Help with eating more!!!

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Nikkilou1202
Nikkilou1202 Posts: 19
in Health and Weight Loss
I have read many posts about eating more for greater weight loss. I understand this concept but I still can't do it. I eat 3 meals a day with fruit snacks in between. I workout for about 90 minutes a day, doing 'Insanity cardio', swimming, tennis and walking. As I said I understand the concept of eating more, but I have the problem of two things,

1: I am worried that if I eat more calories I am going to put on weight.
2: I can't eat much more than what I am already eating, how do you up your calorie intake and not feel sick?

Please help me.
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Replies

  • _Mimi_
    _Mimi_ Posts: 233
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    It would be easier to help if your diary was open.

    Not knowing what you're eating now, I can only say, more lean protein and healthy fats (nuts, avocado). Eat smaller quantities more often. Cut back on liquids, other than water, so you have more room for real food.

    If you don't want to open your diary, can you at laest tell us about how many calories you're eating now, and how many you think you should be eating?
  • Nikkilou1202
    Nikkilou1202 Posts: 19
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    I will open my diary. Thought it was. I eat about 2000 calories and burn about 800 calories. I try and fill up on fruits and veg. I havent filled in for last night, so will do that first and then open it up. Thanks for any help you can give me.
  • tkbronico
    tkbronico Posts: 58
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    I have the same concern. When/if I try to eat all of the things/portions (although they are healthy) suggested by my trainer I go over the calories allowed on here. I have modified portions/ left out some fruit or yogurt to try to stay under my calorie goal. I just started, but what is the right way to handle this? My workouts are not as intense as some others, and what do you do on the days when a workout just isn't possible, or is limited (yesterday i only had 40 minutes)? Thanks for any help/opinions!
  • mandylooo
    mandylooo Posts: 456 Member
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    Hi Nikki,

    How have you set up your daily calorie goal? How much weight are you set up to lose per week? However you've set it up, you seem to be eating 200 - 500 calories below your net goal every day (although you are still eating a healthy number of calories).
    How has your weight loss journey been so far? Where did you start and how long have you been trying calorie counting for?
  • geordiegirl27
    geordiegirl27 Posts: 307 Member
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    I also have this problem most days, quite often struggle to eat my basic 1250 calories. Yesterday I had something like 1328 cals but burnt off 1040!

    What I'm trying is the opposite to someone trying to lose weight, so opting for higher fat versions rather than going for low fat, i.e. mayonaise, semi skimmed instead of skimmed milk. Also dding full fat cheese to a dish doesnt add bulk but increases calories.

    Nuts are high in calories and are good for you, and the other thing I have slimfast shakes for breakfast (I never eat breakfast normally) and that can always be drank as a mid morning/mid afternoon drink but adds a few calories, esp good if you're going to be exercising.

    If that all fails a little chocolate with a cup of tea always works for me.

    I'm trying to avoid eating for the sake of it but like trying to lose weight its about making small changes.
  • Nikkilou1202
    Nikkilou1202 Posts: 19
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    Hi Mandy,

    I am set to loose 2lb per week. I started calorie counting in March, then had a relapse for a while as I was living in France and lifestyle didn't permit for much. I have now been back to it for a couple of weeks. I have been doing the fitness video Insanity for 3 weeks as well as all the other exercise on top of it. My weight loss journey has been terrible, not lost anything. I have always had a rather healthy lifestyle but don't seem to get anywhere. I don't know what else I can do. Like I said I probably eat around 1600-2000 calories a day but still burn off between 500-800. I understand that I should be eating my BMR which is apparently 1600, but is this net calories or before working out? Because if it is net then I will be eating around 2200 calories a day and I don't know if I can do that.

    What do you suggest?
  • mandylooo
    mandylooo Posts: 456 Member
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    I think you need to be consistent with a while to start with to see what works - try to keep the routine going for a month at least before judging it.

    MFP sets your calories at (BMR x 1.2) - x calories depending on how many pounds per week you're set to lose. It will give an absolute minimum of 1200, which is what it appears to have given you. This means that where you're not eating all of you exercise calories back, you are actually netting fewer than 1200 calories a day. in the long term , this is not a good idea. So yes, you should probably be eating more of your exercise calories back, if you are really burning that much exercising.

