Not enough calories too many carbs!!

FinallyFlying
FinallyFlying Posts: 71 Member
in Goal: Gaining Weight and Body Building
Hello, I'm currently trying to gain about a pound a week, but have unfortunately ran into a problem; I keep going over with carbs and protein, yet I can't reach my 1400 calorie goal! I have it set at 50% carbs, but I'll go over to about 55% sometimes. I enjoy oatmeal at night and fruits throughout the day, that is probably why my crabs are so high. But, I don't really know what else to eat. I eat Greek yogurt, lite bread, eggs, lunch meat, chicken, tuna, and veggies mostly. Please help me before I go insane. Thanks and God bless.
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Replies

  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 49,031 Member
    Don't worry too much about going over you macros if you're trying to gain weight. It's surplus of calories that matters more.

    A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness industry for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
  • jjplato
    jjplato Posts: 155 Member
    The foods you mentioned aren't very calorie-dense. Have you tried more calorie-dense foods like nuts, peanut butter, avocados, cheese, cream, potatoes, etc? When you eat Greek yogurt, are you eating the non-fat kind or regular? And why are you eating lite bread if you're trying to gain weight?
  • Chris_Pierce
    Chris_Pierce Posts: 267 Member
    Eat moar!!
  • RaspberryKeytoneBoondoggle
    RaspberryKeytoneBoondoggle Posts: 1,349 Member
    Add more fat to your diet?
  • AdventureFreak
    AdventureFreak Posts: 236 Member
    open up your diary so that we can give you quality feedback.
  • tigersword
    tigersword Posts: 8,059 Member
    Wait, gain a pound a week eating only 1400 calories? I think you may want to recalculate your goals.
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  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 49,031 Member
    Then eat more protein and fats. Fat doesn't make you fat. Too much excess makes you fat.

    A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness industry for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
  • Chris_Pierce
    Chris_Pierce Posts: 267 Member
    Pick up some protein powder. Drink a serving with every meal, before and after weight lifting. You win!
  • DanaDark
    DanaDark Posts: 2,187 Member
    Trying to gain a pound a week... on a 1400 calorie diet.

    Umm...

    Ummmm... UMMM...

    Yeah. No.
  • 3laine75
    3laine75 Posts: 3,069 Member
    You're not going to gain 1lb a week eating 1400 cals, unless you're about 4'?!

    Don't worry about excess carbs if your trying to gain, but seriously, you're not going to do it on 1400.
  • cwoyto123
    cwoyto123 Posts: 308
    Can never have too many carbs mayne.
  • morekettlebell
    morekettlebell Posts: 15
    If you're trying to gain, you should calculate your caloric needs (here is a great little calculator https://www.healthstatus.com/calculate/calories-to-gain-weight ). Then add more fat and calorie dense foods in to your diet. Carbs will actually help you with your goal, just eat more. I'd supplement with shakes (2 scoops!) in between meals to beef up your calories.
  • tjthegreatone
    tjthegreatone Posts: 324
    Hello, I'm currently trying to gain about a pound a week, but have unfortunately ran into a problem; I keep going over with carbs and protein, yet I can't reach my 1400 calorie goal! I have it set at 50% carbs, but I'll go over to about 55% sometimes. I enjoy oatmeal at night and fruits throughout the day, that is probably why my crabs are so high. But, I don't really know what else to eat. I eat Greek yogurt, lite bread, eggs, lunch meat, chicken, tuna, and veggies mostly. Please help me before I go insane. Thanks and God bless.

    Who set this goal? It is ridiculously low...unless you're still trying to lose weight. You should be eating closer to double that if you're anything like the average 18 year old girl, and trying to gain weight.
    More to the point - why are you trying to gain weight? Are you by any chance recovering from an eating disorder? If so, this is not the ideal place for you.
  • jjwilde265
    jjwilde265 Posts: 19 Member
    no one can gain weight on 1400 calories lol. get some peanut butter. :-)
  • littlekitty3
    littlekitty3 Posts: 265 Member
    Carbs don't make you gain weight
    No one gains on 1400 calories unless their metabolism has become THAT efficient.
  • Anonycatgirl
    Anonycatgirl Posts: 502 Member
    1) Why are you eating "light" products if you're trying to gain? Full-fat yogurt won't make you feel more full than fat-free, for example, but packs more calories and nutrition. Put tasty full-fat dressing on your salad. Instead of always having chicken or tuna, have a burrito or a burger sometimes. Eat half now and half later in the day if it seems like too much at once.
    2) I'm easily old enough to be your mom and I'm *losing* almost a pound a week on 1500 calories a day. If you're not dealing with an eating disorder or other medical issue, you need to eat a lot more than 1400 calories.
    3) If there are medical issues at play, that's a whole different story and you should be listening to your team of specialists, not random people on the Internet. Support, we can do for you. If you've been ill or battling an eating disorder, we'll root for your recovery, but most of us don't have medical training and might make things worse rather than better if we try to offer much advice.

    Good luck.
  • _Zardoz_
    _Zardoz_ Posts: 3,987 Member
    I aim to hit 60% carbs and I'm losing weight. Carbs are not some mystical thing that make you gain weight. they're just a food group that contain calories.
  • shartran
    shartran Posts: 304 Member
    Your diary shows you are eating around 1000 cal's and your carbs don't look crazy.

