I eat clean but am always low in calories...what can I add?
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I forgot to mention. The reason why I gained weight besides the eating bad stuff, I ate too much in volume. My body likes volume whether it's healthy or bad food. It just likes a lot of it.
The one thing I'm afraid of is doing things like drizzling olive oil or adding nuts will up the calories but not "fill me up".
The things that tend to fill me up in the past was things like meat + starch (i.e. rice, potatoes etc.) which aren't necessarily a safe bet.0 -
sheepingly wrote: »I forgot to mention. The reason why I gained weight besides the eating bad stuff, I ate too much in volume. My body likes volume whether it's healthy or bad food. It just likes a lot of it.
The one thing I'm afraid of is doing things like drizzling olive oil or adding nuts will up the calories but not "fill me up".
The things that tend to fill me up in the past was things like meat + starch (i.e. rice, potatoes etc.) which aren't necessarily a safe bet.
If you're a volume eater, then why not just eat more of the foods you're already eating? Have a cup of rice instead of half a cup, have 3 cups of broccoli instead of two, 6 ounces of chicken instead of 3, etc.2 -
sheepingly wrote: »born_of_fire74 wrote: »Cutting both fat and carbs makes it very difficult for your body to fuel itself. It needs one or the other to turn into energy so you'll most likely find yourself hungry, listless and cranky before too long. Fat can be very satiating for some, carbs moreso for others. You need to figure out what types of food keep you feeling full and satisfied within your calorie allotment and adjust your macros accordingly (carbs up/fats down or fats up/carbs down while maintaining a minimum protein intake) for long term success.
Furthermore, without underlying health issuses--hypertension, diabetes etc,--there's no pressing reason to cut sugar or sodium from your diet. The more you restrict yourself and/or quickly alter the foods you eat, the more likely you are to struggle IMHO.
The doc said a few months ago that I'm starting to get High Blood Pressure so that kinda scared me.
Did you doc specifically say they felt the carbs/fat were to blame for the HBP or did the doc say you need to lose weight and cutting carbs and fat was a way to do that? Or did the doc not make any specific recommendations regarding diet?
The reason I ask is usually losing weight, with any WOE (way of eating), is enough to reduce blood pressure.0 -
sheepingly wrote: »@lemur I haven't "avoided" grains yet becuase I haven't figured out the whole plan yet. I just started literally today and chose to make dinner instead of the usual frozen stuff which was the usual diet before or more processed stuff.
@jem. It wasn't plain oatmeal, it was one of those instant ones in the little packets.
Its not completely clean i know but cleaner than my old diet of frozen stuff or fast food so i've just been trying to clean it up and cooking as much as possible until i figure out what the heck i'm doing.
You have admirable goals. As I mentioned, just don't be so hard on yourself starting out. Especially being new, take some time to get used to logging & to your new calorie allowance first (and I would add, since you're just getting started, making sure your weekly weight loss goal is appropriate for you- many choose 2 lbs/week right off the bat when it's often not necessary or desirable). Once you have settled in, you can begin to look for ways to improve your diet and your ability to reach your goals. Wish you the best
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sheepingly wrote: »@lemur I haven't "avoided" grains yet becuase I haven't figured out the whole plan yet. I just started literally today and chose to make dinner instead of the usual frozen stuff which was the usual diet before or more processed stuff.
I wasn't being critical, just saying that people assuming you were avoiding grains weren't noticing that you were including them. No reason to avoid grains, IMO -- it would make it harder to hit calories if that's an issue.Its not completely clean i know but cleaner than my old diet of frozen stuff or fast food so i've just been trying to clean it up and cooking as much as possible until i figure out what the heck i'm doing.
That's cool. Lots of people (including me) dislike the term "clean eating" because it sounds sanctimonious and is used inconsistently, and often people claim they are eating no processed foods but of course are, they are eating basically like those of us who are reasonably health conscious but don't "eat clean." IMO, improving your diet is a great thing to do, but saying you are eating "clean" because you aren't eating mostly frozen stuff or fast food suggests that others who don't use the term ARE, and many of us never did,
No big thing, and I'm again not being critical, just pointing out that the term can be confusing.
