Finding it hard to eat all my calories

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zarozinia
zarozinia Posts: 67 Member
in Food and Nutrition
I'm only marginally in the high end of my weight range, and I'm short (barely 5'), and as such, I have to lose only about 12lbs to make it back into my safety zone. But, I'm having difficulty eating all of my daily calories, without, you know, hitting In-N-Out to make up for the difference. I find that the healthier I eat, the fuller I feel on less food, so it's kind of put me in a weird position with respect to weight loss. And I'm worried that because I'm exercising, and only getting about 1000-1100 calories per day, I'm putting my body int starvation mode and making it harder for myself to shed the weight.

The other problem is that this is only my second week on my healthy eating plan and I WANT TO LOSE THE WEIGHT NOW DAMMIT. Sorry... In other words... I'm impatient. ;)

Anyone have suggestions for me?

Replies

  • NKF92879
    NKF92879 Posts: 601 Member
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    You have to be patient. I'm only 5'1", so I know how frustrating it can be. Also, try some healthy, high-calorie foods (nuts, avocado, etc.).
  • gentlebreeze2
    gentlebreeze2 Posts: 450 Member
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    Calorie dense foods... like nuts will give you more calories, without making you feel overfull.
  • speedub
    speedub Posts: 3
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    Hi there. I'm a runner and joined this to make sure I ate enough as I was gaining fat while training because of the high mileage and lack of hunger to eat so much. I tend to drink an extra Ensure or an Instant Breakfast with 2% or whole milk to get my calories while eating a meal or between them. I'm getting the nutrition with those which makes me feel better about it. Peanut butter on whole wheat bread also gives you some calories as well.

    I hope this helps! :)
  • jocraw66
    jocraw66 Posts: 52
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    First if you are eating faf free or reduced fat foods you can make up some calories by switching to the fuller fat versions. It is amazing the difference in calories with regard to fat free/full fat cheese, yogurt, salad dressings and other condiments.

    Add in some healthy fats as well if you are not eating them already. Things like olives, nuts and avacado are higher in calories than some things and a little of them goes a long way with regard to how much you have to eat to get significant calories.

    Good luck.
  • BrianTheNegotiator
    BrianTheNegotiator Posts: 25 Member
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    I have that same problem at least 4 days a week. What I do is get some Good Sense Soynuts and Sunflower Seeds. On days that I'm a little short and I get that nagging "you're going to die" notice from MFP (lol) I just measure out 1/4 cup of the soy or sunflower seeds and then I don't have to feel guilty about the extra calories - they're high in folic acid, protein, etc.

    ETA: ha ha when I started this post there weren't any others yet. I guess the overwhelming advice is: eat nuts.
  • emmieb10
    emmieb10 Posts: 7 Member
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    Well, let me speak on behalf of everyone.... NO FAIR!!! I wish I had your problem!! :smile:

    I would say this - are you eating lots of fiber? That might be causing the full problem. I would try to sneak in some more protein and carbs - eat some chicken, fruit, veggies, whole grain rice/pasta and try to just eating small meals, but more often throughout the day - like 5-6 times. And you're definitely right to be worried about starvation mode - you definitely need to eat at least what your recommended caloric intake calls for. Lots of bad things can come from not eating enough.

    Just be patient! You'll get there - 12lbs is nothing!!
  • LivLovLrn
    LivLovLrn Posts: 580 Member
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    I am with you on that. I have been looking for high calorie low fat foods I could eat to try to get all my calories in. I finally gave up (for now) on worrying about how much fat I am eating and am concentrating on getting my calories in.
    The foods I eat for higher calories are:
    short grain brown rice
    nuts (high in fat, though)
    cheese
    I am told cottage cheese is a good choice, haven't quite gotten there yet.

    I am still working on it because I am finding that I feel a LOT better when I do eat my calories.
  • pantoine
    pantoine Posts: 12
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    I think if you're feeling full *and* you seem to have good energy levels then you needn't worry too much.

    The key to me is your energy levels provided by the food you are managing to eat. If you find you don't have much energy when exercising then you definitely need more calories such as the nuts and avocado etc. mentioned by NKF.
  • cspinney
    cspinney Posts: 81 Member
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    I'm around the same height as you, though I have more weight to lose. I looked at your diary and it looks like you are at least getting close to your 1200 every day. Where it's only been a week I'd try to be patient. Give it a few weeks and see how things go. I say this for a couple of reasons:

    1. I find that some weeks I'm not very hungry and I just seem to eat less without even trying. Other weeks I may be hungrier. I figure it balances out.

    2. I do believe in listening to your hunger cues. If you are truly not hungry, you may not need to eat more.

    That said, if you do find you need to eat more you could try adding in some healthy snacks. Mostly though I'd say be patient and keep in mind that at our height it often takes a bit longer to drop the pounds. Upside, small losses tend to be more visible when you are short. :)
  • thebunnies
    thebunnies Posts: 168
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    first, patience is the name of the game when you're trying to lose weight. fast weight-loss means gaining it back just as fast. it's GREAT that you feel fuller on healthy foods :) you can eat a LOT more when you eat healthy. i used to have a hard time eating enough, too.. especially after exercising. i started to add more things to my meals like almonds, beans, peanut butter.. healthy, high in calories, filling.
  • zarozinia
    zarozinia Posts: 67 Member
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    Well, let me speak on behalf of everyone.... NO FAIR!!! I wish I had your problem!! :smile:

    I would say this - are you eating lots of fiber? That might be causing the full problem. I would try to sneak in some more protein and carbs - eat some chicken, fruit, veggies, whole grain rice/pasta and try to just eating small meals, but more often throughout the day - like 5-6 times. And you're definitely right to be worried about starvation mode - you definitely need to eat at least what your recommended caloric intake calls for. Lots of bad things can come from not eating enough.

    Just be patient! You'll get there - 12lbs is nothing!!

    Oh, but it is everything! See, I'm one of those "lucky" gals for whom a five pound weight gain means the difference between fitting in my clothes and not! LOL! A five pound loss on me is about equal to a 15-20 lb loss on someone who is average sized. I have a good friend who is the same age as I am, and 10" taller than me, and she can gain 10-15lbs and not have to make a three-size wardrobe change, whereas I have spent $$$ over the last year trying to accommodate my 15lb heavier butt. Think about it: Because I'm short, there's less territory for the weight to go. But the worst part is that while an average sized woman can drop five pounds in two weeks on a diet, it takes me MONTHS for the same weight to go away. It's all about proportion, unfortunately!

    It's also why I am really loathe to give out numbers wrt my weight. Average sized people see the numbers and just assume that 1) it's easier for me; and 2) I'm already "thin" so what's the big deal? :-/
  • La_Amazona
    La_Amazona Posts: 4,855 Member
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    I felt that way too for about the 1st month or 2... then suddenly i was HUNGRY. And I don't hit the burger joint, but I eat some yummy nutritious foods and I hit my calorie range.

    I put 2 and 2 together and when I started working out harder (because I could because my endurance was greater since I had been working out hard for 1 or 2 months already), my body wanted fuel. In other words, I didn't do it on purpose. I think it was just a process.
  • zarozinia
    zarozinia Posts: 67 Member
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    ETA: ha ha when I started this post there weren't any others yet. I guess the overwhelming advice is: eat nuts.

    LOL! You sure that doesn't mean "go nuts?" Because it sometimes feels that way!
  • mea9
    mea9 Posts: 561 Member
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    bump

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