Trouble getting in the calories?

Nessap08
Nessap08 Posts: 20 Member
edited December 17 in Health and Weight Loss
On most days I am able to eat my caloric goals but on the days that I exercise, I find it hard to get in all my calories, not counting eating back my calories. I tend to work out in the afternoon, after lunch and spend at least 2 hours in the gym. By the time I get home, it's usually around 8 or 9 and I have a belly full of water and not in the mood to eat anything heavy. For example, today I only averaged around 900 calories, not counting my exercise calories. I may have underestimated my total a little bit because I didn't make my own lunch today but it's still way below my daily goals. Any advice?

By the way, don't mind my breakfast today, I was rushing to take an exam.

Replies

  • Nessap08
    Nessap08 Posts: 20 Member
    Bump : (
  • Sabine_Stroehm
    Sabine_Stroehm Posts: 19,263 Member
    Try a calorie dense, but "quick" snack: nuts, peanut butter, a protein bar...

    or, my personal fav: a sugar free chocolate pudding cup AND a table spoon of peanut butter mixed together....
  • Il_DaniD_lI
    Il_DaniD_lI Posts: 1,593 Member
    not buying it. how did you get to where you need to lose weight if you have so much trouble eating enough calories?
  • becky3277
    becky3277 Posts: 64 Member
    I love fat free vanilla Greek yogurt and kashi go lean cereal as a calorie/protein boost
  • Nessap08
    Nessap08 Posts: 20 Member
    not buying it. how did you get to where you need to lose weight if you have so much trouble eating enough calories?

    Danielle, I don't see what your not buying considering I'm not selling anything. I mean why would I come on here just to lie. I'm here for results just like the next person. I can tell you exactly how I got where I am right now. By eating lots of bad food, such as half a box of cookies in one sitting. I don't like many foods but the ones I do like I eat a lot of it. Now that I'm trying to lose weight all my norms are eliminated so it's hard trying to find what to eat and the time to eat it on my exercise days.
  • Nessap08
    Nessap08 Posts: 20 Member
    Sabine I tried buying nut but i find it too hard to resist eating more than the handful you are supposed to eat and the fat content scares the bejeesus out of me, even though I suppose it's good fat.
  • mkgk03
    mkgk03 Posts: 10 Member
    Can you try eating bigger meals earlier in the day? And maybe drinking less water during your work out?
  • purpleipod
    purpleipod Posts: 1,147 Member
    Nuts, eggs, peanut butter, olive/canola oil, lean meat, avocado, etc. Not too hard to get those calories in.
  • janie4ever
    janie4ever Posts: 8
    try eating healthy filling snacks...protein is good
    eat fast healthy things...like kashai granola bars...baggie of nuts
  • rdunlap81
    rdunlap81 Posts: 94 Member
    Sabine I tried buying nut but i find it too hard to resist eating more than the handful you are supposed to eat and the fat content scares the bejeesus out of me, even though I suppose it's good fat.

    Emerald makes 100 calorie packs of almonds and walnuts, If you pack your snack then only pack one or two of the individual bags and the temptation to eat more won't be there. They are really good!!!!
  • jsapninz
    jsapninz Posts: 909 Member
    Exercise supresses the appetite for a couple hours at least, which is why you probably aren't hungry after the gym.
    Also, I hope you have a Heart Rate Monitor to accurately track your exercise burns, because treadmills etc tend to be overly generous.
  • MFunkhouser1
    MFunkhouser1 Posts: 1
    So is it important to eat all your calories everyday? I just started on here.
  • Ironlion45
    Ironlion45 Posts: 12 Member
    Well, stay away from fatty foods, but more dense breads like a bagel with fat-free cream cheese could net you 250-300 calories (depending on how much cheese you put on).

    drinking milk at meals in lieu of water (skim milk), say w glass ~16 oz (2 cups) will add 172 calories too.

    if you're only eating 900 a day, that's pretty bad. if you're netting 900 a day with exercise, that's maybe okay.

    But you want to eat (disregarding what you burn in exercise) at least ~1200 calories; your own personal BMR (basic metabolic rate) may be different from that, but the generic BMR for women is around 1200 calories a day.

    The BMR is how much energy you would use if you did nothing all day. So if you're getting less than this, you're not just losing weight- you're starving yourself.

    Whether or not you believe in eating back your workout calories, be sure to get at least your BMR.
  • LeisureLady1
    LeisureLady1 Posts: 1 Member
    Just joining and registering on MyFitnessPals. I thought the "not buying" comment from Danielle was a little catty. It was my exact thinking that Sabine was referring to finding the "healthy" things to eat as I am having this same problem myself. I am making a list of meals (breakfasts, lunches, dinners) that I LIKE and that fit into the healthy calorie range (so I'm not having to figure this out each time) .. want to see if that will work. And I CERTAINLY don't want any catty remarks from sincere questions I might need to ask. This journey will be hard enough -- but since I am in it strictly for the benefit I need, I will most likely overlook those remarks and move on.
  • Nessap08
    Nessap08 Posts: 20 Member
    Thank you for the replies but I have a question with the nuts and peanut butter, do the fat content not matter. I get up real early for school in the morning and I don't really have an appetite but I will try the suggestions.
  • mkgk03
    mkgk03 Posts: 10 Member
    After looking at the last few days of your food diary, here are my thoughts:

    1. Your breakfasts are like snacks. They are not actual meals. Try eating an actual balanced breakfast. For example, eat a 4-egg white omelette with veggies, with a slice of toast and a glass of milk. You can also eat something simpler like a grilled cheese, a PB and J sandwich, or yogurt with granola.

