How do people eat 2000 calories a day?

500 calories is far too low and you won't be getting the right nutrition in terms of vitamins and minerals etc, with eating so little and/or having junk and processed food. And of course snacks have calories, including healthy ones.

You are setting yourself up for all kinds of health problems. Go and see your GP to discuss this and get a check-up; lack of interest in food is a sign of malnutrition.

If you are actually eating 500 calories a day, you need to see a doctor

Your previous thread seems relevant.

As you wouldn’t be putting on weight on such a restricted diet I’m guessing you either cut back as a result, or you just perceived yourself to be getting ‘chubby’ in the face.

In either case I agree with the above that you need to speak to your GP.

Your previous thread seems relevant.

As you wouldn’t be putting on weight on such a restricted diet I’m guessing you either cut back as a result, or you just perceived yourself to be getting ‘chubby’ in the face.

In either case I agree with the above that you need to speak to your GP.

What would I say to a doctor, I don't have an ED or anything. They'd just say eat more and I can do that, e.g., today I had fast food so had nearly 2000. It's just when I don't go out to eat, I can manage toast and pasta. Isn't that a normal amount to eat?? People don't eat a billion slices of toast a day..?

Yo-yoing between 500 calories and 2000 calories isn't going to help as it will still leave you in a calorie deficit over a number of days.

Anyway, it's not just about calories, as I've already said. People should eat a healthy, balanced diet. Toast and pasta is just carbs; you need protein, vegetables, fruit to get the full range of essentials, like vitamins abdminerals, that your body needs.

See your GP for a check-up to make sure there hasn't been too much damage done and that you can progress from here. See them on the grounds that you need advice on how to eat healthily, as your responses show you don't understand the basics of nutrition.

…I'm wondering how other people manage to eat so much more.

Obviously 500 calories per day is way too low. You know that so I won't go further into it.

First of all, most people eat breakfast. Whether that means getting up a little earlier to eat something (and then either go back to bed or have a bit more of the day to do things!), or eating a late breakfast once you're up at your usual time and then moving "lunch" and "dinner" to a little later (e.g. a meal at 1pm, 5pm and 11pm, rather than just 1pm and 7pm or whatever).

Have bigger meals. Increase your portion sizes – more pasta, more rice, more everything. Make sure you get in some protein, fats, vitamins and minerals as well as carbohydrates. Add more things to your meals to increase their nutritional value. If you feel that you struggle with larger volumes of food, then increase the calories by, for example, adding a load of butter and cheese to your pasta, spreading an extra thick layer of peanut butter on your toast (plus butter, banana, jam, honey etc. as well as peanut butter) (Lidl and Aldi do kg tubs of peanut butter for like £3.99 last time I checked) (heck I eat it by the spoonful straight from the tub lol). Basically put more calorie-dense foods into what you're eating. Plus make your meals all really tasty so you want to eat loads , and eat everything on your plate.

Snacking isn't necessarily unhealthy – in fact it can be an important component to your day in terms of getting food in. Plus (quiet) library snacks hehe
Also, "healthy" ≠ low calorie.
I have found that getting into a routine of having a snack at xxx time (and again later in the day) can really help to a) make yourself have some more food, and b) actually increase your appetite.
If you don't fancy eating something, how about a drink? Milk, for example, is pretty cheap. Straight up, or make smoothies, shakes, milky teas/coffees etc. You can also stick a load of oats, peanut butter, etc etc into a smoothie without really noticing too much.


Cheapish things that are often on my shopping list – coming from a hungry gal who eats a TON and also has a student budget:
Oats, rice, pasta, some bread – look for the "basics" range e.g. the Sainsbury's Hubbard's Foodstore or Stamford Street Co., often "price matched" to Aldi/Lidl or if you're lucky even cheaper.
Lidl/Aldi kg tub of peanut butter.
Carrots are reasonably cheap, and a few other types fruit and veg depending on season and state of the Cost Of Living Crisis. Also look in the frozen and tinned sections. Dried lentils, chickpeas etc – take a bit of time to cook but worth it.
Cheap yoghurt, cheap jam, cheap chocolate.
Depends what you eat really. Shop around, make the most out of loyalty cards and bonuses/discounts. Yellow stickers.