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Im struggling to reach my calorie goal

jp3brnz
jp3brnz Posts: 2 Member
edited January 11 in Health and Weight Loss
Im overweight and looking to lose the maximum amount of weight possible (for a challenge i have with some friends and for my own health). Before i started calorie counting i would eat pretty badly, junkfood about 3 or 4 times a week and the rest was food my mother makes with alot of oils and carbs. I started my diet and now im struggling to get past 1000 calories, i eat a full breakfast, lunch and dinner but it seems that my lunch and dinner calories are too low. How can i realistically improve this without eating unhealthily.
My main meal is typically - lettuce salad with some dressings + 200 grams of meat (beef or chicken)
what could i add to this

also if i am under my calorie and control my macros, is it ok to have unhealthy snacks like some toast with butter or a cheese toasty?

Replies

  • AnnPT77
    AnnPT77 Posts: 35,410 Member
    If it were me, that's a time when I'd look at the macro totals, and top up protein or fat, if I were low on those.

    If it's just that you're full, but nutrition looks OK, then put some dressing on the salad, or cheese, or nuts/seeds - something with fats, which are less filling for the calories for a lot of people.

    But, yes, if you're low on calories, and your macros look good, it's fine to have bread with butter or a cheese toasty. (Neither of those are unhealthy, IMO. They're food, they have nutrients: What's wrong with that?)

    P.S. I don't mean to imply that macros will affect your weight loss, when I say to look at nutrients when low on calories. It's just the calories that matter directly for weight loss, unless you find nutritious food so filling that it helps you indirectly, with calorie compliance or something. But nutrition is important for health, so if I need more calories I usually try to make sure my nutrition's OK before spending calories on candy or beer or something frivolous. 😉
  • jp3brnz
    jp3brnz Posts: 2 Member
    Thanks for the tip man, i hadnt thought about adding stuff to my salad, great idea!
  • AnnPT77
    AnnPT77 Posts: 35,410 Member
    jp3brnz wrote: »
    Thanks for the tip man, i hadnt thought about adding stuff to my salad, great idea!

    Glad that's helpful!

    Just for the record, I'm a li'l ol' lady: Maybe try to think of me as a caring elderly internet auntie? 😆

    Since you're a guy, it's really important, nutritionally, for you to get at least 1500 calories routinely. Too few calories is a health risk! (Aunties worry about health risks. 😉) Maybe it would be a good idea to eat that cheese toasty? I'm a USA-ian, so I think that's what we call a grilled cheese sandwich, maybe? We like ours with a nice cup of tomato soup, sometimes. Comfort food! I don't know whether that's the tradition where you are or not.

    Regardless: Get enough calories, and enjoyment of food isn't a sin, so enjoy your eating, too, OK? 🙂
  • rheddmobile
    rheddmobile Posts: 6,840 Member
    There’s a whole bunch of healthy food you could be eating for a more balanced diet. Whole grains, sweet potatoes, fruits and vegetables, dairy. You could even make that cheese toasty more nutritious by using whole grain bread with seeds.

    Generally people who have trouble hitting their goal when they first start have restricted the foods they allow themselves to eat. You’re not doing yourself any favors by losing faster than recommended! Fast loss includes a lot of muscle loss, which isn’t what you want. I know you know how to eat plenty of calories, or you wouldn’t be looking to lose weight. It’s okay to eat some of your favorite foods.
  • Angela937
    Angela937 Posts: 514 Member
    Remember its ok to eat healthy snacks in between meals to reach your calorie goal. My dietitian actually recommends I eat 3 smaller meals and 2 snacks throughout the day. I space them about 3-4 hours apart. A small snack of 100-150 calories will really help.
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