Why do so many people say they can't reach their calorie goal?
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I have always wondered that as well. Mine is set at 1850. I have gone over like every single day. It's frustrating.10
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I can easily understand because I've been there.
For me, a 400 calorie meal with a Lean Cuisine plus a bag of veggies and 32 fl oz of water is more volume and much more filling than a 1000 calorie DQ chicken strip basket with 300 calories worth of Pepsi.
Before I started MFP, I would have the chicken strip basket and then be ready to eat again in a few hours. After I started MFP, I would eat the 400 calorie meal and not be hungry for 4-5 hours. Until I got the hang of things, I also had trouble hitting 1200 some days.
My hunger cues have always been terrible and I think this is just an extension of that. I wouldn't be surprised if there isn't some hormonal response to the new calorie restriction that adds to the problem.10 -
@edena001 don't take it personal - there are a lot of folks that say this and it does seem strange that over weight folks trying to loose weight can't eat 1200 calories otherwise how did they become overweight.
I totally changed the way I was eating when I first started and I was eating a ton of protein bars that gave me a heavy feeling in my stomach. Since I stopped eating those I've returned to having no problem eating 1250 calories.
I think there are legitimate reasons but they don't usually last.
The problem isn't necessarily over weight people eating too much, it's that they're not exercising. There would be some days I would only take 60 steps? And eating the wrong type of foods. During the last year because of the flat I was in I was eating stuff like snacks for dinner and pot noodles, shop brought sandwiches etc, take aways. If you go from that to cooking all your meals from scratch then there's a huge change in how many calories you consume.
You don't come on here and keep your exact eating pattern. You change and adapt it it's the whole point of this app4 -
I haven't had a problem hitting my calorie target, but I ate a lot less food when I was putting on weight than I do now I'm losing weight. The difference is, my previous intake was much much much more calorie dense than my current intake, so it didn't take a lot in terms of volume for my CI to be more than my CO. I can see why some people struggle to meet their target if they've switched all their foods to a less calorie-dense diet. It's a matter of finding balance, which can be difficult when someone first changes their eating plans.10
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@edena001 don't take it personal - there are a lot of folks that say this and it does seem strange that over weight folks trying to loose weight can't eat 1200 calories otherwise how did they become overweight.
I totally changed the way I was eating when I first started and I was eating a ton of protein bars that gave me a heavy feeling in my stomach. Since I stopped eating those I've returned to having no problem eating 1250 calories.
I think there are legitimate reasons but they don't usually last.
The problem isn't necessarily over weight people eating too much, it's that they're not exercising. There would be some days I would only take 60 steps? And eating the wrong type of foods. During the last year because of the flat I was in I was eating stuff like snacks for dinner and pot noodles, shop brought sandwiches etc, take aways. If you go from that to cooking all your meals from scratch then there's a huge change in how many calories you consume.
You don't come on here and keep your exact eating pattern. You change and adapt it it's the whole point of this app
I eat all of the same food I ate before, I just fit it into my calorie goal, so no, not everyone changes everything. Completely changing would not have been sustainable for me.14 -
@edena001 don't take it personal - there are a lot of folks that say this and it does seem strange that over weight folks trying to loose weight can't eat 1200 calories otherwise how did they become overweight.
I totally changed the way I was eating when I first started and I was eating a ton of protein bars that gave me a heavy feeling in my stomach. Since I stopped eating those I've returned to having no problem eating 1250 calories.
I think there are legitimate reasons but they don't usually last.
The problem isn't necessarily over weight people eating too much, it's that they're not exercising. There would be some days I would only take 60 steps? And eating the wrong type of foods. During the last year because of the flat I was in I was eating stuff like snacks for dinner and pot noodles, shop brought sandwiches etc, take aways. If you go from that to cooking all your meals from scratch then there's a huge change in how many calories you consume.
You don't come on here and keep your exact eating pattern. You change and adapt it it's the whole point of this app
I eat all of the same food I ate before, I just fit it into my calorie goal, so no, not everyone changes everything. Completely changing would not have been sustainable for me.
