Can't seem to eat enough?
baileyneely
Posts: 2 Member
I started really counting calories a week or so ago in order to make sure I'm not overeating. Turns out I have the opposite problem.
I am 20 years old and (according to my last weigh-in) 284 lbs and have already lost 14 lbs. I had what I believe to be a gallbladder attack over a month ago that kept me from eating more than toast, bananas, yogurt, and baby food for weeks, which was the catalyst for my making some lifestyle changes. Once I started to feel better, I went to the grocery store and purchased some Lean Cuisines and started working out on a recumbent bike a relative gave me. I joined MFP, set some goals, and was told to eat 1510 calories a day. No problem, I thought.
After logging my exercise (which is 45 to 90 minutes a day), I have not come close to 1500 calories. Most days, I can't even reach 800 calories, period. I get hungry often enough, but I don't have much of an appetite so I don't always eat when I'm hungry, and when I do eat, it's not a lot.
I am an extraordinarily picky eater, and my main problem is texture, particularly the texture of vegetables and fruit. My go-to food in the past were hot dogs, cheeseburgers, grilled cheese, and pizza, and now with those cut out of my diet, I'm not getting in a lot of calories. Or a lot of food, period.
What should I do? What are some easy, quick ways to get in more healthy calories? Are there shakes I can buy or something?
Any and all advice is appreciated.
I am 20 years old and (according to my last weigh-in) 284 lbs and have already lost 14 lbs. I had what I believe to be a gallbladder attack over a month ago that kept me from eating more than toast, bananas, yogurt, and baby food for weeks, which was the catalyst for my making some lifestyle changes. Once I started to feel better, I went to the grocery store and purchased some Lean Cuisines and started working out on a recumbent bike a relative gave me. I joined MFP, set some goals, and was told to eat 1510 calories a day. No problem, I thought.
After logging my exercise (which is 45 to 90 minutes a day), I have not come close to 1500 calories. Most days, I can't even reach 800 calories, period. I get hungry often enough, but I don't have much of an appetite so I don't always eat when I'm hungry, and when I do eat, it's not a lot.
I am an extraordinarily picky eater, and my main problem is texture, particularly the texture of vegetables and fruit. My go-to food in the past were hot dogs, cheeseburgers, grilled cheese, and pizza, and now with those cut out of my diet, I'm not getting in a lot of calories. Or a lot of food, period.
What should I do? What are some easy, quick ways to get in more healthy calories? Are there shakes I can buy or something?
Any and all advice is appreciated.
0
Replies
-
How'd you get to 284 if you can't get close to 1500 calories, let alone 800? Are you 12 feet tall?
What's unhealthy about the things you've cut?0 -
That happens to many people when they start on a new eating method.
As you get into the rhythm of your new plan, you'll get the hang of it. For now, you may want to add a couple calorie dense snacks such as nuts or peanut butter.0 -
You can still eat those foods, just in proper portions. Some people automatically go to skim milk, fat free dressings, low fat whatever's...use the full fat or higher fat options if you have the calories! Sprinkle cheese or add sour cream, etc to your entrees, salads, potatoes. Peanut butter is a great option; very calorie dense & yummy! Remember, you want to set yourself up for lifetime success, so eat foods that you will always want to eat! Portioning & some healthier swaps make keeping those foods a breeze!0
-
Roast your veggies until they're soft. There are a million different ways to make the many, many kinds of veggies. Keep trying new veggies until you find some you can make in a way that doesn't create texture issues for you.
Juice is great for loads of calories in a healthy way.
If you prefer to drink your meals, get some Boost or Ensure.
I subsisted on fats food and carry out and have managed to flip my diet. It just takes dedication and some work. IMO, a healthy diet is worth the work.
If you cannot bring yourself to eat fruits and veggies, you can still eat carry out and fast food while you lose weight. You'll be hungry a lot. If the carry-out doesn't contain vitamins and minerals you need, but does contain buckets of salt, it won't be the healthiest diet, but you'll still lose weight.0 -
baileyneely wrote: »...What are some easy, quick ways to get in more healthy calories? Are there shakes I can buy or something?.
