what would you eat in a 2400 calorie day diet?

ellelit

i'm still having trouble figuring out what to eat to keep me full for the whole day, and i'm just wondering what you would eat in an average day with 2400 calories (not including exercise). i find i'm still always hungry, which makes me overeat and go over my limit. any thoughts or ideas would be very appreciated!

ellelit

i'm still having trouble figuring out what to eat to keep me full for the whole day, and i'm just wondering what you would eat in an average day with 2400 calories (not including exercise). i find i'm still always hungry, which makes me overeat and go over my limit. any thoughts or ideas would be very appreciated!

destiny_206

My calories are not that high but I find cottage cheese and fruit to be good ones and whole grain carbs like a tuna sandwhich on whole grain bread or at lunch time some whole wheat pasta with garlic or tomato sauce. drink lots of WATER it will help you feel full and just stay under a few days and your body will adjust and you will not be able to eat a ton anymore I know the fist few days were hard but now on days when I do go over I feel so sick.

shorerider

2400 a day? Are you sure that's correct? Seems high....

ellelit

i'm 310 pounds, with a goal of 1 pound a week weight loss. i put that into the calulator, and that's what it says.

carmenberard

I hear you, I'm at 2250 a day and am still hungry by bedtime, fruit is great as well as be careful not to overeat at breakfast, it sets you up for a bad day, usually I have a smallish breakfast at 8am and another small meal at 10am....that REALLY helped when I discovered it last week...already almost on target...a work in progress.

Keep in touch...I'm here for you...people may think 2000+ calories a day is alot but if you're 5"11 and active and big likeI am it's actually not.. ..cheers....:drinker:
Carmen

eer205

I really like to do 4oz. of thin turkey or chicken lunch meat with a laughing cow light swiss wedge. you roll it up and you have a really great snack, and because there is so much protein, I find it really filling. Thanks Power90!
Also, on days when I know that I am going to want a lot of quantity because I'm hungrier, I like to fill up on veggies. A favorite of mine is 5 cups baby spinach, 1/4-1/2 cup light vanilla yoghurt, 1 serving walnuts, and 1 apple. The yoghurt makes a great "salad dressing," and the apples make it sweet. This way I can get a "sugary" snack, but still get in all that spinach. The walnuts are good for protein, too, which means I stay full longer.
That aside, I read a magazine once that had an article from a lady that lost a lot of weight and she said of the things she had to realize was that it was okay to go to bed hungry. Now, you shouldn't be starving yourself or be hungry all the time, but I think it is good advice. If at the end of the day you are ready for bed and you know that you have had your calories for the day, just tell yourself, "It is okay to be hungry."
Other than that, I'd say up the protein (black beans, chicken, tuna, chickpeas, nuts, cheeses, etc.) to keep you full. Good luck. Let us know how it goes.

BrandNewLaura

2400 a day? Are you sure that's correct? Seems high....

I was just going to ask the same thing...that sounds like maintenance calories, not deficit calories to create weight loss.

But, however many calories you do have, try eating mini-meals throughout the day...I eat ALL day long, never going more than 2 or 3 hours without eating something...keeps my metabolism going, keeps me from getting hungry and consequently overeating, and keeps my body from thinking that it won't ever be fed again, so it's more likely to let go of those extra pounds.

Today for instance, I slept in, so I didn't have a typical breakfast and lunch. (I will usually have breakfast, a snack, and then lunch, but on the weekends it changes a bit because I sleep in a bit). I had a 4 egg white omelette with Laughing Cow herbed cheese, two Kashi whole grain waffles with syrup, and a "SuperShot" of fruit juice (it's found in the yogurt section of the store and it's a mini bottle of juice that's only 50 calories and has a TON of potassium.)

Then in the afternoon I had some cottage cheese, baby carrots, light ranch veggie dip, and iced green tea. For dinner we had a "chili mac" recipe that I found in the Calorie Queens book, and a little bit ago I had some Jello Sugar Free Pudding and another iced green tea.

Most days I have breakfast, snack, lunch, snack, dinner, snack. In fact, in my food diary, I changed the names of my meals to time slots (8-11am, 11-2, 2-5 pm, 5-8 pm, 8-11 pm) It reminds me that I need to plan minimeals throughout the day and it helps me to stay on track. Plus, I rarely get hungry because I never go more than a few hours without eating! Hope this helps a bit!

TheGoblinRoad

I'm a firm believer in including daily indulgences just to avoid burnouts.

That said...I like my meals to be full of veggies when possible to add to that sense of fullness without adding too many calories, so I can afford to have my bottle of frappuchino or whatever else it is.

ChubbyBunny

maybe a bit more protein,,,

BrandNewLaura

i'm 310 pounds, with a goal of 1 pound a week weight loss. i put that into the calulator, and that's what it says.

