I keep going over my calories

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Versha19
Versha19 Posts: 20
in Health and Weight Loss
I don't know what to do I cant seem to stay under or even just meet my calorie goals, I continually go over them and it makes me upset, I mean I work out but I even still go over my calorie goals, any suggestions on how to stay under and still feel full??? Also, not be a sucker when people at work ask to order lunch or get pizza or get chinese or get cheese fries or whatever ughh. It doesnt help that my office is literally right next door to an AMAZING pizzeria and I LOVE LOVE LOVE pizza it is def one of my biggest weaknesses. Any help will be greatly appreciated!! Thanks :)

Replies

  • KatWood
    KatWood Posts: 1,135 Member
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    For me eating 5-6 smaller meals per day seems to help. It feels like I am always eating something. Also, I always bring my lunch to work. That way I won't be tempted to eat out. I'm too cheap to waste a perfectly good lunch by going out :)
  • thedreamhazer
    thedreamhazer Posts: 1,156 Member
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    Well, I would DEFINITELY recommend that you pack your lunch. That way, it'll be harder to be tempted to go out to eat because you'll already have food with you.

    Also, don't necessarily cut out those delicious foods! Find ways to make them work for you through portion control or making small sacrifices (take some of the cheese of your pizza, get brown rice with your Chinese food, etc).

    Two other recommendations:

    1- Reevaluate your weight loss goals. How much weight are you set to lose per week? Maybe you need to lower that goal so that you have more calories available to you on a day-to-day basis.
    2- If you go over your calories, do a little extra exercising in the evening (or even the morning if you know you're going to go over). Take a 30 minute walk -- you can burn over 100 calories at 3mph.

    And, finally, just hang in there! It can be hard, but keep trying!
  • perrenn
    perrenn Posts: 11
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    Try to find a way to take the food you love and just make it a little healthier. For me, I love tacos. I used to use ground beef, sour cream, regular cheese, ketchup, fried tortillas, refried beans. Now i eat tacos made with turkey, fat free sour cream, low fat cheese, i just warm the tortillas and don't fry them, and use salsa.. i also stuff a lot of lettuce in there too.. and have a few black beans. Eating them this way is about half the calories! Still tastes pretty good too. :)
    For breakfasts, a weakness is biscuits and gravy and eggs. Now i use the small biscuits.. 2 are 100 cals.. i eat 1 egg with 2 egg whites.. and I make the gravy with skim milk and water. (Instead of the big flaky biscuits, about 150 cals each, instead of 2 whole eggs, and instead of all whole milk)
    Just look at what you love and see how you can change it a little. good luck!
  • AshPolette717
    AshPolette717 Posts: 24
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    I know the feeling. I try my hardest to stay under my goal and I barly go over during the weekend and ALWAYS go over on the weekends. I do bring my lunch to work, but I work in a pre school so I always want to eat what the kids are eating. and yes the girls love to order in chinese or IMOS. SUCK!!! Bringing my lunch is good, and in the back of my head always saving money is a PLUS! Just try is hard as you can and remember why we are doing this! :) best wishes! ~Ash
  • Versha19
    Versha19 Posts: 20
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    thanks yeah i should def be packing my lunch too!! i shouldnt be spending the money on buying lunch but i am always a sucker ugh, and yeah eating smaller amounts more often always sounds good but i dont always have good at my access maybe i should have more snacks handy and such, also i am set to lose 1 lb per week so i am suppose to be eating 1200 calories per day but if i exercise that goes up like today i walked 4 miles so i got around 300 extra calories but i ate them plus around 200 more so its tough thanks for the suggestions
  • smuehlbauer
    smuehlbauer Posts: 1,041 Member
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    More fiber, more protein, more water and more exercise.
  • kimmielou1957
    kimmielou1957 Posts: 6
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    WRITE DOWN EVERYTHING YOU EAT!!!!!!! iT IS THE ONLY WAY TO TRACK WHAT IS GOING IN!!! It has made the biggest difference for me - try it for a week . . . good luck:happy:
  • casl00
    casl00 Posts: 19
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    I had to plan my calories and meals out for the week and be sure to eat somthing every three hours. That's the only way I could keep the calorie count.

    Just don't give up on counting them.
  • Skinnytime
    Skinnytime Posts: 279
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    Def. add more fiber to your diet. It will help you feel fuller longer and may prevent you from absorbing all those calories. Plan your meals. If you know you are going to have a big lunch, make breakfast and dinner very small, low calorie meals. Have your pizza, just plan for it.
    Think of your calories like a bank account. Plan where you want to spend your calories, just like you plan where to spend your money. It takes thought and planning. It also takes discipline. Just remember you can't really save your calories all week and then spend them on a huge meal. That's just starving/binging which does not work. Once the day is over, your calories are, too.
    Good luck.
  • LastFighter
    LastFighter Posts: 175 Member
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    I punish myself when I go over. I have to work off the extra calories. A few times thats been 1000+ calories. You dont want to eat ever again after youve done the stair climber for 45 minutes. If you put in your calories and your over hit the gym before you go to bed (not right before but after dinner).

    If you have an event planned, work out before it so its a guilt free meal.

