What does 2000 calories look like to you?

[rue77]

Hi! I’ve been reading a lot of posts where ladies are eating 1800-2000 cal/day, and I (seriously) don’t know what that would look like in terms of food intake.

Over the past 15 days, I’ve averaged 1386 calories with 24.3 F, 114.3 C, and 138.6 P.

My protein trended upward and is hovering around 145-160 g/day now.

I’m not necessarily looking to add calories, but I just wonder what an 1800-2000 cal/day plan would look like as I feel like I’m currently constantly eating.

For example, I have an egg white wrap for breakfast, 200 g chicken and 100 g sweet potato for lunch, and 200 g chicken and 150 g each of spaghetti squash and homemade marinara for dinner. I usually have at least two snacks like a Pure Protein drink, Quest bar, Greek yogurt, or cottage cheese.

I’d love to see what a normal day looks like for EVERYONE, but especially 1800-2000+ calorie ladies. Thanks!

 

[mariex]

@rue77 Currently eating about 2100 kcals/day, aiming for at least 90g of protein (no meat). Example day from sometime last week - could have been more protein, but I've been lazy making shakes lately:

• Breakfast: Muesli made with oats, crunchy amaranth stuff, almonds, low-fat milk (~600 kcal)
• Lunch: small fruit yoghurt, one slice of whole wheat-bread with cheese, some mozzarella (~500 kcal)
• Dinner: sweet potatoe, pea, chick pea, red lentil and kidney bean stew, one veggie burger (pea protein) (~900 kcal)
• Snacks: some pieces of chocolate (~75 kcal)

All in all that adds up to 105p, 203c, 84f and 2068 calories.

 

[midalantian]

@rue77 It’s not a ton of food really. A typical day for me might be:

• Breakfast = two slices of toast with peanut butter and jam, milk in my coffee (500 cals)
• Lunch = leftover bean and vegetable enchilada with cheddar and Greek yogurt (500-600)
• Dinner = medium size baked potato, steamed broccoli, a can of sardines (don’t judge, I love sardines on potato!), and more Greek yogurt (about 600)
• snacks = an apple, some crackers, a boiled egg (350ish)
• dessert = 2/3 cup ice cream with some chocolate chips on top (350ish)

Total = about 2400

It varies by day, but my meals are usually about the same amount of calories since that’s what satisfies me. Some days I might have something a bit denser (for example I might make waffles for breakfast) or have an extra snack. Some days I might not have dessert. Etc. I typically range between 2200-2600 per day depending on how active I am.

 

[acer621]

@rue77 You're eating a really really small amount of fat.

I would really consider increasing that to at least one gram per kilo of bodyweight.

 

[tesslcoil]

@rue77 I don't track anymore but I'm getting approximately 2300-2500 calories.
Breakfast nr 1: fried egg + cottage cheese
Breakfast nr 2: oatmeal with peanut butter, honey, sometimes cocoa powder and chia seeds + coffee
Mid-morning snack: skyr with agave syrup and cocoa powder
Lunch: some combination of protein and veggies, sometimes carbs, usually leftovers from dinner. Today I had a beef-stew type thing with crushed tomatos, mushrooms, spinach and chickpeas.
Afternoon snack: some fruit or a couple of biscuits
Dinner: some combination of protein and veggies, sometimes carbs. Today I had tofu, roasted potatoes, mushrooms and zucchini.

I love eating so I have no problems and I honestly don't feel like I'm eating a all the time. I do have a higher fat lower carb diet because that's just how I feel best.

 

[hillfalk]

@rue77 Somewhere around 2100-2200 here! I mix it up a lot, but this week looks like this

