Calories..Work-out..Food..HELP

Hi everyone! My name is Danielle and I have only been counting my calories since the beginning of the month. So, i'm still a newbie in my standards! I need a little help from experienced people!

I just did my first day of the 30-day Shred. Needless to say it kicked my butt. Now that my heart rate has calmed down, I have realized I only ate about 1/2 my calories for the day so far and it's already 9pm. Don't get me wrong, I have eaten a lot! Now I do tend to go to bed late and wake up late, I have for years... somehow it works better for me. So my question is I need to eat another 500-600 calories and I'll be up for about another 5 hours. Should I eat something high in calories to fill up my calories? OR should I just be short on my calories today? I'm not sure to indulge in Mac & Cheese or something? I know I can't eat a salad with 500-600 calories in it! Even if I don't figure it out today, it will help me for future decisions. . .

Anyone got any advice? It's much appreciated  Thank you!!!

So far I have eaten a small peanut butter sandwich and a small apple butter sandiwch on wheat bread. That was 244 calories. I also ate weight control oatmeal, which was 160 calories with a few walnuts (maybe 5) on top. Good choices? I need an honest opinion, thanks. I will take a shower and continue to try to eat more =) Hopefully in the mean time I will get a few ideas!

i also have some calories left for the night.. around 560 to be exact- so right now i'm having mac and cheese- the easy mac cup.. its like 220 cal and i wanted some juice, its like 90 cal per cup so i got 2 cups of that..

haha. yeah I ended up eating Spaghetti O's. And I ended my day at 1,499. I don't think I could have gotten it much closer... however i'm pretty sure my last choice wasn't the best one.

Just make sure you're getting enough protein.

I say if it's a rare occassion that you have so many calories left over, it's time to treat yourself :)

There's no need to eat junk food though if you have a lot of calories left.  There are tons of foods that are more engery dense, have lots of calories and still are healthy!  Last night for dinner, I took a can of black beans (drained and rinsed), a chicken bouillon and a can of diced tomatoes, simmered the beans in the tomato juice (saving the actual tomatoes) for about 15 min, then mashed them together.  Then I added a packet of taco seasoning, another can of black beans, the diced tomatoes and a sauteed onion.  That made 4 cups.  I ate one cup of bean mixture over a half cup of rice and it was almost 400 calories.  Lets say I added a bit of low fat cheese and some low fat sour cream; that would bring me to around 500.  Or maybe I could have had 1.5 cups of beans and 3/4 cup of rice with some sour cream - that would have been around 600 calories...PLUS...the fiber content is awesome, I'm getting some great carbs, some solid protein, and OMG it was off the hook delicious.  My hubby was in heaven. 

There are a zillion options for a healthy 500-600 calorie meal.  White chicken chili comes to mind...grilled chicken breast with roasted veggies (use olive oil to up calorie and fat content, plus tasted, on the veggies)...a salad, hell I can make a 500 calorie salad (think romain lettuce, olive oil, lemon juice, feta cheese, walnuts, grilled chicken or tuna steak, and crasins...*drool*)...pasta with veggies and grilled chicken, or steak, and you could whip up a lower fat cream sauce with it...omg I want to EAT lol.

Good luck, we all need it, and keep eating!!!

Ye if you have many calories left id say you should aim to spread them more evenly throughout the day.  also its not just about the number you have at the end of the day, its about being healthy so id try to eat more healthy unprocessed foods, obviously treats are by no means a bad thing but your meals dont sound too healthy as far as a balanced diet goes.

You could eat more fresh foods and have cereal for breakfast and try to cut down on your bread intake.  Try to eat a protion of veg or salad with every meal etc n thing slike that  Good luck 

Just space your meals out like 5-7 meals.  You should watch your macronutrients also. Cut down on the simple carb intake, add good fats and eat more protein. Gl.

This happens to me a lot, and I've learned over time that if I don't eat close to my calories, I end up waking up starving and it can eventually turn into a binge day.  So, I shoot for my recommended calories (plus or minus 150) just to keep myself on an even keel and stave off binging.  Plus, there's NOTHING worse than waking up with the gnawing hungry feeling.  When I have a bunch of calories left at night, I do one of two things.  Preferably, I eat something healthy but calorie-dense (nuts, whole grains, healthy fats like avocado, etc.).  Sometimes, I allow myself a dessert/treat that I wouldn't ordinarily indulge in (which usually involves a trip out because I don't keep stuff like that in the house...it's dangerous!  Some of my favorite choices: Vanilla cone from McDs, a chocolate chip cookie, oatmeal with a scoop of ice cream, etc.).

Thanks guys for the advice, the taco's sounded really good! I had eaten about 3-4 small meals, all veggies and fruit before that time of the day, I just lost track of time and got excitied about getting my DVD in the mail. =) I will do better today, and space my calorie intake! haha, thanks again.