Portion Control is a killer!

misslouisiana

I think you should up your calories to 1300 range. If you stay at the same range for too long your body will get use to it. Cycling calories has also helped me and so many others. For instance, eat 1200 one day, 1500 one day, 1300 the next. This keeps your body guessing. Just try it for a week and see what happens.

stuffinmuffin

Yep I found portion control a toughie at first but I found it has since taught me how much I should be eating! Don't eliminate foods just cut back on the super high cal ones, graze out on the low cal ones and try and eat/find foods that keep you satiated for longer. Everyone bleats it, but high protein DOES keep you fuller for longer - though I'm not a carb basher as these people tend to be so bread, pasta, spuds are well in there on my menu.

1250 IS low, but I did 1200 for a few months of my weight loss. Tough and I'd never do it again but even though it's scary you WILL lose weight eating more - and you'll kinds feel a whole lot better too.

Food ideas that keep me full....

I find a hearty breakfast really does help set me up for the day and stave off hunger until lunch. I'm a massive porridge fan and normally have it every day midweek. Avoid breakfast cereals or products that are high in sugar or you will be starving a couple of hours after eating them. Make your own porridge with plain oats...I love adding (milk), peanut butter, honey, dried fruit, nuts, banana etc. Weekends, poached eggs on wholemeal toast with butter...omelettes....homemade fry-ups etc.

Lunch I'll have a sandwich with crisps, or toast and soup, or sushi or salads or whatever I fancy really, though for convenience sandwiches work.

Dinner - whatever I fancy portioned within calories available.

Here's a diary example which will come to around 1400 cals which would see you losing weight... (I don't snack, I bulk my meals with healthy fats or bigger portions and I don't get hungry in between). Please also note that this was during weight loss and not maintenance which I am now set to.

Breakfast:
Porridge made with milk, a banana and Agave Nectar = 260 cals

Lunch: Beef, mustard and salad sandwich with Hula Hoops = 427 cals

Dinner: Chicken curry with naan bread = 658 cals

Total = 1345

pamfm

Poulingail, I noticed that you live in a neighboring town. I have recently discovered a really filling breakfast option, and both ingredients are made by local companies. You can definitely get the stuff at Cornucopia for sure, and something similar at State Street Fruit Store... probably at more local shops, too:

Sidehill Farm - Lowfat Vanilla Yogurt, 0.5 cup 90 cals
New England Natural Bakers - Organic Muesli, 1/2 cup raw 220 cals
Total: 310 cals, 51mg carbs, 12mg protein, 7mg fat 8mg fiber

(I usually eat it with a whole cup of yogurt, but my daily allowance is much higher than 1250) I never get hungry before lunch time when I eat this!

pamfm

I use this calculator:

http://www.health-calc.com/diet/energy-expenditure-advanced and then just use MFP to get the amount of calories in the food I eat.

Using that calculator it says my BMR is 1735. If I ate that much I'd really pack on the pounds. And that's without any extra exercise!
MFP says "Your estimated BMR is: 1,385 calories/day*"

That's a huge difference. I must be reading it wrong. Folks, can you try out this calculator and see if your results are similar? How does it compare to the MFP calculator?

http://www.health-calc.com/diet/energy-expenditure-advanced

This calculator puts my BMR at around 1330, which exactly the same as what MFP says, but it puts my TDEE at 2100, and I think it's really about 200 less. (MFP lists this number in the Goals tab, on the "Calories Burned: From Normal Daily Activity" line.)

1735 is an unusually high bmr for a 5"2' woman. I suspect you forgot to click the gender button. It defaults to male. Try again, I bet it's closer to 1470. In any case, you shouldn't really eat less than your BMR. If you want to err on the side of caution and go with the lower MFP calculation, you should still eat that much per day.

poulingail

Sidehill Farm - Lowfat Vanilla Yogurt, 0.5 cup 90 cals
New England Natural Bakers - Organic Muesli, 1/2 cup raw 220 cals
Total: 310 cals, 51mg carbs, 12mg protein, 7mg fat 8mg fiber

(I usually eat it with a whole cup of yogurt, but my daily allowance is much higher than 1250) I never get hungry before lunch time when I eat this!

