When "Eating More To Lose" makes you wanna hurl...

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Swimgoddess
Swimgoddess Posts: 711 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I swallowed that jagged little you gotta "eat more to lose" pill months ago. I get it, that's not the issue, so let's get that straight right now.

In summary:
wks 1-6: netted 1500/day average, lost 1lb/wk. Started at 162lbs & 26% BF.
wks 6-11: netted 1450/day average, lost 1lb in that entire time. 155lbs & 19.8% BF. Saw the "Eat More To Lose" light.
wks 11-14: netted 1700/day average, lost 0.5-1lb/wk. 153.5lbs & 18.95% BF. Told by trainer I definitely need to eat more.
wks 14-17: netted 1950/day average, lost 0.5lb/wk. 151lbs. Had surgery on 8/12.

wks 17-20: netted 1950/day average, had +3.8lbs swelling at 9 days post-op, +0.6lbs swelling at 13 days post-op, 0lbs swelling at 17 days post-op. Resumed workouts then (40-75 min circuit strength training 3-4x/wk, 20 min cardio 2x/wk). 1.2lbs of impant weight compensated for, 1.4lbs remaining (I don't want to be one of those girls who never "counts" that weight. They're a part of me now, I'd rather get it done sooner than later.)

So currently 152.4lbs, 19.37% BF (different trainer, natural daily variance, sitting on my tush for 2+wks? Went from 20-21mm on abdominal skinfold to 17mm (um, yay!). Even with the surgery/recovery and current body composition/being this close to goal... I think my rate of weight-loss/fat-loss would benefit from another calorie bump so I set for 2100 net starting today. (My trainer/pro-figure competitor says the bikini competitors he trains have far less lean mass than I and eat -I'm guessing gross- 2200-2600 calories/day with 30min workouts 5x a week, 3 days cardio & 2 days weights).

I don't even eat close to "clean". I hate cooking. The only way I can even come close on calories is with a heavy reliance on my "protein shakes" (12oz whole milk, 1 scoop chocolate generic slim fast, 1 scoop GNC chocolate total lean 25) and well, probably what most consider crap food. So yeah, I feel like crap. Diary is open or will be shortly. Eating feels like "work"; the minimal amount of Adderal I need to take is a huge appetite suppressant. Its 8pm and I still have several hundred exercise calories to eat back (and yes, I try my darndest to eat them all back; in fact, my burn may be underestimated because my surgery dressings block the HRM strap and the database usually underestimated my burns before.) Ugh. I wanna hurl just thinking about it.

I need some very high calorie, good macronutriently balanced, healthy, LOW FUSS food suggestions. Other than protein shakes. This is ridiculous. I couldn't even imagine meeting 2100 calories on Paleo or anything. I'd have to chain myself to a freaking table and stuff my face all day like a brontosaurus. I'm seriously considering going back to eating 1700 cal/day of real food and going to the human equivalent of that paste crap vets give starving kittens with 300 cals/tsp to make up for the rest and exercise calories. This is just ri-DONK-u-lous! Help!

Replies

  • christine24t
    christine24t Posts: 6,063 Member
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    NUTS! Eating a handful can be a couple of hundred calories. Also avocado is high in calories for the amount you get.
  • thegymbunny
    thegymbunny Posts: 602 Member
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    avocados and nuts

    not a bad diet!
  • JamesonsMommy
    JamesonsMommy Posts: 771 Member
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    So you hate to cook... lol hmmm.. I would suggest picking one day and cooking enough meals for a week (or even two.. depends on how much you hate to cook) I actually switched to a vegeterian diet and find a lot of the veggie products in your grocery freezer are super fast and easy to cook and taste amazing :) This is the first time i've noticed the weight coming off since i had my son (almost 3 years ago) Loving the diet. The diet came after quitting smoking (put on around 5 extra pounds) Good luck!! Thanks for the very good chuckle after your dinosaur reference.. still laughing :) Feel free to add me and i can maybe help you out with some very simple recipies..
  • mrsmccullen07
    mrsmccullen07 Posts: 159
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    I drink a meal replacement shake as well but I add alot to mine that isn't crap :) Here is my favorite recipe ..

