This is why people can't eat all of their calories...

I'm having that problem too.... I find eating 1200 easy but every time I do maintentance I end up eating way more, because I try to reach goal with 'healthy' foods (including oils). But then it's not enough, so I end up eating 1 cookie, 2 cookies and then it turns into 20 cookies and I surpass my goal hahaha!!! I have no self-control ):

same with me. I actually just realized that I don't perform well at odd number like 1500 calories or 2000 calories. I always feel restricted and tend to over eat. Strange I know. Then if I just don't think of calories for a day, eat when I feel hungry, by the end of the day, I usually ended up at a better place. But that's just me...

I am a bit odd myself...my goal is 1700 which is TDEE-15% but my diary is set to 1600 so I feel like I have that leeway...I was going to just set it at 1700 but my husband reminded me of my "mind set"...well he said "mental issues" but anyway...so I leave it at 1600 and average 1700 a day....:bigsmile:

ETA: I think I am one of the few here who likes seeing their diary in red.....

This is why everyone is always wondering why they can't eat the amount of calories they are supposed to. It's easy to eat 1000 calories in a day, its easy to eat 3000 calories in a day. It is not east to eat 2000 calories in a day.

I find it easy to eat 2000 calories in a day. About 1750 in breakfast lunch and dinner, with a bowl of ice cream on top.

Id be interested in seeing your diary. Some days I have trouble eating enough without eating something bad for me.

And if I go and burn a few hundred at the gym like I do four nights a week, I am supposed to replenish those calories I "earned"!?!?!

You plan for it and eat more that day. If you have a regular routine and you know you typically go those 4 nights, then you know about how much you are going to need that day.

It is not east to eat 2000 calories in a day.

This is just an example of when I was losing and eating roughly 2200 calories per day...

Breakfast: 450 Calories

- 1 egg and 1 egg white (from carton) scrambled with 1 gram of finely shredded sharp cheddar (for extra flavor punch) & 2 grams coconut oil in non-stick.
- 1 serving Coach's Oats w/tsp brown sugar
- 50 grams of blueberries
- 11.5 oz low sodium V8 juice

Lunch: 675 Calories

- 1 cup of my homemade charro beans
- 4 grams sharp white cheddar
- 1 fresh homemade tortilla
- 1 chicken leg
- 1/2 avocado

Afternoon snack: 206 calories

- 200 grams assorted vegetables w/60 grams roasted red pepper hummus

Pre workout: 266 calories

- 165 grams fuji apple
- 28 grams raw almonds

Post workout: 140 calories

- Cytosport Whey Protein

Dinner: 600 calories

- 2 oz dried Gorafalo spaghetti
- 1/2 Cup marinara
- 85 grams roasted brussels sprouts and onions in olive oil
- 4 ounces grilled boneless skinless chicken breast
- 1 sessions beer

Total calories 2,217

I will forever refuse to believe that this is in any way difficult, and there's really not even any junk food in that day save for my end of the day brew.

Hey, stop showing off, how dare you LOSE weight on calories that are more than my maintenance!!

and worst of all, sweet tea (the sweet, sweet nectar of the gods) That's where all of the calories went.

You named my arch nemesis disguised as my best friend! I couldn't for the life of me figure out how I got sooooo fat over the summer! I was drinking a giant cup of sweet tea everyday! That and my salted caramel lattes! LOL! I have switched to Chai (tea bag not concentrate!) with some homemade creamer~ half n half and agave. I am getting my craving satisfied without loads of sugar or calories!

So the lesson is that teabagging satisfies cravings?

I suppose it YOU are into that sort of thing, who am I to judge.

Hmm. After reading 6 pages, my takeaway from this thread is such:

If someone has a problem, and offers a lengthy explanation of said problem, including detailed examples ... the best thing to do is smugly explain to him why he's wrong and how much better we are at eating than he is, and then routinely make comments about him not making any sense.

