Intake seems so ridiculously low!
hcs00
Posts: 40 Member
I am at 1300 calories a day to lose weight, I have to lose at least 75 but really 100 to be truly healthy I feel.
I like to be able to eat a decent dinner with my husband, who is not in need of a diet. I adjust my food accordingly and he may eat a different version of what I have. I try to reserve 800 calories for that dinner but I'm just starving the rest of the day! I am not capable of snacking in moderation so no snacks is best. I drink a ton of water. The bigger dinner thing is just best the way he eats, I'll never have the mental fortitude to eat like 400 calorie dinners when he's scarfing tasty things.
My lunch on days that dinner will include carbs:
romaine lettuce
cherry tomatoes, corn, bell pepper (or assorted other veggies that are similar in nutrients)
2 medium hard boiled eggs
mustard and red wine vinegar 'dressing' (all totals about 315 calories)
or a package of Quaker Oats fruit/oatmeal medley if my dinner won't have carbs (270 calories).
I drink a few coffees with powdered creamer and sugar at work, maybe netting 150 calories.
I feel so limited on 1300 calories. Any suggestions for feeling more full? Isn't that what we all want, ha ha.
I like to be able to eat a decent dinner with my husband, who is not in need of a diet. I adjust my food accordingly and he may eat a different version of what I have. I try to reserve 800 calories for that dinner but I'm just starving the rest of the day! I am not capable of snacking in moderation so no snacks is best. I drink a ton of water. The bigger dinner thing is just best the way he eats, I'll never have the mental fortitude to eat like 400 calorie dinners when he's scarfing tasty things.
My lunch on days that dinner will include carbs:
romaine lettuce
cherry tomatoes, corn, bell pepper (or assorted other veggies that are similar in nutrients)
2 medium hard boiled eggs
mustard and red wine vinegar 'dressing' (all totals about 315 calories)
or a package of Quaker Oats fruit/oatmeal medley if my dinner won't have carbs (270 calories).
I drink a few coffees with powdered creamer and sugar at work, maybe netting 150 calories.
I feel so limited on 1300 calories. Any suggestions for feeling more full? Isn't that what we all want, ha ha.
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Replies
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You have a couple of options:
- Adjust your weight loss goal to lose a little more slowly. You'll then get more calories to eat. It's better to lose more slowly and be happy than be miserable and possibly quit.
- Exercise and "earn" extra calories to eat. Be a little more careful with this route as exercise can make you more hungry, too.
- Make some substitutions in your diet to remove things with lots of calories but little satiety and nutrition. For example, ditch the creamer and sugar in your coffee and substitute with skim milk and sugar free syrups or sweeteners. Use plain oatmeal and sweeten it yourself instead of the packaged stuff with lots of sugar.
- Add a lot more non-starchy vegetables to your diet. They are low in calories and will help fill you up.
- Take a good look at the dinners you are eating. Can you skip the rice or potatoes and fill up on veggies instead?
For dinners I always make at least two sides, one that is low calorie and nutritious and another starchy one. I eat a lot of the veggies and hardly any of the more calorie dense starchy one. Sometimes I'll even just do a green salad with a little dressing and broccoli, both of which are good choices.0 -
Stop putting sugar in your coffee and instead use artificial sweeteners such as sucralose (i.e. Splenda).
I'm not sure what powdered creamer has for calories, but perhaps compare that to alternatives like almond milk and see if there is a lower calorie alternative that gives the same taste and lower calories.
Don't worry about carbs so much if you are not exercising... eating a salad will fill you up more than oatmeal and corn has carbs in it anyway.
Sugar free gelatin is low calorie, as are dill pickles. If you feel like you must eat when you see your husband eat, then try filling up on calorie-light foods such as those. Or eat salad for dinner as well. Offer to share with your husband of course, but you can take more if it helps you.0 -
I used to drink 3 20 ounces pepsi's daily. I went cold turkey. No fake sugars or low fats because sciences shows fake sugars make you fat too, and low fats are chemical chit storms.0
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i felt the same way, so i started to exercise.
but just think high fiber, high protien. this will typically help you feel full longer.0 -
You have a couple of options:
- Adjust your weight loss goal to lose a little more slowly. You'll then get more calories to eat. It's better to lose more slowly and be happy than be miserable and possibly quit.
