Having a hard time eating my calories
Revealme
Posts: 10 Member
I just signed back on after years away. My calories goal is approx 1500 per day.
I'm trying to eat clean so mostly lean meat, veggies, water, no sugar, low carbs.
My problem is both days I've logged between 700-800 calories only. And that's counting 2 hotdogs today (one with a bun).
Just now 7pm, I cooked up a cup of carrots but honestly I'm stuffed. How do I get the calories in when I'm not hungry?
Not to mention this isn't counting the exercise calories I'm supposed to eat back in. 😩
I'm trying to eat clean so mostly lean meat, veggies, water, no sugar, low carbs.
My problem is both days I've logged between 700-800 calories only. And that's counting 2 hotdogs today (one with a bun).
Just now 7pm, I cooked up a cup of carrots but honestly I'm stuffed. How do I get the calories in when I'm not hungry?
Not to mention this isn't counting the exercise calories I'm supposed to eat back in. 😩
1
Replies
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Nuts, nut butter, seeds, avocados, olive oil or other good oil on veggies, frying/sauteeing food in more oil, full fat dairy if you eat dairy, fatty cold-water fish that's high in Omega-3s, higher calorie condiments (like mayo) or salad dressings.
For some people, spreading the food out over more meals/snacks may help. For some people, drinking the calories may help, vs. getting them from foods you chew.
It's fine to eat clean, but - as I suspect you know, based on the fact that you posted to ask this - not getting enough calories is seriously not a healthy strategy. It's worth figuring this out.
Best wishes!5 -
That beautiful child in the photo. Do you want them to see mom too exhausted and sick to play and love on? Hair falling out? Do you want to set them that kind of example of behavior with food?
Kids are aware of more than we think. My most vivid memories of my mom are watching her look in the mirror, hit herself and call herself a stupid fat *kitten*, or a fat ugly cow. I grew up thinking that was normal, and that self hate was just “there”.
Look at what you’re feeding that youngun. I’m willing to bet you’re a conscientious mom and make sure they get A1 nutrition. Hello! That toddler is eating more than Mom.
What are you doing?
The best gift you can give that child is a happy, healthy, well balanced mom who can provide that same level of care and attention and love for them.
Fast weight loss is not worth it. Take it slower, learn new habits that can take you into maintenance.
I don’t mean to sound harsh. Said with much love and concern. Hard stop to this behavior!!!6 -
hi There!
I am no expert, but I also know eating 800 calories a day is way under the required calories, and I am afraid it will not bring anything good for you.
As mentioned above, have you tried to spread your meals between breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks? I think it might be easier to get the daily needed calories if you do this.
Are you eating enough proteins? And you can choose a healthier proteins too. A grilled / sauteed chicken thigh would probably around 150 to 200 calories (of course this will depend on the exact size of the chicken and how you cook it). Lets say if you have 2 of those for lunch and 1 for dinner, you will acquire around 450 to 600 calories. Not to mention, you will probably eat it with some carbs and veggies.
Or maybe you can try talking to a nutritionist to help you develop a healthy meal plan that is manageable for you, and use this app to do the tracking.
I am currently tracking my macros and calorie intakes, and it is working quite well for me (posted this in the same category).
Wishing you the best, and I am sure you can do this.
Have a great one!0 -
Nuts, nut butter, seeds, avocados, olive oil or other good oil on veggies, frying/sauteeing food in more oil, full fat dairy if you eat dairy, fatty cold-water fish that's high in Omega-3s, higher calorie condiments (like mayo) or salad dressings.
For some people, spreading the food out over more meals/snacks may help. For some people, drinking the calories may help, vs. getting them from foods you chew.
It's fine to eat clean, but - as I suspect you know, based on the fact that you posted to ask this - not getting enough calories is seriously not a healthy strategy. It's worth figuring this out.
Best wishes!
Undereating isn't good and things like your hair falling out could result from it.
A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 35+ years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
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I'm confused about why so many people are trying to convince OP that undereating is bad. Clearly OP is trying to eat more and is asking for help achieving that - please let's lay off the lectures and outright shaming, and lean into answering this request for help.
When you look up "clean eating" you'll see mostly very low calorie foods (most people prioritizing clean eating are trying to reduce their calories), but it is entirely possible to maintain a whole foods, plant based diet AND eat enough calories to reach any reasonable fitness goals healthfully. However you're doing all the things that people do when they're trying to consume FEWER calories!
