How can it be hard to eat all your calories?

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:

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.

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.

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!

It isn't, they are lying, we support ya


* Only exception, the very petite.

I used to only eat 700 calories a day and after exercise was NET 500. I was full on this. I truly was. It took me months of eating more and forcing myself to eat more to get to 1200 calories and now I NET 1200...I eat back almost all of my exercise calories, and you know what...now that I am eating more, I am hungry a LOT more often than when I was starving myself. Not sure what is going on with that, but I can eat 1500 calories a day after exercise, and still be hungry, But I am also losing more now too. So I can see how somebody can eat less than 1000 calories a day and feel full. If that is what they are used to...and it probably took weeks to get that 'full' feeling on so little. I know when I was doing that, I was starving for the first couple of weeks, but I told myself I did not NEED more, and refused to eat more...and after time, I just wasnt hungry any longer.

I am glad that I am not going down that road any longer.

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?

Quite honestly, I'm following the eating plan in _The Mayo Clinic Diet_ book (published by the Mayo Clinic). They recommend at least four servings of fruit and two servings of vegetables per day, no sugar, whole grains only, etc. So, I start out with the recommendations for the veggies (and they dictate that, for most vegetables, a serving is 1 cup; for salad greens one serving = 2 cups), followed by the recommendations for the fruit. Beyond that, I'm just not hungry enough to add another slice of toast with peanut butter to my day. Truly, I am very full from all the veggies. And, I won't eat past a certain time in the evening.

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.

Sorry to doubt you but when you say pancakes, bacon, eggs, cheese, I'm not picturing a 4 inch pancake, one slice of bacon and one egg--that's a dinner? And that fills you up? That's barely a snack to me. I would eat that while cooking dinner lol! Seriously, different strokes....I have always had a problem with portion control and overeating. I have a hard time finding foods I like that are healthy and I can eat enough of to satisfy my hunger. It's getting better since I've been on this program (26 days) but we all agree it's mainly mental and a life change. It's a work in process!

I pretty much never eat all my calories.

When I'm stressed, I'm sick to my stomach.
When I'm busy, i forget to eat.
When I'm hungry, i eat sensibly.
I'm also a vegetarian.

I try and get 1200 net a day. Sometimes i get closer to 800. Being stressful and busy with two children can do that to you. I could set my calories higher, but it's not like I'd be able to reach them anyway. I'm maintaining my weight roughly week to week, so i don't think there's Anything wrong with what I'm doing.

I don't have an eating disorder and resent the insinuation. Just because one poster did does not mean everyone that cant eat their goals has one....

Let's flip this around. How can anyone possibly go over their calories. They clearly must be overindulgent pigs...Hang on, let me dissect your food diary. Clearly you must be using it wrong...

Hmm offensive to anyone? I figured as much.

I don't have an eating disorder and resent the insinuation. Just because one poster did does not mean everyone that cant eat their goals has one....

Let's flip this around. How can anyone possibly go over their calories. They clearly must be overindulgent pigs...Hang on, let me dissect your food diary. Clearly you must be using it wrong...

Hmm offensive to anyone? I figured as much.

I actually agree with you.

The post that said something like" They are hungry but they won't eat and want others to tell them it's ok"... hmmm... bit of a generalisation me thinks... A bit like saying "They are stuffing their faces with junk, come here and moan about it and want others to tell them it's ok".

I pretty much never eat all my calories.

When I'm stressed, I'm sick to my stomach.
When I'm busy, i forget to eat.
When I'm hungry, i eat sensibly.
I'm also a vegetarian.

I try and get 1200 net a day. Sometimes i get closer to 800. Being stressful and busy with two children can do that to you. I could set my calories higher, but it's not like I'd be able to reach them anyway. I'm maintaining my weight roughly week to week, so i don't think there's Anything wrong with what I'm doing.

I don't have an eating disorder and resent the insinuation. Just because one poster did does not mean everyone that cant eat their goals has one....

Let's flip this around. How can anyone possibly go over their calories. They clearly must be overindulgent pigs...Hang on, let me dissect your food diary. Clearly you must be using it wrong...

Hmm offensive to anyone? I figured as much.

Who insinuated you had an eating disorder? I guess I missed the post that was questioning your eating habits--it wasn't me! I started this by posting how difficult it is to for me to change from eating 2,000-3,000 calories/day to 1,500 and that I neeeed the exercise calories so I can at least eat enough to keep my hunger at bay. I seem to eat every calorie I am allowed! As for going over calories, how could you ask that of any overweight person? That is clearly not a problem

The post that i found very offensive was on the first page. Of course i don't think that of anyone here, i was just using it as an example, flipping it around so you could see how offensive it is to be called sick over eating habits.

HI, I have trouble eating all my calories lots of days. My plan is to eat every 3 to 3.5 hours but with all my calories divided out. Breakfast is eggs with spinach (a lot) and or onions/mushrooms/peppers or salsa (no grain) and maybe a low glycemic fruit like berries or grapefruit (peel the whole thing leaving as much of the white on as possible for added nutrients) Sometimes I eat oatmeal for breakfast with protein powder or eggs.. Second meal is a HUGE salad with fish (I usually eat a can of sardines or part of a can of salmon) and maybe a little hummus or avacodo (no crackers). Third meal is a fruit (low glycemic) with some raw nuts and a protein shake made with Garden of Life Raw Protein Powder, spirulina and Vitamineral Green. Fouth meal (if I'm driving is half a cake of tempeh (fermented soybeans and brown rice) marinated in 2 tsp. tamari in a ziplock bag and a LOT of raw veg.
As you see I'm eating over 20 grams of protein at each meal, which helps me keep building muscle or not loosing it while I'm loosing the fat, and NO simple carbs. When I work out hard, I have to eat additional calories so I add starchy carbs like sweet potatos, or lima beans or no fat (you have to read the ingred. list, the label lies) refried beans. This is simple, easy to fix and pretty much portable. It looks to me like you may be eating too many grains. They are the least nutrient dense of the food groups...many people do better with few grains. Consider that when the grain is ground and then reformed into another shape it is much more easily digested than the actual whole grain. Whole grains should be eaten whole (oatmeal, brown rice, quinoa etc for the lowest glycemic impact) I highly recommend subscribing to this newsletter http://www.whfoods.com/ Great ideas for simple and very healthy food prep

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.

THIS IS EXACTLY TRUE!! IM A VEGETARIAN AND I CANT EAT MY 1200 CALS A DAY.. IM TRYING AND IM GOING TO TRY HARDER BY ADDING MORE FOODS IN MY DAY.. I EAT PRETTY MUCH ONLY VEGGIES, SPINACH, FRUIT, EGGS & LOTS OF BEANS !!
(IM NOT YELLING BUT MY CAPS ONLY WORK RIGHT NOW) LOL..
ITS NOT IN OUR HEAD OR SOME SORT OF GIMMICK ? YOU TRY TO EAT ONLY VEGGIES IN A DAY AND SEE IF YOU CAN EAT 1200 CALS A DAY ADN WORK OUT AND BURN 500 CALS OR MORE.. ITS DIFFICULT..
(JUST MY THOUGHTS ) THANKS!

This is directed to all vegetarians -
Have you tried quinoa? One of my best friends is vegetarian and eats quinoa (and quinoa pastas) to add calories/grain/protein to his diet. I've actually found that I really like it, too! Ancient Harvest makes a quinoa linguine (one 2 oz. serving is about 200 cal) that tastes like the real thing. And I love to use quinoa in a stir fry rather than just boring rice.