So confused...

I was recently advised to up my daily calories to about 1500 per day from 1200.  workout one hour a day, 5 days a week.  I'm 5'3 and four weeks ago I weighed 134.  Since I've been increasing my calories, I typically eat three times a day, 300 calories each time, every three hours.  At dinner time I eat about 5-600 calories.  Why do I feel so full after dinner and my stomach is expanded to the max.  Not only that, I also gained 5 in one week.  I do measure my calorie intake as accurately as possible, with little guessing.

Can anyone tell me if I should be this full and bloated?  Should I go back to 1200 per day?   

If you feel stuffed after dinner, why not eat more earlier in the day instead? I certainly wouldn't go back to eating less.

I already eat 900 calories during the day.  It's already hard for me to eat 300 calories each time.  My breakfast is usually an egg and a fruit with a cup of coffee.  My lunch is a salad with shrimp and salmon and dressing.  Then I workout for about an hour.  my third meal is high fiber oatmeal and another piece of fruit.  For dinner I eat like 4 cups of chicken vegetable soup and a salad.  I'm thinking its the soup broth that makes me so full.  Should I eat something else instead of soup?  The reason I eat so much soup is because I figures it's mostly water so I can digest it easily.  Am I totally clueless about food?

Broth is filling for the few calories it has. Why not look for food that has its calories in a smaller package? Maybe apple slices with peanut butter. Also, breads and pastas would give you some more calories, and I've noticed that you're eating few carbs except for your oatmeal (I approve of oatmeal!).

I'm not an expert either: my problem is everything I like has a lot of calories in a small package.

You need high-calorie, low-density foods. Nuts, potatoes, fried fruit, pasta, granola, etc.

You can try getting more calories in during the day by spreading your food out. You say you have a hard time getting in 300 calories each time you eat, so why don't you try eating about 200 calories 5 times a day instead? I eat every two hours during the day, then I finish up my calories at dinnertime. It helps keep me sane by not letting me go too long before I eat (there's something satisfying about eating even if I'm not necessarily hungry), and I can fit in all of my calories and have time to digest and not feel full before bed.

I also agree with the above posters in thinking you need low-bulk, high-calorie foods. Salad greens don't have many calories, but bread and peanut butter do. Even some fruits might get you less bulk for your calories. Things like nuts and avocadoes have a lot of calories but also good fats and protein. You'd be doing your body a favor by adding them to your diet!

You might want to check the sodium content on your soup broth - 4 cups - or 3, minus the soup parts, could be a metric crapton of sodium you're adding to your diet every day, which can cause bloating and water retention.  Lots of sodium isn't good for you either.

As long as you're working out, you should definetly stick with the 1500 cal in a day.

Good luck : )

I would have trouble reaching 1500 with what you are eating as well.  Try adding a few foods that are more calorie dense, like bananas, peanut butter, nuts, lean proteins, beans, more whole grains, low or nonfat dairy or soy-dairy.  A variety of food helps us to get a variety of nutrients to keep us fit and healthy.