Finding it hard to cut caloric intake any more
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peacelovestone
Posts: 20 Member
I've been losing weight for the last 14 months or so after having my third child. I've lost 27 lbs so far. I had like 4 months where I stopped tracking and working out around February and gained 4 lbs that I lost again and then got back on track, but for the most part of a little over a year I've been exercising often and tracking food. I'm having a lot of trouble cutting my caloric intake any more than I already have. I work out 5-6 days a week, usually 5, and my average daily burn for months has been about 2300. I'm eating about 1800-2000 calories. I have lost 3 lbs in the last 7 weeks, so that aligns pretty much with what my heart rate monitor says I'm burning. If I eat less, some days I'm okay, but most of the time I'll feel like I'm STARVING. I work out like an hour to an hour and a half, half the days I do a tabata style short workout then heavy weights (like 100 lb deadlifts, 70 lb squats, 65 lb lat pulldowns, not 5 lb dumbbells) and the other half cardio, I mix it up, spinning, Stairmaster, arc trainer, sprints, sometimes mix it up in the same session. I eat mostly clean, whole foods, like 80% clean, some weeks when I have time to meal prep -- with three 5 & under -- it's closer to 95% clean; try to keep my protein high; drink almost a gallon of water most days, usually at least 8 glasses on my worst day, etc.
Are there any tips to cut my caloric intake lower? I know you should try and eat as much as possible to lose weight because you can damage your metabolism going too low, but I just want to get down to like 1600, nothing drastic. I am losing really slowly and I'd like to speed it up a smidge, I feel like it's moving at a snail's pace sometimes, even though my body has really recomposed itself.
Are there any tips to cut my caloric intake lower? I know you should try and eat as much as possible to lose weight because you can damage your metabolism going too low, but I just want to get down to like 1600, nothing drastic. I am losing really slowly and I'd like to speed it up a smidge, I feel like it's moving at a snail's pace sometimes, even though my body has really recomposed itself.
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Replies
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It's hard to say without seeing what your daily meals look like, but there's always ways to trim 50 calories here and there per meal. Just cut back on some condiments, maybe a little smaller portion of some of your side dishes and up the protein?4
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You're in it! Well done.
Hard to nail anything down without some general numbers that align with height and weight and all that. Could be you don't need to cut calories, could be you might be able to cut calories...
As an aside, "clean" is overstated when it comes to weight loss. "Clean" matters more to your view of holistic nutrition than it does to torching fat, so don't beat yourself up for any transgression when it comes to cheating on whatever definition of "clean" that's followed.5 -
Honestly, the easiest way to eat fewer calories would be to do less cardio so you're less hungry. It doesn't sound like that's what you really want, though. You simply want to create a larger calorie deficit every day, yes?
First off, clear out the clutter of eating "clean" and drinking lots of water. Neither of those things has any impact on weight loss although water can sometimes trick your stomach into thinking it's received more food than it has. Is there any pattern to when you get really hungry? Are you eating 3 big meals per day or more small meals? Understanding that would be a good step towards figuring a way around it.
Eating smaller meals 5 or 6 times per day might help to keep the hunger at bay. At the very least you'd never feel like you were starving if you're eating every few hours. Eat raw veggies for snacks and find other low calorie foods you like so you can create these smaller meals/snacks. You could work out something like a 300 calorie breakfast, 100 calorie mid-morning snack, 400 calorie lunch, 100 calorie mid-afternoon snack, 500 calorie dinner and 200 calorie evening snack.
You may find, though, that you simply need to suffer through the hunger pangs for awhile to get used to eating fewer calories.2 -
You're in it! Well done.
Hard to nail anything down without some general numbers that align with height and weight and all that. Could be you don't need to cut calories, could be you might be able to cut calories...
As an aside, "clean" is overstated when it comes to weight loss. "Clean" matters more to your view of holistic nutrition than it does to torching fat, so don't beat yourself up for any transgression when it comes to cheating on whatever definition of "clean" that's followed.
Okay, I am 5'7.5" for reference, 157 lbs currently, and 26-27% body fat last time I measured. I started at 184 lbs and something like 33-36% bf, wearing 12/14 and now in a size 8. So I've made huge progress, but I'd certainly like to see more.
I do ascribe to a sort of IIFYM lifestyle also, like letting myself have a treat here and there so that I can make it more of a healthy lifestyle I can keep versus feeling deprived and not being able to stick to it for the rest of my life. But I eat mostly whole foods and high protein and religiously track, like even if I have one pretzel, I put it in, I don't lie to myself about ANYthing, and when it comes to almost all my food I weigh it to the gram on a food scale.2 -
You say you religiously track, down to a pretzel, but do you weigh that pretzel and chose the correct entry?
Tighten your logging using a food scale for all solids, measure liquids.
