How can it be hard to eat all your calories?

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  • spacecase76
    spacecase76 Posts: 673 Member
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    I have trouble eating all of my calories.

    I don't eat breakfast, it makes me sick. I drink 1 cup of coffee. About 10, I will eat a snack, a cereal bar, generally. For lunch, I eat left overs from the night before, or I pick something up. And then I eat dinner. Today I ate 2 slices of a homemade(-ish) pizza and 2 small red potatoes with butter & cheese for lunch, and we are having pancakes, beef bacon, and scrambled eggs w/ cheese for dinner. I with all of that, I will be just barely over 800 calories. I still have to fit in at least 400, and I haven't worked out yet. I am full, and I will BE full. I will try to have a snack after I work out, but, it still won't be a 400+ calorie snack.

    Say what you will. I am not hungry. I ate 1/4 of a pizza for lunch, and was hungry an hour later, so I cooked potatoes (I had them in my desk). When I am hungry, I eat. Trust me. I have even been known to eat potato chips, candy, chocolate bars, etc to get my calorie intake up. Today will be one of the days I don't eat many veggies, and really, my calorie intake is higher today b/c of it. I drink water constantly.

    I just don't see how someone could eat more than me and still be hungry all the time.

    Oh, and this is just to hit 1200, I cannot eat back my workout calories, there just isn't enough time in the day. I have only hit my "goal" of 1340 one or 2 times, and it was when we went out to eat.
  • cclala
    cclala Posts: 190 Member
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    Maybe they got the flu? ;)

    :-) "I'm just one stomach flu away from my goal weight."
  • cclala
    cclala Posts: 190 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!

    Good to know! Although I still don't trust myself not to eat 300 calories over in cherries alone. :-) Maybe when I'm maintaining!
  • lmclaine
    lmclaine Posts: 61 Member
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    One of the main reasons I exercise is to increase my allowable calorie total. It's very difficult for a life-long overeater to adjust to 1,600 calories/day when I'm guessing I was consuming about twice that. I have seen numerous posts from people saying that they have difficulty eating their daily calorie allowance! WHAT? How can that be? I plan my meals so I stay under my allowance and it's usually very close or a little over--and I could still eat more! I suppose if I was running 5-6 miles/day and burning 1,000 calories it would be different but I need my extra 300-400 exercise calories to have any type of satisfying 3 meals. You guys must eat like songbirds! Maybe it's a guy thing--or maybe I'm just jealous...... :bigsmile:
    [/quote]

    I posted this earlier in the week and got responses like "drink more water" and "snack on veggies". First of all, not a big veggie fan so that's a problem. I eat a small breakfast, small lunch, (usually a sandwich), and I end up with about 500 calories left for dinner. Needless to say I'm starving by then. If I burn 400 calories/day, I can have a decent dinner. If I could not feel hungry by eating 1,500/day, I wouldn't exercise! I can manage to feel satisfied with my extra exercise calories but believe me--I use every one of them!
  • anovasjo
    anovasjo Posts: 382 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!

    That seems off.
  • backinthenines
    backinthenines Posts: 1,083 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?

    The leaner you are the harder it is to get that burn in that space of time. One of the hardest cardio sessions would be a good spin class, and in 60 mins I would burn an absolute maximum of 700 calories.

    You can't really compare the burn rate of larger people to slimmer folk. Think about the Biggest Loser... some of them can lose 14lb in one week!! That doesn't happen when you only have 20lb to lose overall, so you need to consider that.

    On training days when I double up (train before & after work) I can easily accrue 1000+ calories extra. I won't eat them all, but I listen to my body. I eat very regularly and a lot of it is lean protein which is very filling. I never go hungry.
  • cclala
    cclala Posts: 190 Member
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    One of the main reasons I exercise is to increase my allowable calorie total. It's very difficult for a life-long overeater to adjust to 1,600 calories/day when I'm guessing I was consuming about twice that. I have seen numerous posts from people saying that they have difficulty eating their daily calorie allowance! WHAT? How can that be? I plan my meals so I stay under my allowance and it's usually very close or a little over--and I could still eat more! I suppose if I was running 5-6 miles/day and burning 1,000 calories it would be different but I need my extra 300-400 exercise calories to have any type of satisfying 3 meals. You guys must eat like songbirds! Maybe it's a guy thing--or maybe I'm just jealous...... :bigsmile:


    I posted this earlier in the week and got responses like "drink more water" and "snack on veggies". First of all, not a big veggie fan so that's a problem. I eat a small breakfast, small lunch, (usually a sandwich), and I end up with about 500 calories left for dinner. Needless to say I'm starving by then. If I burn 400 calories/day, I can have a decent dinner. If I could not feel hungry by eating 1,500/day, I wouldn't exercise! I can manage to feel satisfied with my extra exercise calories but believe me--I use every one of them!

