Really struggling to eat enough calories
AngelOfMusic1028
Posts: 51 Member
I know there are probably 1500 messages like this but here's mine.
Backstory- I just found out last month that I have a gluten sensitivity (not life threatening but really feels like food poisoning) So, I've cut out all gluten from my diet. I'm eating healthier and keeping track. for the past week I've been having a hard time getting to the calorie goal, especially since I'm working out as well. My goal is to consume 1380 calories a day BUT I've been getting between 720-900 (exercise or no exercise included). YES I know that's not healthy! I know that's way too low but I'm struggling to eat more. Since I've started my new diet, I haven't felt hungry as often plus work on top makes it hard to have a set meal/snack time. The meals I do make are so filling too that adding portions is difficult. I've never had this problem before so I have no clue how to fix it!
Backstory- I just found out last month that I have a gluten sensitivity (not life threatening but really feels like food poisoning) So, I've cut out all gluten from my diet. I'm eating healthier and keeping track. for the past week I've been having a hard time getting to the calorie goal, especially since I'm working out as well. My goal is to consume 1380 calories a day BUT I've been getting between 720-900 (exercise or no exercise included). YES I know that's not healthy! I know that's way too low but I'm struggling to eat more. Since I've started my new diet, I haven't felt hungry as often plus work on top makes it hard to have a set meal/snack time. The meals I do make are so filling too that adding portions is difficult. I've never had this problem before so I have no clue how to fix it!
3
Replies
-
Can you add nuts and/or avacado to your diet. Making a fruit and vegetable protein shake. I probably don't need to tell you eating that little isn't properly fuel your muscles, and that includes your heart.5
-
If you open your diary it will be easier to give tips on your diet4
-
Coconut, oils, nuts and avocado are great higher calorie low fibre foods2
-
DancingMoosie wrote: »If you open your diary it will be easier to give tips on your diet
How do I do that?0 -
Can you add nuts and/or avacado to your diet. Making a fruit and vegetable protein shake. I probably don't need to tell you eating that little isn't properly fuel your muscles, and that includes your heart.
I do eat nuts most days because they're a really good snack but I don't like avacado so I don't eat that. I just got some fruit and protein powder to make shakes too. Hoping that will help0 -
Hanibanani2020 wrote: »Coconut, oils, nuts and avocado are great higher calorie low fibre foods
Oil as in you cook with it? I don't like coconut or avacado so I'm trying to work with what I have lol.0 -
AngelOfMusic1028 wrote: »Hanibanani2020 wrote: »Coconut, oils, nuts and avocado are great higher calorie low fibre foods
Oil as in you cook with it? I don't like coconut or avacado so I'm trying to work with what I have lol.
Oil for cooking yes, but also oil for salad dressing for example, in the case of cold dishes.
High-fat dairy (for example cheese) is also an easy way to add calories. I love grilled halloumi personally.2 -
Bananas? A couple of squares of chocolate? What about upping fat content in terms of oils, butter, full fat milk, yoghurt?
A couple of glasses of wine every now and then? 😜3 -
AngelOfMusic1028 wrote: »DancingMoosie wrote: »If you open your diary it will be easier to give tips on your diet
How do I do that?
I see your diary is open.
On Friday, you had 2 servings of psyllium. I don't see that on subsequent days, but if you do have that regularly, and it is new, that may be keeping you fuller than usual until your body adjusts to the extra fiber.
Also on Friday, I see you had an apple for lunch. I like to have cheese and nuts or peanut butter with apple. That adds calories really quickly if I'm not careful.7 -
Avocado! I like to sprinkle hot sauce on it. Log things like the oil you cook meat and veggies in, etc. in case maybe you are already eating more than you think (since you don't seem to be starving?).0
-
Are you a vegetarian? I'm not seeing meat in your logging. Chicken breast cooked in a Tablespoon of vegetable oil on the stovetop? Or chicken breast turned into shredded chicken in the crock pot? Salmon? Tilapia? Get some ground beef or sirloin and make a hamburger patty (no bread)?1
-
I would probably ditch the slim fast seeing as you are struggling to eat enough and replace it with other foods.
What about gluten free bread? Could you make some toast with a topping or sandwiches?
Could you eat more dairy? full fat yoghurt, skyrr, cheeses (oh there are so many!) whole milk?
What about smoothies with fruit or home made shakes with milk/plant milk, bananas etc and a teaspoon of cocoa
Gluten free Cereals, crackers, wraps etc? Eggs? Lentils? Fish? - agree with the above about including meat in general!
My kids are allergic to eggs, dairy, nuts and sesame, you can substitute loads of things these days, although it can really feel complicated at first when you have to avoid an entire group of stuff. Have you looked online for gluten free recipes?
