failing to stay under every day

Trish1c

I'm supposed to be at 1200 calories. I do eat back my exercise calories but I can't go to the gym 7 days per week.

When I try to be good & I eat nutritious stuff in small portions but still end up over by 100 - 200 calories which is more often then not I get really discouraged, like why bother. I feel like I failure when I don't get that message that says "completed diary & was under".

I understand when I eat too much or when I have a few drinks. That's my fault & I own that.

Should I up my calories to 1300 to feel less like a failure? I'm starving most of the time.

AnitaCRice

1200 may be too low for you, as it is for most people. Upping it to 1300 or even 1400 might make it easier to stick with, and is most likely still under your maintenance calories (depending on your stats and activity level, of course).

billglitch

what kinds of "nutritious" things are you eating?

Trish1c

billglitch wrote: »

what kinds of "nutritious" things are you eating?

Perhaps I eat too much fruit but I try to have a smoothie, eggs or Cheerios with fruit for breakfast.

I'll have some cheese or a chicken breast for lunch. Many times I'll have another piece of fruit or a yogurt

Dinner varies but it's usually a grilled meat with steamed or grilled veggies.

I do eat nuts. some granola bars & occasionally a Fiber One bar because I need the fiber.

Yes, there are days when I indulge but that's on me & I know I over ate. But like yesterday when I was trying so hard & my dinner -- a ham & swiss sandwich -- put me over because of the calories in the bread I got discouraged. That led to me having a jello for dessert so 100 calories over went to 200.

Since you put nutritious in quotes what do you see in the above that is not nutritious? I think I need to eat more protein.

thatdesertgirl777

AnitaCRice wrote: »

1200 may be too low for you, as it is for most people. Upping it to 1300 or even 1400 might make it easier to stick with, and is most likely still under your maintenance calories (depending on your stats and activity level, of course).

I agree with this. You are probably still at a deficit if you eat a 13-1400. If its a problem for you mentally, theres no reason why you have to hit the "close diary" button every night.

TavistockToad

What are your stats?

RuNaRoUnDaFiEld

What height are you?

pltjess

Are you certain 1,200 is what you should be eating at? That is the base of what anyone should be getting if they are totally sedentary. I personally believe MFP often underestimates what people should be eating, but that also depends on what you chose for a goal to lose per week. Since you must have less to lose than some of us (that need to lose 50+ lbs) you shouldn't expect to be losing 2lb/week. Make it far less, eat more, and this will be much more sustainable for you.

fubsyfern

Try eating more filling meals and avoid snacking during the day. I try to split my day up with 200 cal for breakfast, and 500 cal each for lunch and dinner. Fiber and protein helps you feel full longer, so I focus on those early in the day, and save the carbs for dinner. I snack out of boredom (which is my downfall), so whenever I feel "hungry" after I've had breakfast or lunch, I'll plan for a protein bar, but wait half an hour, and if I'm still hungry, I'll have half, then save the other half for another half hour later (if I need it). Also guzzling water like it's going out of style is helpful.

enterdanger

I looked at your food diary and I think it looks pretty good. If you are losing between .5-1lb a week I'd up my calories a bit so you aren't so hungry and you don't have the mental stress of knowing you went over since it seems to bother you.

eIIekay

I would up the calories....if u go to about 1400, then you could feel good about having leftover ones at the end of the day instead of being in the red. It was hard for me to do that...i wanted to lose maximum weight, but now that I have, I am feeling stronger and more determined to stick with it. At 1200 I was feeling weak and constantly hungry, which for me, precedes giving up entirely. Good luck to you! You can do this!