    1 cup Almond Milk (45 calories)
    1 Banana
    2 tbsps Peanut Butter (I am using PB2 now because I just started counting calories and needed to get mine down)
    1 tbsp Honey (local raw honey but any would work it sweetens it up and helps with allergies which is why I use it)
    1 scoop of my shake (120 calories)

    I also add another cup and a half of water so you could add up to 2 cups of almond milk (or soy or fat free or whatever you use) ...I have used strawberries , raspberries and blueberries in my shakes as well and have quite a few other recipes :)
  • cillytilly
    cillytilly Posts: 243
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    I second the nuts and avacados.
  • Jennyisbusy
    Jennyisbusy Posts: 1,294 Member
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    I love black beans from a can - and you could add cheese, chicken, and maybe a little sour cream. Peanut butter also adds up quickly but the protein can make you feel really full (or be a trigger food for others) so you may want to save it for the end of the day.

    You may also want to eat some food before your protein shakes b/c of that super full feeling you get from them. :)

    There are also several crockpot recipes that are easy if you are not anti-pot. lol

    What are your favorite flavors?
  • Bankman1989
    Bankman1989 Posts: 1,116 Member
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    I always have unsalted peanuts on hand. 170cal per handful. Also put avocado on everything. If you like steak high in protein.
  • Rae6503
    Rae6503 Posts: 6,294 Member
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    I do not like to cook. I do not eat clean. I eat between 1800 and 2500 calories a day. Check out my diary if you want (today has been a bad day though, maybe a bad week, been eating out a lot). I eat 3 eggs scrambled in olive oil or butter for breakfast on days I workout. Real sugar and milk in my coffee. Fruit and cheese for snacks. Sandwiches, wraps or leftovers for lunch. Protein shake for afternoon snack (I just mix EAS in water). Simple, kid friendly, 700-800 calorie dinners, including salad with real salad dressing. After dinner snacks. It really isn't hard for me to eat that much.

    Dinner ideas:
    Black bean quesadillas with real cheese is a good one.
    Steak and salad.
    Burgers on whole wheat buns.
    Tacos (lean burger, corn tortillas but real cheese)
    spaghetti with whole wheat noodles and turkey sausage
    Red beans and rice with turkey sausage
    roast chicken (takes time but really easy)
    English Muffin Pizzas on whole wheat english muffins
  • CharlieBarleyMom
    CharlieBarleyMom Posts: 727 Member
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    Avocados, nuts, almond butter, peanut butter. Yum!
  • Swimgoddess
    Swimgoddess Posts: 711 Member
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    So you hate to cook... lol hmmm.. I would suggest picking one day and cooking enough meals for a week (or even two.. depends on how much you hate to cook) I actually switched to a vegeterian diet and find a lot of the veggie products in your grocery freezer are super fast and easy to cook and taste amazing :) This is the first time i've noticed the weight coming off since i had my son (almost 3 years ago) Loving the diet. The diet came after quitting smoking (put on around 5 extra pounds) Good luck!! Thanks for the very good chuckle after your dinosaur reference.. still laughing :) Feel free to add me and i can maybe help you out with some very simple recipies..

    Lol! I actually have a cookbook that has sat on my shelf for 5+ years called, "The Once A Week Cooking Plan". Brilliant in theory, but when I tried it it quickly flopped because hubby is not on-board with many of the ingredients (namely, stuff other than meat & potatoes) :( Freezer food kinda scares me because of the sodium, but then again I had my doc put me on Spironolactone off-label for hormonal/PMS/luteal-phase induced acne. It's actually a sodium washing away water pill meant for edema patients, but happens to also give great skin... so I guess now I have a convenient work-around now. FR incoming...
  • Swimgoddess
    Swimgoddess Posts: 711 Member
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    Bump. Avocados & nuts (mmmmm, I'm a cashew girl) check!