    2. You need to spread your calories out throughout your day. I'm ok with the heavier lunch, but with how few calories you're getting, you're going to slow down your metabolism and hit starvation mode.

    3. If you're drinking THAT much water for your work out, it's possible that you're risking an electrolyte imbalance. Remember that the more water you drink in a short period of time, the more you're diluting your electrolytes. Not only that, you're sweating during your work-outs. I would limit your water intake to avoid problems, and that should allow for you to not be "too full" for dinner.

    4. Finally, if you really want to increase your calories, stop drinking things like Mio. Opt for healthier drink options that can also give you calories-- a glass of milk, a glass of orange juice, etc.
  • christinehetz80
    christinehetz80 Posts: 490 Member
    By no means am I saying that my diaries are perfect, but I eat ALOT Of food, several times a day. My coworker says I eat more now than when I was heavier. Shes right. I would starve myself all day then gorge on half if not almost a full cake at nightime. I cannot even begin to think the damage I did to my body, however long story short..definitely you should get in the most nutrition/food you can to properly fuel your body and help keep your metabolism going. Feel free to check out my diary I should have it open and see if anything there strikes your fancy. Sometimes meal ideas help.
  • jsapninz
    jsapninz Posts: 909 Member
    So is it important to eat all your calories everyday? I just started on here.

    It depends. I would say yes if you are under your BMR without them, no if you aren't. (so in other words, if you have alot of weight to lose, you shouldn't eat your exercise cals back if you aren't hungry).
  • zebramama84
    zebramama84 Posts: 64 Member
    not buying it. how did you get to where you need to lose weight if you have so much trouble eating enough calories?


    im in the same boat, i have removed the really crappy foods and am not eating out of boredom so days like today i have a few hundred calories left but dont want to eat crap ( its a slippery slope for me) so i will eat veggies and hopefully will just break 1200..


    everyone got here one way or another and most of us know how, MFP is for us to encourage one another to change theese habits and become more fit !! Original poster feel free to friend me !! well i always like new friends so i will take who ever wants a new friend !!!
  • Nessap08
    Nessap08 Posts: 20 Member
    Just joining and registering on MyFitnessPals. I thought the "not buying" comment from Danielle was a little catty. It was my exact thinking that Sabine was referring to finding the "healthy" things to eat as I am having this same problem myself. I am making a list of meals (breakfasts, lunches, dinners) that I LIKE and that fit into the healthy calorie range (so I'm not having to figure this out each time) .. want to see if that will work. And I CERTAINLY don't want any catty remarks from sincere questions I might need to ask. This journey will be hard enough -- but since I am in it strictly for the benefit I need, I will most likely overlook those remarks and move on.

    It was certainly catty but people like her I believe are just looking for something to be mean about. Don't bother me none : /
  • christinehetz80
    christinehetz80 Posts: 490 Member
    Thank you for the replies but I have a question with the nuts and peanut butter, do the fat content not matter. I get up real early for school in the morning and I don't really have an appetite but I will try the suggestions.

    Healthy fats are essential to keep your body performing at its best.
  • Ironlion45
    Ironlion45 Posts: 12 Member
    Thank you for the replies but I have a question with the nuts and peanut butter, do the fat content not matter. I get up real early for school in the morning and I don't really have an appetite but I will try the suggestions.

    Yes, the fat definitely matters. Peanut butter is almost all fat, though it also has a pretty good amount of protein. However, as fat's go it isn't a terribly bad one.

    It's okay to eat peanut butter, as long as it fits into your nutritional goals- remember that for most people, only about 15-30% of their daily calories should be from fat (and preferably mono-saturated fats).

    So if it fits in your diet, then it's okay, but keep in mind that each spoonful of peanut butter is close to 100 calories, and 80 of those are from fat.
  • Nessap08
    Nessap08 Posts: 20 Member
    After looking at the last few days of your food diary, here are my thoughts:

    1. Your breakfasts are like snacks. They are not actual meals. Try eating an actual balanced breakfast. For example, eat a 4-egg white omelette with veggies, with a slice of toast and a glass of milk. You can also eat something simpler like a grilled cheese, a PB and J sandwich, or yogurt with granola.

    2. You need to spread your calories out throughout your day. I'm ok with the heavier lunch, but with how few calories you're getting, you're going to slow down your metabolism and hit starvation mode.

    3. If you're drinking THAT much water for your work out, it's possible that you're risking an electrolyte imbalance. Remember that the more water you drink in a short period of time, the more you're diluting your electrolytes. Not only that, you're sweating during your work-outs. I would limit your water intake to avoid problems, and that should allow for you to not be "too full" for dinner.

    4. Finally, if you really want to increase your calories, stop drinking things like Mio. Opt for healthier drink options that can also give you calories-- a glass of milk, a glass of orange juice, etc.


    I'm ashamed to say but I'm not much in the kitchen so I can't really cook a balanced meal, I'm working on it but I'm not there yet. I usually have oatmeal in the morning but I got sick of it after a couple of days so I went to cereal. I honestly don't know why I drank so much water today but it felt like I was still thirsty no matter how much water I drank. and thank you for the ideas.
  • jsapninz
    jsapninz Posts: 909 Member
    2. You need to spread your calories out throughout your day. I'm ok with the heavier lunch, but with how few calories you're getting, you're going to slow down your metabolism and hit starvation mode.


    This is incorrect.

    It doesn't matter WHEN you eat your calories, just HOW MANY you eat. And also, starvation mode is largely a myth and has nothing to do with what you are talking about. If you want to eat all your calories at one meal, do it. If you want to spread them out evenly throughout the whole day, do it. Just make sure you are getting the right types of calories (for example, it is hard for me to eat protein for breakfast, or if you are snacking alot you may be eating alot of sugary things)
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