- Exercise and "earn" extra calories to eat. Be a little more careful with this route as exercise can make you more hungry, too.
- Make some substitutions in your diet to remove things with lots of calories but little satiety and nutrition. For example, ditch the creamer and sugar in your coffee and substitute with skim milk and sugar free syrups or sweeteners. Use plain oatmeal and sweeten it yourself instead of the packaged stuff with lots of sugar.
- Add a lot more non-starchy vegetables to your diet. They are low in calories and will help fill you up.
+1. Also, can you eat slightly smaller portions of dinner to leave more of your calories for the rest of the day? Can you make yourself a salad or extra veggies with dinner and eat that plus small portions of your regular dinner?0 -
You have a couple of options:
- Adjust your weight loss goal to lose a little more slowly. You'll then get more calories to eat. It's better to lose more slowly and be happy than be miserable and possibly quit.
- Exercise and "earn" extra calories to eat. Be a little more careful with this route as exercise can make you more hungry, too.
- Make some substitutions in your diet to remove things with lots of calories but little satiety and nutrition. For example, ditch the creamer and sugar in your coffee and substitute with skim milk and sugar free syrups or sweeteners. Use plain oatmeal and sweeten it yourself instead of the packaged stuff with lots of sugar.
- Add a lot more non-starchy vegetables to your diet. They are low in calories and will help fill you up.
This +1. imo you should do all 3. Its really important that whatever your plan, that in order to get to target it has to be sustainable for the entire journey and beyond. Cutting your deficit by 250 and then doing 250 calories worth of exercise a day wpuld get you an extra 500 calories. That would make a big difference for you.0 -
caroldavison332 wrote: »I used to drink 3 20 ounces pepsi's daily. I went cold turkey. No fake sugars or low fats because sciences shows fake sugars make you fat too, and low fats are chemical chit storms.
There are no legit scientific studies to show that. Fake sugars are very low calorie and thus won't cause weight gain. Weight gain is all down to calories.0 -
Actually, science has not shown that artificial sweeteners make you fat. Studies I've seen relate overweight people to those drinking diet sodas but which came first, the weight or the diet soda? Correlation doesn't equal causation. If someone doesn't have a medical issue with using artificial sweeteners (and they are all created differently so you can't really lump them together for this) and they'll help to create a calorie deficit so that the more pressing issue of weight loss for health can happen, then I'm not sure what the problem is.caroldavison332 wrote: »I used to drink 3 20 ounces pepsi's daily. I went cold turkey. No fake sugars or low fats because sciences shows fake sugars make you fat too, and low fats are chemical chit storms.
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I agree with what Sue says...........
Find some substitutions that work for you. Ideally ones that will be permanent changes. Keeping the weight from creeping back up takes effort too.
I like oatmeal, but I use the lower sugar variety (sugar does nothing to keep me full anyway). Then I also have a Greek yogurt. That gets me carbs (and fiber) + protein.....for about 240 calories.
I make egg salad with 1 hard boiled egg & 1 hard boiled egg white. I'm already adding some fat with the mayo.
Also, unless you have medical issues carbs aren't a really big deal. I look for less processed carbs as they generally retain more natural nutrients. Protein, fat, and fiber are all filling. I focus more on meeting protein & fat goals, carbs are just what's left over.0 -
You have a couple of options:
- Adjust your weight loss goal to lose a little more slowly. You'll then get more calories to eat. It's better to lose more slowly and be happy than be miserable and possibly quit.
- Exercise and "earn" extra calories to eat. Be a little more careful with this route as exercise can make you more hungry, too.
- Make some substitutions in your diet to remove things with lots of calories but little satiety and nutrition. For example, ditch the creamer and sugar in your coffee and substitute with skim milk and sugar free syrups or sweeteners. Use plain oatmeal and sweeten it yourself instead of the packaged stuff with lots of sugar.
- Add a lot more non-starchy vegetables to your diet. They are low in calories and will help fill you up.
