1570 calories and can't do it.

judkinsjenny

oh nice. the apple trick. i rarely want an applei like them, just not to really eat. maybe with peanut butter or cream cheese! see? this is where i screw up lol

Elizabeth_C34

oh nice. the apple trick. i rarely want an applei like them, just not to really eat. maybe with peanut butter or cream cheese! see? this is where i screw up lol

Don't be afraid of screwing up, because you will do it. We all screw up, some of us on a regular basis.

If you trip over a rock, that doesn't mean you have to bash your head against it repeatedly.

Just start making incremental changes. Set a goal this week to cut your bread intake by half and double your veggie intake, even if you are over on your calories. Next week, set another goal. You'll get there.

audigal2008

bump

judkinsjenny

no. i see water as not a food. it doesnt help to fill my tummy it kinda makes me sick to drink water when im hungry. ill add some more though. need to just fill a container and leave itout to remind me.

Rilke

Hi

Just looking at your diary for the past week, here are your highest calorie food choices . . .

Ice cream - 280 calories
Peach cobber - 606 calories
Ice cream - 240 calories
Peach cobbler - 303 calories
Chocolate chip cookies - 518 calories
Hamburger - 425 calories
Feta cheese - 396 calories
Rice Krispies - 299 calories
DiGiorno pizza - 1,750 calories (ouch)
Chocolate Brownie - 384 calories
Half and half - 944 calories (why?)
Tyson chicken nuggets - 675 calories

I didn't pull these out of your diary to sit here and criticize. I think it just helps people sometimes to see exactly what they are eating. ***Trust me -- I'm not judging -- I used to eat a pound of pasta in a sitting.***

You are not getting your calories from quality sources, and you are almost certainly deficient in quite a few nutrients. For this reason, your body is telling you to eat more and more, even when you overeat. It needs essential vitamins and minerals.

Here is how you can start. For just one meal a day, eat a salad. A nice, huge salad, with lots of veggies, some beans, some lean protein (grilled chicken, steamed shrimp). If you must do cheese, don't do much. Choose a healthy dressing. Extra virgin olive oil will be fine -- it's high calorie, so measure a tablespoon, but it's so good for you.

For your other meals, eat what you want (for now).

Instead of ice cream *and* cobbler for dessert, have a small cup of one and a piece or two of fresh fruit.

Invest in a food scale to measure your serving sizes, especially for desserts. I think some of your entries are guesses. A decent food scale will only cost you $20 or so at Target or on Amazon, and it makes all the difference in the world. And measure your servings for things like cheese and cereal. If you find yourself mindlessly eating cookies or chips or whatever, count out a serving (or two, if you must) and then put the rest away! Don't munch without thinking then try later to guesstimate how much you had. You could be severely under- or over-estimating.

Last thing -- if you are breastfeeding, log that every day.

lovelee79

Yup... the first thing that came to mind, is to eat more protein !!! Protein fills you up for a long time!
lean beef
chicken
turkey
beans
tofu
greek yogurt
EGGS !!!

---

Eggs are awesome: cheap, lots of protein, easy to make, fast to make, can carry with you anywhere, you can eat them for breakfast, lunch, dinner, snacks, etc...

And drink lots of WATER... many times I think I'm hungry when my body is "hungry" for water. thirst/hunger are tricky. So drink some sparkling water if you don't like the regular stuff.
good luck, I'm here for you.:)

CoraGregoryCPA

LOTS OF WATER!!! Water will help. It will take a while before you see a difference.

I repeat on here a billion times how my dietician told me that hungry signs could be a simple sign of dehydration. I drink 10 glasses of water and 1 cup of coffee a day and still never feel hydrated enough and still pee yellow.

I didn't believe my dietician when he told me. I told him I was exercising more and he said it's because I'm dehydrated. I started drinking lots of water spread throughout the day and the hunger pains went away completely!

BerniceB

Sometimes I just want to eat. I want to chew and I think I am hungry. Here is one fix I use. I saute a large pan of diced celery in soy sauce. I may add onions. I eat this huge pan until the volume makes me full. I also drink hot crystal light lemonaid in the evening instead of eating more food. These are just tricks. But if you have stirred fried veggies or celery you can add a measured amount of protein - chicken, fish etc. Just some tricks to add volume to your diet. Good luck.

fitnfreeme

It is hard. Try to make small changes you can live with (happily) and it will come together in time. All the best to you!

cindy4mica

I'll trade you. I only get 1200

me too!

doinit4tayzie

Hey, get urself the "cook yourself thin" cookbook. The food is soooo good nd so tasty! Nd the calories are not crazy....

lipglossjunky73

Why don't you just get a baseline - eat until you feel full that day, but log everything you eat. See how many calries you actually consume when you feel full. Then, instead of following what MFP is telling you, cut off 100 calories each day from what you eat for a week. Then you are already eating 700 fewer calories a week. Then the next week, shave off another 100 calories daily. If you do it slowly and systematically, your body will get used to it. No one is saying to do it drastically if you feel you aren't ready - you should feel successful, not out of control and starving.

albayin

I am not encouraging anyone to just blindly eat less but believe me it takes some time before you are used to be "hungry".