    Yes, I feel the same way you do. It's not just a guy thing! You know what it might be? Most of us are here because we used to eat all the wrong things. Going from processed, high calorie food in smaller quantities to fiber-rich produce that fills you up with fewer calories might be to blame. I hadn't thought of that before, but it explains why someone who used to consume 2,000 calories a day--which is why they are trying to lose weight--now has trouble reaching 1200.
  • 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?

    The leaner you are the harder it is to get that burn in that space of time. One of the hardest cardio sessions would be a good spin class, and in 60 mins I would burn an absolute maximum of 700 calories.

    You can't really compare the burn rate of larger people to slimmer folk. Think about the Biggest Loser... some of them can lose 14lb in one week!! That doesn't happen when you only have 20lb to lose overall, so you need to consider that.

    On training days when I double up (train before & after work) I can easily accrue 1000+ calories extra. I won't eat them all, but I listen to my body. I eat very regularly and a lot of it is lean protein which is very filling. I never go hungry.

    I gotcha, but isn't the ratio the same? The calorie allowance is a bit higher because the burn is? So they'd have the same amount left over, relatively speaking?
  • Nigel99
    Nigel99 Posts: 498 Member
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    I have no problem eating to fill my calories most days, but if I exercise 400+ calories away, reaching my new goal without going over sodium, carbs, and fat can be a challenge (which puts me closer to 2500 cals, rather than the 1200 that is being discussed mostly). I eat lots of veggies and fruit, but they don't often add up to a ton of calories.
  • mercymercyme
    mercymercyme Posts: 36 Member
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    I have to say I understand both sides. Some days I try fit in loads of food for dinner because i have lots of calories today. Then other days, like today, I could eat everything in sight!!! Largely depends on what you eat and how busy a day you have.
  • jessieinblue
    jessieinblue Posts: 287 Member
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    I don't get it either. I LOVE food and will eat too much if I'm not careful. Pasta is a biggie, but I also could go way over just with almonds. Or, like you mentioned, cherries. Had some of those today . . . mmmm.

    Honestly, I think some (not all) of the people who find it difficult to get to their calorie allotment are underestimating the calories they eat.
  • lmclaine
    lmclaine Posts: 61 Member
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    I have trouble eating all of my calories.

    I don't eat breakfast, it makes me sick. I drink 1 cup of coffee. About 10, I will eat a snack, a cereal bar, generally. For lunch, I eat left overs from the night before, or I pick something up. And then I eat dinner. Today I ate 2 slices of a homemade(-ish) pizza and 2 small red potatoes with butter & cheese for lunch, and we are having pancakes, beef bacon, and scrambled eggs w/ cheese for dinner. I with all of that, I will be just barely over 800 calories. I still have to fit in at least 400, and I haven't worked out yet. I am full, and I will BE full. I will try to have a snack after I work out, but, it still won't be a 400+ calorie snack.

    Say what you will. I am not hungry. I ate 1/4 of a pizza for lunch, and was hungry an hour later, so I cooked potatoes (I had them in my desk). When I am hungry, I eat. Trust me. I have even been known to eat potato chips, candy, chocolate bars, etc to get my calorie intake up. Today will be one of the days I don't eat many veggies, and really, my calorie intake is higher today b/c of it. I drink water constantly.

    I just don't see how someone could eat more than me and still be hungry all the time.

    Oh, and this is just to hit 1200, I cannot eat back my workout calories, there just isn't enough time in the day. I have only hit my "goal" of 1340 one or 2 times, and it was when we went out to eat.

    I call B.S. that 1/4 pizza, potatoes w/cheese plus that dinner is less than 800 calories. :noway:
  • lmclaine
    lmclaine Posts: 61 Member
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    That's me!
  • backinthenines
    backinthenines Posts: 1,083 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?

    The leaner you are the harder it is to get that burn in that space of time. One of the hardest cardio sessions would be a good spin class, and in 60 mins I would burn an absolute maximum of 700 calories.

    You can't really compare the burn rate of larger people to slimmer folk. Think about the Biggest Loser... some of them can lose 14lb in one week!! That doesn't happen when you only have 20lb to lose overall, so you need to consider that.

    On training days when I double up (train before & after work) I can easily accrue 1000+ calories extra. I won't eat them all, but I listen to my body. I eat very regularly and a lot of it is lean protein which is very filling. I never go hungry.

    I gotcha, but isn't the ratio the same? The calorie allowance is a bit higher because the burn is? So they'd have the same amount left over, relatively speaking?

