Filling food?
7rainbow
Posts: 161 Member
I finally ate healthy today and was under my calorie count. But it reminded me of why I don't eat like this- I do get quite hungry. Any filling, low calorie food ideas?
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Replies
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I find lower carb to be the most filling. I go with protein, vegetables and fat for a filling meal. Most of my meals are about 500-600 calories. Also, drinking water before and tea after helps.2
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I eat a lot of fiber (40+ g per day) and protein (110+ g per day). I eat a ton of vegetables and fruit, which in addition to the aforementioned fiber also fill me up due to their high water content.
I suppose you need to try out different things. What someone else might find satiating you might not.
I'm curious - what kind of "unhealthy" foods have you typically eaten that you have found filling? Because I find the opposite to be true to me; I could eat a ton of junk food and not feel full at all.6 -
I'm curious - what kind of "unhealthy" foods have you typically eaten that you have found filling? Because I find the opposite to be true to me; I could eat a ton of junk food and not feel full at all.
I'm wondering if 'eating healthy' might mean something different to the OP? It's a vague term, open to different interpretations. Some people 'go overboard' in banning foods they think are unhealthy, also eliminating processed foods that aren't per se unhealthy but can help feeling fuller/satisfied.
OP: if you tell us what you're currently eating, we might be able to give more precise advice?
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I'm curious - what kind of "unhealthy" foods have you typically eaten that you have found filling? Because I find the opposite to be true to me; I could eat a ton of junk food and not feel full at all.
OP: if you tell us what you're currently eating, we might be able to give more precise advice?
It isn't that I really found unhealthy food filling, I just ate it in large quantities. MFP is recommending I eat 1200 calories, so I'm trying to think of what to eat. I had some cereal for breakfast, pitas with jam for lunch, two cookies for snack, and some noodles for dinner the other day, but I wasn't very full. However I reached my cal count, so I couldn't add any more. Any recommendations would be great!
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Yeah, as much as I love my carbs, you should definitely try adding more protein, fat, and fiber in there. All three are more satiating for some people.
Chicken, tuna, avocado, use a little oil when cooking maybe? You get pretty good bang for your buck with beans.3 -
I like big salads topped with protein1
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Just hearing cereal pitabd jam is enough for me to know I would be still hungry. I bought Foragers plain grain free cereal and Katarina crunch keto cereal ( I haven't tried either yet) but would make these a snack or even dessert. I base my eating around leafy greens, cruciferous vegetables, plant based protein- tempeh, tofu pea protein- avocado, nuts, seeds and nut milks. I have incorporated some gluten free oats on occasion and plant based cheeses and Just Egg plant based egg. ( I'm vegan but if you aren't than whatever lean meat and fish work). I stay away from sugar and starch except occasionally yam or sweet potato- (which ARE quite filling and nutritious) starting the day. Warm foods, tea and coffee keep me full. Sometimes I am under and have to have nuts or nut butter to keep from going too low.1
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You're filling up on carbs, which are high in cals. You may find that protein or fat make you feel more satiated. Salad and veg can be eaten in large quantities for not a lot of cals, as long as you don't pour on dressings or sauces.
Depending on what cereal you have, half the portion size and add some yoghurt and berries.
Instead of jam in your pita, have some fish or lean meat and a large serving of salad leaves, cucumber, tomatoes. Or forget the pita and just make up a huge salad and add protein.
Investigate popcorn if you feel the need to have a snack. The bags I buy (I'm in the UK) are 44 cals. Or switch to fruit - an apple or banana will fill you up more than 2 cookies and will provide fibre and nutrients that cookies can only dream of.
What did you have with your noodles? I tend to just do huge stirfries and either top with grilled salmon or add chopped chicken or beef or prawns. I have so much veg on my plate that I don't need noodles or rice.
Why not eat the foods that you like but in smaller quantities? Or eat most of the foods that you like, but make substitutions where they make sense. I like chips but switched to oven-baked wedges. I also realised that i only need one med-large potato, not two or three. I pile veggies onto my plate and don't need (as much) rice as I'd have had before. I pad out tagliatelli or spaghetti with courgetti - the reduced portion of pasta is just enough, the volume of courgette is filling and the whole meal is considerably lower in cals.
When you set up MFP, how much did you tell MFP you want to lose per week? How tall are you, what do you weigh and how much are you trying to lose? Unless you're short and sedentary, only having 1200 cals a day is possibly too aggressive. Are you logging exercise and eating those cals too? If not, you should be as that's how MFP is designed. You may need more cals, which will enable you to eat enough food to feel fuller.2 -
I'm curious - what kind of "unhealthy" foods have you typically eaten that you have found filling? Because I find the opposite to be true to me; I could eat a ton of junk food and not feel full at all.
OP: if you tell us what you're currently eating, we might be able to give more precise advice?
