Help- good advice needed

kelserenae04

My app says I should stay around 1600 calories a day, I’m currently eating around 2000. I’m starving by dinner time trying to eat less for lunch. I’ve been doing the healthy choice power bowls which fill me up pretty well and gets me through work but with dinner I always go over my limit. Does anyone have a good advice to help me get down to the recommended 1600?

brittneyalley

Eat more filling foods, exercise more, or go hungry. Are you sure you’re not just bored? Or thirsty?

diannethegeek

With your diary set to private, it's hard to give any kind of specific advice on substitutions you could make. We've no idea what you're eating or what you like to eat.

These are my really general tips for hunger:

1. Make sure that your calorie goals are actually set appropriately. Don't skip this step. A lot of people set goals that are too aggressive and then wonder why they're having a hard time. http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/819055/setting-your-calorie-and-macro-targets

2. Try different macros. A lot of people look for foods higher in protein, fat, and fiber. These help us stay full and more satisfied longer. If you're using MFP's default settings, try to consider protein, fat, and fiber as minimums to reach every day rather than maximums to stay below. Others feel better with high volume, higher carb diets (I trend this way during my period, personally). That's okay, too. See what makes you feel best.

3. Drink plenty of fluids. Some people really do confuse thirst and hunger.

4. Get plenty of rest. This includes sleeping enough and taking rest days from the exercise. Sometimes our bodies look for food when they're exhausted.

5. Play around with your meal timings. Some people do really well on 5-6 small meals a day and others feel like they want to gnaw their own arm off eating like that. Skipping breakfast, eating breakfast, 16:8 fasting, 6 small meals, 3 larger meals, snacks, no snacks, meal timing won't make a big difference to your weight loss, but it may help your hunger levels, mood, concentration, gym performance, etc. throughout the day. Don't be afraid to try a different way and see if it helps.

6. Wait it out. If you know you're eating enough and the other steps above aren't helping, you may just have to wait it out. Our bodies send out hunger signals partially out of habit. If you eat at a certain time every day your body will start to get hungry at that time. The good news is that these signals can be retrained to stop telling you to be hungry all the time. The bad news is that you may just have to be hungry for a little bit while that happens.

7. I also think it's important to remember that there's a habitual component to hunger. This goes along with point #6, but if you eat because you're bored or you're used to eating in front of the TV or in the car or whatever it is, then you can replace those habits with others that are better for you. Things like keeping water on hand to sip instead of snacking or picking up hobbies that keep your hands busy or that get you out of the house more can help out a little while you're retraining your hunger cues. You might need to pay attention to why you're eating/hungry or what you're feeling when you eat and try to replace food with other things, but it can be really beneficial over time.

Heather4448

Visit the volume eater’s thread.

WhereIsPJSoles

Those healthy choice meals are good and all, but small. I would throw a snack in there around 3-4 pm so you’re not so hungry by dinner time.

jemhh

How many pounds per week did you choose for your weight loss goal?

Iwantahealthierme30

My goal is 1660, you can have a look at my open diary to see what works for me.

Sometimes I skip lunch altogether and have a coffee drink but I am trying to stop that because it has so much sugar.

Today's diary would be a good example of a good lunch.

nowine4me

Pack every meal with vegetables. For example, eating your frozen meal over top a bag of broccoli, entire roasted cauliflower or giant batch of green beans. Mix spinach into smoothies, eat salad mix with dinner and batch roast big bowls of zucchini, peppers and squash.

And experiment with meal timing. I like to eat three 500 calories meals at 12, 3 and 7. Then a piece of fruit, yogurt or cheese for snacks as needed.

kelserenae04

jemhh wrote: »

How many pounds per week did you choose for your weight loss goal?

I chose 1 lbs per week

kelserenae04

brittneyalley wrote: »

Eat more filling foods, exercise more, or go hungry. Are you sure you’re not just bored? Or thirsty?

I very well could be thirsty but I don’t think I’m hungry because I’m bored. Maybe over worked would be my guess.

kelserenae04

Iwantahealthierme30 wrote: »

My goal is 1660, you can have a look at my open diary to see what works for me.

Sometimes I skip lunch altogether and have a coffee drink but I am trying to stop that because it has so much sugar.

Today's diary would be a good example of a good lunch.

