But...I'm not hungry!

skylark94

I've been following a South Beach based diet for 2 weeks and exercising daily. I started tracking religiously this week and I am finding myself coming up with a large calorie deficit every day. On Saturday I had a net of 790 and yesterday it was 839. So far today I am carrying a net of 76 with only dinner left to go (dinner will be a grilled chicken breast, quinoa with veggies, and a sugar free Jello pudding, totaling maybe 600 calories.

I feel satisfied, not light headed, and I have a ton of energy. I really don't know where to go to add in all of these extra calories. My daily goal is already at the minimum 1,200 per day.

How do I get these extra calories in without adding back the things that made me fat in the first place? I'm already eating cottage cheese, almonds, fruit, veggies, peanut butter, and meats. I'm starting to add back whole grains like whole wheat bagels and Kashi cereal, but even with those I'd be coming up short.

I don't want to cut back on the exercise because my daily gym time is how I maintain my sanity. I NEED to sweat every day or I :explode:

Fairysoul

Maybe a small handful of almonds?

vim_n_vigor

Either you will have to eat more, or add back in higher calorie dense foods if you don't want to cut back on exercise.

MikeSEA

My mind is boggling at not being able to eat 1200 That said, try a few tablespoons of a natural peanut butter. For the amount of food it's a ton of calories and not really that bad for you.

hamiltonba

I always feel hungry - can you give me your menu for the day?

ATT949

I can't figure out why you want to eat more.

I routinely ate 800-1k cals/day (net) and had a superb weight loss experience.

If you're eating as much as you want and you're not feeling any ill effects, don't force yourself to eat more.

My diet, when I was losing weight, was modeled after the approach taken by Lindora here in California. They've been in business for over 40 years and have helped hundreds of thousands of people lose weight (and keep it off!) on diets of 800 to 1k net cals/day.

I'm not against eating 1200 calories a day because it's a great way to lose weight (for most people) but lots and lots of folks have lost weight (many here on MFP) eating a low calorie diet.

skylark94

I eat a lot of almonds too! I would eat more if the weren't so expensive. I also love peanut butter and it on on celery every day.

Desiree0211

Conventional wisdom, and pretty much any health expert, will say you need to eat those calories or you'll experience fatigue, lower your metabolism, etc. But I have been in the SAME boat, and I think maintaining a larger-than-normal calorie deficit when you are working out a lot is not going to ruin your life. But you'll probably be better off if you do some of the following:

Add nuts or eggs to your diet wherever you can. These are healthy items that will pad your calories without adding a lot of bulk to your meal. Olive oil and avocados are also good bets.

Eat some of the things that "made you fat." In moderation, they are not going to kill you, especially if you're smart about it. I started ending calorie-deficit days with organic dark chocolate. It gave me more energy and made me feel indulged, so I was able to continue with my healthy plan without feeling deprived.

When I used to commute, I would spend an hour in the gym everyday to beat traffic. It was great at first because I dropped a lot of weight and I felt strong. But then I started to get too thin, and so I started eating ridiculously indulgent foods once a week. Like, chili dogs and decadent desserts. It worked for me, and I maintained a healthy body until I relocated and wasn't commuting anymore.

emd0019

I would be great if your diary was public and then we could look and see where you were at such a deficit

skylark94

I always feel hungry - can you give me your menu for the day?

This is a a pretty typical day.

Breakfast
Celery - Raw, 1 cup chopped
Jif - Creamy Peanut Butter , 2 tablespoons

Lunch
Romaine Lettuce - Romaine Lettuce - 2 Cups,
Chicken - Breast, meat only, cooked, roasted, 1 cup, chopped or diced
Hidden Valley - Salad Dressing-Ranch, 2 tbsp

Dinner
Kroger - Ground Chuck 80/20, 4 oz
Publix Brand - String Cheese, 1 stick
Eat Smart - Broccoli Florets Fresh Cut, 6 oz.

Snacks
Publix - Low Fat Cottage Cheese, 1/2 cup
Emerald - Cinnamon Roast Almonds, 1 oz
Publix - No Sugar Added Fudge Pop, 1 pop


Totals 1,290
Your Daily Goal 1,700
Remaining 410 1

skylark94

I would be great if your diary was public and then we could look and see where you were at such a deficit

Done! Please feel free to comment!

ATT949

I only saw a couple of days of your diary — it looks as "exciting" as mine. :-)

My diary is open to the public, if you'd care to view it. It worked quite nicely for me!

VeganGal84

I thought that one of the great things about South Beach is that you don't have to worry about calories? Am I wrong about that? Hmmm.

(for the record, that diet was not for me! But I loved not tracking)

skylark94

I thought that one of the great things about South Beach is that you don't have to worry about calories? Am I wrong about that? Hmmm.

(for the record, that diet was not for me! But I loved not tracking)

I actually started tracking out of concern that I was not eating enough rather than too much. They do say that it is not necessary to count calories as long as you watch portions. I also think it is important, at least in the beginning, for me to track so I can get a clear idea of how much and how often I am eating. I used to eat nothing and not feel hungry until dinner, then pig out on high carb, high fat meals in huge portions.