Consistently going over calories...help...

BrandNewLaura

Okay I have been doing great sticking to the MFP plan...when I first joined I was allowed 1890 calories plus exercise per day...gradually as I've lost weight that number has gone down to 1650...I was fine the entire time and rarely went over my calories and rarely felt hungry or deprived.

Now that my calories are below 1700 I am finding myself going over almost every day...sometimes by just a bit, but tonight I went over by 350. I have been doing this gradually so it's not like my calories took a sudden dip and I'm having trouble adjusting...I don't know if it's a mental thing or what...I just find myself having such a hard time sticking to 1650 calories plus exercise per day...

I guess I mostly wanted to vent a bit and confess that I have been going over my calories...but I guess I'm also wondering if anyone else has hit a spot where the day's calorie allowance just doesn't seem to be enough...did it eventually go away? how did you deal with it? did you make changes to your diet or exercise?

BrandNewLaura

Okay I have been doing great sticking to the MFP plan...when I first joined I was allowed 1890 calories plus exercise per day...gradually as I've lost weight that number has gone down to 1650...I was fine the entire time and rarely went over my calories and rarely felt hungry or deprived.

Now that my calories are below 1700 I am finding myself going over almost every day...sometimes by just a bit, but tonight I went over by 350. I have been doing this gradually so it's not like my calories took a sudden dip and I'm having trouble adjusting...I don't know if it's a mental thing or what...I just find myself having such a hard time sticking to 1650 calories plus exercise per day...

I guess I mostly wanted to vent a bit and confess that I have been going over my calories...but I guess I'm also wondering if anyone else has hit a spot where the day's calorie allowance just doesn't seem to be enough...did it eventually go away? how did you deal with it? did you make changes to your diet or exercise?

carmenberard

I have the smae issue...hopefully someone can help

BrenNew

I know just how you feel. How'd you like to only get just over 1300 cals. and 51 grams of protein a day?! It's been great losing the weight, but geez, every time I turn around MFP is "congratulating" me by taking away more of my numbers! LOL. So, just like you, I find it harder and harder to stay under my numbers, ESPECIALLY the protein! I guess I'll just keep on exercising, and TRY to stay under (or at least fairly close) to my numbers, and hope that I CAN still lose the rest of the weight that I want to.

BrandNewLaura

I know just how you feel. How'd you like to only get just over 1300 cals. and 51 grams of protein a day?! It's been great losing the weight, but geez, every time I turn around MFP is "congratulating" me by taking away more of my numbers! LOL. So, just like you, I find it harder and harder to stay under my numbers, ESPECIALLY the protein! I guess I'll just keep on exercising, and TRY to stay under (or at least fairly close) to my numbers, and hope that I CAN still lose the rest of the weight that I want to.

Ack don't make me think of it yet lol...I would love to lose so much of this weight that I'm only allowed 1200 or 1300 calories per day but the very thought right now makes me feel faint lol...I went from probably eating a minimum of 2500-3000 calories per day to almost 1900...and in the course of 7 weeks I lost almost 300 of those calories every day!...so of course 1650 feels like starvation to me...I know it's not and that my numbers are going to get so much lower from here on out...it just feels like I've hit my first snag...I won't let this stop me though...I just need to maybe change up what I've been eating or something...

Also, I think it's safe to say that MFP estimates your protein fairly low...I read in a magazine article that you should eat your goal weight in grams of protein every day...so for me that'd be 150 g of protein...don't know how true that is...

And yes you CAN still lost the rest of the weight that you want to...I know you can!

dothompson

There might be a couple of things going on. You might just be having a little trouble getting your calories down below 1700. If so you probably should take some time and go over your menus for the past couple of weeks and see what the trends are. Do you have a time of day which gives you particular trouble? Can you see some foods that could be replaced by lighter options.

You also may just be getting bored with your healthy eating plan and starting to "step out" a little bit. If that is the case you need to make some changes to get the excitement back. Try some new exercises, new foods. Get a workout buddy, set a new goal. When I was on my first weight loss journey I learned that change was my best friend.

You're going to do this you've been way too successful.

BrandNewLaura

If so you probably should take some time and go over your menus for the past couple of weeks and see what the trends are. Do you have a time of day which gives you particular trouble?

Oooh epiphany! I guess the problem is that when I first started, I would eat most of my calories at dinner time...I'd have a lightish breakfast and lunch and then have a normal dinner that stayed within my remaining calories with my family...lately I have been trying to have more of my calories earlier in the day and make dinner the lightest meal of the day...but I am still eating what my family is eating and thus consuming more calories at night time. This might just be the problem...

