I've only had 800 cals but I'm so FULL :(

As for why you are getting the eye-roll posts here is why:

You entered a forum designed to provide a support community to a group who is attempting, often struggling, to lose weight. You then post something about how HARD it is to eat more than 800 calories.

If you don't see the issue here or why this would spur some of the reactions you got let me use an analogy. Lets say you went to a forum dedicated to sufferers of severe acne and excema and proceeded to complain bitterly about how hard it is to rub all this lotion into your glisteningly perfect porcelain flesh. Not only is it a first-world problem it is a first-world problem that is pretty much in exact contradiction to the problem most of the people on said forum are struggling with. So yeah, you are going to get some flak for that and its not surprising because to some it is going to seem like an intentional trolling or a bid for attention.

Now I feel like a huge a*shole.

I'm sorry for complaining about having trouble not getting enough calories. It's something I'm working on, and will keep to myself in the future.

Oh okay VirGoddess I see the post you are referring to. Its not just saying it, its the approach to saying it (filled with drama and woe-is-me) that I was refering to more in the OP's post, hadn't even seen yours. Advice is similar though. If you find yourself struggling to eat enough then my first assumption is that you are trying to eat "clean" or "healthy" and what many people do when they do this is to try to avoid all fat and stick to things that are high fiber. They switch from pasta to brown rice, they eat lots of vegetables, they eat only very lean cuts of meat like chicken breast. All that is well and good but one of your requirements is calories themselves and if you find yourself full before you hit your calorie goal then it is up to you to recognize that as a problem and CHANGE your diet to address that problem. In this case it would be a matter of cutting out some of that fiberous low cal foods and subbing in some high calorie foods like peanut butter or nuts or <gasp> a Doctor Pepper.

Proper nutrition isn't about cutting out everything that one views as unhealthy, its about moderation and finding a balance you can live with. So therefore if you have issues eating enough, sub back in one of those "Bad" foods that you decided to avoid and that should help you attain your calorie goal.

Sorry if I cast a wider net than I intended to with my post, I was irritated by some aspects of the OPs post...not yours.

I don't eat clean or anything like that - I still eat bread and pasta and other deliciousness. In fact I haven't cut anything out except the excess Dr, Pepper and coffee - I allow myself half a serving of each a day. The only thing I changed about my diet was to try to incorporate more veggies (I'm bad with those). It's just I can't eat much at one time - I never used to eat lunch at all and my "meal" has usually been dinner. So I'm now trying to spread my food into snacks every hour or so. I pre-log so I can get a feel for what I need to eat to meet my goals. My diary is open (Wendy's two days in a row - don't judge me ), so you're welcome to take a peek. I do realize this isn't the best way to lose - and I'm making an effort to change it.

Thanks for your feedback

Here is my opinion on this. Note opinion, not fact...take it or leave it.

Vegetables are the filler that you use to make sure you are satiated by the time you hit your calorie goal.

Lets say my calorie goal is 2200 calories a day (mostly because it is). Lets say I get there by eating some pasta, a piece of steak, some buttered toast and a head of brocolli etc etc. At the end of my 2200 calories I am still starving. Well, I note than and say to myself...I need to cut down on a low fiber high calorie item and add more veg and a high fiber item. So I switch pasta for brown rice and add carrots and celery on top of the broccolli. I eat 2200 and at that point I'm full, problem solved.

Lets say instead at 2200 calories a day as a goal I get to 1800 and I'm just stuffed. I look at that pile of mashed potatoes and I just can't have it, way to full. Well I take that into account and I look at my diet. Say to myself well, lets stop eating that broccoli and switch some of these lentils for some white rice. Now I can make that 2200.


Long story short your calorie goal is your goal, it is what you should aim for. Eating less than your calorie goal isn't a victory, its missing your goal same as if you had gone over.

If you go over your goal regularly or are hungry, add more fiber more lean protein and more veg.
If you go under your goal regularly or are stuffed, subtract fiber and veg and add something fatty or at least calorie rich that is low fiber.

I get the feeling that people who don't eat enough at some level know this is true but on another level actually have some pride or hope in their exceedingly low calorie days that it will give them some sort of edge on weight loss. Honestly though it is just missing your goal and if you notice it happening a lot you should change things to fix the problem.

Thank you !

Best post I have read in a while......almost wish I had written it.

I often wonder why so many people are unaware of the fact that they are in control of their diet and that " wow-congratulations-you-ate-500-calories-under-daily-goal " ( or 200 or whatever ) is actually nothing to be proud of. I know it is difficult to eat the exact calories ( and in 440 days it has happened to me twice by sheer coincidence ), but being as close as possible is much better than staying under as much as we can get by with.

Again, great post !,

Agreed! This perfectly expresses something that has really bugged me about these threads. It almost seems that the "Help! My wee tummy is just so full!" people take some sort of masochistic pride in depriving themselves and letting others know about it, as if they expect a pat on the back instead of the stern talking-to they invariably get.

Agreed! This perfectly expresses something that has really bugged me about these threads. It almost seems that the "Help! My wee tummy is just so full!" people take some sort of masochistic pride in depriving themselves and letting others know about it, as if they expect a pat on the back instead of the stern talking-to they invariably get.

