Need to find an extra 800 health calories

biged335
biged335 Posts: 734
edited September 25 in Food and Nutrition
My chart says I need to eat around 2200 calories a day. I've started counting and I've coming in around 1400-1500.

This is what I eat on a normal day
Breakfast:
Oatmeal
1 whole egg

Snack
Apple
Whey Protein Shake

Lunch
2 Natural Peanut butter Sandwiches (Whole Grain Bread)
cup of raw Walnuts

Snack
Banana
Protein Shake

Dinner
1 cup of Whote pasta with Basil Pesto Sauce
2 Grilled Pork Chops

I would Appreciate any suggestions.

Thanks
Ed

Replies

  • Becky1971
    Becky1971 Posts: 979 Member
    Definitely add more fruits and vegies!
  • rfcollins33
    rfcollins33 Posts: 630
    Are you still hungry after eating everything? I would go by that, but if you're determined to eat more, I'd suggest complex carbs like whole grain pasta, or brown rice. Bananas are a fruit that are higher in calories as well. Good luck on your journey!!
  • NoExcuseTina
    NoExcuseTina Posts: 506 Member
    avocado
  • dakoerber
    dakoerber Posts: 308 Member
    I agree that if you are hungry than you need to add more fruits, maybe add an egg white to your breakfast and some veges... and some more whole grains. I like some of the other suggestions here too.
  • Newfiedan
    Newfiedan Posts: 1,517 Member
    I made some changes from what you posted on the quote there. I recommend addding in some veggies and fruit to the shakes as well as some cinnamon and organic honey.
    My chart says I need to eat around 2200 calories a day. I've started counting and I've coming in around 1400-1500.

    This is what I eat on a normal day
    Breakfast:
    Whey Protein Shake
    1 whole egg
    (will get your metabolic rate going better in the morning)

    Snack
    Apple
    Oatmeal


    Lunch
    2 Natural Peanut butter Sandwiches (Whole Grain Bread)
    cup of raw Walnuts (maybe add in some almonds as well)

    Snack
    Banana
    Protein Shake (maybe sub with a can of tuna and some wasa rye crisps)

    Dinner
    1 cup of Whote pasta with Basil Pesto Sauce
    2 Grilled Pork Chops
    **Add in some veggies here broccoli/cauliflower, or asparagus***
    I would Appreciate any suggestions.

    Thanks
    Ed
    My diary is public feel free to take a look through it as my diet is fairly consistent, I am not perfect but I manage to do well.
  • fuhrmeister
    fuhrmeister Posts: 1,796 Member
    a salad with avacado. not sure about the avacado's cals but they are super good for you. Or you could do homade guacomole with wheat crackers.

    a glass for OJ with breakfest 100 cals depending on size of glass

    I love fiber one or the generice fiber now bars are great for somthing sweet. 90 - 140cals

    greek yogurt with the fruit on bottom I love Chobanoi brand about 140 cals

    good luck :)
  • amehrkens
    amehrkens Posts: 162 Member
    I also think you should add in more fruits and veggies.
  • robin52077
    robin52077 Posts: 4,383 Member
    Where are your veggies?!?!?
    Those won't help you add a ton of calories but you do need them.

    As for making your calories higher...add things to that oatmeal..like raisins, granola, berries...
    make those protein shakes with whole milk or even 2% if you are using skim....

    cook with olive oil, that adds healthy fats...
  • biged335
    biged335 Posts: 734
    The thing is I'm not hungry after eating. That's what gets me. I put on this weight by not eating a lot. I a fast food, and drank 5-6 cokes a day, and then would have a few beers(ok sometimes more then a few) at night. Now that I'm trying to eat healthy I'm just having a hard time finding the calories.
  • Nitrousoxide
    Nitrousoxide Posts: 2
    What's important is you keep your total caloric deficit between 250 and 1000. Some days I'm hungrier so I go up to a 500 caloric deficit, other days I have to force myself to eat some more to make sure I don't end up with a greater than 1k calorie deficit.

