I honestly feel like I can't do this.

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  • khall69
    khall69 Posts: 10 Member
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    You CAN do this!!! First of all, just like everyone else has said...you are definitely eating too few calories not to be hungry!!! What I have found that works best for me is eating (appropriately) every 3 hrs or so. I am a snacker(grazer) and I own that, but now I have learned what to "graze" on...such as string cheese, some fruits, sugar free chocolate pudding cups(Delicious, by the way), celery and peanut butter(in moderation), and etc... If there is something that I have a taste for, I simply eat a smaller portion or cook a healthier version of it. If I feel like I am depriving myself, I cannot rest until I have what I am craving...so I don't do that anymore and I am much happier and feel satisfied! Oh another good tidbit that works for me...I absolutely LOVE Yoplait lite yogurts and I keep a bunch on hand, especially at work, b/c believe it or not a lot of them actually taste like what they are named after(my favorite is the pineapple upside down cake) at my office my co-workers,God love them(:, seek out every opportunity to buy something sweet so when they bring in a cake or a pie...I just whip out my Kiwi Lime Pie Yogurt or Strawberry Shortcake Yogurt! But you have just got find your niche and what works BEST for you. You can do this, but starving is not the way...just take one day at a time...hang in there!:smile:
  • Lisah8969
    Lisah8969 Posts: 1,247 Member
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    Go to bed earlier and eat AT LEAST 1200 cals :)

    THIS!
  • MinnieInMaine
    MinnieInMaine Posts: 6,400 Member
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    The 800 calorie thing stuck way out for me too. If you're eating that little, you are depriving your body of vital nutrients so OF COURSE you're going to have cravings and obsess about eating - your body needs the calories and nutrients! Google to find out your BMR - this is the number of calories your body needs just to function as if you were in a coma. If you're eating too far below that number, your health will suffer.

    My advice to you is to try to plan your days better. Make sure you're getting plenty of protein and healthy fats because they both help you feel full longer. Fiber helps a lot of folks too. You need to try several approaches and see what works best for you. That's the great thing about logging, you can think - hm, I felt pretty satisfied yesterday - and go back to see what you ate and think about how you could plan days like that again. Or why was I so hungry today - and look it over to see if maybe you didn't get enough calories or too many carbs, not enough protein/fat/fiber.

    The point of my planning comment is - if you know you're going to be up that late and want a snack, plan your day accordingly. Save a few hundred calories every day for whatever it is you want. If you're really hungry, you're going to keep caving and having whatever it is you can get your hands on, like that mac & cheese. Instead have some fruit, cheese snacks, pretzels, popcorn, veggies and hummus/dip, or whatever it is you enjoy on hand so you can have healthier snacks.

    As far as your calorie goal goes, aim for whatever MFP gave you for NET calorie (see your home page for that) goal. This means if you don't exercise, you aim for that number. If you do exercise, you aim for that number PLUS whatever you earn through exercise. A lot of folks don't get this so I'll explain....MFP already sets you up wtih a deficit so you can lose weight without exercise. If you exercise, you burn more calories creating an even larger deficit. As I said before, too few calories and things don't work out so well.

    Good luck!
  • Kelley528
    Kelley528 Posts: 319 Member
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    you dont need to do Weight Watchers and waste all your money. Set a realistic calorie goal for you body and lifestyle, buy a food scale, and prepare all your meals. It will become second nature after awhile---you will develop a habit of eating right.

    My daily intake is 1200 calories and that works for me. I dont feel starving or think of food all day. You will be surprised the types of satisfying meals you can eat in appropriate portions and still feel full.

    You dont seem to know how to eat right if you are eating 800-ish calories than gorging on junk at night. Start simple by planning tomorrows meals in advance according to an acceptable calorie limit. Then you will know how much snacking you can get in after your meals are taken care of. I always fit in 2-3 snacks a day. I like my night time snack the most around 8pm.

    It is easy to do once you start to plan and look at what you are really eating.
  • noiva
    noiva Posts: 94
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    Food can be an addiction, and it will take time to re-train your body to not think, "Oh, it's midnight, it's time to eat!" Your stomach AND your brain have to adjust to eating less and making smarter choices. It's hard at first, but losing those first few pounds can be addicting, too -- and so much more rewarding than all the eating!
  • Chrissysftns
    Chrissysftns Posts: 113 Member
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    Girl, YOU CAN DO THIS!! You just haven't found out HOW to do it yet. 800 calories is not the way though! I am not a dietician, But I will tell you that you need to be eating over 1200..
    I am 5'9, 176 pounds, and I try to stick to around 1500 cals a day.

    You need to find the right foods. I'm not perfect with my eating habits either, but if you want, you can add me and I can help you the best I can.

