Anyone else get the "counting calories" blues??

I would start pre-logging your food, to give you a better idea of what you can fit in.


That aside, I sometimes get burnout. And then I stop counting and take a mental health break, but I feel like that's a separate issue from yours.

I totally agree with this. Since I started pre-logging, I've found that I'm under my calorie goal and I'm not hungry.

You're probably in the same ballpark I am with the number of calories allowed. You might want to rethink what you're having for your meals.

For example, at lunch I had a salmon melt. Skinny salmon salad, cheddar singles, and orowheat sandwich thins. I added a side of steamed Brussels Sprouts. It was plenty of food and only about 400 calories. If I have a 300 calorie breakfast then I still have a solid 600 left.

I have room for an apple and orange snack and a nice dinner. I'm a big fan of Vietnamese salads and they are very low calorie. So I have a huge bowl of lettuce and herbs with some yummy quick pickles, grilled protein and nuoc cham dressing.

That is a lot of food, I'll be under my limit so any tredmill time is a bonus.

Other times I really want some specific food. I was craving sliders a few weeks ago; and they are a PERFECT diet food. I can have one with a couple of lean side dishes. I stay within my budget, satisfy a craving and keep on trucking!

Sounds like poor planning. Plan your meals better have the higher calorie ones on days you plan exercise.

Your calories might be set too low. 1200 calories a day is certainly possible, but not healthy for everyone. It's really only for sedentary short women mainly. And I'm talking women who are like four foot eleven or five foot. Even if you are 5'3" or even 5'2" you can get by with a little more calories and still lose weight. I am in between 5'3 and 5'4 and I've been eating 1300-1500 and am losing 1-2 lbs per week. I only eat in the 1200's if I have a lazier day. And I eat more than 1500 if I am super active.

Others have listed good ideas, such as to prelog. That will help you a lot, but make sure your calories are not set too low first. I know a lot of people are not happy on 1200 calories and are better off on 1300 to 1600 per day. Yes, you will need to exercise, but I find that just a part of having a healthy lifestyle. I like to exercise though, as it helps me deal with stress. If I don't get it in, I get stressed out easier.

Sounds like you're finding out why you gained 15 lbs. That's actually a good thing and now you can start making smarter choices and swap out your meals until you're eating enough to stay full without taking in as many calories. If you'd like any actual suggestions, opening your food diary would help and then others can point out ways you could save calories for later.

I have a similar amount of weight to lose as you, OP. Feeling the crunch of not nearly enough calories , I did decide to lower my goal from 1 lb a week to 1/2 lb. since I'm already more or less happy with my body let me tell you I'll be turning cartwheels if I lose anywhere near 26 lbs in a year! I have calories left over some weeks but mostly I'm just glad to feel successful.

I wasn't able to exercise at all for a while, and the only way I made 1200 calories/day work was by pre-logging. I started with whatever my big meal for the day would be, and pre-logged it. So if I knew I'd be cooking dinner for the family, or going out for lunch, I started from there, working to adjust it to around 500 calories. I had a few standard breakfasts that I knew would run between 150 and 200 calories, and then I'd try to keep lunch around 350 calories--always leaving about 150 for my evening beer/glass of wine!

After a week or so, I'd worked things out and was rarely hungry or tired. But I always tried to leave room for my evening treat--whether it was wine, or something sweet--knowing that without it I'd feel mentally deprived.

I learned that lowfat protein in the morning got me through until lunch, even if it was just a big milky skim latte or a cup of yogurt or a piece of string cheese, along with a piece of fruit for fiber. And drinking lots of water in between meals 1) kept me from feeling hungry, and 2) kept me from that mindless snacking just to have something to do with my hands/mouth.

Now that I'm able to exercise, it's much easier, and I've added more snacks to the mix. But it turned out to be a good thing in yhe end, because I identified a few go-to breakfasts, lunches, and snacks that won't break the bank on days I can't exercise. I still pre-log whenever I can, keeping each meal around 500 calories, with fewer for breakfast unless I'm getting up early to exercise.

I agree with pre-logging....and just get on a regular exercise schedule and enjoy eating a bit more. Regular exercise is very good for you and it's pretty crucial to long term maintenance.