    If you're struggling with the volumes, you need to include more high energy density foods, but try to select things with good nutritional value. People often suggest adding olive oil to food, or eating nuts. There's nothing wrong with adding in a few more carbs either.
  • supplemama
    supplemama Posts: 1,956 Member
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    Hi there, I have the same issue. My calorie goal is set at 1400 calories a day, but I exercise about 1300 calories a day. I usually eat between 1500-1900 calories day...which still leaves me in the hole. Practically everyone says, eat more.

    BUT

    I have had people tell me oh you're not really burning that many calories, MFP overestimates the calorie burn per workout. Get a HRM and you'll see.

    THEN

    I get an HRM, and it shows I am actually burning more than MFP says I am. but LOL, I then had someone tell me my HRM was wrong! ha ha

    So what do I do? I could exercise LESS, I suppose, but when I wasn't exercising as much the scale was just creeping along, plus I didn't have the same level of energy and drive that I do now. I don't want to lessen my exercise, I really don't. It helps me a great deal, not just with my weight but my overall emotional well-being. I could eat MORE, which is what I want to do, but I'm having a hard time doing so. I have found that exercise is a natural appetite suppressant.

    When I look at my diet (my diary is open so feel free) the meal that is most lacking is breakfast...I usually just eat 2 boiled eggs or a container of yogurt, maybe some decaf coffee with sugar and creamer. I want to work up to breakfast being at least a 400 calorie meal, lunch being 600, and dinner 700. Snacks for the day totaling up to 500. That will at least get me to 2200 calories a day...I'll still be in the hole but not so much.
  • pamelak5
    pamelak5 Posts: 327 Member
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    Hi there, I have the same issue. My calorie goal is set at 1400 calories a day, but I exercise about 1300 calories a day. I usually eat between 1500-1900 calories day...which still leaves me in the hole. Practically everyone says, eat more.

    BUT

    I have had people tell me oh you're not really burning that many calories, MFP overestimates the calorie burn per workout. Get a HRM and you'll see.

    THEN

    I get an HRM, and it shows I am actually burning more than MFP says I am. but LOL, I then had someone tell me my HRM was wrong! ha ha

    So what do I do? I could exercise LESS, I suppose, but when I wasn't exercising as much the scale was just creeping along, plus I didn't have the same level of energy and drive that I do now. I don't want to lessen my exercise, I really don't. It helps me a great deal, not just with my weight but my overall emotional well-being. I could eat MORE, which is what I want to do, but I'm having a hard time doing so. I have found that exercise is a natural appetite suppressant.

    When I look at my diet (my diary is open so feel free) the meal that is most lacking is breakfast...I usually just eat 2 boiled eggs or a container of yogurt, maybe some decaf coffee with sugar and creamer. I want to work up to breakfast being at least a 400 calorie meal, lunch being 600, and dinner 700. Snacks for the day totaling up to 500. That will at least get me to 2200 calories a day...I'll still be in the hole but not so much.

    You're losing weight really fast...be careful! 12 pounds in a month, if I read it correctly? It's okay for the scale to creep along. I have read that if you lose weight quickly you can't go back to regular "maintenance" calories without gaining weight...but if you creep along you will, at the end of the day, be able to eat more than you woulde if you underate. I totally get exercise being a natural appetite suppressant, but if you don't have enough fuel you won't be able to work out as well and could injure yourself. (I've been there...) So please be careful!!!
  • mandylooo
    mandylooo Posts: 456 Member
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    Hi there, I have the same issue. My calorie goal is set at 1400 calories a day, but I exercise about 1300 calories a day. I usually eat between 1500-1900 calories day...which still leaves me in the hole. Practically everyone says, eat more.

    BUT

    I have had people tell me oh you're not really burning that many calories, MFP overestimates the calorie burn per workout. Get a HRM and you'll see.

    THEN

    I get an HRM, and it shows I am actually burning more than MFP says I am. but LOL, I then had someone tell me my HRM was wrong! ha ha

    So what do I do? I could exercise LESS, I suppose, but when I wasn't exercising as much the scale was just creeping along, plus I didn't have the same level of energy and drive that I do now. I don't want to lessen my exercise, I really don't. It helps me a great deal, not just with my weight but my overall emotional well-being. I could eat MORE, which is what I want to do, but I'm having a hard time doing so. I have found that exercise is a natural appetite suppressant.