Dear OP,

You're not alone. Some people are *great* at this. Others have trouble eating all their calories, and others have difficulties balancing their caloric intake against their macros. Same days are more difficult than others no matter how much you plan. For some people, no days are difficult and because those people exist, people like you and I (and the very few other folks that seemed to understand where you're coming from) are 100% fundamentally wrong--according to them.

At the risk of coming off like a total **** ... the level of superiority in this thread is overwhelming.

The guy had a legit concern and tried to explain it. Can we not act like he's some kind of moron and we're all saints of great health?

I saw numerous people giving advice on how it could be done, yet having that advice shot down as unreasonable, unhealthy, etc etc.

I have read your post three times and with all due respect, I have no idea what you are talking about, except that I understand that you cut out soft drinks, sweet tea and eat beans from a can and put yogurt on your potato. Those are all things to congratulate you for. Does the rest of what you said apply to all of us ? I don't think so.....

I don't think you understand the art of an example.

Possibly, but what example would that be ?

You are not alone. I can't figure out the meaning or purpose of the OP either. That being said, my average daily calorie intake for the last 7 days was 1935cals/day. Not difficult at all. Oh, yeah, and I lost a lb in the process.

What can't you understand? It's in English, there are few(if any) grammatical errors. You might disagree, and you might be trying to tell everyone you disagree by being an *kitten* hat about it, but if you just don't understand what I'm trying to communicate then I think there's a deeper problem, and it's not on my end.

That being said, Yes, anyone can eat and add it all up and then say "oh no im 400 calories short" and go buy a milkshake. That's not okay. Planning for exactly 2000 is difficult for all of the reasons I have already said.

Actually, that is 100% OK. Why wouldn't it be? As long as you have hit all your macros, you don't get any points for eating 400 more calories of chicken and canned veggies.

Hmm. After reading 6 pages, my takeaway from this thread is such:

If someone has a problem, and offers a lengthy explanation of said problem, including detailed examples ... the best thing to do is smugly explain to him why he's wrong and how much better we are at eating than he is, and then routinely make comments about him not making any sense.

Dear OP,

You're not alone. Some people are *great* at this. Others have trouble eating all their calories, and others have difficulties balancing their caloric intake against their macros. Same days are more difficult than others no matter how much you plan. For some people, no days are difficult and because those people exist, people like you and I (and the very few other folks that seemed to understand where you're coming from) are 100% fundamentally wrong--according to them.

At the risk of coming off like a total **** ... the level of superiority in this thread is overwhelming.

The guy had a legit concern and tried to explain it. Can we not act like he's some kind of moron and we're all saints of great health?

Why is it so difficult? explain that...because to be frank I just don't get it...

I sit down in the evening and look ahead at my week and think about what is in my fridge/cupboard/freezer and plan out my days...

I need 1700 calories a day, 120g of protien...those are my top goals...I work around them...

I buy groceries based on those goals and yes I too budget for food...and have 2 grown men in my house who are not "watching" their calories and I have stuff all over my house that is not "diet" or "healthy"...

so explain to those of us that do it everyday with the same issues the OP has why is it so difficult?

This is why everyone is always wondering why they can't eat the amount of calories they are supposed to. It's easy to eat 1000 calories in a day, its easy to eat 3000 calories in a day. It is not east to eat 2000 calories in a day.

I find it easy to eat 2000 calories in a day. About 1750 in breakfast lunch and dinner, with a bowl of ice cream on top.

Id be interested in seeing your diary. Some days I have trouble eating enough without eating something bad for me.

"Eating something bad for you" isn't real (within moderation. Everyone knows drinking bleach is bad for you). Whats bad for you is treating a diet as just that: a diet. Its not a diet. Its a choice to make HEALTHY decisions about what and when you eat. Feel like a donut? Great, have one, but maintain a balance and dont eat a dozen. Eat within your macros and calorie limits 90% of the time and you'll lose weight.

Losing weight is easy. Losing weight while maintaining muscle is a little harder.