How are you measuring the chicken and the rice and cheese and so on? What are the precise numbers you are getting. Based on my estimates, if you are only at 900, your portions are quite small, and cooking with some olive oil (measured out) is not the same as just drizzling it on. Being too low in fat isn't great.2 -
sheepingly wrote: »I forgot to mention. The reason why I gained weight besides the eating bad stuff, I ate too much in volume. My body likes volume whether it's healthy or bad food. It just likes a lot of it.
Actually, the *only* reason you gained weight was because of the volume... not because any foods are inherently "bad"
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3 oz of chicken and 1/2 c of cooked rice is pretty small. I could easily eat double that at a meal. If you've been eating at a high volume, then you may find meals this small are not going to satisfy you.
so, I'd, just double the rice, cheese, and add in two pieces of fruit, or add a salad with olive oil dressing. Or swap popcorn for apples and peanut butter or hummus and rice cakes. add a cup of milk to the oatmeal, etc.0 -
janejellyroll wrote: »sheepingly wrote: »I forgot to mention. The reason why I gained weight besides the eating bad stuff, I ate too much in volume. My body likes volume whether it's healthy or bad food. It just likes a lot of it.
The one thing I'm afraid of is doing things like drizzling olive oil or adding nuts will up the calories but not "fill me up".
The things that tend to fill me up in the past was things like meat + starch (i.e. rice, potatoes etc.) which aren't necessarily a safe bet.
If you're a volume eater, then why not just eat more of the foods you're already eating? Have a cup of rice instead of half a cup, have 3 cups of broccoli instead of two, 6 ounces of chicken instead of 3, etc.
Would eating more of the chicken or veggies be a better option to eat more of than rice?1 -
If you are a volume eater, eat more volume. I routinely make a big salad out of 2.5-3 oz of spinach with plenty of cucumbers, red bell pepper, and whatever else I want on top along with chicken (or steak) and depending on my fat goal for the day I add differing amounts of ranch dressing and shelled/roasted pumpkin seeds (pepitas.) It's big enough that I make it in a serving bowl rather than a salad bowl.1
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sheepingly wrote: »janejellyroll wrote: »sheepingly wrote: »I forgot to mention. The reason why I gained weight besides the eating bad stuff, I ate too much in volume. My body likes volume whether it's healthy or bad food. It just likes a lot of it.
The one thing I'm afraid of is doing things like drizzling olive oil or adding nuts will up the calories but not "fill me up".
The things that tend to fill me up in the past was things like meat + starch (i.e. rice, potatoes etc.) which aren't necessarily a safe bet.
If you're a volume eater, then why not just eat more of the foods you're already eating? Have a cup of rice instead of half a cup, have 3 cups of broccoli instead of two, 6 ounces of chicken instead of 3, etc.
Would eating more of the chicken or veggies be a better option to eat more of than rice?
Try all three! See which makes you feel satisfied AND within your calorie goal. For me, I'd increase the chicken a little bit and the broccoli a little bit. Experiment. See what feels good to you1 -
If you are a volume eater, eat more volume. I routinely make a big salad out of 2.5-3 oz of spinach with plenty of cucumbers, red bell pepper, and whatever else I want on top along with chicken (or steak) and depending on my fat goal for the day I add differing amounts of ranch dressing and shelled/roasted pumpkin seeds (pepitas.) It's big enough that I make it in a serving bowl rather than a salad bowl.
Seriously - I make something similar with chicken bacon and avocado, but no seeds. I call it my Chicken BLT Salad. It's delicious and so filling.0 -
sheepingly wrote: »@lemur I haven't "avoided" grains yet becuase I haven't figured out the whole plan yet. I just started literally today and chose to make dinner instead of the usual frozen stuff which was the usual diet before or more processed stuff.
@jem. It wasn't plain oatmeal, it was one of those instant ones in the little packets.
Its not completely clean i know but cleaner than my old diet of frozen stuff or fast food so i've just been trying to clean it up and cooking as much as possible until i figure out what the heck i'm doing.
Oats are a great base for all sorts of lovely, calorie dense things I make a serving of plain quick oats and then add things like raisins, dried blueberries, cashews and walnuts, pumpkin and sunflower seeds and then strawberry jam or honey, ( I usually add 2 or 3 of these things per time). A very easy way to get in some extra nutrients and calories! 1 -
sheepingly wrote: »So I'm trying to eat clean and lose weight (i'm 60+lbs overweight) but even when I add in 3 meals and a snack and try mostly to have unprocessed foods. I'm way below my cal level of 1200 +.
