite upping my calories every week, I'm losing weight just as fast or faster than before, my maintance calorie limit is 2380, and my god, that a lot of healthy food to eat, if my weight doesn't stall soon, I'm thinking about chucking out my cigerettes, so I will burn less calories.

I don't eat bread, or pasta, or cheese, and on a low budget, I'm stuck working out ways how to fill up my calories everyday.

bradXdale · February 2014

I posted about this the other day.

Try finding some dense foods to snack on.

28 Almonds - 170 Calories (Good fats)

1TBSP Peanut Butter - Approx. 200 cals (easy protein / fat)

Banana (Large 8 to 9" long) - Approx 180+ cals (good carbs, sugar, potassium)

Dark Chocolate (70% Cocoa) - 200+ Calories for 3 Squares (Ghiradelli brand...and it's addicting)

Cheese - 100+ Calories

Mix some of these together if you have 300-400 calories left for the day. Eat some cheese & nuts. Try dipping banana slices into peanut butter. Almonds and dark chocolate KILL my feelings of stress...I mean lets be real...when you're stressed biting on something crunchy and then getting the sweet taste of chocolate...fuh' getta'bout it!

honeylissabee · February 2014

I know what KIND of foods to eat. I covered that before. I love nuts (pistachios, especially), nut butters, avocado, coconut oil, and full-fat dairy.

However, 2% Fage is 4 points on WW. Fage Total is 6-7 points. And that's before adding any kind of sweetener.

I do not use 0 calorie sweeteners (I prefer honey and maple syrup). I eat whole eggs instead of egg whites.

One of my favorite on the go snacks is a pint of whole milk. I like to sip on it throughout the day. That's 8 points on Weight Watchers, and I only get 30 a day. Even one cup is pretty steep. Fat-free milk, however, is only two points.

It's not that these foods are technically off limits. It's just very difficult to fit them into a points target of 30-something, so most people just don't eat them.

I did about 5.5 days of a Whole 30 and about a month of 90% clean eating (no chemicals). I still love looking for Whole 30/Paleo approved foods, and most of my diet is fairly clean. I don't eat artificial sweeteners, preservatives, nitrates, artificial colors/flavors, etc whenever possible. I do eat conventionally grown and raised foods (partially because I do not pay for all of my own groceries at the time), but for the most part, my diet is pretty clean.

I can easily eat 2,000+ calories in foods I LOVE, but going from eating a low calorie diet to a higher calorie diet is proving to be a challenge for me.

ell_v131 · February 2014

Just make small changes. You don't have to jump from 1300 to your new goal immediately. When I went from 1200 to 1500 I couldn't imagine possibly eating as much. Now I generally have to watch myself not to go over 1700 net, so about 1800-1900 gross. Small adjustments will help. Have your eggs on toast again. With the spinach too if you want. Indulge in some things that you had todeprive yyourself of. You know you can eat a lot more, now you just need to get there emotionally, and step by step you will make it. Don't use the low fat versions of anything and just enjoy giving your body the fuel it needs x.

bajoyba · February 2014

Are you still following WW AND doing TDEE-20%, or are you done with WW and just trying to mentally get past the points system?

If you're doing both, it might be a bit complicated. And if you stick with the TDEE method and log your food accurately, there's no reason why you should need WW. Points are just another way of creating a calorie deficit.

If you're just trying to make that mental switch, maybe it would be helpful to look at your nutrition rather than just at your calories. I've never done WW myself, but my mom and a couple of close friends have done it. If I understand it correctly, they calculate a food's point value based on it's macros (protein + fiber vs. carbs + fat). The more carbs and fat a food has in relation to its fiber and protein, the more points it has. Dietary fat isn't bad (it's actually a good thing, and many people look at their fat goals as a minimum), but it does have more calories per gram than carbs and protein, so it makes sense that a higher fat food item would be more points in order to compensate for the calorie amount. However, if you're already logging your food and counting your calories, then your calorie and fat intake is already accounted for, so you don't really need to worry about it.

So I guess my suggestion is, maybe if you focus on trying to hit your macro goals, it will help you get past the mental block of counting points and only eating certain foods. Many people who do TDEE-20% also take the IIFYM (if it fits your macros) approach and just focus on hitting those numbers with whatever foods they like. You can also change your macro percentages. A popular ratio is 40% carbs, 30% fat, and 30% protein, but you can shift them around to reflect the way you like to eat.

And as others have suggested, if you raise your calories slowly, it might be easier to tweak your eating habits and work into eating that higher calorie goal.

easjer · February 2014

I'm trying to do the same after completing a second Whole30 and joining a 6 month dietbet. Between being busy and being very bored with food in the last week of my Whole, I was eating very little and my weight loss stalled. Then I gained when I went off Whole and was eating more with non-compliant foods because I was taking a week off. Which is why I started MFP - to find out exactly how much I was eating. Turns out - very, very little.

I wanted to stay dairy free and gluten free, but I haven't managed either way in my attempt to increase my calories. The mental part is tough, especially finding healthy things I want to eat to add, because my meals were leaving me full/satisfied. I don't have great advice, really. I just find things that are healthier and sound appetizing and add them in. I increased portions of meat and will be adding a soup to lunch and a smoothie to breakfast next week. Breaking through and allowing daily treats has been a real mind-blowing experience, but I don't want to live feeling guilty over a cookie once or twice a week, you know?

Make healthy choice, plan ahead and it will become your new normal.

honeylissabee · February 2014

Are you still following WW AND doing TDEE-20%, or are you done with WW and just trying to mentally get past the points system?

