I have been doing really great. It has been almost 3 weeks and I have stayed on track. I am keeping track of all my food, I am working out, I have been feeling great, have so much more energy and I am losing weight. I even am so happy that I am starting to eat veggies and real meals and cooking abit and learning portions.

But today I feel like I ran head first into a brickwall. I can just feel like everything is about to come falling down and I am in a bit of a panic/worry I am crying and just a mess!

I was putting in some stuff in my food journal today and glanced down at the Weekly Progress chart and noticed that my highest calories for the day since the 13th was 1435, then a few in the 1300s & 1200s and one only 1030!

I am supposed to be around 1600 and am shooting for atleast about 1400. Plus the exercise burns like over 200 calories a day right now and I wanted to increase it soon.

I don't know what to do. I am so lost and confused right now.

I can't eat anymore I am stuffed. I feel like i overate lunch today have no interest in food and yet I have two snacks planned still and dinner and all that only takes me to 1257!

Last night I had to remove snacks I had planned and couldn't even finish my dinner and only was at 1399.

Am I hurting myself? I am afraid that I won't lose anymore weight because what people say about eating so little. Or is it ok as long as I stay above 1200?

I just don't know what to do. I am such a picky eater and it is hard to stay in the calorie range while staying in my carb range (200). and I am just not hungry Should i maybe get like veggie/fruit juice to add in?

Sigh last time I was trying this same thing happened, I got overwhelmed felt like I was doing it all wrong and then i talked myself out of it all and let it fall apart. I really don't want that to happen again. I just don't know how to do this right.

What are you eating? Can you swap some full calorie items for lite foods? That will up your calories without upping the quantity of food, if you are full. You really don't want to hang out in a really low calorie range for too long, because you will have nowhere to drop down to if you stall out.

I am with Lori--- if you can't stomach actually eating more then I would find foods that have a higher calorie count to substitute.

It can be hard to eat more than you're used to. But for example--you could have a bit more rice, or a bit more chicken, or a bit more turkey or tuna or lowfat cottage cheese on your dinner plate. You could have two string cheeses instead of just one, and two clementines instead of just one. You could also add more fresh fruit to your snacks. And then there are foods like part-skim ricotta--this is great with some strawberries as an evening dessert/snack.

Just make sure you're not trying to make up the difference with heavy foods that might throw off your nutrient percentages. It shouldn't be a lot of fats or sugar.

Keep trying! You're doing OK!

Jay

Im kind of having the same problem. I think my calorie count has been too low, as I have stalled for about two weeks. I am gonna keep a closer eye on my calories, making sure to count every single one, to make sure Im eating enough. I am a vegetarian and diabetic, so I cant eat a whole lot of things, and it makes it hard. So I know how you feel. You can check out everyones suggestion to me in the 100 lb club section. I believe the title of my post was "do you need to make yourself eat, to get up to your calorie range".

What is the fat content of your diet? That would be an easy way to make up the difference and it wouldn't take much over the day. Add some avacado to sandwiches, taco, burrito, etc. Mayonaise on a sandwich, etc.

I think if you maybe post a sample of what you eat on a normal day, a lot of people in here can help you with tips on how to up the calories without really having to eat more.
I think everyone on a real diet goes through this here and there, a couple of my friends ALWAYS have this problem.
There's lots of easy ways to add in calories without having to feel guilty or without having to eat a lot more.
Fruit juice is a great idea, just go for real fruit juice and you can get more fruit in your diet and add a good amount of calories.
Nuts are high in calories and healthy fat for small servings (about 24 almonds are 200 calories!)
Like kodama said, I know that whenever I have a lot of calories left sometimes I'll eat some avocado with dressing for a splurge.

Eating only about 1200 calories won't always stop your weight loss, but in the long run it will slow your metabolism down, especially when you reach a low weight, it can really make the difference then.

I don't have the problem of "not eating enough" slowing my weightloss. I have difficulties when I eat too much. I would vote for raw almonds, avacado, dark choc with high cocoa content or a olive oil. These items won't just add calories, they will satiate your appetite.

Thanks everyone. I am feeling alittle bit calmer now even though I kindof pigged out on some nuts sigh

I am diabetic and they said I really gotta watch my carbs no more then 200 a day. Which is hard because adding calories for alot of things also adds carbs and it is so easy to go over on those lol.

I have been eating the weight watchers cheese maybe I can switch to normal that might be more calories I am not sure.

I try adding more meat in. I am not a vegetarian but I have always eaten very little meat. But it definitly seems to make me get full so much faster as well.

Thanks MugCanDoIt I will check out that thread!

Here is a link to my food journal:
http://www.sparkpeople.com/mypage_tr...OONKISSEDRAVEN

But like for example this is what I ate yesterday:

Breakfast- 372 calories 55 carbs 9 fat 21 protein
made french toast with frozen berries warmed up on top:
Egg, fresh, 1 large
Schwebel's Sweet Harvest Wheat Bread, 2 serving
Berry Medly- Starberries, Blackberries, Blueberries, Red Rasberries, 0.5 cup Milk, 1%, 1 cup

Lunch- 427 calories 49 carbs 12 fat 33 protein
grilled cheese sandwhich, cottage cheese & a small salad:
Schwebel's Sweet Harvest Wheat Bread, 2 serving
Kraft Singles American Cheese, 1 serving
Deli Select Ultra Thin Mesquite Turkey, 1 serving
Cottage Cheese 1%, 0.5 cup
Cucumber (peeled), 4 slice
Iceberg Lettuce (salad),
Baby Spinach,
Kraft Light Ranch Dressing,

*I only added the cottage cheese to try and up the calories and boy was I stuffed so much afterwards lol

Dinner- 460 calories 40 carbs 10 fat 52 protein
Tyson Boneless, Skinless Chicken Tenderloins, 2 serving
Valley Fresh Steamers Cheesy Rice & broccoli, 1 serving
Iceberg Lettuce (salad),
Baby Spinach,
Cucumber (peeled), 3 slice
Kraft Light Ranch Dressing,

I couldnt finish all of this dinner and actually felt like i over ate.

Snack- 140 calories 29 carbs 3 fat 2 protein
Fiber One Chewy Bars Oats & Strawberries w/ almonds, 1 serving

I also planned on also eating some mixed nuts which are 170 calories & a cheese stick but I never got to because i just wasn't hungry.

The total for the day was 1,399 calories 173 carbs 34 fat 108 protein but I ate more then usual and was stuffed all day!

I do think part of it is that before I would generally only eat once or twice a day and totally stuff myself that one time and almost never a meal. For example I would just eat a pizza or a huge pot of pasta. Or if I didn't do that I would snack all day instead. So I am not used to eating real meals and maybe that is why they are so filling?

I used to be the exact same way, I would eat once a day late in the evening and I know it caused a lot of damage to my metabolism now that I'm really getting a healthy perspective on my prior eating habits.
After a while your body will adjust to your new eating schedule, I'd just try and stick to a schedule so your body does get the chance to adjust to it, that way in the near future your body will be anticipating your meals. (It seems to have worked for me).
Salads are easy to add calories to, you could use a dressing with more calories, add some cheese, grilled chicken, etc.
Switching cheeses would be a great way to add some calories without having to eat more, like you mentioned.
You could also look for bread with more calories depending on what you use, lots of great healthy breads are loaded with nutrients and whole grains but have higher calories.