I also have returned to eating same foods I ate before with the exception of making them a little smaller portion or making a lower calorie version.
protein bars are in my purse for emergency snack but its pretty flat since I haven't needed it in several months:)3 -
@edena001 don't take it personal - there are a lot of folks that say this and it does seem strange that over weight folks trying to loose weight can't eat 1200 calories otherwise how did they become overweight.
I totally changed the way I was eating when I first started and I was eating a ton of protein bars that gave me a heavy feeling in my stomach. Since I stopped eating those I've returned to having no problem eating 1250 calories.
I think there are legitimate reasons but they don't usually last.
The problem isn't necessarily over weight people eating too much, it's that they're not exercising. There would be some days I would only take 60 steps? And eating the wrong type of foods. During the last year because of the flat I was in I was eating stuff like snacks for dinner and pot noodles, shop brought sandwiches etc, take aways. If you go from that to cooking all your meals from scratch then there's a huge change in how many calories you consume.
You don't come on here and keep your exact eating pattern. You change and adapt it it's the whole point of this app
Exercise is actually a hard way to create your deficit for weight loss. Most people can't lose weight just by exercising more.
I eat what I ate before, mostly, just in smaller amounts. Some people do make drastic changes. I was one of the people who are generally healthy foods, just waaaay too much of them.10 -
I wonder this as well every time I see one of those posts. I struggled to adjust to eating less and have had maybe 2 days in the last year where I was significantly under goal...when I was sick. Usually I worry about not going over.
I suspect the people creating those posts are not 100% accurate in their logging. None of us came to this forum because we ate too little.11 -
When we're talking about measuring food for logging purposes, volume doesn't matter if we use scales. Volume absolutely does when it comes to how much is on our plates or that we can eat at one sitting though, and high volume/low calorie foods can leave people feeling full without reaching their targets.
I'm living proof that people have come to this forum because they ate too little. I also got malnourished and folate-deficiency anaemia whilst gaining weight because of the poor choices I made. It happens.6 -
@edena001 don't take it personal - there are a lot of folks that say this and it does seem strange that over weight folks trying to loose weight can't eat 1200 calories otherwise how did they become overweight.
I totally changed the way I was eating when I first started and I was eating a ton of protein bars that gave me a heavy feeling in my stomach. Since I stopped eating those I've returned to having no problem eating 1250 calories.
I think there are legitimate reasons but they don't usually last.
The problem isn't necessarily over weight people eating too much, it's that they're not exercising. There would be some days I would only take 60 steps? And eating the wrong type of foods. During the last year because of the flat I was in I was eating stuff like snacks for dinner and pot noodles, shop brought sandwiches etc, take aways. If you go from that to cooking all your meals from scratch then there's a huge change in how many calories you consume.
You don't come on here and keep your exact eating pattern. You change and adapt it it's the whole point of this app
Barring medical complications, we became overweight due to eating too much for our activity levels.10 -
CurlyCockney wrote: »When we're talking about measuring food for logging purposes, volume doesn't matter if we use scales. Volume absolutely does when it comes to how much is on our plates or that we can eat at one sitting though, and high volume/low calorie foods can leave people feeling full without reaching their targets.
I'm living proof that people have come to this forum because they ate too little. I also got malnourished and folate-deficiency anaemia whilst gaining weight because of the poor choices I made. It happens.
I understand the malnurishment from poor choices but are you saying you became overweight from eating too few calories?2 -
singingflutelady wrote: »CurlyCockney wrote: »When we're talking about measuring food for logging purposes, volume doesn't matter if we use scales. Volume absolutely does when it comes to how much is on our plates or that we can eat at one sitting though, and high volume/low calorie foods can leave people feeling full without reaching their targets.
I'm living proof that people have come to this forum because they ate too little. I also got malnourished and folate-deficiency anaemia whilst gaining weight because of the poor choices I made. It happens.
I understand the malnurishment from poor choices but are you saying you became overweight from eating too few calories?
No, I ate too many calories but very little food. Everything I ate was high calorie/low volume, whereas now I mix that up with high volume/low calorie.