It isn't that I really found unhealthy food filling, I just ate it in large quantities. MFP is recommending I eat 1200 calories, so I'm trying to think of what to eat. I had some cereal for breakfast, pitas with jam for lunch, two cookies for snack, and some noodles for dinner the other day, but I wasn't very full. However I reached my cal count, so I couldn't add any more. Any recommendations would be great!
I'd be starving too on that menu!
It sounds pretty low protein and possibly low fat -- both are macros that many people find help them feel fuller. Another thing to consider is fiber -- making sure you meet your fiber goals helps some people as well. Vegetables tend to be lower calorie and high fiber, so they're a great way to add more food to your day if you like to eat higher volume. On my lower calorie days, I try to eat plenty of protein and vegetables and I will avoid high sugar snacks because they just aren't filling for me at all. If I had pitas and jam for lunch, I think that would hold me for about twenty minutes!
Everyone is different, but these are things worth experimenting with to see if they help.2 -
Strudders67 wrote: »
When you set up MFP, how much did you tell MFP you want to lose per week? How tall are you, what do you weigh and how much are you trying to lose? Unless you're short and sedentary, only having 1200 cals a day is possibly too aggressive. Are you logging exercise and eating those cals too? If not, you should be as that's how MFP is designed. You may need more cals, which will enable you to eat enough food to feel fuller.
I did, I'm 5'6 and 137 lbs. I'm not big by any means, however I no longer fit in a lot of my clothes so I was hoping to go back down to 120 lbs. To lose 2 lbs a week MFP is saying to eat 1200 calories a day. I don't really exercise much, so usually I don't have any to log.0 -
Strudders67 wrote: »
When you set up MFP, how much did you tell MFP you want to lose per week? How tall are you, what do you weigh and how much are you trying to lose? Unless you're short and sedentary, only having 1200 cals a day is possibly too aggressive. Are you logging exercise and eating those cals too? If not, you should be as that's how MFP is designed. You may need more cals, which will enable you to eat enough food to feel fuller.
I did, I'm 5'6 and 137 lbs. I'm not big by any means, however I no longer fit in a lot of my clothes so I was hoping to go back down to 120 lbs. To lose 2 lbs a week MFP is saying to eat 1200 calories a day. I don't really exercise much, so usually I don't have any to log.
That's a normal weight BMI. 2 pounds a week is not a realistic goal for someone who is already in that weight range. You simply don't have a high enough calorie need to safely create the deficit that is required.
This doesn't mean you can't lose some "vanity pounds" (as we call them, nothing personal). Lots of people want to lose weight when they're in the normal weight range. It DOES mean you need to choose a more realistic goal, like .5 pounds a week. Since your goal is to be towards the bottom of your health weight range, this will require patience and consistency -- both of which are much easier when you're not super hungry!4 -
I'm curious - what kind of "unhealthy" foods have you typically eaten that you have found filling? Because I find the opposite to be true to me; I could eat a ton of junk food and not feel full at all.
OP: if you tell us what you're currently eating, we might be able to give more precise advice?
It isn't that I really found unhealthy food filling, I just ate it in large quantities. MFP is recommending I eat 1200 calories, so I'm trying to think of what to eat. I had some cereal for breakfast, pitas with jam for lunch, two cookies for snack, and some noodles for dinner the other day, but I wasn't very full. However I reached my cal count, so I couldn't add any more. Any recommendations would be great!
I think pretty much anyone would be hungry. It's pretty void of much actual nutrition and consists primarily of what I call fast carbs...quickly and easily digested and absorbed.
Where is the lean protein...fiber...veggies...fruit, etc?Strudders67 wrote: »
When you set up MFP, how much did you tell MFP you want to lose per week? How tall are you, what do you weigh and how much are you trying to lose? Unless you're short and sedentary, only having 1200 cals a day is possibly too aggressive. Are you logging exercise and eating those cals too? If not, you should be as that's how MFP is designed. You may need more cals, which will enable you to eat enough food to feel fuller.
I did, I'm 5'6 and 137 lbs. I'm not big by any means, however I no longer fit in a lot of my clothes so I was hoping to go back down to 120 lbs. To lose 2 lbs a week MFP is saying to eat 1200 calories a day. I don't really exercise much, so usually I don't have any to log.
You're at a healthy weight...nothing wrong with wanting to lose some vanity pounds, but 2 Lbs per week is far too aggressive for someone who is already at a healthy weight...you simply don't have the fat stores for that rate of loss without being completely miserable...nor do you have the calorie requirements for maintenance to lose at that rate safely. 2 Lbs per week is a 1,000 calorie deficit from maintenance...people who are very overweight/obese can do this because their maintenance calories are going to be much higher just from moving around a larger body.5 -
Soup with lots of veggies and water, and lots of veggie fiber!2
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MFP stops at 1200 no matter what and won't recommend eating below that so depending on your activity level don't expect to see a 2lb a week loss. Mine is set at 1200 too but I think that's a 1.4 loss (even though I said 2lbs) and I'm 5'3" and 175lbs.
