HELP: eat all my allowed calories before 2pm

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typicallyjazzy
typicallyjazzy Posts: 41 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Ok so I love to eat as does everyone else on the planet but this is more of an issue for me because once I start eating and the food is good I cannot stop...I can't have one thing, I have to have a side too. It's weird.

I'll have a 250 cal sausage biscuit and that won't be enough. I have to have 2 granola bars immediately after. Not that I'm hungry, I just want to eat. So I sort of binge about 500 calories at 9am, then by 12 I eat 400 more and at 2 I've pretty much consumed 1360 calories (my limit). I work out at night, daily doing at least 35 minutes of low intensity cardio or walking for an hour on the treadmill. I don't eat anything else until the next morning. By now i don't even get hungry in the evening. But find it soo difficult to wait to even 5:00 to eat dinner. Matter of fact I have 2 meals a day, breakfast and lunch. I eat A LOT of snacks in between: poptarts, granola bars, cupcakes, peanut butter crackers, baked chips... I crave those more than actual meals.

Yesterday for "breakfast" I had a bag of baked cheetos and a granola bar. For lunch I went crazy on a grilled cheese sandwich, a small amount of fries, 3 peanut butter cookies and a little over a cup of macaroni and cheese. Then I was pretty much done for the day. I felt I had gone over and according to MFP I had, even though I sort of guessed the calories in the Mac and cheese and the fries (when I don't know how many calories something has I estimate and sort of go towards the higher end as far as calories) So I walked at 2.0 for 60 minutes and got on the treadmill for 60 minutes at 3.5 mph. Last night I didn't feel too hungry but when I woke up my stomach was growling like crazy. Usually when I eat all my alloted calories before 5 I'm never that hungry in the morning but today it felt as if I hadn't eaten anything.

How can I stop doing this? Do you think maybe I underestimated my calorie burn and intake yesterday since I am starving more than usual this morning?

ETA: I'm about 120-121 pounds, 5'3 and my goal is 119 right now. I'm losing at half a pound a week then I'll start maintaining.
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Replies

  • randomtai
    randomtai Posts: 9,003 Member
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    Eat more protein and fiber. Will keep you full longer.
  • roniredd
    roniredd Posts: 48
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    Figure out a more satisying breakfast ... and if you are going to binge, choose healthier options (e.g., fruit, veggies, etc).
  • cebreisch
    cebreisch Posts: 1,340 Member
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    Eat more protein and fiber. Will keep you full longer.

    ^ DEFINITELY THIS!!! and drink lots of water.

    Check out Chocolite protein bars at www.healthsmartfoods.com That's how I boost my fiber intake, and they're awesome.
  • rrsuthy
    rrsuthy Posts: 236 Member
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    How much water are you drinking? Perhaps, instead of the granola bar after the sausage biscuit, you could drink 2 full glasses of water. Wait 15 minutes and then ask yourself if you are hungry. If not, don't eat. If you are switch out the granola bar for a greek yogurt or Fiber One bar or small amount of oatmeal so you get full and stay full.
  • susannamarie
    susannamarie Posts: 2,148 Member
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    1) Eat more protein.
    2) Eat foods with more volume when you have the munchies. This is generally going to include more fiber and water content.
    3) Drink water first when you have the urge to eat something and it's not 'time'.
  • SonicDeathMonkey80
    SonicDeathMonkey80 Posts: 4,489 Member
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    Now I'm craving Cheetos, thanks!
  • _Zardoz_
    _Zardoz_ Posts: 3,987 Member
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    ETA: I'm about 120-121 pounds, 5'3 and my goal is 119 right now.
    Your body can vary up to 5 pounds in a day. So what time of day will you decide you actually weigh 119 pounds? Put your calorie allowance up to a maintenance level do some exercise and eat some proper food. A bag of cheetos and a granola bar is not a breakfast. Stop with this obsession over a number if your after a look find some exercises that will give you the look you want but overall eat some real food. Not high calorie snacks that don't fill anyone up
  • typicallyjazzy
    typicallyjazzy Posts: 41 Member
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    I recently replaced my "water only for the last 6 months" with diet sodas. I'm addicted. I started drinking them 2 weeks ago and barely drink any water now :(. Gotta fix that somehow
  • kr1stadee
    kr1stadee Posts: 1,774 Member
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    Empty calories.

    Add some protein into your morning. The 2 granola bar this is an issue of control. If you eat foods that will fill you (protein, fibre, fruit/veggies) and drink water, you should stay fuller for a longer period of time.

    If you can't hold back on the granola bars, then don't buy them. Some people have their foods that one just won't do.
  • Calliope610
    Calliope610 Posts: 3,775 Member
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    I agree with my friend Randomtia, eat more protein.