Forget about low carb, and focus on sources of high fiber complex carbohydrates - whole wheat, quinoa, wild rice, sweet potatoes, fruit. Add some healthy fats - avocado, olive oil, butter (yes I consider butter a clean healthy fat), peanut butter, eggs, nuts, meat (lean cuts don't coincide with your goal right now - you can choose higher fat cuts). If you can't reach your goal with whole foods, you may need to add some Ensure or similar supplement shakes with (not instead of) meals. Carrots are good, but eat the more calorie-dense foods first, before you fill up on veggies. When you're trying to increase calories, you get a pass on not-so-clean foods too, so enjoy that hot dog, pizza, ice cream, or whatever - and have fun with it! As long as you're not eating ONLY junk food and you are mostly fueling your body with high-calorie nutritious foods, you get to let loose a bit AND work toward your goal at the same time!
That said, it's worth doing an honest self assessment to make sure that your food choices are really the issue. Low appetite can be a symptom of depression or other medical conditions. If you find that you have an aversion to calorie-dense foods BECAUSE they're calorie dense, you may need to ask your doctor about an eating disorder. In either of these cases, get off of MFP (and any other calorie counting apps) right away and get in touch with a dietitian instead.
Remember your goals, remember your reasons for achieving them, and ignore the shaming and blaming and fear mongering. Be honest and patient with yourself, and don't be afraid to change anything that isn't supporting your health.4 -
@jillebean86 I saw lots of suggestions, love and support. Who are all these people and what did they say to shame and blame? Perhaps it was removed? It seems like you may be misunderstanding (even projecting) the tone and intentions of the responders. It happens, but it seems to me that everyone had a caring approach to the OP. Hope that eases some of your concern 🙂.2
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I'm glad you're seeing support and help, and I hope that's what OP sees too. We all use defense mechanisms and interpret other people's words through our own lenses; it's important to be mindful of how our words are likely to be received by others. If I were seeking practical help to eat more calories, I wouldn't want to read a bunch of reminders of the [appearance-focused] health problems that can result from malnutrition, multiple paragraphs explaining why an undereating mom is not good for child development, nor the exclamation "what are you DOING?". Well-intentioned shaming, accompanied by a statement like "said with much love and concern," is still shaming. I hope this discussion will continue with a focus on collaboratively identifying practical things OP can do to improve their diet and reach their goals.1
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jillebean86 wrote: »I'm glad you're seeing support and help, and I hope that's what OP sees too. We all use defense mechanisms and interpret other people's words through our own lenses; it's important to be mindful of how our words are likely to be received by others. If I were seeking practical help to eat more calories, I wouldn't want to read a bunch of reminders of the [appearance-focused] health problems that can result from malnutrition, multiple paragraphs explaining why an undereating mom is not good for child development, nor the exclamation "what are you DOING?". Well-intentioned shaming, accompanied by a statement like "said with much love and concern," is still shaming. I hope this discussion will continue with a focus on collaboratively identifying practical things OP can do to improve their diet and reach their goals.
Well that’s certainly not the intent. After five years here reading highly personal and individual stories from other members, I’ve found some people simply don’t know the dangers of under-eating.
There’s story after story here from people suffering from exhaustion, hair loss, and much worse.
I was very lucky. I had dropped to borderline underweight and was determined to hit some arbitrary, nonsensical goal I had set for myself. I had a trainer who cared enough say these same things to my face. My husband didn’t dare. They both loved and cared for me. One didn’t know how to handle the situation. The other took the risk of offending and hurting me, and I’m extremely grateful she did.
I’d much rather risk potentially offending a stranger than have them unknowingly and unwittingly harm themselves. And you did catch the part about my own mom physically hitting herself in the face and calling herself fat and ugly? Kids pick up on what adults think they are artfully hiding. I certainly did. My mom’s hunger as an impoverished child, subsequent making up for that lack of food as an adult, and then beating herself up for the resulting weight gain, all played a factor in my own relationship with food.
And I say everything I say here with care and concern, not spite or shaming.
I say this to you without spite as well. I wish you the best of success in your own journey, and I sincerely mean that.4 -
maybe you've fallen prey to the do or die philosophy of dieting. Either eat whatever you want and gain weight.. or do an about face and eat so restrictive that it turns into an opposit problem. However.. hotdogs and buns are not clean eating.. btw.1
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