I'm Not Starving...What to do???

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afulghum
afulghum Posts: 6
in Food and Nutrition
I'm having difficulty eating 1200 calories a day...most days, I'll eat between 900 and 1100. I could easily hit the 1200 cal mark if I wanted to eat crappy food that isn't good for me at all, but I don't want to do that. Instead, I have been eating 3 meals a day with a snack in between meals IF I get hungry. One of the problems is that I work 2 jobs and go to college full time so I don't always have time to cook which leaves take out and I know what I can order from where and still eat somewhat healthy...with eating out, there's really no middle ground because you're either going to get something really bad for you or a salad...there just aren't too many options. Another problem is that I go to the gym right after work most days and I usually won't get home until after 7:30 so I don't really want to eat a lot of calories at that time since it's so late. Does anyone have any ideas on how I can fix this? I don't want to have my body go into starvation mode, when I'm not starving!

Replies

  • Teresa652
    Teresa652 Posts: 217 Member
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    eat nuts after your workout.
  • erickirb
    erickirb Posts: 12,293 Member
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    You don't have to eat more food to eat more calories, just make different food choices.

    As a snack try nuts, seeds, and/or dehydrated fruit. Use nut butters on fruit. Add Avocado to salads and sandwiches. Add olive oil to soups and sauces. have a glass of juice in place of one glass of water. Eat full or higher fat/calorie versions of foods you are eating such as milk, cheese, yogurt, salad dressing, etc.

    All of the above can be used to add calories without you having to eat more, it is all about choice.
  • LJCannon
    LJCannon Posts: 3,636 Member
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    I have not looked at your Food Diary, but have you tried adding Fat Free Milk, Low Fat Cheese, or a snack of Nuts, or adding a serving of Avocado to salads or omelets?
    There are a lot of higher calorie, healthy snacks that you could look in to.
  • verjavec
    verjavec Posts: 30 Member
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    Nuts are an easy food to bring along with you when you have long days out and about. Higher in calories, but containing protein and healthy fats - they are a great snack that most overlook because of the calorie content. I use these on days when I know I'll be out and about without many opportunities to sit down and prepare a meal.
  • Vicky14174
    Vicky14174 Posts: 715 Member
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    also you can try cooking all of you meals on a day off if that is possible or at least cooking a couple of days worth of food at a time since your life is so hectic.
  • kmeekhof
    kmeekhof Posts: 456 Member
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    nuts, avacado, ricecakes w/ natural peanut butter, a glass of milk
  • Lindacollins73
    Lindacollins73 Posts: 3
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    I was having the same issue. I found that a piece of whole grain bread or starch does the trick! One slice of whole grain bread with a meal is only 1 gram of fat but packs 100 calories. Or maybe even a cup of corn or pasta. It helped me! I eat a slice with lunch and dinner to help me even out.
  • afulghum
    afulghum Posts: 6
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    I LOVE nuts and avacados...I just thought they weren't really good for you. I'll definitely add them to my salads! Thanks so much for the advice!!!
  • radicalreader
    radicalreader Posts: 207 Member
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    Make yourself some little zip-loc bags with individual servings of homemade trail mix with dried fruit and nuts.
    They are portable, don't take up much space, and a good way to fit in a healthy, calorie-dense snack.
  • hpsnickers1
    hpsnickers1 Posts: 2,783 Member
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    You can eat at night. Sometimes I don't have dinner until 8:30-9pm. I always have my protein powder and milk a little before bed. I try and stick to things that are low fat and high protein. Our bodies burn calories 24/7. I wouldn't lay down right after a heavy meal but it is ok to eat at night.

    Most of the time dinner is my biggest meal. And that's because I work out in the evenings.
  • hpsnickers1
    hpsnickers1 Posts: 2,783 Member
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    I LOVE nuts and avacados...I just thought they weren't really good for you. I'll definitely add them to my salads! Thanks so much for the advice!!!

    They are healthy fats. Our body does require fat intake and these are the best kind. Also olive oil. You can't go crazy on them of course but they are good for you.
  • cheangela
    cheangela Posts: 173
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    GAH! That sounds like my schedule in 2005. It was soooooo hard but I managed to pull through it by carrying nutritious foodstuffs with me. Apples, carrots, sugar snap peas, Clif bars, soups (watch the sodium), turkey jerky (ditto), bananas, banana chips, nuts, seeds, a good "just add water" protein shake... there are so many things you could haul along with you. I also tried to find 1 day every 2 weeks that I could make a freezer load of single serving real nutritious meals (rice, chicken, fishes, millet... they all taste fine re-heated).

    It makes things a lot easier too if you can just leave several of these items at each of your jobs.
  • StefBeeney
    StefBeeney Posts: 32
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    I have been having problems meeting the target 1200 calories a day too. I eat 3 meals a day and snack in between, but I have choosen healthy options so most of my days it's still a challenge to get there. Here is the plan that I try to stick to..

    200 Calories for breakfast, 100 Calories Morning Snack, 300 Calories for lunch, 100 Calories Afternoon Snack, 400 Calories for Dinner, 100 Calories Evening Snack, Grand Total 1200 Calories a day

    Sounds like you are on the run alot... consider packing a "lunch" each day... I have a little lunch bag and 2 ice packs and am able to pack into it my breakfast (usually yogurt), my morning snack (usually some kind of fruit), my lunch (this week it's a pita, some Hummas, and some tabole, and string cheese), and my afternoon snack (reduced fat triscits). I usually also try to have an extra snack or two with me in case I do get hungry, and have taken to having a couple of dill pickles too since they have no calories in them.

    At first i thought that packing my lunch would be a pain, but on sunday's i pre-package everything for the week so that all i have to do when I get home each day is put the new stuff in (I do go thru a lot of ziplock baggies, but it's easier than washing a bunch of small containers)

    Good Luck
  • jkestens63
    jkestens63 Posts: 1,164 Member
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    Don't worry about eating late - I eat my dinner between 8p and 9p then usually have a snack around 11p right before bed. I've had no problem lowing weight. If I do find myself under my calorie goal I'll have nuts or a tablespoon of peanut butter (sometimes put it on a bagel thin).
  • craig1768
    craig1768 Posts: 44 Member
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    Preparation is key. I cook a lot during the weekend and just freeze food. I am not a big fan of defrosting meals, but it beats a burger and fries any day. I also buy ground turkey, pack them into patties (you can buy them frozen, but its more cost effective to make them yourself), individually pack them into zip locks, freeze them. To make one during the night its about 2 minutes of defrosting and 8 minutes of cooking. Great protein, low fat, easy/quick to make.

    Craig

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