Staying under calories when up very early?

Francl27

How do you do it? I'm still struggling with this! I tend to go to bed early (sometimes hungry, and it's part of the reason I go to bed early), unfortunately it means I'm often up early too (like 5am), and often hungry by 6am. So, I eat. Then I'm hungry for lunch at 10.30am... After that it's a struggle all day to leave enough calories for dinner (hubby doesn't get home until 6pm).

Of course it doesn't help when it's one of those days when I'm just hungry anyway, but still... man I can't wait for maintenance!

stevencloser

Have more low calorie with high volume food. Vegetables mostly. Have a big side of vegetables to your lunch and/or vegetables to munch on during the day. They have barely any calories.

tegalicious

High protein snacks like Greek yogurt and low calorie fiber filled snacks such as fresh veggies and a few nuts can be very filling and satiating.

Dougf90

I usually train fasted and eat half of my calories after my workout. That leaves me satiated for the remainder of the day, so I can pick and choose really when I want to eat the rest of my calories from then till when I go to sleep.

Francl27

Veggies never work for me. I can eat over 100 calories worth and still be hungry 30 minutes later.

sjaplo

My alarm goes off at 4am and after a couple of snoozes I'm up at 4:30. First thing I do is grab 2 X 8oz glasses of water and down those. Then I have my tea while making our lunches. Exercise from 5:30, then shower and then breakfast. I find the water rehydrates, wakes me up and also forestalls any hunger pangs. Depending on breakfast - usually 400 - 500 calories 25-30g of that being protein and that usually carries me until after 11 - with a couple more cups of tea.

Hope that helps.

And yes I'm in bed around 8pm..........

tegalicious

Because you have to pair them with protein or fat. That's why I said lots of low cal veggies and a few nuts or even some of that ranch dip people make with Greek yogurt.

BikerGirlElaine

Veggies *and* protein are the ticket -- I never eat a meal or snack without a hefty dose of protein.

I simply gave up on having 'enough calories for dinner' because the mornings are when I'm hungy, to be honest. So at dinner I just have a protein shake or bar, maybe a salad with protein if I can swing it. And in the mornings I eat all the foodz.

You might experiment with having a snack at bedtime, maybe that would help you the next morning?

MozzarellaSheep

Lots of high fiber vegetables and protein rich foods.
I like low calorie greek yogurt (light and fit is only 80 calories with 12g protein!) as a protein rich snack.
Otherwise, I try and keep my meals vegetable heavy. Big salads make the best meal addition that I've found keeps me from getting the munchies too soon.
I try and divide my plate like this, which works for me: 1/2 vegetables, 1/4 protein, 1/4 healthy grain.
Just don't use a huge plate.. Haha

abickford82

Smaller frequent meals? I tried the intermittent fasting thing, but couldn't do it. I like to eat all day...I eat my 1500 to 2000 calories in 6 to 8 meals. Try a glass of water before each meal, too.

cherie515

Excercise and eat back those calories :-)

melsinct

Have more low calorie with high volume food. Vegetables mostly. Have a big side of vegetables to your lunch and/or vegetables to munch on during the day. They have barely any calories.

Agreed. I took a quick look at your diary. You can swap out a 150 calorie protein bar or a sweetened latte for a giant salad with some nuts or bacon crumbled on top. Or a low cal veggie soup...you can eat a ton for 150 calories.

For me, the more sweet stuff I eat, the more I want to eat. Even the protein bar with sugar substitutes like Quest fall into that category.

echofm1

I'd suggest lean meat like chicken or fish. The protein will help you stay full for a longer period of time. Try hard to work extra protein into breakfast and lunch in particular to keep you going through those tough periods. I'm also a fan of dairy as a snack when I know I'll be pushing my limits.

Cindy311

I'm up at 5 a.m., do my workout, and eat breakfast at around 8:00 a.m. I eat 4 egg whites, coconut pancakes with assorted toppings, and sometimes fruit. I'm typically sated until lunch with is anywhere from 12:30-2:00. I agree with others, find the right balance of protein/carbs and it's amazing how full you'll stay Also, drink...drink...drink!

MozzarellaSheep

Also, I've found drinking a glass of green tea every hour works wonders for boosting my metabolism and keeping something in my stomach. Can't beat that!

There are some days where I get to work at 12am, and work until 830am, and if I have the following day off I am awake until 1am the following day to spend the evening with my fiance'.. So I know the pain of having to try and balance your calories over the day while keeping your tummy happy.

hei_ma_ma

I don't have any advice but I have the same issue. On days I don't exercise or days I get up early I get very hungry and have a hard time staying under my calorie limit, which for me is 1,800/day. I eat protein at nearly every meal and I find that it doesn't keep me from being hungry. Nor do fibrous fruits and vegetables. Ehhhh...

cberbs

The Whole30 plan focuses on filling meals that keep you full through the day without needing to snack (very much) in between meals. Their suggestion is a serving of protein, a serving of healthy fat, and lots of veggies. When I was following their plan, I rarely needed much more than a handful of almonds in between meals.

Even if you don't follow the plan entirely, the meals are great and have lots of good ideas for filling, but not overfilling, and staying satiated.

cmriverside

OP, you're almost at goal. Your deficit should be tiny at this point, like no more than a 250 calorie deficit per day. If you are having trouble and are legitimately hungry, you probably need to eat more.

I've been at maintenance for years. I'm rarely "hungry" - other than about 30-45 minutes before mealtime. I think that's normal for everyone.

Start experimenting with bigger breakfast or bigger dinner, or Intermittent Fasting, or three good size meals. Get on a schedule and stick with it and your signals will adjust.

I do best with two larger meals and that's it. Occasionally I'll have a snack, but not often. I go to bed and get up early, too. There is something that will work for you. Keep experimenting.

knra_grl

I eat when I am hungry - I have learned that protein satifies and stays with me longer than anything else - I drink lots of water and I try to do SOMETHING everyday to earn myself some extra calories - I also try to plan ahead so I can fit snacks into my eating plan - I have 2-3 snacks a day - you have to find what works for you - some people like carbs and some protein (if you go with carbs eat complex carbs)

That being said maybe you need to reset your goals (if your goals are set at 2 lbs per week set it at 1.5 or 1 lb per week) - play with your calories try adding 100 and see if that's enough to keep you satisfied. If you are using MFP settings you are already set at a defecit to lose weight but if you are starving it won't end well.

_Calypso_

Eat more!

Raw veggies are my go to low cal food that I can eat a lot of w/out the guilt.

Also, get a good balance of carbs, fiber and protein as your first meal to keep you fuller longer! Then maybe a 100 cal greek yogurt at 10a, then lunch at noon, then some raw veggies, popcorn (light), almonds, etc around 3p, then dinner at 6p. You should be just fine.

nxd10

I eat breakfasts that are around 200 calories (yogurt, fruit, muesli) or eggs and fruit and another 200-300 for lunch (low cal tortilla, roast beef or ham, greens and fruit). That gives me a lot of calories to divide into the rest of the day.

Protein at any meal will keep you more full. Oatmeal or waffles are filling but my body crashes and I'm starving two hours later.

Save fruit or nuts for between meal snacks any time. Not too many calories and nuts, especially are filling.

I eat a LITTLE BIT of ice cream with nuts around four if I'm hungry - 1/4 cup and 5 nuts. Lots of protein, yummy, 100 calories.