Will smoothies take care of the texture issue for you? My brother had to eat soft foods for a long time due to dental issues and ate a lot of vegetable and protein smoothies. I have peanut butter banana smoothies for breakfast. Nuts are high in healthy fats and calories.
0 -
I think you will benefit overall by adding more variety to your diet. I say pick one fruit and one vegetable from the market that you rarely eat every month and find different ways to present it and eat it. I did this with mushrooms and now I am much more likely to include them in my meals. It seems high fat and cheesy foods led to your gains in the first place so it seems smart to avoid those foods for a little longer until you have the control for instance, to stop at one slice of pizza or one cheeseburger a week. Factored in to your daily target of course.0
-
Vegetables can be prepared in a salad, added to quiche, steamed, braised, and roasted. A little dressing or seasoning can add a lot.0
-
If this happened after what you thought was a gallbladder issue, and you have lost your appetite since then, talk to your dr.0
-
You can also try vegetable-rich soups, chili, or stew and add puréed or finely chopped vegetables into things like marinara or on top of pita pizzas.0
-
Maybe you should look into meal planning to ensure that you're meeting your daily calorie goal. Sometimes when just starting out people can be too restrictive because it seems like a good idea but imo if you're too restrictive for too long it could lead to binging.0
-
I had the same problem when I first changed my diet. I had increasingly severe gallbladder attacks for a few years before they got bad enough to actually go to emerg (thought my appendix had burst) and get diagnosed. Because I associated eating with pain, I learned to live on very small portions of extremely calorie rich foods (not realizing that those foods were the problem, not quantity!).
When I found out that the best way to prevent attacks was with a low fat diet, I changed my diet drastically. This solved the issue but my calorie count went incredibly low because I just couldn't eat the kind of quantities required if I wasn't eating high-calorie foods. My stomach did stretch eventually, but the thing that helped immensely at the time was cold pressed juice. An 8 ounce glass of mixed fruit and vegetable juices can have 100-150 calories, isn't very filling, and never triggered pain for me. It also helped me get the vitamins and minerals I needed to feel better. I also used ensure supplement drinks to help with calories and protein.
It's now been about 6 years, and I have been able to gradually increase my portion sizes and fat to a more balanced level. You won't need to eat low-fat forever, but it will help the pain a lot for now. Don't go fat free, because fat is essential, but try to limit fat to the lower end of the healthy range, and spread it out through the day to minimize your chances of triggering an attack.
Good luck!0 -
If this happened after what you thought was a gallbladder issue, and you have lost your appetite since then, talk to your dr.
Oh, yes, do see your doctor plus Rapid weight loss through crash dieting and weight reduction surgery is a risk factor for gallstones. Some doctors recommend these people take the drug ursodeoxycholic acid to prevent gallstone formation.
0 -
DeguelloTex wrote: »How'd you get to 284 if you can't get close to 1500 calories, let alone 800? Are you 12 feet tall?
What's unhealthy about the things you've cut?
This.
I always marvel at people who have somehow, mysteriously, become overweight when they just can't eat enough.
0 -
Just because you don't see how it happens doesn't mean that it doesn't happen. Look at all of the people who post with exactly this problem. Moderation is a skill that needs to be learned.booksandchocolate12 wrote: »
This.DeguelloTex wrote: »How'd you get to 284 if you can't get close to 1500 calories, let alone 800? Are you 12 feet tall?
What's unhealthy about the things you've cut?
I always marvel at people who have somehow, mysteriously, become overweight when they just can't eat enough.
I could, especially at the beginning of my diet, have happily sat down and eaten half a pizza, a Chicken Strip box from Dairy Queen, or half a dozen donuts. That would have put me way over on my calories so I didn't do it.
With the calorie budget that I have on MFP, I'm pickier about how and when I use those calories. I'll still eat what I used to eat in moderation. That's different from making a fast food run whenever I'm peckish.
