Health & Support

Wasn't sure which forum to put this in...so chose Lounge.  I cannot eat the amount of food to get my required calories.  It seems that around 1100 I just get full.  I know that's not enough.  Any suggestions?   I've always had a small stomach capacity.

Eat higher calorie stuff. A tbsp of peanut butter gets you about 100 calories for example. A piece of cheese. Have a snack of crackers, I don't buy them because I could eat a whole box and they are high cal. Foods like that are small portion and so not too filling. No diet/low cal foods like fat free milk, etc. Maybe a protein shake, or one of those Carnation instant breakfasts, I think they are 200-300 cal with the milk.

I'd suggest starting earlier, eating more frequently and choosing more foods that are 'energy-dense' but 'low bulk'.     A snack of 5 dates, for example, is 240 calories and doesn't touch the sides.  An ounce of raw peanuts (barely a handful) is 150 cals or so.   Olive oil is a great addition to a salad or in cooking at 120 cals for just a tablespoon.   Try to keep things like vegetables and salads to a reasonable amount.... they tend to be quite low cal but high-bulk and will fill you up too quickly.

Use the CC log to plan your day ahead of time.  That way you can see where the gaps are and work in the extra foods in advance rather than trying to catch up at the end of the day.  

Again, low density, high calorie foods. :] These're small quantities of food that kick up the calories. Nuts, nut butters, dried fruits, dense fruit like bananas and avocado, healthy cooking oils like olive oil, wholewheat or wholegrain pasta and noodles, full fat dairy products (and cheese in general, really), honey...

A PB and banana sandwich can rack you up 550 calories pronto. One large banana is about 110 calories. Four teaspoons of PB are about 60 calories each. Two slices of wholemeal bread will rack you about 90-100 calories per slice. Banana, plus bread? 310. Plus the four teaspoons of PB? 550. Very nice grilled or with a drizzle of honey added in if you're up for it.

You could try making a smoothie with some milk and/or yoghurt, honey, nuts and a banana, and other fruits of your choosing. Or an ice cream sundae in the same sort of manner. Oatmeal is also a good base for denser foods - you can easily stir in nut butters, nuts, and dried fruit into oatmeal and make it with milk and it's still easy on the stomach.

Stir fry is easily done. Just do it up in oil and throw in some cashews or peanuts or similar to help bring up calorie content. Peanut sauce works in the same manner, but there are all sorts of nut butters, not just peanuts! Macadamia and cashew are delicious. Pasta bakes can be made calorific. You could also make a grilled cheese sandwich or two!

The possibilities are endless! And Jane's suggestion of planning ahead is also a good idea, if to help you see what and where you lack in. Good luck!

Original Post by lalabanana:

Again, low density, high calorie foods. :] These're small quantities of food that kick up the calories. Nuts, nut butters, dried fruits, dense fruit like bananas and avocado, healthy cooking oils like olive oil, wholewheat or wholegrain pasta and noodles, full fat dairy products (and cheese in general, really), honey...

A PB and banana sandwich can rack you up 550 calories pronto. One large banana is about 110 calories. Four teaspoons of PB are about 60 calories each. Two slices of wholemeal bread will rack you about 90-100 calories per slice. Banana, plus bread? 310. Plus the four teaspoons of PB? 550. Very nice grilled or with a drizzle of honey added in if you're up for it.

You could try making a smoothie with some milk and/or yoghurt, honey, nuts and a banana, and other fruits of your choosing. Or an ice cream sundae in the same sort of manner. Oatmeal is also a good base for denser foods - you can easily stir in nut butters, nuts, and dried fruit into oatmeal and make it with milk and it's still easy on the stomach.

Stir fry is easily done. Just do it up in oil and throw in some cashews or peanuts or similar to help bring up calorie content. Peanut sauce works in the same manner, but there are all sorts of nut butters, not just peanuts! Macadamia and cashew are delicious. Pasta bakes can be made calorific. You could also make a grilled cheese sandwich or two!

The possibilities are endless! And Jane's suggestion of planning ahead is also a good idea, if to help you see what and where you lack in. Good luck!

 You seem to be so up on everything! Thanks for suggestions.  One problem I have is not being able to eat several small meals - due to my job.  It's the old "3 squares"  situation.  My day starts at 4am! No eating at that hour! yuk...  Then a bowl of either Shredded Wheat or Cheerios when I get home from the gym at 9am.  Then a smoothie around 10 (for extra protein),  lunch at 12:30 if I can manage that (now too full from the smoothie!), back to work at 2pm, dinner at 6:30.  I NEVER -EVER eat after dinner. 

The belief that eating later on or at certain times in a day is detrimental is a myth. It doesn't affect weight loss unless you are over or undereating. You can eat whenever you want!

