When You're Out of Calories and it's only 5pm...

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  • sappermarc
    sappermarc Posts: 2
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    Hnyuk
  • freelancejouster
    freelancejouster Posts: 478 Member
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    Actually, after having read more of what you originally posted, the eating for maintenance is probably a good way to get out of the 'cheat day' mindset.
  • yuckidah
    yuckidah Posts: 290 Member
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    I'm a calorie hoarder for this very reason- I never ever want to be at 0 before the day is over.
    So far so good - 16mths and haven't run out yet - but if I did (& was still hungry) I'd probably have a big salad and allow myself to go over by a couple of hundred rather than starve :smile:
  • moodyshannon15
    moodyshannon15 Posts: 39 Member
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    I try to know head what I'm going to eat and plan for those calories. I known breakfast is x amount, lunch is x amount..and so on. I don't eat back my exercise calories. If I have a special occasion. I go knowing I can only eat small portions and start with fruit and veggies (if available) restraining myself is hard but its gonna be worth it!
  • Elliehmltn
    Elliehmltn Posts: 254 Member
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    One cheat day leads to another. Sounds like you're having trouble with impulse-eating. I highly recommend this blog post on this subject.

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/blog/southcarolinaguy/view/what-i-learned-about-myself-on-the-way-to-fitness-513567

    I have been doing a whole lot better with a whole lot less impulse-eating since I read it. Especially the third paragraph -- describes me exactly. The old me, anyway. I'm not that eater anymore since reading this!
  • holothuroidea
    holothuroidea Posts: 772 Member
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    1) Learn from your mistake. Pre-plan your food, limit your intake of treats on treat-y type days (stop at ONE cupcake, or half if it's big). Etc.

    2) Know what your TDEE is. You can go over on your calorie goal and if it's still below your TDEE you will not gain weight from it. If you have a day where you end up using up all your calories early and are still hungry, call it a maintenance day and aim for your TDEE.

    4) If you get hungry, eat. Try eating lots of veggies, raw and cooked, to help fill you up.

    5) Take it in stride and move on. You have not sabotaged all of your efforts. It is not a road block. It is not a problem. Just move on to the next day.
  • bnorris2013
    bnorris2013 Posts: 256 Member
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    If i ate breakfast every day then I would have a problem with my calories - But I skip breakfast to make sure I have room for my meals and if I am low on calories nothing 10 minutes on the eliptical won't be able to give me room for
  • muddynicola
    muddynicola Posts: 41 Member
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    Why don't you eat the extra calories first then do a workout to burn them off once you've got your blood sugar back on track?
  • SteelySunshine
    SteelySunshine Posts: 1,092 Member
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    This is what works for me calorie wise (I struggle with getting my protein macro goal met)

    1. I delay breakfast if I get up significantly earlier than usual. Otherwise I know I will have no deficit at all by dinner and then I will go over.

    2. Soup, lots and lots of vegetables and yummy spices.

    3. And I will exercise if I am in serious danger of not having the deficit that I want. That is actually my motivation to move more. MFP has me at a 1950 calorie goal and if I think I am going to go over it my dog gets an extra walk. I try to make sure whatever I do that it is something fun. If nothing else my cable has lots of music channels and I can dance for a half an hour to an hour and get that extra 600 calories if I need them.

    4. I know that it's not considered a good strategy, but I will go to bed sometimes ravenously hungry, but usually just a bit hungry. My strategy is to not have huge stretches of time during the day where I will be horribly hungry. So, I might for example be somewhat hungry for a while in the morning not more than a half hour though and be hungry at night for a couple of hours, but not so much that I go crazy if that's the case I will make a salad. So far that is working for me.
  • HRLaurie614
    HRLaurie614 Posts: 260 Member
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    Log it anyway. At worst, it might help you make different decisions in future.

    ^^^ Good advice!
  • SteelySunshine
    SteelySunshine Posts: 1,092 Member
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    Whoops one more thing. I don't log my daily calories before the day. I do all my calorie planning at the grocery store. If an something I want isn't going to fit into my eating goals I don't buy it. I leave all the junk at the store so even if I do have a craving, it's unlikely I will go to the store to give into it. And even if I did go to the store to give into it that is a 30 minute walk so, I have earned at least a part of those calories. So, mostly it's a matter of going to the grocery store and making sure my cart is full of mostly non processed foods and things that are healthy. That being said sometimes I come really really close to going over my MFP plan.
  • acpgee
    acpgee Posts: 7,708 Member
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    Log it and do a cardio session to earn back some calories.
  • KaraAlste
    KaraAlste Posts: 168 Member
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    I can relate to not wanting to work out at night. If I were you, I would do my best to choose a low calorie dinner like fruits and veggies and a fried egg or something. Then, the next morning I would work on a plan for the day. I would double check my calories to make sure they are high enough for a realistic life. I would see when I could squeeze in that extra walk w/the kids or self defense class. And voila', back on track. :happy:
  • Tabitha81
    Tabitha81 Posts: 14 Member
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    I think I might give this a try to help combat cravings due to not being prepared!
  • MrGonzo05
    MrGonzo05 Posts: 1,120 Member
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    I eat early, so this is pretty normal to me.

    I get worried when I'm out of calories at 5 am. :laugh:
  • leonaedithlewis
    leonaedithlewis Posts: 75 Member
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    I make sure to track everything I ate even if I am blowing my calorie target. I believe I can't "make up" for eating large amounts of calories early in the day with skipping meals late in the day. So if I run out of calories by 5pm, I just go over calories that day with a healthy low calorie Meal and start over the next day. If you are starving then you are more likely to give up. And if you dont track, you have no way of measuring progress with healthy eating and coming up with solutions to problems like impulsive eating. It's all about continuous improvement, not perfection.
  • TheStephil
    TheStephil Posts: 858 Member
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    One day isn't going to destroy you. Some days I'm hungrier than others so I eat a reasonable meal and track it. Eat a little less the next day. Overall it's better to look at your calories for the week, not daily. Calling the day a loss and just eating whatever you want won't help you in the long run. However, if you eat an extra 400 calories one day and then eat a few hundred less the next few days. An extra few hundred calories once in awhile won't destroy your weight loss journey.
  • pumpkinspice84
    pumpkinspice84 Posts: 160 Member
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    Like others have said I pre-plan my meals and log them in. That way I know what snacks I can have. I also work out and that helps. If I know I am going to have a bad day like from a party, holiday eating out I plan for it. If I was going to use a lot of calories before dinner I would plan a light dinner that night. If I go a tad over I don't make a big deal over it. Just work out hard the next day and make better choices.
  • splashblob
    splashblob Posts: 249 Member
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    I had the same problem and now I revert back to my old eating habit before I started gaining weight. Eat 2 meals a day, start the first meal of the day at noon/afternoon. If I have breakfast or eat something early, I will get hungry throughout the day.

    If i'm out of calories early...I drink or eat the lowest cal food I have at that time-usually a cup of non fat yogurt, and if possible, go to sleep. I found that in my case, sleep kill appetize/hunger and when I get up, I don't even feel hungry also.
  • kellymiller23
    kellymiller23 Posts: 16
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    I find it much easier to pre-plan all my foods and to already have them logged. That way I know that my calorie and macro goals are going to be met provided I don't binge on something else. This allows me to spread out my meals however I see fit.

    I do this every night for the following day. It really helps to have my day planned ahead of time. I plan something yummy (yet healthy) for later in the day so I have it to look forward to, and help fight temptation.

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