    STay Focused..you got this!
  • gabriellejayde
    gabriellejayde Posts: 607 Member
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    well as others have said, of course your hungry eating that little. :)
    make a lot of good choices and you can eat more and still have a reduced calorie intake, without resorting to mac and cheese.

    but here's my tip:
    Since I've cut out all/most sugar and a most bread, I hardly ever crave anything. When I DO crave something though, PROMISE yourself you can have it in the morning.

    By the next morning, you'll probably forget about it. but even if you don't, you'll be well rested and you'll know you can either indulge a little, or eat breakfast and move on with your day and feel good.
  • tabinmaine
    tabinmaine Posts: 965 Member
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    Since we can't see your diary try this:

    Breakfast:
    2 whole eggs scrambled with 2 more egg whites
    1 peice of whole wheat toast
    bowl of berries

    Snack:
    1 cup of raw brocolli
    handful of almonds
    greek yogurt

    Lunch:
    whole wheat bread
    lean turkey
    mayo
    lettuce
    cheese
    carrot sticks

    Snack:
    Apple
    Peanut butter

    Supper:
    4oz of chicken or beef
    wild rice or beans
    2 cups of cooked veggies

    Snack: Protein shake

    I 100% guarantee you will NOT be hungry when you go to bed !!!! :flowerforyou:
  • yannuzzi
    yannuzzi Posts: 35
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    Like everyone else is saying....YOU'RE NOT EATING ENOUGH FOOD. Figure that out first....then plan your meals accordingly. Make sure you're eating lots of lean proteins, fruits and veggies. Limit your breads/pastas/sweets and you actually get to eat more food. When you spend your 1200 or 1400 calories a day eating chocolate and cupcakes.....you'll still starve and we all know.....the more carbs you eat the more carbs you crave. If you want to EAT and change your lifestyle....fruits/veggies/lean proteins and success will follow.
  • Phoenixchichima
    Phoenixchichima Posts: 416
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    take a deep breath.
    yes you can do it. just not the way you are trying so you arent failing, you are looking for the right way to do it.
    friend people & post when you are struggling,
    look at some of the other advise here. carrots dont satisfy me either, but I can eat a protein bar w/chocolate & it helps fill me up & reduces calories. eat more & exercise more. drink lots of water. dry flavored decaf coffee, surprising it is comforting.
  • kenazfehu
    kenazfehu Posts: 1,188 Member
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    You most certainly can do this.

    Pick a reasonable calorie range for the day. With exercise, I'm getting about 1500 per day. If that doesn't work, I'll start slowly cutting back on calories and/or increase my exercise. I know myself well enough to know when I need to eat and schedule my meals accordingly (8-11-2-after 5). Since you're a night owl, your schedule is going to be different. Observe yourself and your patterns and work up a plan that suits YOU. It doesn't have to suit anyone else.

    Find more nutritious ways to have your favorites. You can buyer lower fat hot dogs and put them into a whole grain bun, for example. Lower fat cheese on whole grain macaroni. If you don't like it as much - good. You'll eat less of it.

    Good luck. You have a lot of fellow strugglers. We don't get fat without developing bad habits to break. (mine was eating between meals; I don't allow it anymore but do slip up when I'm tired and stressed)
  • tabinmaine
    tabinmaine Posts: 965 Member
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    And if you like to eat at midnight.....EAT AT MIDNIGHT !! just eat like I mentioned above and push your breakfast to 9am etc.... it does NOT matter what time of day you eat !!
  • rieann84
    rieann84 Posts: 511 Member
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    I agree with everyone in this thread saying you need to eat more. Only 800 calories would leave me famished by midnight, and when i'm famished..I make bad food choices or give in to cravings. You HAVE the strength to say no to cravings, you just need to equip yourself with satisfying and filling foods. Eating so little and expecting to say no to tempting foods later is like going onto a battlefield with no weapon!
  • Strangelyinsane
    Strangelyinsane Posts: 120 Member
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    I never had success with weight loss until I began paying attention to all areas of my life. Mind, Body, and Spirit. If I just focus on the calories and dieting, my spiritual weakness and mental chaos will drive me back to my old behaviors: comforting myself with food and other things. I can't develop new behaviors by only addressing one area of my life. Try making diet a part of an overall change of mind, body and spirit. Exercise the body, exercise the mind, enlarge your spirit. Step out of your comfort zones. Good luck!
  • lizziebeth1028
    lizziebeth1028 Posts: 3,602 Member
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    Go to bed earlier and eat AT LEAST 1200 cals :)


    ^^^^This! Severe calories deficit isn't healthy and it's just setting yourself up for failure. Of course you're thinking about food, you only ate 800 calories!!