6 -
kshama2001 wrote: »AngelOfMusic1028 wrote: »DancingMoosie wrote: »If you open your diary it will be easier to give tips on your diet
How do I do that?
I see your diary is open.
On Friday, you had 2 servings of psyllium. I don't see that on subsequent days, but if you do have that regularly, and it is new, that may be keeping you fuller than usual until your body adjusts to the extra fiber.
Also on Friday, I see you had an apple for lunch. I like to have cheese and nuts or peanut butter with apple. That adds calories really quickly if I'm not careful.
Yes I figured out how. What I log isn't necessarily what I have for that specific meal (AKA I don't eat breakfast because it makes me feel sick) but I don't want the app to yell at me for skipping meals XD I've been really slacking on the logging the last couple days though0 -
Are you a vegetarian? I'm not seeing meat in your logging. Chicken breast cooked in a Tablespoon of vegetable oil on the stovetop? Or chicken breast turned into shredded chicken in the crock pot? Salmon? Tilapia? Get some ground beef or sirloin and make a hamburger patty (no bread)?
I'm not vegetarian. The only meat I actually really like is turkey and chicken but most days I don't have those so I go without. I should def invest in a crock pot though XD0 -
I would probably ditch the slim fast seeing as you are struggling to eat enough and replace it with other foods.
What about gluten free bread? Could you make some toast with a topping or sandwiches?
Could you eat more dairy? full fat yoghurt, skyrr, cheeses (oh there are so many!) whole milk?
What about smoothies with fruit or home made shakes with milk/plant milk, bananas etc and a teaspoon of cocoa
Gluten free Cereals, crackers, wraps etc? Eggs? Lentils? Fish? - agree with the above about including meat in general!
My kids are allergic to eggs, dairy, nuts and sesame, you can substitute loads of things these days, although it can really feel complicated at first when you have to avoid an entire group of stuff. Have you looked online for gluten free recipes?
I got the slim fast to get my chocolate fix without hurting myself since I have always had issues with over eating lol. I haven't been able to find gluten free bread as of yet. With dairy, I need lactose free options (which I have found with milk). I just got a blender to make shakes and have a lot of fruit in my fridge for that. I also have eggs in my fridge that I just haven't made yet (it sounds so bad when it's so easy but I REALLY hate cooking) I did see the meat comment. Only meat I actually like is turkey and chicken and most of the time I don't have it, so I work with what I do have until shopping day
I have looked online for recipes but like I stated earlier, I don't like cooking so I'll save the recipe thinking I'll do it and never do. Something I need to work on personally TBH0 -
Avocado! I like to sprinkle hot sauce on it. Log things like the oil you cook meat and veggies in, etc. in case maybe you are already eating more than you think (since you don't seem to be starving?).
Most of the time I definitely forget to log the oils that I do cook with. Thank you, I will keep better track of that. I do log everything else though0 -
party_lots99 wrote: »Bananas? A couple of squares of chocolate? What about upping fat content in terms of oils, butter, full fat milk, yoghurt?
A couple of glasses of wine every now and then? 😜
I love bananas! I usually have one when I get to work. Chocolate is my downfall XD.
Oh I've definitely had enough to drink the past few days XD.0 -
AngelOfMusic1028 wrote: »I would probably ditch the slim fast seeing as you are struggling to eat enough and replace it with other foods.
What about gluten free bread? Could you make some toast with a topping or sandwiches?
Could you eat more dairy? full fat yoghurt, skyrr, cheeses (oh there are so many!) whole milk?
What about smoothies with fruit or home made shakes with milk/plant milk, bananas etc and a teaspoon of cocoa
Gluten free Cereals, crackers, wraps etc? Eggs? Lentils? Fish? - agree with the above about including meat in general!
My kids are allergic to eggs, dairy, nuts and sesame, you can substitute loads of things these days, although it can really feel complicated at first when you have to avoid an entire group of stuff. Have you looked online for gluten free recipes?
I got the slim fast to get my chocolate fix without hurting myself since I have always had issues with over eating lol. I haven't been able to find gluten free bread as of yet. With dairy, I need lactose free options (which I have found with milk). I just got a blender to make shakes and have a lot of fruit in my fridge for that. I also have eggs in my fridge that I just haven't made yet (it sounds so bad when it's so easy but I REALLY hate cooking) I did see the meat comment. Only meat I actually like is turkey and chicken and most of the time I don't have it, so I work with what I do have until shopping day
I have looked online for recipes but like I stated earlier, I don't like cooking so I'll save the recipe thinking I'll do it and never do. Something I need to work on personally TBH
If you need to be lactose free, did you check the slimfast labels? I know some contain milk products (I'm also dairy free so noticed it myself)3 -
The time immediately after discovering a food allergy is always hard. It feels a bit like nothing is safe, but it will get better. Maybe make yourself a weekly meal plan based on grain + protein +veggies with healthy oil and see where that puts you. Rice and Quinoa are both GF if I recall. Top it with a fried egg if you're still short for the day's calories.0
-
Many GF foods in a lot of grocery stores are intermixed with regular foods (bread in bakery area, crackers in cracker aisle). Some stores may still have separate areas, though. Note that the GF food may be higher up on the shelves, or at least I have found this to be true in the bakery area.0
-
Redordeadhead wrote: »AngelOfMusic1028 wrote: »I would probably ditch the slim fast seeing as you are struggling to eat enough and replace it with other foods.