• Breakfast- one whole apple, cut up with cinnamon. 2 homemade muffins with oats, canned pumpkin, cake pop protein powder, greek yogurt, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, vanilla extract, and mini chocolate chips (i make this in bulk every sunday), and iced coffee with 2 tbsp of italian sweet cream sugar free creamer (498 cals, 65g carbs/ 11g fat/ 34g protien)
• Midday snack- 1.5 serving mini pretzel thins, 3 tbsp powdered PB mixed into one dannon light and fit vanilla yogurt (335 cals, 50g carbs/ 4g fat/ 25g protein)
• Lunch- Bacon egg and cheese bagel sandwich! Everything egg bagel toasted, one laughing cow cheese, 2 fried eggs, 4 slices of turkey bacon, a handful of arugula, and one cut up bell pepper with everything but the bagel seasoning on the side (612 calories, 60g carbs/ 23g fat/ 38g protein)
• Dinner- Fish tacos. 4 Kroger brand yellow corn tortillas, 4oz of baked white fish with blackened seasoning (tilapia today), handful of shredded cabbage, homemade pickled red onions, 30g light sour cream, 40g avocado, 65g mexican style beans, a few tablespoons of store bought pico de gallo, lime juice, cilantro, hot sauce (515 cals, 61g carbs/ 16g fat/ 29g protein)
• After Dinner Snack- 50g of Orea O's cereal and 1/2 cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk (195 cals, 38g carbs/ 3g fat/ 2g protein)

I should probably find a way to add calories without just adding in a late night snack, but whatever. I look forward to it and it keeps from feeling too restricted. This day comes out to 2155 calories, 275g carbs/ 59g fat/ 129g protein. I swap out carbs and fats pretty much as I want, but always keep protein between 125-135 to maximize muscle gain and satiety. Lately I've really been feeling my carbs for the puuure volume.

 

[cbarber805]

@rue77 Breakfast:
Option 1: oatmeal (100g)+50g of eggwhite powder + jam= ~600calories

Option 2: 4 large eggs, 250g of greek yoghurt + jam= 500kcal.

After workout snacc:
Option 1: 100grams of cooked and dried pork liver (40g of protein, 300calories) + a fruit/an oatmeal snack, ~500kcal

Option 2: 4 sunny side up eggs, less than 300kcal

Lunch: protein+salad(usually low calorie without any oil) +a starch ~600kcal.

Dinner: same as lunch, also 600kcal.

I usually eat 2700-2800 calories. So rest of the budget is filled with snacks. Such as no sugar cookies, homemade granola bars, rice cakes with peanut butter or tahini, fruit or (as rarely as possible) a sugary snacc.

I get around 120g of protein. I'm 170cm tall and 60kgs and I workout 5-6x a week and walk 10-15k steps a day

 

[elissanjuice]

@rue77 2000-2200 a day for me : 120-130 p / 250-270 c/ 55-63 f

yesterday I ate

breakfast- two homemade protein muffins, 200g of strawberries, coffee with almond milk (500ish cals)

lunch: bagel with one egg, 69g of egg white, one laughing cow cheese, spinach, and some chips (500ish cals)

snack: turkey pepperoni and cheese stick (150 cals)

dinner: a little over a cup of cooked rice, a cup of riced cauliflower, 170g of peas and carrots, half a tbsp on sesame oil, chicken, and an egg with sriracha (650ish cals)

dessert: 56g (two servings) of cocoa pebbles and almond milk (250 cals)

on Saturdays I'll usually have a carb-y breakfast with protein shake while I'm working out then have a busy day of errands so I don't have time to eat much, which saves like 1500 cals for a giant pizza/burger fries/etc. So maybe one day a week where I don't hit my macros but stay within my calorie goal. Everything is beautiful and I love being at maintenance/bulking.

 

[vinceccg]

@rue77 I meal prep, so my meals tend to be the same for breakfast and lunch.

Breakfast is either a chia pudding with protein powder and full fat coconut milk or a smoothie with full fat coconut milk, spinach, protein power and berries. Sometimes i'll add in PB or steamed cucumber or some avocado.

Lunch is a burrito bowl with ground beef or chicken, black beans, corn, riced cauliflower, avocado, tomato and a 5% fat greek yogurt adobo sauce.

If i work out, i'll do a protein shake right after, just protein powder and water.

Dinner I do with my family, so that has the majority of my carbs. Usually some type of chicken, veggies, sometimes pasta or rice. If I snack, I'll do string cheese or nuts, sometimes paired with a fruit.

Depending on the day, i'm usually around 100 g fat, 110-120 g protein and 120-150 g carbs (definitely depends on dinner and I try to plan pasta or rice for nights when I worked out heavier).

