Need help with the dinner problem.

ljoycew
ljoycew Posts: 22 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
it seems like every day, dinner is my downfall.

I'm trying to do 1200 calories per day. 400 breakfast, 400 lunch, 400 dinner.

The problem is, I tend to go a little over at breakfast or lunch, then I have to cope with 300something for dinner. More often than not, I blow it.

I wish I could just skip dinner altogether and eat more at breakfast and lunch, but I have kids, and dinner is our family time, plus I'm the one that cooks. I don't want to set a bad example for my daughter by sitting down and not eating. In fact, I try to hide my dieting from her altogether (she's 8 and doesn't need to get a complex, or to lose weight!).

More background: I've been calorie counting for more than a year. I have a scale and weigh everything. I have a heart rate monitor and eat back my calories burned from workouts on top of the 1200.

But I have been yo-yoing for a while now, between 132 and 128. Back and forth, back and forth, for an entire year.

I started at 137, so there has been progress, but it has completely stalled.

My goal is to get to 123-125. Yeah, I know, it doesn't sound like much, but I'm trying to set modest, achievable goals. Still, I feel totally stuck.

Help?

Replies

  • Francl27
    Francl27 Posts: 26,371 Member
    If you've stalled, it means you have to eat less. You might be overestimating your exercise calories, or not weighing your food/logging properly.
  • manda1978
    manda1978 Posts: 525 Member
    I'd try to eat smaller meals more regularly. I eat every 3hrs, being 6am, 9am, 12pm, 3pm and 6pm. Eating this often keeps your metabolism firing. Meals all have protein and first 3 meals have carbs ( oats, sweet potato, brown rice or quinoa). All the green veg you can eat. Worth a try.
  • ljoycew
    ljoycew Posts: 22 Member
    What I guess I'm needing help with is staying on track all day, through dinnertime.

    I don't think I'm overestimating my exercise calories, given that I use a chest strap heart rate monitor.

    I use a digital scale to weigh everything (no measuring cups!).
  • michael300891
    michael300891 Posts: 275
    Im the same with my dinner - its always massive and used to be a real problem. I would try to split my calories across meals.

    Simple solution - dont bother

    I don't get massively hungry in the morning, I skip breakfast but have a protein shake. My lunch is medium-sizes and then I have a large dinner.

    Make sure im under my calorie intake. Job done.

    Your daily energy/macronutrient intake is whats really important not timing.

    Doctoral Researcher in Exercise Adaptation and Metabolism: Follow me on Twitter (https://twitter.com/Michael300891)

Categories