Trying to eat 1,800 calories of good food
I was told by my dr. that my cholestrol level was high,for the first time. So, I asked what I should do. He wants me to be on a low fat, low cholestrol diet..1,800 calories.
I don't have a problem with the low fat part, I love veggies and fruits. I am obese, so I know this doesn't make sense to a lot of people. But, I am having trouble eating all 1,800 calories. If, I was to cheat, I could easily do it.
I don't want to cheat, I want to get healthier. I have been on several diets and I always get yelled at because I don't eat enough or drink all my water.
I have another blood test scheduled for Sept. 20th and was hoping to get my levels low enough to pass and to continue to lose the 80 lbs. I need to lose.
I feel nauseated, when I eat so much to the point that I will throw up, if I push.
What calorie amount are you comfortable with? There's no reason to make yourself sick! Is 1300 - 1500 better for you? You could call your doc and let him know about your issue and see if that is OK. I am pretty sure he will say yes. My doc told me 1200 calories and that's what I'm doing. Some days it seems like a ton of food, other days not so much. Plus, if you have changed your diet from highly processed foods to less processed foods, you will initiall be very full, but that won't last for a long time. You might want to keep logging your food and see what your daily average is when you add up all the cals and divide by 7. That might give you a clearer picture of what you need.
It depends on what I eat. When I eat protein or good for me carbs, I fill up quickly. If, I am eating exactly to the meal plan, I feel full after 600 calories or less, if I drink some of the water. Normally, I don't eat breakfast. So, if I eat breakfast at 7am... I am ready for lunch at 3pm. I want to get to the point of eating 5 to 6 snacks a day.
I am planning on calling my doctor tomorrow. I am just looking for some suggestions from people with similiar problems.
I had an allergist tell me a couple years ago, when she put me on the candida diet, that i wouldn't be able to eat 5 servings of everything. I don't eat tons, just wasn't eating the correct things and since I have been sick, I haven't been able to exercise for the last 11 years.
Thank you for the suggestions :).
Need more stats...Your gender, age, height, and weight. If you are obese then eating below 1800 calories may harm you (eating below your bmr). When I was 195 lbs, my bmr was about 1700- so that meant that my body functioned on about that many calories a day just to live. No added activities. So I would do what your doctor said - eat 1800 calories (no lower!) You will lose the weight and as you lose more weight your bmr will lower, and in return you will have to lower your calories to lose more weight.
If all your doctor said to you was to eat low fat and low cholesterol (no details or explanations)- then I feel bad for you! What he probably meant was to eat low SATURATED fat, and eat leaner meats (fish, chicken and turkey breast). So you can still eat fat- just healthy fats from extra virgin olive oil (keep it raw), almonds, walnuts, flax seed, salmon...
You really should have no problem reaching 1800 calories if you eat veggies, fruit, lean meat, unsaturated fat from nuts and seeds, and some carbs from whole grains and legumes.
So right now I would say avoid dairy, pork, beef, and the skin and dark meat of poultry.
bfast; 1/2 cup dry oats (150), 1 medium banana (100), 1 cup skim milk (100), 1 tbsp chopped walnuts (90). (440)
snack: 1 apple, 1 low fat string cheese (170)
lunch: 2 slices whole grain bread (150), spread with 1/4 of an avocado mashed (50), 3 oz deli turkey (90), lettuce and tomato. 1 serving baked tortilla chips, 1 cup grapes. (500)
snack: 1 oz almonds (160)
dinner: 1 cup whole wheAt pasta(220), 6 oz baked chicken breast (200), 1 cup steAmed veggies(40)
total: 1730 u could add extra fruit, small amount of cooking oil, small treat etc.
There's some good information in this post. Hope it helps!
Original Post by rwil527563794:
I feel nauseated, when I eat so much to the point that I will throw up, if I push.
