1st day, need help!

muttervonangel
muttervonangel Posts: 8 Member
in Food and Nutrition
ive done other things and this is my first day using mfp. ive never tracked calories before. after breakfast and lunch i only have 210 calories left for the rest of the day! crap! what the heck can i eat for dinner that will be filling and not go overboard? also ive already gone 4 over my sugars for the day.

can someone please help me out here? i dont understand this stuff.

Replies

  • Ginger_Poomkin
    Ginger_Poomkin Posts: 42 Member
    Concentrate on lean protein for your dinner (chicken, fish, shrimps), it's low calorie and it's filling! Add me as a friend if you need some guiding :)
  • Firefox7275
    Firefox7275 Posts: 2,040 Member
    Non starchy vegetables and berries are low in calories. But maybe just eat sensibly rather than dieting today, learn from your mistakes at breakfast and lunch? It's not healthy to starve yourself and go to bed hungry, that will have you craving sugary and fatty foods tomorrow.
  • arlenem1974
    arlenem1974 Posts: 437 Member
    ot make sure I don't go over I make my food log the day before.
  • trayec
    trayec Posts: 2
    I have been on and off of this site for awhile, but find it is the BEST thing for keeping me on track. I am kinda starting from scratch again as well. I am with Ginger... eating shrimp and chicken works for me. Good luck! :)
  • BigDave1050
    BigDave1050 Posts: 854 Member
    What do you have your calories set to?
  • trayec
    trayec Posts: 2
    Thats an awesome idea Arlene, stealing it, thanks :)
  • asyrinsgirl
    asyrinsgirl Posts: 55 Member
    Hi!

    Your diary is closed, so it's tough to see what you've set for yourself, calorie-wise. That said, if you're just getting back into tracking calories, I think it wise to give yourself a few days to get acclimated to really paying attention to what you're eating. The first few days I would just track what you're eating (trying to make healthy choices of course, eating when you're hungry and stopping when you're full or trying to), and then take a look at those first few days (or even a week) and see where you can cut some calories or make more out of the calories you are taking in.

    I know when I started tracking again I was surprised at how quickly things added up. It took some reflection and planning to be able to stay in my goal calorie range.

    Hope this helps! Feel free to friend me and check out my diary if you want!
  • lousoulbody
    lousoulbody Posts: 663 Member
    A couple or 3 scrambled eggs and a piece of toast, full of protein, have a side of salsa on your eggs, salsa is genuinally free cal food or a piece of fish, with a small potatoe, some steamed veggies added,, or a salad with it, or a cup of cooked pasta, witch is huge with a marinaria sauce, very low in cal's. or you can work out and add some extra cal's to what you have left for the day.

    Cheers!!
  • cherylea1
    cherylea1 Posts: 19 Member
    seeing as this is your first day on here logging your food, I would suggest to eat as you normally would (do portion control though) for dinner tonight. And like others said, learn from today and start fresh tomorrow with sensible breakfast and lunch. Your food diary is not open to view or we could help you out a little more!

    Best of luck tonight, and maybe try to log what you think you will eat ahead of time to see what the calories and fat and sugar is for it before you eat it! :) You can add me as a friend if you'd like!
  • AllonsYtotheTardis
    AllonsYtotheTardis Posts: 16,947 Member
    when I first started here, I gave myself almost a week of just logging what I would normally eat, without trying to make changes. That laid it all out for me pretty clear where the changes needed to be made - I could see it in my diary each day, which foods or meals were causing me to go over.

    Try it for a few days - really - the data will be an eye-opener, and made it soooo much clearer to you what your 'trouble' spots are. 3 or 4 days won't hurt your journey, and the information will make the rest of this easier for you.
  • sijomial
    sijomial Posts: 19,809 Member
    Lean protein plus either salad or steamed vegetables, very low in calories but still filling. Or alternatively do some exercise to earn some more calories.
  • BroiledNotFried
    BroiledNotFried Posts: 446 Member
    Welcome!

    It sounds like you about to learn something new - portion sizes and calories of the foods you eat. You have to learn what to eat (and not to eat) to get to 1200 -1300 calories a day. If you go and exercise, you get to "eat" your exercise calories, increasing your calories above 1200 - 1300 calories.