If you're doing both, it might be a bit complicated. And if you stick with the TDEE method and log your food accurately, there's no reason why you should need WW. Points are just another way of creating a calorie deficit.

If you're just trying to make that mental switch, maybe it would be helpful to look at your nutrition rather than just at your calories. I've never done WW myself, but my mom and a couple of close friends have done it. If I understand it correctly, they calculate a food's point value based on it's macros (protein + fiber vs. carbs + fat). The more carbs and fat a food has in relation to its fiber and protein, the more points it has. Dietary fat isn't bad (it's actually a good thing, and many people look at their fat goals as a minimum), but it does have more calories per gram than carbs and protein, so it makes sense that a higher fat food item would be more points in order to compensate for the calorie amount. However, if you're already logging your food and counting your calories, then your calorie and fat intake is already accounted for, so you don't really need to worry about it.

So I guess my suggestion is, maybe if you focus on trying to hit your macro goals, it will help you get past the mental block of counting points and only eating certain foods. Many people who do TDEE-20% also take the IIFYM (if it fits your macros) approach and just focus on hitting those numbers with whatever foods they like. You can also change your macro percentages. A popular ratio is 40% carbs, 30% fat, and 30% protein, but you can shift them around to reflect the way you like to eat.

And as others have suggested, if you raise your calories slowly, it might be easier to tweak your eating habits and work into eating that higher calorie goal.

I am still going to WW meetings because I find they really help me, but I'm not following the program.

I think the most freeing eating plan I was on was when I wasn't measuring or counting a thing. I ate a diet that consisted of 90% real foods. I would have smoothies made of full fat yogurt and milk, chia seeds, and various fruits and veggies for breakfast or lunch. Homemade 100% whole wheat bread would be a main course for dinner on occasion- as would celery and apples with peanut butter. I didn't stress about numbers or calories. I allowed myself some sugar in moderation, and there was nothing stopping me from enjoying dessert when eating out (although this time around, I'd limit it to once a week instead of making any trip out a free-for-all.

I actually lost weight eating mostly real foods, and I'm wondering how I would have done had I not gotten a bit off track with Thanksgiving and such. I also started to indulge too much in items that weren't necessarily filled with bad ingredients, but still had a decent amount of sugar and not 100% real food ingredients (certain potato chips, Talenti gelato).

I want to go back to eating that way. Back to a plan where I don't feel guilty for having peanut butter for dinner, and where I can eat without stressing over calories and macro-nutrients, etc.

At the same time, I've lost almost 20 pounds counting calories and points, so I'm worried that going back to a primarily real food diet with occasional treats will backfire on me. I dislike the stress of measuring and counting everything and focusing on numbers, but if it works, then I should stick to it right?

bajoyba · February 2014

At the same time, I've lost almost 20 pounds counting calories and points, so I'm worried that going back to a primarily real food diet with occasional treats will backfire on me. I dislike the stress of measuring and counting everything and focusing on numbers, but if it works, then I should stick to it right?

I guess it really just depends on the person.

I think the point of measuring and counting everything we eat is to teach us what serving sizes of specific foods actually look like. Many of us (myself included) had no prior knowledge of weight maintenance or frame of reference for proper portion sizes.

Some people, especially after using calorie counting as an educational tool, can practice intuitive eating successfully. Maybe you just needed a refresher course. If you feel mentally prepared to try going without counting, maybe you should give it a shot, or perhaps there's a middle ground between counting every morsel and counting nothing at all. I think it's also important to understand why you gained weight in the first place. If you know which eating habits cause you to eat above maintenance (boredom eater, emotional eater, large portion sizes, etc.), it will be that much easier to get a better handle on it once you decide to stop counting.

Feelings of restriction or guilt in relation to food are definitely not the right direction to go in, and mental health is just as important as physical health. You have to do what's best for you.

kagevf · February 2014

eat a burger once in a while with a shake, that should up your calories.
go for it !
its all good!

acogg · February 2014

It is a mental block for me as well. I am trying to gain muscle, eating well but also hoping to see a downward number on the scale. The balance of all of it is very hard.:sad:

honeylissabee · February 2014

eat a burger once in a while with a shake, that should up your calories.
go for it !
its all good!

I have a free meal every Monday night.

I think one of my problems is a battle between wanting to see a good number on the scale and wanting to do something that feels more natural to me. I felt so much better focusing in WHAT i was eating instead of numbers, and I did lose weight. I just got too relaxed with treats. I still need to avoid the healthier junk food most of the time.

But I wonder if I will lose weight if I go back to eating real food, eating treats in moderation, and eat my normal "WW approved" meals dining out-excluding Monday night. I am increasing my activity level gradually. I'm just afraid it will fail, and I'm not sure I can get back on track with counting calories if I stop.

ell_v131 · February 2014

At the same time, I've lost almost 20 pounds counting calories and points, so I'm worried that going back to a primarily real food diet with occasional treats will backfire on me. I dislike the stress of measuring and counting everything and focusing on numbers, but if it works, then I should stick to it right?

what is the alternative? not eating real food for the rest of your life? I think you are overthinking it. You need to decide whether gradual approach suits you better than just sucking it up and jumping in with both feet. Either way pick one (you know it's what you need to do anyways) and commit to it. It may be scary but once you commit don't let up and you will soon wonder what were you so scared of

kagevf · February 2014

adding a workout routine will get you back to eating normal food rather than spend the money at weight watchers.

Struggle with upping calories

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