- Take a good look at the dinners you are eating. Can you skip the rice or potatoes and fill up on veggies instead?
For dinners I always make at least two sides, one that is low calorie and nutritious and another starchy one. I eat a lot of the veggies and hardly any of the more calorie dense starchy one. Sometimes I'll even just do a green salad with a little dressing and broccoli, both of which are good choices.
Thank you for the input - I train kickboxing and jujitsu generally twice a week, two hours each time (one hour is kickboxing, second is jujitsu). Real fighting and boot camp-like training at a dojo, not like a cardio class at the Y. My husband and I are also going to start taking walks...I actually hate walks because I've had arthritis in my ankles since I was 17 or so but we're going to start it!
I eat back some calories on days I have training.
My dinner sides are generally always veggies but sometimes a potato or rice, but not normally. I feel I do really well on choices (I also don't drink pop and my coffee powdered creamer/sugar is only 150 calories total a day but I should start liking black coffee to not lose the calories on it).
I think I really messed up my body when I was 18 and decided to starve myself to get skinny. It worked for a few years but diet pills and never eating just totaled my insides because it is so hard to lose now.
[Edited by MFP Staff]0 -
i felt the same way, so i started to exercise.
but just think high fiber, high protien. this will typically help you feel full longer.
So lots of chicken and veggies! I think I have to start cooking up a ton once or twice a week to get my lunches through Friday with more protein for energy.0 -
caroldavison332 wrote: »I used to drink 3 20 ounces pepsi's daily. I went cold turkey. No fake sugars or low fats because sciences shows fake sugars make you fat too, and low fats are chemical chit storms.
I'm lucky I don't like pop (unless you mix in rum) - I'm not a sugar lover in general but I should try to drink my coffee black going forward. Good job dropping the Pepsi!
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midwesterner85 wrote: »Stop putting sugar in your coffee and instead use artificial sweeteners such as sucralose (i.e. Splenda).
I'm not sure what powdered creamer has for calories, but perhaps compare that to alternatives like almond milk and see if there is a lower calorie alternative that gives the same taste and lower calories.
Don't worry about carbs so much if you are not exercising... eating a salad will fill you up more than oatmeal and corn has carbs in it anyway.
Sugar free gelatin is low calorie, as are dill pickles. If you feel like you must eat when you see your husband eat, then try filling up on calorie-light foods such as those. Or eat salad for dinner as well. Offer to share with your husband of course, but you can take more if it helps you.
Dill pickles is an excellent suggestion! I'm much more into salty than sweet.
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I agree with what Sue says...........
Find some substitutions that work for you. Ideally ones that will be permanent changes. Keeping the weight from creeping back up takes effort too.
I like oatmeal, but I use the lower sugar variety (sugar does nothing to keep me full anyway). Then I also have a Greek yogurt. That gets me carbs (and fiber) + protein.....for about 240 calories.
I make egg salad with 1 hard boiled egg & 1 hard boiled egg white. I'm already adding some fat with the mayo.
Also, unless you have medical issues carbs aren't a really big deal. I look for less processed carbs as they generally retain more natural nutrients. Protein, fat, and fiber are all filling. I focus more on meeting protein & fat goals, carbs are just what's left over.
What medical issues do carbs affect negatively? I have high blood pressure...another reason to lose weight and get my heart healthier. I do exercise so the carbs help on days I train.0 -
get rid of the packaged oatmeal and make your own from scratch. you get WAY more that way b/c there is so much less calories and sugar. add whatever berries or spices (cinnamon, honey) to it to make it yummy. that will start your morning off with more food and before.
I usually eat six small meals a day so I couldn't imagine eating that small of an amount all day long without becoming some kind of monster. maybe you could reserve 600 for dinner and just out a portion of somethin tasty, but set it aside and take it for lunch leftovers???0 -
I'm lucky I don't like pop (unless you mix in rum) - I'm not a sugar lover in general but I should try to drink my coffee black going forward.
I went cold turkey on milk and sugar in coffee at the same time. It took me a couple of weeks of pulling faces to get used to it, but now I wouldn't want to go back!
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I agree with what Sue says...........