    Get a food scale and some measuring cups. Measure and watch, and learn.
  • gatorginger
    gatorginger Posts: 947 Member
    egg beaters and a tortilla wrap should work, and maybe some lowfat yogurt
  • rockymtnlove
    rockymtnlove Posts: 215
    if you hit your calories just with breakfast and lunch you may have it set too low? Mine is set at 1450, which I have trouble hitting sometimes. For me, it helps to enter things BEFORE I eat them, so I can see what I am working with and decide to not eat something, or to eat something else instead. Not saying 1450 is right for everyone, but it is just right for me
  • topyule
    topyule Posts: 18 Member
    I was not very good at counting when I started. What I did was ate the way I normally did, but recorded everything I ate. This allowed me to see what I needed to cut out or reduce the portion size to stay within the limits I set for myself. You can try that for a week and then adjust your meals to meet your goals. Good luck.
  • LittleMissDover
    LittleMissDover Posts: 820 Member
    I log in advance the day before and start with my evening meal so then I can see what I have left for the rest of the day.
  • targetcc
    targetcc Posts: 13
    The app forces you to make better decisions. That being said, you can always "earn" additional calories by exercising. There are days when I have to workout in the evening, so that I have enough calories to eat dinner later than night.

    It's all about discipline!
  • gjetherington
    gjetherington Posts: 18
    Just spend the first week or two logging what you would normally eat. I find it helpful to plan meals in advance - helps to keep you on track and away from the last minute meals that are full of unhealthy choices.
  • ShunkyDave
    ShunkyDave Posts: 190 Member
    Don't stress too much about it since it's your first day. Now you know that you can't make the same decisions you did today to hit your goals. Try again tomorrow, plan, observe, and adjust.
  • georgie304
    georgie304 Posts: 143
    Lots of good advise here. It is your first day and now you know. That is why this app/site is so helpful! Veggies, lean proteins... I like to do 1 full egg and 2 eggs whites... Just over 100 cals. I log my food first thing in the morning and then I do not go away from it. Again... It IS your 1st day... So now you know how to plan better for tomorrow. Do not beat yourself up and do not starve yourself. ALSO... drink lots of water! Drink a huge glass/bottle of water before you eat each meal/snack... It will help you to feel fuller/eat less.
  • muttervonangel
    muttervonangel Posts: 8 Member
    wow thanks for the advice everyone! i will add those friends that said i was welcome to :) this is DEFINITELY an eye opener. I had always done weight watchers and even lost 120 lbs in 2008-2009. but ive gained 40 back and its been more and more rapid gaining, now i know why! im eating like two days worth of calories in one day! good gracious!!!!!!
  • pianolover2012
    pianolover2012 Posts: 168 Member
    If you use the calories intake that is suggested by MFP, I found that is was way too low for me. It suggested 1400 calories a day for me. No way can I live on that right now. I bumped it up to 1700 and have had great results. I do plan on lowering the caloric intake soon, but this is only my second week, so I am still adjusting. I decided that if I was starving all the time, I would not stick to it! I have been using the MFP for almost 2 weeks and have lost 4.5 pounds!! Yeah me!!
  • muttervonangel
    muttervonangel Posts: 8 Member
    thats great! yeah it says like 1490 or something. which would be fine if i ate like a normal human being. but im stuck at home and im a nibbler on top of my meals. ive reached all my calories for the day and i havent had dinner yet. which is usually my biggest meal. my biggest problem is seeing myself failing and giving up. i cant give up, i cant be like this anymore.
  • 2pupsmama
    2pupsmama Posts: 77
    I have 80-100 lbs to reach my goal weight. I'm set at 1590 to lose slowwwwly. Add me if you wish. I'm here almost every day and will be here for the long haul. That goes for anyone else trying to lose and keep it off as well.
  • prokomds
    prokomds Posts: 318 Member
    The first step of you improving your habits is to assess what you're currently doing, I think. I would say eat somewhat normally for a few days, while logging, and that'll give you a good idea of where you are now. Or gradually cut back your calories - don't make yourself miserable right away, or it'll be extra hard to stick with it. If you think you'll succeed better by cutting back in stages - maybe the weight loss is slower, but slower is better than failing, right?

    And don't be afraid of a few bad days here and there. It's the constant overeating every day that got you here, not the occasional splurge. Move on and make the next day a better day :) Good luck!
  • georgie304
    georgie304 Posts: 143
    Wondering how you ended up. Hope you were able to stay within reason and NOT beat yourself up!

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