    Personally I don't think you can compare it. It can be a lot harder for a 125lb woman to drop to 120lb than for a 350lb woman to drop to 330lb.

    At the beginning weight loss is easy. It just drops off you if you eat right and train right, because it's truly "spare". When you get towards your lean weight and you have much more lean mass than body fat, it's much harder to even shift a small amount of weight. Often it requires you mixing your training up loads so you avoid plateau as your body gets used to most exercises and becomes very efficient at getting through sessions with less and less effort. That's all part of getting fitter, your cardiovascular efficiency improves and you can do the same thing with more ease, so you need to mix things up a bit. :wink:
  • lulu_beans
    lulu_beans Posts: 100 Member
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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.

    I really take offense to this statement. I find it very hard on some days to eat my calories. Especially on the days that I eat a protein or fiber loaded meal. If I eat a lot of fiber or protein, and drink my typical gallon of water, then I really am not hungry. I will sometimes force myself to eat something, even though I'm feeling bloated from being full...and this can't be healthy either, because you are then training your body to overeat.
  • HarlequinDeath
    HarlequinDeath Posts: 1
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    I'm given 1500 calories per day. I eat between 900-1300 each day. I rarely, if ever, eat 1500. And I am not hungry. You can say it is bs or that I'm lying all you want, but I have forced myself to eat to try to get my calories up, and it makes me sick. I love food as much as the next person, but I eat really small portions.

    Everyone has their own individual challenges, and it doesn't make them a liar, it doesn't make them 'less than you', and it doesn't mean it is bs.
  • spacecase76
    spacecase76 Posts: 673 Member
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    I call B.S. that 1/4 pizza, potatoes w/cheese plus that dinner is less than 800 calories. :noway:

    it is a homemade pizza. Mostly. I buy the crust pre-made. I don't care for much cheese or sauce on my thin crust pizza. I had 3 ounces of 96/4 beef across the whole pizza, and onions, green onions, mushrooms, and baby bellas. I have it added up as a recipe, into 4 servings, they are 340 calories / 13 g of fat in 2 slices (I cut it into 8 slices...2 slices = 1/4 of the pizza)

    Doubt me, whatever.

    2 small red potatoes = about 74 calories. 1/2 tbsp of country crock butter = 25 cals / 3 g of fat, 1 slice of Borden 2% American cheese = 50 cals, 3g of fat.

    As far as dinner, did you even consider portion sizes? One 4-inch pancake = serving. 1 slice of bacon = serving. 1 egg = serving.

    I am not sitting down to a feast. I am sitting down to a semi-light supper. Which is all I need. Especially after a heavy lunch.
  • Janworkingitout
    Janworkingitout Posts: 434 Member
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    I have trouble eating all of my calories.

    I don't eat breakfast, it makes me sick. I drink 1 cup of coffee. About 10, I will eat a snack, a cereal bar, generally. For lunch, I eat left overs from the night before, or I pick something up. And then I eat dinner. Today I ate 2 slices of a homemade(-ish) pizza and 2 small red potatoes with butter & cheese for lunch, and we are having pancakes, beef bacon, and scrambled eggs w/ cheese for dinner. I with all of that, I will be just barely over 800 calories. I still have to fit in at least 400, and I haven't worked out yet. I am full, and I will BE full. I will try to have a snack after I work out, but, it still won't be a 400+ calorie snack.

    Say what you will. I am not hungry. I ate 1/4 of a pizza for lunch, and was hungry an hour later, so I cooked potatoes (I had them in my desk). When I am hungry, I eat. Trust me. I have even been known to eat potato chips, candy, chocolate bars, etc to get my calorie intake up. Today will be one of the days I don't eat many veggies, and really, my calorie intake is higher today b/c of it. I drink water constantly.

    I just don't see how someone could eat more than me and still be hungry all the time.

    Oh, and this is just to hit 1200, I cannot eat back my workout calories, there just isn't enough time in the day. I have only hit my "goal" of 1340 one or 2 times, and it was when we went out to eat.

    Your daily intake seems like a lot more than 1200 calories...butter, cheese, eggs, pizza, all in one day? That's amazing...lol!
  • Cbandelier
    Cbandelier Posts: 217 Member
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    My daily calories are 1200-1600ish depending on exercise. The only times I have had trouble eating everything was if I didn't eat enough early in the day and had to try to pack it all in during the evening. And didn't have any decadent desserts laying around to help catch up, lol. This almost never happens, generally it requires some planning to make sure I don't go over pretty much every day.
  • heathersmilez
    heathersmilez Posts: 2,579 Member
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    It isn't, they are lying, we support ya ;)


    * Only exception, the very petite.

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