I eat more volume of food now than I did when I was eating more calories. Sometimes, especially early on, I was full and didn't want to eat any more of the food that I had handy. I made sure, especially at first, that I didn't have calorie-dense temptation foods handy.
Over time, I learned better moderation.0 -
strong_curves wrote: »Maybe you should look into meal planning to ensure that you're meeting your daily calorie goal. Sometimes when just starting out people can be too restrictive because it seems like a good idea but imo if you're too restrictive for too long it could lead to binging.
Yes!0 -
booksandchocolate12 wrote: »DeguelloTex wrote: »How'd you get to 284 if you can't get close to 1500 calories, let alone 800? Are you 12 feet tall?
What's unhealthy about the things you've cut?
This.
I always marvel at people who have somehow, mysteriously, become overweight when they just can't eat enough.
I'm in agreement with these two.
Something is off here, such as you are eating more than you realize.
No foods are healthy or unhealthy, they are just foods.
0 -
You said you are exercising 45-90 minutes per day and don't come close to your calorie goal once that is logged, so are you saying that your net calories are around 800? If you are using the MFP database for calorie calculations, it is often inaccurate, so most people will only eat back 50-75% of those calories.
Are you using a food scale to weigh all solid foods, and measuring cups for liquids? Scales should be used whenever possible, or you could be underestimating exactly how much you are eating. Also keep an eye on the database entries you are choosing. There are many user entered items which are inaccurate.
If none of the above are applicable, and you are certain that you are not making any errors in your logging, add some additional calories as suggested by those above.
It is okay to have the foods you love, just keep the portions controlled to keep within your calorie goals. That being said, there are foods which I am more likely to eat in excess, so I tend to not keep those in the house. If I want something as a treat, I try to keep it to a single serving size container.0 -
Just because you don't see how it happens doesn't mean that it doesn't happen. Look at all of the people who post with exactly this problem. Moderation is a skill that needs to be learned.booksandchocolate12 wrote: »
This.DeguelloTex wrote: »How'd you get to 284 if you can't get close to 1500 calories, let alone 800? Are you 12 feet tall?
What's unhealthy about the things you've cut?
I always marvel at people who have somehow, mysteriously, become overweight when they just can't eat enough.
I could, especially at the beginning of my diet, have happily sat down and eaten half a pizza, a Chicken Strip box from Dairy Queen, or half a dozen donuts. That would have put me way over on my calories so I didn't do it.
With the calorie budget that I have on MFP, I'm pickier about how and when I use those calories. I'll still eat what I used to eat in moderation. That's different from making a fast food run whenever I'm peckish.
I eat more volume of food now than I did when I was eating more calories. Sometimes, especially early on, I was full and didn't want to eat any more of the food that I had handy. I made sure, especially at first, that I didn't have calorie-dense temptation foods handy.
Over time, I learned better moderation.
Surely, you don't mean people can gain weight if they don't eat enough? I hope not because that defies science.
However, people can easily underestimate calories in and overestimate calories out, which is 99 percent of the time the reason they are not losing weight.0 -
That's not what I mean at all.
Surely, you don't mean people can gain weight if they don't eat enough? I hope not because that defies science.
Just because you don't see how it happens doesn't mean that it doesn't happen. Look at all of the people who post with exactly this problem. Moderation is a skill that needs to be learned.booksandchocolate12 wrote: »
This.DeguelloTex wrote: »How'd you get to 284 if you can't get close to 1500 calories, let alone 800? Are you 12 feet tall?
What's unhealthy about the things you've cut?
I always marvel at people who have somehow, mysteriously, become overweight when they just can't eat enough.
I could, especially at the beginning of my diet, have happily sat down and eaten half a pizza, a Chicken Strip box from Dairy Queen, or half a dozen donuts. That would have put me way over on my calories so I didn't do it.
With the calorie budget that I have on MFP, I'm pickier about how and when I use those calories. I'll still eat what I used to eat in moderation. That's different from making a fast food run whenever I'm peckish.
