What to do when you hit your allowance too early.
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Space your meals out a bit more and have more nutrient-dense foods during the earlier part of the day. (Vegetables and fruits, protein and fats)0
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If it were me I would replace some of those carbs with protein.
Your body digest sugar (carbs) much more rapidly then proteins and that in turn makes you hungry sooner where as proteins and fats keep you satisfied longer.
If I eat a fruit smoothly for breakfast I am hungry by 10am and want to eat again. If I eat an egg, mushroom and avacado omelet I am good until well after noon time.
Just my .02
This is fantastic advice- if you are still short on calories, exercise to "earn" more. I wouldn't just eat without earning them. The exercise will also cut your appetite a bit, so you will likely eat less.0 -
If I'm hungry, I eat. Don't usually bust a calorie limit (usually under my number), but if I'm hungry, I'm eating.
You could rearrange your calories so that you eat fewer during the day and more at night. If you're eating junk food, you could replace it with low-cal fruits and veggies. You can fill up nicely on those for very few calories! If you aren't eating a balanced diet, try balancing it out. You could be hungry because you are craving something you're missing. Take your vitamins, too!
I'm with this. I've gotten into a breakfast and lunch routine that saves the bulk of my calories for evenings, when I tend to eat heavier meals or go out with friends. And if I end up being home alone one evening, I can eat a bit less for dinner and save up some calories for later in the week. (I generally make it a goal to balance out weekly more than anything else.) Basically, I had to rearrange my eating to fit my lifestyle, instead of trying to change my lifestyle to a certain type of eating.
I also have to assess what foods I'm eating. I know that I can't eat a donut for breakfast, because I'll be starving in an hour. I know that I can't have chips around the house, because I will blow my calorie goal out of the water in twenty minutes. I learned that I am actually capable of eating chocolate in moderation, but not ice cream -- etc. (I clearly had/sometimes have an overeating problem. I know that's not the case with everyone, lol.)0 -
My calorie limit is 1370.
I usually eat oats for brekky, a pb sandwich and a fruit salad for lunch. I have a tendancy to snack, which i find really good when im sitting in the library studying all day
Today for example:
Breakfast: strawberry and banana smoothie : 330 cal
Snack: string cheese 60 cal
Lunch: pb sandwich, apple, strawberries, peach slices and rasperries: 530 (you can see i have plenty of fruit)
Snack: cheese and crackers: 90 cal
Aleady at 1000 cal mark... And its only 3oclock!! And tonight i know i have a long study session ahead of me.
I found that a smoothie without a protein in the morning would spike my blood sugar (making me more likely to be hungry only an hour or so later). Try swapping out the strawberry with a more sour berry (raspberry or blueberry which gives you less natural sugar content with great fiber count) and maybe try some protein powder in the mix. The banana's Glycemic index is pretty moderate and it has some good nutrients, so I'd keep it, but if you could, I'd swap that out too with a lower calorie fruit. The protein powder combined with a lower calorie fruit smoothie in the morning can cut another 100 cals off (easily) and will keep you well until lunchtime. The PB is what is killing your lunch without enough protein to help balance out the carbs again. If you could get that lean meat into your lunch, the calorie count could be cut by like 200 cals. Save the cheese to once a day with some of the fruit for the other snack of the day (if you need it) and then you've got lots of leeway for dinner.
Oh yeah, and sometimes, I will guilt myself into taking a lunchtime gym break or walk to get some of my calories back too (I'm on the 1200/day count).0 -
If it were me I would replace some of those carbs with protein.
Your body digest sugar (carbs) much more rapidly then proteins and that in turn makes you hungry sooner where as proteins and fats keep you satisfied longer.
If I eat a fruit smoothly for breakfast I am hungry by 10am and want to eat again. If I eat an egg, mushroom and avacado omelet I am good until well after noon time.