Once you pass that point, eating less doesn't make you feel as hungry.

Kikilicious84

I think you are waiting too long in between snacks or meals. It may be a little better if you broke your meals in to smaller snacks and ate throughout the day.

*Cheers*

Rhodygarden

Are you sure you are counting the oatmeal right? It is 300 calories for a cup of dry oats - which will make a lot more prepared than one would think.

judkinsjenny

good heck, no it shouldnt be so hard. thanks for your input

fiberartist219

Instead of saying to yourself, "ugh this is hell measuring all this stuff," or "oh I just can't do it," focus on what you can do and try to make changes incrementally.

This is really good advice. I got frustrated with my weight loss and fell off the wagon. I stopped counting calories because I was just too frustrated with it. Instead, I focus on how full I am. If I am hungry, I eat until I'm satisfied, but stop eating before I'm full. If I'm not hungry, I don't eat, or I just eat a little bit (like at breakfast time).

Are you exercising? That really helps. Even if you can't do much, just focus on what you can do and keep doing it until you are able to do more.

dryvonnesmith

Go to my diary and take a look at how I eat. You need more protein!!!! I am NEVER hungry. I will be more than happy to help you out. Dryvonnesmith

bonifachi

I'm on the same amount of calories per day, and I initially found that if I spread out my breakfast, lunch, and snacks to 300 cals each, I was not hungry pretty much all day.
I think the major thing is identifying when you are actually hungry, or when it is just your body adjusting to not having as many calories to rely on.
Switching some foods help too.
every morning I have oats or a light cereal, and I make my oats with water, not milk. When they are cooked, I mix a small tub of light yoghurt through it. There is the sweetness that you need, instead of the empty calories of sugar.
Eat a protein bar every day or so. My fave is horleys carb less crunch bars, and they have between 160-180cals.
Instead of just eating toast, eat a variety of foods for lunch. Yesterday I had a bowl of thai soup, with a mandarin and an apple, and it filled me up fine.
I have lost about 8kgs, and now I get full faster than I used to.
And just remember, if you want to eat more calories, just go for an extra walk or something! If I want junk food for dinner, an hour bike ride or 30 minute run usually does it.
Keep going, don't give up, and if you do get hungry, go out and do something! Not only do you take your mind off your hunger, you get to earn some calories.

judkinsjenny

thank you , that very helpful. i dont even think of those kinds of foods. i think im still stuck on eating like i usually do, trying to cram it all into 1500 calories.

judkinsjenny

thank you! however, its been 40 days! lol and im still hungry! lol but this forum has been SOOO helpful. thankyou.

judkinsjenny

THANK YOU THANK YOU THANKYOU EVERYONE FOR ALL YOUR INFORMATION!! IT IS GOING TO BE SO MUCH EASIER DOING THIS NOW. I WAS DOING IT ALL WRONG! HAHA. NO WONDER IM SO HUNGRY. IM GOING TO BE BETTER AND DO BETTER. MUCH LOVE!!

fabalas_seanne

eat a big plate of salad with some hard boiled eggs & 100g lean ham/turkey etc bulk up your salad & add lots of protien & before you even think to eat ...drink a heap of water to try & stay focused until dinner

some times a hot cuppa can get you by


can you do some exercise ?? go for a walk or maybe call a friend & chat... will pass some time..
ive always failed because i always thought & looked at it like i couldnt eat enough to be full. on low cals.... keep your mind busy... read a heap in the forum here etc xxx best of luck

ressa8

I can't eat oatmea or I am starving for the rest of the day. I usually have a smoothie made with fruit, soymilk and protein powder. Keeps me full for a long time! It sucks when you are feeling so hungry!!

16mixingbowls

I don't know about your particular oatmeal, but the kind I use is measured BEFORE cooking. So I use a half cup and measure out the oats before pouring them into the pot. This makes a satisfying bowl of oatmeal and it has 150 calories. I think the kind you're using to track is probably BEFORE cooking.... so unless you're having a huge bowl, this is one place where you're shorting yourself.

Also, some of your other measurements seem off, unless your portions are really big. Like one day you had a cup of feta cheese? This is a lot, and it looks you had it on a sandwich. I bet you're overestimating your portion.

It looks like you love desserts. ME TOO!!! I've found I just can't have them around the house. Instead, I've transitioned into fresh fruit for my sweet treat. I did this in stages; for a month I only had ice cream on weekends, then the next month on;y one day a weekend, and now I'm off ice cream all together.

Keep tracking, and trying small things, and finally you'll figure out what works for you. P.S I'm also on 1570. Take a look and see what I eat. I use measuring cups and a digital scale for my food.

GrammyWhammy

Jenny,

From your profile I noticed that you have FM and your food diary revealed that you must have an infant too, so you must be in pain, tired and frazzled and that will certainly contribute to your frustration and out-of-control hunger.