Once you have your logging on point start to look at where you can shave calories.
10g PB instead of 20 on your toast, halfing the oil you use to cook, more veg less carbs with your meals.
If you want to drop your calories drop them by 50cal every week so you won't feel it as much. A .5 lbs a week loss would probably be a good goal, 1lbs max.
Cheers, h.0 -
If you cook rice or pasta and eat it right away, you get to keep the calories of the starch. If you cook the rice or pasta and refrigerate it for 12 hours before reheating and eating it, you convert its starch to a resistant form which you cannot digest in your stomach or small intestine. Your gut biome, in the large intestine, can break it down, but then the bacteria of your biome consume the energy they find and you don't actually get the energy from the resistant starch. You do however get all the satisfaction of eating it. This is a way to reduce actual calories without having to eat less.5
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You may want to open your food diary, it will help others get a better picture of what you are eating. Not enough protein or fat or fiber can cause increased hunger.
I personally find strength based lifting programs and tabata routines increase my hunger. Maybe try different workouts?3 -
middlehaitch wrote: »You say you religiously track, down to a pretzel, but do you weigh that pretzel and chose the correct entry?
Tighten your logging using a food scale for all solids, measure liquids.
Once you have your logging on point start to look at where you can shave calories.
10g PB instead of 20 on your toast, halfing the oil you use to cook, more veg less carbs with your meals.
If you want to drop your calories drop them by 50cal every week so you won't feel it as much. A .5 lbs a week loss would probably be a good goal, 1lbs max.
Cheers, h.
Yes, in that instance, I would find the correct brand and entry (I have seen many that are wrong). Trust me, I'm obsessive about tracking! My logging is tight. If I eat PB & toast, I'd weigh the toast because some brands I've found the grams to be off per what they say they are, then I'd tare it and put on the PB and log the PB to the gram. And I measure all liquids even uf i deink orange juice, which I do like twice a year, I measure it and my husband thinks I'm a freak because of my obsessive measuring and logging tendencies. Postpartum this kid my journey has been a little over a year but I have lost the baby weight twice before and was in a size 4 after the last baby. And I have been tracking for years and years. Just finding this time harder than the others I guess.
I like what you are saying though about cutting 50 cals a week. Maybe the problem is I'm busting my butt working out and then trying to take away 300 calories at once and my body doesn't like that.
To the previous poster, I eat 6 times a day and when I've cut food I've tried to do it by cutting one or two of my snacks in between meals and then I don't know if it's my body being used to eating at scheduled intervals but I make it a while then feel like I'm starving. Sometimes I try to stick it out and succeed, others it's made me "binge" I don't know that I'd call it binging though, I just ate more at the next meal and ended up closer to one of the 2000 calorie days than one of the 1800 calorie days if I had just let myself eat normally.
I have also read that too much LISS can make you hungry. I try to ease up and I often do HIIT instead but it's like I feel like I did nothing if I do 10 minutes of HIIT. Like I can't just leave the gym then, that can't be it! I know, I have a problem lol.2 -
OP, in addition to your calorie target, do you have MINIMUMS for fat, fiber and protein that you aim to consume every day?0
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OP, in addition to your calorie target, do you have MINIMUMS for fat, fiber and protein that you aim to consume every day?
Yes, I don't seem to have a problem hitting fats lol although my minimum is set at 25% of caloric intake; but my minimum for fiber is 25g and I usually am above it, and my target for protein is 115g (1g/lb lean body mass) and I don't always hit it but I am also more often above it, near 130g, and I won't be satisfied if I'm not hitting over 90g.0 -
peacelovestone wrote: »You're in it! Well done.
Hard to nail anything down without some general numbers that align with height and weight and all that. Could be you don't need to cut calories, could be you might be able to cut calories...
As an aside, "clean" is overstated when it comes to weight loss. "Clean" matters more to your view of holistic nutrition than it does to torching fat, so don't beat yourself up for any transgression when it comes to cheating on whatever definition of "clean" that's followed.
Okay, I am 5'7.5" for reference, 157 lbs currently, and 26-27% body fat last time I measured. I started at 184 lbs and something like 33-36% bf, wearing 12/14 and now in a size 8. So I've made huge progress, but I'd certainly like to see more.
I do ascribe to a sort of IIFYM lifestyle also, like letting myself have a treat here and there so that I can make it more of a healthy lifestyle I can keep versus feeling deprived and not being able to stick to it for the rest of my life. But I eat mostly whole foods and high protein and religiously track, like even if I have one pretzel, I put it in, I don't lie to myself about ANYthing, and when it comes to almost all my food I weigh it to the gram on a food scale.
