I feel like a cow

MissAnjy · February 2011

Okay, can anyone relate?

My daily calorie goal is set to 1420 (lose 1 pound per week) and I workout 6x a week. I've upped my workouts lately and am now burning 600+ calories a day. This means that my daily goal ends up being 2100+ everyday. I only eat back half of my exercise calories to make my net calories 1200 so it's not as bad as it could be, HOWEVER, I always feel like a cow eating that much food. Like, it really seems un-natural!! hahaha. I know it's what I need to do because I will not let my net calories dip below 1,000 (i aim for 1200 daily) but sometimes its SO hard to eat back up to that.

My husband and I decided to have Subway for supper tonight. I usually order a 6" oven roasted chicken breast sub, however, with my burn today that will put me at 700 net calories which I just cannot let happen. My body needs more than that. I practically have to eat the footlong if i want to get anywhere near my 1200 net calorie goal for the day BUT that's so much food!!! & even after that, I have to have a snack this evening. MY GOD. Is this natural?

Does anyone else struggle to make the net calories everyday? I tried to make my breakfast bigger today, and thought I had succeeded in that, but sometimes factors such as less of an appetite, a higher burn etc really trash that. Eeeek. I don't want to feel stuffed but I also don't want to have 600 as my net calories for the day.

what's a girl to do?

JulieBoBoo · February 2011

You're so mean when you talk about yourself, you are wrong. Change the voices in your head, make them like you instead *

_____________

Perhaps not calling yourself a cow would be a good start.

ashlee954 · February 2011

Instead of focussing on HOW MUCH food to eat you should focus on higher calorie foods. That way you are not eating more food, just foods higher in cals. Nuts are a great option for upping your caloric intake with a small amount of food. A handful will get you hundreds of calories.

kjensen15 · February 2011

My personal feelings on this is if I happen every once in a while to be below a net 1200 calories, that is ok. Some times I am just not hungry enough to eat a certain number of calories. As long as I'm not feeling starved I don't worry too much. Also, there is some wiggle room based on the inaccuracies of your HRM calculating calories burned. So if I'm hungry I eat, if I'm not I don't (the latter doesn't happen too often though)!!

dracobaby82 · February 2011

I completely understand where you are coming from! I also have a hard time getting my net calories to be right where they need to be... and with exercise, I usually do at least 2 workouts a day, right around an hour or just under 2 hours of exercise, and that puts me burning a lot of calories, and then having to eat more is really hard! I actually ate a pretty big lunch, well it wasn't all that big, but a lot of calories, then saw what I was down to... started to get nervous so I got in some exercise and now, it's like dang I still have 900 calories to eat before bed! I'll be lucky if I eat a snack and then was planning a smaller dinner but with the calories that are on there for me to eat, doesn't seem like it's gonna work out lol just keep on goin, you are doing great!

sabrinafaith · February 2011

I sometimes struggle with getting to 1000 net, so i put a tbsp of peanut butter on a piece of toast or cracker for a snack and then I'm usually there. I also eat about 350 calories as snacks a day. You can also up your calories by dividing your breakfast in to two. LIke when I wake up I may have a packet of high fiber oatmeal. Then at like 10 I'll have a nonfat greek yogurt with agave. WIth coffee, that's over 300 calories. Add 450 cal lunch, 400 cal dinner and 400 cal snacks, your up to 1550 calories! Not so bad. I really don't think you can starve on 1500 calories a day, no matter how much you are burning.

Also, I'm content eating 1050 net cals a day. That's my goal usually. I can't eat 1800 calories a day. Its just not going to happen unless I eat tons of junk.

MissAnjy · February 2011

I didn't intend on calling myself a cow. I said I feel like a cow. By that i mean, I have to graze literally ALL day. I have to constantly eat, and I have to literally stuff myself to reach my calorie goal somedays.

I'm sorry if that was offensive. Maybe a bad choice of wording.

MissAnjy · February 2011

Instead of focussing on HOW MUCH food to eat you should focus on higher calorie foods. That way you are not eating more food, just foods higher in cals. Nuts are a great option for upping your caloric intake with a small amount of food. A handful will get you hundreds of calories.

That's true. I've been trying to do that with my breakfast, adding cheese & whatnot to sandwiches, eggs etc. It usually helps. I'm fresh out of nuts right now but I should perhaps go get some.

