2 Food Questions

gracienkaidens_momma

Okay so I know that I need to aim for 1200 calories a day. It is so hard for me to feel full with just 1200. I am a teacher and I move around a lot and I already have my activity level as light. To stay at maintenance I have to eat less than 1630 calories a day. My question is, if my net calories equal less than 1630 (let's say 1300 or 1400 after exercise) am I still losing weight but just more slowly?

Second question is this: Is it unhealthy to go to bed hungry? I seem to do it a lot these days because I want to lose weight so bad and don't want to go over that much in calories. I hate the feeling though.

Splendidissimus

You should still lose weight with 1300 or 1400 calories a day, but you're right, more slowly; any amount under maintenance is a calorie deficit. About the going to bed hungry, though, I'm curious about that myself.

warmachinejt

You can eat 300 less calories less than your maintenance level. You also don't eat exercise calories. I used to not eat properly before bed and my stomach would kill me during sleep. I would wake up feeling horrible (as if a fire had ravaged my stomach). So I don't recommend going to bed hungry. Just eat what you want preferably complex carbs (fiber foods) and some casein protein (milk, cottage cheese)

sarah44254

In theory as long as you are under your BMR then you will lose weight, albeit slowly. So yes, if your net = less than 1630 you will lose weight.

It is not unhealthy, but I'd try to avoid it. I go to bed a little bit hungry. If my stomach is doing rumbles and I haven't eaten in the past 4 hours, I'll snack on something. If you have calories left over, and you are feeling incredibly hungry, have a small snack. Have you tried to down a glass or two of water to see if that helps your hunger?

tim_fitbuilt4life

Try eating more fiber densed foods that will make you feel fuller and take longer to burn than refined carbohydrates. If you are hungry at night, eat something low calorie such as a piece of fruit or popcorn.

gracienkaidens_momma

What do you mean not to eat exercise calories? I always shoot to eat at least half. I have always heard you are supposed to eat some (if not all of your exercise calories). You body needs it to lose weight because if you consistently burn less than the 1200 calories, your body can go into starvation mode which makes it harder to lose weight in the long run.

jillcaudill

Slower is good. If your net is below your maintenance it will happen slowly. Going to bed hungry is fine as long as you have eaten enough calories for your day. It is supposed to be better actually because you don't burn as many calories while sleeping. I've heard not to eat after 7... but I tend to eat more at night. I try to at least eat my dinner before 7 and only have a small snack at night within my calorie goal. Good luck!

gracienkaidens_momma

Water does nothing for my hunger. I am thinking a low-fat granola bar or lowfat dry cereal may do the trick :-)

emma44ny

Are you doing any kind of exercise? You really need to listen to your body and eat when you are hungry otherwise you are more likely to gain back anything you do lose... Do you snack on high protein things like nuts/ hummus/ or string cheese? These things will help you feel full. Also drink PLENTY of water (advice I need to take myself). Avoid sweets and processed chips, crackers, etc. They're my personal favorite but definitely what keeps my weight ON. Good luck and just try to use food as fuel and eat when you need to and try to be patient... I know its hard- I have no patience!

warmachinejt

Slower is good. If your net is below your maintenance it will happen slowly. Going to bed hungry is fine as long as you have eaten enough calories for your day. It is supposed to be better actually because you don't burn as many calories while sleeping. I've heard not to eat after 7... but I tend to eat more at night. I try to at least eat my dinner before 7 and only have a small snack at night within my calorie goal. Good luck!

The not eating thing before a time is not true.

gracienkaidens_momma

I exercise about 3-4 days a week even though I shoot for more. I love those snacks but I also love chocolate too. I don't eat very much of it though. I try to carry granola bars and string cheese with me. It seems to help. It's just I try so hard to stick to the 1200 if I don't exercise but I always seem to feel hungry by the time I go to bed.I guess I have a healthy appetite!

gracienkaidens_momma

I've heard that is not true also, but I've also heard that it is better to eat more calories earlier in the day vs later because our bodies are more likely to burn off the fat during the daytime when we are active compared to the nighttime when we are asleep.

bizco

What do you mean not to eat exercise calories? I always shoot to eat at least half. I have always heard you are supposed to eat some (if not all of your exercise calories). You body needs it to lose weight because if you consistently burn less than the 1200 calories, your body can go into starvation mode which makes it harder to lose weight in the long run.

Yes, you are correct here. Eat them.

emma44ny

I guess I have a healthy appetite!

Nothing wrong with that! Me too! But I think I would lose my mind if I went to be hungry! Ouch don't do that!!

gracienkaidens_momma

It's okay not to eat exercise calories sometimes, but if you consistently make it a habit (like most days of the week) it will affect your weight loss efforts negatively.

jillcaudill

Slower is good. If your net is below your maintenance it will happen slowly. Going to bed hungry is fine as long as you have eaten enough calories for your day. It is supposed to be better actually because you don't burn as many calories while sleeping. I've heard not to eat after 7... but I tend to eat more at night. I try to at least eat my dinner before 7 and only have a small snack at night within my calorie goal. Good luck!

The not eating thing before a time is not true.

"You've probably seen the suggestion of not eating anything after 7 p.m. Well this generally assumes you go to bed around 9 or 10 at night. If you are a night owl, you may retire a little later so it may seem unrealistic to not eat anything after 7 if you don't go to bed until 12 a.m. Generally, the rule of the thumb is to not eat anything within 3 hours of your bedtime. So if you do usually go to sleep at 1 a.m. this would mean no food intake after 10 p.m. The reason you don't want to eat late at night is because your food may not properly digest. This can cause morning gas and stomach cramps. Some people who complain about bloating never realize that it's from the gas and food particles left over from improper digestion. This can be avoided if you cut down the late night snacking. Eating late at night also forces your body to use its energy on digestion,. One of the primary functions of sleep is to help you recuperate from the day. You want your body to be as relaxed as possible so you can wake up energized. Now we all know we have to cheat at some points. It's just not realistic to believe you can refrain from eating late at night every single night. So if you must cheat, then eat something healthy like a piece of fruit or a very small handful of nuts.
Stop Emotional Eating"

http://www.flat-stomach-exercises.com/eating-habits.html

gracienkaidens_momma

Yeah I don't think I'm going to go to bed hungry anymore. My tummy grumbling keeps me awake! haha

CakeFit21

I would never go to bed hungry. It would keep me from sleeping well.

gracienkaidens_momma

It does. I often find I get up in the middle of the night just to get a snack. It would've been so much easier to just have that snack at 10 p .m. before bedtime!

warmachinejt

I'd hate to go against the current but I have always lost weight without eating my exercise calories. I do lift weights though so maybe that helps cause maybe mucles are burning extra fat :P