Consistency

bubbeE787

I have been having a problem being consistent, staying within my calorie range. I have a good couple of days… then I get off track- sometimes from cravings, sometimes from real hunger, particularly on a day when I’ve exercised more. I try to keep busy, avoid the activities that promote my cravings( like watching TV). Anyone have this issue and how did you handle to move towards more successful days? Thanks!

yirara

Are you eating back your exercise calories? Mfp is set up such that the calorie goal you get only includes an estimate for your day to day activity and not exercise. That means you should eat back at least a part of your exercise calories to not starve yourself.

evileyefirefly

So I find getting into a routine can be hard, but the closer you keep things to a "normal" habit forming behavior the better off you'll be. I find that drinking more water helps with cravings, and if you're feeling hungry its either you're actually hungry, or you could be dehydrated. I find eating more protein helps immensely (I have a 42g protein shake and a 20g protein bar most days.) I also find smarter snacking/meal choices helps a lot. I make sure to have smaller food portions overall, but add a salad(I use balsamic dressing since its lower cal) and I will add air-fried/roasted broccoli/cauliflower to any meal. I will sometimes just have a full head of roasted cauliflower as a quasi meal. But really listening to your body is important and will help you stay on track. If you're constantly hungry you're going to struggle. I typically don't eat my exercise calories because I try and eat the high fiber/low cal foods to get me full.

catasmc

I have been tracking on and off for a few years now. If I crave something, I have a little bit, being conscious to consume slowly to enjoy it and satisfy the craving. Watching TV definitely increases my desires to munch, so if I do find myself in this position, I keep it to something low calorie (or high protein depending on goals), and drink water! If I feel hungry, I first drink some water to see if maybe I'm just thirsty. But overall, I focus on trying to stay within my calorie range for the WEEK rather than daily because like you said, some days you are hungrier depending on the exercise. Remind yourself that our daily calorie expenditures vary from day to day because it's impacted by so many other things besides how we eat and exercise! So if I know I'm over a day or two, I try to balance it out later on in the week. Hope this helps!

evileyefirefly

The TV snacking is why I rarely watch TV or movies anymore. But I'm also a gamer, so I spend that time engrossed in a game and tend to not eat or drink much while I do that. I also found just spending a couple dedicated hours at the gym/working out will really cut the time available to make questionable food decisions.

bubbeE787

Good advice! I think I need to make sure I set my refrigerator up with good things I can munch on when I feel that hunger. Usually a warm beverage helps too. I used to make low calorie “shakes” out of almond milk and fruit. I probably need to remember that - they can be very filling. Perhaps I should make a list of “ go to” low calorie, healthy and filling snacks so I can refer to the list and not let my mind wander too much.

evileyefirefly

bubbeE787 wrote: »

Good advice! I think I need to make sure I set my refrigerator up with good things I can munch on when I feel that hunger. Usually a warm beverage helps too. I used to make low calorie “shakes” out of almond milk and fruit. I probably need to remember that - they can be very filling. Perhaps I should make a list of “ go to” low calorie, healthy and filling snacks so I can refer to the list and not let my mind wander too much.

I find that I snack less if I eat more protein and fiber. I love roasting broccoli and cauliflower for a snack or quasi meal. A head of each is still low cal, and is super filling. I like Barebells brand protein bars, and the core power protein shakes. (200/230 cal per) I'd also make sure to be careful with your liquid calories. They are easy to overlook, I have gone to drinking black coffee or tea with no cream/sugar. I also have a family I cook for, so I tend to do all the cooking so I can control what I'm eating better. I made bagel pizza's for the kids last night (Home made not bagel bites) and since I was a bit high on cals for the day I had roasted veggies and a salad instead.

The real play here is to change how you look at food and lifestyle changes. Definitely not easy to do, but one or two small changes every couple months really helps you do it in a way that won't make it so daunting.

bubbeE787

evileyefirefly wrote: »

bubbeE787 wrote: »

Good advice! I think I need to make sure I set my refrigerator up with good things I can munch on when I feel that hunger. Usually a warm beverage helps too. I used to make low calorie “shakes” out of almond milk and fruit. I probably need to remember that - they can be very filling. Perhaps I should make a list of “ go to” low calorie, healthy and filling snacks so I can refer to the list and not let my mind wander too much.