I eat more volume of food now than I did when I was eating more calories. Sometimes, especially early on, I was full and didn't want to eat any more of the food that I had handy. I made sure, especially at first, that I didn't have calorie-dense temptation foods handy.
Over time, I learned better moderation.
However, people can easily underestimate calories in and overestimate calories out, which is 99 percent of the time the reason they are not losing weight.
I meant that quite a few people who used to eat lots of calories and gained weight have trouble reaching their calorie goal when they change their eating habits.
When I wasn't watching what I ate and paying attention to the calories, I was hungry more often, ate more calorie-dense food, and ate huge amounts of calories. It didn't feel like I was really eating that much because I only ate when I was hungry but I had no idea how many calories I was actually eating. I gained weight. One of my favorite meals was a Dairy Queen 6-piece Chicken Strip Basket. That doesn't look like much food, it fits nicely on a plate, but it is 1260 calories. It made a nice lunch but I was hungry again a few hours later.
After I started using MFP, I could see how many calories foods contained. I had a calorie budget. I had macro goals. I ate more protein which left me more satiated. I ate larger volumes of veggies which filled up my stomach for longer periods. When I was hungry during the day, I was careful to keep track of what I was eating. By the end of the day, I had calories left but I was full because I had been eating differently from the way I used to eat.
Weight gain mode: eating freely with no thought to calories OR trying to watch what is consumed but unaware of true calorie content
Weight loss mode: keep careful track of foods and want to make sure you have enough for the day so you fall behind on using them and have calories left over
I had to learn how to eat more but not too much more. Falling off the wagon or having too many "cheat days" where I eat like I used to eat would put me right back to gaining weight. That doesn't mean that I don't struggle some days, even now, with meeting my daily calorie goal because what I ate during the day just wasn't calorie-dense enough.0 -
Weight loss mode: You know perfectly well how to eat calories or you wouldn't be 284. Do more of that. Boom, you're eating enough.0
-
Knowing how to overeat calories is different from knowing how to moderately eat calories.DeguelloTex wrote: »Weight loss mode: You know perfectly well how to eat calories or you wouldn't be 284. Do more of that. Boom, you're eating enough.
So, I have 380 calories left, I run out and buy a Chicken Strip Basket, boom, I'm over by 880 calories. I can't order 1/4th of a Chicken Strip Basket. I can't do what I used to do and just run out and get a calorie bomb every time I'm under a bit on calories.
Let's say I'm full. I'm trying to lose weight. I've been careful all day long. I even worked in a treat already. I'm going to go to bed rather than sabotaging myself. Maybe tomorrow I'll have nuts for a snack rather than celery.
Moderation is a learned skill.0 -
You can eat 1/4 of a chicken strip basket, right? There's nothing in the OP's post about being unable to moderate. There's plenty in the OP's post about completely eliminating foods as "unhealthy." You're making an argument that the OP isn't making.
Knowing how to overeat calories is different from knowing how to moderately eat calories.DeguelloTex wrote: »Weight loss mode: You know perfectly well how to eat calories or you wouldn't be 284. Do more of that. Boom, you're eating enough.
So, I have 380 calories left, I run out and buy a Chicken Strip Basket, boom, I'm over by 880 calories. I can't order 1/4th of a Chicken Strip Basket. I can't do what I used to do and just run out and get a calorie bomb every time I'm under a bit on calories.
Let's say I'm full. I'm trying to lose weight. I've been careful all day long. I even worked in a treat already. I'm going to go to bed rather than sabotaging myself. Maybe tomorrow I'll have nuts for a snack rather than celery.
Moderation is a learned skill.
0 -
booksandchocolate12 wrote: »DeguelloTex wrote: »How'd you get to 284 if you can't get close to 1500 calories, let alone 800? Are you 12 feet tall?
What's unhealthy about the things you've cut?
This.
I always marvel at people who have somehow, mysteriously, become overweight when they just can't eat enough.
I'm in agreement with these two.
Something is off here, such as you are eating more than you realize.