 

[okrin]

@rue77 I eat a lot of roasted veg with olive oil or veg sauteed in olive oil - in an omelette or a bean and egg bowl for breakfast and as most of my plate at lunch and dinner. I frequently bake bread or pao de queijo or naan or muffins. I’ll also make a lot of vegetable soup or vegetable curries with greek yogurt. I snack on bananas with peanut butter and chocolate chips or citrus fruits or slices of cheese or veggies and hummus. I don’t eat the same food more than once every few weeks because I love to cook and try new recipes and eat a variety of foods.

 

[dawn16]

@rue77 So I eat around 1881 a day, and I'm actually on a deficit. Mornings I eat a pb sandwich with coffee/creamer/protein, and possibly an egg. My lunch has 1-2 servings of protein and a cup of white rice. Maybe another sandwich idk, depends. Dinner is more protein, like 2 or 3 servings, and prob 2 cups of white rice. If theres any left I might get a snack. Im still trying to get it all down, but I'm pretty consistent on calories during the week. Im slowly working on weekend calories because that's where my main problem lies. (I binge junk food)

 

[josho]

@rue77 I'm at around 2400-2500 and yeah it feels like I'm constantly eating. I feel better when I eat high-carb, low-fat (my digestive system does not like greasy foods) but that means eating like four or five meals a day, and planning five meals a day is a pain in the ass.

For breakfast today I had some oatmeal with a banana, some soy yoghurt, some flax, and two slices of fruit loaf.

For first lunch, I had brown rice with peas, broccoli, kale, and chickpeas, with some leftover parsnip and ginger soup poured over as a kind of sauce.

For second lunch, I had a chickpea salad with tahini dressing.

For snacks I had an apple and a clementine, plus a handful of muesli.

For dinner tonight I'll stir-fry some tofu with cabbage, carrots, onions, ginger and garlic. If I can find any sesame seeds at the back of the cupboard I'll put them in.

I'm staying in this evening so I'll probably have some hot chocolate made with soy milk before bed.

 

[cookiedion79]

@rue77 I don't weigh my food at the moment, but I probably hover around 1800-2000 calories. Here is an example of what my day looks like:

Breakfast - bowl of oatmeal with some pecans, maple syrup, and half of a banana. Also, cup of coffee with some sugar.

Lunch - big bowl of soup that has ground turkey and tons of veggies in it. Also, some crackers and cheddar cheese.

Snack - more coffee or tea and an apple or carrots.

Dinner - Baked chicken, creamed spinach, and baked beans.

I'll usually have a couple pieces of chocolate throughout the day and a handful of chips.

 

[markxiii]

@rue77 Here's today for me: (2100 calories)

Breakfast:
One tall soy latte at starbuck with one shot of caramel (smoked butterscotch is to die for).
3 medium boiled eggs, 20g. of dates (no pits), 1tsp of coconut oil, Buckwheat flakes 57g. (roughly 2/3 of a cup iirc). Chia seed, 1tbsp, Pineapple (2/3 cup). This is a nice homemade porridge that I really enjoy.

Lunch:
160g. of Chicken breast, 75g. of green beans and 150 g. of homemade lentil loaf.

Dinner:
Grilled salmon (125g.)

Olive oil (1tsp)

Mushrooms (60g.)

Quinoa (65g.)

Frozen veggies (100g.)

Chicken breast (86g.)

This gives me 2109 calories, 147g of protein, 210g. of carbs (34g. of fibers and 47g. of sugar) and 60g. of fat.

 

[courtneekmroberts]

@rue77 I eat around 1600 daily. I eat well and a good amount, but just not as strictly on clean & low cal foods like you seem to. By adding sauces or butter when you're cooking or even nuts, you can up calories easily.

Yesterday I ate

breakfast = a pear, coffee w/ cream

lunch = frittata w/ egg & egg white, kale, onion, and cheddar, a salad w/ kale, roasted sweet potatoes, sunflower seeds, and olive oil

snack = a green apple, a york peppermint patty

dinner = pasta bake w/ pasta, mozzerella, tomatoes, spinach, and pesto, raspberries

I actually ate rather similar meals & foods to you, I just used whole wheat pasta instead of spaghetti squash, had a piece of chocolate, and used butter, oil, and cheese in some of my dishes.