    Rachel, I will be stalking your diary as you had me at "kid-friendly" and apparently my oldest is 32 and still the only "veggies" he'll eat are potatoes (still trying to sell him on sweet), corn on the cob, salad (got him to expand from iceberg to romaine & to romaine/baby green mixes, yay!) and mushrooms which must be either stuffed or fried. The guy seriously thinks me asking him to eat broccoli or green beans >in cheese sauce< is on a level worth bartering sexual favors for. The sad part is, I'm SO not kidding.

    Um, seriously though... anyone in the medical field know of the human equivalent of that vet paste 300 cal/tsp crap they give starving kittens?
  • Rae6503
    Rae6503 Posts: 6,294 Member
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    We eat a lot of fresh veggies (yeah, don't like to cook). Probably 5 nights of 7 I throw a bag of spinach on the table and that's the veggies with dinner. We also like fresh sugar snap peas and cucumbers. The kids LOVE grape tomatoes too.
  • kbrogan78
    kbrogan78 Posts: 158 Member
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    I don't know if it's available to the general public, but the paste that you're asking about would be something like Plumpy Nut:

    http://www.nutriset.fr/en/product-range/produit-par-produit/plumpynut-ready-to-use-therapeutic-food-rutf.html

    Personally, I'd just add all sort real food back to my diet instead- butter, full-fat sour cream and salad dressing, peanut butter. There are lots of delicious ways to add extra calories to the food you're already eating rather than relying on supplemental "foods".
  • akaChuck
    akaChuck Posts: 233 Member
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    Luna bars I hear are good and are about 190 cals each.

    PB sammich! Or pb crackers

    Handful of your favorite trail mix

    Chobani greek yogurts taste great and range in cals...not exactly sure how much :/ but they are healthy and taste great!
  • vellacraptor
    vellacraptor Posts: 68
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    I have a similar problem but mostly with just not feeling hungry then forcing myself to eat haha.
    Maybe pre-slice up an apple (dash of lemon juice to keep it from browning) and stick 'em in the fridge? Yogurt with granola and some fresh berries + nuts, buy packs of pre-cut melon at walmart, hard boil some eggs -- there's always protein bars too.

    I'd not focus on the calorie intake so much as nutritional value? If you're eating less and eating a lot of good-for-you stuff I think it'd balance out. (But take it with a grain of salt, I'm not an expert haha.)
    If you go to the gym maybe ask one of the trainers or something there, they'd probably be the most helpful since they'd have knowledge on it.
  • mitzir
    mitzir Posts: 10
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    It always kill me when people can't get their calories in - I'll take them!

    But in all seriousness.... Those triscuit style crackers with some natural cheese and tuna (with mustard and a bit of real mayonnaise), maybe a nice glass of skim milk and some tomato slices. It's a +600 calories, and very clean (read the contents, the crackers should be nothing but cracked wheat, oil, and salt), and this requires nothing more than a knife to cut the cheese and maybe a plate for everything. Those crackers are very calorific.

    Pasta, and since dairy is back in you can touch up a sauce with a bit of cream if you like. And add some turkey, chicken, or seafood for protein. And you can buy almost everything pre made, the sauce, the meat, just boil noodles.

    Oh, and if you want some decent frozen vegetable things, the Dr Praegers line is really delicious and the motto is something like "where you recognize all the ingredients" and if you do like Greek yogurt (which I personally consider pretty low in calories, but delicious) the spinach pancakes are delicious with yogurt. There are some sweet potato things and fish products too that are good.

    I think Newmans also makes a line of frozen pizzas etc that aren't more expensive than the non-organic options. If that makes you feel better about eating frozen foods.

    Antipastos - meat, cheese and olives. All high calorie and no cooking involved. Add some bread for soaking up the oil. ;)

    Cook with oil. Use real cream and mayonnaise and salad dressings, not large amounts but just real products. Those can add some real calorie bang. And are super delicious.

    Oh, and rice. Takes 20 minutes the old fashion way and if that's not fast enough for you there are lots of microwave/instant products out there. Even brown rice is pretty calorie dense, and it works as a side for so many things.

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