[denialisnthappiness]

... I'm having a tendency to go too low with my calorie range (averaging around 800 cals a day). It's not intentional in a way as I'm trying to eat little/often and not when I'm not hungry.

So today for example
Breakfast 2 weetabix
Mid morning snack clementine
lunch salad (lettuce, cucumber, tomatoes, cress and chicken)
Mid afternoon snack chicken
Dinner two baked potatoes and an oven roasted giant mushroom

Now all of this only comes to 750 calories apparently. I'm not undercalculating; I read all the labels, look stuff up etc and even if I overestimate I'm still not eating enough to reach the 'minimum' you should eat am I?

Thing is I'm not hungry now - dinner just filled me up. So do I eat to get calories up and bearing in mind I'm full it would be chocolate as that's high cal or do I just leave be accept the lower calorie range and keep going as I am?

I only ask as this is an almost daily thing; obviously meals vary to include fish/meat/wholemeal bread etc but I don't want to be starving my body

Ho hum any thoughts?

[mandalinn82]

If you are finding yourself consistantly low on calories, I'd recommend adding in small amounts of calorie dense foods with healthy fats (nuts and nut butters, avocados, olive oil, etc). That way, you'll be getting some nutritive value while raising your calorie levels to a place that is more sustainable. You might also consider adding in some additional protein with those extra calories, which could be as easy as adding extra chicken to a meal (maybe topping those baked potatoes, for example, with some cooked broccoli, chicken breast, and fat free sour cream and/or reduced fat cheddar. Mmmm).

[JayEll]

Hey happiness,

Where is your protein? What is wrong with an egg or two for breakfast? Where is the lowfat cottage cheese, or the cheddar cheese, or the peanut butter? How about a Boca meatless burger, if you are vegetarian? You need some protein foods in there... a little chicken now and then is not enough!

Try adding those types of foods in. In my non-professional opinion, you need more than carbohydrates for balanced nutrition.

Jay

[denialisnthappiness]

It sounds like an excuse when I say I don't have time in the morning for anything cooked but I seriously don't. I never used to eat breakfast so am better than I used to be?

I hate peanut butter and cottage cheese. Cheddar cheese argh can be a bit of a trigger so I went for the all or nothing approach - I can try and eat teeny bits of it I guess? I generally eat mostly meat... I only ate the potatoes tonight because I realised I hadn't had any potato/bread (I don't eat pasta etc) for a few days.. .ho hum

I think I'll just have to combine the suggestions and maybe eat some nuts, have a little bit of oil in things and try to eat eggs/cheese more often and increase the amount of protein at lunch/in snacks

Argh tis so time consuming trying to eat enough (never thought I'd say that)

I shall keep on plugging away! Have a banana and a yoghurt to have tomorrow too... trying not to make up the cals with chocolate is the hard thing!

Thanks for your suggestions mandalinn82 and JayEll

[seranab]

Hey Denial (lol sorry - to just call you that)

One thing I would recommend which is what I do - is buy a pack of six eggs and then boil them all till they're hard. I wait for them to cool down and then I put them back in the fridge. Whenever I'm hungry, or need a protein boost I just get one out - peel off the shell and pop it in my mouth lol. Its great - they keep for quite a while in the fridge so that would be a great start for you in the mornings I think!

Good luck!!

[goinforthegold]

Egg thing is a great idea. Or, buy some protein powder if you absolutely can't fit any time to make anything in. You need protein girl...one way or another. You really should be having protein of some sort every time you eat.