If eating under 1,800 is actually making you physically vomit, you need to tell your doctor. This is not normal at all. there are weight gainers on this site eating double what you have been told to eat, and throwing up is never a problem.
Is drinking some of your calories an option? I have never used them personally, but lots of people talk about protein shakes/Ensures, etc. That way you get the nutrients but without too much volume.
Bluffythefoodslayer;
"My doc told me 1200 calories and that's what I'm doing. Some days it seems like a ton of food,"
1,200 calories a day is not a 'ton of food' in anybody's book... the 3,600 that some gainers eat is a ton of food. 1,200 is the minimum amount for a sedentary, obese short woman...
I am going by a menu plan that my dr. gave me.
Breads (includes starchy vegetables, pasta, cereal, oats) - 9 servings
meats, fish, poultry & dairy ( I am allergic to dairy, so it isn't included)- 6 servings
fruits - 4 servings
fats - 4 servings
milks - 2 servings
vegetables - 3 servings
It is alot for me. I have been measuring and trying to eat several small meals throughout the day. Once, I get up to 600 to 900 calories for the day, I feel nauseated, if I include fluids it is worse. I have never been a big eater. Example: My family loves going to buffets and I usually get one plate of food compared to everyone else, this includes dessert.
I have been sick since 2001 (they said I was dying) pulmonary hypertension and menigitis and have not been very active.
I am hypersensitive and have chemical allergies. I weigh 245, height 5'10" and am 46 years old. I have allergies to alot of chemicals and dairy ( breathing issues, if I push it).
I have hypo-thyroid problems (on a pill, but have blood tests every 2 to 3 months to keep an eye on it).
Since, I can't add nuts to my diet. What are some other higher in calories foods, that I could eat that would be low fat and cholestrol low. 3 oz. of meat is alot.
I have tmj , which affects my inner ear... so alot of chewing makes my jaws swell, which makes me dizzy. I fell and hit my head a few years ago and they said it made my tmj worse...
I have tried juicing, but it made me very sick.. I become too hypersensitive, trying too much at one time.
Forgot, I am female.
Original Post by mrswilsonscat:
Original Post by rwil527563794:
I feel nauseated, when I eat so much to the point that I will throw up, if I push.
If eating under 1,800 is actually making you physically vomit, you need to tell your doctor. This is not normal at all. there are weight gainers on this site eating double what you have been told to eat, and throwing up is never a problem.
Is drinking some of your calories an option? I have never used them personally, but lots of people talk about protein shakes/Ensures, etc. That way you get the nutrients but without too much volume.
Bluffythefoodslayer;
"My doc told me 1200 calories and that's what I'm doing. Some days it seems like a ton of food,"
1,200 calories a day is not a 'ton of food' in anybody's book... the 3,600 that some gainers eat is a ton of food. 1,200 is the minimum amount for a sedentary, obese short woman...
I am sedentary due to a medical issues and very short, lol. 1200 calories does feel like a ton of food when you are eating no processed foods. 1200 calories in processed foods...I could do that in one meal. 1200 calories in only fruits, veggies, oats and lean meat...is a lot more food and a lot more filling!
I agree.. eating junk food that is loaded with calories is easy. It doesn't take much room example a piece of cheesecake isn't very big, but is horribly loaded with calories and fat.
I don't want to starve my body, that is why I am asking for suggestions for higher caloric foods, but good for me and hopefully not too filling.
I usually eat, because everyone else is or because of stress or boredom. I have gone without eating because of being busy and end up with a headache. My husband will ask me what did you eat and if anything.. it would be something junky that I picked up.
I know this is the wrong way to eat. This is why I want to change my bad habits.
Original Post by rwil527563794:
I agree.. eating junk food that is loaded with calories is easy. It doesn't take much room example a piece of cheesecake isn't very big, but is horribly loaded with calories and fat.
I don't want to starve my body, that is why I am asking for suggestions for higher caloric foods, but good for me and hopefully not too filling.
