Why do so many people say they can't reach their calorie goal?
Replies
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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 -
You would be amazed at what people can experience thanks to medication as well. I don't visit those threads, but medications can cause weight gain without someone doing anything different than they did before they started the meds. Medication can also cause drastic losses in appetite that make eating 1200 calories feel impossible. I suffered that over the summer and it was pretty awful... I'd look up it'd be 4 p.m. and I'd have eaten a yogurt with granola and drank some water and wouldn't have any desire to eat. It took about 2 weeks of that before I felt like I was had the flu. My body hurt all over, I had no energy, and my head hurt all of the time. So yeah if these people really can't get 1200 cals a day in, they'd feel it sooner rather than later. I'm in agreement that they likely aren't measuring/weighing their food so they're underestimating what they're eating (2 tablespoons of peanut butter doesn't look like nearly as much as you think).2
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What's with all the criticism for us low calorie folks? I sometimes miss my calorie allotment for the day and I'm not obsessive; don't have an eating disorder; and am weighing accurately with a food scale. I'm also a 60 year old female who needs fewer calories than a younger person to lose weight. There's nothing strange, funky, or unusual about what I eat and other than my daily exercise, I lead a sedentary lifestyle. No mysteries here and no compulsive behavior. Just eating what's tasty and nutritious...for me.
As to how I got here...a steady diet of pizza and hoagies for 10 months in 2012 and no exercise. Packed on 40lbs and then another 10 in 2016 via healthy, but high calorie foods. Again, no mysteries. Just taking in lots more than I was expending. Decided to get healthy and fit at the end of June. Joined MFP at the end of July and here I am just 8lbs from goal. My calorie allowance is currently set for 1250 which is slightly above a half lb per week loss.8 -
What's with all the criticism for us low calorie folks? I sometimes miss my calorie allotment for the day and I'm not obsessive; don't have an eating disorder; and am weighing accurately with a food scale. I'm also a 60 year old female who needs fewer calories than a younger person to lose a lb per week. There's nothing strange, funky, or unusual about what I eat and other than my daily exercise, I lead a sedentary lifestyle. No mysteries here and no compulsive behavior. Just eating what's tasty and nutritious...for me.
You are also not a young woman claiming to eat less than 900 calories plus exercise every day. Undereating is OK sometimes like you do it but drastically undereating every day is when it becomes an issue.10 -
My thoughts are that they might be doing a couple of things:
Underestimating portion sizes or choosing wrong entries so are eating more than they think
They are eating a super restrictive low fat low carb type diet and thus are struggling to eat larger quantities of boring food.
They have a medical issue that has impacted their appetite or how food tastes.1 -
@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?
It depends on how many calories you're eating0 -
@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?
It depends on how many calories you're eating
My example was based on if you're identical, same amount of food etc just exercised differently. Just highlighting that exercise does effect things even if you're eating too much0 -
singingflutelady wrote: »What's with all the criticism for us low calorie folks? I sometimes miss my calorie allotment for the day and I'm not obsessive; don't have an eating disorder; and am weighing accurately with a food scale. I'm also a 60 year old female who needs fewer calories than a younger person to lose a lb per week. There's nothing strange, funky, or unusual about what I eat and other than my daily exercise, I lead a sedentary lifestyle. No mysteries here and no compulsive behavior. Just eating what's tasty and nutritious...for me.
You are also not a young woman claiming to eat less than 900 calories plus exercise every day. Undereating is OK sometimes like you do it but drastically undereating every day is when it becomes an issue.
Granted, thus is certainly true. However, OP and subsequent posters were addressing individuals who couldn't eat up to their calorie allowance and the cause of such behaviors. The purpose of my post was to illustrate that eating under was certainly possible without all the negatives posited by numerous posters.1 -
singingflutelady wrote: »What's with all the criticism for us low calorie folks? I sometimes miss my calorie allotment for the day and I'm not obsessive; don't have an eating disorder; and am weighing accurately with a food scale. I'm also a 60 year old female who needs fewer calories than a younger person to lose a lb per week. There's nothing strange, funky, or unusual about what I eat and other than my daily exercise, I lead a sedentary lifestyle. No mysteries here and no compulsive behavior. Just eating what's tasty and nutritious...for me.
You are also not a young woman claiming to eat less than 900 calories plus exercise every day. Undereating is OK sometimes like you do it but drastically undereating every day is when it becomes an issue.
Granted, thus is certainly true. However, OP and subsequent posters were addressing individuals who couldn't eat up to their calorie allowance and the cause of such behaviors. The purpose of my post was to illustrate that eating under was certainly possible without all the negatives posited by numerous posters.
Eating under is not okay. There is no reason except for medical emergencies.2 -
Filling up on low cal/ high volume foods (fruit, veg and beans). It's hard for me to hit 1200 cals on a day when I eat a ton of beans and veg.2
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I have a 1250 daily calorie goal to lose 2lb per week. I eat every last calorie I possibly can. I have cut string cheese into quarters because that's how many calories I had room for. Some times I finish under goal, but that's from the few exercise calories I have, usually around 100.
