Have a Hard Time Eating Under 2000 Calories

MP022012

I am a 20 year old female, 150 pounds, 5'5'. I've been trying to lose weight for 2 years and haven't lost a pound because I have the hardest time eating under 2000 calories. I'll eat 1600, 1700, or 1800 calories for a few days, but then revert back to old habits and eat 2000+ calories a day. I love food and I don't know what to do. I have bad habits of eating dessert every night and mindless snacking. I really want to lose 15ish pounds, but it won't happen with the amount of food I eat. I usually work out at high intensity about 4 times per week burning 400-500 calories per session.

Any advice? I just recently started tracking again, trying to stay around 1600 calories.

Thanks....:)

Supertact

Just stop, Either you want to lose weight and look better or you want to be fat. Choose 1.

ladybird89

Are you not getting full on 1600? 1800?

ShangoJr

MP, while Ladybird's question gets to the point, lemme add a couple of things:

Sugary foods are addictive. That may sound severe, but if you've ever been around a chocolate lover (which is addictive for other reasons as well) whose gone 'cold turkey' you will have seen the mood swings they exhibit.

Change your diet for long enough and those foods won't taste quite as good when/if you return to them (I used to drink several sodas a day...now they taste like battery acid to me).

I would add: At your age, your metabolism is likely ramped up pretty high. The trick is to ramp it up higher by timing your meals; small meals/snacks 5-6 times a day, protein 30-45 minutes after working out, save the bread until the evening, throw in some chiles if you like spicy food, etc. etc. Binging on a load of calories at night is worse than if you had eaten the same amount of calories throughout the day.

P.S: Just came in from the gym and am a bit light-headed, I hope the above makes sense.

lemonsnowdrop

MP, while Ladybird's question gets to the point, lemme add a couple of things:

Sugary foods are addictive. That may sound severe, but if you've ever been around a chocolate lover (which is addictive for other reasons as well) whose gone 'cold turkey' you will have seen the mood swings they exhibit.

Change your diet for long enough and those foods won't taste quite as good when/if you return to them (I used to drink several sodas a day...now they taste like battery acid to me).

I would add: At your age, your metabolism is likely ramped up pretty high. The trick is to ramp it up higher by timing your meals; small meals/snacks 5-6 times a day, protein 30-45 minutes after working out, save the bread until the evening, throw in some chiles if you like spicy food, etc. etc. Binging on a load of calories at night is worse than if you had eaten the same amount of calories throughout the day.

P.S: Just came in from the gym and am a bit light-headed, I hope the above makes sense.

I'm gonna go ahead and say none of this should be listened to. Meal timing doesn't matter. Eat whenever you feel hungry. Also, sugar isn't something to be avoided. That's absurd and unnecessary.

OP, do you get enough protein and fats in your diet? They will help you feel fuller than carbs. For example, a tuna sandwich (roughly 200 calories) will keep me much fuller than a bowl of ramen (380 calories).

Keepcalmanddontblink

I am a 20 year old female, 150 pounds, 5'5'. I've been trying to lose weight for 2 years and haven't lost a pound because I have the hardest time eating under 2000 calories. I'll eat 1600, 1700, or 1800 calories for a few days, but then revert back to old habits and eat 2000+ calories a day. I love food and I don't know what to do. I have bad habits of eating dessert every night and mindless snacking. I really want to lose 15ish pounds, but it won't happen with the amount of food I eat. I usually work out at high intensity about 4 times per week burning 400-500 calories per session.

Any advice? I just recently started tracking again, trying to stay around 1600 calories.

Thanks....:)

I am 5'3" and have a lightly active job and am set to lose 1lb a week and have 1600 calories. How much are you trying to lose each week? If you are set to 1lb a week, and eat exercise calories, you can easily eat closer to 2000 calories and still lose weight. Maybe re-adjust your settings. Or work out and eat back your calories. Or you can eat foods that will keep you full. You have a few options, you just need to figure out what works for you.

ShangoJr

MP, while Ladybird's question gets to the point, lemme add a couple of things:

Sugary foods are addictive. That may sound severe, but if you've ever been around a chocolate lover (which is addictive for other reasons as well) whose gone 'cold turkey' you will have seen the mood swings they exhibit.

Change your diet for long enough and those foods won't taste quite as good when/if you return to them (I used to drink several sodas a day...now they taste like battery acid to me).

I would add: At your age, your metabolism is likely ramped up pretty high. The trick is to ramp it up higher by timing your meals; small meals/snacks 5-6 times a day, protein 30-45 minutes after working out, save the bread until the evening, throw in some chiles if you like spicy food, etc. etc. Binging on a load of calories at night is worse than if you had eaten the same amount of calories throughout the day.

P.S: Just came in from the gym and am a bit light-headed, I hope the above makes sense.

I'm gonna go ahead and say none of this should be listened to. Meal timing doesn't matter. Eat whenever you feel hungry. Also, sugar isn't something to be avoided. That's absurd and unnecessary.

OP, do you get enough protein and fats in your diet? They will help you feel fuller than carbs. For example, a tuna sandwich (roughly 200 calories) will keep me much fuller than a bowl of ramen (380 calories).

A. Every trainer and nutritionist I've ever talked to has stressed meal timing. Since I'm neither, you'll have to take it up with them. It has worked for me (very well).