Just my .02
I completely agree with this. I actually gained about 15lbs last year because I was constantly eating carbs (granted, I wasn't tracking either) but I was constantly hungry, and so I thought "well my body is telling me to eat so I'd better listen to it." As soon as I swapped out most of my meals and snacks for protein and healthy fats like coconut oil, I began to feel full for much longer and didn't have the urge to snack as much. (well the urge was still there, but it was more psychological and that is a different battle entirely). Once I changed those habits, it made a big difference to my actual hunger level. And the scale 0 -
1. Make a plan.
I plan/ prep most of my meals for the week on Sunday's. Also, every night before bed I pre-log everything in my diary for the following day to make sure I stay within my goals.
2. Now here is the hard part... Stick to your plan!
If you logged it and it fits your goals, eat it. If it doesn't... don't. If you want to change your mind halfway through the day and swap food items, go for it, but make sure you are substituting something else to avoid over eating.
PLAN to succeed 0 -
1st of all, plan your day at the beginning! know what you're eating for each meal all day long. that way you won't go over too early, because it's already decided for you.
if you have a tendency to snack while studying, go to the library and take with you only the snacks that fit in your caloric intake. or take a break from studying and go workout to get more calories for the day, if you're wanting to follow the MFP net calories way of thinking. Science suggests taking ten minutes every hour of studying to let your brain recharge anyways, so why not use that time to jog a mile, or go for a walk, do push ups, or squats... anything!
Or, research TDEE and try eating more to lose... it works well for some, but definitely involves staying committed to your workout plan and planning ahead too!0 -
Hi all.
Thanks for all the great advice. Acouple things i should have mentioned earlier that ive noticed from replies:
My stats are: 20 years old, 151cm and 88kg. Id prefer not to open up my diary as im not 100% proud of what ive had to eat the last few days... Im getting there though!
My strawberry and banana smoothie consists of: raspberries, strawberries, banana, yogurt, milk, protein power and a fibre supplement for medical reasons.
Ive tried prelogging, but something always seems to come up to put that off track (for example today i forgot to eat breakfast and when i got to uni i ate breakfast at the cafe... 650 cals later!!!!)
When i have peanut butter, i only have a teaspoon
Anyone able to duggest some good other snacks?0 -
If you are only having a tsp of peanut butter, I would say you are over-counting calories for lunch unless you have a really dense bread?0
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Something to think about but why are you snacking so much - are you hungry or is it just a habit/ boredom thing? If its the latter then you need to get out of the habit of eating for the sake of eating. If its the former, personally I'd reduce the carbs at lunch time and have more protein eg Tuna sandwich instead of PB.
As for snacks, veg sticks, protein shake, cottage cheese, yoghurt - basically less calorie dense food than cheese.0 -
Whatever you may think, it is not a failure and don't let that make you throw your hands up and quit and say "tomorrow". Just take control of the situation. It's a simple as taking 30 minutes (or even 15 if you can't do that) and exercise. Maybe a high intensity circuit, jog, or really anything that can get you moving so you can burn some of those extra calories. Even if you have already exercised earlier, just add on a little more. You'd be amazed of the calories burned with even 5 minutes of steady cardio exercises. But don't allow yourself to have a mindset that you are using exercise to punish yourself for eating too much. Likewise, don't use exercise as a scapegoat to be able to eat more. Just think of it as a give and take and working toward a balance of both and make it enjoyable. Then be very mindful of your next meal(s). Try to make them reasonable in calories so that you're not sabotaging your efforts of getting back your calorie allowance.0
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This is what's helping me. It's a guideline I follow for meals.
350 calories for breakfast
450 calories for lunch
500 calories for dinner
2-50 calorie snacks
My meals usually aren't that high in the day leaving me more for dinner or higher calorie snacks. You can make it work!0 -
1. Make sure your calorie intake goal is reasonable.
2. Get better at planning out your meals. Log before eating, for example. This can help you get into the habit of making substitutions or having smaller portions.0 -
Cut out the PB. It's easy to eat 500 calories of it in a sitting, and there's really no reason for it. Replace with hummus or turkey on sandwiches.0
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Eat lots of veggies and drink lots of water. But don't starve yourself.0
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Hi all.