I find that I snack less if I eat more protein and fiber. I love roasting broccoli and cauliflower for a snack or quasi meal. A head of each is still low cal, and is super filling. I like Barebells brand protein bars, and the core power protein shakes. (200/230 cal per) I'd also make sure to be careful with your liquid calories. They are easy to overlook, I have gone to drinking black coffee or tea with no cream/sugar. I also have a family I cook for, so I tend to do all the cooking so I can control what I'm eating better. I made bagel pizza's for the kids last night (Home made not bagel bites) and since I was a bit high on cals for the day I had roasted veggies and a salad instead.

The real play here is to change how you look at food and lifestyle changes. Definitely not easy to do, but one or two small changes every couple months really helps you do it in a way that won't make it so daunting.

You are a wealth of good information and inspiration! Thank you!

Redgeum

I find that I can become hungry when I'm bored or tired, and as well as tackling my weight, I'm trying to be more mindful of getting enough rest and sleep. I've also discovered that I don't always register that I feel full until up to an hour after eating - this can be difficult to manage, especially if that little voice in my head is telling me I'm still hungry and to have 'a little something else' - though now I know how it can go for me, I find it's becoming easier to let myself wait and gauge my satiety level within the hour after a meal. I've now decided that I cannot avoid eating chocolate, puddings, cakes, etc. for the rest of my life and factor these in (within reason) most weeks - this bit is a work in progress, and I've accepted that I'll have to keep experimenting to see how to make it all work in the long term. Any loss, however small, will be a welcome contribution to my aim of losing and learning to keep myself within a healthy weight for life.

kshama2001

yirara wrote: »

Are you eating back your exercise calories? Mfp is set up such that the calorie goal you get only includes an estimate for your day to day activity and not exercise. That means you should eat back at least a part of your exercise calories to not starve yourself.

I'm also wondering if you're eating back your exercise calories.

bubbeE787

I did much better today. Had the fruity shakes in the evening and that really helped!

AnnPT77

bubbeE787 wrote: »

Good advice! I think I need to make sure I set my refrigerator up with good things I can munch on when I feel that hunger. Usually a warm beverage helps too. I used to make low calorie “shakes” out of almond milk and fruit. I probably need to remember that - they can be very filling. Perhaps I should make a list of “ go to” low calorie, healthy and filling snacks so I can refer to the list and not let my mind wander too much.

This is a really good example of productively analyzing experience, then making improvements in your plan to advance your goals. I predict long-term success, with that kind of problem-solving going on. Good show!

evileyefirefly

bubbeE787 wrote: »

I did much better today. Had the fruity shakes in the evening and that really helped!

I ended up having a protein shake in the evening as well. Almost forgot to do that, but looked at my diary and was quite a bit lower than I thought I was. That shake at the end of the night definitely helps with any later evening cravings/hunger. Good call.

HillaryIsAJoy

Giving into cravings is a habit, and managing them is a skill that is practiced.

Nothing has gone wrong, you just haven't mastered the skill of allowing urges yet!

Our brains are wired to avoid pain, seek pleasure and conserve energy (in psychology it's known as the motivational triad) and the more that you give into the urges, the stronger that neuropathway (or habit) becomes.

Craving literally means "powerful desire for something".

Whenever you have cravings be curious about them - they're typically just your lizard brain seeking some pleasure/comfort.

-Remind yourself that there is no sense of urgency here, and that you can have that food whenever you want.
-Sit with the desire.
-Do some deep breathing and journaling about "why" that specific food?
-Answer the question "How will I feel AFTER I eat this?" (Immediately/24 hours/1 week)
-Check in with yourself to see if you're actually seeking relief from a negative EMOTION. Sad/stressed/angry/lonely/etc.

Cravings come and go, and the more you practice allowing them to go and deny the reward, the cravings will eventually become less intense.

I hope this was helpful.

HIGHLY recommend keeping a journal & pen in the kitchen and in view.