No foods are healthy or unhealthy, they are just foods.
I'm not. I think it's pretty easy to understand. Before I started eating better, I would have half a pizza for dinner (800-1,000 calories). I rarely eat pizza now, because 1 slice barely fills me up and more is too many calories to fit right in my day. So I have a salad with chicken instead. Then I am full. While I would allow myself ice cream or something, because I agree foods aren't bad, I do try to wait until I am starting to feel hungry again to break the cycle of just eating because I am bored or whatever.
OP. I would try adding butter or peanut butter to foods, or pre-planning your day and having a grilled cheese or whatever you like on a day you exercised and had low calories earlier in the day. Or other foods high in good fats, avacado, nuts, etc. Also, if you are feeling like grilled cheese but want a little lower calories, I stick mine open faced in the toaster oven until the cheese is melty then pull them out and squish together. No butter and it tasted pretty ok still. (My mom likes to add tomato slices and spices and swears it tastes like pizza)
Or homemade turkey burgers, go lighter on the cheese (maybe a half serving of shredded vs. a slice) and pick a lower calorie type bun or a wrap. You can definitely find swaps to eat the stuff you liked from before, but I agree it's hard to eat it at the beginning when you are trying to find a balance but moderation is hard.0 -
There's no reason you can't eat the foods that you listed as your "go-to's," as long as you eat them moderately. And, I would say, make them at home so you know what you're getting. One hot dog, a 4 oz. lean hamburger, a grilled cheese - those would be fine dinners to get your calories up to 1500. However, its a bit worrying that you don't KNOW if you had a gall bladder problem or not, and that you seem to have lost your appetite (although it might seem like a blessing at the moment
). I think you may be putting the cart before the horse to start a diet before seeing a doctor about these issues. 0 -
OP, are you weighing all your food with a food scale? Or going by measuring cups and spoons and what the packet tells you is in a serving?
It is very common for people to think they're under eating yet not feeling hungry; most of those people are relying on measuring cups and spoons and packet servings. Once they start weighing all of their food with a food scale, (most often in grams) they realize that they are actually eating more than they thought. You say 800 calories, could actually be 1200-unless you're weighing, you won't know for sure!0 -
Sounds perfect for the OP. OP needs more calories but already feels full. Inability to feel full on current calories isn't listed as one of the OP's problems, so if a slice of pizza isn't filling for the OP but gives more calories, it's not problematic.supersocks117 wrote: »booksandchocolate12 wrote: »DeguelloTex wrote: »How'd you get to 284 if you can't get close to 1500 calories, let alone 800? Are you 12 feet tall?
What's unhealthy about the things you've cut?
This.
I always marvel at people who have somehow, mysteriously, become overweight when they just can't eat enough.
I'm in agreement with these two.
Something is off here, such as you are eating more than you realize.
No foods are healthy or unhealthy, they are just foods.
I'm not. I think it's pretty easy to understand. Before I started eating better, I would have half a pizza for dinner (800-1,000 calories). I rarely eat pizza now, because 1 slice barely fills me up and more is too many calories to fit right in my day.
0 -
OP was having trouble eating to the calorie goal. You and others questioned how that it was possible to be overweight but have a problem meeting the calorie goal. I pointed out that the OP isn't alone in having that problem.DeguelloTex wrote: »
You can eat 1/4 of a chicken strip basket, right? There's nothing in the OP's post about being unable to moderate. There's plenty in the OP's post about completely eliminating foods as "unhealthy." You're making an argument that the OP isn't making.
Knowing how to overeat calories is different from knowing how to moderately eat calories.DeguelloTex wrote: »Weight loss mode: You know perfectly well how to eat calories or you wouldn't be 284. Do more of that. Boom, you're eating enough.
So, I have 380 calories left, I run out and buy a Chicken Strip Basket, boom, I'm over by 880 calories. I can't order 1/4th of a Chicken Strip Basket. I can't do what I used to do and just run out and get a calorie bomb every time I'm under a bit on calories.