Find some substitutions that work for you. Ideally ones that will be permanent changes. Keeping the weight from creeping back up takes effort too.
I like oatmeal, but I use the lower sugar variety (sugar does nothing to keep me full anyway). Then I also have a Greek yogurt. That gets me carbs (and fiber) + protein.....for about 240 calories.
I make egg salad with 1 hard boiled egg & 1 hard boiled egg white. I'm already adding some fat with the mayo.
Also, unless you have medical issues carbs aren't a really big deal. I look for less processed carbs as they generally retain more natural nutrients. Protein, fat, and fiber are all filling. I focus more on meeting protein & fat goals, carbs are just what's left over.
What medical issues do carbs affect negatively? I have high blood pressure...another reason to lose weight and get my heart healthier. I do exercise so the carbs help on days I train.
Carbs can be a problem for diabetics, those with PCOS, etc. Otherwise, not an issue. If you feel better eating carbs, then by all means, eat them.
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I agree with what Sue says...........
Find some substitutions that work for you. Ideally ones that will be permanent changes. Keeping the weight from creeping back up takes effort too.
I like oatmeal, but I use the lower sugar variety (sugar does nothing to keep me full anyway). Then I also have a Greek yogurt. That gets me carbs (and fiber) + protein.....for about 240 calories.
I make egg salad with 1 hard boiled egg & 1 hard boiled egg white. I'm already adding some fat with the mayo.
Also, unless you have medical issues carbs aren't a really big deal. I look for less processed carbs as they generally retain more natural nutrients. Protein, fat, and fiber are all filling. I focus more on meeting protein & fat goals, carbs are just what's left over.
What medical issues do carbs affect negatively? I have high blood pressure...another reason to lose weight and get my heart healthier. I do exercise so the carbs help on days I train.
Unless you have something like diabetes, you don't need to monitor carbs so closely. I have carbs at breakfast, lunch and dinner. As long as I'm meeting protein, and fat (that's the tougher one for me)....I'm good. With fruits & veggies; fiber is pretty easy to meet.0 -
I agree with what Sue says...........
Find some substitutions that work for you. Ideally ones that will be permanent changes. Keeping the weight from creeping back up takes effort too.
I like oatmeal, but I use the lower sugar variety (sugar does nothing to keep me full anyway). Then I also have a Greek yogurt. That gets me carbs (and fiber) + protein.....for about 240 calories.
I make egg salad with 1 hard boiled egg & 1 hard boiled egg white. I'm already adding some fat with the mayo.
Also, unless you have medical issues carbs aren't a really big deal. I look for less processed carbs as they generally retain more natural nutrients. Protein, fat, and fiber are all filling. I focus more on meeting protein & fat goals, carbs are just what's left over.
What medical issues do carbs affect negatively? I have high blood pressure...another reason to lose weight and get my heart healthier. I do exercise so the carbs help on days I train.
Unless you have something like diabetes, you don't need to monitor carbs so closely. I have carbs at breakfast, lunch and dinner. As long as I'm meeting protein, and fat (that's the tougher one for me)....I'm good. With fruits & veggies; fiber is pretty easy to meet.
Well you have all made my day saying carbs are not a huge issue if I exercise. I'm going to look into that more but my belly rumbled its appreciation just now. Carbs are what make me feel full.0 -
You have a couple of options:
- Adjust your weight loss goal to lose a little more slowly. You'll then get more calories to eat. It's better to lose more slowly and be happy than be miserable and possibly quit.
- Exercise and "earn" extra calories to eat. Be a little more careful with this route as exercise can make you more hungry, too.
- Make some substitutions in your diet to remove things with lots of calories but little satiety and nutrition. For example, ditch the creamer and sugar in your coffee and substitute with skim milk and sugar free syrups or sweeteners. Use plain oatmeal and sweeten it yourself instead of the packaged stuff with lots of sugar.
- Add a lot more non-starchy vegetables to your diet. They are low in calories and will help fill you up.
This +1. imo you should do all 3. Its really important that whatever your plan, that in order to get to target it has to be sustainable for the entire journey and beyond. Cutting your deficit by 250 and then doing 250 calories worth of exercise a day wpuld get you an extra 500 calories. That would make a big difference for you.
