change my goal and increase calories?

Amalthea8284
Amalthea8284 Posts: 49 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I am having a difficult time over the past week sticking to my calorie goal, even with trying to fill up my meals with low calorie foods so I am not hungry. I love rich foods and I am trying to keep the portions small so I do not feel deprived.

My goal is set for me to lose 1 pound per week, and I will be at my goal in less that a full year. I really want to stick to my limit every day and not to go over.

Should I decrease my goal to 0.5 pounds per week to keep my sanity? Or do I need to just try harder?

Replies

  • trogalicious
    trogalicious Posts: 4,584 Member
    If you were to open your diary up, it'd help. None of us can see what you're eating at this point and it's kinda hard to make recommendations.
  • NoAdditives
    NoAdditives Posts: 4,251 Member
    You might want to increase. Your calories to give your body a chance to adjust to your new way of eating. If you're used to eating a lot more, especially high calorie foods, it can be a shock to the body to decrease your caloric intake dramatically. You will feel hungry because your body isn't getting what it is used to. For now, for your sanity, I would increase your calories and slowly decrease them as your body adjusts.
  • ladynocturne
    ladynocturne Posts: 865 Member
    If you want to stick to 1lb per week, perhaps try exercising most days? I go nuts unless I burn at least 300 extra calories to eat. I'm absolutely starving on my rest day.
  • Stage14
    Stage14 Posts: 1,046 Member
    Personally, I am much much happier since I reset my goal to up my calories, and while my weight loss has slowed, I have more energy to workout so I am seeing bigger body changes overall.
  • Amalthea8284
    Amalthea8284 Posts: 49 Member
    Trogalicious- I won't open my diary up, and I do a lot of quick add calories so it probably wouldn't help anyway.

    NoAdditives- that was a helpful reply. I have lost a few pounds since I started but realize I was consuming much more before. Maybe I am just trying to get used to it.

    Ladynocturne- I want to exercise most days, and I do small amounts here and there most days (I have two young children here most of the day). When I do an actual "workout" even a 30 minute one and am even hungrier!
  • Amalthea8284
    Amalthea8284 Posts: 49 Member
    stage14-thanks!
  • trogalicious
    trogalicious Posts: 4,584 Member
    If you aren't accurately logging and you aren't losing. Consider accurately logging.
  • AmyRhubarb
    AmyRhubarb Posts: 6,890 Member
    If you aren't accurately logging and you aren't losing. Consider accurately logging.
    This. Accurately logging your food is key - hard to know where to make changes if you don't know your numbers.
  • Amalthea8284
    Amalthea8284 Posts: 49 Member
    I know the numbers, I just don't bother to (always) put in WHAT the food is...so you wouldn't know if I ate three tablespoons of butter coated with sugar, or a nice big salad. I am accurately logging the amount of calories I eat, and I have been going over, by a few hundred on most days this past week.
    I am losing weight, the exact amount I had planned to so far, but I don't want to go nuts keeping it at 1630 calories a day when I feel more satisfied at a few hundred more. That of course will slow down my weight loss, and I know I will have to eat this way for a long time so why rush it right? Being at my goal weight in only one year is tempting, though.
  • trogalicious
    trogalicious Posts: 4,584 Member
    The amount of fat and protein in your diet can have a big effect on your satiety. If you want to feel full, making sure you're getting enough of those will help... but you would have to track.
  • Amalthea8284
    Amalthea8284 Posts: 49 Member
    good point trogalicious! Thanks for the help!
  • Stage14
    Stage14 Posts: 1,046 Member
    I know the numbers, I just don't bother to (always) put in WHAT the food is...so you wouldn't know if I ate three tablespoons of butter coated with sugar, or a nice big salad. I am accurately logging the amount of calories I eat, and I have been going over, by a few hundred on most days this past week.
    I am losing weight, the exact amount I had planned to so far, but I don't want to go nuts keeping it at 1630 calories a day when I feel more satisfied at a few hundred more. That of course will slow down my weight loss, and I know I will have to eat this way for a long time so why rush it right? Being at my goal weight in only one year is tempting, though.

    I would have to agree that balancing your macros may go a long way to helping you not feel hungry. I would urge you to start tracking and see how much protein and fat you are getting compared to carbs. If you up your protein and fat and are still constantly hungry, then up your goal.

    But honestly, if you just want to up your goal, that's up to you. As long as you are still eating at a deficit, you'll still lose weight, just more slowly.
  • Amalthea8284
    Amalthea8284 Posts: 49 Member
    I am going to pay closer attention to hitting my macros and see how that works out. Thanks everyone!

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