Let's say I'm full. I'm trying to lose weight. I've been careful all day long. I even worked in a treat already. I'm going to go to bed rather than sabotaging myself. Maybe tomorrow I'll have nuts for a snack rather than celery.
Moderation is a learned skill.0 -
And I pointed out that this trouble can be eliminated by adding back some of the foods that the OP likes but has arbitrarily eliminated as "unhealthy." The OP knows foods s/he likes and that are calorically dense, but chooses not to eat them. The solution doesn't appear especially complicated.
OP was having trouble eating to the calorie goal. You and others questioned how that it was possible to be overweight but have a problem meeting the calorie goal. I pointed out that the OP isn't alone in having that problem.DeguelloTex wrote: »
You can eat 1/4 of a chicken strip basket, right? There's nothing in the OP's post about being unable to moderate. There's plenty in the OP's post about completely eliminating foods as "unhealthy." You're making an argument that the OP isn't making.
Knowing how to overeat calories is different from knowing how to moderately eat calories.DeguelloTex wrote: »Weight loss mode: You know perfectly well how to eat calories or you wouldn't be 284. Do more of that. Boom, you're eating enough.
So, I have 380 calories left, I run out and buy a Chicken Strip Basket, boom, I'm over by 880 calories. I can't order 1/4th of a Chicken Strip Basket. I can't do what I used to do and just run out and get a calorie bomb every time I'm under a bit on calories.
Let's say I'm full. I'm trying to lose weight. I've been careful all day long. I even worked in a treat already. I'm going to go to bed rather than sabotaging myself. Maybe tomorrow I'll have nuts for a snack rather than celery.
Moderation is a learned skill.
0 -
Find things in this post that you like and won't cause issues with your gallbladder:
http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10142490/a-list-of-calorie-dense-foods0 -
DeguelloTex wrote: »
Sounds perfect for the OP. OP needs more calories but already feels full. Inability to feel full on current calories isn't listed as one of the OP's problems, so if a slice of pizza isn't filling for the OP but gives more calories, it's not problematic.supersocks117 wrote: »booksandchocolate12 wrote: »DeguelloTex wrote: »How'd you get to 284 if you can't get close to 1500 calories, let alone 800? Are you 12 feet tall?
What's unhealthy about the things you've cut?
This.
I always marvel at people who have somehow, mysteriously, become overweight when they just can't eat enough.
I'm in agreement with these two.
Something is off here, such as you are eating more than you realize.
No foods are healthy or unhealthy, they are just foods.
I'm not. I think it's pretty easy to understand. Before I started eating better, I would have half a pizza for dinner (800-1,000 calories). I rarely eat pizza now, because 1 slice barely fills me up and more is too many calories to fit right in my day.
But OP MAY already be full from healthier dinner or unable to eat just one slice. I have spent a month staying away from chips, not because they are bad, but because I didn't trust myself to not eat too many at once. Would 160 calories from 1 serving of chips have fit fine into my day? Yes! But once I ate that one, would I control myself from eating the rest of the bag? Maybe not. Completely ignoring that for some people, some foods they used to love and get a lot of calories from, need to be off limits because for them it triggers bad eating is sort of narrow-minded.0
This discussion has been closed.
Categories
- All Categories
- 1.4M Health, Wellness and Goals
- 398K Introduce Yourself
- 44.6K Getting Started
- 261.1K Health and Weight Loss
- 176.4K Food and Nutrition
- 47.7K Recipes
- 233K Fitness and Exercise
- 461 Sleep, Mindfulness and Overall Wellness
- 6.5K Goal: Maintaining Weight
- 8.7K Goal: Gaining Weight and Body Building
- 153.4K Motivation and Support
- 8.4K Challenges
- 1.4K Debate Club
- 96.5K Chit-Chat
- 2.6K Fun and Games
- 4.7K MyFitnessPal Information
- 16 News and Announcements
- 19 MyFitnessPal Academy
- 1.5K Feature Suggestions and Ideas
- 3.2K MyFitnessPal Tech Support Questions