Does anyone have trouble eating all their calories??

lindzmt22
lindzmt22 Posts: 335
Anyone finding it hard to eat all of your calories?? I find it so crazy especially considering how much I used to overeat and gorge myself with food and not care...now I think of calories as valuable as money almost...like damn, do I really wanna part with 200 dollars, er, I mean calories for that?? lol

Replies

  • I was having a hard time hitting my calories, especially on days that I worked out. I spoke with my clinical nutrition professor about it. I personally added in a sweet potato or other carb with my dinner and added other things like avocado and peanut butter. I also picked up KIND Bars which are absolutely delicious! They are a fruit + nuts bar. I highly recommend that Dark Chocolate Cherry Cashew! Make nutrient rich additions that add too your calories and voila! :smile:
  • Tiffanydepiano
    Tiffanydepiano Posts: 169 Member
    It seems to be the general consensus that MFP calculates too many calories for most people esp. when trying to reduce. If I ate all the calories it told me to, I would gain weight.
  • lostsoul2216
    lostsoul2216 Posts: 57 Member
    For me it is the opposite. I tried keeping as close to my goal without going over, and despite 2 hour walking and what not, it was not helping one bit on the scale. So right now i am narrowing my calories down to around 1500, and at the same time try to cut out as much fat in my diet as possible.

    It is a discipline thing. mind over hunger or the need to eat. Everyone is going to be different. Good luck on things and hope you do well on your journey
  • lostsoul2216
    lostsoul2216 Posts: 57 Member
    It seems to be the general consensus that MFP calculates too many calories for most people esp. when trying to reduce. If I ate all the calories it told me to, I would gain weight.

    my problem is right here. it says I have 1941 to play with per day, not counting exercise. If I use all of those 2600 calories, I gain back any weight that I lose.

    Exercise calories if you eat them into the equation is what was killing me, especially fat intake.
  • MFP has me on 1200 cals a day. In the beginning it seemed like too few calories, but now it feels about right. And I fairly often do not hit it, but am only under by around 100 cals or less. I don't think it's bad to be under unless you're at that dreaded "starvation mode" line.
  • MrsCon40
    MrsCon40 Posts: 2,351 Member
    It seems to be the general consensus that MFP calculates too many calories for most people esp. when trying to reduce. If I ate all the calories it told me to, I would gain weight.

    This is absolutely NOT the general consensus. If if were the program would be a complete failure.
  • some days i have trouble hitting all my calories but they are usually when I work a long day. I started eating breakfast just to get the day off to a good start knowing that i might not be able to get another meal in till much later. Sometimes i'll have a special k meal bar or an atkins bar in the middle of the day just to make sure i have something and to pad the total. But if I have a light breakfast and only a protein bar or something i still find myself cramming in a bunch of calories at the end of the night just so im not at unhealthy levels. I really dont know how bad that is for me since im still under my goal. I definitely agree with you on the calorie analogy though. I think about every single thing i consume and I cant help but agonize over whether that snack is worth the energy needed to burn it off. I check the websites of every restaurant before I go there to make sure I can "afford" to eat there. But at the end of the day ive usually been so cheap with the calories im screwed come bedtime. Ive just started becoming afraid of what i eat and i know that cant be good for me. I love food but i know how easy it is to just eat what you want and i cant let myself go back to that. Stupid food why do you have to be so delicious but so high in calories.
  • leomom72
    leomom72 Posts: 1,797 Member
    i hear ya..but thats why i find my motivation to work out, and earn my money back..LoL..good luck
  • i know you probably hear this all the time but most soups and salads(light to no dressings) can fill you up and are low in calories. I love them and usually have trouble consuming enough calories on days these comprise my main courses.
  • heybrit
    heybrit Posts: 140
    It seems to be the general consensus that MFP calculates too many calories for most people esp. when trying to reduce. If I ate all the calories it told me to, I would gain weight.

    Since when did this become the general consensus? By following the suggested caloric intake from MFP along with exercise (which does seem to give you too many calories burned for an activity), I have lost weight already and I've only been on here for a couple weeks.
  • It seems to be the general consensus that MFP calculates too many calories for most people esp. when trying to reduce. If I ate all the calories it told me to, I would gain weight.

    I don't believe that at all and am not sure how you came up with it because those that are knowledgeable say the exact opposite
  • kevinlynch3
    kevinlynch3 Posts: 287 Member
    It seems to be the general consensus that MFP calculates too many calories for most people esp. when trying to reduce. If I ate all the calories it told me to, I would gain weight.

    Since when did this become the general consensus? By following the suggested caloric intake from MFP along with exercise (which does seem to give you too many calories burned for an activity), I have lost weight already and I've only been on here for a couple weeks.


    Agreed..I'm not sure where the poster got the idea that the consensus is that MFP calculates too many calories for people. If anything it is the opposite because the site works on the principle of weight loss "without" exercise after you set your goals. Maybe you set your goals incorrectly.