    When I look at my diet (my diary is open so feel free) the meal that is most lacking is breakfast...I usually just eat 2 boiled eggs or a container of yogurt, maybe some decaf coffee with sugar and creamer. I want to work up to breakfast being at least a 400 calorie meal, lunch being 600, and dinner 700. Snacks for the day totaling up to 500. That will at least get me to 2200 calories a day...I'll still be in the hole but not so much.

    You're losing weight really fast...be careful! 12 pounds in a month, if I read it correctly? It's okay for the scale to creep along. I have read that if you lose weight quickly you can't go back to regular "maintenance" calories without gaining weight...but if you creep along you will, at the end of the day, be able to eat more than you woulde if you underate. I totally get exercise being a natural appetite suppressant, but if you don't have enough fuel you won't be able to work out as well and could injure yourself. (I've been there...) So please be careful!!!

    I'd agree, be careful, but when you have a lot to lose, it isn't so bad to lose 3 -4 lb a week as long as you slow it down closer to goal.

    Also, it is possible to set up an HRM incorrectly, so make sure you've set yours up with your personal details.
  • Prahasaurus
    Prahasaurus Posts: 1,381 Member
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    Why do you want to eat more if you're not hungry?

    And if your added calorie intake is not offset by even great calorie loss from more exercise, you will gain weight (or lose weight at a slower pace). So you are right to be concerned.

    --P
  • bsinno
    bsinno Posts: 358 Member
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    check out the group: eat more 2 weigh less

    they have loads of info there on this very topic if you are interested. also new website

    http://eatmore2weighless.com/

    Good luck!
  • 8kidsmom
    8kidsmom Posts: 40
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    I did not read all the replies, so forgive me if this is a repeat. Make sure you are eating real food, not low fat, low cal stuff. That stuff is generally not healthy. If you consume dairy, get whole milk, get dairy products made with whole milk. Use real butter, coconut oil, eat nuts, ect. Healthy food is real food, and it is higher in calories, but you don't need that much of it.
    HTH
  • mermx
    mermx Posts: 976
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    I have read many posts about eating more for greater weight loss. I understand this concept but I still can't do it. I eat 3 meals a day with fruit snacks in between. I workout for about 90 minutes a day, doing 'Insanity cardio', swimming, tennis and walking. As I said I understand the concept of eating more, but I have the problem of two things,

    1: I am worried that if I eat more calories I am going to put on weight.
    2: I can't eat much more than what I am already eating, how do you up your calorie intake and not feel sick?

    Please help me.

    You look like you are eating some really good foods :-)
    Personally I would try eating back 40 - 50% of your exercise cals for 2 or 3 weeks
    Then see how it goes from there.

    It looks like you are given 1200 cals a day by MFP and the rest comes from exercise?

