How can it be hard to eat all your calories?

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cclala
cclala Posts: 190 Member
in Food and Nutrition
I am a clean eater, so with the exception of my morning latte which is still under 200 calories, I eat mostly fresh, whole food. Which usually means low-cal.

And yet I have to watch myself like a hawk to make sure I don't go over. I am generally ravenous because I work out 5 - 6 days a week. I read all these posts of people struggling to fill up....I could easily fill up, and then some! I don't get this? On an average day I eat greek yogurt, fruit and granola for breakfast. Morning snack, fruit. Sandwich and veggies for lunch. Afternoon snack, protein bar. Well rounded dinner of a meat, a veggie, and a complex carb. I could very easily add a few crackers with peanutbutter, a smoothie, and another few pieces of fruit into my day if my calories allowed. I am nowhere near stuffed to the gills, just satisfied enough. I'm only programmed to lose 1 lb a week.

Can someone shed light on how they manage to work out, eat right, and have trouble finishing their daily intake? Are people supposed to be eating 3,000 calories a day? Are they burning a thousand? So confused!
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Replies

  • anovasjo
    anovasjo Posts: 382 Member
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    Some people are coming from different headspaces.... it's possible they were on a super restrictive diet beforehand and now that they're in this "Diet" mentality it's impossible to break the calorie glass ceiling?

    Hard for me to imagine, too.
  • TheMaidOfAstolat
    TheMaidOfAstolat Posts: 3,222 Member
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    There are people on here that are easily burning more than 1000 a day...so they end up eating close to 3000 a day. It's not always easy. My average burn is anywhere between 200-700 a day depending on my workout.
  • modernfemme
    modernfemme Posts: 454 Member
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    Dude. I have to watch every bite. I'm with ya. I work out almost every day too, just so I can eat more haha!
  • Simonscat
    Simonscat Posts: 249
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    People say they can't reach 1200 cals because in their mind if they reach that they are fat.
    That is how I felt not too long ago and still feel like that.

    There is no way in hell anyone can not reach 1200. It's easy to reach 1200 even on fresh foods...etc!

    A lot of people on here eat less than 1000 and they say they are just not hungry....it's all a lot of talk, they are hungry, they just won't eat. And they want the satisfaction of someone telling them it's okay.

    I've been through it, and still struggling to reach 1200 most days because in my mind I'm scared Im eating too much when I know Im not.
  • AggieCass09
    AggieCass09 Posts: 1,867 Member
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    On days when I do my long runs where I burn more than 1000 calories just from exercising, I am just too full to eat even with in 400 calories of my daily net. However, on my weekly rest day I get so hungry. I take this as a positive sign that my metabolism has picked up. On "average" days where I burn 300-600 calories from exercise, I am generally content. My diary is public if you want suggestions (I'm a vegetarian and also eat mostly clean).
  • carmendownes01
    carmendownes01 Posts: 25
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    It's not as easy as you might think. MFP gives me 1560 calories a day.....if I do 60 to 75 minutes of cardio...which I try to do at least 5 days a week, I can burn up to another 1200-1300 calories....that's 2860....its a lot of food. Too much. I never eat exercise calories....just consider it a bonus weight loss........
  • anovasjo
    anovasjo Posts: 382 Member
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    Dude. I have to watch every bite. I'm with ya. I work out almost every day too, just so I can eat more haha!

    This may as well have been said by me! I plan an extravagant dinner and schedule in a jog around the block at the same time.
  • melissa1977
    melissa1977 Posts: 129 Member
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    At my weight, I have a lot of calories to eat every day. If I work out, it's even more, since I am normally burning anywhere from 400-800 calories depending on what I'm doing. Eating "clean" the way that I do, sometimes I feel like I'm eating all day long and barely getting to 1200. It can be hard if you have more calories to eat!
  • cclala
    cclala Posts: 190 Member
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    It's not as easy as you might think. MFP gives me 1560 calories a day.....if I do 60 to 75 minutes of cardio...which I try to do at least 5 days a week, I can burn up to another 1200-1300 calories....that's 2860....its a lot of food. Too much. I never eat exercise calories....just consider it a bonus weight loss........

    Wait you mean you burn 1300 calories in an hour?
  • cclala
    cclala Posts: 190 Member
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    Dude. I have to watch every bite. I'm with ya. I work out almost every day too, just so I can eat more haha!

    This may as well have been said by me! I plan an extravagant dinner and schedule in a jog around the block at the same time.

    Me too. Also, if I had all those hundreds (or thousands?!) of calories left over, I'd have all of that higher calorie "health" food I'm always craving like dark chocolate and nuts! Easy enough solution!
  • scagneti
    scagneti Posts: 707 Member
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    I don't understand it either. I'm pretty clean (I do have a small treat regularly to keep me from gorging), but even without that, 200 for breakfast (don't know what they could be possibly eating for less than that), 300 for lunch, 400 for dinner (again, not sure what they're eating that are less than that!) and 300 in snacks (which is just a pear, 15 almonds and a cup of grapes) over the day is really quite easy.
  • cclala
    cclala Posts: 190 Member
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    People say they can't reach 1200 cals because in their mind if they reach that they are fat.
    That is how I felt not too long ago and still feel like that.

    There is no way in hell anyone can not reach 1200. It's easy to reach 1200 even on fresh foods...etc!

    A lot of people on here eat less than 1000 and they say they are just not hungry....it's all a lot of talk, they are hungry, they just won't eat. And they want the satisfaction of someone telling them it's okay.

    I've been through it, and still struggling to reach 1200 most days because in my mind I'm scared Im eating too much when I know Im not.

