Having a Hard Time reaching Calories needed a day

ChelBell712
ChelBell712 Posts: 26 Member
edited November 20 in Health and Weight Loss
So I have been dieting since April 2015 and so far have lost 22 pounds. Since I have lost the weight I have a hard time eating enough calories through the day for it to be healthy! Does anyone have any recomendations on what to do in this situation? I really shouldn't be complaining since I'm very much overweight but I don't want to do this the wrong way!

Replies

  • malibu927
    malibu927 Posts: 17,562 Member
    This is a great, comprehensive list of items to eat to bring you to your goal: community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10142490/a-list-of-calorie-dense-foods
  • ChelBell712
    ChelBell712 Posts: 26 Member
    Thank you! I will try this!
  • zoeysasha37
    zoeysasha37 Posts: 7,088 Member
    Peanut butter. When im.low, i just have several spoons of peanut butter and it brings my calories up .
    Obviously this isn't a long term solution, but it does work . If your calories are low for an extended period of time, id try more calorie dense meals to help fill in some calories.
  • Nony_Mouse
    Nony_Mouse Posts: 5,646 Member
    Let me guess, you've cut out a bunch of stuff because you think you shouldn't eat it while you're losing weight, right? Truth is, you can eat anything you like so long as it fits into your calorie allowance. Obviously for optimal health you should ensure you're eating a good balance of protein, fats and carbohydrates and getting your micronutrients through eating nutrient dense foods, but once you've reached those you can top up your calories with some 'treat' stuff if you like, or more calorie-dense nutritious stuff such as nuts and nut butters, oils, avocado, etc.
  • ptkat28
    ptkat28 Posts: 99 Member
    Honestly, I am probably not eating what everyone else thinks is appropriate for weight loss! That being said, I eat a ton of protein, low carbs! I struggle to meet 1200 a day!!! But from what I do eat, I am so full, I do not want to eat anything else! MFP set my calories at 1000-1200 a day. I really try hard, and the past 2 days have been easy because of July 4th. I eat a lot of chicken! Eggs, greek yogurt, tuna fish, almonds and pistachios are great snacks! Feel free to add me if you like!
  • terbusha
    terbusha Posts: 1,483 Member
    If you're having a hard time getting enough calories, then eat more calorie-dense food. Peanut butter, rice, and even some pasta are good. Be sure to still get enough nutrition from fruits and veggies. Get in your fiber. Hit your macro goals, but if you still have some calories at the end of the day, just do your best to hit that goal.
  • Soopatt
    Soopatt Posts: 563 Member
    These posts never make sense to me and I see them often on MFP, normally by newbies. Often, some of them seem to be followed by "I am not losing any weight!!!" *wail*.

    If you don't know how to eat 1200 calories, how did you manage to get overweight in the first place? You must have been eating a lot more than that and you must have been doing it consistently for a very long time.

    I am not trying to be unkind, but these posts worry me. They make me think that as someone mentioned above, you might think you are only allowed certain kinds of food and have to ban others, or alternatively, it makes me worry that you are not logging correctly and are eating more than you think.

    Eating 1200 is as easy as falling off a log if you are logging accurately and using a digital scale. I weigh the milk that goes in my coffee. I weigh my eggs. I weigh the 5g of tomato sauce that goes on my eggs. I weigh a lettuce leaf I use for garnish. I pre-log. I have to be exceedingly careful not to eat more than 1200 and I am often hungry. Not hungry that I am going to kill and eat my friends, but hungry, none the less, in a natural, part of the process sort of way.

    Again, I am not trying to be nasty, but please - don't get a rush out of being crazy restrictive, if that is what you are doing (you can't keep it up) or don't kid yourself about logging - there are no free veggies, if that is what you are doing.