So you combine them, yum. Why didn't I think of it!? I always like a yogurt parfait. I need to watch the carbs (non-insulin dependent type 2 diabetic) but the whole grains really slow down the absorption of carbs. I'm sure there are some muesli products with less sugar. I just have to look. Haven't had breakfast yet and this sounds good.
Thanks

poulingail

Try again, I bet it's closer to 1470. In any case, you shouldn't really eat less than your BMR. If you want to err on the side of caution and go with the lower MFP calculation, you should still eat that much per day.

I tried it again with the other calculator adjusting for sleeping and some lighter exercise throughout the day. I mean it really should add up to 24 hrs but I just added the sleep and some exercise. It says my BMR is 1957 (a man 1730) Energy expenditure is 3297 (3070 for a man)
Think I'll quit looking at that calculator.

As for eating the minimum 1230 that I'm allowed with MFP, LOL I always eat that although I don't always get back to the MFP food diary at the end of the day.

rvicini

At least 5 times a week, I exercise. Today it was pushing the mower for a good hour. It's usually 30 minutes to an hour of cardio, maybe yard work or my treadmill. That allows me extra calories. I exercise for fitness but since I started MFP in September, I exercise so I can eat more. Back to the original complaint ~ I'm hungry!

Oh my god. Please eat more! Seriously. Others might disagree and say eat more of this or more of that but who cares - you are hungry woman, it's not what you're eating, it's the fact that you're not eating enough! And you won't stick to the plan if you are hungry and feel deprived because being hungry SUCKS S****. You are exercising so you should still be able to create a deficit and lose weight.

I'm so passionate about this - people simply cannot stick to diets where they feel hungry all the time - also it seems like 1250 calories is below your basal metabolic rate. I know there is much confusion floating round about BMR but take it from someone who studies biochemistry - you SHOULD NOT, I repeat, SHOULD NOT go under your BMR - this is the minimum level of calories that your body needs to perform basic day to day functioning. The more you weigh the more your BMR will be so if you are anywhere upwards of 140 pounds then 1250 calories a day is simply not enough (no matter what MFP says) and that is why you feel hungry!

I use this calculator:

http://www.health-calc.com/diet/energy-expenditure-advanced

and then just use MFP to get the amount of calories in the food I eat.

OK, I've finished preaching - do what you will but I say eat more!

My thoughts exactly. I hate to feel hungry. But even if I am in a 1350 cal, my level of satisfaction is about 1400-1500 cals per day so I exercise.
I am surprised to see how many 300-400 cals food portions you can find outthere precooked and even with a "light" label.
I found out that doing your own cooking is the best way to eat a lot because you know what you put into your food.
I am rigurous in portion control and try to eat everything controlling my portions. I use a food scale because I don't know what 100 gr of this or 1 oz of that are. I just make a lot of mistakes if I don't measure or weight.
How can a person eat a 700 cals dinner in a regular basis? Not watching the labels, eating lots of Carbs, lots of sugar and lots of cheese.

zeala

I have not read the other responses but it seems your diet relies on carbs and starches. Cereal ( carb) and raisins( sugar) does not keep me full either. Which is why I have eliminated it as a breakfast. Honestly, cereal to me is more of a treat/dessert.
I think you need more protein and fiber from green vegetables.
An egg does wonders for me. Also I love how filling a cup of zuchini is, and how few calories it has.
If you change the types of food, then you can actually eat more of them and feel more full, without going high on calories.

Guamybear

When i started my portion control.. I didn't count calories, I just concentrated on making my plate smaller and not having seconds..it was hard especially if the food was awesome.

It was a few months later that I started counting calories..now that my stomach has adjusted to smaller sizes it has been much easier for me.