 

[jahrooshshalom]

@rue77 I'm at 2000 calories per day. 125 grams protein (25%) and carbs (15-20%) and fat (55-60%).

breakfast: greek 10% full fat yogurt + tablespoon almond butter + scoop of whey protein powder + 1/2 cup blueberries/raspberries

lunch: 3 scrambled eggs, butter and bacon/turkey

dinner: steak/chicken/fish plus veg

snack(s): pistachios or parm cheese or liver pate and fruit

dessert: dark chocolate or a low sugar/carb bar

This puts me right around 2000 calories and I'm full and satisfied and my workouts are great;-)

 

[thebadcatholic]

@rue77 I roughly eat 2000 calories per day. I have tracked in the past but don't track currently. Here's what today looks like:

Breakfast: Oatmeal with half a banana, half cup of mixed berries, 2 TBSP ground flax seeds, 1 tbsp peanut butter

Lunch: (dinner leftovers usually) corn, red lentil, potato chowder made with coconut milk over jasmine rice

Snack: Piece of fruit, either apple or orange

Dinner: bibimbap, Korean mixed rice dish with cabbage, carrot, lentils, tempeh, rice and a spicy sauce

Dessert: A few squares of dark chocolate

 

[dawn16]

@rue77 Breakfast - 2 Poached eggs on 2 pieces Wholemeal toast and a glass of orange juice =500cal

Lunch - chicken ceaser salad and greek yoghurt =500cal

Dinner - Rice, meat & veggies = 700cal

Dessert - Fruit salad (kiwis, banana, strawberries) or Ice cream = 250cal

 

[polcat]

@rue77 I can easily tank 800 kcal in snacks throughout the day so even if I make lighter meals it's easily done. I graze!

Easy to eat a lot of cereal inc nuts/seeds on a morning (sadly about 500-600 kcal), otherwise Greek yogurt with peanut butter (probably 400-450 kcal, often add some nuts, so more like 600). If I need lower cal I'll go for porridge with stuff in like nuts, cocoa, or peanut butter (can also add protein powder if you want a boost)

Lunches in the week are leftovers from batch cooking so whatever I've got - risottos, stews, other rice/pasta dishes. Usually carb, veg, and protein is either some veggie kind of substitute like soya meatballs and/or lentil pastas, beans etc. Probably no more than 500 kcal in most cases as the size of the tubs stops me overdoing it.

Evening is similar but usually a portion of fish, salmon is common, sea bass, sometimes tuna with mayo, piles of rice or spaghetti/pastas and piles of veg. If I need more calories it's easy done by more pesto, more cheese, more oil for frying, more seeds. Anywhere 500-800 kcal average I suppose. Avocados pile on the calories, you can make quite good guac type things as sides to dishes that usually work with a lot of things. You have more options for making sauces with coconut milk, cream etc. when you have calories to play with, add a bit of decadence to some dishes!

Protein shake often on gym days (150 kcal)

Snacks like oat bars (200ish kcal) and nut bars (200-250 kcal) are the common snacks. Odd banana here and there. Protein bars if I could tolerate them, lentil crisps. If I make the mistake of buying bread then several buttered slices of bread

I inevitably gain plenty more calories from crap at work like cake and biscuits... and then the biscuits at home, but in an ideal world I'd do it without those.

 

[dawn16]

@rue77 Here's a regular day:

1970 kcal, 136p, 198c, 66f (if you leave out the mozzarella on toast: 1763 kcal, 126g p, 180g c, 56g fat)

Breakfast: 120 g banana, 15g peanut butter (diluted with hot water), 35g whey isolate, 5g honey

Lunch: 1 large tortilla (190 kcal), 120g cooked chicken thigh (no skin), 7g mayo, 50g salad mix

Afternoon snack: 350ml (medium) cappuccino with oat milk (Barista edition oatmilk is super fatty), 8g sugar; 40 g buffalo mozzarella on 40g wholewheat toast

Dinner: 80g uncooked udon, 120g uncooked ground chicken thigh, 175g uncooked veggie mix

Evening snack: 1 Barebells protein bar