What about gluten free bread? Could you make some toast with a topping or sandwiches?
Could you eat more dairy? full fat yoghurt, skyrr, cheeses (oh there are so many!) whole milk?
What about smoothies with fruit or home made shakes with milk/plant milk, bananas etc and a teaspoon of cocoa
Gluten free Cereals, crackers, wraps etc? Eggs? Lentils? Fish? - agree with the above about including meat in general!
My kids are allergic to eggs, dairy, nuts and sesame, you can substitute loads of things these days, although it can really feel complicated at first when you have to avoid an entire group of stuff. Have you looked online for gluten free recipes?
I got the slim fast to get my chocolate fix without hurting myself since I have always had issues with over eating lol. I haven't been able to find gluten free bread as of yet. With dairy, I need lactose free options (which I have found with milk). I just got a blender to make shakes and have a lot of fruit in my fridge for that. I also have eggs in my fridge that I just haven't made yet (it sounds so bad when it's so easy but I REALLY hate cooking) I did see the meat comment. Only meat I actually like is turkey and chicken and most of the time I don't have it, so I work with what I do have until shopping day
I have looked online for recipes but like I stated earlier, I don't like cooking so I'll save the recipe thinking I'll do it and never do. Something I need to work on personally TBH
If you need to be lactose free, did you check the slimfast labels? I know some contain milk products (I'm also dairy free so noticed it myself)
Yes, it does contain milk however the serving size of them only make me slightly uncomfortable so I eat it only when I'm at home (and not everyday) and able to relax through it.
0 -
dixidarlin89 wrote: »The time immediately after discovering a food allergy is always hard. It feels a bit like nothing is safe, but it will get better. Maybe make yourself a weekly meal plan based on grain + protein +veggies with healthy oil and see where that puts you. Rice and Quinoa are both GF if I recall. Top it with a fried egg if you're still short for the day's calories.
I'm going to have to start meal planning just so I can make sure to get the calories. Trying to figure it out the day of isn't getting me the calories I need. I believe I read that brown rice is GF.0 -
MaggieGirl135 wrote: »Many GF foods in a lot of grocery stores are intermixed with regular foods (bread in bakery area, crackers in cracker aisle). Some stores may still have separate areas, though. Note that the GF food may be higher up on the shelves, or at least I have found this to be true in the bakery area.
I just need to go grocery shopping by myself. My neighbor and I usually go together but she's impatient so I just avoid the stuff I know has gluten in it (bread, crackers, etc)0 -
AngelOfMusic1028 wrote: »dixidarlin89 wrote: »The time immediately after discovering a food allergy is always hard. It feels a bit like nothing is safe, but it will get better. Maybe make yourself a weekly meal plan based on grain + protein +veggies with healthy oil and see where that puts you. Rice and Quinoa are both GF if I recall. Top it with a fried egg if you're still short for the day's calories.
I'm going to have to start meal planning just so I can make sure to get the calories. Trying to figure it out the day of isn't getting me the calories I need. I believe I read that brown rice is GF.
All rice is GF.
I'm coeliac so completely gluten free. I have no trouble eating 1500-1600 calories a day. My diary is open so feel free to have a look.
I make nearly all of my meals from scratch and mainly vegetarian.3
Categories
- All Categories
- 1.4M Health, Wellness and Goals
- 393.3K Introduce Yourself
- 43.8K Getting Started
- 260.2K Health and Weight Loss
- 175.9K Food and Nutrition
- 47.4K Recipes
- 232.5K Fitness and Exercise
- 424 Sleep, Mindfulness and Overall Wellness
- 6.5K Goal: Maintaining Weight
- 8.5K Goal: Gaining Weight and Body Building
- 153K Motivation and Support
- 8K Challenges
- 1.3K Debate Club
- 96.3K Chit-Chat
- 2.5K Fun and Games
- 3.7K MyFitnessPal Information
- 24 News and Announcements
- 1.1K Feature Suggestions and Ideas
- 2.6K MyFitnessPal Tech Support Questions