I have trouble eating maintanace...

Daily I burn around 2000 calories everyday, and I have a LOT of trouble getting to that. I just don't have a huge appetite. Most people would say, then don't eat so many fruits and vegetables, but I only tend to eat 2-3 serving of it everyday, or else i'll be very full. And I do eat quite a lot, but I still have trouble making that minimum. For example, yesterday for dinner I had a sandwhich, one of those bags of doritos, A klondike bar, and 2 reese cups. And two cans of pop (diet). Ye I tend to only make like 1500-1750 every day. Help please?

I would "can" drinking the two cans of pop and switch to 2 cans of juice.  Maybe you could find a bit more healthy substitutes from time to time for your Doritos and Cheetos.  By the way, keep eating fruits and vegetables.  Just eat more of them.  Eat extra melons, berries, apples, etc.  Every once in a while treat yourself to some chocolate, ice cream, potato chips, doughnuts, etc.--just don't get too many of  your calories too often from those sources,

If you truly are burning around 2000, but only make 1500-1700, then you are NOT maintaining, you are losing.  And I am guessing that you should not be losing.  So you need to work out a plan of 6 or so meals/snacks a day.

Start your day off with a really good breakfast!  Eggs (if you don't have a cholesterol problem), whole wheat pancakes with maple syrup, oatmeal with blueberries and milk, whole wheat toast with peanut butter, lean ham, etc, etc.  In other words, put a lot of thought into starting the day off with a really healthy and protein rich breakfast.

Ok, for snacks during the day:  Baby Bell cheese, Laughing Cow cheese wedges, almonds, walnuts, peanut butter on whole wheat bread, dried fruits such as craisins and raisins and berries, light chunk canned tuna packed in water ( add a little relish and Miracle whip) on a whole wheat wrap, 2 ounces of whole wheat pasta with some tomato sauce, 2 4 oz fillet of salmon, a lean ground beef patty on a whole wheat bun, a tossed salad of lettuce or shredded cabbage with diced chicken or turkey pieces, air popped or low-sodium-low-butter microwave popcorn, fruit yogurt, microwaved red potato with cheese on it, red or black or pinto beans with some lean pork or ham and bq sauce, etc., etc.

My advice:  Get a list by Googling good healthy foods and meals and experiment with eating as many as you like.  Then make a general list of possible breakfasts, lunches, and dinners.  Also, make a list of many different snacks.  Once you have these lists, you can plan out your 2000 calorie daily campaign.  In other words, treat your eating as a fun-filled adventure, where your goal is to always reach the 2000 calorie prize. 

Check out this long list of the World's Healthiest Foods:

http://www.whfoods.com/foodstoc.php

I'm not maintaining but I do understand sometimes it can be crazy trying to get to your calories. Try to eat more dense-high-cal food if you cannot eat more than 3 times a day and try integrating fruits and veggies with other sources.

Do you like nuts like peanuts, almonds, etc? 1oz/28g is around 160 calories and I would say that's a little less than or just about a handful.

I would also recommend you eat beans (black beans, garbanzo, red kidney, etc) because a 1/2 cup cooked is about 120 calories. I usually eat a black bean quesadilla which could be easily 300 to 400 calories, depending on the tortilla you use.

Try going for full fat yogurts because a cup is around 200 calories. Try eating that with your fruits to bulk it up.

There is also pasta, 2 oz for 210 calories. You could mix it with ANYTHING like in a stirfry with chicken and broccoli, simple pasta with green beans, parmesan cheese and bit of olive oil.

I would say keep your junk to a minimum, after all we need to indulge once in a while right?

Good luck!

Original Post by sophiphrenia:

 For example, yesterday for dinner I had a sandwhich, one of those bags of doritos with 2.5 servings in it, A klondike bar, and2 reese cups. And two cans of pop. Ye I tend to only make like 1500-1750 every day. Help please?

I hope that was just a one-off!  If you eat too much junk, not only are you not getting enough energy (calories) you're also at quite a high risk of malnutrition.

What you're probably missing are the 'energy-dense, low-bulk' foods.  That's things like olive oil.... a tablespoon is 120 cals so if you put it on a salad as a dressing  or use it to cook food in then that's a nice way to get extra cals.   Nuts and nut butters are other good choices.  Full-fat dairy products are excellent in moderation as are things like red meats and oily fish.  Vegetables such as peas and sweetcorn are more energy dense than leafy greens.  And bananas and grapes would be a better choice than less calorific fruits.

Drinking the extra calories can be a nice way to get them.  A small glass of orange juice here or a glass of milk there could be all you need to top up.

Original Post by gi-jane:

Original Post by sophiphrenia:

 For example, yesterday for dinner I had a sandwhich, one of those bags of doritos with 2.5 servings in it, A klondike bar, and2 reese cups. And two cans of pop. Ye I tend to only make like 1500-1750 every day. Help please?

I hope that was just a one-off!  If you eat too much junk, not only are you not getting enough energy (calories) you're also at quite a high risk of malnutrition.

