out of calories by the end of lunch time...
Options
Replies
-
Help! I just started here two days ago. The first two days I did really well and everything just happened to work out to the calorie of what I was supposed to eat. Today I've logged breakfast and lunch and realized I only have 100 calories left. I have company coming for dinner and it should be a long night of eating and drinking. What do I do now?
Well, I don't know.
Given the scenario that you describe, I guess you have no choice but to go over your goal amount, right? You certainly have my permission.
In the future, you might want to plan your day in advance if blowing your daily allowance by lunch is an issue.0 -
You're not eating enough.
If you're going to eat pizza, you need to at least plan it into your day so you aren't eating your entire days worth of calories on one meal from lack there of.
Plan, plan, plan, plan, plan, plan, plan.
Using events as an excuse to eat poorly and then complain about it is not going to do you any good.
PS, if this is a troll post, gso.0 -
go for a walk or other exercise to get some calories back into your allowance, eat something filling, lean protein and vegetables, exceed your goal rather than starve yourself
Then chalk it up as experience, start again tomorrow and try to pre plan
This!0 -
Cheese, bread and oil are huge calorie killers. It gets better. Realize that if you continue to be honest and track your calories even when you go over you willl start to trim back. I also suggest you become a part of a group that can keep you accountable and on track. I joined a local boot camp in my area and it keeps me focus and on track. Don't beat yourself up and try each day to do better.0
-
First, make sure your weekly weight loss goal isn't too high. According to your ticker, you've got 13 pounds to lose so 1/2 a pound a week would be the best goal for you. 1 pound a week is ok but could be too restrictive.
I agee with chalking it up to a learning experience. There will always be special events, dinner parties, holidays, etc, you just have to learn how to make them work. In the future, when you know there will be an indulgence later in the week, make sure you stay within your calories all week, get in a little extra activity and try to eat light the day of the event. The real challenge can be getting back on track after something like that so also make sure you've got a plan for the next day so you can continue on with your progress.
Also know, if you see a slight increase in weight it will likely be due more to water weight as high sodium and high carb foods as well as alcohol can all contribute to water weight gain. Once you're back on plan for a few days that should go away.
Best of luck and have fun tonight!0 -
I tend to eat a very small breakfast (because I work full-time and have a terrible habit of running late), but I always pack small things in my bag with me in case my stomach starts growling. Things like a granola bar (not the chocolatey ones), an apple, a fruit cup or applesauce. You shouldn't be out of calories so early in the day. If you are, you're either not allowing yourself enough or you are just flat-out eating too much. If this happens, it's not the end of the world. Just find an hour or so and walk briskly or do yoga or something. You can burn, like, 200 calories just from something like that.
Overall, it's best to focus on the QUALITY of food you're eating, and not the QUANTITY. If you're eating tons of fruits, veggies, lean meats and low-fat dairy, and that's what has your calories up, that's probably alright. Don't worry about it. But if you're eating crap and lots of it, that's when you need to re-evaluate your eating habits and make changes where it's due.
Hope this helps! Welcome to MFP!!! 0 -
Thank you everyone!! The counter says for me to eat 1200 a day. I had oatmeal for breakfast and for lunch I had three small pieces of pizza from Homemade pizza co and a peach. I think usually I could easily get up to 1200 alone just going out to dinner and drinks with friends. I don't have time to exercise today since company comes right after work. It's ok I just wanted to get off to a good start which might continue to be tough since I have friends' weddings every other weekend it seems.
You have 13 pounds to lose. Go back and select "I want to lose 0.5lbs per week". You should be eating more than 1200, I'm guessing.
ETA: Also change your activity level to lightly active, since you probably chose sedentary...
0 -
I almost never have calories left for dinner. It's the nature of how I eat. I eat Big to Small, meaning dinner is very, very small. It's not even a dinner, per se - just snacks.