If you wake at 4am but don't want a huge breakfast eat a pear or an apple or something similar, and then have your breakfast at 9am as usual. Or, have your smoothie at 4am if you don't want to eat that early but are full from your smoothie before lunch. You could fit a snack inbetween lunch and dinner very easily, too.

Original Post by glamgram:

I cannot eat the amount of food to get my required calories.  It seems that around 1100 I just get full. 

I wish I had that problem...  

Anyway, like they said above.. eat higher calorie food.. avocado's, peanut butter, etc..   I would LOVE to have enough extra calories to eat peanut butter daily! haha

Your problem isn't your food - it's the fact that you go five hours before eating at the start of your day, and another four or so at the end, and you're trying to get almost all your calories into a four hour window in the middle of the day. Of course you're too full to eat them all! Why do you 'never ever eat after dinner' or before you go to the gym? If you don't feel up to eating at four am that's fine, but why not have a snack at five or six or seven when your body has woken up? Your body would be much happier with a few less calories at a time more evenly divided up through the 12 or so hours you're awake.

I don't like to "eat" breakfast either most of the time, but I do like to drink a smoothie with yogurt and mango juice.

You could probably take it in a cup and drink it on your way into work or even at work...if you make it the night before and freeze it you'd have a slushy type of thing or just refridgerate it for more of a smoothie.  Add vanilla protein powder for more calories without additional bulk.

Original Post by lalabanana:

The belief that eating later on or at certain times in a day is detrimental is a myth. It doesn't affect weight loss unless you are over or undereating. You can eat whenever you want!

If you wake at 4am but don't want a huge breakfast eat a pear or an apple or something similar, and then have your breakfast at 9am as usual. Or, have your smoothie at 4am if you don't want to eat that early but are full from your smoothie before lunch. You could fit a snack inbetween lunch and dinner very easily, too.

 I drive a school bus -so snacking is out of the question.   I don't eat after dinner because I'm not hungry.  My stomach just won't tolerate anything but coffee early in the morning.  The protein shakes are helping with counts. I will see what weight is Sunday- should tell the tale.  Thanks for your input.

I should note that it did take me a couple of weeks of eating/drinking breakfast when I wasn't actually hungry to get accustomed to it and to actually become hungry.

Another trick since I take my shower in the morning is to make the smoothie first and then drink it in sips while I'm getting dressed and ready.

Original Post by kajikit:

Your problem isn't your food - it's the fact that you go five hours before eating at the start of your day, and another four or so at the end, and you're trying to get almost all your calories into a four hour window in the middle of the day. Of course you're too full to eat them all! Why do you 'never ever eat after dinner' or before you go to the gym? If you don't feel up to eating at four am that's fine, but why not have a snack at five or six or seven when your body has woken up? Your body would be much happier with a few less calories at a time more evenly divided up through the 12 or so hours you're awake.

 As I mentioned in previous post,  I have to get up at 4am to leave for work at 5:15.  I drive a school bus and cannot eat while on the bus, of course.  Afer route, hubby and I (also a driver) go directly to the gym.  We get home at 9am, then eat breakfast.  I'm never hungry at all during those morning hours.  I usually eat about 700-800 calories between 9am- 2pm when we go back to work for afternoon route.  Home by 5:45pm, dinner at 6:30.  Then I'm just not hungry after that.   I have never been able to eat if not hungry.

This forum was very informative, thank you because I'm going through the same issue. My body, mostly my belly, looks and feels bloated and I’m considered slightly over weight and I think it’s because I go into starvation mode, which I've NEVER even heard of until I started joining the forums a week ago. Starting from freshman yr in high school I’ve always just NOT eat until after school, 3pm-ish. Not because I was purposely starving myself but just because I wasn’t hungry, which I think eventually lead me to binging in the afternoon because at that time, I’m starved. Thanks for the info! I’ll try all the snacks and info suggested to hit 1200/day. Mmmmm I’ve never had PB sandwich with bananas before, I’ll try that!

Glamgram: Even if you are not hungry you may have to force yourself if your intake is too low. It sounds bad, but really, you just have to, for your health if nothing else. At the start of my ED I'd eaten so little so long my hunger signals were gone. Kaput. Dead. I had to give myself a schedule and make myself eat, even if I didn't get pangs. Now they're back and I'm happy about it. You may have the same trouble from not eating enough for a prolonged time.

Why can you not take something like a calorie-dense cereal bar or some trail mix on the bus with you? Are you not allowed to eat on the job or do you just choose not to? Again, why not take your smoothie and have it as a post work-out snack? And you still have time in the evening to eat! Sometimes you have to break out of the norm!

Chonpansa: What's your weight/height/age right now? You can probably afford even more than 1200. 1200 is bare minimum for a female adult, 1500 for a teenage girl. I am glad the information thus far has helped you, and that you can use it to make at least 1200, though! PB and banana is DELICIOUS. So is PB and dark chocolate, or banana and dark chocolate for that matter. Or a combo of all three, mmm.