Hence my frustration and pissiness. Perhaps I read to much into these sorts of posts but it does seem to me like this is a real REAL simple fix, you just swap out low calorie dense foods for high calorie undense foods and there you go. So when I see a post like this I feel as you do, that it is somewhat attention whoring for a pat on the back and assurances that somehow repeatedly missing your goal is okay. Will it kill you...no...but its missing your goal and you have every ability to fix that if you just act.

Maybe some of these responses aren't directed at my post, but since my post is quoted, I feel the need to defend myself.

I did ask for help on here. I was brand new to this weight loss thing. I haven't really changed my eating habits at all - I just quit drinking so much soda/coffee. So I was really worried when I realized I was far below my goals. So I asked on here for ways to increase my intake, without increasing my food (because I do eat when I'm hungry and until I'm full - adding extra food in when you're not hungry isn't an option - I wanted more calorie dense foods, though I didn't know that term at the time). I was made fun of, asked how I got so fat, and told I was a liar.

I'm not proud of being under my goals, I'm not attention seeking. I wanted help, but everyone was too caught up in their "rightness" to actually listen to me - and it sucked. I realized that how I was losing wasn't the right way and I wanted to correct it.

So while I'm sure lots of people have other motives, sometimes people actually just need some help because they were never taught how this stuff works and they want to learn how to do it the correct, safe way.

Maybe some of these responses aren't directed at my post, but since my post is quoted, I feel the need to defend myself.

I did ask for help on here. I was brand new to this weight loss thing. I haven't really changed my eating habits at all - I just quit drinking so much soda/coffee. So I was really worried when I realized I was far below my goals. So I asked on here for ways to increase my intake, without increasing my food (because I do eat when I'm hungry and until I'm full - adding extra food in when you're not hungry isn't an option - I wanted more calorie dense foods, though I didn't know that term at the time). I was made fun of, asked how I got so fat, and told I was a liar.

I'm not proud of being under my goals, I'm not attention seeking. I wanted help, but everyone was too caught up in their "rightness" to actually listen to me - and it sucked. I realized that how I was losing wasn't the right way and I wanted to correct it.

So while I'm sure lots of people have other motives, sometimes people actually just need some help because they were never taught how this stuff works and they want to learn how to do it the correct, safe way.

FWIW, Virgoddess, your posts didn't bother me at all. I get annoyed with posts like the OP's because it feels like a humblebrag.

Oh, look at me everyone! I can't eat another bite, I'm SO "good."

Whereas, you've never made an attention-seeking post like that AND you explained your issues quite articulately. I think some great advice has been provided in this thread by Aaron, I hope it helps!

I'm just worried about my body going into "starvation" mode, and gaining more weight. But is there a calorie limit that can make that happen? Or is 800-900 okay as long as it isn't habitual? I just don't want to screw up my metabolism by not eating enough

There have been dozens ( or maybe even hundreds ) of threads disproving " starvation mode " and it is difficult for me to imagine that there are still MFP members who actually believe that starvation mode is a possibility for people who live in the developed world, with the exception of people who have emotional problems that focus on food.....and with you weighing around 175 pounds that does not apply.
So my thought is: troll.....because you can't possibly be for real.

I'm just worried about my body going into "starvation" mode, and gaining more weight. But is there a calorie limit that can make that happen? Or is 800-900 okay as long as it isn't habitual? I just don't want to screw up my metabolism by not eating enough

There have been dozens ( or maybe even hundreds ) of threads disproving " starvation mode " and it is difficult for me to imagine that there are still MFP members who actually believe that starvation mode is a possibility for people who live in the developed world, with the exception of people who have emotional problems that focus on food.....and with you weighing around 175 pounds that does not apply.
So my thought is: troll.....because you can't possibly be for real.

This is a place where people can come for motivation and support in their fitness goals. Not a place where people should feel threatened because they "aren't as smart" as others or "ask dumb questions" or may not have actually read a post about a certain topic. Weren't you ever taught that if you don't have anything nice to say then don't say anything at all...? The "dozens of threads disproving 'starvation mode'" is just a bunch of people posting their own thoughts and opinions. Even if you have factual evidence that it does not exist you don't know this person's situation and you don't have to call someone asking for help a troll and call them out about how much they weigh on especially on a site where it is supposed to be a safe place. You're a cruel person for doing this and so is everyone else who is being mean just because they think they're "better" for thinking different things.

I've been eating 800 and less for 6 weeks now, and still losing weight every week. I'm just not a person who is hungry that often, my downfall was getting far less exercise because of mobility limitations. If 'starvation mode' exists, and that's a controversial topic, it hasn't kicked in with me so it must take a while if it does exist. If you aren't hungry, my advice would be to listen to your body.

I use skinfold measurements, and it shows I'm losing fat. At any rate, the calorie calculator I use indicates that 950 cals/day will lead to 1 lb/week weight loss, so I don't plan to exceed that. I think personal metabolism and other internal workings plays a part as well, and needs to be taken into consideration, rather than a one size fits all.

I'm not trying to be a jerk, but how many calories do you plan on eating once you've hit your goal?

Seriously though. I must be a Fatty McPhaterson because I'm still hungry sometimes after eating my 1800 cal goal. I couldn't imagine being full at 800 cals. Crazy....