I weigh and measure everything I eat.1 -
I got fat because I was depressed, lazy, and ate a lot of fast food of soda.0
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In my couple of years on MFP, I've seen a baffling number of these posts. A number of reasons have been cited why this might happen to a person, but I just want to mention the ones I've seen are typically from newbies on what I think of as a "dieter's high"... "I've made all these changes and feel so great... I don't even need to eat that much!" Haven't noticed anybody that's been at it for many months bemoaning how hard it is to hit their calorie allowance! 21
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When I first started MFP, I felt so happy. Goal was 1200, routinely hitting only 1000. I was losing weight and happy that I was, but couldn't figure out why I wasn't hungrier on such a "low goal". I knew enough at the time that what I was eating was "low" and was curious why I wasn't hungrier (big appetite).
I posted on here asking if it was okay that I was getting the "you're not eating enough" warning every day despite a slow loss rate.
I quickly had my eyes opened to the reality...
Turns out my logging was way, way off. Estimations, volume measurements for solid foods, using cooked entries instead of uncooked and vice versa. I was losing weight because I was still under my maintenance level, but I certainly wasn't eating what I thought I was eating.
The second my logging got accurate, I struggled badly and quickly changed my calorie goals/weight loss rate.
Over a year on, i've found sustainability.
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I think they're freaked out and have an unhealthy relationship with food. An all or nothing. it does make zero sense that a person who is overweight is stuffed eating 800 calories.. pushing to eat 1200. a cheeseburger is 1100.
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I am one of those people who are finding it hard to reach 1200 calories, yes I am new(only 4 days) but I do log and weigh everything, I don't add my workout calories. I have been trying hard to eat smaller portions and making better choices in what I eat. I admit I have a salt addition but so far I have cut out adding it almost completely. One of the problems I have is that I have to watch my cholesteral and I always go over my allotment or very close to it, but I'm still under the 1200 mark. I can only eat so many veggies before I feel blah and I cant eat any more. I can do without a lot of carb but I do like my protein in the form of meat (still not overly large portions). Its all a learning process in which I'm sure I will figure out but in the meantime I keep getting messages that Im not eating enough.2
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Those people are not using a food scale.4
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lizardlipsagain wrote: »I am one of those people who are finding it hard to reach 1200 calories, yes I am new(only 4 days) but I do log and weigh everything, I don't add my workout calories. I have been trying hard to eat smaller portions and making better choices in what I eat. I admit I have a salt addition but so far I have cut out adding it almost completely. One of the problems I have is that I have to watch my cholesteral and I always go over my allotment or very close to it, but I'm still under the 1200 mark. I can only eat so many veggies before I feel blah and I cant eat any more. I can do without a lot of carb but I do like my protein in the form of meat (still not overly large portions). Its all a learning process in which I'm sure I will figure out but in the meantime I keep getting messages that Im not eating enough.
It's definitely a learning process and it will get easier, but it sounds like you're talking about having a hard time getting enough calories within the constraints of your chosen macros. Many of the posts we see of this nature imply the person simply isn't hungry enough to eat their calorie allowance. This will likely pass 1 -
@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.
That's because most people were eating at a surplus when they started counting calories. So, they *have* to cut calories to even get down to maintenance levels.
Personally, I would find it a lot easier to eat "sedentary maintenance" calories and walk five miles a day than to eat "sedentary maintenance minus 500 cals" and be sedentary. But I like food. A lot. And I find a pedometer (or other tracking device) highly motivating.
And, yes, I know there are people who cannot achieve that due to disability or other circumstances. Just saying that the combination of calorie counting and increased activity is also a feasible approach.8 -
I'm not sure about others, but in my case it's the net calories I have trouble getting to 1200 on. I exercise a couple hours a day (walking and biking) and usually burn at least 400 calories, so I have no problem eating 1200 plus the exercise calories, but I usually try to leave between 100-200 exercise calories "on the table," so to speak, so that more often than not only has me netting 1050 for the day. I never feel deprived of food, though. Of course I'd love to eat more, but I want to lose more weight. I'm also not saying I don't have 3,000 calorie days, because I have them at least once a week. So I obviously don't have any problems eating calories if I want. The problem is that when I'm adhering to the 1200 calories MFP gives me to lose .5 pounds a week (I'm 5'1") and only eating part of my exercise calories back, it makes it difficult to reach 1200 net calories.
I'm not sure that would be what other writers are talking about when they say they have a hard time reaching 1200 calories, but that's my story. I have recently (started last week) been making myself eat 1200 net calories, but I have to admit, it's a really hard thing mentally for me to do. I'm scared I will not lose at least the .5 pound per week.
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Personally, I have no trouble at all eating about 2000 to 2500 calories a day. And there's not a lot of so-called "junk food" in that. When I eat anything less than that, I'm some degree of hungry.
Unfortunately, 2000-2500 calories a day causes a very slow, gradual weight gain.
Reaching 1200 calories is way too easy for me ...
Morning snacks: 200 cal
Lunch: 350 cal
Afternoon snacks: 200 cal
After work snacks: 200 cal
Dinner: 500 cal ... oops, I'm over and I haven't even had my evening snacks yet.
Thank goodness for exercise!
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