And on those days like you describe, where there'll be a full dinner due to company, I just {{sigh}} suffer the consequences.0 -
I log nearly everything the day before, or at least 75% of what I am going to eat. This works well for me, especially as when I started I underestimated the number of calories that were on my plate.
Eat modestly tonight, one day of being a little over isn't going to hurt you.
Good luck, you'll figure it out.0 -
Also, and I know this isn't everyone's cup of tea, but you could skip your morning and/or midday meal and leave more room for calories and larger, more satisfying meals later.
Pizza is wonderful, but I've also learned it racks up the calories very quickly. And I can eat a LOT of pizza.0 -
Thank you everyone!! The counter says for me to eat 1200 a day. I had oatmeal for breakfast and for lunch I had three small pieces of pizza from Homemade pizza co and a peach. I think usually I could easily get up to 1200 alone just going out to dinner and drinks with friends. I don't have time to exercise today since company comes right after work. It's ok I just wanted to get off to a good start which might continue to be tough since I have friends' weddings every other weekend it seems.
So you may need to update your goals on here. 1200 is most likely not going to be right for you.
Since you're new here, I post these tips all over the place. They may help.
1. don't trust the initial setup that MFP provides. If you put in the wrong/inaccurate information, it'll tell you to eat an amount that may not be applicable.
2. Make sure you eat enough.
3. Figure out what works for you and is sustainable/healthy/long term.
4. avoid fads. don't buy in to any "Hey, try the twinkie and vodka diet"
5. Don't cut out anything now that you don't plan on literally giving up forever.
6. GET A FOOD SCALE. Weigh everything. No, seriously.
7. Get an HRM with a chest strap. You'll at least have a better idea of what you're burning. It'll be more accurate than the generic info in the exercise database.. and even more than the cardio machines. This is great for steady state cardio (run/walk/etc)
8. Don't go balls out. You'll burn out. I see 300 lb people show up here, instantly start working out and cutting their intake SEVERELY... trying to cut out all of their carbs at once.. whatever. Take it slow. Figure out how much you need to eat FIRST in order to lose.. then incorporate exercise.
9. Don't cardio yourself to death.
10. Take the information on the forums with a grain of salt. A lot of people that have been here for a while.. and have been successful, may seem jaded. They give out GREAT advice day after day, only to be met with people that refuse to listen.
11. Eat real food. Not diet food. Not "low fat, sugar free, now without X." It's easier to get/find/count.
12. don't set time restrictions.
13. measure yourself weekly. Don't just weigh. Measure and take pictures.
14 BE PATIENT.
15. Avoid forum topics that have "1200" in the title. It's just full of butthurt. Lots of it.
16. This isn't a game, it's about changing your lifestyle. Do that.
pretty much that.
...and don't fall into the "1200 calorie" vertigo of suck because of:
the typical MFP users does this:
1. I wanna lose weight, let's try MFP.
2. OH! Wow, it tells me I can lose 2 lbs a WEEK? AWESOME!
3. I just sit at a desk when I'm not working out, I guess I'm sedentary.
4. MFP tells them 1200 calories, and they don't even eat that.. then they work out on top of it.. creating an even bigger deficit.
5. Lose a lot, fast, brag about 1200 calorie success.
6. Come back in a few months trying to figure out why they're dizzy, tired, not losing weight.
7. Get on the forums, ask why they aren't losing.
8. Get two responses (I eat 1200 and lose) (I eat 2200 and lose)
9. Argument ensues about who is right.
Now. That being said. These threads happen hundreds of times per day. Most times, and I mean really.. seriously.. 95% of the time.. people get the 1200 number because they don't put the right information in when they set up the account. There are a great number of people that are trying to help. I'm one of 'em.
I'm a hardcore advocate of actually finding out what works for the individual.. by means of other calculators, averages, time, practice, and patience.
Blanket prescriptions of 1200 calories "because it worked for me" is more harmful to the generic new user than the "figure out what you need to eat." Unfortunately, one is a LOT easier to type.