B. It would be pretty difficult to 'avoid sugar' altogether. The above poster mentioned she had a hard time resisting desserts. If it is these desserts causing her to eat in excess, I'd say my point was valid.

dbmata

A. Every trainer and nutritionist I've ever talked to has stressed meal timing. Since I'm neither, you'll have to take it up with them. It has worked for me (very well).

There is ZERO scientific support for meal timing beyond a few after workout things. The myth is pure broscience, and even spouted by nutritionists I saw at MIT. They did not like it when I asked them to provide evidence of their claims, they liked it less when I provided evidence torpedoing their claims. They got off that tack quickly.

I invite you to look for proof from peer reviewed articles: http://scholar.google.com

TavistockToad

open your diary

YamaMaya1

Remove snack foods from your house, or just exercise willpower. Find something to do other than snack mindlessly. You're snacking because you're bored, not because you're truly hungry. When you go to the fridge ask yourself "am I really hungry or just bored?" If you're not truly hungry (stomach growling, empty feeling in the pit of your stomach hungry) then go find something else to do. Try to avoid TV or too much sitting in front of screens in general, as that can be a trigger for mindless snacking. I know people who can put away whole big bags of sweets, pretzels, and crisps in front of the TV.

Binky_Muffin

Inventory what you are drinking. If you're consuming things like pop or juice on a daily basis, you may want to limit them or cut them out completely. These items are high in calories.

I consume a lot of water and when I drink tea or coffee, it's black. This allows me to eat more calories.

Also, it took me a few weeks to get used to a lower caloric intake. Your issue sounds like a mind over matter sort of thing... If you can make it through to two weeks, you'll probably be able to get used to eating less calories.

amcampbell2342

what does an average day for you look like; I can't view your dairy. IF you are hungry after 1600-1800 calories maybe you are making the wrong choices and not getting enough fat and protein into your meals. Do you eat vegetables? vegetables ; especially green are good filler foods. Add me if you wish and let me view your dairy and I can give you some tips if you wish.

gypsy_spirit

Meal timing: Irrelevant - plan your meals and snacks around what works for you

Avoiding trigger foods: Your most important tool in losing weight is making your self control as strong as possible. You have to learn/practice it every day. Until you learn moderation and self control - you are going to keep having the same issues.

Make specific goals about getting healthy: Read this link, learn all you can and then put a plan in place. You can do this. Unfortunately, YOU have to do it. The information is all here, the support is on this site, but getting there is all on you.


http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1175494-a-guide-to-get-you-started-on-your-path-to-sexypants

Derp_Diggler

Meal timing: Irrelevant - plan your meals and snacks around what works for you

Avoiding trigger foods: You most important tool in losing weight is making your self control as strong as possible. You have to learn/practice it every day. Until you learn moderation and self control - you are going to keep having the same issues.

Make specific goals about getting healthy: Read this link, learn all you can and then put a plan in place. You can do this. Unfortunately, YOU have to do it. The information is all here, the support is on this site, but getting there is all on you.


http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1175494-a-guide-to-get-you-started-on-your-path-to-sexypants

This.

Sofaa1

Try your best to eat healthy filling foods with lots of proteins and fats, and make sure that you plan your meals at least a day before Allow yourself a treat at night or something like that so it doesn't get all too boring

MireyGal76

I am an evening snacker... I recognize this, and in order to accommodate that, I tailor my day to accommodate that. For me, I've found that a smaller breakfast and lunch allow me a bigger dinner and more room for snacks.

I've also cut out most drinks, allowing myself my one coffee and no juice /pop.

I've adjusted my snack foods so that if I DO want to snack, I have better, lower cal options. (I. E snap peas and carrots, over granola bars)

Start looking at where you can skim cals off your snacks, rather than trying to eliminate them all together.

joepage612

im a man and eating 1200 calories a day
It was not possible for me until I started working out and eating back my exercise calories.
I burn -500 calories in the morning and then eat about 1700 for the day.
It works for me.

Siannah

Just stop, Either you want to lose weight and look better or you want to be fat. Choose 1.

Well she's not exactly fat is she, at 150 lbs?

TS, I'm the same height as you and I can easily eat more than 2000 cals a day as well if I'd be given half the chance. (I'm trying to stick to 1500 + exercise cals) Like yourself, it's the snacking that does it.
What works for me is to cut out snacks as much as possible, going back to good old-fashioned three meals a day. The less I eat in between, the less I crave it.
Mind you, this definitely doesn't always work for me, so I would have lots of pre-chopped veggies with me in the office. Cucumber, carrot, tomatoes, anything really. And I can stuff my face with these while keeping the calories low.

WhatAlexDidNext

I've lost 28lbs and sometimes I think to just give up or have a pizza here or there but I'm motivated by thinking about what I will look like. I was around 14 stone 6 and now i weight 12 stone 3lbs.

The trick is to eat smaller meals and spread them throughout the day, snack on healthy things and dont eat after 7pm.

You can do it

Celia_Arminta

Obviously there is a lot of contradicting opinions out there. This is what I do : Meals-try for 4 hours apart, give or take ( even older babies can do this). Make it balanced, ( Canada's food guide is what I follow). I find I can't make the stretch if I didn't eat enough protein or cals. North American's have big time sugar issues and I'm one of them! If I can't stay out of the junk I either try to be more busy in the evening or go to bed earlier.