It's always way to much or not enough...

kasimarie29

Okay, hey guys, I need opinions, advice and just plain support. If I only eat when I'm hungry, then I don't get my daily calorie needs. If I snack, I can't stop snacking and I go way over..
I know I should just say no, but I know a lot of you know how hard it is at first. Is it okay to stay under if your not starving? I mean I eat when I'm hungry, so I'm not staying under my calorie goal on purpose.. AND

I have these diet pills proscribed by my dr. They jump start your metabolism and supress hunger.. The energy is mostly what i need but it also makes me not want to snack as much if I've already had one. Would it be okay to take them for like a week just to get the habit going? Or what? I'm new to this healhty lifestyle and so confused..

I need help!

nino07110922

Hi Kasi!

I'm personally pretty much against diet pills, but understand that sometimes they're needed for medical reasons. I have one way I use to suppress my urge to snack. Each time I feel like munching, I'll drink 16 oz of cold water - straight up without stopping. That is often enough to make me want to shy away from snacking. If I do end up snacking, the snack will be a lot smaller because the "full" feeling from the water. I wear a Nike+ fuel band. When I want to snack, besides the water, I look at my fuel points and set a goal - like burning another 250 points before I snack. So, each time I have a desire to snack, I'm forcing myself to get some exercise first, then filling up with water. Make no mistake - I still snack. But snacks are fewer and smaller. I hope this helps a bit.

j6o4

prelog your food to make sure you hit your calorie goal.

kasimarie29

well, I don't really even wanna snack. that's what my problem is... I either have too snack or i'm told my calories are too low...
but once I snack I always want more..

so basically i feel like the only way to stay on track is to stay way under my calorie goal... but is that dangerous?

ketoambahh

On the days that you feel like you're full and way under calories, try swapping a low calorie snack with nuts. It has the calories you need and gives you a protein boost to boot. Adding olive oil to things that you're cooking will add about 120 calories per tablespoon so if you like the flavor or need a substitute for butter/cooking spray then that's a good choice too.

Hope that helps a bit.

aarar

prelog your food to make sure you hit your calorie goal.

This! Pre logging is what got me through the first few months.

nino07110922

On the days that you feel like you're full and way under calories, try swapping a low calorie snack with nuts. It has the calories you need and gives you a protein boost to boot. Adding olive oil to things that you're cooking will add about 120 calories for tablespoon so if you like the flavor or need a substitute for butter/cooking spray then that's a good choice too.

Hope that helps a bit.

^ Good advice.

kasimarie29

I do pre plan my food, but I always feel full before I finish it.
Like this morning I planned to have i whole egg, 3 slices of bacon, and 8 oz. of a strawberry banana smoothie...
I ate 3/4 of the egg, 2 slices of the bacon, and 3/4 of the smoothie...
I just feel full so quick. I think it's because I drink a lot of water maybe? But that's supposed to be good! lol


and I'm limited to what I can eat... I don't buy the groceries and a lot of things i DO want for my diet are expensive so I'm only able to get a few things at the store when we go...
sucks being poor and unemployed lol

MoreBean13

Re: Hunger cues- They can't be trusted at all when you're in a deficit. If you don't feel hungry when you haven't had enough calories, then your hunger cues are suppressed. If you weren't an intuitive eater before you got here, don't expect to be one until you've lost all the weight and have successfully transitioned in to maintenance for a long while. Unfortunately, most people that end up here trying to lose weight aren't intuitive eaters.

Re: diet pills- don't do it. Any weight loss you get from them will be short-lived unsustainable, because your metabolism adjusts to the stimulant, you stop losing weight, and then you just gain it back when you stop the pills.

kasimarie29

Sometimes I'm not sure if I'm hungry or not...
I eat when my stomach growls.

I never really feel the "pain" of hunger.

But before I started doing this, I ate ALL THE TIME!
I ate when I was bored, upset, out. whatever. If there was food, I ate it.
but now, I wanna eat only when I'm hungry because I've been told that's what I'm supposed to do.
I just don't get hungry enough... Should I make times to eat and just force myself to eat what I planned?

MoreBean13

Sometimes I'm not sure if I'm hungry or not...
I eat when my stomach growls.

I never really feel the "pain" of hunger.

But before I started doing this, I ate ALL THE TIME!
I ate when I was bored, upset, out. whatever. If there was food, I ate it.
but now, I wanna eat only when I'm hungry because I've been told that's what I'm supposed to do.
I just don't get hungry enough... Should I make times to eat and just force myself to eat what I planned?