Original Post by lalabanana:

Glamgram: Even if you are not hungry you may have to force yourself if your intake is too low. It sounds bad, but really, you just have to, for your health if nothing else. At the start of my ED I'd eaten so little so long my hunger signals were gone. Kaput. Dead. I had to give myself a schedule and make myself eat, even if I didn't get pangs. Now they're back and I'm happy about it. You may have the same trouble from not eating enough for a prolonged time.

Why can you not take something like a calorie-dense cereal bar or some trail mix on the bus with you? Are you not allowed to eat on the job or do you just choose not to? Again, why not take your smoothie and have it as a post work-out snack? And you still have time in the evening to eat! Sometimes you have to break out of the norm!

Chonpansa: What's your weight/height/age right now? You can probably afford even more than 1200. 1200 is bare minimum for a female adult, 1500 for a teenage girl. I am glad the information thus far has helped you, and that you can use it to make at least 1200, though! PB and banana is DELICIOUS. So is PB and dark chocolate, or banana and dark chocolate for that matter. Or a combo of all three, mmm.

 It is against school policy and the law for anyone to eat on the bus - choking factor.  Besides, I have to use both hands on the wheel!  I will try taking a protein bar and eat on way to gym....any suggestions on what brand??

Original Post by chonphansa:

This forum was very informative, thank you because I'm going through the same issue. My body, mostly my belly, looks and feels bloated and I’m considered slightly over weight and I think it’s because I go into starvation mode, which I've NEVER even heard of until I started joining the forums a week ago. Starting from freshman yr in high school I’ve always just NOT eat until after school, 3pm-ish. Not because I was purposely starving myself but just because I wasn’t hungry, which I think eventually lead me to binging in the afternoon because at that time, I’m starved. Thanks for the info! I’ll try all the snacks and info suggested to hit 1200/day. Mmmmm I’ve never had PB sandwich with bananas before, I’ll try that!

 I guess I've been in starvation mode all my life and never realized it!  I have never counted amounts of protein, etc. and now realize I never got enough!  Hope you can also benefit from the advice here - isn't CC wonderful?

Glamgram: I have been told that Clif, Mojo and Luna bars are all good choices. You could also try making a batch of an evening and taking your own. A good recipe I've found:

http://caloriecount.about.com/apple-cake-prot ein-bars-recipe-r24723

Yum.

Original Post by lalabanana:

Glamgram: I have been told that Clif, Mojo and Luna bars are all good choices. You could also try making a batch of an evening and taking your own. A good recipe I've found:

http://caloriecount.about.com/apple-cake-prot ein-bars-recipe-r24723

Yum.

 Thanks,  I will try the bars!

Lalabanana – when I started on oct is was 135/5’/25 and secondary, and since then I've lost like 2 lbs, whoo hoo…(for now haha) I entered in all my info and they said I needed 1200 so yeah I'm trying to get there hehe

Glamgram – it (cc) sure IS  wonderful and I soooooooooo love the MY ACCOUNT>ANALYSIS feature. That way I can keep track of the percentage of fat protein and carb that I take in daily so I can adjust whatever I’m missing. Whoo hoo

Chonphansa: Hmm. A 25 year old, 133lb woman of 5'0, completely sedentary, burns 1700 calories a day according to the CC calculator. CC Calculator. 

To lose a lb a week through calorie cutting alone you'd want to be eating 1200, but that is awfully low even for a small woman! Have you considered taking up exercising to make some of your deficit? Buring 250 calories a day through exercise and cutting 250 would mean you could eat 1450 calories, which is a lot more satisfying. Burning 500 calories a day would mean you could eat 1700 calories and still lose weight, or you could cut down to 1450 and burn 500 and have a deficit of 750 - a lb and a half a week.

As you are of a small size it's probably a lot more logical to take up exercising than to just cut your calories. You'd get to enjoy a lot more foods while still losing weight! Plus, given your admission of not meeting 1200 most days your metabolism could likely do with the boost both more calories and exercise would provide.

 Glamgram: Glad those're helpful to you!

thanks lala i check out the thing and it said

You burn 1700 calories during a typical day. Remember that this estimate is based on your body weight, height, age, gender, and your average level of activity.

You can use this information to help you figure out how many calories you should be consuming to MAINTAIN your weight. and i think the only reason why i got a different answer is because i out 135 lbs when i first started and THEN theres a spot where you put your goal weight and and your goal DATE to reach that date and thats why they gave me the 12000 one. but yeah i work out, well starting to anyways so that should help and i actually got up to consuming 1100 cal today so i was very proud of myself and i ever since i started eating more calories and not just eating after i get off work, i havent felt hungry or the need to binge when i get home so thats an upside too. and after my stomach gets used to eating through out the day, im sure i'll be upping my cal intake esp when i increase my work outs but its just getting up there. thanks hun!