How do you get all your calories in?

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joyputnam04
joyputnam04 Posts: 14 Member
in Food and Nutrition
I average about 700-800 calories a day, while I should be getting 1200. I have added sugar free peanut butter to my morning protein smoothie, but am still coming up short. For lunch I eat chicken breast or fish with lots of veggies. Dinner is a struggle, as I'm just not hungry at night. Advice?
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  • springlering62
    springlering62 Posts: 7,639 Member
    edited October 2022
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    I’m going to assume from the amount of weight lost, stated in your other post, that you are well aware of weighing and tracking foods pretty accurately.

    I’d start with getting rid of the sugar free peanut butter and going the full Monty.

    There’s less need for “diet” type foods if you’d trying to get calories up.

    @AnnPT77 gave you excellent suggestions in your other post.

    Don’t let the pendulum swing too far in the other direction, and replace one issue with another. I came very close to that and chose to put some weight back on.

    You don’t indicate your height, but for 136 + personal training (indicating weights) that would be pretty low unless you are fairly short. I’m 5’7” and in the upper 120’s, I was freaking scary. My trainer began with subtle hints, eat more, you’re too thin, until she finally laid it out that she’d dump me if I didn’t. She also sent a photo taken of me from behind that I still think of as the Grandaddy Longlegs picture. Tough love worked.
  • delillolauren
    delillolauren Posts: 35 Member
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    Bacon usually works
  • azuki84
    azuki84 Posts: 212 Member
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    No context in OP’s post so no point- just eat more
  • springlering62
    springlering62 Posts: 7,639 Member
    edited October 2022
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    Per her other post, she’s had substantial weight loss. 200+ if memory serves.

    As a new member and poster, this may be her first time reaching out.

    Hooray and mucho hugs for you and the sincere effort that took, but take the reins in hand. Don’t harm yourself in the process.
  • cmriverside
    cmriverside Posts: 34,031 Member
    edited October 2022
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    springlering62 wrote: »
    Per her other post, she’s had substantial weight loss. 200+ if memory serves.

    As a new member and posted, this may be her first time reaching out.

    Hooray and mucho hugs for you and the sincere effort that took, but take the reins in hand. Don’t harm yourself in the process.

    To add to the above, I think the point azuki might have been making is that she said in previous posts she lost 160 pounds, is now at 136 and wants to still lose another 25+. She hasn't given us any more than that.
    @joyputnum04, How tall are you? Are you currently working? Do you have a medical team who is following your weight loss? If not, I'd suggest you start there. You're teetering on eating-disorder-thinking, it seems like. Posting about 600-800 calorie days (her other thread said 600-800) is pretty triggering for people who have eating disorders, and we are all saying, "You got to 300 pounds, you've lost more than half your weight and - Be Careful Now. You could hurt yourself by under-eating."

    You can eat a whole lot more than 1200, I would guess. Your personal trainer should NOT be your nutrition Guide. You need to eat, and you're overly restrictive with your food. Please talk to a medical professional about your current nutritional needs before you create long-term physical and/or mental disorders.
  • joyputnam04
    joyputnam04 Posts: 14 Member
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    I am 5'2. My body fat percentage is 39%, so I'm trying to get that down. Some context: I had the Gastric Bypass is 2015 and cannot eat very much because my stomach is so small. I feel like I eat and eat, but can't reach my calorie goal. Simply saying "eat more" is not realistic for me.
  • joyputnam04
    joyputnam04 Posts: 14 Member
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    Also, I can't eat foods like pizza or bacon because even a little makes me throw up.
  • BarbaraHelen2013
    BarbaraHelen2013 Posts: 1,940 Member
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    If you can’t increase your calories by increasing volume then you need to concentrate on calorie dense foods. So you can get the right number of calories and better nutrition from a lower volume of food.

    Nut butters, nuts, seeds, avocado, cheese, fats in general.
  • delillolauren
    delillolauren Posts: 35 Member
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    Ah, so more information, and now it makes sense. Are you working with a registered dietitian with your surgeon’s office as part of aftercare?
    They would be the people to speak with. Do you have a local bariatric support group that you connect with?
    As previous posters have said, adding one or two calorie dense foods you can tolerate throughout the day is the way to go.
    What those foods are for you, I’m not sure.
    A couple tablespoons of PB or other nut butter is 200ish calories, which would put you a bit closer to 1200.
  • sollyn23l2
    sollyn23l2 Posts: 1,648 Member
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    joyputnam04 wrote: »
    I am 5'2. My body fat percentage is 39%, so I'm trying to get that down. Some context: I had the Gastric Bypass is 2015 and cannot eat very much because my stomach is so small. I feel like I eat and eat, but can't reach my calorie goal. Simply saying "eat more" is not realistic for me.

    You need to eat higher calorie foods. You know this. I don't want to be mean, but don't pretend. You know perfectly well that if you eat a bunch of vegetables, you won't get enough calories in. So stop.
  • Lietchi
    Lietchi Posts: 6,194 Member
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    joyputnam04 wrote: »
    I am 5'2. My body fat percentage is 39%, so I'm trying to get that down. Some context: I had the Gastric Bypass is 2015 and cannot eat very much because my stomach is so small. I feel like I eat and eat, but can't reach my calorie goal. Simply saying "eat more" is not realistic for me.

