To adjust or not to adjust calories

malavika413

Hey y'all. I posted yesterday about the fact that I haven't lost weight in several months, and that I think I've actually gained weight. I've been eating around 1700 calories a day, to lose 0.5 a week with light activity. I'm 5'3, 150 pounds, looking to lose 25 or 30 pounds. I've tried adjusting the calories to 1490, but I'm always so hungry with that restriction. Yet, at 1700, I'm not losing any weight. My diary is open and ready to be scrutinized. Any thoughts?

Chief_Rocka

If you want to lose weight, you're going to have to eat less.

You can adjust the kind of food you eat to try minimize the hunger, but at some point you just have to suck it up and live with it.

Springfield1970

Trying eating 1500 calories of higher volume higher fibre food. Sorry to be mean, but my 9 year old boy eats more grown up food than you do.

100g of protein a day, fill the rest with nice fats, sweet potatoes, loads and and loads of veg, and 1 kiddie treat.

malavika413

Trying eating 1500 calories of higher volume higher fibre food. Sorry to be mean, but my 9 year old boy eats more grown up food than you do.

100g of protein a day, fill the rest with nice fats, sweet potatoes, loads and and loads of veg, and 1 kiddie treat.

How the heck does anyone eat 100g of protein a day?! I rarely if ever meet my goal for protein. What do you eat??

Julieboolieaz

I'm no expert, but agree your calories are all coming from processed carbs-granola bars, cereal, bread...not the way to fuel your body. Protein, veggies, complex carbs...

100g of protein isn't that hard to hit. So you eat meat? Chicken, turkey, beef, fish...
If you don't eat meat try cottage cheese, Greek yogurt, protein powder to supplement...

Carbs in better forms like sweet potatoes, white potatoes, rice, oatmeal...they'll fill you up more and help you feel satisfied longer.

Read some threads on here and you'll get some ideas. You can do it! Good luck!

mmfilleman

You actually do eat small "quantity" but high calorie foods. I know calories matter but quality of foods matters too - especially if you are on a lower calorie diet. I used to think that the protein values were hard but I shoot for at least 100 g. Make a list of protein rich foods that you like: eggs, greek yogurt, chicken, turkey, a good protein powder, whatever and list how many grams of protein per serving so that you can build a meal around the protein. Then add veg. You can eat SO much more food if you fill up on vegetable and low calorie fruit. I also roast off a huge pan of sweet potatoes, bell pepper and onion on the weekend and then portion it out during the week. Good luck. Don't be discouraged. This was all new to me until I got information from a trainer a couple years ago. You have to find out what you like and build meals carefully at first but then it becomes easy habit

cavia

Trying eating 1500 calories of higher volume higher fibre food. Sorry to be mean, but my 9 year old boy eats more grown up food than you do.

100g of protein a day, fill the rest with nice fats, sweet potatoes, loads and and loads of veg, and 1 kiddie treat.

How the heck does anyone eat 100g of protein a day?! I rarely if ever meet my goal for protein. What do you eat??

If you look back in my diary to March, April, May of 2013 you can see how I ate that much protein. My goal back then was 1750 calories/day. Also, how are you logging your calories? Looking at your diary it doesn't look like you are weighing your food on a food scale. You could be eating more than you think you are.

Protein and fats are much more satiating than carbs. I think you'd have an easier time of it if you reduced your carbs a bit and bumped up the proteins and fats.

malavika413

I eat dining hall food and therefore can't weigh anything on a scale. I also only have estimates for the calorie content of food they make there, so I try to do my best. Yogurt and cottage cheese aren't available at my dining hall, and I can't have protein powder. I try to eat meat at most once per day, but even that doesn't sit well with me (my culture doesn't really promote meat eating, but I do it because there isn't much available otherwise).