How do I look at your diary? Do I need to add you as a friend first?

Iwantahealthierme30

Nope, it's open. Just click on my name and go to my profile. From there you can go to view diary.

dexter62

hi, Ive recently made some headway with food cravings ,which I never could control before, my success is that ive been doing a keto diet along with intermittent fasting, I started by getting bread of anykind out of my diet, within 3 days my cravings for sweets were more manageable than they have ever been, what a win/win that is, I finally feel like I have a tool that works to use in my favor, and I don't know about you but it has been a battle my whole life, I'm a type 2 diabetic, read up on keto diets before you start, there are some risks that need to be managed, but for me its worth it, I had no willpower , only flour I use now is nutflowers, had almond flower pancakes this morning with sour cream/whipping cream /sweetened with stevia syrup, it was awesome. once I distanced myself from sugar, the food that didn't really taste sweet, green beans, carrots , salad greens, I notice the sweetness that I never new was there, also I never thought I could be disciplined enough to fast but with the cravings manageable I can do it easily, I fast for 16 hours of the day and I have all 3 of my meals in a 8 hr window, good luck, I think ive found my solution , I hope you find yours

blambo61

Don't eat lunch and save it all for dinner or eat a later lunch. Might work for you!

elisa123gal

ditch the power bowls... i put my money on that is what is making you hungry. pay attention not so much as to what you enjoy eating..but what makes you stay full. Certain packaged foods are so tasty...but leave you ravenous an hour or two later. me the x queen of lean cuisine.

itsaboutthattimeagain

Eat a filling breakfast...a few eggs (140 calories), with maybe some oatmeal or yogurt/berries...or eggs over beans or quinoa and spinach....probably equate like 400 calories or so, depending on grams...protein bar in between and piece of fruit (200-250)..then if you want eat your power bowl or a homemade something else for lunch.... another snack that is a few hundred calories in between lunch and dinner ...then by the time dinner comes, you should have at least 500 calories and you can make something homemade that is filling...I don't eat land animals but I do remember chicken being filling with brown rice and vegetables... it's definitely attainable to have filling meals with 1600 calories. I get 1800 calories, but rarely reach that amount and on average eat three meals with a snack or two in between all under 1600 calories on average. Then again, I weigh everything and cook it myself, with the occasional high protein Amy's TV dinner.

AnnPT77

If you need to save more calories to have a bigger dinner, it could be a matter of finding a more filling lunch.

For me, any of the Healthy Choice meals have too little protein and too little volume to be satiating. Too many of the calories are cheap filler carbs - rice, pasta, grains - that don't fill me up (even though I'm not at all a "low carb" advocate - I just need my protein & veggies to feel full).

Think about experimenting with your macronutrient mix, see if that will improve things. It sounds like you prioritize convenience, so maybe consider trying a couple of hard boiled eggs or a chicken/tuna packet, maybe cottage cheese or yogurt or a couple of lowfat string cheese sticks, and a boatload of precut baby carrots, celery, cherry tomatoes, etc. That would be better for me . . . but maybe your formula would differ. Experiment!

Best wishes!

DebLaBounty

Do you exercise? Do you log it? Your goal might be 1600 calories a day, but MFP recommends you eat back calories earned through exercise. So if you burn 400 calories, hitting 2000 calories for the day is right on target.

Orphia

kelserenae04 wrote: »

jemhh wrote: »

How many pounds per week did you choose for your weight loss goal?

I chose 1 lbs per week

How tall & heavy are you?

If you have 15 lbs or less to lose, you should only aim for 0.5 lbs a week.

lucerorojo

If you can cook yourself that would probably make a big difference. For me, I need carbs, protein and fat in a meal for me to feel satisfied, and at least 400 calories for each meal. Carbs/fat or protein/fat or protein/carbs don't do it for me. Each person is different. When I cook at home I can add a starch and vegetable but not go overboard and get the right balance. I am currently at 1500 calories (plus more if I exercise). I usually will have 100-300 leftover for snacks, which I will try to make fruit, but sometimes it will be a treat.

I would recommend in your case to ditch the power bowls and buy a cooked lunch (if you can) or pack last night's leftovers. You could also increase your breakfast (don't know what you are eating for that) and move your lunch until a little later, if you can. Or a good snack in between lunch and dinner.