i come from an italian family--so we eat a LOT. I love food and always have and before i realized my weight is out of hand i was easily eating way over 2300 calories (more than my maintenance calories). So when I was told to eat around 1200-1500 i thought "are you crazy!? thats like nothing" i was eating double that. Well Im actually finding that it is very hard to reach above 1000 calories. I try to follow the 4-3-2-1 eating plan from the biggest loser: 4 servings fruit and veggie, 3 servings protein, 2 carbs, and 1 other under 200 calories. Heres a sample of what I eat in a day. Honestly, from this im not hungry at all during the day but it is too few calories (according to what i should be consuming)

B:cheerios, milk, apple
S: plain yogurt, blueberries
L: 1 slice whole wheat bread, assorted veggies
D: Asparagus, buffalo meat
S: peach

This didnt even reach 1000 calories. i guess it doesnt look like much but i wasnt hungry at any point today. Do you guys have any suggestions on how i can reach more calories while still eating healthy? im afraid to go into stravation mode!! thanks girls

I can't believe that you only had 1 slice of bread and veggies for lunch. I would add much more for lunch such as a protein. I would also add a grain for dinner. Such as whole wheat pasta or brown rice.

I woudn't model my eating after a television show where the people are working out 14 hours a day, and trying to lose as much weight as possible every week.

General guidelines are 5 or more fruits and veggies, 3 protein, 2-3 dairy, 5 grains.

What you are eating doesn't appear to be sustainable in the long term.

I always add a protein to each meal such as some scrambled eggs with breakfast and chicken breast for lunch. Maybe some almond butter on my bread or to dip vegs in.

Some nuts, nut butters, seeds, EV olive oil, dried fruit -- all are small but calorie-dense and will get you that extra couple hundred calories.

alrighty thanks ladies

Hello, fellow Italian chick!
I too come from a large Italian family, so I know what it can be like. Stay tough with grandmas cannoli.

You need to eat more!!! To up your calories, increase your portions. If you're going to eat a slice of bread and veggies for lunch, eat two slices of bread and alot more veggies. Eat more asparagus. Cut up your peach and cover it with yogurt or frozen cool whip.....There are healthy ways to increase your calories. Plus, if you're exercising, think of a calorie as a unit of energy. If you don't eat more energy, you won't have alot of energy to burn.

Mangi come la vostra nonna ha detto! (Eat like your grandma said!)

thank you! ill definatley do that

Typical Italian chick advice.

Actually we southern chicks tend to give the same advice!

Same advice as above - balance your calories - carbs/fats/protein - make sure you are getting MUFAs (monounsaturated fatty acids - aka healthy fats). If you are getting those, your calories will be higher. Olive oil, nuts, avocado, dark chocolate, beans, etc.

dark chocolate?!!? im in!! also another question that reminds me of...

I was low on calories the other day and I figured if I had 2 sugar cookies that would bring me closer, but not over my calories. Now i know i cant be eating sugar cookies everyday, but if i counted them into my daily calories like once a week, that wouldnt sabatoge all my efforts for the week correct? Id like to have something sweet at the end of the week to reward myself but still stay under my calories. Would i still be able to consistantly lose doing that?

IMO, that is OK if:
(1) It's not replacing needed nutritional calories, and
(2) It doesn't mentally or physically pull you off track. This, of course, will be different for everyone.

I would be ultra careful using food to "reward" myself. For me, the reward was staying on plan and getting healthy. By adding in those so called rewards, would mean to be using food in a fashion that I was trying to change. Eating too many cookies is what got me into the mess in the first place. By me refraining from them all week just to add them in after a "good" week, just seems *off*. If you want to reward yourself for a great on plan week, how about a manicure, or a new book or a scarf or something of that nature - not food.

About the cookies, for me, I needed to eliminate cookies and the such. By eliminating them, I dried up my wants for them. Adding them in on a weekly basis would keep my desires and cravings for them alive. I found the longer I went without "those foods", the less and less I wanted them. And besides, I found I could rarely stop myself after having just 2 cookies. Having cookies makes me want more cookies and more cookies. Even if I could stop at just 2 (which I probably couldn't), it would bring on cravings for those foods for days to come, which would make it much more likely for me to go off plan.

Also, when consuming a restricted amount of calories, I need to get the most nutrition and filling power for my calories - and cookies doesn't quite make the grade.

If I were low on my calories at the end of the day, another thing that just doesn't happen with me, but if I were - I'd probably add in a delicious fruit or some yogurt or both.

One more thing. I do like to have some special weekend foods. Maybe a nice fruit smoothie. Or some special fruits - like cherries or mango. Things I don't normally eat during the week. I've rethought what a treat is. It's got to taste super delicious AND be healthy and lower calorie.

It takes time to get your food choices down pat. You'll find they keep changing and will evolve. Give it some time. Do some experimenting to find out what works for you - and what doesn't.

actually those are some good points thanks! i appreciate the feedback...i guess some people think im ridiculous but im very busy with work and im not allowed to just eat whenever i want so i have to plan and it is hard to eat healthy with high calories with my resources. besides im still learning geez.. but thanks again ill take everything into consideration