Thanks for all the great advice. Acouple things i should have mentioned earlier that ive noticed from replies:
My stats are: 20 years old, 151cm and 88kg. Id prefer not to open up my diary as im not 100% proud of what ive had to eat the last few days... Im getting there though!
My strawberry and banana smoothie consists of: raspberries, strawberries, banana, yogurt, milk, protein power and a fibre supplement for medical reasons.
Ive tried prelogging, but something always seems to come up to put that off track (for example today i forgot to eat breakfast and when i got to uni i ate breakfast at the cafe... 650 cals later!!!!)
When i have peanut butter, i only have a teaspoon
Anyone able to duggest some good other snacks?
So your BMR is actually 1677, so you could be eating a lot more. Even at lightly active, your TDEE comes in at 2306.
If you ate your BMR every day (which gives you significantly more calories to consume) you would still be creating a deficit of 629 calories per day and able to lose 1.5lbs per week.
You would also have a better chance at a better fat to muscle ratio so that your body composition will be better at the end of your weight loss.0 -
This is an issue I occasionally face because I'm older, short, and at 1200. It usually happens if I eat lunch out or have a conference or professional event where lunch is served. If I'm making my own food for lunch, I usually have at least 400 left for dinner, but at most of these events, it's hard to get away with under 500 calories for lunch. If I eat a big lunch, I usually just eat fruit and salad for dinner, even if that means I'm eating differently from the rest of my family. For instance, I might cook a big meal for them and just eat the salad and veggie, but not the protein and the starch. This isn't a huge sacrifice since I've already had a satisfying meal in the middle of the day.
That being said, I could offer a couple of pieces of advice to OP since it looks like you are in control of what you eat during the day. I might switch from a smoothie to eating something with bulk in it for breakfast. Smoothies are high calorie but you're drinking your calories, so you're not feeling as full as if you ate something. You could have a poached egg and an english muffin, a bowl of oatmeal (which takes only a minute in the microwave) or a cup of high fiber cereal and lowfat milk for less than 330 calories and you might feel fuller and less inclined to snack. I've found a high protein cream cheese that I have on an English muffin (less caloric than a bagel). Also the peanut butter sandwich is a big calorie item. You either have to cut back on the peanut butter (which is very calorie dense) or the bread. I'd recommend the latter, since the peanut butter is also nutrient dense. You could make only half a sandwich if you are using full calorie bread, or switch to a low calorie "light" bread. If you like fruit, eat the peanut butter on an apple, which is only 75 calories, vs. anywhere from 180 to 200 calories for 2 slices of bread.0 -
I would say to try to plan ahead your meals for the day. I actually try logging a few days in advance. Obviously things change and I do tweak but this helps to ensure I do not go over. When I do go over, i try to work out more or see where I can make healthier choices. For example, use sandwich thins instead of white bread. Veggies instead of fruit, drink more water.0
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If it were me I would replace some of those carbs with protein.
Your body digest sugar (carbs) much more rapidly then proteins and that in turn makes you hungry sooner where as proteins and fats keep you satisfied longer.
If I eat a fruit smoothly for breakfast I am hungry by 10am and want to eat again. If I eat an egg, mushroom and avacado omelet I am good until well after noon time.
Just my .02
I agree with this ^^,
Plus, you need to plan your meals. If you're just randomly eating whatever you want without planning, it's common sense that you'll hit your calorie max early in the day.
Plan your meals and snacks in advance. And then stick to your plan.0 -
A more important question than that would be how to not hit your calorie limit before eating dinner...since you said this happens a lot. Either your limit is too low or you aren't eating low-cal filling foods. Pre-planning your day is the best way I have found to make sure I budget my calories throughout the day, its just like money. Figure out how many meals you want, then figure out how many calories per meal. Leave some leftover for snacks. Ex. my goal is 1340 calories Net, so I try to eat 300-400 cals per meal, and then the rest and exercise calories go towards snacks/treats or insurance for another day I know im going to be over.0
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