    This is interesting, thanks for sharing. I didn't think that there might be some hidden psychology behind it, I was just taking it at face value.
  • gehlerc
    gehlerc Posts: 651 Member
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    I'm reluctant to wade into this, but here I go:

    I am one of those people who has trouble eating any more than 1100 calories a day. I have a moderately active job and I burn at least 350 calories (often more) in cardio exercise daily. The reason I'm in this predicament, I think, is because I'm eating so many vegetables, and some fresh fruit. On a typical day, I eat 1.5 cups fresh vegetables, 2 cups of salad greens, another cup of steamed vegetables (at least), and often a snack of low-sodium V-8. I also try to get two medium pieces of fresh fruit. I fill in the rest of my daily food intake (lean protein, whole grains) around those basics. The vegetables really--I mean REALLY--fill me up with few calories. I often find myself at the end of the day having consumed under 1000 calories and having to eat something else just to get above 1000.

    So, there you have it, for what it's worth. I think we're all just different.

    Good luck.
  • EverythingCubbies
    EverythingCubbies Posts: 172 Member
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    Maybe they got the flu? ;)
  • Phoenyxtears
    Phoenyxtears Posts: 173
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    It's hard for me because I don't have access to all of that type of food without my sodium or some other aspect going through the roof. I'm the only one on this "diet" in my household so I don't have input on what to buy when my parents go to the grocery store. I'm happy that you can eat your cals, but not everyone is as able as you are. Each person on here is from a different background and healthier food typically costs more - I know that's my reason for not eating all of my cals. I do get over my 1200 and usually over 1500...it's not like I'm starving myself, but I just don't want to eat those cals and boost my fat or sodium or whatever, and I just can't afford mega-healthy food.

    Thanks for the understanding :/
  • cclala
    cclala Posts: 190 Member
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    I'm reluctant to wade into this, but here I go:

    I am one of those people who has trouble eating any more than 1100 calories a day. I have a moderately active job and I burn at least 350 calories (often more) in cardio exercise daily. The reason I'm in this predicament, I think, is because I'm eating so many vegetables, and some fresh fruit. On a typical day, I eat 1.5 cups fresh vegetables, 2 cups of salad greens, another cup of steamed vegetables (at least), and often a snack of low-sodium V-8. I also try to get two medium pieces of fresh fruit. I fill in the rest of my daily food intake (lean protein, whole grains) around those basics. The vegetables really--I mean REALLY--fill me up with few calories. I often find myself at the end of the day having consumed under 1000 calories and having to eat something else just to get above 1000.

    So, there you have it, for what it's worth. I think we're all just different.

    Good luck.

    Don't be reluctant, I'm grateful for the inside perspective! So, why not have a piece of toast with peanutbutter in addition to all those veggies? If you're interested in staying within your goal calorie range and vegetables aren't cutting it?
  • TaraMaria
    TaraMaria Posts: 1,975
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    A lot of people on here eat less than 1000 and they say they are just not hungry....it's all a lot of talk, they are hungry, they just won't eat. And they want the satisfaction of someone telling them it's okay.

    While I agree that it is WAY too easy to fill up on the right foods for your body, I am very familiar with starvation mode and the like. Yes it can be talk but you can LITERALLY train your body to NOT be hungry. Its not just talk. If you don't feed your body, it goes into starvation mode and it learns not to expect the calories you give it. This past fall I had a time period where I was VERY sick. I could not eat because of severe side pain. I was not eating and in the hospital constantly. When I got out, it was hard to retrain my body to be hungry again. And its the same idea with these people who get it in their heads that: Eating = Fat.
  • rose1617
    rose1617 Posts: 469 Member
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    People here also have different diets than you do.
    For example, I'm with you on the peanut butter but I would not normally eat crackers. I also don't drink coffee nor do I tend to like protein bars (also have become intolerant to almonds and won't eat avocado alone- so those healthy fats are out).
    Bread is also a rarity for me. I'm not low-carb or no-carb, I eat plenty of veggies and fruits to get my carbs in and have around 200g of carbs/day. Two slices of mulitigrain bread for a sandwich is about 300 calories. Also the protein bar which is around 100 and the 200 calorie latte. So make it 600 calories that I now have to eat enough fruits and veggies to substitute for in your diet.
    Luckily I substitute it in proteins like chicken and fish, so it's easier to get them in, but sometimes difficult because those foods are more filling and I'm just not hungry enough to eat them.
    I also burn between 500-1000 calories/day (CrossFit).
    By the way my BMR is 1950 (hydrostatic test). So to lose 1 lb./week I have to eat about 1450 net or between 1950 and 2400 cals/day.
    That's how it's hard to eat all your calories at times.
  • lisaking869
    lisaking869 Posts: 43 Member
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    According to Tosca Reno- the author of the Eat Clean Books- you really do not have to count your calories if you are eating clean. Those are excellent books! I find it really hard to eat that striclty- although I know its the best thing for me!
  • cclala
    cclala Posts: 190 Member
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    It's hard for me because I don't have access to all of that type of food without my sodium or some other aspect going through the roof. I'm the only one on this "diet" in my household so I don't have input on what to buy when my parents go to the grocery store. I'm happy that you can eat your cals, but not everyone is as able as you are. Each person on here is from a different background and healthier food typically costs more - I know that's my reason for not eating all of my cals. I do get over my 1200 and usually over 1500...it's not like I'm starving myself, but I just don't want to eat those cals and boost my fat or sodium or whatever, and I just can't afford mega-healthy food.

    Thanks for the understanding :/

    ....I'm not judging, I'm aiming to learn something that might benefit my own education about food and weight loss struggles. This isn't personal. I'm sorry you don't have access or can't afford fruits and vegetables.

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