Find out what you need: http://scoobysworkshop.com/accurate-calorie-calculator/
Take the tips, links, and info above and make the cart more manageable to stay on.
This...
Also, it's okay to go over. It's very okay to go over. Don't make it a huge habit, but it's not going to derail your progress to go over one day. Plus, you probably do need to listen to MzManiak since you have so little to lose.0 -
1) You may want to re-evaluate your calorie goal...everyone picks the most aggressive initially, which I imagine you did with 1200 calories. This is not realistic for many and can be very difficult to actually get your proper nutrition.
2) with paltry calorie goals, planning is more essential than ever...both in RE to meeting that goal as well as getting your proper nutrition.
3) exercise more to earn extra calories...MFP's goal is based on no exercise
4) remember that your calorie goal is a huge deficit from a maintenance level of calories...even if you go over, you're most likely still going to be in a deficit, just a smaller one.
5) Personally, I'd chock it up to a day...it happens...it's one day of many and **** is going to happen...this is a long road...it is a marathon, not a sprint.0 -
Thanks for the long list of info. I think I need to do a lot of exploring on what all these terms and acronyms mean- it just seems like there's a ton of info to weed through. I put in accurate info about myself- height, weight, and that I exercise 5 times a week typically. I am 5"5 and weigh 135. I200 is the number they gave me as net calories...does this still seem wrong to you?0
-
I keep having this problem too, vegetables for dinner then! ;-/
Exercise earns u more to eat
Lizzie0 -
Thank you everyone!! The counter says for me to eat 1200 a day. I had oatmeal for breakfast and for lunch I had three small pieces of pizza from Homemade pizza co and a peach. I think usually I could easily get up to 1200 alone just going out to dinner and drinks with friends. I don't have time to exercise today since company comes right after work. It's ok I just wanted to get off to a good start which might continue to be tough since I have friends' weddings every other weekend it seems.
You have 13 pounds to lose. Go back and select "I want to lose 0.5lbs per week". You should be eating significantly more than 1200, I'm guessing.
This! You should be eating at TDEE -10 or -15%, at the most. Here's a great thread that helped me figure it all out:
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/974889-in-place-of-a-road-map-short-n-sweet
And this has been the most accurate calculator for me: http://scoobysworkshop.com/accurate-calorie-calculator/
(Don't be surprised by the number. As long as you're accurate with your activity level, it's pretty spot on within 50-100ish cals.)0 -
Even at the 2190 calories I get to eat a day to meet my goals, I have to walk about 4 and a half miles a day to eat enough to feel full, yet I have lost 35 pounds since starting with MFP in February. I think what's going on here is a simple case of that initial shock that every MFP user that's serious gets- holy crap, THAT many calories in that?
Just remember to log EVERYTHING. Ketchup, 1/14 of a serving of Starburst, that 1/4 donut from the break room,etc. And remember that if you don't, you are only lying to yourself, the most common cause of failure. You can do it! Give it time.0 -
When I frist started MFP, I couldn't have chosen a worse day..however, I logged it ALL...every single calorie...it was like 3,000??? I think???!! It is a good reminder to get yourself in line and to plan out special things in advance. l say log it all, enjoy it all, and use it as a reminder of how to do differently next time :bigsmile:0
-
Thank you everyone!! The counter says for me to eat 1200 a day. I had oatmeal for breakfast and for lunch I had three small pieces of pizza from Homemade pizza co and a peach. I think usually I could easily get up to 1200 alone just going out to dinner and drinks with friends. I don't have time to exercise today since company comes right after work. It's ok I just wanted to get off to a good start which might continue to be tough since I have friends' weddings every other weekend it seems.
So you may need to update your goals on here. 1200 is most likely not going to be right for you.
Since you're new here, I post these tips all over the place. They may help.
1. don't trust the initial setup that MFP provides. If you put in the wrong/inaccurate information, it'll tell you to eat an amount that may not be applicable.