Sued0nim

Take a packed lunch

cw106

hmmm.
have many thoughts but suffice to say it seems to be everybody else's fault except yours.
your certainly underestimating calories in with no loss.
you could
1 buy a portable food scale
2 speak to dining hall food providers re requirements/ calorific values etc.
failing that, speak to student body/ counsellor or all the way up to the dean to address your" cultural " challenges in the worlds most multi- cultural society.
3 buy your own yoghurt and cottage cheese.
hope this helps.

onefortyone

A quick fix might simply be to add in exercise to burn off those 1-200 calories - then you won't have to lower your calories at all!

malavika413

I understand everyone saying I'm blaming others, but these are barriers I can't overcome. I'm just looking for alternatives. I have no transportation and therefore can't leave campus to buy my own food. I rely exclusively on the dining hall unless I'm home. It's difficult to find time to exercise, I'm working on that. I just cannot weigh my food in the dining hall, my friends and family will probably assume I have an eating disorder and try to 'help' me. I do try to measure consistently when I am alone, but that isn't often.

gemmamummy

What exercise do you do?

malavika413

What exercise do you do?

None really, as of now. If I find the time, which is once a week or so, I go on the elliptical for half an hour. But that's about it.

tjohnoconnor

If you eat foods that are higher in fiber you will feel satisfied a lot longer. Look for foods with 2 or more grams of fiber for every 100 calories. Those are complex carbohydrates. Brown rice, beans and lentils just to name a few. Fiber is a carb. but unlike other carbs they wont digest. The body will try to digest it and burn 7 calories for every gram consumed. If you are worried about carbs. just subtract your fiber grams from carb. grams to know your net carbohydrates. Fiber will clean up your digestive track so your body can better absorb your macro and micro nutrients as well. My diary is open to public if you want some ideas. So try eating at the same number of calories you are at now but add complex carbs.

gemmamummy

I just cant believe that all the dining hall has on offer is poptarts and chocolate. No porridge, no chicken and rice? If you are serious about weight loss you need to get a proper exercise regime in place and start eating some proper food. I'm 4'11 and I'm losing on 1650 kcals during the week and 2000 on the weekends.

slvrsrfr

You're in a tough spot. I think it's gonna be hard to pinpoint the calories in the
foods you're eating. But I'd continue to do the best that you can.

Here's what I'd recommend as my son is on campus and eating at the dining
hall.

For breakfast choose oatmeal or healthy cereals like All Bran Flakes with
1% or soy milk.

The rest of your meals, I'd choose vegan options if they have them. The reason
I say this, is that they will generally be lower in calories. Too often, vegetarian
options have cheese or cream or butter as part of the ingredients and so the
calorie density goes up.

Snack on fruits and enjoy salads as you can.

cavia

I understand everyone saying I'm blaming others, but these are barriers I can't overcome. I'm just looking for alternatives. I have no transportation and therefore can't leave campus to buy my own food. I rely exclusively on the dining hall unless I'm home. It's difficult to find time to exercise, I'm working on that. I just cannot weigh my food in the dining hall, my friends and family will probably assume I have an eating disorder and try to 'help' me. I do try to measure consistently when I am alone, but that isn't often.

Then whatever you're eating now in the dining hall, eat less of it. For example, if you're clearing your plate, then leave some food from now on or ask whoever is serving to give you less than the normal serving size. It still won't be accurate but if you can't change any other variable then this will have to make do.

malavika413

No vegan options, other than some sad lentils they have every couple of days. But yes, I'll probably try eating more of the dining hall entrees. None of it tastes very good, but it's only a couple more years. I can deal.

Francl27

Yes I'd be starving with what you are eating too.. pop tarts, granola bars, chocolate... that's never going to fill you up.

icrushit

If your calorie goal is reasonable, and you're having problems sticking to it or are excessively hungry, swapping out some of the carbs for protein and fat will ensure what you eat is generally more filling. In terms of the 'fulness' factor of food, it generally tends to follow the lines of protein > fat > complex carbs > simple carbs.

Also, adding in more exercise will allow you to eat more, and even for example something like a 30 min walk, will allow you eat 150 more calories every day.

Bottom line though, if you want to see results, you need to take responsibility for your own health and fitness goals. People here can give helpful advice, but its ultimately up to each of us to find good solutions to the problems that stand in the way of our goals. Lots of other students have done it, and so can you. Put your mind to it, and I have no doubt you won't look back!