Thinking about giving up

I'm really short too (5'0"), the easiest way for me to keep up with this plan is to exercise a lot so I can eat more

Ok it's not as bad as you think

If you consumed 1450 calories a day then you will lose weight. Your BMR is the amount of calories you burn just by being alive - you would burn that amount in a coma for example

So even if you were VERY sedentary your TDEE (Total daily energy expenditure.... walking about the house, cooking dinner etc.) would be about 1.2 times your BMR. So you are already up to 1740 calories - anything below that and you will lose weight!

Add some exercise if you can and your calories can go up. Do a Zumba class or cycle or a brisk walk and you can burn another 500 a day - that will put your calories up to 2200ish before you start to put on weight!

No need to be that hungry, I found that upping my protein made me less hungry - nobody has a sweeter tooth than me but I stopped the cravings by getting some protein bars.

Is that any help?

Eat a bit more - at least your BMR.

Do some exercise and then you can eat back those or half of those calories putting your calorie limit up more therefore being able to eat more.

Have a sugary treat each day... when I first started I craved sugary goodness like crazy and allowed myself one treat sized chocolate for dessert each day (something to look forward to and craving dealt with). Eventually it'll wean off.

If you're not concerned about the number on the scale and would rather see the fat drop off around your stomach and thighs AKA see the inches disappear, then as well as watching what you eat (Abs & flat tummies are made in the kitchen!) you should also look into doing some weight training... the inches literally will just fall off of you.

The worst thing you can do is quit all together. That would make me thing that past few weeks were a waste of time and you'll look back a year from now looking back at the same reflection as now... if it were me, I'd like to look into that mirror and see that nice stomach and legs and LOVE what I see. But you've got to stick with it, because wishing and dreaming won't get you there... YOU have to DO it yourself!

shorty here as well :-) cut your carbs back a little bit, add some protein and fiber powders to your oatmeal, try a protein bar here and there as a snack (not a meal) replace "white" starches with things like sweet potato, whole wheat pasta, brown rice, quinoa. STICK WITH IT! :-) You can add me if you'd like, my diary is open and Im always happy to share recipies!

You haven't found what works for you yet. It's ok to give up on something that doesn't work but keep looking for what does. I hope you don't mind some suggestions.
*Never skip meals. This is hard for me and I get busy but later in the day it will be my downfall. Getting overly hungry effects my blood sugar, my mood and my ability to eat reasonably.
*Eat more protein at breakfast. This was key for me. I wasn't getting enough calories or protein at breakfast and it caused problems the entire day because I never felt good. Now I start the day with a greek yogurt with 1/4 cup Kashi Go Lean Crunch cereal mixed in.
*Eat lean protein with vegetables for lunch and dinner.
*Exercise is key when it is an honest effort. I see people at the gym all the time and they do more walking/standing around and talking than they do exercising. Be aware of your intensity level. No exertion=No effect.
*Be patient. It took time to gain the weight and it will take time to remove it. This is the hardest thing for me as I get frustrated very easily. I go for weeks without a weight loss then will suddenly lose several pounds. I have been doing this for over 90 days and can see the pattern now.

What's great about MFP is how you can log your exercise, and then you hcan clearly see that is you exercise more, you can eat more, and still lose. So, if your calorie goal seems like too little, exercise more!

Hi there. My name is Doni. It is nice to meet you. I am 4'11' as well. I know how frustrating it can be when things seem to be going slow. My doctor has me on a 1200 calorie a day diet. But I had gastric sleeve surgery in June. I've lost 25 pounds since then. Hang in there and make friends on MFP. The folks here are great and they really do care.
Good luck and God bless,
Doni

I felt hungry all the time when I started to eat better. After a while...what seemed like a long, long , long while, I started to feel full with less food.
If you have to go over calories, try to do it with fruit. I have no proof of this theory, but I think going over calories on fruit, has got to be better than going over by the same amount of calories in chocolate cake.
Don't give up...even if you don't meet your calorie goals, continue to track them, and don't feel bad if you go over. Rome wasn't built in a day...take baby steps before you run that marathon.

Don't ever give up!!! There are so many people on MFP that will be there for support!

Feel free to add me if you want!

Just DON'T give up!!

Karen

If you start today, think of what you'll look like in a year?

Than again, maybe you are not ready for a lifestyle change. The good news is that we'll be here when you get back.

Good luck.

For me; I try to avoid calorie-dense food.
I'd include bread in that; for the calories you get, it doesn't seem to fill up too much. (Though a 6" subway still does the job nicely for me, sometimes I'll add extra meat for protein - just a pack of ham from a supermarket.)

What I've been trying to do is make a bed of lettuce, tomato, onion and carrot (salad I like) with some garlic sprinkled on it, then putting my meal on top of that - no more than 100 calories of salad, but an awful lot of 'food' added to make me feel full.

I also where possible would try and do lots of exercise and eat a little more - for me that keeps me happier - especially if added more protein (meat a lot of the time) to match doing weight-based workouts, so hopefully that food will go towards building or maintaining muscle.

Were it me, I'd avoid milk, cereal and associated sugar - as I know I wouldn't feel nearly as satisfied as the same amount of calories of a 'full english breakfast' ready meal, say.
I did go through a phase of drinking skimmed milk, but even then found that it was a lot of calories for what I was getting - though a good mix of protein and carbs of course.

DON'T GIVE UP! It typically takes 6 weeks to form a habit - you're halfway there, already. I went to bed hungry for the first 8 weeks on MFP, but now (after about 80 days on MFP) I sometimes find myself forcing myself to eat something extra to bring my calories UP to the same 1,200 calories that felt so insufficient when I first began. I invested in a FitBit in week two on MFP, and that made all the difference for me. I learned that "exercise" isn't just what happens at the gym. Now, I regularly earn extra calories by cleaning the house, taking the stairs instead of the elevator, parking farther away from the door, and so forth. STICK WITH IT, my fitness pal - if you do, you'll get there, I promise. :-)