Having trouble meeting my calorie needs due to exercise

ChasingSweatandTears
ChasingSweatandTears Posts: 504 Member
in Food and Nutrition
Hey everyone, I have set myself a goal of 1200 cals a day with 45 mins to an hour of activity 6 days a week. I am 5'1" and currently 151 pounds. I eat a very clean diet, and have for years, But now im really focusing on exercise to get fit and help me lose weight or size. 3 days a week I do a boot camp style training where I burn about 500 cals in an hour, and this includes body weight resistance. The other days i do cardio. I'm finding it really hard on boot camp days to eat back the calories it says I need simply because I eat very healthy and I can only eat so much meat and eggs lol. Sometimes I am short by as much as 600 cals! I always eat if I am hungry, I never wait until my stomach is screaming or anything and I never feel deprived. I just fall short of 1200 net many days. I'm looking for healthy food suggestions to get my calories up. My goal is to be healthy. There are so many differing views on net calories, if you do offer an opinion on that, please speak from personal experience :) and thanks so much for any help. Let me know if you'd like more info.

Replies

  • cmriverside
    cmriverside Posts: 34,392 Member
    Plan ahead. If you eat more earlier in the day, you won't be trying to cram in food later.

    Nuts
    Avocado
    Butter
    Full fat dairy (yogurts and milk)


    .
  • ChasingSweatandTears
    ChasingSweatandTears Posts: 504 Member
    So basically, add some more healthy fat? I can do that! Right now at lunch I'm eating a meal which contains sesame butter, coconut oil and olive oil.
  • Justacoffeenut
    Justacoffeenut Posts: 3,749 Member
    bump
  • ChasingSweatandTears
    ChasingSweatandTears Posts: 504 Member
    Okay, so just finished my lunch. Almost 600 calories and I can't imagine eating another bite. I imagine I will snack on an avocado later. Also, it may be difficult because I do not eat 3 actual meals a day. I simply am not that hungry and my schedule has me going to sleep at 2 am and waking up around 10-11 am. I eat something when I wake up, I have a snack later, I then eat a healthy sized dinner. I eat only non processed foods, other than an egg protein shake mix which i supplement with. I will eat yogurt but I do not drink cows milk. I do not eat cheese and I only do select grains like amaranth, and quinoa. No wheat, very little corn. Tose are my onky dietary restrictions. Keep the food suggestions coming. I simply run out of ideas and my food is so nutrient dense that I can only eat small portions before feeling full.
  • chaseyboy
    chaseyboy Posts: 1
    I have the exact same problem. I know in the past people suggest having nuts or peanut butter, but I am allergic. Some days I try to add an extra glass of 1% milk to up my calories some.

    Sorry, I don't have advice, but I know what you mean.... its so hard to meet your calories when you are exercising a lot and eating clean!

    Tonya
  • everytree
    everytree Posts: 127
    I'm struggling to get enough calories in. I'm not a big eater and I feel like I'm always so full I feel sick and I'm still not getting my calories in
  • ChasingSweatandTears
    ChasingSweatandTears Posts: 504 Member
    I'm trying to drink a protein shake a day. It's 100% egg protein and the only processed food I allow myself other than Greek yogurt. These two foods help me keep my protein intake at a decent level. I just added 10 macadamia nuts and a half a banana to my shake and not only was it delicious it helped boost my calories just enough and I am satisfied but not too full :)
  • lunglady
    lunglady Posts: 526 Member
    Peanut butter. Calorie dense and tasty as hell.
  • LoveLivingHealthy
    LoveLivingHealthy Posts: 52
    i'm a whole foods eater as well and i always snack on raw almonds all day. that boosts my calorie intake up. maybe try that :)
  • MB_Positif
    MB_Positif Posts: 8,897 Member
    You've gotten some decent advice so far...the one that really struck me was to eat more prior to your workout so you're not trying to catch up at the end of the day!
  • jabba11
    jabba11 Posts: 44 Member
    I have the same issue to a degree in that I will go over my macros no matter what I eat in fat or carbs. I can eat more fat and recognize the difference between healthy fats and non healthy fats but I work out 2 hours a day and am actually hungry especially in the evening hours.
  • keepitcroosh
    keepitcroosh Posts: 301 Member
    bodybuilding.com might help. On the left side, it says ' Find a Plan'. You click your age category, and if youd like to lose fat or build muscle. It may help you out. Gives great food options full of necessary nutrition . Having 6 meals a day might be good, this is what im currently doing now!
  • therealangd
    therealangd Posts: 1,861 Member
    If you are having trouble eating your calories in the one day, Manually adjust your MFP goals to add those calories over the whole week. So if you burn 600 calories per class, once per week, then up your daily calories to 1285 and then don't eat back those calories on that particular day.
  • ByrdMessy
    ByrdMessy Posts: 94
    I didn't used to have any problem eating calories when I wasn't working out and eating right. Now it's like I'm having a Kobayashi vegetable eating contest.

    I just said to myself, "I have to eat way more earlier in the day." Especially if you know you'll make your routine.

    I've heard fruits have more calories than vegetables. I dunno how you'd feel about a whole wheat or multigrain tortilla, but someone suggested peanut butter and nutella on one of those--I also do that on a rice cake if you're looking for other carriers of calorie-infested goodies. Cashews are my favorite. That ups it easily. I've been doing avocado, carrots and hummus on a tortilla, too. Maybe more beans? I'm a pescetarian, so I do a lot of fake stuff too, but beans are full of everything.