A food that I find SUPER filling is chickpeas! I've started adding chickpeas to pretty much everything I make. Half a cup doesn't sound like a lot but I always feel satisfied and depending on what I can fit into my calories I might have a whole cup.
Chickpeas, salsa, anything with lots of fiber. I bought some fiber 1 cereal and I eat it with unsweetened almond milk and that will keep me full for a couple hours. Lots of veggies. I buy bags of lettuce shreds and I'll add like 4 cups to a meal sometimes.
I love shrimp, it's super low cal and you can eat so much. Definitely up your protein.
I have to limit my carb intake because it doesn't fill me up. I love a good egg and cheese bagel but the 200 calories for the bagel makes me sad. So I'll have one every 3rd day or so because yum still. Something I've really had to realize is that the "good" food is always going to be there, I don't need to have a bagel every day.2 -
Thanks for the info guys! Perhaps I should just try to lose one pound a week then, I guess I'm just impatient, haha! I'll try to add some protein in.0
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You know what's a really slow way to lose weight? Set a calorie goal so low and punitive that you can't stick with it, get ravenous, and either crack under the strain and overeat bigtime periodically, or maybe even give up altogether, regain pounds with friends.
I'm 5'5" like you. After losing 50+ pounds 5 years back, I was drifting up a bit, and last year my jeans were getting a little snug, at about the weight you're at now. I set up for that 0.5 pound a week, but still let myself have some higher days in there occasionally. Man, did I lose slowly! 🤣
You know what? It was practically painless. Now I'm right about where I want to be, mid-120s (a little heavier than your goal, but fine for me), with zero stress or strain, good energy and satiation along the way, didn't lose lean tissue like you're trying to do on too-low calories with limited nutrition. And I've arrived at a better weight with a pretty clear idea about how to stay there, because it's not much different than what I needed to do to lose slowly. Same jeans are loose, now . . . almost too loose.
The only downside was, yes, it took a while. Time was gonna pass anyway. 🤷♀️
Sometimes losing appropriately slowly is actually faster than trying to lose fast. And easier. Not to mention making easier to stay there, because practiced. Your call, though.
Wishing you success!3 -
You know what's a really slow way to lose weight? Set a calorie goal so low and punitive that you can't stick with it, get ravenous, and either crack under the strain and overeat bigtime periodically, or maybe even give up altogether, regain pounds with friends.
I'm 5'5" like you. After losing 50+ pounds 5 years back, I was drifting up a bit, and last year my jeans were getting a little snug, at about the weight you're at now. I set up for that 0.5 pound a week, but still let myself have some higher days in there occasionally. Man, did I lose slowly! 🤣
You know what? It was practically painless. Now I'm right about where I want to be, mid-120s (a little heavier than your goal, but fine for me), with zero stress or strain, good energy and satiation along the way, didn't lose lean tissue like you're trying to do on too-low calories with limited nutrition. And I've arrived at a better weight with a pretty clear idea about how to stay there, because it's not much different than what I needed to do to lose slowly. Same jeans are loose, now . . . almost too loose.
The only downside was, yes, it took a while. Time was gonna pass anyway. 🤷♀️
Sometimes losing appropriately slowly is actually faster than trying to lose fast. And easier. Not to mention making easier to stay there, because practiced. Your call, though.
Wishing you success!
Thanks for the tip! Yes that's true, I have definetly tried to lose to quiclkly in the past and have gained quickly as a result (legit gained 14 pounds in 2.5 weeks once). Because of covid I'm not seeing anyone, so the pressure to look good and fit in pants again isn't too high. I'll try to take it easy and hopefully the weight will come off.
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I'm curious - what kind of "unhealthy" foods have you typically eaten that you have found filling? Because I find the opposite to be true to me; I could eat a ton of junk food and not feel full at all.
OP: if you tell us what you're currently eating, we might be able to give more precise advice?
It isn't that I really found unhealthy food filling, I just ate it in large quantities. MFP is recommending I eat 1200 calories, so I'm trying to think of what to eat. I had some cereal for breakfast, pitas with jam for lunch, two cookies for snack, and some noodles for dinner the other day, but I wasn't very full. However I reached my cal count, so I couldn't add any more. Any recommendations would be great!
that's a lot of carbs. which isn't bad (I need a cobo of carbs and protein to stay full for a decent amount of time) but by themselves like that ... they are calorie heavy foods that don't offer much nutrition.
i eat normal, every day foods (nothing weird) and a decently wide variety of things. my diary is open if you want to add me.
also 1200 calories isn't really that much, and most people can lose weight eating more than that. when your calories are that low, it is even MORE important to have a wide variety of nutrient rich foods1
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