    Good Luck. It is a long hard journey, but it is well worth it in the end.
  • Faithful_Chosen
    Faithful_Chosen Posts: 401 Member
    edited July 2015
    @Soopatt Looking at myself, I don't eat grains due to intollerances so there is a huge chunk of calorie dense foods gone (pasta, rice, regular pizza, fast-food, most sauses, etc.) and I greatly dislike eating meat. I actually started eating at least some chicken and fish now I am getting healthy just to make calories and macros. I weigh my stuff, I eat (what to me are) huge meals, have three snacks inbetween as well, and most days I am still heading to the fridge at midnight just to get over 1300 (it used to be 1200 but I added another 100 because I often end up with 500+ calories to spare on my total goal).

    The little weight I used to gain was from topping off my day with a family sized pack of potato crisps, so I ended up eating just slightly over maintenance. Now I have cut that out I am suddenly ~1000 calories short and because I eat more calorie dense foods, I don't feel hungry enough to split the difference. It's not always a measuring issue. Sometimes it's just that it doesn't feel like more food will go into my belly. I tried upping to 1400 from 1200 and that jump left me nauseous and just... too full, for example.

    I'm not cutting out anything, enjoy all my snacks and sugary goodness, but sometimes hitting that 1300 seems herculian. Today is one of those days: all meals planned and ~900 calories to pack into two 'snacks'. I limited my work-out already to keep the allotment down and still... So yeah, today is going to be a hard one again, and it happens for some. I am truly dreading going to maintenace but this is not sustainable because I am definitely loosing weight.
  • ChelBell712
    ChelBell712 Posts: 26 Member
    Faithful_Chosen wrote: »
    @Soopatt Looking at myself, I don't eat grains due to intollerances so there is a huge chunk of calorie dense foods gone (pasta, rice, regular pizza, fast-food, most sauses, etc.) and I greatly dislike eating meat. I actually started eating at least some chicken and fish now I am getting healthy just to make calories and macros. I weigh my stuff, I eat (what to me are) huge meals, have three snacks inbetween as well, and most days I am still heading to the fridge at midnight just to get over 1300 (it used to be 1200 but I added another 100 because I often end up with 500+ calories to spare on my total goal).

    The little weight I used to gain was from topping off my day with a family sized pack of potato crisps, so I ended up eating just slightly over maintenance. Now I have cut that out I am suddenly ~1000 calories short and because I eat more calorie dense foods, I don't feel hungry enough to split the difference. It's not always a measuring issue. Sometimes it's just that it doesn't feel like more food will go into my belly. I tried upping to 1400 from 1200 and that jump left me nauseous and just... too full, for example.

    I'm not cutting out anything, enjoy all my snacks and sugary goodness, but sometimes hitting that 1300 seems herculian. Today is one of those days: all meals planned and ~900 calories to pack into two 'snacks'. I limited my work-out already to keep the allotment down and still... So yeah, today is going to be a hard one again, and it happens for some. I am truly dreading going to maintenace but this is not sustainable because I am definitely loosing weight.

  • ChelBell712
    ChelBell712 Posts: 26 Member
    Well I was used to eating anything and not worrying about the calories or nutrients because I got in "I don't care mode" and never realized how much I was actually eating but never got full because it was not "real food"! Since I have been eating healthier and cut out sweets and sodas (which was my weakness) I seem to get more full and can't take in that many calories from what I am eating!
    I'm not saying that I couldn't eat a pizza that was 1000 calories and not reach it by all means!! But I'm not going to do that to reach my calorie intake! I wanted to know some healthy snacks or wanted advice on how people met their goals without getting carried away!
    Also wasn't trying to act like I was special because I couldn't reach my calories either if some were thinking that and I know how to track my food I've eatin, that's not so difficult for anyone I wouldn't think! I want to lose the weight the right way so it will stay off and I want to feel physically better so I really don't want to eat cruddy food at all! Just posted this to see what other people did and see if anyone else ran into this after starting dieting! And I wouldn't consider myself a "newbie" to dieting because I have been since April and have lost 22 pnds without the tracker. I just got this to see how I was doing and keep track of everything until I reach my weight Goal! Thanks to the people who actually gave me advice and who gave my answers to my question! :)
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