    I've been drinking green juice, too. 8oz = about 140cal.

    But today I was way behind, so darn it, I'm getting a milkshake.
  • ChasingSweatandTears
    ChasingSweatandTears Posts: 504 Member
    bodybuilding.com might help. On the left side, it says ' Find a Plan'. You click your age category, and if youd like to lose fat or build muscle. It may help you out. Gives great food options full of necessary nutrition . Having 6 meals a day might be good, this is what im currently doing now!

    Thanks!
  • ChasingSweatandTears
    ChasingSweatandTears Posts: 504 Member
    I didn't used to have any problem eating calories when I wasn't working out and eating right. Now it's like I'm having a Kobayashi vegetable eating contest.

    I just said to myself, "I have to eat way more earlier in the day." Especially if you know you'll make your routine.

    I've heard fruits have more calories than vegetables. I dunno how you'd feel about a whole wheat or multigrain tortilla, but someone suggested peanut butter and nutella on one of those--I also do that on a rice cake if you're looking for other carriers of calorie-infested goodies. Cashews are my favorite. That ups it easily. I've been doing avocado, carrots and hummus on a tortilla, too. Maybe more beans? I'm a pescetarian, so I do a lot of fake stuff too, but beans are full of everything.

    I've been drinking green juice, too. 8oz = about 140cal.

    But today I was way behind, so darn it, I'm getting a milkshake.

    Kobayashi vegetable eating contest.... Lol... I know what you mean!
  • ChasingSweatandTears
    ChasingSweatandTears Posts: 504 Member
    i'm a whole foods eater as well and i always snack on raw almonds all day. that boosts my calorie intake up. maybe try that :)

    I think I will def increase my nut consumption and get more of those healthy fats :)
  • Jameslemond
    Jameslemond Posts: 60 Member
    try eating these early in the day. Breakfast or lunch. they will give you plenty of energy and you will get your vitamins :-)
    Fruits - apple, orange, pineapple, banana, pears - etc
    oatmeal - 1 cup is 300 calories - put some honey or agave to sweeten will add a few more calories
    Sweet potato's
    Nuts - cashews, almonds, sunflower seeds etc

    healthy alternatives and will help you up your calorie intake
  • ladybarrington
    ladybarrington Posts: 8
    I have also been in the same place you are. I'm 5 foot and started at 142, now down to 139. I eat a slow carb program, which includes lots of beans, but not much in the area of carbs. I have started to eat more whole grains and some fruit now because I was sometimes 300 or more under my budget.

    I eat clean, but mostly because I have IBS and if I eat processed foods it usually makes me sick. Not much of a fruit eather, but that's because I really prefer veggies. So I do lots of protien and vegg, dairy, and beans.

    I have found it hard to eat more, but I just increase my food intake a bit each day and sometimes have to force down a few bites.

    Today I did not eat very much, dinner will be a big meal and I just got done exercising. Hopefully it will all balance out. I do try more protein snacks like peanut butter, hummus, cheese sticks, hard boiled eggs, cottage cheese.
    GL on your goal!!
  • michelleepotter
    michelleepotter Posts: 800 Member
    Also, it may be difficult because I do not eat 3 actual meals a day. I simply am not that hungry and my schedule has me going to sleep at 2 am and waking up around 10-11 am. I eat something when I wake up, I have a snack later, I then eat a healthy sized dinner.

    I would seriously consider adding another meal and maybe another snack to your day. Think about it this way -- if you eat more often, you don't have to stuff yourself so much at each meal. Instead of trying to force 600 calories down at one sitting, you can do 300 calories twice. Also, if you train yourself to eat more often, you will eventually get hungry at those times. I used to never eat breakfast and only sometimes eat lunch. I've been eating three meals plus a snack every day for a month, and now I actually start to feel hungry at those times. Some days I even eat two snacks. I still have to eat something really light for breakfast, but at least I'm not having to choke food down like I used to.
  • Rachiepie6
    Rachiepie6 Posts: 423 Member
    I didn't read the ENTIRE thread, but snacking little bits helps, and over time you will probably find that your metabolism will increase and you will feel hungry sooner. When I first started I noticed after a little while I was hungry every two hours or so.
  • ChasingSweatandTears
    ChasingSweatandTears Posts: 504 Member
    try eating these early in the day. Breakfast or lunch. they will give you plenty of energy and you will get your vitamins :-)
    Fruits - apple, orange, pineapple, banana, pears - etc
    oatmeal - 1 cup is 300 calories - put some honey or agave to sweeten will add a few more calories
    Sweet potato's
    Nuts - cashews, almonds, sunflower seeds etc

    healthy alternatives and will help you up your calorie intake

    Thanks James ! Amazing progress by the way! You look great
  • ChasingSweatandTears
    ChasingSweatandTears Posts: 504 Member
    Thanks everyone!
  • credgeur
    credgeur Posts: 16
    Man, The more I work out the harder it is to meet my calorie requirements. If I do a ten km run I'm supposed to eat 3000 calories (and that's with a 1000 calorie defecit.) I'm only making it to about 1900. yeah right am I going to eat 3000 freaking calories! I eat so many nuts it's nuts. I added a protein shake to breakfast. I eat snacks!

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