    How tall are you? How much are you trying to gain?
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  • gypsy_spirit
    gypsy_spirit Posts: 2,107 Member
    If you are in recovery from an ED and are working with a dietician/doctor - perhaps they are increasing your calories slowly. In looking at your diary, you are still not reaching the 1400 calories a day. Keep working with the professionals that are advising you. It looks like you're trying to turn it around and be healthy and that's awesome.

    Best of luck. :flowerforyou:
  • Cranquistador
    Cranquistador Posts: 39,744 Member
    If you are in recovery from an ED and are working with a dietician/doctor - perhaps they are increasing your calories slowly. In looking at your diary, you are still not reaching the 1400 calories a day. Keep working with the professionals that are advising you. It looks like you're trying to turn it around and be healthy and that's awesome.

    Best of luck. :flowerforyou:
    exactly this.
  • _Terrapin_
    _Terrapin_ Posts: 4,301 Member
    If you are in recovery from an ED and are working with a dietician/doctor - perhaps they are increasing your calories slowly. In looking at your diary, you are still not reaching the 1400 calories a day. Keep working with the professionals that are advising you. It looks like you're trying to turn it around and be healthy and that's awesome.

    Best of luck. :flowerforyou:
    ^^this^^ excellent post.:smile:
  • MrGonzo05
    MrGonzo05 Posts: 1,120 Member
    My impression from reading your diary is that you are avoiding dietary fat. I don't know why you are doing that, but I wanted to add that dietary fat in moderation is good for you, and excessive restriction of dietary fat is a bad thing, as we learned during the low fat diet craze. Please don't get obsessed with "good and bad fats" either. Have some bacon and eggs now and then. ;)
  • superhippo95
    superhippo95 Posts: 21 Member
    your fat is way too low, its destroying your hormones and growth. I can tell you still suffer severely from an eating disorder.
  • tracydr
    tracydr Posts: 528 Member
    Hello, I'm currently trying to gain about a pound a week, but have unfortunately ran into a problem; I keep going over with carbs and protein, yet I can't reach my 1400 calorie goal! I have it set at 50% carbs, but I'll go over to about 55% sometimes. I enjoy oatmeal at night and fruits throughout the day, that is probably why my crabs are so high. But, I don't really know what else to eat. I eat Greek yogurt, lite bread, eggs, lunch meat, chicken, tuna, and veggies mostly. Please help me before I go insane. Thanks and God bless.
    I started adding a scoop of whey protein powder in an unsweetened almond milk and/ fruit smoothie, or even just the protein powder in almond milk. It's changed my macros so that they are much more balanced. I also had to cut my fat as it was around 50% until I did some changes. Looks like you need to add fat.
    Fat is so important to health, in moderation. Please don't avoid things like avocados, nuts, olive oil and fatty fish. And a dark meat chicken piece instead of white meat is fine, too, especially if it's free range. Free range meat is always higher in omega 3's. I raise my own meat chickens so I know how they were fed.
  • Ulwaz
    Ulwaz Posts: 380 Member
    1400 calories? you wouldnt even gain weight with that amount, you'd need 2000+ at least, if your suffering from an ED seek some professional advice
  • Ulwaz
    Ulwaz Posts: 380 Member
    It looks too me from your diary that your suffering from an ED, how do i know? because i have/am as well, your avoiding foods high in calories, having too many carbs isnt going to make you fat, it doesnt matter what foods you eat as long as its within your calories for the day but you need to be eating more than 1400 calories, please seek some professional help
  • shartran
    shartran Posts: 304 Member
    If you are in recovery from an ED and are working with a dietician/doctor - perhaps they are increasing your calories slowly. In looking at your diary, you are still not reaching the 1400 calories a day. Keep working with the professionals that are advising you. It looks like you're trying to turn it around and be healthy and that's awesome.

    Best of luck. :flowerforyou:

    Yes, I went through this myself when recovering - I had to gain 45 lbs. and the dietician starts you out with smaller amounts and increase from there. By the end, I ended up eating approx. 3500 cal's/day. They have to make sure you don't experience 'refeeding syndrome' - very dangerous.

    Best of luck to you. It's not an easy road - keep in touch/friend me if you would like.
  • Linnaea27
    Linnaea27 Posts: 639 Member
    I'm 5'6 102 pounds, and I'd like to reach 120 pounds. I'm recovering from an eating disorder, so my dietitian is the one who put me on the 1400 calorie diet. I gained one pound, but now I'm stuck on the same number. My mom disagrees with my dietitian and doctor about me having 1400 calories, but I guess under the circumstances it's normal.

    Have you seen this website (and the article I'm linking to, in particular)? It is worth poking around on there extensively, as you're in recovery. I think you'd find this very helpful and interesting: http://www.youreatopia.com/blog/2011/9/14/i-need-how-many-calories.html

    But it does sound like your nutritionist is approaching this with caution, as they need to. :)

    Try getting some full-fat Greek yogurt. And enjoy peanut butter or other fatty things you used to like before you started restricting. And if you can eat dairy, go for full-fat cheeses-- they are delicious and the fat in them helps with proper metabolism of calcium for bone strength.

    Good luck, I hope you recover well and quickly!

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