I am over-shooting calorie intake everyday

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  • sassyjae21
    sassyjae21 Posts: 1,217 Member
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    I'm no expert here, but your meals are pretty high calorie. Do you think eating half the portion size would be doable? That would help a lot. I don't know how big your plates are, but I would hope they were pretty big with that amount of calories. It may be possible for you to eat slower, and eat half of the portions instead?
  • lavaughan69
    lavaughan69 Posts: 459 Member
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    It's really hard to give advice on how to control eating. I wish I had something I could offer up, but all I can really say is stick to it and try your best. Sometimes its a frame of mind that you have to get into. I started my diet off last spring by using the 5:2 method, which was taking two days a week, any days, and only eating 500-600 calories. It's not easy but it helps you put into perspective what real hunger feels like and it really helps with cravings.

    Another thing that I would do is drink a glass of water instead of snacking or drink a big glass of water before eating so you feel more full and eat less.

    I also found that looking through the success thread gave me inspiration. Spend some time looking at all the success stories and the results people get from logging everything and staying focused.

    Willpower is not an easy thing to master...if it were then we wouldn't all be dieting! :laugh:
  • sadieky1974
    sadieky1974 Posts: 4 Member
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    Just doing a quick scan of the last several days, it looks like portion control is one issue. Actually, measure the foods you are eating so that you can decide if it's worth spending your calories.

    Also, it looks like a lot of the ethnic foods you are eating are very calorie heavy.
    One of two things to look at here:
    1) are these homemade? if so (and maybe even if its premade/storebought), the calorie count is probably different than what is on the database. You can go into the my recipes and customize and put your recipes in with your ingredients and get a more accurate number
    2) Once you have figured out the actual calorie content of what you are eating, look for lower calorie substitutes in your recipes. I see that you are already using skim milk, etc. See if you can make some substitutions.

    Don't give up. Make small changes and add more along the way. You did not gain the weight in a month and you won't take it off that fast either!

    Good luck!!:flowerforyou:
  • Confuzzled4ever
    Confuzzled4ever Posts: 2,860 Member
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    As a vegetarian, do you eat any meat?? fish? poultry? Dairy? there are so many different kinds. If you eat fish, add tuna to your salad or if you eat eggs, cut them up and put on the salad. If not. Look up high protein vegetarian foods and add that to your salads.

    You are only getting 50g of protein a day. You'll feel fuller and more satisfied if you can increase this macro.

    What do you do for exercise?

    Have you calculated your BMR and TDEE? (If not google scoobys calculator and do it)

    Increase your water intake and decrease juice and other beverages. Orange juice tastes good but is generally full of mostly water and sugar, so you're not getting many benefits from it. It's better to eat rather then drink your calories, esp if you are always feeling hungry.

    Pre-plan your day and went you will eat. that helped me a lot. (My diary is broken up into time slots for this purpose. I know what I am eating and when. It makes it easier to wait out the half hour.

    Are you sure you are eating out of hunger? and not boredom? I used toe at to quell boredom. Terrible habit and it's hard to tell the difference sometimes. Over the summer i was slowly gaining some weight an I couldn't figure out why, until I realized I was "grazing" my way through the kitchen everyday. Those little bit add up.

    get a scale and weigh your food, so you know exactly what you are eating. Evidently if you are not losing, you are eating more then you think you are, even if you think you are over estimated your MFP entries.

    Use the recipe builder for things you make at home from scratch. You never know what is in the recipes in the MFP database and the calories are often vastly different.

    Log your salads!! Salads have calories! And they add up! I log everything, every day and my salads can be over 100 calories just on their own. If not accounted for this can add up to a lot of extra calories over time!
  • MorgueBabe
    MorgueBabe Posts: 1,188 Member
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    Yeah it looks like you eat too much in one sitting. I think you need to start to weigh your food.
  • Confuzzled4ever
    Confuzzled4ever Posts: 2,860 Member
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    I also noticed pretty high on the amount of sodium. Sodium makes you retain water, ergo causing weight gain (or stalling). Reduce sodium intake or drink two tons of water to flush it all out.
  • soshiv
    soshiv Posts: 13 Member
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    Thank you all. I guess I need to learn more about how to use the information on Food tab (protein/sodium intake etc).

