Can't eat enough calories!

tasha12004
tasha12004 Posts: 232 Member
edited November 2024 in Food and Nutrition
Hi All :)

So I have been struggling to reach my 1200 calories every day. I am a vegetarian and eat mainly plant based foods with the exception of eggs, whole wheat bread, and cheese. I never eat usually before 11 AM. I usually have either 1 cup of coffee and or tea along with 32 ounces of fruit infused water as my "breakfast" fills me up and helps start my day. I eat a big salad for lunch with usually a cheese and fruit. And for dinner I usually eat 2 eggs with onions, tomatoes, and mushrooms with a vegetable and a carb (bread or tortilla) on the side. I still hardly ever get up to 1200 calories. I need help with some ideas of what to start adding to my food and or eating.

Thanks,

<3

Replies

  • amtyrell
    amtyrell Posts: 1,447 Member
    Eat breakfast.
  • livingleanlivingclean
    livingleanlivingclean Posts: 11,751 Member
    Add an extra meal. Add calorie dense foods to your meals.

    (is there a reason you're aiming for such low calories in the first place? And how are you determining how much you're actually eating? Are you weighing all solids and measuring all liquids and using appropriate database entries for your food?)
  • Jruzer
    Jruzer Posts: 3,501 Member
    More cheese, eggs, and tortillas.
  • annacole94
    annacole94 Posts: 994 Member
    A handful of almonds.
  • tasha12004
    tasha12004 Posts: 232 Member
    livingleanlivingclean wrote: »
    Add an extra meal. Add calorie dense foods to your meals.

    (is there a reason you're aiming for such low calories in the first place? And how are you determining how much you're actually eating? Are you weighing all solids and measuring all liquids and using appropriate database entries for your food?)

    The problem is those two meals make me sooo full. I don't really get hungry that often so when I do eat those foods i am to the point where I'm not hungry anymore. And I have read if your not hungry, don't eat. And also i'm not aiming for low calorie foods. Those are just the plant based foods I really like (vegetable wise) .
  • gabby3265
    gabby3265 Posts: 13 Member
    i have the same problem, i don't get hungry as often, and i got told the same thing they told you... its bad to force yourself to eat, so what i do its i just take the snack route, i ate little amounts of dry fruit through the day and that helps me boost up my calorie intake without making myself eat and get stomach pain...
  • tasha12004
    tasha12004 Posts: 232 Member
    No, I decided when I wanted to loose weight that I was going to push myself farther and become vegetarian as well. I like to set hard goals for myself to achieve. My starting weight was 181 and I am finally down to 166 . My ultimate goal is 135-140 as I am 5'2(and a half)
  • marm1962
    marm1962 Posts: 950 Member
    full fat salad dressings?
  • richardgavel
    richardgavel Posts: 1,001 Member
    Don't wait til you get hungry to eat. Once you start to eat additional meals and/or snacks, your mind will soon start to expect them. And by adding meals and snacks instead of making existing ones larger, you're less likely to experience a full feeling.
  • xPia
    xPia Posts: 19 Member
    You could add a smoothie with a plant based protein powder or nut butters.
  • tasha12004
    tasha12004 Posts: 232 Member
    marm1962 wrote: »
    full fat salad dressings?

    I should maybe do that. I use apple cider vinegar for my dressing.
  • tasha12004
    tasha12004 Posts: 232 Member
    xPia wrote: »
    You could add a smoothie with a plant based protein powder or nut butters.[/qu
    I love that idea.
  • crooked_left_hook
    crooked_left_hook Posts: 364 Member
    Im with @EbonyDahlia on this one. I'm a bit baffled on how your calories are so low. Is your diary open? How are you getting your protein? Are you tracking every nibble of food you have between meals?

    You could try and add a protein shake in for breakfast blended with some fruit and almond milk. That should give you around 200 calories. Greek yogurt, cottage cheese, any kind of cheese, hummus, peanut butter, chickpeas, beans, quinoa, and farro are all non-meat foods I use to get protein.