    Always eat within reason. Your calorie intake allowance is probably significantly smaller than mine. Smaller portions of things you love.
  • Voncreepy2
    Voncreepy2 Posts: 1,450 Member
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    Do they offer veggie pizza? Or maybe have a salad and just one slice. It is hard. I worked as an RN before staying home with my kids these days and the drug reps always would buy us lunch and bring us goodies. It is so hard when everyone around you is eating badly. I have favorites from all of the fast food places that I like and i research them before hand to find out if they are going to really push me over. Maybe you can do a little research too and not fall into getting suckered as you put it. Good luck. I love food too much but i am sloooooooowly losing. Take care and don't give up!
  • Bourgel
    Bourgel Posts: 4
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    I have a few idea's. I can totally understand being tempted to order pizza with your coworkers, I also work super close to a bunch of different restaurants. Here are the things that worked for me:
    1. Stop bringing your wallet to work, if you have no money, you can't buy lunch!!
    2. Tell your coworkers that you're trying to lose weight and that you don't want to insult them, but you can't participate in the pizza lunches.
    3. If you do order pizza, don't beat yourself up over it, but do have a super low cal veggie salad with oil/vinegar dressing for dinner. No carbs 3x/day, you cannot eat that and still lose weight! A plate full of veggies is going to fill you up, and you can liven it up with almonds or nuts/seeds and some feta cheese, or something along those lines
  • mikioi
    mikioi Posts: 86 Member
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    Dont beat yourself up over it! Maybe you could set your weight loss goal a little lower to start that way youʻre allowed a little more calories. I would say pack your own lunch. I eat 1/2 a cup of fiber1 cereal w/ 1 scoop of mila and 1/2 a cup almond breeze unsweetened almond milk! This is very filling and keeps me full for at least 2-3 hours. I also try to keep a snack in my purse just in case I start getting hungry, that way I dont over eat come lunch time. I try to eat a small snack/meal every 3 hours just so I never starve! Pizza!! Heck, if I worked next to a pizza parlor I would want pizza everyday too. I would say treat yourself to pizza in moderation or try portioning out your serving, eat half for lunch and save the rest for dinner. Youʻll save your calories and your money! Also, eat slowly and really enjoy your meal. This helps me a bit to let my body recognize when iʻm satisfied. Good luck!! It will get easier in time :)
  • Joynh
    Joynh Posts: 14 Member
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    I think breakfast is a great place to save calories! I was eating bagels, and sugar cereal for a while because they were fast on the go! Now I make a smootie! I use frozen strawberries, blueberries, soy or almond milk, 100% juice, plain fat free yogurt and protein powder. I find it keep me feeling full longer then other breakfast foods! Then I also say bring your lunch, but I would add that with the $$ you save not eating out you spend on something special for yourself (new CD, new workout shirt) to keep you away from that Pizza!!!! I love pizza too!
  • Jacole18
    Jacole18 Posts: 716 Member
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    a lot of it is focus. it is important to have some of that pizza every once in a while, just not as often. maybe let your close co workers know that you are trying to be healthy, so have them not offer you "bad" foods anymore....YOU CAN DO THIS!!!!!!!!!!
  • MisdemeanorM
    MisdemeanorM Posts: 3,493 Member
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    Also, not be a sucker when people at work ask to order lunch or get pizza or get chinese or get cheese fries or whatever ughh. It doesnt help that my office is literally right next door to an AMAZING pizzeria and I LOVE LOVE LOVE pizza it is def one of my biggest weaknesses. Any help will be greatly appreciated!! Thanks :)

    This just takes getting used to. BUT, if you can go long enough w/out, then even the though of eating some of this stuff will gross you out, and actually doing so will make you sick! Which is great for keeping you away from it! A month + off of all processed foods (I was in Costa Rica in college) and then suddenly ordering pizza... man.... not good... I also now (unrelated to pizza story) CANNOT eat fast food hamburgers. Just thinking about it grosses me out. I do eat some of the other foods, but only 2-3 times a month. My greatest benefit / help though is I am SUPER cheap (often read "poor"). So I don't eat out. You have to have the will power to turn down eating out with your work pals, but if they are not supportive or are "one piece won't kill you" type of people, just bring out the wallet excuse. "Guys I'm broke", or "saving for something" , often works better than "I don't want the calories" - and maybe you CAN save for something - take that lunch money and every time put it toward... a massage, new gym shoes, a trip to the dentist (this is a huge pampering thing for myself! LOL, I love the dentist!) etc... also, don't be afraid to take your own lunch into a restaurant, order just water, etc.
  • islandnutshel
    islandnutshel Posts: 1,143 Member
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    Burn more with exercise and enjoy your food
  • MisdemeanorM
    MisdemeanorM Posts: 3,493 Member
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    Now I make a smootie! I use frozen strawberries, blueberries, soy or almond milk, 100% juice, plain fat free yogurt and protein powder. I find it keep me feeling full longer then other breakfast foods!

    Frozen strawberries are the trick to a great smoothie! It makes no ice required and it's almost like eating ice cream! I get tons when they are 99 cents / lb and freeze them. + frozen blueberries (also an Aldi 99 cents stockup!) + pineapple +a dash of OJ and it's the best ever! It's literally more tasty / desirable than a candy bar! And when I am indulging I will add in some fat free sherbet (watch out, super high in sugar!) or some sugar free vanilla for some extra creaminess.

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