    Some really good suggestions. I will use time slots (in between meal, meals are my downfalls). Increase protein intake. Do portion control and use recipe builder. Plan the meals.

    I am going to fast (eat once) tomorrow and will report back.
  • MorgueBabe
    MorgueBabe Posts: 1,188 Member
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    I am going to fast (eat once) tomorrow and will report back.

    What why?
  • daw0518
    daw0518 Posts: 459 Member
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    I always eat 1 cup of cereal to 1/2 cup of milk & it's the perfect amount with no leftover milk. That's not particularly helpful, but 40 calories is 40 calories!
  • jonnythan
    jonnythan Posts: 10,161 Member
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    Fasting is not the answer. You are falling into disordered eating patterns.

    You need to exercise control over your portions.
  • JOEYJACKMOM
    JOEYJACKMOM Posts: 72
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    Use the recipe tool on MFP. You can save all of your recipes for quick entry next time and it will calculate the calories more accurately. Just selecting whatever random option comes closest to what your eating isn't going to work, even if you are weighing all of your food.
  • gypsyone96
    gypsyone96 Posts: 62
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    Plan ahead (a day ahead). That is the only thing that works for me. When I don't, I can end up eating 3k calories. I have my computer open during dinner everyday and plan out my meals for tmrw.
  • sassyjae21
    sassyjae21 Posts: 1,217 Member
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    Please don't fast. That's not going to do anything for you but make you hangry and binge.
  • SezxyStef
    SezxyStef Posts: 15,268 Member
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    I am over-shooting/over-eating on a daily basis. I am having difficult time staying within the restricted calories.

    I work out every day (5-6 times a week).

    I am vegetarian.

    Weekends are worse in my food intake (I hit 3K calorie this past sunday).

    Well cut your portions down......choose food that keeps you fuller longer,...protien, fiber

    If you want to stay at your calories then stay at your calories...
  • lavaughan69
    lavaughan69 Posts: 459 Member
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    If by fasting you mean you are trying the 5:2 approach then I would suggest searching this on the forum, there are lots of great threads on this. When I do a 500-600 day I break it into two meals, lunch and diner. For lunch I will have soup and munch on veggies. For dinner I will have a small portion of protein and veggies. I never do back to back days. Do some reading before you move forward to make sure this is the right choice for you. Everyone is different so what works for me may not work for you. And do keep in mind what others have said, that you will be extremely hungry on a fast day when you first try it and if you are struggling already with will power then this might cause you to go on a binge.
  • jonnythan
    jonnythan Posts: 10,161 Member
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    There are a lot of good reasons to go 5:2 or do IF, but I don't think being unable to control yourself normally is a good reason.
  • jennehogan
    jennehogan Posts: 6
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    My advice is to cut some of the carb rich foods out and double the vegetables. If you fill up on veg, then it won't be so bad to miss the rice and potatoes!
  • bacitracin
    bacitracin Posts: 921 Member
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    Eat less? More protein and fiber?

    Move more? Lift heavy?
  • BerryH
    BerryH Posts: 4,698 Member
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    You really don't overshoot by a huge amount. You could wipe out your average deficit by going for an extra walk at lunchtime, or cutting portions - just one cup of rice or 6 pani puri instead of 12.

    This won't work if you just eat it then track it, though. Log your day's food in advance and make adjustments where necessary. You can do this! :flowerforyou:
  • maegmez
    maegmez Posts: 341 Member
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    You really need to rethink your foods by giving them a healthier makeover. That will allow you to eat the foods you enjoy. I love Indian food but it is very high calorie. I haven't given mine a makeover because I order it out. However, I only have 1/4 of the tray and just pick the meat out, then I will drizzle a small amount of sauce over my rice. I love naan and paratha bread too but only have 1/4-1/3 of that. I still eat pizza, I have my pizza down to about 90 calories a slice including sauce and cheese. It's not my old piled high cheese and fatty meats on a thick crust but I love that can eat more of what I love.

    No matter what I eat though, I cram my plate full of veg. You can eat lots of veg and most are very.ow calorie.

    As suggested above, you need to watch your sodium.

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