    If simply 'more' is not an option, how about more frequently? More snacking would be my suggestion.
  • Sinisterbarbie1
    Sinisterbarbie1 Posts: 712 Member
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    Here is an article from Mayo Clinic on how to eat post gastric bypass surgery, both short and long term. It advises concentrating on protein, eating those calories first, and avoiding high fat and high sugar foods entirely. It also suggests eating slowly, eating several meals a day, spaced out, and ensuring you take supplements. I am sure there are other reputable health institutes with guides on line that might provide more specific guidance. I am guessing the guidance on calorie intake post-gastric bypass is somewhat different than for people whose stomachs are the normal size, so eating a very low calorie diet might not be as extreme as it otherwise sounds. getting all your calories in then might be an issue of spacing out meals, eating slowly and in the right order to get the best combination of nutrients in? https://www.mayoclinic.org/tests-procedures/gastric-bypass-surgery/in-depth/gastric-bypass-diet/art-20048472
  • westrich20940
    westrich20940 Posts: 889 Member
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    1. It sounds like your hunger cues are messed up - and eating far too few calories can affect this. 1200 is likely too low for you (but without knowing your personal stats, I don't know that for sure - but it is for most women). So I'd start by recalculating your estimate of how many calories per day is maintenance for you and recalculating your deficit from there.
    2. If you are having trouble still with hunger cues and need more calories - you will have to add more calorie dense foods or ingredients to your dishes. Are you currently using 'lite'/'light'/'fat free'/'diet' versions of anything (butter, yogurt, cheese, etc.....) --- use the regular stuff. Things like nuts/seeds/dried fruits all are calorie dense for a lower volume of food. Peanut butter (or other nut butters) and olive oil added to sauces/soups can help too.
  • SafariGalNYC
    SafariGalNYC Posts: 951 Member
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    The easiest way I have found to sneak in calories is - preparing food in olive oil. 1 tablespoon is 120 calories. Making chicken breast or fish? Sauté in your favorite oil.
  • DebbsSeattle
    DebbsSeattle Posts: 125 Member
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    How about trying to create the PERFECT daily menu on paper first. Make it balanced, nutritional, complete and as close to on the nose calorie wise. Then try eating it. For you a snack based eating plan might be better than full meals. Get your system on track with in taking and digesting food during all waking hours, cutting off 4 hours before sleep. Keep your body to a regular sleep schedule, maintaining at least 8 hours of continual rest at night. Make certain your micro nutrients are in balance, by eating varied foods. Eliminate processed foods. Move towards clean, whole food. Choose fatty fish like salmon over cod, choose 4% yogurt over fat free, Select a whole egg over egg whites, select varied added oils to include not just one. Look to the food pyramid and try to get it all in. Try adding whole nuts as an appetizer to each meal. We take one Brazil nut, one almond and one walnut with each meal. Be sure to drink your water throughout the day.
  • AnnPT77
    AnnPT77 Posts: 32,496 Member
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    DebbsSeattle wrote: »
    How about trying to create the PERFECT daily menu on paper first. Make it balanced, nutritional, complete and as close to on the nose calorie wise. Then try eating it. For you a snack based eating plan might be better than full meals. Get your system on track with in taking and digesting food during all waking hours, cutting off 4 hours before sleep. Keep your body to a regular sleep schedule, maintaining at least 8 hours of continual rest at night. Make certain your micro nutrients are in balance, by eating varied foods. Eliminate processed foods. Move towards clean, whole food. Choose fatty fish like salmon over cod, choose 4% yogurt over fat free, Select a whole egg over egg whites, select varied added oils to include not just one. Look to the food pyramid and try to get it all in. Try adding whole nuts as an appetizer to each meal. We take one Brazil nut, one almond and one walnut with each meal. Be sure to drink your water throughout the day.

    I'd quibble with quite a bit of this (the "giant revolution that's theoretically ideal" approach), but I don't want to dilute this particular message:

    Don't eat 3 brazil nuts every day. Please don't.

    Brazil nuts are very high in selenium: 68-91 mcg per nut.

    According to the USDA, the tolerable upper limit for adults is 400 mcg per day. Three nuts is pushing that limit, and other common foods contain meaningful amounts of selenium.

    Eating quite a few brazil nuts once in a while may be fine. Eating enough of them to flirt with levels considered potentially toxic, and doing that routinely - bad idea.

    Whole foods, natural foods - good stuff. That's not the same as saying they can't be overdone, to our detriment. Brazil nuts are one to be cautious with. An ounce of them - 6-8 nuts - is well over the tolerable upper limit for selenium.

    https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/Selenium-HealthProfessional/

    P.S. The food pyramid is out of date. The "MyPlate" approach that's now current has some good stuff, once you dig beyond the hyper-simplified graphic on the main page. Most of its critics don't go beyond the simple meme-ified graphic. There's more to it.

    https://www.myplate.gov/

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