Some simple suggestions--possibly already mentioned, though I haven't had a chance to read all the responses to your plea--

1. Never skip a meal. Since your energy levels are flagging, buy easy to grab and eat foods that are healthy and filling, such as small apples, clementines, almonds, lite string cheese, hard boiled eggs, dried fruit like cherries, cranberries, dates, etc. Keep hummus, plain Greek yogurt (to make a quick dip) and cut up raw veggies in the fridge.

2. Skip the peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. Likewise pizza, except as an occasional treat. (I eat 1/2 Freshetta Cal. Style pizza every couple of weeks--yum!) Use lower fat whole grain wraps, whole grain breads, thin corn tortillas, brown rice, whole grain pastas, etc. Crave potatoes?--nuke a small potato, even better, a small yam or sweet potato. Nix sugary sodas and fruit juice.

3. Have at least one fruit or veggie with every meal. Two would be even better. Until you have more energy, stock your freezer with frozen fruit and veggies (without sauces or pasta). The fruits can be thrown in the blender for slushes or smoothies and the veggies will always be there when you are too tired to deal with slicing and dicing fresh.

4. Ditch fatty, high calorie proteins like sausage, chicken nuggets, and burgers that are 85% beef. Have at least 2 fish meals a week. Dying for beef? Have a small lean steak--top round, london broil. And avoid the buns. Pork tenderloin is lean and a little goes a long way. Chicken, turkey, and beans (black, pinto, kidney, etc), lentils, too, are good options.

5. Have a cup of herb tea or broth or veggie soup before lunch or dinner. Drink your water--all 8 cups! Since you're nursing, every time you sit down with the baby, sip on a tall glass of water. My personal fav is sparkling water, flavored, in 32 oz. bottles. I have 1 every night as a special treat to avoid mindless TV snacking. (60 cents for 32 oz.--Kroger)

6. And since you are a nursing mom, don't forget to get 3 servings of dairy every day: skim or 1% milk, 1 oz. of lean, hard cheese, 0% cottage cheese, sugar/fat-free pudding. Ice cream doesn't count!

7. Plan your snacks. I'm taking in about the same calories as you and today my snacks included 1/4 C. of Planter's Nut-trition (walnuts, cranberries, little chocolate thingies, no salt); a WW dark chocolate-raspberry bar; and a Peppermint Pattie. Sometimes I'll have garlic herb cheese and Triscuits for a treat, or 5 dates.

8. Watch your sodium intake. Processed meats (deli, sausage, ham and hot dogs), frozen meals, canned soups and sauces, pizza, many ethnic foods--Chinese and Mexican, for example, salty stuff like chips, crackers, pretzles, nuts, cookies, and bakery goods are all very high in sodium, as are some condiments like mustard and ketchup. Unless you have a health problem, your sodium intake should be about 2200 mg. daily. MFP allows you to track it.

9. When you can find the time, try planning your meals in advance, enter them in the food diary, then follow your plan. If you find you have the strength to cook, look up sites like Skinnytaste.com for lighter recipes or take an old favorite, use MFP's recipe calculator to tweak it until you have just what you're in the mood for and the calories you're willing to "spend" on it.

I'm just an old granny who's struggled for years with weight, but in those struggles I've learned at lot that makes sensible eating easier and more bearable. Good luck to you. If you need a friend/advisor, feel free to friend me. I have lots of advice--all free, naturally. Hang in there.

smassengill63

Protein is satiating, (digested in the stomach), the sugar/carbs e.g. oats and other grains that you eat for breakfast and throughout the day will cause an insulin crash soon after and trigger hunger. change your food choices, as suggested by others here, toward proteins and healthy fats and you will soon (a few days) feel much more energy and less hunger. good luck.

pinkgigi

How wonderful it is that so many people gave up their time to help you, you are blessed!

I also love dessert, but I limit myself to a couple of times a week, and then a single serve thing from the supermarket or a very yummy full-fat yoghurt occasionally.

I agree that start by making small changes that you can stick to. I started by cutting out extra sugar (sugars that occur naturally like in fruit are OK), because I know I crave them and it can set me off. Rather than feeling deprived, you end up changing your mindset along the lines of making that sacrifice means that you are feeding your body better.

Once you are not hungry all the time, hopefully you will feel your energy levels evening out and you can go for a walk, do some exercise videos or something easy to start with. Honestly, being fitter gives you energy.

*hugs*
GG

Jesung

Steak!!! 500 calories of that and veggies and you will be full for a while
You can try skipping breakfast and just drinking coffee or tea as caffeine works as an appetite suppressant. I'm not a breakfast person and although I get hungry for a bit, I can usually last from 9 am to 5 pm without consuming anything other than coffee and water. I find it pretty hard to eat all my calories for the day unless I eat well into the night.

pez1234

You need to eat foods that provide great bulk for less calories, fruit and veges. I like to take a desert spoon of psyllium husks mixed with 1/2 glass of orange juice, stir it in and drink it quick or the husks will turn to gel. Follow that up with a glass of water or two give it five minutes and eat your sandwich for lunch, or oats for breakfast. Psyllium soaks up moisture and turns into a gel, it's low in calories,if prepared the way I recommend you get a full belly for about 50 calories.