Cutting the deficit by 250 meaning make my limit 1550, then exercise 250 calories off and eating them back (so my daily intake could actually be 1800)? I worry my loss would be so minimal I'd give up.0 -
amgreenwell wrote: »get rid of the packaged oatmeal and make your own from scratch. you get WAY more that way b/c there is so much less calories and sugar. add whatever berries or spices (cinnamon, honey) to it to make it yummy. that will start your morning off with more food and before.
I usually eat six small meals a day so I couldn't imagine eating that small of an amount all day long without becoming some kind of monster. maybe you could reserve 600 for dinner and just out a portion of somethin tasty, but set it aside and take it for lunch leftovers???
I'll definitely go the 'make your own' route for my oatmeal now. God their mixes are just so tasty! Small meals is not my jam, I will overeat every time. No control.0 -
I just got too hungry on 1300 cals per day, so I upped to 1500, w/ weight loss goal of 1/2 pound per week, and if I exercise more like 1 pound weight loss per week. I eat higher protein/ higher fat and lower carb, as I feel less hungry on this type of eating plan, and it helps me stick to my calorie goal. I encourage my husband to eat healthy at dinner (but of course he eats what he wants). I always make a big salad, and he likes eating this too. I try to make my calories count, and eat foods that "satiate" -- that is foods that make me feel fuller longer (for me that isn't carbs, but some people w/ different genetics, behaviors, exercise patterns, etc. do better with more carbs -- to each their own).0
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You're eating an 800 calorie dinner? That's really high, I'm not surprised you're struggling the rest of the day. Make better dinner choices and cut dinner back to 350-500 calories.0
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blankiefinder wrote: »You're eating an 800 calorie dinner? That's really high, I'm not surprised you're struggling the rest of the day. Make better dinner choices and cut dinner back to 350-500 calories.
That's a small dinner, 350-500. I kind of mentally make it through the rest of the day knowing I can have a decent dinner later.0 -
The point (at least, for me) is to change your eating around so that you are eating in a sustainable way so that you lose your excess weight and then have a plan to maintain that loss.Cutting the deficit by 250 meaning make my limit 1550, then exercise 250 calories off and eating them back (so my daily intake could actually be 1800)? I worry my loss would be so minimal I'd give up.
If you feel deprived, you are likely to give up. It's important to be comfortable. As for minimal weight loss, any loss is a victory. Weight loss is a marathon, not a sprint.
Rather than a goal to lose X pounds in Y time, my goal is to track all of my intake in my food diary and adjust things so that I'm satisfied and still at a calorie deficit. If I eat at a deficit I know that the weight will eventually come off.0 -
The point (at least, for me) is to change your eating around so that you are eating in a sustainable way so that you lose your excess weight and then have a plan to maintain that loss.Cutting the deficit by 250 meaning make my limit 1550, then exercise 250 calories off and eating them back (so my daily intake could actually be 1800)? I worry my loss would be so minimal I'd give up.
If you feel deprived, you are likely to give up. It's important to be comfortable. As for minimal weight loss, any loss is a victory. Weight loss is a marathon, not a sprint.
Rather than a goal to lose X pounds in Y time, my goal is to track all of my intake in my food diary and adjust things so that I'm satisfied and still at a calorie deficit. If I eat at a deficit I know that the weight will eventually come off.
This is a healthy mindset. I guess I just see my body, say "get rid of this fat as fast as possible!" and get stressed and upset at small losses. I'm an impatient person in general. Thank you for the reminder to see the bigger goal.0 -
blankiefinder wrote: »You're eating an 800 calorie dinner? That's really high, I'm not surprised you're struggling the rest of the day. Make better dinner choices and cut dinner back to 350-500 calories.
That's a small dinner, 350-500. I kind of mentally make it through the rest of the day knowing I can have a decent dinner later.
Just for example, my breakfast is usually @ 300 cals, my lunch @ 400 cals, my dinner @ 500 cals, and that leaves me 300 cals a day for snacks (like a yogurt in the afternoon or some cookies with my tea after dinner). So maybe you can bring the calories on dinner down a little by adding in more low-cal items (like veggies) and having smaller portions of whatever you made your husband for dinner that is making the calories on that one meal so high.