So now what is better?

Do I go back to having a light breakfast and lunch and keeping dinner as my largest meal which I know isn't the healthiest option but seemed to work for me?

Or do I somehow find lighter dinners that will make dinner my smallest meal of the day?

Thanks so much for whatever you said that made it click in my head! Now that I know what the problem is I can correct it...

songbyrdsweet

Do what works for you! Heavy dinners aren't 'unhealthy'. You're not going to gain fat if you're in a caloric deficit, and the time of day has no bearing on that either.

dothompson

This is a very personal journey and you need to do what works well for you. Maybe try each idea for a week and see what feels right and keeps you on track.

You might want to also continue to eat dinner with your family, but add a salad or light soup and cut the portions back to get the calories down, then you could continue to eat a nice breakfast and lunch.

BrenNew

I know just how you feel. How'd you like to only get just over 1300 cals. and 51 grams of protein a day?! It's been great losing the weight, but geez, every time I turn around MFP is "congratulating" me by taking away more of my numbers! LOL. So, just like you, I find it harder and harder to stay under my numbers, ESPECIALLY the protein! I guess I'll just keep on exercising, and TRY to stay under (or at least fairly close) to my numbers, and hope that I CAN still lose the rest of the weight that I want to.

Ack don't make me think of it yet lol...I would love to lose so much of this weight that I'm only allowed 1200 or 1300 calories per day but the very thought right now makes me feel faint lol...I went from probably eating a minimum of 2500-3000 calories per day to almost 1900...and in the course of 7 weeks I lost almost 300 of those calories every day!...so of course 1650 feels like starvation to me...I know it's not and that my numbers are going to get so much lower from here on out...it just feels like I've hit my first snag...I won't let this stop me though...I just need to maybe change up what I've been eating or something...

Also, I think it's safe to say that MFP estimates your protein fairly low...I read in a magazine article that you should eat your goal weight in grams of protein every day...so for me that'd be 150 g of protein...don't know how true that is...

And yes you CAN still lost the rest of the weight that you want to...I know you can!

Thanks, yes, I know that I CAN still lose the rest that I want to, it'll just probably take longer, since I don't have that many numbers to work with, and I LOVE food. LOL, soooooo, it'll just take longer, but ya, it WILL come off eventually.
As for you changing what you're eating, I wouldn't if I were you. You've done great so far, and will continue to I'm sure. I myself like to have oatmeal for breakfast almost every day, which is next to nothing, and usually a salad for lunch so that I can have a good, "meaty" supper at night! LOL. Plus, I LOVE to save numbers so that I can also have some Edy's slow churned fudge tracks icecream later on too! And since a half a cup doesn't "cut it", I have a whole cup at a time! I won't EVER give that up or change things. I'll just plug away and see how things go, and you should probably do that too.

jacmiley

Oooh epiphany! I guess the problem is that when I first started, I would eat most of my calories at dinner time...I'd have a lightish breakfast and lunch and then have a normal dinner that stayed within my remaining calories with my family...lately I have been trying to have more of my calories earlier in the day and make dinner the lightest meal of the day...but I am still eating what my family is eating and thus consuming more calories at night time. This might just be the problem...

So now what is better?

I'm at about 1740 calories. My biggest meal is lunch. It makes me look like a pig cause I always have a huge meal and my co-workers that are little twigs are eating yogurt for lunch and they are done or a celery carrot wrap (which I will never eat even if it caused me to lose 100 pounds in one day)
My theory for having lunch being the biggest meal is that I have more time to burn it off. Plus, I usually go to the gym after work and burn half that meal so I feel good about myself. So for me I think its more mental.
As for family dinner, maybe have what they are having minus a starch or whatever would be bad and heat up an extra bag of steamable veggies

BrandNewLaura

Thanks so much for all of your help...I think I will try going back to what works for me...lighter lunch and breakfast with most of my calories being eaten for dinner...I am going to try that and see if I can get back to eating within my calorie allotment again...I really want to succeed this time!

songbyrdsweet

Thanks so much for all of your help...I think I will try going back to what works for me...lighter lunch and breakfast with most of my calories being eaten for dinner...I am going to try that and see if I can get back to eating within my calorie allotment again...I really want to succeed this time!

Good luck! I usually eat a large dinner because I work out at night. The only difference I notice between that and eating a small dinner, is that when I wake up to tinkle at night after a small dinner, I am SO hungry that I am actually a little nauseas. It never helped me with fat loss.