You're already in the healthy weight range, so losing a half pound a week may well be as fast as is advisable, especially if you want to continue to decrease body fat. The faster you lose, the more likely you are to unnecessarily sacrifice muscle.5 -
You may want to open your food diary, it will help others get a better picture of what you are eating. Not enough protein or fat or fiber can cause increased hunger.
I personally find strength based lifting programs and tabata routines increase my hunger. Maybe try different workouts?
I do feel like they've increased my hunger, but part of the reason I don't want to give them up is I haven't just ended up a smaller version of myself (flabby and out of shape), I'm changing my body composition along the way. I now have leg muscle, biceps, lifted firm glutes, etc. I look so much better to myself, personally, losing weight while doing these types of workouts. And I feel empowered lifting weights. It's one kind of workout I don't dread. What other workouts would you suggest though?0 -
peacelovestone wrote: »OP, in addition to your calorie target, do you have MINIMUMS for fat, fiber and protein that you aim to consume every day?
Yes, I don't seem to have a problem hitting fats lol although my minimum is set at 25% of caloric intake; but my minimum for fiber is 25g and I usually am above it, and my target for protein is 115g (1g/lb lean body mass) and I don't always hit it but I am also more often above it, near 130g, and I won't be satisfied if I'm not hitting over 90g.
Your minimums sound really good to me. Otherwise I would suggesting increasing one or several. I'm not sure more fat (you eat 50-55g daily now?) would make a noticeable difference. It sounds like you're doing great, and .5/week loss is right on track. I.e. Faster loss would set you back wrt lean mass.1 -
I don't have any idea of how to post pictures on this forum if allowed? But my Instagram is coffee.and.barbells if you'd like to see my recomposition and weight loss.0
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peacelovestone wrote: »You may want to open your food diary, it will help others get a better picture of what you are eating. Not enough protein or fat or fiber can cause increased hunger.
I personally find strength based lifting programs and tabata routines increase my hunger. Maybe try different workouts?
I do feel like they've increased my hunger, but part of the reason I don't want to give them up is I haven't just ended up a smaller version of myself (flabby and out of shape), I'm changing my body composition along the way. I now have leg muscle, biceps, lifted firm glutes, etc. I look so much better to myself, personally, losing weight while doing these types of workouts. And I feel empowered lifting weights. It's one kind of workout I don't dread. What other workouts would you suggest though?
I find that hypertrophy routines leave me less hungry than strength based routines. It's not the same for everyone, but I know several who say the same thing. I wasn't suggesting you stop lifting, just consider other programs.1 -
peacelovestone wrote: »You may want to open your food diary, it will help others get a better picture of what you are eating. Not enough protein or fat or fiber can cause increased hunger.
I personally find strength based lifting programs and tabata routines increase my hunger. Maybe try different workouts?
I do feel like they've increased my hunger, but part of the reason I don't want to give them up is I haven't just ended up a smaller version of myself (flabby and out of shape), I'm changing my body composition along the way. I now have leg muscle, biceps, lifted firm glutes, etc. I look so much better to myself, personally, losing weight while doing these types of workouts. And I feel empowered lifting weights. It's one kind of workout I don't dread. What other workouts would you suggest though?
I find that hypertrophy routines leave me less hungry than strength based routines. It's not the same for everyone, but I know several who say the same thing. I wasn't suggesting you stop lifting, just consider other programs.
OK, gotcha. Do you have a specific one you'd recommend? I use bodybuilding.com for a lot of my ideas. I used to do Stronglifts 5x5 but injured my foot in a bootcamp-type class, spent 5 weeks doing a seated routine, and now am doing a full-body lifting routine with free weights back on my feet that I put together myself with 1-2 exercises per body part, 3 sets of 10 reps each exercise, that lasts about an hour and I often begin with tabata to get my heart rate up before the routine.0 -
peacelovestone wrote: »OP, in addition to your calorie target, do you have MINIMUMS for fat, fiber and protein that you aim to consume every day?
Yes, I don't seem to have a problem hitting fats lol although my minimum is set at 25% of caloric intake; but my minimum for fiber is 25g and I usually am above it, and my target for protein is 115g (1g/lb lean body mass) and I don't always hit it but I am also more often above it, near 130g, and I won't be satisfied if I'm not hitting over 90g.
Your minimums sound really good to me. Otherwise I would suggesting increasing one or several. I'm not sure more fat (you eat 50-55g daily now?) would make a noticeable difference. It sounds like you're doing great, and .5/week loss is right on track. I.e. Faster loss would set you back wrt lean mass.
That's what my husband said. That I might be losing slow, but it's all fat and my body is recompositioning instead of losing muscle + fat. I am feeling the pressure though to get smaller for a wedding that I am the matron of honor in. It's a ways away but the rate I'm losing I feel like I won't be where I'd like to by then. I do like the way I look though as I'm losing weight and I've actually managed to gain muscle mass in a deficit which most people say is impossible, but it's happened.1 -
peacelovestone wrote: »peacelovestone wrote: »OP, in addition to your calorie target, do you have MINIMUMS for fat, fiber and protein that you aim to consume every day?
