Often have trouble making my calories

grobbygru
grobbygru Posts: 292 Member
edited September 30 in Food and Nutrition
Hi there

I have real problems eating enough as a general rule - anyone have any tips? Such as today - I have just had dinner and I still have 1281 calories left to use up!!! I mean - maybe I might have some icecream or something later - but it certainly isn't going to be that much!!
Anyone suffer like me and know what I can do to up it? I have a few food issues it seems (allergies, small stomach (believe it or not) fussiness, hate making food and eating it, hate seeing or thinking about food when I am full)

Rob

Replies

  • TinaS88
    TinaS88 Posts: 817 Member
    If we could see your diary I would possibly be able to help more.
  • FallonMCal
    FallonMCal Posts: 27
    Are these extra calories from working out, or are they just your regular daily totals.
  • ingeh
    ingeh Posts: 513 Member
    I feel the same sometimes. I have never eaten much (baby weight and birth control made me put on around 3st) and Its hard for me to make up 1,200cals a day. Maybe makes sure you eat more fruit/veg to push the amount up?
  • learnbygoing
    learnbygoing Posts: 103 Member
    Try:

    Adding a tablespoon or two of olive oil to whatever you're cooking
    Avocados
    Nuts (esp. cashews, walnuts, pecans, etc)
    A spoonful of peanut butter

    These are all chock full of calories and good fats, and not terribly filling :D

    You just need to plan better, that's all. Some days I put my food in my diary first thing in the morning for the WHOLE DAY so I can better plan out what I'm going to eat for the day and not go over/under.

    Good luck!
  • meggonkgonk
    meggonkgonk Posts: 2,066 Member
    1) Without your diary open, its really difficult to tell where you might improve
    2) It sounds like you may be over working out- try reigning in your burns (if that is indeed what you are doing) and keep it in the 300-500/day range- it will make eating much easier
    3) Start eating more earlier in the day- if you have a workout planned for the evening it helps fuel your workout and keep your cals in balance
    4) Eat foods with high healthy fat content- nuts, nut butters (if you have a food processor, you can make these yourself!) avocado
    5) If you do one or 2 mega workouts during the week, carry some of the cals over to the next day (eat 1/2 the day of, and then about 1/4 the next day).

    Being a picky eater/not wanting to cook, unfortunately, are not going appease your body's need for nutrition :wink:.
  • grobbygru
    grobbygru Posts: 292 Member
    they can be both - today they are from working out - well actually I don't think I have made my base yet

    I have alot of allergies and fruit is one of the things I have to watch (my favourite food too) I am also a vegetarian and hate takeaway and crap food - soooo it makes it hard - I just had a crumpet to try up it - got it to 1050 left to eat - and I am full as and feeling rather uncomfortable so can't imagine eating anything else today :-(

    I have been aware that I am probably in starvation mode most of my life and hence why I am overweight - just want to know how to stretch my stomach or something I guess
  • marquesajen
    marquesajen Posts: 641
    Could you make a big batch of some food and freeze it in portions so you don't have to cook everyday? Making things ahead of time might help, so that you can just heat and eat. Also have healthy snacks around to munch on through the day like nuts and dried fruit, which you can carry in your purse. I sometimes have the same problem and usually it's because I just don't want to cook or I'm already full from eating something with alot of water in it.
  • maryzcontrary
    maryzcontrary Posts: 70
    I just had this issue, and am still new to MFP. The first week I lost 2 lbs, the second I gained 1/2 lb!! I was constantly coming in under my calories -- I intended to do that, and it was also very hard to get to 1200 -or more with the exercise calories -- I took a weekend to think about it, not worrying too much about calories but not being a pig either, then got back on MFP yesterday...another member explained in detail why it's important to eat those calories, especially once in our 40's and 50's....sure enough, when I weighed today, I had lost some weight!!

    that 'starvation mode' is real, and it will stall you -- why not do what was suggested by someone -- add some olive oil? That way you get some very good calories without a lot of food and 'bulk'? But don't consistently eat under -
  • grobbygru
    grobbygru Posts: 292 Member
    I like the peanut butter option - I like that stuff when I can get a brand that doesn't have a funny taste to it!!

    I do make up food - but I can only ever eat what I feel like - so where I might feel like it one day - the next it could make me sick to think about it

    I only work out 3 times a week now and like tonights was only 758 calories worth (75 mins exercise) (years ago I used to do 3 hours a day 6 days a week so I think that 'messed me up' a bit metabolism wise too)

    Eating early is out too!!! Blah I would really get sick if I did that - so it is not uncommon for me to be awake for at least 4 hours prior to getting one pang of hunger (hunger pangs are virtually non existant for me - I get excited when I get them LOL) I had to have surgery the other day - and the nurses where apologising cos their lunch was smelling (smelly to me lol) - and I had been fasting - doesn't bother me in the slightest.

    Another thing I think doesn't help is I am a HUGE water drinker!!

    I haven't worked out how to open the diary yet - I saw one person had theirs to read.

    I do carry the calories over a bit - because most days there is just no other way around it. I think once I have gone over by 255 calories since I have been using this. I am loosing weight - so I am happy with that - I just don't like it telling me off LOL - and would love to be a person that loves food - like I rarely eat in restaurants etc because the servings are too big - it is often crap compared to what I can make etc etc. Is there any way to make yourself LOVE food? I would be happy if you could get everything you need from a pill or something - that is how I feel about it. Weird I know.
  • W0zzie
    W0zzie Posts: 262 Member
    Maybe also checkout other (other than Peanut) based butters/milk - ie. I hear Almond Butter & Almond milk bandied around a bit - and supposedly yes we can get them in Aus, I am soon to look as I'm getting close to just trying to maintain and find even now a bit of hassle sometimes getting up to goal net.

    Also maybe swap in some milk instead of water? I have a milo of a nighttime and if low on cals I'll make it milk based instead of water based.
  • grobbygru
    grobbygru Posts: 292 Member
    Also maybe swap in some milk instead of water? I have a milo of a nighttime and if low on cals I'll make it milk based instead of water based.
    [/quote]

    Hmmmm - don't drink milk either - or softdrinks or anything like that.
    Today so far I am doing ok - will probably go a little over - but it won't make up the 600 shortfall I had for yesterday. I managed to get it down from the 1200 to 600 - but then had to put up with heartburn etc when I went to bed cos I was stuffing myself full of stuff I wouldn't normally eat. :-)

    Well - thanks for the tips all - I think the peanut butter one is one to go for :-) - that is about all I can eat that wouldn't be totally offputting to me - oh cashews here and there too - I do eat them or almonds sometimes.
  • grobbygru
    grobbygru Posts: 292 Member
    oooo sorry - I obviously don't know how to do the quote thing properly either :-)
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