2. Make sure you eat enough.
3. Figure out what works for you and is sustainable/healthy/long term.
4. avoid fads. don't buy in to any "Hey, try the twinkie and vodka diet"
5. Don't cut out anything now that you don't plan on literally giving up forever.
6. GET A FOOD SCALE. Weigh everything. No, seriously.
7. Get an HRM with a chest strap. You'll at least have a better idea of what you're burning. It'll be more accurate than the generic info in the exercise database.. and even more than the cardio machines. This is great for steady state cardio (run/walk/etc)
8. Don't go balls out. You'll burn out. I see 300 lb people show up here, instantly start working out and cutting their intake SEVERELY... trying to cut out all of their carbs at once.. whatever. Take it slow. Figure out how much you need to eat FIRST in order to lose.. then incorporate exercise.
9. Don't cardio yourself to death.
10. Take the information on the forums with a grain of salt. A lot of people that have been here for a while.. and have been successful, may seem jaded. They give out GREAT advice day after day, only to be met with people that refuse to listen.
11. Eat real food. Not diet food. Not "low fat, sugar free, now without X." It's easier to get/find/count.
12. don't set time restrictions.
13. measure yourself weekly. Don't just weigh. Measure and take pictures.
14 BE PATIENT.
15. Avoid forum topics that have "1200" in the title. It's just full of butthurt. Lots of it.
16. This isn't a game, it's about changing your lifestyle. Do that.
pretty much that.
...and don't fall into the "1200 calorie" vertigo of suck because of:
the typical MFP users does this:
1. I wanna lose weight, let's try MFP.
2. OH! Wow, it tells me I can lose 2 lbs a WEEK? AWESOME!
3. I just sit at a desk when I'm not working out, I guess I'm sedentary.
4. MFP tells them 1200 calories, and they don't even eat that.. then they work out on top of it.. creating an even bigger deficit.
5. Lose a lot, fast, brag about 1200 calorie success.
6. Come back in a few months trying to figure out why they're dizzy, tired, not losing weight.
7. Get on the forums, ask why they aren't losing.
8. Get two responses (I eat 1200 and lose) (I eat 2200 and lose)
9. Argument ensues about who is right.
Now. That being said. These threads happen hundreds of times per day. Most times, and I mean really.. seriously.. 95% of the time.. people get the 1200 number because they don't put the right information in when they set up the account. There are a great number of people that are trying to help. I'm one of 'em.
I'm a hardcore advocate of actually finding out what works for the individual.. by means of other calculators, averages, time, practice, and patience.
Blanket prescriptions of 1200 calories "because it worked for me" is more harmful to the generic new user than the "figure out what you need to eat." Unfortunately, one is a LOT easier to type.
Find out what you need: http://scoobysworkshop.com/accurate-calorie-calculator/
Take the tips, links, and info above and make the cart more manageable to stay on.
Beautiful reply! Well done! And congrats on your weight loss BTW! Absolutely amazing what you've achieved. 0 -
So you may need to update your goals on here. 1200 is most likely not going to be right for you.
Since you're new here, I post these tips all over the place. They may help.
1. don't trust the initial setup that MFP provides. If you put in the wrong/inaccurate information, it'll tell you to eat an amount that may not be applicable.
2. Make sure you eat enough.
3. Figure out what works for you and is sustainable/healthy/long term.
4. avoid fads. don't buy in to any "Hey, try the twinkie and vodka diet"
5. Don't cut out anything now that you don't plan on literally giving up forever.
6. GET A FOOD SCALE. Weigh everything. No, seriously.
7. Get an HRM with a chest strap. You'll at least have a better idea of what you're burning. It'll be more accurate than the generic info in the exercise database.. and even more than the cardio machines. This is great for steady state cardio (run/walk/etc)
8. Don't go balls out. You'll burn out. I see 300 lb people show up here, instantly start working out and cutting their intake SEVERELY... trying to cut out all of their carbs at once.. whatever. Take it slow. Figure out how much you need to eat FIRST in order to lose.. then incorporate exercise.
