I'm getting a bit obsessed

scentsykristen

In the past when dieting (successfully) I got very obsessed with exactly what I ate, how much, and when. I would inevitably find myself at the end of the day with more than half my alloted calories still in the bank. I usually don't eat them then, and so starts another cycle of 'I can't stay on this diet!"

I just looked at my food intake about 1/2 hour ago and realized, that now, at 8: 20 pm, I still have 800+ calories left in the bank. I've been busy and trying to be conscious of what I ate because this morning I had 1/3 of an apple fritter.

Does that make any sense? It's like I'm saving my calories in case I want something later, or in case I don't get my exercise in, or because I walk into the kitchen and see only healthy stuff and think there's nothing I want to eat, so I don't eat at all.

I hope someone gets what I'm saying. Anyway, I'm trying to figure out how to keep this from happening. Any suggestions?

brat1076

I have an answer to your problem, only cause I could be a lot better with my numbers if I could make my self plan more. I never plan the day before and I should. The days I plan a head I hit all my numbers. So that is my answer if you plan you will have all of your calories spread out over the day. You also know what your going to eat. I know it is hard but worth it.

Aeriel

I try and allot a portion of the calories to each part of the day. I get 1600 calories right now, so I give about 350 to breakfast, lunch and dinner and then 550 to snacks through the day. The only time I save up a little or hold back is if I know I will be eating out at night, or going somewhere where there will be higher calories choices. If any meals were a little higher, I cut back on snacks or exercise to earn a few calories back.

sgssmile

I do totally get it, I am pretty much like that myself. I find a good thing to do is to have lot's of diet snack choices on hand at all time. May I suggest weight watcher's fudge ice cream bars..yum they are good and filling only 120 calories but they are a bit high in carbs. I also keep on hand a lot of the 100 calorie size snacks of cookies, crackers....I find if I don't have that stuff around I will then be REALLY bad. I think the one thing I have really learned is portion control, it's not that we can't have some foods we like we just have to make sure that it is a small amount. Good luck

Susan

chancesare1223

Yep I have been doing this a week and I have gotten the same way. I have divided my calories up into meals, three meals and two snacks (no more then 100 cal per snack). I have put the bulk of my divide in dinner, less at breakfast and it seems to be working out. I am also paying more attention to when I am full and I stop eating, then I journal what made me full and how much of it I ate etc.. I know for me it is about reprograming my mind, and finding others ways to eat the foods I enjoy without the calories.

naturebaby

Just make the conscious decision to change this time! flip the switch! plan your meals for the day early in the morning and then make it happen that way..if something gets changed along the way switch up the rest of the days foods till it all works out:flowerforyou: . It is ultimately your choice to make this a life changing experience..or just keep playing the same game with the same results..good luck to you

elmct57

View it from a warfare perspective. Your war on flab, fat--whatever.
Plan your campaign accordingly the weekend before, shop and cook up portions for lunch, etc. Do seafood one week, salads for hot days, chicken, lean beef or bison. Strategy and tactics pay off. I do a vegetarian day once a week now just to change it up a little. Best of luck to you and no, it's not obsessive to focus on your goals--you're doing this for you!

xarrium

I'm the same way--I've had a super-low calorie breakfast and just a salad for lunch just to make sure I had 1000 cals available for a dinner out... and then I end up logging my dinner and realize that I'm still 400 calories under. I find that I can usually think my way through my day (and realize that I usually stop eating when I'm full now), and allow myself to eat like a regular person, not like someone who's obsessed with calories. Also, I've come to the realization that I need to let myself have the occasional "bad" day or I'll go insane, and that some days (like today) the snack monster won't buzz off.

caterpillar2Butterfly

I wish I did have a suggestion for you but unfortunately I do the same thing, I always have several calories left over at the end of the day and I know this isnt good for me, I just get so crazy on watching what I eat that I over do it and end up not eating much at all, I even input my last snack of the day on here usally a peice of fruit way early in the evening before i eat it then finalise my food bank so that I dont eat anything else because i dont want to get back on here and re add something. and If I dont get all my exercise in for the day I dont feel quite so bad because i am still under on my calories. but I know I need to be more mindful of what im doing...

lutzsher

Totally me . . . up until about May of this year . . . and now I PLAN, PLAN, PLAN.
I have a 2 week menu that I do up right from breakfast to dinner every day. Not only does this help me plan, but I build my shopping list around it too. Now I do visit the grocery store often because I like my seafood fresh and veggies need to be purchased more often than 2 week incriments, but again I only shop what is on my list from my plan. If I find a recipe I like I add it to my menu the next time around.
My Mom did this in lean times when I was growing up so I thought it would work well for our health and pocketbook. I love it, we work full-time (or more quite often) and it really helps me to consult my menu plan to take out our desired meat for dinner the night before so it is thawed in the fridge, or note to hit the store on the way home for my seafood.
We waste nothing now, have our meals and snacks ready to go so we eat much more balanced throughout the day, and it has made life easier with a busy schedule.
We used to get a lot of our calories in the evening and with this change both my husband and i have seen consistent results with our weight loss.

HealthyChanges2010

I find if I plan out all my meals for the day and even some days in advance if I can, somedays you might alter slightly but I try hard NOT to change the day I'm in for that reason. Not being able to get all my cals in or going overboards. If I plan out my day and figure it out by 5-6 mini meals a day then I don't have the issue of running out of cals or having a way to many to know what to do with at the end of my day.

I'm looking down as I type at lutzsher's response and see she has written the same PLAN PLAN PLAN, the best advice anyone can give you. We gotta track our day or we can easily lose control of it from outside sources. Work parties, being too hungry etc.

Good luck,
Becca

scentsykristen

Thanks for all the great advice! Mostly what I'm hearing is PLAN!

Tomorrow I will go through the cupboards, plan my week, and make my shopping list. We'll see how this next week goes.

Thanks again!