    Personally I need to eat every 3-4 hours so i usually have a 200 cal shake around 6am, 250 cal oatmeal/fruit around 9am, 259-300 cal lunch, 200 cal snack around 3:30pm, 300 cal dinner, and maybe a 75-150 cal snack before bed. I can't stand big meals or feeling overly full so I have to spread it out. I also can't complain about being hungry because I'm eating all day long ;)

    Regardless of how you do it, you need to get your calories up or you could slow your metabolism down, which you don't want to do.
  • dlm7507
    dlm7507 Posts: 237 Member
    To lower my blood pressure I went low sodium which means I eat little, if any, prepackaged food-like products or restaurant food. Meat and fresh vegetables. I have trouble getting 1200. I normally eat too much, how I gained the weight, but eating real food like an adult has me not getting a lot of calories. I'm dropping weight like crazy - 12 lbs in 15 days and my BP dropped ~ 18:7. A testimony how how awful the American diet is. But yeah, healthy vegetables makes for not many calories.
  • annacole94
    annacole94 Posts: 994 Member
    There are plenty of healthy, plant based foods that have reasonable calories. Potatoes, sweet potatoes, fruit of all kinds, nuts, nut butters, beans and chickpeas, hummus, avocados...

    The idea that it's hard to get to 1200 calories, or that you're just SO FULL on less is... unlikely to be true.
  • JohnnyPenso
    JohnnyPenso Posts: 412 Member
    Nuts and seeds are very calorie dense and just a handful can be 200 or more calories. I find it's an easy way to boost intake without having to ingest a large volume of food. Plus it's healthy fats, some protein, some fibre etc.
  • lynn_glenmont
    lynn_glenmont Posts: 10,106 Member
    tasha12004 wrote: »
    marm1962 wrote: »
    full fat salad dressings?

    I should maybe do that. I use apple cider vinegar for my dressing.

    Some of the vitamins in your salad are fat soluble, so if you're not getting enough fat in your diet, your body won't be able to absorb the vitamins.
  • livingleanlivingclean
    livingleanlivingclean Posts: 11,751 Member
    dlm7507 wrote: »
    To lower my blood pressure I went low sodium which means I eat little, if any, prepackaged food-like products or restaurant food. Meat and fresh vegetables. I have trouble getting 1200. I normally eat too much, how I gained the weight, but eating real food like an adult has me not getting a lot of calories. I'm dropping weight like crazy - 12 lbs in 15 days and my BP dropped ~ 18:7. A testimony how how awful the American diet is. But yeah, healthy vegetables makes for not many calories.

    I eat very little processed food but have no issues eating 2000 cals plus.... Less is easy. Choose more calorie dense foods. Add plenty of healthy fats.
  • RuNaRoUnDaFiEld
    RuNaRoUnDaFiEld Posts: 5,864 Member
    If you don't eat more protein and fat your body will start to use your lean muscle as fuel.
  • comptonelizabeth
    comptonelizabeth Posts: 1,701 Member
    Could you add another meal or eat breakfast earlier? Add in a couple of snacks from the foods mentioned by others above? Add oil to your salads ,drink full fat milk ?
    I don't eat pre-orepared meals either (I have a gut condition and they upset my gut) so I make my meals from scratch but still don't have a problem reaching my calorie goal of 2200.
  • leanjogreen18
    leanjogreen18 Posts: 2,492 Member
    I only eat 2 meals and I eat some of the same things you eat. Typical day...

    Bagel thin 110 cal
    Slice of cheddar cheese - 110
    2 eggs- 120

    Lettuce tomatoes onions 35 cal
    Spicy chicken boca 140 cal (veggie "chicken")
    Shredded cheese 110 cal
    1/2 - 1/4 Avocado 130 cal
    Black beans 100 cal
    Flaxseeds 50 cal
    Boathouse classic ranch 60 cal
    Croutons 60 cal

    Leaves me room for a snack of either Greek yogurt or cottage cheese. This all on approx 1200 give or take a few.

    Add to your salad some calorie dense foods like nuts, or a protein. Full fat dressing.

    Having said that when I first started I too was stuffed around 1050-1100 calories. But I think that was a new awareness of what I was eating instead of mindless eating and the determination to lose weight. After a few weeks my appetite leveled out and I was able to eat 1200 no problem:).



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