Yes, I don't seem to have a problem hitting fats lol although my minimum is set at 25% of caloric intake; but my minimum for fiber is 25g and I usually am above it, and my target for protein is 115g (1g/lb lean body mass) and I don't always hit it but I am also more often above it, near 130g, and I won't be satisfied if I'm not hitting over 90g.
Your minimums sound really good to me. Otherwise I would suggesting increasing one or several. I'm not sure more fat (you eat 50-55g daily now?) would make a noticeable difference. It sounds like you're doing great, and .5/week loss is right on track. I.e. Faster loss would set you back wrt lean mass.
That's what my husband said. That I might be losing slow, but it's all fat and my body is recompositioning instead of losing muscle + fat. I am feeling the pressure though to get smaller for a wedding that I am the matron of honor in. It's a ways away but the rate I'm losing I feel like I won't be where I'd like to by then. I do like the way I look though as I'm losing weight and I've actually managed to gain muscle mass in a deficit which most people say is impossible, but it's happened.
did you recalculate your calories to what your weight is now? if not do that and set it to lose .5 lbs a week,do that for a few months and see what happens.0 -
CharlieBeansmomTracey wrote: »peacelovestone wrote: »peacelovestone wrote: »OP, in addition to your calorie target, do you have MINIMUMS for fat, fiber and protein that you aim to consume every day?
Yes, I don't seem to have a problem hitting fats lol although my minimum is set at 25% of caloric intake; but my minimum for fiber is 25g and I usually am above it, and my target for protein is 115g (1g/lb lean body mass) and I don't always hit it but I am also more often above it, near 130g, and I won't be satisfied if I'm not hitting over 90g.
Your minimums sound really good to me. Otherwise I would suggesting increasing one or several. I'm not sure more fat (you eat 50-55g daily now?) would make a noticeable difference. It sounds like you're doing great, and .5/week loss is right on track. I.e. Faster loss would set you back wrt lean mass.
That's what my husband said. That I might be losing slow, but it's all fat and my body is recompositioning instead of losing muscle + fat. I am feeling the pressure though to get smaller for a wedding that I am the matron of honor in. It's a ways away but the rate I'm losing I feel like I won't be where I'd like to by then. I do like the way I look though as I'm losing weight and I've actually managed to gain muscle mass in a deficit which most people say is impossible, but it's happened.
did you recalculate your calories to what your weight is now? if not do that and set it to lose .5 lbs a week,do that for a few months and see what happens.
Yes, I make sure to recalculate often. My HR monitor syncs with my MFP also, but I do reset MFP often as I lose weight. I am losing 0.5 lb/week and not having a problem with that, I weigh 3 lbs less now than I did 6.5 weeks ago... It seems to be working out fine. It just seems like my body doesn't want to go any lower than that (1800-2000 cals a day). I work out intensely and I'll feel like I'm starving or hangry or dizzy or tired or all of the above when I try to cut more calories, but I sort of wanted to lose a bit quicker for a goal date. I just wondered if there were something I was missing. It seems like maybe where I'm at is a healthy way to lose weight wrt sustainability and muscle mass though from what people have said.1 -
peacelovestone wrote: »peacelovestone wrote: »OP, in addition to your calorie target, do you have MINIMUMS for fat, fiber and protein that you aim to consume every day?
Yes, I don't seem to have a problem hitting fats lol although my minimum is set at 25% of caloric intake; but my minimum for fiber is 25g and I usually am above it, and my target for protein is 115g (1g/lb lean body mass) and I don't always hit it but I am also more often above it, near 130g, and I won't be satisfied if I'm not hitting over 90g.
Your minimums sound really good to me. Otherwise I would suggesting increasing one or several. I'm not sure more fat (you eat 50-55g daily now?) would make a noticeable difference. It sounds like you're doing great, and .5/week loss is right on track. I.e. Faster loss would set you back wrt lean mass.
That's what my husband said. That I might be losing slow, but it's all fat and my body is recompositioning instead of losing muscle + fat. I am feeling the pressure though to get smaller for a wedding that I am the matron of honor in. It's a ways away but the rate I'm losing I feel like I won't be where I'd like to by then. I do like the way I look though as I'm losing weight and I've actually managed to gain muscle mass in a deficit which most people say is impossible, but it's happened.
That's awesome. Really, keep on keeping on. Don't change it up. You will only make more work for yourself, and add more time, in the long run if you cut harder now and lose muscle. Then you will think about a bulk + slow cut (again). You'll get to the end you want FASTER by staying on the course you are on now. IMHO.
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