At this point, it's impossible for you to accurately tell when you're hungry. Plan meals of appropriate nutritional value, and eat them as plaanned, regardless of feeling hungry or not. You're controlling your diet by the numbers at this point, it's counterproductive to wait until you're starving to eat.

kasimarie29

okay well then let me ask this.
Does this seem like a good plan?

7am- gym
8-830-breakfast
12pm-lunch
4pm-snack
7pm- dinner

as long as I hit my calorie goals?

taso42

Just plan your food and eat your plan.

herblackwings39

I do pre plan my food, but I always feel full before I finish it.
Like this morning I planned to have i whole egg, 3 slices of bacon, and 8 oz. of a strawberry banana smoothie...
I ate 3/4 of the egg, 2 slices of the bacon, and 3/4 of the smoothie...
I just feel full so quick. I think it's because I drink a lot of water maybe? But that's supposed to be good! lol


and I'm limited to what I can eat... I don't buy the groceries and a lot of things i DO want for my diet are expensive so I'm only able to get a few things at the store when we go...
sucks being poor and unemployed lol

Don't drink water before eating then. Save it for after you've finished your meal.

WanderingPomme

I know how you feel! I've been trying to practice intuitive eating because somehow along the way while dieting I just ate because it's breakfast, lunch and dinner and snacking in between and not because I was hungry. I watched the clock and waited until it was eating time, I didn't like that. Snacking also makes me hungrier for some reason. Like the constant need to eat but sometimes I know it's just mindless eating like just because I'm bored. Sometimes I'm over my limit, some days I'm under.

DopeItUp

okay well then let me ask this.
Does this seem like a good plan?

7am- gym
8-830-breakfast
12pm-lunch
4pm-snack
7pm- dinner

as long as I hit my calorie goals?

The timing of meals is irrelevant, just hit your goals and enjoy your success.

Enny2405

What diet pills are you on? Maybe stop taking them and see if you feel hungrier?

kasimarie29

I'm not taking the pills. that's why iwas asking if it would be okay to take them to get me started. lol

Ophidion

Not a fan personally of diet pills but if your doctor prescribed them I would be inclined to talk to a health professional as you are talking about prescription medicine so professional advice is best in these matters.

I don't think diet pills will "Kick start your metabolism" as such but be more of a appetite suppressant.

Personally would go with the natural method, less side effects and sustainable.

draccy

If you can't eat everything you've planned out for a meal, then plan more frequent smaller meals. The "Breakfast, Lunch, Snack, Dinner" meals on MFP aren't set in stone, and you can add up to 6 meals a day. Just go to My Home -> Settings -> Diary settings and in there change your meals.

If an egg, 3 slices of bacon, and a smoothie are too much then have the egg and bacon, and a couple of hours later have the smoothie. Just pretend you're a hobbit and call it Second Breakfast or Elevensies Same with Lunch and Dinner, make them into smaller, more frequent meals, and eat them when it's time to eat instead of waiting to feel hungry.

As for diet pills... that way lies madness and a hard to break cycle of relying on chemical aids for weight loss instead of embarking on a path to a healthy life. Health doesn't equal skinny, and skinny doesn't equal healthy.

kasimarie29

Thanks for all of the advice!

xapril77x

I'm not a Dr but I say don't take the diet pills. All they're gonna do is make ur heart go faster & I don't think it's a good thing & when u quit taking them ur heart will slow back down 2 normal & you'll gain all the weight back & maybe even more than u lost... Just my opinion...

sevenandthirteen

I have the same issue! I have been back on MFP for two weeks and am always under my calorie goal. I have been working out and watching what I eat and at the end of the day I am always under. I have had so many people tell me what I should or shouldn't do and after all the advise I have gotten I just feel that everyone is different and really can't tell one person to do what they have done because all of us have a different metabolic rate. I have learned that when I start having sugar or snack craving I can take one chromium in the morning and it helps my snacking issue. I am just bad about remembering to take it.

I try to eat a hearty snack like a spoon full of natural peanut butter on whole wheat wait 30 minutes then drink tons of water and try to do something that takes my mind off snacking then after the snack has settled I don't feel hungry and forget about it. I can't say I have the perfect answer for you but I am not going to worry about being under goal anymore because I may not have lost any weight over the last two weeks but I know my hard work is paying off because my clothes are loose and my face is thinning and I feel better.