    - find the right calorie deficit for you. It's somewhere above your BMR (basal metabolic rate) and below your TDEE (total daily energy expenditure). 1500 is a good safe start or Here is a link to a decent calculator to help you with that. http://scoobysworkshop.com/.
    - I'm not a big fan on putting a timer on when you can and can't eat but late night binging is another way to set yourself up for failure. You should probably limit your intake to no food after a certain time....go to bed early.
    - get some exercise
    - re-read the title of your post 'I honestly feel like I can't do this'. Even your title is setting yourself up for failure. Do you want to do this?? Browse the success forums for inspiration and motivation and make your decision. Do you want to be fit and happy or sad, fat and binging in the middle of the night. Tough Love, sorry! But YOU CAN DO THIS!
  • karabff
    karabff Posts: 98
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    First off don't give up!!! And I agree with everyone else up your cals-my biggest challange is night eating-I have a sleep disorder so I am up late each nite ( I am now making myself go to bed earlier even if I lay there an yea dream about food) an I had developed a horrible habit of eating at nite only: this is what I have chg since starting in Sept-I make weekly goals for myself-I take away one bad put one good in-I try to eat a healthy but more filling dinner at nite-I am working towards 6 meals a day spread out thru the day-somedays I am on target somedays I am not-I just keep trying to improve daily-I work out-because I have fibromyalgia there are days the flare ups prevent this-but I don't give up an as soon as I can I start moving again-my exercise time has already increased since starting-I hate this the most-I am learning to cook-no more pre-pkg foods-no more fast food-an when those temptations hit an yes they still hit me daily I go look at my goal outfits an my disgusting "before" pix an tell myself do you want your life back? Do you want to be healthy-some days I still give in but they are getting fewer an fewer-your body will adjust if you don't give up! You really can do this-cheering for you
  • silvergurl518
    silvergurl518 Posts: 4,123 Member
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    did the OP possibly mean she went over her daily intake by 800? if so, that's a totally different story.
  • Lisa760
    Lisa760 Posts: 113 Member
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    The beginning is always rough, don't beat yourself up over it. Accept the fact that this isn't going to be easy, but it's soooo going to be worth it. Instead of starting your diet right away, maybe you need to come up with a plan first. Make a list of all the foods you love, crave, and keep in the house. Look up the nutritional values for each of those foods. You might be surprised at how many calories/sodium/etc. are in each. Make a list of alternatives for each of those foods that you can actually live with that are healthier choices. Taking the time to have a game plan will help you succeed. By the way, that's a great picture of you in the red shirt. Print it out and stick it to the refrigerator for motivation. And remember - this is a process. It won't happen overnight, but it WILL happen if you invest time and effort into it.
  • tabinmaine
    tabinmaine Posts: 965 Member
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    did the OP possibly mean she went over her daily intake by 800? if so, that's a totally different story.

    She may have, just went back and re-read it, even so, I still stick by what I said.

    I can be hungry at midnight after eating 800 more calories than I should have if what I ate was chocolate, cake, kraft dinner or hotdogs.... those things MAKE me hungry
  • rjo921
    rjo921 Posts: 130
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    Yes...YOU CAN DO THIS!!!!!!!!! Don't say that you can't. You are going to have some tough days...it happens to everyone. And this is a lifestyle change....this isn't something that you can do for just a period of time and then you don't have to do it anymore. You have to be mentally ready to make the necessary changes in order to obtain your goal.

    First....eating 800 is too little....I know there have been a lot of people that have said that here....but it's true. The minimum should be 1200....at the least. I also have seen someone else on this thread post a link to determine how many calories you should be eating each day. Be sure to use that.

    Second....you don't have to deny yourself anything because that will just make you want it more. You want to have that mac and cheese....go ahead. Perhaps you can find a recipie that will make it a bit more healthy....or don't eat an entire box of it. You just have to adjust how much you eat. Want the hot dog....OK...perhaps eat it without the bun or find a turkey dog. Don't deny...just be smarter on the choices you make.

    Third....when you get those hunger pangs.....drink water, take a walk, call a friend, do something for at least 20 minutes to see if that pang has gone away. Sometimes it is a signal of being dehydrated....that's why you need to drink water. Ice water is better.
    Then if in 20 minutes if it has not gone away....then grab something that is fiberous...that will fill you up.

    Fourth....don't get discouraged. When you first start out you actually might gain some weight before you loose it. What is key is taking your measurements....you could be loosing inches....

    Fifth....exercise, exercise, just move! Now does this mean that you need to go to a gym? No...it can be as simple as taking a walk. I have a very bad back and my exercise choices are very limited....but I walk. I love to do Leslie Sansone's Walk at Home DVD's....you can get them at Wal-Mart, Target, or find some used copies online at Amazon. You can do up to 5 miles in one hour of walking at home. And trust me...you do get a workout....and all you need to do is walk.

    Finally, sixth......be good to yourself. As I said before, do not get discouraged if you do not see immediate results. For every small milestone do something special for yourself....a manicure, pedicure, something small but you would consider a small reward for your efforts.

    YOU CAN DO THIS!!!!!!! DON'T GIVE UP ON YOURSELF!

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