What do you do when you feel you have no calories left?

rainbows1994
rainbows1994 Posts: 30
in Health and Weight Loss
Sometimes I get half way through the day and I look at that number "600 calories left"... which makes me nervous. I don't even feel that I have that large of a lunch or breakfast (you can look at my diary). Most of the time I eat fruit in the morning and have a light salad or something of that sort for lunch. When afternoon roles around I'm starving and by supper I barely have any calories left!

What do you do when this happens? Do you allow yourself to have calories for the day? Or should I just suck it up and stick to what I have left??

EDIT: I do lots of exercise! At least a half hour of cardio per day either on the treadmill or elliptical. Should I just eat these calories back?? I usually burn about 300 calories per day at the gym. I never usually eat them back because I tend to stick to the same weight when I do.

EDIT: 1300 for me is the only amount that I find I can actually lose weight. I have experimented with raising my calories before.

Replies

  • katejkelley
    katejkelley Posts: 839 Member
    I exercise more so I can have a decent-sized dinner.
  • Rawr1978
    Rawr1978 Posts: 245 Member
    I do a workout before or after
  • lalaland82
    lalaland82 Posts: 176 Member
    Yup - same here - I would try and fit in some more exercise
  • natmadc
    natmadc Posts: 116 Member
    I try to plan/post my meals ahead of time so that I know that I will feel satisfied throughout the day. This helps for not using up all your calories early in the day. Or ill try to be creative with those last few calories and think of filling meals that fit within those limits. Or like the previous poster said Ill exercise more to fit more calories in
  • manique45
    manique45 Posts: 99 Member
    Sometimes I get half way through the day and I look at that number "600 calories left"... which makes me nervous. I don't even feel that I have that large of a lunch or breakfast (you can look at my diary). Most of the time I eat fruit in the morning and have a light salad or something of that sort for lunch. When afternoon roles around I'm starving and by supper I barely have any calories left!

    What do you do when this happens? Do you allow yourself to have calories for the day? Or should I just suck it up and stick to what I have left??

    I get nervous too when my cals get around 600! But I also exercise daily even if its a 30 min walk... Sounds like you are not eating enough cals though to begin with because you shouldn't be starving!! :o) Eating healthy or even eating with a restricted calorie amount doesn't have to mean you have to feel hunger pains.

    I would def. exercise to allow more cals, also stay away from processed foods will allow you to eat more!
  • pbrinnm
    pbrinnm Posts: 39
    I review my log from the day before to see what is going on. If I'm hungry it's usually because I didn't eat enough protein the day before.
  • redhead1910
    redhead1910 Posts: 304 Member
    600 calories is plenty for me haha. I'm happy if I have 600 calories left by the middle of the day!
  • thistimewillbedifferent
    thistimewillbedifferent Posts: 217 Member
    I definitely try to eat enough early in the day (and to keep eating every 3-4 hrs) so that I never get to the point where I'm starving. When I get that hungry, I make bad choices. Best of luck trying to find the right division of calories that works for you!
  • Showcase_Brodown
    Showcase_Brodown Posts: 919 Member
    Personally, I don't eat breakfast, which allows for a more substantial lunch/dinner. That's not everyone's style, though.

    Exercise is great, but to me, the idea of exercising just so you can eat more calories seems counterproductive.
  • Salt_Sand_Sun
    Salt_Sand_Sun Posts: 415 Member
    1300 calories seems a little low in my opinion.

    But you can still get a decent meal or two out of 600 calories.

    And like others have said - go for a walk, run, bike ride, or something - give yourself more calories at the end of the day.
  • BillRicks1
    BillRicks1 Posts: 473 Member
    Protein, water, exercise. Try to eat a protein based snack about 3PM or so. Helps you feel full longer so you're not starving at dinner. Drink 1/2 your body weight (in ounces) throughout the day. If you are at 150 lbs. drink 75 ounces of water. Exercise - just walking around the block a few times will get you started. If you feel like you're getting hungry, drink a full glass of water, do a few push ups, crunches and squats.
  • Vorenus85
    Vorenus85 Posts: 112 Member
    More often than not I will sip on large cups of black coffee to suppress my appetite for a while; which (as a coffee drinker) is pretty effective for me. But what has worked even better is saving most of my calories for the latter part of the day, since I'm a big late night eater. If I actively start to eat around 5-6 pm, I usually don't have calorie problems for the remainder of the night.
  • JoRumbles
    JoRumbles Posts: 262 Member
    Dinner time is when I have a decent sized hot meal so I plan the rest of my calories around that meal.