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@edena001 don't take it personal - there are a lot of folks that say this and it does seem strange that over weight folks trying to loose weight can't eat 1200 calories otherwise how did they become overweight.
I totally changed the way I was eating when I first started and I was eating a ton of protein bars that gave me a heavy feeling in my stomach. Since I stopped eating those I've returned to having no problem eating 1250 calories.
I think there are legitimate reasons but they don't usually last.
The problem isn't necessarily over weight people eating too much, it's that they're not exercising. There would be some days I would only take 60 steps? And eating the wrong type of foods. During the last year because of the flat I was in I was eating stuff like snacks for dinner and pot noodles, shop brought sandwiches etc, take aways. If you go from that to cooking all your meals from scratch then there's a huge change in how many calories you consume.
You don't come on here and keep your exact eating pattern. You change and adapt it it's the whole point of this app
Exercise is actually a hard way to create your deficit for weight loss. Most people can't lose weight just by exercising more.
I eat what I ate before, mostly, just in smaller amounts. Some people do make drastic changes. I was one of the people who are generally healthy foods, just waaaay too much of them.
If you're doing virtually no exercise, compared to someone who has a higher intensity day you're going to gain more weight than them?0 -
@edena001 don't take it personal - there are a lot of folks that say this and it does seem strange that over weight folks trying to loose weight can't eat 1200 calories otherwise how did they become overweight.
I totally changed the way I was eating when I first started and I was eating a ton of protein bars that gave me a heavy feeling in my stomach. Since I stopped eating those I've returned to having no problem eating 1250 calories.
I think there are legitimate reasons but they don't usually last.
The problem isn't necessarily over weight people eating too much, it's that they're not exercising. There would be some days I would only take 60 steps? And eating the wrong type of foods. During the last year because of the flat I was in I was eating stuff like snacks for dinner and pot noodles, shop brought sandwiches etc, take aways. If you go from that to cooking all your meals from scratch then there's a huge change in how many calories you consume.
You don't come on here and keep your exact eating pattern. You change and adapt it it's the whole point of this app
I eat all of the same food I ate before, I just fit it into my calorie goal, so no, not everyone changes everything. Completely changing would not have been sustainable for me.
I said you change and adapt? You've changed you're eating plan to adapt to your needs? I didn't say it was a drastic change to anyone ? But you're not going to come on here and continue eating takeaways 3 times a week and chocolate bars every day?0 -
LittleChipin wrote: »From my experience, I gained weight eating one large very calorie dense meal a day aka dinner so many heavy calorie foods at that time. When I got on my diet I chose waayyy healthier foods which I have to eat more of to reach my goal of 1250. Going from eating once a day to a bunch of times a day is very difficult and that's why it's hard for some people to reach that goal. Feeling full all day and still having calories to eat is something us low calorie eaters have to adjust to.
If what you are eating is so high-volume/low-calorie that it's preventing you from getting adequate nutrients, it's not "waayy healthier." In fact, it's unhealthy.6 -
CurlyCockney wrote: »singingflutelady wrote: »CurlyCockney wrote: »When we're talking about measuring food for logging purposes, volume doesn't matter if we use scales. Volume absolutely does when it comes to how much is on our plates or that we can eat at one sitting though, and high volume/low calorie foods can leave people feeling full without reaching their targets.
I'm living proof that people have come to this forum because they ate too little. I also got malnourished and folate-deficiency anaemia whilst gaining weight because of the poor choices I made. It happens.
I understand the malnurishment from poor choices but are you saying you became overweight from eating too few calories?
No, I ate too many calories but very little food. Everything I ate was high calorie/low volume, whereas now I mix that up with high volume/low calorie.
Oh OK that makes sense! Malnurishment is not uncommon these days in normal weight and above people0 -
The problem isn't necessarily over weight people eating too much, it's that they're not exercising. There would be some days I would only take 60 steps? And eating the wrong type of foods. During the last year because of the flat I was in I was eating stuff like snacks for dinner and pot noodles, shop brought sandwiches etc, take aways. If you go from that to cooking all your meals from scratch then there's a huge change in how many calories you consume.