I'm not sure if I totally understand the post, but I easily get to 2000 calories eating "whole foods" - nothing "processed" besides maybe 5-9 corn tortilla chips. My diary is open, so feel free to check it out!

I find it really easy to eat chicken breast and veggies every night; hard boiled egg and tomato every morning. That's actually how I love to eat and how I feel my best, but I can go waaaaay up and above 2000 calories easily on that healthy diet.

I find it really difficult to stay between 1400-1800 calories each day. I get way starving and grouchy below 1400 calories, and above 1800 I won't lose, but it would be super easy to go over.

I think that's how I got this way in the first place, I just had no idea how much food I was actually eating - even though I was eating healthy I was having 500 calorie meals like 4 times a day and then a bowl of popcorn at night!

What has helped me is an app on my phone called "Life Reminders" and I set breakfast at 9am, first lunch at 12 noon, second lunch at 3pm and dinner at 8pm. Each with calorie limits.

I don't always hit those times exactly, but when I go by those times and calorie limits I feel satisfied thru the day with plenty of energy and I don't go over my calories either!

I don't eat in a vacuum.......I don't look up from the computer after logging and realize " OMG I only ate 689 calories, how did that come about " ?. It also does not happen that I realize " oh, I ate 3415 calories without realizing how that happened ". Why,? because I plan my food, I know now that a person of my height and age cannot consistently eat more than 1200 calories if they want to lose some weight. And I plan accordingly. Not down to last last calories, but within a 100 or so and that includes for example half a pound of strawberries with cream & sugar. I follow some people who are really successful and who I admire for all they have done to shed weight and become healthy and fit.....and they all plan before hand. No one eats " just because there are calories left " and I agree with you....it's not a good idea.
I am no one special, possess no special powers and am of average intelligence......and I manage. So what is so difficult for others? That's what I don't understand and the fact that " This is why people can't eat all of their calories " is a blanket statement that does not apply to many if not most people... And I realized right away that the post was in English and understand that part just fine, even though English is my fourth language.......jejeje.

While I agree with some of what you said, the bolded part I disagree with. People who have specific fitness goals find that their performance suffers if they are not eating ALL of their calories. These people do eat more when they have calories left.

Same here. I eat mostly ad libitum during the day and then at the end of the day if I have more calories left I eat something. (I have never ever pre-planned beyond the meal I'm preparing to eat.)

This happens a lot when I am bulking. Because I get used to eating about 2400 calories a day and suddenly change my goal to add an extra 1000-1500 per day.

I agree with you. I thought since I was talking about " shedding weight " that that would exclude those who have to eat more because they are bulking. I realize now that the next time I have to be much more accurate to include all of the different groups of people who eat for whatever reasons and that of course includes those people who all of a sudden need to increase their calories from 2400 to 3400-3900. I was only thinking of those trying to " shed weight ", which was relevant to what I wanted to say.....my mistake.....:o).
But ...somehow I think that people who want to lose weight ( and not those who are bulking ) need to plan a bit more....or a lot more, because a calorie deficit by definition is limiting....much more than eating anywhere from 3000-4000 calories.

I wasn't talking about bulking. I'm talking about people who are eating at a calorie deficit to lose weight and/or fat, and yet still want to meet their performance goals, and thus need to eat all of their calories so they can perform well. Not gaining weight or muscle, just ability to continue to progress in their fitness program.

Because of this sentence " This happens a lot when I am bulking. Because I get used to eating about 2400 calories a day and suddenly change my goal to add an extra 1000-1500 per day. " I figured you were talking about bulking and yourself and not people in general..
As mentioned before; I am old and very short and eat 1200 calories to lose .5 pounds a week and need to plan, because I have no calories to waste, neither on satietywithout nutrition, nor on foods that don't meet my macros and feel that a lot of people who want to eat for weight loss as well as health & fitness and who eat calories under 2000 a day need to make a similar effort .