To ask what your average daily calorie intake is?

[Rueben]

I've been trying to gain weight since I was a teen, always hated the way I looked (too skinny, no shape at all). I'm definitely not malnourished as I eat a balanced diet, plus extra protein and because I'm trying to gain weight allow myself to indulge in carbs and sugars.
Yet for some unknown reason, I still look ridiculously skinny. My BMI is 18.6, so I'm barely in the healthy range. (I'm 5 ft 6 and 52 kg).

Recently, I decided to use a calorie counter to see if I'm eating enough and was so shocked to find out I'm eating 400 calories less than what is required just to maintain my weight. (FYI - 1582 calories are required daily and I eat on average around 1100). I find this rather confusing as I'd always thought I'd eaten more than most of my friends and normal healthy sized people in general, (i.e. always finishing my food at restaurants, never restricting myself with what I eat, eating at least 3/4 meals a day with lots of snacks)

So, I was wondering what on earth do 'normal' healthy sized people eat?! How many calories do you roughly consume daily?

I don't count calories, but I'm going to say 'too many' as I'm overweight at the moment.
OP, you sound a bit like a friend of mine who is very slim, but says she eats whatever she wants. That's true, but it just means a dinner is something like a grilled burger (decent quality one) with lettuce leaves, no bun. That is what she wants.
A lot of people underestimate the amount they eat, but it sounds as if you're on the other side of the scale. You could try something like My fitness pal if you want to gain weight.

Like PPs I can't see how you can eat three normal meals and lots of snacks and only have 1100 calories. Either you are underestimating your calorie count massively, or your idea of normal is very skewed. Could you give us a typical day's meals and snacks so we can advise better?

There's over 100 calories in an apple and 300+ in a small bowl of cereal with milk so I agree with PPs. I don't think it's possible to be eating 3 normal meals, plus snacks and only have 1100 calories, even if those meals are "healthy" low cal meals and snacks.

Most restaurant meals will be at least 800 cals and many are a lot more, so how can you finish that, plus other meals and snacks and still be 1100 for the day?

To increase your calorie intake without noticeably increasing portions, use more butter and oil and add nuts and seeds.

I agree OP with pp that I think your calculations must be out. 3/4 meals a day plus snacks would be easily over 1100 calories. Can you post a daily diary of what you eat for us to look at?

To answer thread title, I think I eat about 2000 a day. Currently losing weight v slowly because I also run. Before running I was v slowly putting on weight.

Are you sure that's all the calories you're getting? Surely it can't be unless you're losing weight. If you finish your food in a restaurant you're likely eating 1,000 cals in that one meal (absolutely nothing wrong with this).

It depends what you think of as a 'normal meal'. A small piece of chicken, a couple of small potatoes and a salad without any dressing would be normal to some people and wouldn't have many calories.
Some people just have small appetites and are used to eating small portions and that is normal to them. There's plenty of meals around 300 calories, so it's not that difficult to eat 1100 calories in a day assuming you're not adding in extra calories in drinks.

noeffingidea but the OP says 3/4 meals plus 'lots' of snacks - this would be hard to get under 1100 even with tiny meals such as you describe. She also says she finishes meals in restaurants, where it would be pretty much impossible to order something so calorie light. There is something 'not right' here.

600-1200 a day. I have to try and make myself eat more as it causes me problems, but food is expensive. So I tend to just have a piece of toast at 10 another at 2, then a small dinner.

Very Low Calorie diets ask you to consume between 800 and 1000 calories a day and offer rapid weight loss. You are eating only slightly more calories a day than that OP so no wonder you are close to an unhealthy weight.

Try a couple of slices of toast with butter & peanut butter with tea or coffee with full fat milk for breakfast; a banana mid morning; soup & a cheese sandwich for lunch; dried fruit & nuts as an afternoon snack; then a plate of pasta carbonara, or mashed potatoes, slice of meat pie & veg followed by full fat yoghurt and fruit for pudding. That should comfortably push you over 1100 calories and help you gain weight as long as you don't restrict your portion sizes.

And a mars bar every evening will help.

It really depends on the snacks.

My friend snacks on red pepper, next to no calories.

Either the OP isn't counting properly (lots of people under estimate) or her view of a lot of food is a bit off.

Exactly Cardibach. Just as some people underestimate (the majority most likely) others overestimate.
I used to eat a lot less than I do now and I was underweight, and I just got used to it. I didn't feel underweight or want bigger meals.
The person who suggested mars bars - why? They're empty calories. She could eat those extra calories in the form of foods with actual nutritional value.

I usually eat between 1000-1500 per day, it varies on different days. OP, perhaps drinking smoothies (made with full fat milk) could help with weight gain?

1690

I am 6ft1 and currently eating between 800 - 1000 calories a day, but I have a lot of weight to lose and am doing so under the supervision of a GP. 3 stone down so far since end of June.

I'm dying to know what you eat to have 3 normal meals and snacks to come in at 1100 cals - so I'm marking my place!

I aim for 1200 as I was pretty happily losing weight and feeling full on that amount for 6-8 months. I find to maintain my weight I need to aim for 1200 but probably end up eating 1500 (and more on some days e.g. weekends). For context I went from BMI 26 to BMI 21. However I now feel really bloated/over full if I eat a meal of say 500/600 cal. Is great progress for me as before losing weight used to wolf down massive meals and not feel satisfied whereas I now feel like most other women I know (but still feel satisfied - partly because I'm eating more filling, nicer, healthier food rather than massive plates of pasta ). It sounds like you need to train yourself a bit the other way.

No - the mars bar was supposed to be a lighthearted suggestion.

Have a look at what else I suggested

PS if I were you and wanted to increase my calorie intake I would eat snacks of cheese (brie, gorgonzola, nice vintage cheddar) with ryvita and lots of nuts . Both of those are pretty healthy but also pretty calorific...

Ah, how embarrassing - I believe many of you are right my estimates must have been way off. Sorry!! I was inaccurately counting using a website's estimates instead of actually weighing my own portions.

For those asking on an average day I tend to eat home made lentil soups "daals" for dinner which are high in protein. (I'm Indian, and have mainly eaten them all my life). I used to have two slices of toast and a banana for breakfast, but now have switched to having a banana, and some granola with yoghurt. For lunch I tend to go for a homemade sandwich, usually ham/Turkey with salad. For snacking I will have crisps, fruit, raw veg, biscuits. I also like eating a lot of fish, especially grilled salmon.

Thank you for the feedback. I will definitely be adding nuts to my diet. Unfortunately, I can't drink much milk as it makes my acne a lot worse.

What you need to do, if you want to find out how many Cals you are eating, is track it correctly.

Just a for a few days. Eat normally, but weigh everything. My fitness pal is a good app for tracking food. Although when you input food there is a bar scanner to scan products bar codes. Use that where possible as there are a lot of products on there in put incorrectly.

If you are regulary eat crisps and biscuits, I don't think it can be 1100 kcal a a day.

If you want to put on some weight slowly increase you Cals. Best off trying to eat healthy. My friend is like you and she managed to put weight on but ended up hating that it was just fat round she put on and described herself as 'skinny-fat' she still looked slim but hated how she looked under the clothes. She took weights up to achieve a heavier but toned body.

Well daal is probably only 200, the toast and Turkey sandwich are only going to be a couple hundred each that does leave room for crisps and biscuits within the calorie range!

I eat about 2500 a day for weight maintenance (neither losing nor gaining)

But am 6ft1 and do exercise most days

I'd probably faint after a day on 1200cals