Oi!! My empty stomach!!

xxthursday09xx

I'm getting frustrated! I try very very hard to go under my calories for the day. But no matter what, the more I work out the more I need to eat. I'm hungry ALL THE TIME! I eat a lot of fiber and protein. And I spread my meals out. I'm not one that can go on 3 meals a day. I need mini meals. Today I was over my cals by 282. I went and worked out, so I made it up. But I was STARVING so I ate a small small baked potato. And of course, it put me 75 cals. over. I'm over my protein, and I'm over my fiber. Oi, am I doing it completely wrong??

kupitzc

I don't think you're doing it "wrong," per se; you are dieting - there are going to be times where you're hungry, plain and simple. However, if it's happening more and more, I have a few suggestions:

-Try and exercise earlier in the day, and before you need the extra calories, rather than after you've already gone over. If you don't have a set amount you have to burn, you'll probably actually exercise longer to give yourself more wiggle room later. I'm just re-starting my diet now, but back when I was in full swing I would actually burn ~600-800 calories in a workout, and then I could eat a great dinner.
-Gum. Sugarfree gum has relatively low amounts of calories, and it curbs my hunger for a while, usually.
-Also, I see you're getting a lot of protein and fiber - are you getting enough fat? Sometimes a good serving of (controlled amounts) of fat is helpful - my personal favorite is whole milk.

xxthursday09xx

I don't know about the fat issue. I was under by 17 grams. I was only able to work out in the evenings (my gym opens at 5 and I had to be to work at 6) but since we are going back to 8 hr days, I can go in in the morning. So I am definitely give that a try! I know, from the way my body works, that I have a tenancy to eat more because I'm exercising. I just didn't know if it was good or bad. Thank you for the advice!

DOCwilliams

be strong,it will get better,your body is use to taking in toooo many calories,now it needs time to adjust back to normal.Have will power!!!

joleanrook

Make your diary public... then you can truly get advice because we will be able to see "the whole picture". It also gives you added accountability. People will be able to see some of the food choices you are making and recommend lower calorie swap-outs. I've gotten tons of ideas from other people's diaries - it really is a big help.

bsexton3

Without seeing your diary, can't make a complete ruling if you are doing anything wrong. I would search what makes you full without eating a lot of calories. And, if you are just getting started on the diet, your body is still adjusting to eating less. So, with that said, here are some ideas I have gained from reading on this site.

1. How much water are you drinking? When I have 8 glasses of water, I am less hungry. Told that your body tells you that you are hungry when you are actually thirsty. So, drink water throughout the day. Some say sipping is better than one glass every hour for 8 hours.

2. When I am hungry, I go for fruit. Apples work well. One apple has 80-130 calories and is very filling.

3. Whole grains. The mornings I start with whole grain hot cereal, I last longer in the morning. Look for other things than instant oatmeal. I buy Bob's Red Mill hot cereals (living in the greater Portland, OR area). A variety helps make oatmeal not as boring. Also, search for the link on what to add to oatmeal. Some great ideas.

4. Snack on veggies and skim cheese sticks. Veggies have no calories. Find some that you like.

5. Move away from processed foods. The more packaging, the more unwanted calories and added salt--both don't help healthy eating.

6. How many pounds a week do you have as your goal? If it is 1 1/2 or 2 pounds, you are doing well. If it is 1 pound a week, you are eating 500 calories less than you burn. 2 pounds is 1,000. If you are over by 100, you are still on pace to lose weight.

Notice, I don't use the word dieting. I do not see this as a diet, I see this as a lifestyle. I am tired of going on diets, I am wanting to be healthy. I exercise because I enjoy riding my bike. And yes, if I do a long ride, I can have a bit more, and even a piece of pie on my birthday. But, I am wanting to eat healthy, without a lot of salt and processed foods.

Good luck!!

Red13

I am the same as you with needing to eat small and frequently. Are you eating enough for breakfast? I've found that increasing my breakfast has helped with controlling my hunger for the remainder of the day. Don't be afraid to use a good portion of calories for the morning.

auntiebabs

GOIN OVER vs. GOING OFF THE DEEP END.

My lose 1 lb a week calories are 1290 the minimum I should eat is 1200 that's a pretty small target to hit. So played with different info into my goals to get the following figures for me. You can figure out yours

I try to keep in mind that...
To LOSE 1lb/week I get 1290 cal
To maintain my GOAL weight is 1680 cal
To maintain my CURRENT weight 1780 cal
To maintain my STARTING weight 1865 calories
....so unless I consistently go over by 500+ cal I should not gain.

I'll just lose at a slower rate. I don't really have a problem with that, because the slower you take it off the more likely you are to keep it off. I DO want to lose weight, but what I REALLY WANT is a healthy and SUSTAINABLE life style. (I want to get into that healthy bracket on the BMI scale)

So, if I cannot keep to my cal/day and I go over by a hundred or even two that's still better than what I was doing before I started MFP. Really I figure as long as I stay under the calorie count to maintain my GOAL weight I should get there eventually, albeit very very slowly.

If I feel TOO deprived I'll never be able to maintain. But if I feel I've gone off of the deep end, I'll feel like I've past the point of no return and I'll give up. I can see what I've been putting in my body. All the foods with hidden sugars and fats.
This tool helps me make heathlier choices. Helps me think and weigh my options.

redefiningmyself

I started this program in the middle of August and I can honestly say I'm never hungry. Plus I think in all this time I've only gone over on 2 days. The trick for me is LOTS of veggies and fruit, and to make sure I get my water in. Veggies are quite filling and have very little calories. For example, i think 2 cups of cucumber is something like 16 calories.

So maybe consider trying that out and see how it works for you.

Best wishes!

xxthursday09xx

I have made my diary public.

DOCwilliams

Well,if you are over 75 calories a day, in a year you would have only gained 8 pounds.BE STRONG.From the picture it does not look like you are starving.keep exercising and small meals thru the day.