    If you need the extra calories you can get them anywhere really, especially if you're already hitting all the important nutrient numbers for that day. Treat yourself to some icecream, some cookies and milk, or whatever you want at the end of the day. So long as you aren't going hungry during the day think of that extra 800 calories as an opportunity for a delicious treat to make dieting easier to handle
  • aweigh2go
    aweigh2go Posts: 164 Member
    1. Add another meal - if you eat immediately after waking and every three hours, you should be able to fit six meals.
    2. You may want to replace your snacks with "mini-meals" of maybe a chicken breast and a 1/2 a yam
    3. Plan the night before. I sometimes enter all of my meals the night before so I can be sure to get all of my calories in.

    Feel free to check my journal. I eat about 2,400 calories per day.

    I wish you the best.
  • Newfiedan
    Newfiedan Posts: 1,517 Member
    The thing is I'm not hungry after eating. That's what gets me. I put on this weight by not eating a lot. I a fast food, and drank 5-6 cokes a day, and then would have a few beers(ok sometimes more then a few) at night. Now that I'm trying to eat healthy I'm just having a hard time finding the calories.
    Try to not look at it from a hunger point of view as much as a nourishment point of view, I can stuff 4000 cals a day into my face and not get nearly what my body needs from a nutrition stand point. Look for the foods that are nutritionally dense, the ones that truly give the body all the building blocks it needs to make you a better version of you. Calories are not as important as what they consist of. From the typical day you posted you are starving the body from a nutritional stand point, the body just does not have a megaphone to announce that to you. it can only tell you in the ways it knows how, either by catabolic activity which eats the muscle you have and makes you weaker or by fat gain (slowing the metabolic rate to compensate) making you overweight.
  • ♥_Ellybean_♥
    ♥_Ellybean_♥ Posts: 1,646 Member
    I made some changes from what you posted on the quote there. I recommend addding in some veggies and fruit to the shakes as well as some cinnamon and organic honey.
    My chart says I need to eat around 2200 calories a day. I've started counting and I've coming in around 1400-1500.

    This is what I eat on a normal day
    Breakfast:
    Whey Protein Shake
    1 whole egg
    (will get your metabolic rate going better in the morning)

    Snack
    Apple
    Oatmeal
    My diary is public feel free to take a look through it as my diet is fairly consistent, I am not perfect but I manage to do well.

    This change will make a huge difference.... That protein in the morning is important.
  • callipygianchronicle
    callipygianchronicle Posts: 811 Member
    Many of us became overweight by consuming massive quantities of non-foods. This is especially true if you drank a large portion of your calories (as I used to). So when you first move to eating healthy, the amount of actual food you have to eat to maintain a healthy body can seem daunting. And your body is so used to getting by on nothing, it doesn’t immediately start sending hunger signals that tell you to fill yourself on these nutritious sources. It takes time to relearn. But it will come, if you allow it. Eating more, requires eating better. and eating better can mean moving out of our old comfort zones.


    One technique you can use is to start tracking another nutrient, say potassium or vitamin C. And then change your eating to try and fill that nutrient each day, while staying under your calories. I say this because I suspect that your food choices may not be as nutrient-rich as they could be. By trying to eat to maximize a particular nutrient, you can teach yourself how to eat more calorie- and nutrient-rich foods.
  • SueInAz
    SueInAz Posts: 6,592 Member
    As a habitual under-eater myself I can definitely empathize with your situation! As has been pointed out a few times already, you really need to add more fruits and veggies to your diet, as well as some dairy, if you can. Based on your calorie goal, you should be eating at least 5 cups a day of fruits and veggies every day and you don't seem to be at this point. Bananas and avocados are great especially since you're looking to add calories but any will do, it's up to your personal preferences. Dark colored veggies are better. Dairy and whole grains are also a good addition to any diet. You might try other sandwiches for lunch besides peanut butter (but no processed meats like bologna!) and don't forget the lettuce and tomato!

    Your comment about your prior daily soda and beer intake is actually pretty telling. You weren't getting the right kind of calories before, so you were probably starving yourself nutritionally while getting too many overall calories. Trying to correct this is definitely a step in the right direction. Kudos! You'll probably find that just cutting out all of that sugar and alcohol will make a huge difference.
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