Because you have a lot to lose, you could safely go to 2 pounds a week...granted it will cut down your calories significantly, but once you learn what healthier low cal foods you like and get yourself into a routine, you'll find it doable, especially when you add in exercise (I recommend Leslie Sansone walking dvds...awesome!) I am about at your weight afer losing 28 pounds, and I am consistently losing 2 or more pounds per week. Once you get some of the weight down, you may need to go down to 1 pound per week and eventually .5 pound per week...

Edit: Please read the other posts below as there are some other perspectives on this topic and I may be totally off the mark. Two pounds per week works for me but may not work for everyone, so definitely do what works for you!

shorerider

i'm 310 pounds, with a goal of 1 pound a week weight loss. i put that into the calulator, and that's what it says.

I commend you for going for 1 pound a week! I was aiming for 2 or so but now my doc wants me to slow down to 1 pound a week :grumble: But we'll see how that goes. with the exercise I do, it's hard to eat enough to keep the loss down to 1 pound a week sometimes--especially now that she put me on a diuretic and I'm fiinally losing the fluid weight (4 pounds in 2 days!)

Try eating lower cal but more filling foods--like spaghetti squash. YOu can eat a TON of that and hardly have calories. Really filling, too. Or Salads, etc. I'm not big on vegis but love my squash! Eat it every day in some form.

ChubbyBunny

I am cracklin in at 1200 cals...not including exercise cals (which I live for)...I would love some of yours:laugh:

BrandNewLaura

I commend you for going for 1 pound a week! I was aiming for 2 or so but now my doc wants me to slow down to 1 pound a week :grumble: But we'll see how that goes.

Eep looks like I was wrong :ohwell:

BBCoachKel72

2400 a day? Are you sure that's correct? Seems high....

I agree with you 2400 seems high. I have problems getting my 1300 in a day and when I exercise (6 days a week) I have around 1700 to 2000 to eat. When we take trips I get up to 2800 because of our activities we do on vacation. Let me tell you what a challenge that is. :sick:
All I can say is maybe add some wheat pasta, some kind of protien for dinner and DON'T forget the veggies. Also steel cut oats or regular old fashion oatmeal for breakfast, add some berries or a scrambled egg to your oatmeal. Maybe for a snack some reduced fat peanut butter with low fat gram crackers?
just few suggestions. I'm probably not a good person to suggest thing though. I'm way to picky hahah! :happy:
Good luck, Kel~

shorerider

Eep looks like I was wrong :ohwell:

Well, couple things.

One---1 pound is what most docs will tell you to shoot for, as it is slow and allows your body to adjust. It is also the most likely to allow you to lose weight AND keep it off.

Two--Diabetic here-and having problems with meds; so am tweaking my meds. She wants me to slow it down so my body has time to adjust and I can make the adjustments needed in my meds without bad things happening--you know, like passing out while cycling or worse.

BBCoachKel72

i'm 310 pounds, with a goal of 1 pound a week weight loss. i put that into the calulator, and that's what it says.

I commend you for going for 1 pound a week! I was aiming for 2 or so but now my doc wants me to slow down to 1 pound a week :grumble: But we'll see how that goes. with the exercise I do, it's hard to eat enough to keep the loss down to 1 pound a week sometimes--especially now that she put me on a diuretic and I'm fiinally losing the fluid weight (4 pounds in 2 days!)

Try eating lower cal but more filling foods--like spaghetti squash. YOu can eat a TON of that and hardly have calories. Really filling, too. Or Salads, etc. I'm not big on vegis but love my squash! Eat it every day in some form.

OMG!!!! SPAGHETTI SQUASH IS AWESOME!!!! LOVE IT! LOVE IT! LOVE IT! HAHAH! :laugh:

And passing out while cycling...NOT GOOD!!! :sick: :noway:

chelsey787

Most days I have breakfast, snack, lunch, snack, dinner, snack. In fact, in my food diary, I changed the names of my meals to time slots (8-11am, 11-2, 2-5 pm, 5-8 pm, 8-11 pm) It reminds me that I need to plan minimeals throughout the day and it helps me to stay on track. Plus, I rarely get hungry because I never go more than a few hours without eating! Hope this helps a bit!

what a great idea!!!!

seriously, though! because i always find in between the time frame of like 2-5 is when i graze on a lot or binge on lots of snack. keeping track of times is such a great way to stay in check!

BrandNewLaura

Eep looks like I was wrong :ohwell:

Well, couple things.

One---1 pound is what most docs will tell you to shoot for, as it is slow and allows your body to adjust. It is also the most likely to allow you to lose weight AND keep it off.

Two--Diabetic here-and having problems with meds; so am tweaking my meds. She wants me to slow it down so my body has time to adjust and I can make the adjustments needed in my meds without bad things happening--you know, like passing out while cycling or worse.