What you're probably missing are the 'energy-dense, low-bulk' foods.  That's things like olive oil.... a tablespoon is 120 cals so if you put it on a salad as a dressing  or use it to cook food in then that's a nice way to get extra cals.   Nuts and nut butters are other good choices.  Full-fat dairy products are excellent in moderation as are things like red meats and oily fish.  Vegetables such as peas and sweetcorn are more energy dense than leafy greens.  And bananas and grapes would be a better choice than less calorific fruits.

Drinking the extra calories can be a nice way to get them.  A small glass of orange juice here or a glass of milk there could be all you need to top up.

 

Unfortunatley no XD.

I know, I do eat a lot of junk. I want to eat more fruits and vegetables, but I literally can't or I get REALLY full, and I will be way below my calorie line. Would it be a good idea to many get my fruits and vegetables in juices though like apple juice, and V8 juice, and stuff like that? Oh, and in case it helps, I do take a multivitamin everyday. And also, for calories, what about DARK chocolate? I heard that it has a lot, and it's fairly healthy. And also, for nut butter, what about nutella? I really like that, but I'm not sure if it's healthy or not.

Oh that reminds me!! I used to have this AWESOME snack when i was a kid, and it's loaded it calories! It's a peanut butter, nutella, and banana sandwhich! YUm, so good! And I think that's better than what I'd usually eat.

An 8 ounce glass of orange juice is around 120 calories.  So if fruit bulks you up to the point that you won't eat more, then a couple of glasses of juice a day would be good. I cup of grape juice has around 150 calories in it.  Not all fruits are going to have the same amount of calories per gram or ounce, so you could eat the ones with higher calorie content such as plums, cherries, pears, and peaches.

Original Post by pilgrimdude:

An 8 ounce glass of orange juice is around 120 calories.  So if fruit bulks you up to the point that you won't eat more, then a couple of glasses of juice a day would be good. I cup of grape juice has around 150 calories in it.  Not all fruits are going to have the same amount of calories per gram or ounce, so you could eat the ones with higher calorie content such as plums, cherries, pears, and peaches.

 Oooh, I haven't had grape juice forever!! I love it! (Not that fond of orange juice though) But yeah, that works great because my top favorite fruits just happen to be plums, cherries, pears, peaches, and nectarines! So if I ever have a big enough appetite for some fruit, I'll just eat my favorites! :P

Here is an excellent site that lists how many calories are in many fruits:

http://www.positivehealthsteps.com/calories/f ruits-calories.shtml

Are you only eating one meal per day?  Because I calculated that the dinner you listed as about 1500 calories with a generic turkey sandwich.  And not very nutritionally dense at all for that number of calories.  If you are trying to get to 2000, a dinner like that would only leave 500 calories for breakfast and lunch, which is pretty skimpy.

In addition to making better food choices, try eating regularly throughout the day, it should help you have more "room" for fruits, whole grains, and vegetables if you spread 2000 calories across 3 meals (say 500 calories apiece) with a couple of snacks (say 250 calories apiece).

Original Post by dkenworthy:

Are you only eating one meal per day?

That's what I was wondering as well.

Original Post by dkenworthy:

Are you only eating one meal per day?  Because I calculated that the dinner you listed as about 1500 calories with a generic turkey sandwich.  And not very nutritionally dense at all for that number of calories.  If you are trying to get to 2000, a dinner like that would only leave 500 calories for breakfast and lunch, which is pretty skimpy.

In addition to making better food choices, try eating regularly throughout the day, it should help you have more "room" for fruits, whole grains, and vegetables if you spread 2000 calories across 3 meals (say 500 calories apiece) with a couple of snacks (say 250 calories apiece).

No, it's just I ate that much junk as sort of a "catch up" because I've been so behind lately. I wouldn't normally eat THAT much junk

Could you do some meal planning, and try to split up your calories more throughout the day?  Check out the daily maintenance threads... Lots of people post their food for the day, and how many calories they consume.  If you divide up your breakfast, lunch, and dinner at 500 calories per meal, and then a couple or 3 snacks, you'd be great!  You wouldn't be sitting there at the end of the day, trying to figure out how you're going to shovel in 1500 calories in one meal.  Oh, and BTW... If you want to do that, eating out at the Cheesecake Factory makes it easy. :)  Not healthy, maybe, but easy.

Also, chocolate is a good thing... I have something chocolate every day.  But for everyday consumption, it's usually < 100 calories.  That's my take on it, anyway.

Clint

Original Post by sophiphrenia:

Daily I burn around 2000 calories everyday, and I have a LOT of trouble getting to that. I just don't have a huge appetite. Most people would say, then don't eat so many fruits and vegetables, but I only tend to eat 2-3 serving of it everyday, or else i'll be very full. And I do eat quite a lot, but I still have trouble making that minimum. For example, yesterday for dinner I had a sandwhich, one of those bags of doritos with 2.5 servings in it, A klondike bar, and2 reese cups. And two cans of pop. Ye I tend to only make like 1500-1750 every day. Help please?

Yeh i know how it feels! although you said u require 2,000 calories. i couldn't live off 2,000. my requirement (according to this website) is 2800+. but i still lose weight eating that. i need closer to 3500. so i suggest eatting calorie dense foods. eg peanut butter.

Maybe the 2,000 calories is inaccurate...are you maintaing your weight eating your current diet?