    There are plenty of authoritative threads on the forum on this from people much more experienced than me on what MFP is about and how calorie deficit along with BMR and exercise and eating should work. Search the forums.
  • Pinky67
    Pinky67 Posts: 108 Member
    I agree with "britneycut " since when!!!! I have tried it both ways.... either way I lose weight. Personally I feel better eating more since I have a very very active job and my setting is on "very active" I also exercise 5days running or walking. On days that i exercise I am currently trying to eat back a good portion of my calories earned, it's easy to fall into the trap of eating unhealthy things to make the calories add up, but with a little thought it is easy to eat well. I believe the most important thing is to count carefully and accurately, be honest with ourselves, exercise and eat healthy wholesome foods. It works if you work at it :0)
  • Sometimes I find it hard, and I notice that when I eat a lot of protein I hardly want to eat.

    And I'm a binger. I've binged all my life. Lately, I just don't even think about it anymore. It's weird.
  • emmab0902
    emmab0902 Posts: 2,338 Member
    For some of us it does overestimate what we should eat. But I would think that is for the minority of people.
  • I have lost more than I even anticipated(didn't know I even had as much to lose as I have) just by following the plan that MFP has laid out for me..the advice that I read on these forums has been very helpful too
  • 10fairywings
    10fairywings Posts: 136 Member
    Yes I too have would have trouble to eat back my exercise calories but I don't try. The things here is you really need to experiment with it. Everyone is different! Particularly for those over 38 years eating them all back may mean you don't lose weight or you put weight on. What works well for me and a lot of others is to eat back about half your exercise calories. For example I did this this week and lost 2 pounds, if I had eaten them all I would have put on weight for sure!

    That said, I do a lot of exercise and eat in a certain way, if you are not eating all your calories and not exercising or not eating back any of your exercise calories then this isn't a good idea honey. This can lead to all sorts of issues you don't want to experience.

    Good Luck with it all :)

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  • keiraev
    keiraev Posts: 695 Member
    No- I love food too much. I enjoy every last one!
  • Thanks for the feedback everyone :)
  • amyloola
    amyloola Posts: 56 Member
    Anyone finding it hard to eat all of your calories?? I find it so crazy especially considering how much I used to overeat and gorge myself with food and not care...now I think of calories as valuable as money almost...like damn, do I really wanna part with 200 dollars, er, I mean calories for that?? lol

    This is me, I have no real trouble eating all my calories but I think the same as you, it has made me really reevaluate what I eat, I think I was just eating whatever I wanted, where now I thnk of it as a treat to have a biscuit or some chocolate and it's not an everyday thing like it was ( I could easily eat 1/2 pack of choc biscuits in one sitting) which was probably over my days fat intake right there.
  • SallieBeige
    SallieBeige Posts: 341 Member
    It seems to be the general consensus that MFP calculates too many calories for most people esp. when trying to reduce. If I ate all the calories it told me to, I would gain weight.

    This is absolutely NOT the general consensus. If if were the program would be a complete failure.

    I agree, I don't think it sounds like the general consensus, but I do agree that different people are different (... luckily!! ... I think the world would be even more confusing if we were all the same! :smile: )

    My point is, for myself and Tiffany and I am sure a few more people here, my body needs less than the recommended amount on mfp. I think about it as a "normal" zone - I am simply not in it. I gain weight when I follow the recommendations. I am not entering starvation mode. I am responding to the needs of my body.

    I spreadsheet everything and have heaps of evidence - I think self-monitoring is the key. Listen to advice of others - but be motivated the most by what your own body is telling you!
  • It seems to be the general consensus that MFP calculates too many calories for most people esp. when trying to reduce. If I ate all the calories it told me to, I would gain weight.

    This is absolutely NOT the general consensus. If if were the program would be a complete failure.

    Agree
  • FifiLea
    FifiLea Posts: 80 Member
    No- I love food too much. I enjoy every last one!

    This! I *never* have trouble consuming all my calories! In fact, I know I push myself harder in workouts so that I can have more calories to eat...:laugh:

    Although I do agree that I tend to make better choices because I don't want to "waste" calories on something that I won't enjoy or that I'll regret later. My children often hear me say, "I'm not eating that! I could have a piece of salmon and a load of broccoli for all those calories!" (Then they roll their eyes).

    Although some days I do "waste" calories on a chocolate bar, it's rare and when I do I *really, really* enjoy it.
  • I haven't been able to eat any of my excersize calories. I mean, I could if I wanted to force myself to eat them, but I don't. When I eat good and sensibly throughout the day and then have a good workout in the evening, I'm just not hungry. I have learned in the last few weeks to listen to my body and only eat when hungry and only eat nutritious foods. Sometimes I will eat a 1/4 of them, but that's rare.
  • Wynterbourne
    Wynterbourne Posts: 2,235 Member
    I did the first month without any exercise. On my fifth week I finally started exercising and expected to be (and was a little worried about being) much hungrier than I had been before exercising. So far, save for once, I've not felt as hungry on the days I exercise. I'm a little confused by it. I've led a very sedentary life, maybe my body just hasn't had time to figure out what the heck's going on. LOL. So yes, for me I am sometimes having trouble eating all my calories because I don't want to get into a habit of forcing myself to eat when not hungry. Even if it is something calorie dense like peanut butter or nuts.
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