CatchMom11

I would recommend that for you snacks, get rid of the fiber one bars and perhaps replace it with a protein shake that is 200 calories or less. I don't eat back my workout calories as I wasn't losing when I was. I've checked with my doctor and personal trainer and they both agree that it was the right move for me.

queenliz99

Nuts killed me, I don't eat them any more. I don't snack any more either, that killed my intake too. I was afraid of being hungry all the time. Now I eat a regular meal and I am full until the next meal. Don't be afraid of being a little bit hungry.

cwolfman13

Remember that your target is a fairly substantial deficit from that which you would need to maintain...a couple hundred calories over and you're still in a deficit...I fail to see the failure here. Maybe lose the all or nothing mentality...

Trish1c

MandaB9780 wrote: »

I would recommend that for you snacks, get rid of the fiber one bars and perhaps replace it with a protein shake that is 200 calories or less. I don't eat back my workout calories as I wasn't losing when I was. I've checked with my doctor and personal trainer and they both agree that it was the right move for me.

The Fiber one bar is 90 calories. I have no place to make a protein shake during the day. My work place does not have a kitchen. We have a tiny fridge, a coffee maker & a microwave.

Trish1c

queenliz99 wrote: »

I don't snack any more either, that killed my intake too. I was afraid of being hungry all the time. Now I eat a regular meal and I am full until the next meal. Don't be afraid of being a little bit hungry.

If I was a little bit hungry I wouldn't be concerned. I am ravenous. Other people can hear my stomach growl & I sometimes feel dizzy. At that point I eat something -- a yogurt, a granola bar, some carrots, 1 oz of nuts etc.

I realize this is not an exact science I'm just trying to tweak it to what's right for me.

To the person who asked my stats:

I'm 49 years old;
5'6.5" tall,
SW: 158;
CW: 152;
GW: 140 (135 would be ideal because it just sounds better lol)

I was between 120 - 125 all my life until I hit 40. My goal is to be able to proudly wear a bikini -- with good abs -- on a beach in Hawaii next Spring for my 50th birthday.

I've been doing this since July 1. I lost 6 pounds so far even though I had at least 3 long weekends where I ate & drank whatever I wanted. Booze is generally my downfall but I have cut way down since starting MFP. I still don't truly grasp the idea of 1 glass of wine

Overall my nutrition has improved tremendously. I stopped the soda & the daily drinking. I haven't eaten fast food which used to be at least a once per week event. When I have pizza it's one slice with broccoli not 2 slices with sausage.

My OCD won't let me not click the completed diary button but being over more then under is discouraging.

I'm being my own worst enemy but how do I fix that?

AliceDark

When you set up your account, what rate of loss did you choose? With only 12 pounds to lose, you should only be trying to lose 0.5 (or maybe 1) pound per week...anything more is unrealistic when you're already that close to a healthy weight. Weight loss takes time, and it's all about finding a target you can comfortably stick to in the long run. It doesn't sound like you can stick to your 1200 calorie target for 4-6 months.

Beyond that, you're choosing some fairly calorie-dense foods, and you might not have room to accommodate them on such a low calorie goal. For example, I'm not sure I would spend 14% of my calorie budget on 170 calories of mixed nuts, because they wouldn't help keep me full for very long at all.

Bonny132

Look at what you eat that fills you up. Some people do really well on a carb heavy diet, some by upping their protein and some by going for low carb, high protein and fat. We are all different, what works for person a does not necessarily work for person b. Be honest with yourself, what type(s) of food gives you a satisfied feeling and keeps you full for longer?

That should be your starting point. Introduce more of those foods and see how you get on. Do not be scared of experimenting. Find what works for you, food wise.

enterdanger

Trish1c wrote: »

queenliz99 wrote: »

I don't snack any more either, that killed my intake too. I was afraid of being hungry all the time. Now I eat a regular meal and I am full until the next meal. Don't be afraid of being a little bit hungry.

If I was a little bit hungry I wouldn't be concerned. I am ravenous. Other people can hear my stomach growl & I sometimes feel dizzy. At that point I eat something -- a yogurt, a granola bar, some carrots, 1 oz of nuts etc.

I realize this is not an exact science I'm just trying to tweak it to what's right for me.

