Tips on getting max quanitity of food for mininum calories?

gabbyo23

I'm female, 26, 5ft 4 and currently 13st 1lb...I've lost a stone so far.

I'm a busy mum, I walk a lot and lift kids a lot and clean a lot but I don't purposely excersise, so I never "eat back" anything.

I'm eating 1500 cals at the moment, as that's how I lost weight pre pregnancy, but this time it feels like I'm cheating because mfp tells me I should eat 1200. I'd love to lose 2lb per week not just 1...is that silly??

I know it's possible to lose on 1500 but I find myself constantly over my cals by up to 150 calories, which obviously isn't going to help. I have a HUGE appetite.

So....any tips on reducing my calories while still eating a lot of food? I'm so out of practice. Pasta and rice seems to have so many calories...and I love those!!

All advice welcome x

KateTii

You'll be happier in the short term and more successful in the long term on 1500 calories. You can bulk up meals by cutting back on high-calorie items (fatty meats, pasta, rice) and adding large amounts of low calorie vegetables, but really is that going to be sustainable for more than 2 weeks?

Do 1500 calories and work them around until you find a mix of food that makes you happy.

amusedmonkey

Keep in mind there are two kinds of things that help appetite: fullness and satiation. The first needs volume and the second needs you to experiment which foods help you not feel hungry.

For volume, you need either water or air. Vegetables contain a lot of water, so you could bulk your meals with them. You could also add even more water by making brothy soups. The best example for air bulking is popcorn.

Now for satiation, that one you will need to find on your own. Some people find fats to be satiating, others need starches. Fiber and protein generally rank high for satiation for many people so you may want to incorporate lean meats and, again, vegetables. Some people find specific foods or a combination of foods to be more satiating than others. Every time you eat something that keeps you full longer, write it down and compare next time you have that food. With time you will have a to-go list of things that help your appetite.

For me, personally, things like potatoes, rice, pasta, oatmeal...etc are pretty satiating, all I need to do is watch out for the calories in toppings and sauces when eating these foods and to bulk them up with vegetables. When combined with protein and vegetables I can feel pretty full eating these foods for very few calories. An example of a typical satiating meal for me would be some kind of starch, let's say potatoes, some kind of protein and some kind of vegetables. Example: garlic and rosemary oven fries, chicken breast with a light mushroom sauce, a huge green salad (or roasted vegetables), and sometimes if I'm really hungry a brothy soup starter. Another example would be a meat and vegetable stew (lots of vegetables) with about 150-200 grams of cooked rice followed by a large cup of tea while relaxing. I do better having 1-2 small meals and one large meal so my calories are not always divided equally.

Try experimenting with meals as well. Some feel they have better appetite control eating 1-3 large meals, others do better eating many small meals or incorporating snacks. Some do better eating most of their calories in the morning, others in the evening. See what works best for you.

Appetite is so individual that it's hard to give specific advice on how to control it.

Pawsforme

@amusedmonkey said it very well -- you need to figure out what satisfies (satiates) you. For some people it's sheer volume. Which usually means lots of high fiber, low cal foods (steamed or raw veggies, plain popcorn, etc.). Others find protein and fats, while less voluminous, to be more satiating. You'll have to experiment to see what works for you.

YvetteK2015

amusedmonkey said it all really. I just wanted to give you an option I use. I love pasta, and for me, the tiny serving size for the amount of calories it was just wasn't worth it. I know a lot of people don't like these, but these can be made really, really good. Shirataki noodles. With the brand I get, it's three serving, and three servings is 45 calories. So I can use a little extra pasta sauce, or I can use one more tsp of sprinkle cheese. Many people don't like the taste. I think they don't have a particular taste, until you make some kind of topping for it. So that's just an idea for you.
Also the popcorn. I figure out the amount of popcorn, make it in a bowl, and I have that to munch on if I feel a little hungry. It really does help.