How do you maintain low calorie diet without starving?

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  • topgals
    topgals Posts: 40 Member
    Try eating low gi, so that your blood sugar stays stable throughout the day, like brown rice, sweet potato, basmati rice, new potatoes, lots green veggies & NO processed food. Rick Gallop Gi diet book is ace. I eat 4 meals day & 2 snacks & rarely go over 1200 cals.
  • hoofbeat
    hoofbeat Posts: 2
    I also have trouble eating 1200 a day. My average is 500-600 and after I spend 30 minutes on my elliptical and burning 450 calories MFP wants me to eat more. I work 3rd shift and don't really eat anything but sandwiches through the week. the good thing is that I've lost 5 pounds in a week. I also count weight watcher points.
  • crimsoncat
    crimsoncat Posts: 457 Member
    I was having a difficult time recently trying to stay at 1200 calories but opted to up my caloric intake to 1350 per day and increase my activities. By increasing my workouts, I can earn extra calories to my daily intake. Yes it's extra work but it allows me to indulge a little so I don't feel like I'm being deprived of anything.

    Same exact thing here except I went to 1300. Plus, working out makes me feel less hungry and keeps me from snacking when I'm just bored.

    I also eat small meals constantly. I eat about 60-100 cal every hour in the morning by taking my lunch apart and eating it piece by piece. Then I get home and have a big (600+ cal) dinner and go exercise to keep my mind off eating for the rest of the night. I also drink a TON of water (usually seltzer water with no cal) and skip on juice. I watch my calcium intake and build a cup of milk in before bed if I'm low.

    Btw, my 60-100 cal snacks are plain nonfat greek yogurt, mozzarella string cheese, 100-200g of raspberries, strawberries or watermellon, a small apple and/or 2oz maple turkey.

    I DO eat back my exercise calories. If I don't want to eat them today, I horde them for the end of the week and go out to dinner with my friends for a monstrously delicious 1000+cal meal. I horde for dinner too because it allows me to eat things my boyfriend likes that tend to be higher in calories. I usually have a light breakfast (350ish or less) at like 9am AFTER I get to school/work so that it lasts longer. Eating at 6-7am made me STARVING by 9am but I discovered that if I just made breakfast and brought it along I could put up with being hungry until 9.
  • love4fitnesslove4food_wechange
    love4fitnesslove4food_wechange Posts: 6,897 Member
    I also have trouble eating 1200 a day. My average is 500-600 and after I spend 30 minutes on my elliptical and burning 450 calories MFP wants me to eat more. I work 3rd shift and don't really eat anything but sandwiches through the week. the good thing is that I've lost 5 pounds in a week. I also count weight watcher points.

    trouble as in it's hard to eat more?
  • spangey13
    spangey13 Posts: 294
    Be careful with the nuts/seeds thing!! I thought I'd gourmet up my salad and sprinkled pumpkin seeds in it - 30g of pumpkin seeds was 173 calories!!! I am glad that I realised that before I ate it. I threw half of them away (a waste, I know).
  • KALMdown
    KALMdown Posts: 211 Member
    I was having a difficult time recently trying to stay at 1200 calories but opted to up my caloric intake to 1350 per day and increase my activities. By increasing my workouts, I can earn extra calories to my daily intake. Yes it's extra work but it allows me to indulge a little so I don't feel like I'm being deprived of anything.

    I did this too. I stalled at 1200, upped it 1400 and started to lose again. I eat back all or most of my exercise calories. At 1200, I would workout longer just so I could eat an extra 600 cals. Unfortunately, I burnt out fast from working out so much. So I changed my caloric intake and feel less stressed about it.
  • love4fitnesslove4food_wechange
    love4fitnesslove4food_wechange Posts: 6,897 Member

    I was having a difficult time recently trying to stay at 1200 calories but opted to up my caloric intake to 1350 per day and increase my activities. By increasing my workouts, I can earn extra calories to my daily intake. Yes it's extra work but it allows me to indulge a little so I don't feel like I'm being deprived of anything.
    I did this too. I stalled at 1200, upped it 1400 and started to lose again. I eat back all or most of my exercise calories. At 1200, I would workout longer just so I could eat an extra 600 cals. Unfortunately, I burnt out fast from working out so much. So I changed my caloric intake and feel less stressed about it.

    so are you still eatng your exercise calories with 1400 as your target?
  • JessicaBR0
    JessicaBR0 Posts: 256 Member
    Just eat as many 0 calorie foods as you can bc they dont count
    :laugh:

    Agree I like paper (shredded paper goes down easier). That keeps me full all the time.

    ^:laugh:
  • brownfoxx
    brownfoxx Posts: 9 Member
    How to keep from starving:
    Apples...they're sweet, filling, low calorie and healthy!
    Mint-flavored sugar free gum...it curbs your craving.
    Water.....gives you a full feeling...drink tons!
  • Mini_Medic
    Mini_Medic Posts: 343 Member
    Make your calories count!!!

    Don't waste 150cal on a little bag of Dorito's when you could have slices of turkey, cheese, a protein rich greek yogurt, and an apple.
    Don't eat a burger king whopper when you could make a healthy turkey burger/chicken sandwich at home.
    Don't drink any soda, diet, zero cal, or otherwise, it is all bad and has tons of salt that makes you retain water and dehydrates you. You CANNOT lose weight when your body is dehydrated.
    Find low calorie, high protein/fiber foods.

    The doritos and whopper are carb heavy and will only keep your tank full short term. Eat more protein/fiber and you will keep your tank filled up and you won't break down and overeat/snack bad food because your body is craving more.

    Quality over quantity.

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