I spoke to my doctor and she said that 2 pounds was healthy for me...and I'm not doing any exercise that is anywhere near as intense as your superlong cycling trips (I still don't understand how you do it but that is so awesome!)...so I guess 2 pounds per week is okay for me for now, but I know everyone has to go by whatever is best for them.

shorerider

I spoke to my doctor and she said that 2 pounds was healthy for me...and I'm not doing any exercise that is anywhere near as intense as your superlong cycling trips (I still don't understand how you do it but that is so awesome!)...so I guess 2 pounds per week is okay for me for now, but I know everyone has to go by whatever is best for them.

Yep. And one benefit of being heavier is that we can usually cut our calories lower to begin with and get away with it! And, we burn more calories for the same amount of exercise than people who have less to lose!

AJCM

Here's how I would (and typically do!) spend 1500 calories:

7:00 = Workout
8:00 = Protein Shake (Whey protein powder, strawberries, almond milk) ((160 calories))
9:00 = 1 Tablespoon peanut butter on a brown rice cake and a cup of coffe ((155))
11:00 = slice apple sprinkled with cinnamon ((80))
12:00 = grilled chicken breast in a whole wheat wrap with loads of veggies and low cal dressing ((375))
2:00 = raw veggies dipped in hummus, 5 black olives ((200))
5:00 = broiled tilapia, steamed asparagus, quinoa ((400))
8:00 = popcorn made in olive oil with sea salt, diet coke (I know - bad - but good) ((130))

Hunger: I deal with my hunger with green tea before 2:00 p.m. and mint tea after 2:00 p.m. I keep a huge mug (you know those "Friends" cafe mugs that were huge in the 90's) on the counter all day, and just keep refilling the mug with the tea bag. I drink it lukewarm (chug it) and fill it up again! Great help.

See how quickly you are losing at 2400 cals, and if it is slow, you might want to go to 2lbs a week (1900 cals). Then when that slows, you can "zig zag" a bit and increase again. Just a thought!

raincloud

I am cracklin in at 1200 cals...not including exercise cals (which I live for)...I would love some of yours:laugh:

Hehe, I only have 1,200 calories too, but I am usually fine as long as I don't eat too much for one meal so the next is too skimpy.

But, if I do have extra calories apples and peanut butter keep me full for a long time.

TNTPete

If you eat healthy choices you can get a lot of filling food into your body to help with hunger pains.

Salads -- filling and you can eat a TON
Veggies -- stay away from corn, peas, and you can fill up on broccoli, cauliflower, green beans, etc
Fruits - can get high but two apples a day is a good amt around 110 for two
Protein -- lean protein, chicken / turkey / eggs (1 whole 2 egg whites)
Carbs -- multigrain types,

I read somewhere -- the closer to the ground a food is the better it is for you, example; choose orange over juice, juice over sports drink.

jlwhelan1

For 2400 calories I would eat 6 - 8 (probably 8) meals of about 300 calories each.

I tend to eat small meals and snacks all day long from 6 a.m. until 10 or 11 p.m.

Look at total calories and also keeping the foods balanced, not too much of any type of food.
Fruits, vegetables, nuts, whole grains, high quality meats, these are your friends.

I find a 1/4 cups of nuts about 1 - 2 hours after breakfast holds me awhile, then I have an apple, then lunch, then an apple or grapefruit, then a light, early dinner, then a snack, then a second dinner, then a snack. My snacks tend to be fruits or nuts as they are easy to pack with me. I eat lunch and most dinners at school/work so I have to plan ahead for meals and snacks.

Try to plan out a few days worth of food and prepare it so that it is ready when you start to get hungry.
Take your time eating.
Be prepared to feel hungry for a day or two until your body does some adjusting. If you get through the first day or two your body really will adapt.

Let us know how you are doing.

MsLadybug

If you are like me, I get into trouble when I eat start eating non-complex carbs - white flour and sugars. I would suggest that you concentrate on whole grains and getting enough protein to balance your carbs. I personally opt for the zone (40% carbs, 30% protein, 30% fat equation (good fats like olive oil, avacado and nuts)). I find when i keep this balance or close to it, I'm less likely to snack and crave more food after i've eaten my calories.

pinkpixies

My nutritionist says that protein keeps you feeling full longer. She wants me to get 120 g of protein a day. (I'm just under 300 lbs so about the same as you.) So maybe try eating high protein foods...

