Help!! I cannot eat enough

Hi everyone. I am dealing with a problem that just seems hard to over come.  I cannot seem to ever reach my calorie goal for the day.  The only times I meet it is when I eat at a fast food resturant of have something really tempting like Ice cream.  If I try ot eat only healthy foods I end up full and I haven't reached my goal.

For example tonight I started dinner needng about 800 calories.  We had spaghetti with meat sauce.  I also served a salad with rainbow chard, Romain lettuce, swiss chard, and bokchoy.  I ate this smallish salad first and I was darn near full.  I managed to eat the rest of my dinner although I was full.  I went into the living room logged my calories and what would you know I was 200 calories short of my goal.  I really don't have any room left to eat anything else, bu I still managed to choke down a plum. 

This happens to me nearly every evening.  I truly believe this platue I have been at for the past few weeks is a result of simply not eating enough.  BUT HOW do I eat more if I am full. The same thing happens at breakfast and lunch.  I eat until I am full. Lunch usually consists of fresh fruit and veggie and maybe a sandwhich. 

Don't even get me started on work out days.  If I calculate things correctly I need about 1600 calories on those days and I just don't think I can pakc away that much food. 

Has anyone else delt with this. What have you done to be able to eat more food that your body needs.  I have resulted to eating calorie dense junk food but I truly would rather eat fresh fruit and veggies if I can. 

 

Denise

I have dealt with this myself.  It can be tricky.  Two tips:

1) load up in the morning.  Try to eat as big a breakfast as you can.  For me, this means a bowl of cereal with milk, a glass of juice, and a yogurt.

2) allow yourself some treats.  Ice cream is loaded with calcium, for example.  Eat some bread.  Have a muffin.  These can all be healthy while at the same time having a lot of calories.

When in need of calories, add nuts! :-) Have an apple and put some peanut butter on it. Have a handfull of mixed nuts. It's packed full of good fats and protein--AND calories.

Well, going by your post, I'd say part of your problem is planning out your day.  I mean, you're facing dinner time with a need to eat 800 calories?!  You should be planning a lot earlier so you are not hit with these last minute problems. 

I can empathize though, because lately I have had this problem.  I'm usually short a nutrient (dairy) and so it's easy enough to fix, if a bit uncomfortable at 9pm. 

I don't know where you are cutting corners so I may say stuff that is irrelevant to you.  I eat a decent breakfast, a bigger lunch and then I add snacks in the afternoon.  High calorie, like nuts, energy bar, protein shake, smoothie or a peanut butter/honey sandwich.  Then dinner only needs to be around 300-500 calories and I love a big dinner.  I still need a snack afterwards. 

Some tricks are to eat your salad after the heavier stuff.  I did that tonight.  I do that with soups too. 

On workout days, I drink orange juice which is high calorie-with my protein powder. 

Avocados!! They are healthy and very calorie packed. I think one small one has about 300.

I do need to plan my day a bit better.  Aside from Nuts and avocados are there any other calorie dense whole foods that will help me reach my goal. 

This morning I am aiming for a 400+ calorie breakfast. 

 

Denise

1 cup of oatmeal has about 300 calories, add a little milk and maybe some vanilla protein powder and there you go!

Try to cut back the 'low cal, high bulk' foods a little and replace them with more 'high cal, low bulk' foods.  When you described a the spaghetti meal I noted that you ate the salad first... so your stomach would have been full, making it more difficult to eat the pasta dish.

For breakfasts and lunches, therefore, start on the high-cal foods first... eggs, oatmeal, sandwiches....and follow up with the low-cal, filling ones e.g. fruit and vegetables.  Include plenty of fats... Just 1 teaspoon of butter or oil is a useful 40 cals. 

I have the same problem.. I can barely get 800cals a day! So I now try wake up at about 5am and have a bowl of cheerios to knock it slightly up! Although now I've given up Alcohol.. which til' Monday was a BIG part of my calorie intake.. tis going to be tough.

Although if you like Ice cream, smash a cookie up in it too. or instead of just a green salad, have some lean meats/tofu etc in it too.

You should NOT be going into dinner time with 800 calories left to eat. From what you say about 1600 being a 'huge' amount, I assume you're on a 1200 calorie diet - that means you've had almost nothing to eat during the day. EAT BREAKFAST! EAT LUNCH! Eat an afternoon snack. And then finish up with dinner and you shouldn't have a problem.

Actually I am not on a 1200 calorie diet.  CC has me at 1450 calories with my body weight, and long term goals.  Now if there's one thing I do do is get over 1200.  I am not one of those who just arbitrarily set my calories. I let CC do the calculating.  Two other calorie calculators have me set between 1450-1500. SO I am thinking that's about right for my weight loss goals. 

I actually think my problem is what gi-Jane pointed out. I am eating a lot of Bulky low calorie foods. They are great and all but do not provide enough calories before I am full. For example yesterday I had a two cups of fresh Broccoli. Great that's its fresh but its only about 60 calories.  I did use dressing but only a table spoon.  

I am trying to aim for only needing 500 calories at Dinner.  I want be digging through the cabinets at 9PM tonight searching for something else to eat. 

 

Thanks everyone for the suggestions.  I will try to put my bulky foods at the end of my meals or for snacks. 

I'm glad you had so many positive responses. I think I'll snag a few of these myself, although my deficit is much higher normally. I should be consuming approximately 2000 calories a day and I seem to consistently average 1550 or so and that is when I make a concerted effort to eat more.

In the summer I have always eaten less so I've begun adding an extra "Slim Fast" like supplement to my protein shake and eating out when I know that I am going to be under by quite a few calories, ie one night when dinner came around I had 1200 calories left.

My son and I often joke about my needing to have my 1405 calorie sampler platter at Denny's at least once a week. Not that I have eaten one in a long time but he sees me working hard to be fit and healthy.

All the best to you on your fitness journey!

Just eat nuts

i totally get what you mean.........but im really confused w/ mine................

 

my daily intake should be 2950!!!!! im only getting to about 1300 a day and thats stretching it!! but then my calorie burn meter says 2680???  if i do what is says i'll be eating more than i burn???  someone help pleaseeeee  :P

For a good summertime snack that feels really light and yummy, try blending:
1 frozen banana
1 scoop chocolate Slimfast
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup coffee
4-5 large ice cubes

For about 300 calories when made with 2% milk....

 

Well I don't understand how anyone can eat a dinner of spaghetti and meat sauce AND a salad and still come in under 600 calories, unless your portions are tiny.  I'm assuming you are measuring.

1 cup of cooked pasta is 300 or MORE calories.  1/2 cup of spaghetti sauce is 80 calories or more (100 is average).  Plus the meat, add at the very minimum  100 calories and if you added cheese then add that up too.  So for a very smallish portion of spaghetti with meat sauce (ONLY 1/2 a cup sauce) you are looking at 500 calories.

Now please tell me the brands you use, because I love spaghetti and would love to enjoy a spaghetti dinner without the guilt!

I, too, have this problem, but mine is a result of eating less than 800 calories a day for the past 3 years. It has been tough for me to add calories in. I am slowly overcoming it, but some days I fail to reach 1200 at all. So for the posters who have good advice, thank you. You have made it a bit easier for me:)