    Everyone is different, but at the end of the day if you have a calorie deficit then you will lose weight. It is just finding out what works best for you.
  • MFPBrandy
    MFPBrandy Posts: 564 Member
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    If you're trying to add calories (I won't get into the should-you/shouldn't-you of it all), it looks like you don't eat much for breakfast or snacks. Hard-boiled eggs and nuts are really easy to add in without taking prep time, and just adding avacado and sunflower seeds to a salad can beef up your calories (and nutrition!).
  • Nikkilou1202
    Nikkilou1202 Posts: 19
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    Thank you to everyone who has replied. I will take it all into consideration. Stick with it longer and hopefully see the results.
  • Shanan2012
    Shanan2012 Posts: 6
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    I think you may not know exactly how many calories your body is actually needing each day. Try going to the scooby calorie calculator and plug in your info. http://scoobysworkshop.com/calorie-calculator/
    See what it figures up as your daily TDEE. That us what your daily calorie needs are. If you eat at that level everyday, you will build muscle and loose fat, but not change your weight. If you take your TDEE and cut it by 15%, you will lose weight at a healthy rate without crashing your metabolism and sending your body into starvation mode.
    In starvation mode you set yourself up for failure, eventually. There will come a time when you can no longer exercise at the level you are now, and your body will start holding on to those pounds. Unless you do a metabolism reset for 8 wekks to reset it, your body will just keep fighting your efforts to keep weight off. It is much better to do a reset now and maybe gain a few ponds for a little while, that come back off quickly at the end of 8 weeks, than it is to never do a reset and eventually gain weight that requires more starving of your body to get rid of.
    I have done the whole starving my body thing in the past, then had a bad injury that left me unable to work out for 6 months. I gained back the weight and then some. I then had 3 babies very close together. Now, I am having to reset my metabolism so I can start loosing weight again.
    It is a way of life I can manage for the rest of my life. When I am older, I can still keep my body burning the calories, and keeping the weight off. This makes so much more sense to me, than trying to still burn off every calorie I eat when I am 60yrs old.
    The correct way to do a reset and follow up is the eat at TDEE for 8 weeks. Stick it out! The longer you have abused your metabolism, the longer a reset takes. Then recheck your TDEE, it may have changed. Eat at TDEE -15% for 4weeks, then recheck your TDEE again. For one week eat at TDEE, then recheck, and eat at TDEE -15% for another 4 weeks. Just repeat over and over to keep your body working with you, not against you.
    Every time you lose 5 or more lbs, you will need to re calculate your TDEE. You will be gradually reducing your body's calorie needs, but in a way that doesn't send your body into panic mode.
  • 87392v
    87392v Posts: 4
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    Have you ever read The Ultimate Volumetrics Diet? It is a fantastic source of fitness inspiration and I would advise EVERYONE to go read it.

    The problem you have is probably too much caloric density (CD) in your food. I'll explain with an example:
    A donut has more calories per gram than lettuce, right? Obviously! So, say you eat a donut one day for 450 calories. You might find yourself felling very unsatisfied, for a donut weighs only a few ounces.

    The seret of eating more is replacing high CD foods with low-CD foods. Sticking to the above example: eat only HALF of your donut (225 kcal) and eat the rest of the calories in lettuce with an ENORMOUS salad (225 kcal of salad!?)! I'll bet that you'd have trouble downing a 225 kcal salad AND half a donut!

    See, eating the same number of calories but changing the CD of the food makes you feel fuller. You can still enjoy the foods you like and get the calories you need, just replace some of it with vegetables, for they are extremely low-CD.

    The theory extends to filling you up without replacement as well.
    Say you want to eat a baloney sandwich. 300 calories. Not filling for long. What if, though, you stuffed an entire handful of lettuce, pickles, and radishes into that sandwich? Well, you are certainly eating more calories--maybe 30-50 more. But your sandwich weighs twice as much and fills you up to match. After eating that 350 kcal sandwiches, you will feel less hungry and less tempted to snack for much longer than if you just had a piece of meat on bread.

    You will probably save yourself the 30-50 kcal you added as veggies by not snacking on something worse! Even if you already don't snack, I think the extra fullness that is added is worth the extra few kcal, don't you?

    Calculate caloric density by this formula: CD = (kcals per serving) / (grams perserving)
    The lower the number, the better the option. Foods that are less than 0.4 CD should be eaten at every meal to enhance fullness and prevent later snacking, adding only a few kcal to said meal.

    Good luck!
  • Nikkilou1202
    Nikkilou1202 Posts: 19
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    Thanks Shanan, i checked out that website and the results are as follows:

    BMR: 1607
    TDEE: 2773

    So now to reset my metabolic rate should I be eating 2773 calories, because that seems like an awful lot, and is that without exercise or including my burnt calories?

    And after I have done that for 8 weeks I need to re-calculate and minus 15% of the new TDEE to find out my new calories, again including burnt calories?
  • mandylooo
    mandylooo Posts: 456 Member
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    Thanks Shanan, i checked out that website and the results are as follows:

    BMR: 1607
    TDEE: 2773

    So now to reset my metabolic rate should I be eating 2773 calories, because that seems like an awful lot, and is that without exercise or including my burnt calories?

    And after I have done that for 8 weeks I need to re-calculate and minus 15% of the new TDEE to find out my new calories, again including burnt calories?

    TDEE includes your exercise calories - you don't need to add them on (ie eat them back)

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