Heres a few off the top of my head that I like:

kashi go lean crunch or hot cereal (I believe 9 g of protein per serving)
fat free or low fat milk
yogurt
cottage cheese (Friendship brand has 90 cals and 16 g of protein per 1/2 cup)
eggs or egg beaters
veggie burgers (boca are only 70 calories and have 13 g of protein)
whey protein shakes (most mixes have around 18 g of protein...plus you add some type of milk which adds more. It keeps me feeling full for a long time!)
whole grain pasta is generally kinda high in protein and fiber...which keeps you feeling full.
beans! (I love black beans best...or kidney beans in chili mmmmmm)
and any kind of meat or fish obviously hehe

lessertess

Elle,

If I understand your post, you have no problem eating 2400 calories but rather have a hard time staying under and are still hungry. Here's what I would advise:

1. Eat 6 to 8 small meals a day that are all around 400 calories each.
2. For each meal make sure that you are getting a lean protien as that will keep you full longer, and
add bulk with lots of fresh fruits and veggies.
3. For at least a couple meals a day add in some kind of whole grain like oatmeal or a whole
grain bread.
4. Make sure you are getting sufficient healthy fat in your diet as it will keep you full longer and help
with energy levels.

With exercise I usually eat about 1600 to 1700 calories a day, but lately I've been exercising a lot and have had up to 2000 calories. Here's what I have planned today:

Breakfast:
Quaker Weight Watchers Oatmeal (has more protien)
1 large banana
1/2 cup blueberries

Mid-morning snack
1/2 cup fat free cottage cheese (I don't like yogurt)
1 cup blueberries

Lunch:
Homemade macaroni and spaghetti sauce (lots of veggies in the sauce)
Tomatoe and cucumber salad with light balsamic dressing

Note: I make the macaroni for four and then divide it into portions for lunches. so it's about a cup of macaroni with the sauce.

Afternoon snack
Carrots with hummus
Hard boiled egg

Dinner
8 oz boneless pork chop
Sauted green beans with garlic and butter
Green Giant digestive health frozen vegetables

Evening snack
Sliced cheese and crackers

That will put me at about 1800 calories You could easily increase the portions or add some other small snacks into it. You'll notice my evening meal is larger than normal. That's because I tend to cheat if I'm sitting around the house in the evenings feeling hungry. So I plan a bigger meal in the evenings. Trust me, the combination of a protien, which has staying power, and bulk fruit and vegetables should keep you satisfied. The trick is to plan it out ahead of time. Never leave your house without a plan of what you are going to eat for the day and how you are going to exercise. It's the spur of the moment decisions that will get you in trouble.

A couple other tips:

Salads with cheese and nuts are very bulky and filling and, as long as your reasonable in your cheese and nut portions are not too high in calories. You can have a HUGE salad for under 500 calories.

I find that deli meats do not fill me up. I bake boneless/skinless chicken breast over the weekend, slice them up and then use them in sandwiches and salads during the week. For some reason, I feel more satisfied, like I've had real food.


Hope this helps.

briblue72

I was going to reply, but I think "lessertess" stole all my answers!

I started at 215 with I think 1800 or so calories to eat and I felt like I was starving. But then at 170, I was around 1350 calories and REALLY hungry at night, so I'm slowing down to 1 pound/week and am around 1500 cals now. Some days I'm hungry, other days not so much.


I try to eat a lot of fruit - one serving with every meal. I also like a protein with every meal. Also, a carb. Heck, just eat the food groups!!

I really like the Kashi Go Lean Crunch Cereal - I mix it with 1/3 cup Fiber One regular cereal. Whole wheat bread with lean meat and cheese is my favorite lunch - and tuna salad!

Just plan, plan, plan!! Buy lower-calorie foods so you can eat more of them! I like Wonder Light Wheat bread - 5 g Fiber and 80 cals per serving. Thomas Light multigrain english muffins are good. bananas are filling, plums and oranges too - good fiber, liquid to stay hydrated, and heavy keeps you full!

Good luck!

Fitztay

I am cracklin in at 1200 cals...not including exercise cals (which I live for)...I would love some of yours:laugh:

Me too! Would LOVE some of those extra calories! As it stands now I burn most of my calories by lunch time and HAVE to work out if I want a decent dinner!

dothompson

In rssponse to your basic question, I too find myself feeling hungry unless I am careful.

I find the battle is twofold, bulk and protein:

You need to consume bulky foods to keep you stomach full:

Fruit, vegetables including some starchy ones corn, potatoes, and whole grains you need to try to keep the toppings to a minimum or low fat.

You need to consume protein to keep your mind "full" if you are short here you will "feel" hungry even if your stomach is full.

Lean protein: fish, shrimp or other shellfish, low or non-fat cottage cheese, egg beaters, white meat turkey and chicken.

In addition you need to eat about every 3 hours during the day. I try to eat at 7, 10, 1, 4, 7. Each time I try to have either a fruit or vegetable and some protein.

With the rest of your calories you should enjoy whatever you are craving. Just be careful to control portions and avoid whatever your trigger foods are.