I usually eat, because everyone else is or because of stress or boredom. I have gone without eating because of being busy and end up with a headache. My husband will ask me what did you eat and if anything.. it would be something junky that I picked up.
I know this is the wrong way to eat. This is why I want to change my bad habits.
If you are having trouble with the volume of food for 1800 calories (while eating unprocessed/minimally processed foods) then I have some suggestions to get all the calories in without increasing the volume. I had to do this with my son from the age of 1 - 3 years old because he has an endocrine disorder that prevents his body from easily holding on to body fat. The key is to keep the same volume of food but use healthy oils, butters, dressing, and high calorie drinks to sneak them in. A TBSP of olive oil has about 120 calories. You can put this on veggies, salads, cook your meat in it, etc...very easy way to add a few hundred extra calories a day. You can use regular calorie salad dressing on your salads, as a dip with veggies, or as a marinade and topping for your meat. You can turn breakfast into a higher calorie meal just by adding a table spoon or two of peanut butter on your toast, mix it in your oats, etc...another easy hundred or few hundred calories. You can drink whole milk and add a drink mix like ovaltine, or protien mix in it to add another hundred calories to it. I bet you can squeeze in another 500 calories just doing this alone. Yes, it will increase the fat content of your diet so measure accurately and lean towards healthy fats and dressings. If you don't want to increase the fat in your diet, you could do a smoothie/shake using whole milk and all the fruits and veggies you like, add some ice too. Very easy way to up the cals in just one drink. Good luck!
Original Post by rwil527563794:
I agree.. eating junk food that is loaded with calories is easy. It doesn't take much room example a piece of cheesecake isn't very big, but is horribly loaded with calories and fat.
I don't want to starve my body, that is why I am asking for suggestions for higher caloric foods, but good for me and hopefully not too filling.
I usually eat, because everyone else is or because of stress or boredom. I have gone without eating because of being busy and end up with a headache. My husband will ask me what did you eat and if anything.. it would be something junky that I picked up.
I know this is the wrong way to eat. This is why I want to change my bad habits.
If you are having trouble with the volume of food for 1800 calories (while eating unprocessed/minimally processed foods) then I have some suggestions to get all the calories in without increasing the volume. I had to do this with my son from the age of 1 - 3 years old because he has an endocrine disorder that prevents his body from easily holding on to body fat. The key is to keep the same volume of food but use healthy oils, butters, dressing, and high calorie drinks to sneak them in. A TBSP of olive oil has about 120 calories. You can put this on veggies, salads, cook your meat in it, etc...very easy way to add a few hundred extra calories a day. You can use regular calorie salad dressing on your salads, as a dip with veggies, or as a marinade and topping for your meat. You can turn breakfast into a higher calorie meal just by adding a table spoon or two of peanut butter on your toast, mix it in your oats, etc...another easy hundred or few hundred calories. You can drink whole milk and add a drink mix like ovaltine, or protien mix in it to add another hundred calories to it. I bet you can squeeze in another 500 calories just doing this alone. Yes, it will increase the fat content of your diet so measure accurately and lean towards healthy fats and dressings. If you don't want to increase the fat in your diet, you could do a smoothie/shake using whole milk and all the fruits and veggies you like, add some ice too. Very easy way to up the cals in just one drink. Good luck!
Thank you for the tips.. I had done these in the past. I can not eat peanuts / nuts daily because of allergies. And I have a dairy allergy. Sometimes, I do make a almond breeze "milk" protein drink.. 1 cup of "milk", 1 frozen banana and 1 tsp. peanut butter, if I feel full and haven't eaten much. My allergist thinks that mostly I have chemical allergies and wants me to eat all organic. I would love to be able to do that.. but I literally can not afford it. We own 2 homes and have bills x 2 for everything.. long story.
I tried to buy organic just for me and almost lost both houses. So, I will continue to try :). Just trying to find an easier way to get calories in without feeling and being sick all the time.