To the person who asked my stats:

I'm 49 years old;
5'6.5" tall,
SW: 158;
CW: 152;
GW: 140 (135 would be ideal because it just sounds better lol)

I was between 120 - 125 all my life until I hit 40. My goal is to be able to proudly wear a bikini -- with good abs -- on a beach in Hawaii next Spring for my 50th birthday.

I've been doing this since July 1. I lost 6 pounds so far even though I had at least 3 long weekends where I ate & drank whatever I wanted. Booze is generally my downfall but I have cut way down since starting MFP. I still don't truly grasp the idea of 1 glass of wine

Overall my nutrition has improved tremendously. I stopped the soda & the daily drinking. I haven't eaten fast food which used to be at least a once per week event. When I have pizza it's one slice with broccoli not 2 slices with sausage.

My OCD won't let me not click the completed diary button but being over more then under is discouraging.

I'm being my own worst enemy but how do I fix that?

I popped your stats in a calorie calculator and it says you can lose 25lbs a year with no exercise and a sedentary lifestyle if you eat at 1379 a day. You might want to try setting a calorie goal that you hit every day rather than getting into the mind set that you can earn more calories with more exercise if you know that you are super busy now and may not get the exercise in. It looks like you are doing pretty great around 1400 calories a day and you'll be down to your goal weight around the time you want. I used this calculator if you want to play with the numbers in it.
http://scoobysworkshop.com/accurate-calorie-calculator/

losylee

I eat scrambled eggs every morning for breakfast, the protein and lack of carbs keeps me from feeling hungry for hours and hours.

TonyB0588

Trish1c wrote: »

I'm supposed to be at 1200 calories. I do eat back my exercise calories but I can't go to the gym 7 days per week.

When I try to be good & I eat nutritious stuff in small portions but still end up over by 100 - 200 calories which is more often then not I get really discouraged, like why bother. I feel like I failure when I don't get that message that says "completed diary & was under".

I understand when I eat too much or when I have a few drinks. That's my fault & I own that.

Should I up my calories to 1300 to feel less like a failure? I'm starving most of the time.

Where did the 1200 come from? And the 1300 you're proposing? Did MFP suggest 1200 after you entered your profile information?

It isn't intended that you should starve in order to lose weight. The main principal behind the MFP program is that there should be a calorie deficit if you want to lose. Are you actually losing any right now? You probably could eat a lot more and still lose. I'm on 1810 calories and losing weight.

arditarose

If I was starting my 1200 calorie day off with fruit and cheerios I'd be ravenous as well. It's sugar. What about protein?

Also, if you're trying to create a 1000 calorie deficit...Maybe just don't. How about 500 or split the difference and go for 750?

Trish1c

I'm still confused. I did what MFP said when I put in my stats. I put in sedentary & maintain weight to come up with 1700 maintenance calories. Then because I wanted to see what the numbers were I put in lose 0.5, 1 & 2 pounds. All came back to eat about 1200 (at a 0.5 loss I think it said 1230 or something like that). I came up with the idea of upping the # to 1300 just to emotionally make myself feel better.

When I'm "bad" & eat & drink -- especially drink -- what I want, I understand why I'm over. That was a choice. When I'm good & eat in moderation but still fail to meet my goal I feel down on myself. That's the frustrating part.

icemaiden37

Trish1c wrote: »

MandaB9780 wrote: »

I would recommend that for you snacks, get rid of the fiber one bars and perhaps replace it with a protein shake that is 200 calories or less. I don't eat back my workout calories as I wasn't losing when I was. I've checked with my doctor and personal trainer and they both agree that it was the right move for me.

The Fiber one bar is 90 calories. I have no place to make a protein shake during the day. My work place does not have a kitchen. We have a tiny fridge, a coffee maker & a microwave.

I take my protein powder to work in a little pot and mix it with a shaker bottle. No kitchen required!