You don't come on here and keep your exact eating pattern. You change and adapt it it's the whole point of this app
This sort of thinking is what kept me fat for far too many years. I figured that I didn't really eat that much, but it was "the wrong type of foods" keeping me fat. Also being lazy and not liking exercise. The thought of depriving myself, always feeling hungry and having to hit the gym several hours a week was enough to put me off trying to lose the weight.
Then I was introduced to MFP, started weighing my food, and realised that I was, in fact, eating too much and that what I thought was a reasonable portion was not reasonable at all! I still do very little exercise, and I still eat many of the same foods I used to - I just eat less.
I think the difficulty in reaching a lower calorie goal can be due to a variety of reasons, as others have said here. A couple of the more common ones seem to be either a change in habits like you've mentioned (i.e. cooking your own food and therefore having more filling meals for fewer calories), or else a feeling that everything "bad" must be eliminated from one's diet which leaves people struggling to figure out what they can still eat to reach their goal.
And also, many times it's just poor estimating skills causing people to log incorrectly, and they're actually eating more than they think they are.
But yes, I feel the same way as the OP sometimes - people don't become overweight in the first place by eating too few calories (regardless of where those calories come from), and it can be a little frustrating to see people complain that they can't reach their goal when I struggle to stay within mine...
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singingflutelady wrote: »CurlyCockney wrote: »singingflutelady wrote: »CurlyCockney wrote: »When we're talking about measuring food for logging purposes, volume doesn't matter if we use scales. Volume absolutely does when it comes to how much is on our plates or that we can eat at one sitting though, and high volume/low calorie foods can leave people feeling full without reaching their targets.
I'm living proof that people have come to this forum because they ate too little. I also got malnourished and folate-deficiency anaemia whilst gaining weight because of the poor choices I made. It happens.
I understand the malnurishment from poor choices but are you saying you became overweight from eating too few calories?
No, I ate too many calories but very little food. Everything I ate was high calorie/low volume, whereas now I mix that up with high volume/low calorie.
Oh OK that makes sense! Malnurishment is not uncommon these days in normal weight and above people
If chocolate was more nutritious I'd have been ok ;-) I didn't actually eat meals often, but I could happily eat chocolate and cheese all day.
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@edena001 don't take it personal - there are a lot of folks that say this and it does seem strange that over weight folks trying to loose weight can't eat 1200 calories otherwise how did they become overweight.
I totally changed the way I was eating when I first started and I was eating a ton of protein bars that gave me a heavy feeling in my stomach. Since I stopped eating those I've returned to having no problem eating 1250 calories.
I think there are legitimate reasons but they don't usually last.
The problem isn't necessarily over weight people eating too much, it's that they're not exercising. There would be some days I would only take 60 steps? And eating the wrong type of foods. During the last year because of the flat I was in I was eating stuff like snacks for dinner and pot noodles, shop brought sandwiches etc, take aways. If you go from that to cooking all your meals from scratch then there's a huge change in how many calories you consume.
You don't come on here and keep your exact eating pattern. You change and adapt it it's the whole point of this app
I eat all of the same food I ate before, I just fit it into my calorie goal, so no, not everyone changes everything. Completely changing would not have been sustainable for me.
I said you change and adapt? You've changed you're eating plan to adapt to your needs? I didn't say it was a drastic change to anyone ? But you're not going to come on here and continue eating takeaways 3 times a week and chocolate bars every day?
I do not eat out at all due to deadly food allergies. I also never ate chocolate bars at all. You are making vast generalizations that don't apply to everyone. I gained weight because I ate too many calories. That simple. I buy the exact same foods now that I bought when I was gaining weight, except now I stay within my calories (which is set at a slight gain right now due to pregnancy).5 -
If you're doing virtually no exercise, compared to someone who has a higher intensity day you're going to gain more weight than them?
I can't speak for the person you're responding to, but in general you eat to a calorie goal that's appropriate for your activity level. If someone is very active, they can eat more. If I ate the same amount as an active person then yes, I would gain weight - therefore I eat an amount that suits my sedentary lifestyle and lose the pounds. If I chose to become more active, I could eat more!4
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