    That is, I decide what I will have for dinner the day before and pre-log the calories for that. Lunch and dinner come out of what is left. If its a small dinner- tonights was under 500cals, then I like to have some wiggle room for another snack before bed becuase I know I will be hungry.
  • panthera_leo48
    panthera_leo48 Posts: 4 Member
    Sometimes I get half way through the day and I look at that number "600 calories left"... which makes me nervous. I don't even feel that I have that large of a lunch or breakfast (you can look at my diary). Most of the time I eat fruit in the morning and have a light salad or something of that sort for lunch. When afternoon roles around I'm starving and by supper I barely have any calories left!

    What do you do when this happens? Do you allow yourself to have calories for the day? Or should I just suck it up and stick to what I have left??

    I get nervous too when my cals get around 600! But I also exercise daily even if its a 30 min walk... Sounds like you are not eating enough cals though to begin with because you shouldn't be starving!! :o) Eating healthy or even eating with a restricted calorie amount doesn't have to mean you have to feel hunger pains.

    I would def. exercise to allow more cals, also stay away from processed foods will allow you to eat more!

    Processed foods are bad for the most part. Find things that are low calorie and filling. Nutrigrain bars and fiber one bars are actually pretty tasty and good for you. Try not to drink your calories either (unless its a smoothie with real fruit) Soda is bad. Too much sugar and too many calories. One once and a while is OKAY. But not once a day. Try to eat a portion of Protein a portion of carbs and 2 portions of Vegetables for two meals. (Palm sized portions. Lean meat is best) It is a lot more than it seems and a lot of vegetables will fill you pretty well.

    EDIT: Also the 1240 or whatever calories it defaults for non active people for 2 lbs loss a week is NOT for everyone. I starved myself on that and then increased it to 1350. If you're sticking to your calories and starving, Change the way you eat first, If you're still hungry you NEED to increase it. Everyone is different hun BUT DO NOT STARVE YOURSELF. Your body will go into survival mode and store more fat. You're better off eating a bit over and being satisfied than just being under and starving. I used the limit as guidelines for a while to adjust. Now i stick to it and usually go under with exercise and even eating when i'm not hungry.

    Edit again: And exercise is good. Walking 3 miles in an hour burns 400 calories.
  • QueenofScott
    QueenofScott Posts: 305 Member
    I exercise a little more to get extra calories.
  • BoomstickChick
    BoomstickChick Posts: 428 Member
    I realized I wasn't eating enough and upped my calories a bit.
  • tonytoo
    tonytoo Posts: 307
    I try to plan/post my meals ahead of time

    this
  • K_Serz
    K_Serz Posts: 1,299 Member
    I would be nervous every day I woke up if my goal was 1300 cals
  • skinnydreams19
    skinnydreams19 Posts: 282 Member
    Your calorie goal seems much too low, that's why you're running out - because you're not even eating much!
  • footiechick82
    footiechick82 Posts: 1,203 Member
    Up your calories to TDEE - 20% if you're looking for weight loss... I'm not sure what your goal is but 1,300 isn't enough.
  • mfp116
    mfp116 Posts: 108
    you either just deal with your calorie amount or exercise to bring your calories up
  • inside_lap
    inside_lap Posts: 728 Member
    600 seems plenty if you are on a 1300 diet and have already made it past breakfast and lunch. When I get close to my allotted calories, I work out to get more. But I also try not to worry so much about individual days and look at calorie goals for the week. And I generally tend to zig zag with my calories so I don't really spaz when I have a high day.
  • sweetpea03b
    sweetpea03b Posts: 1,123 Member
    I go by the TDEE and BMR method.... so I give myself 1900 cals/day no matter how much I exercise.... that being said... I have the opposite problem... I think..."man I have 600 more calories... what am I going to have that's healthy but not too filling?"

    But.... when I was doing the ole' 1300 plus workout calories thing I would always preplan the whole day to avoid issues like that... doesn't mean I wouldn't switch stuff around if I didn't feel like eating what I planned on... but that way you can make sure not to run out at dinner time. Good luck!
  • stardancer7
    stardancer7 Posts: 276 Member
    I try not to 'feel' I have no calories left--I look at the numbers (meticulous scale-using measurer) and know that ultimately the math will work. I
  • bethlaf
    bethlaf Posts: 954 Member
    600 is a pretty good meal ...
    2 cups spinach,(20 cal)
    sliced tomato(15 cal) and chopped cucumber,(10 cal) some olives,(5 of them for abt 50 cal)
    and no need for dressing
    maybe crumble an ounce of queso fresco on it (80 cal oz)
    then swai fillet with garlic and pepper, (140cal for 4 oz)
    2 cups cooked broccoli( 150 cal)
    and maybe 1/2 c brown rice...(120cal)

    portion all that out and look at it ...
    maybe then you wont feel "deprived"

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