Today for instance:
Breakfast - Low Carb Protein Shake and Oatmeal
Lunch - 3 oz chicken stuffed with asparagus and cheese, 1/2 cup of rice
Dinner - 3 oz chicken stuffed with asparagus and cheese, 1/2 cup of rice, 2 cups of broccoli
Snack - 1 cup of popcorn
I added it all up on MFP and its only 900 calories. What else can I add -- I'm trying to also be low sodium and low fat.
You could add a variety of veggies, if you like yogurt you can have yogurt or plain yogurt with fresh fruit. A cup of popcorn is nothing. Have a full serving, which is about 120 ish calories and as someone mentioned add some EVOO or coconut oil. Add in another healthy snack of a couple ounces of meat and a veggie.
There are many "healthy" food that you can add. IMO you do not want to restrict yourself to the point where you lose interest or end up bingeing out. Just keep playing around with what you eat until you find something that works for you. Good luck.1 -
sheepingly wrote: »born_of_fire74 wrote: »Cutting both fat and carbs makes it very difficult for your body to fuel itself. It needs one or the other to turn into energy so you'll most likely find yourself hungry, listless and cranky before too long. Fat can be very satiating for some, carbs moreso for others. You need to figure out what types of food keep you feeling full and satisfied within your calorie allotment and adjust your macros accordingly (carbs up/fats down or fats up/carbs down while maintaining a minimum protein intake) for long term success.
Furthermore, without underlying health issuses--hypertension, diabetes etc,--there's no pressing reason to cut sugar or sodium from your diet. The more you restrict yourself and/or quickly alter the foods you eat, the more likely you are to struggle IMHO.
The doc said a few months ago that I'm starting to get High Blood Pressure so that kinda scared me.
Did you doc specifically say they felt the carbs/fat were to blame for the HBP or did the doc say you need to lose weight and cutting carbs and fat was a way to do that? Or did the doc not make any specific recommendations regarding diet?
The reason I ask is usually losing weight, with any WOE (way of eating), is enough to reduce blood pressure.
She didn't say, I was there for a TB test. She was taking my BP and asked if I was nervous and I wasn't so I said no and she's like well your BP is a little high...and I said oh maybe stress? But I was in denial I know its related to weight
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lemurcat12 wrote: »sheepingly wrote: »@lemur I haven't "avoided" grains yet becuase I haven't figured out the whole plan yet. I just started literally today and chose to make dinner instead of the usual frozen stuff which was the usual diet before or more processed stuff.
I wasn't being critical, just saying that people assuming you were avoiding grains weren't noticing that you were including them. No reason to avoid grains, IMO -- it would make it harder to hit calories if that's an issue.Its not completely clean i know but cleaner than my old diet of frozen stuff or fast food so i've just been trying to clean it up and cooking as much as possible until i figure out what the heck i'm doing.
That's cool. Lots of people (including me) dislike the term "clean eating" because it sounds sanctimonious and is used inconsistently, and often people claim they are eating no processed foods but of course are, they are eating basically like those of us who are reasonably health conscious but don't "eat clean." IMO, improving your diet is a great thing to do, but saying you are eating "clean" because you aren't eating mostly frozen stuff or fast food suggests that others who don't use the term ARE, and many of us never did,
No big thing, and I'm again not being critical, just pointing out that the term can be confusing.
How are you measuring the chicken and the rice and cheese and so on? What are the precise numbers you are getting. Based on my estimates, if you are only at 900, your portions are quite small, and cooking with some olive oil (measured out) is not the same as just drizzling it on. Being too low in fat isn't great.
I have a food scale and then I compare it to the labels it came in.0 -
sheepingly wrote: »I forgot to mention. The reason why I gained weight besides the eating bad stuff, I ate too much in volume. My body likes volume whether it's healthy or bad food. It just likes a lot of it.
Actually, the *only* reason you gained weight was because of the volume... not because any foods are inherently "bad"
Well if you wanna get technical...lol3 -
sheepingly wrote: »sheepingly wrote: »I forgot to mention. The reason why I gained weight besides the eating bad stuff, I ate too much in volume. My body likes volume whether it's healthy or bad food. It just likes a lot of it.
Actually, the *only* reason you gained weight was because of the volume... not because any foods are inherently "bad"
Well if you wanna get technical...lol
It's just helpful to know your real enemy in this battle 3
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