9. Don't cardio yourself to death.
10. Take the information on the forums with a grain of salt. A lot of people that have been here for a while.. and have been successful, may seem jaded. They give out GREAT advice day after day, only to be met with people that refuse to listen.
11. Eat real food. Not diet food. Not "low fat, sugar free, now without X." It's easier to get/find/count.
12. don't set time restrictions.
13. measure yourself weekly. Don't just weigh. Measure and take pictures.
14 BE PATIENT.
15. Avoid forum topics that have "1200" in the title. It's just full of butthurt. Lots of it.
16. This isn't a game, it's about changing your lifestyle. Do that.
pretty much that.
...and don't fall into the "1200 calorie" vertigo of suck because of:
the typical MFP users does this:
1. I wanna lose weight, let's try MFP.
2. OH! Wow, it tells me I can lose 2 lbs a WEEK? AWESOME!
3. I just sit at a desk when I'm not working out, I guess I'm sedentary.
4. MFP tells them 1200 calories, and they don't even eat that.. then they work out on top of it.. creating an even bigger deficit.
5. Lose a lot, fast, brag about 1200 calorie success.
6. Come back in a few months trying to figure out why they're dizzy, tired, not losing weight.
7. Get on the forums, ask why they aren't losing.
8. Get two responses (I eat 1200 and lose) (I eat 2200 and lose)
9. Argument ensues about who is right.
Now. That being said. These threads happen hundreds of times per day. Most times, and I mean really.. seriously.. 95% of the time.. people get the 1200 number because they don't put the right information in when they set up the account. There are a great number of people that are trying to help. I'm one of 'em.
I'm a hardcore advocate of actually finding out what works for the individual.. by means of other calculators, averages, time, practice, and patience.
Blanket prescriptions of 1200 calories "because it worked for me" is more harmful to the generic new user than the "figure out what you need to eat." Unfortunately, one is a LOT easier to type.
Find out what you need: http://scoobysworkshop.com/accurate-calorie-calculator/
Take the tips, links, and info above and make the cart more manageable to stay on.
This is great advice. To the OP, your ticker says you only want to lose 13lbs, which is how much I've lost. A small deficit is all you really need. It's easier to accomplish and maintain. I came here because I was stuck at 138 lbs. Counting alone made all the difference. I lost easily on 1800 calories/day.
As far as today, don't stress it. Just make sure you learn from mistakes and move foreward.0 -
I do this sometimes, usually I just suck it up & plan to eat lighter the next day. If you're at 1200, going over by 500-800 one day isn't THAT big of a deal. You can go over by even less by: Trying to incorporate more movement, maybe go for a walk, get in a workout before dinner. Then pick two things to cut out--- don't eat bread, maybe skip alcohol. Eat half your plate (personally, I wouldn't bother ordering "healthy" that always leaves me sad. haha. I'll get what I want & not eat all of it) Good luck!0
This discussion has been closed.
Categories
- All Categories
- 1.4M Health, Wellness and Goals
- 391.9K Introduce Yourself
- 43.5K Getting Started
- 259.8K Health and Weight Loss
- 175.7K Food and Nutrition
- 47.3K Recipes
- 232.3K Fitness and Exercise
- 397 Sleep, Mindfulness and Overall Wellness
- 6.4K Goal: Maintaining Weight
- 8.5K Goal: Gaining Weight and Body Building
- 152.8K Motivation and Support
- 7.9K Challenges
- 1.3K Debate Club
- 96.3K Chit-Chat
- 2.5K Fun and Games
- 3.3K MyFitnessPal Information
- 23 News and Announcements
- 975 Feature Suggestions and Ideas
- 2.3K MyFitnessPal Tech Support Questions