The only time my dinner is over 500ish calories is when I go to my mom's for pasta (800 cals) or go out to eat. And those meals leave me stuffed.
Maybe you can friend some folks with similar weight loss goals and calories and get some good ideas from their logs.
Some people can get away with eating most of their calories in one meal, but those are people who just naturally don't feel hungry the rest of the day. Other people have to eat several small meals to keep from getting to hungry and pigging out. You are probably going to have to play with it a little to find what works best for you.0 -
You have a couple of options:
- Adjust your weight loss goal to lose a little more slowly. You'll then get more calories to eat. It's better to lose more slowly and be happy than be miserable and possibly quit.
- Exercise and "earn" extra calories to eat. Be a little more careful with this route as exercise can make you more hungry, too.
- Make some substitutions in your diet to remove things with lots of calories but little satiety and nutrition. For example, ditch the creamer and sugar in your coffee and substitute with skim milk and sugar free syrups or sweeteners. Use plain oatmeal and sweeten it yourself instead of the packaged stuff with lots of sugar.
- Add a lot more non-starchy vegetables to your diet. They are low in calories and will help fill you up.
- Take a good look at the dinners you are eating. Can you skip the rice or potatoes and fill up on veggies instead?
For dinners I always make at least two sides, one that is low calorie and nutritious and another starchy one. I eat a lot of the veggies and hardly any of the more calorie dense starchy one. Sometimes I'll even just do a green salad with a little dressing and broccoli, both of which are good choices.
Thank you for the input - I train kickboxing and jujitsu generally twice a week, two hours each time (one hour is kickboxing, second is jujitsu). Real fighting and boot camp-like training at a dojo, not like a cardio class at the Y. My husband and I are also going to start taking walks...I actually hate walks because I've had arthritis in my ankles since I was 17 or so but we're going to start it!
I eat back some calories on days I have training.
My dinner sides are generally always veggies but sometimes a potato or rice, but not normally. I feel I do really well on choices (I also don't drink pop and my coffee powdered creamer/sugar is only 150 calories total a day but I should start liking black coffee to not lose the calories on it).
I think I really *kitten* up my body when I was 18 and decided to starve myself to get skinny. It worked for a few years but diet pills and never eating just totaled my insides because it is so hard to lose now.
More than likely what you did was lose a bunch of muscle which can slow down your metabolism. Have you considered adding some strength training in with your martial arts? My dad teaches Shotokan karate and jiu-jitsu and there were years where I was in the dojo 5 days per week 3+ hours per day so I know it builds strength and you can have a really ripped body doing it because your body fat gets pretty low. However, nothing beats getting into the gym and lifting heavy weights to retain the muscle you already have while losing weight or building new muscle.0 -
More than likely what you did was lose a bunch of muscle which can slow down your metabolism. Have you considered adding some strength training in with your martial arts? My dad teaches Shotokan karate and jiu-jitsu and there were years where I was in the dojo 5 days per week 3+ hours per day so I know it builds strength and you can have a really ripped body doing it because your body fat gets pretty low. However, nothing beats getting into the gym and lifting heavy weights to retain the muscle you already have while losing weight or building new muscle.
We definitely do weight and strength training along with the cardio of class in general...but I should add in my own weight stuff at home, even if it's light. I am the anomaly - continually fat while training at my dojo for four years now! I'm definitely not comfortable going to a regular gym to use the weights...time plus cost but also the comfort level is not there.
I think I will ransack my mom's unused basement gym setup for some weights and medicine balls this weekend. Thank you for the input. I need to get very serious and have some type of workout daily, even if at home.0 -
blankiefinder wrote: »You're eating an 800 calorie dinner? That's really high, I'm not surprised you're struggling the rest of the day. Make better dinner choices and cut dinner back to 350-500 calories.
That's a small dinner, 350-500. I kind of mentally make it through the rest of the day knowing I can have a decent dinner later.
It actually is a decent sized meal. I eat larger portions of protein and veg, smaller portions of starch (pasta, rice, potato).
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