MissAnjy · February 2011

I sometimes struggle with getting to 1000 net, so i put a tbsp of peanut butter on a piece of toast or cracker for a snack and then I'm usually there. I also eat about 350 calories as snacks a day. You can also up your calories by dividing your breakfast in to two. LIke when I wake up I may have a packet of high fiber oatmeal. Then at like 10 I'll have a nonfat greek yogurt with agave. WIth coffee, that's over 300 calories. Add 450 cal lunch, 400 cal dinner and 400 cal snacks, your up to 1550 calories! Not so bad. I really don't think you can starve on 1500 calories a day, no matter how much you are burning.

Also, I'm content eating 1050 net cals a day. That's my goal usually. I can't eat 1800 calories a day. Its just not going to happen unless I eat tons of junk.

That's usually my goal as well 1050+ for net calories. I eat as much as I can. I dropped the ball today. I usually have more snacks then i did today but I wasn't feeling well last night (stomach pains) & when I wokeup, I had a big protein breakfast & wasn't hungry for a snack mid-morning!!

koosdel · February 2011

You hear the voices too?

Seriously, I know how you feel. I get so paranoid when I am bulking. I'm probly mental. Body dismorphic, I think its called? I don't know, its better than the alternatives I guess.

The voices aren't bad... sometimes they are the only ones who really understand me. Right now they are chanting ' cream cheese danish, cream cheese danish...' how do they know I like those?

sandradickie · February 2011

You are doing great! I too have a hard time with this because it goes against everything we have always been taught. I struggle to change my thoughts in regards to net calories. I agree that healthy nuts like almonds can be a good choice and the peanut butter is also a favorite. I really love nutella on a slice of toast. That satisfies calories and chocolate cravings at the same time;-)

shalynna89 · February 2011

I can relate!! I had the same exact thing happen on Friday. I to find it hard to meet my daily calorie goals, and I usually don't eat my exerrcise calories back because I'm just not hungry. I have alot of weight to lose and so right now I feel like its ok, as long as I'm around 1200. Once I platue I'll probably start to eat them back. I would just try to eat what you feel comfortable. I know eatting 5 small meals through out the day has worked for alot of people. Don't feel bad though for eating that much food. It seems like alot but it really is just what your body needs. Friday we went to subway and the only bread they had was Italian herb and cheese, and flat bread. I got the flat bread turkey breast footlong, when I looked up the facts on the bread I was so mad! Because it had 1 more gram of fat and 30 more calories than the wheat bread. I ended up burning all the calories from the sandwich off plus some and the next morning woke up to a +0.6 on my scale. So I wouldn't over eat but try as hard as you can to hit 1200 calories at least! I know its hard at time.

kanonxbou47 · February 2011

I have trouble eating up to my calorie goal every day. usually I work off about 700, and I struggle just to eat 1200 a lot of the time.
I'm just not hungry, and I really don't think eating when I'm not hungry is going to boost my metabolism or help me lose weight in any way.
I know, it's bad, but I eat what I want.

nickscutie · February 2011

Sometimes I struggle to get over a net 1200 calories after working out and have been forcing myself to eat more lately. I was actually losing weight when I should not have been. I don't mind having the problem of having to eat more, so I just have a nice snack after dinner with my husband and have tried to add extra 50-60 calories to some of my other meals during the day so it is more spread out. For me, it is more a mental thing to eat the extra food than a physical thing of feeling like I am eating too much.

We have been making really yummy frozen yogurt sundae's with the different Stoneyfield organic frozen yogurt flavors, trader joe's chocolate syrup, granola, sometimes a banana, sprinkles, etc. Other times I will just have more fruit or a granola bar or some mixture of chocolate, nuts, and fruit.

You could also consider working out just a bit less or doing something that is less calorie burning intensive - I don't kill myself at the gym as much as I used to, especially on days when I am feeling sluggish. That said, adding the small amount of extra calories to my day recently has given me a noticeable energy burst at the gym and I have been having some good workouts. And that kind of takes away from the point a bit, I guess. Sigh.

Amajoy · February 2011

I totally understand what you are saying... You just have to REALLY plan ahead. Its so much easier if we all worked out in the morning then we would know how much to eat across the full day, but if your like me, during the week my only choice is to workout in the evenings after work. its been just over a month for me so I know how much I can burn in a given time I just have to commit to burning that amount on my workout days (6 days a week) and plan my meals accordingly.

Whats important is that your not cramming a foot long down your throat for dinner just because you worked hard one evening. If you didnt do well that day for pre - planning on a big workout then dont workout so hard that day. Its all about proper food choices and that means planning.

Good LUCK!

I feel like a cow

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