Scared to lose daily calories

scotvalkyrie

I have a large amount of weight I want to lose - 140 lbs or so - and I have a concern for when I get closer to my goal. I did the WW thing and did very well (lost nearly 75 pounds) but then I fell off the wagon and I gained 50 of it back. I have found that the only thing that works for me is daily journalling of everything I eat, so I do my best every day, even if I have to go back a day to log something.

I remember that I left WW when they switched from Points to Points Plus and I couldn't wrap my head around it. I was also having a very hard time reconciling myself to the fact that I had much fewer points than I started with. I'm worried about that again; when I get down to 75 lb weight loss, that my calorie allowance will seem so infinitessimal to me. I'm having a hard enough time as it is with the amount that I have, as I feel like I'm eating so little as it is and I'm so hungry all the time. I know part of that is because of my daily prednisone requirement (I have sarcoidosis). I am staying within my allotted 2100 cals per day, with regularly being 200-400 below.

I feel like I will be sentenced to eating only low-calorie food the rest of my life, and that I will never be able to enjoy the occasional cheeseburger or even a nice omelet because my calorie intake will go up so high for the day, like double what I would normally eat.

Do you get used to smaller amounts of food as you go on? Am I making any sense?

JojoInTheForks

But you always get extra calories if you exercise...

justcat206

Make a gradual switch. Start with one favorite high-cal dish and see if you can find a lower cal version or train yourself to like something similar but lighter. Or, plan for an indulgence now and then, and learn to make yourself a filling but low cal salad for lunch (or brothy soup, or anything low in calorie but high in volume) to balance it. I get between 1400-1600 calories/day but rarely feel deprived because I've learned how to fill myself with high volume foods and be sparing with the treats (or make substitutions). You might have to take it slowly until you get the hang of it, but you can do it. Love lasagna? Eat a small piece with a big salad and lots of veggies on the side. Or, learn how to make it with zucchini instead of noodles and low cal cheese. Crave chocolate? Have a sliver of cake, or eat a whole apple dipped in a little melted chocolate. Split that fancy burger with a friend, or get it lettuce wrapped and without the cheese/bacon/sauce/whatever. So you don't really need to eat less food, necessarily, just fewer calories, which can be accomplished any number of ways.

xmarye

When I started out I cut out everything because I needed to form new healthier habits. Now that I have been on this journey for 4 months already, I understand and practice moderation. Eating to lose weight and be healthy are 2 complete different things. Some days what I eat isn't particularly healthy, but I still manage to eat at a deficit. Other days, I am over my calorie goal. What is important is that you keep the big picture in mind. I might go over sometimes, but when you look at the whole week or the whole month, this doesn't make a difference really. You didn't get overweight by indulging once in a while, it was more like over-indulging all the time probably (I know that's my case!).

For the junk food, it is simple. Either don't make it a habit and don't sweat it, or you can even just make more sensible choices about it. For exemple if I go to Mc Donald's, I won't get the Big Mac, the fries and a milkshake. I'll just have a cheeseburger and steal a few fries from my husband's. AND ALWAYS LOG IT! That way things to get out of hand. It's all about finding a balance, and understanding the trend. You didn't gain this weight overnight, so it won't come back if you have a bad day. Just be sure to get right back on it!!

You can do it! Good luck ♥

justcat206

I've also found it sometimes helps me to spread out my food. As in, instead of eating a sandwich and chips and fruit and cookies for lunch, I'd eat the fruit and chips at 11:00 and the sandwich and cookie at 1:00 so I wouldn't have to go so long between meals and had something to look forward to. Same with an early dinner but save dessert for an hour or two later. I'm eating the same calories I'd originally intended, but feel like I'm eating more meals. Which I know is hard if you've only got one lunch break, but if it's feasible it can really help.