    For me, eating a breakfast of cottage cheese and fruit gives me a great headstart on my protein, is a substantial meal and really helps the rest of the day run smoothly.

    Some of my more knowledgable and experienced friends suggest setting a good protein goal (some say .8gr per 1lb LBM) and focus on hitting that. By focusing on getting enough protein, the rest on your macros are kinda "forced" into staying in line. When you make a food choice based on getting enough protein, by default you are eating less carbs, plus you get a healthy amount of fat.
  • jstout365
    jstout365 Posts: 1,686 Member
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    You are eating a lot of calorie dense foods. Just a little and you will hit your mark. Try making the switch to more whole food options and eating more protein and fiber like randomtai suggested. If you are a habitual snacker and find that it is more a mental thing than true hunger, pick better snack options. Instead of two granola bars, get a thing of greek yogurt and sprinkle some granola on top. Instead of cookies, have a kind bar or other protein rich snack bar (I like kind bars and Clif Builder bars -- the crunchy Peanut butter one is my fav). Eat more fruit and veggies. Drink water or tea to keep your stomach with something in it.
  • kellyr730
    kellyr730 Posts: 44 Member
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    I do the exact same thing. It is so frustrating. I don't snack and binge because I'm hungry at all - I have a good bowl of oatmeal just about every morning that is very satisfying and fills me up but I still just WANT to eat! Then I either have to go to the gym and burn 300-500 calories just to be able to have anything else to eat before I go to bed (usually at midnight) because I know my willpower won't last between noon and midnight to not eat anything. It's to the point where I can never even have dinner with my kids at night because I don't have any calories left and that's what I hate. I have tried eating protein for breakfast too - it doesn't matter what I eat I still just want to eat. I don't know how to avoid the cravings. I figure when it warms up outside maybe I can go for a walk when the urge hits or something but right now I'm stuck inside because it's 10 degrees out. I'm managing to keep my weight off but I hate fighting this every day too.
  • sillyvalentine
    sillyvalentine Posts: 460 Member
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    You can stop. You choose not to. You either want this or you don't. Make the choice and stick to it like you stuck to overeating in the past. Stop eating sugar and salt. They make you crave more food. It's 100% willpower. If you don't have, this will never work.
  • NancyL1221
    NancyL1221 Posts: 5 Member
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    My friend you have a sugar addiction. Yes all of those processed carbs turn into sugar in your blood stream. Plus they are filled with chemicals that keep you hungry and make you want to eat more and more. The solution is to cut out the junk and eat REAL food. Not something that was made in a factory. Food is grown in the ground or raised on a farm. Vegetables are very low in calories so you can eat them all day and not use up your allotment so quickly. Have a couple of eggs for breakfast with a side of fruit and it will sustain you longer than your cheetos. Have a salad or a wrap for lunch with some chicken and veggies. Have fish or a small piece of steak for dinner with vegetables on the side. Do that for a couple of days and see if you are still hungry all of the time.
  • typicallyjazzy
    typicallyjazzy Posts: 41 Member
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    ETA: I'm about 120-121 pounds, 5'3 and my goal is 119 right now.
    Your body can vary up to 5 pounds in a day. So what time of day will you decide you actually weigh 119 pounds? Put your calorie allowance up to a maintenance level do some exercise and eat some proper food. A bag of cheetos and a granola bar is not a breakfast. Stop with this obsession over a number if your after a look find some exercises that will give you the look you want but overall eat some real food. Not high calorie snacks that don't fill anyone up

    My scale at home says I'm 118.5 (I got in 2 months ago) when I weigh myself first thing in the morning but I don't believe it because whenever I go to the drs. and get weighed, I'm a pound heavier. Yes, technically that would make me 119.5, my goal, but for some reason I just believe it. I go up to 121 in the afternoons, so how do I know what's real? Maybe it's my fear of maintaining? It's like I just want more, my goal was 120 but I always change it when I get closer to it.
  • Azchange
    Azchange Posts: 110 Member
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    Take a peek at my diary. It may not be OPTIMAL, and I may even be harassed, but the main point I'm trying to make is every day at 5 am I make my own breakfast, and since I have it well balanced with enough calories, I actually have to force myself to eat at work (See snack 1 and lunch). Snack 2 is my preworkout meal generally. Dinner is post workout (6pm ish) and my before bed is where I "splurge" the rest of my calories generally.

    Always always make sure you have adequate fat, fiber, and protein with each meal or you WILL get hungry. Also, do not wait for yourself to feel hungry, snack to keep content. Skipping food from 2pm until the next morning is of course going to prompt you to overeat in the AM.

    Andrew
  • noramalone1635
    noramalone1635 Posts: 9 Member
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    You definitely need to switch away from the processed foods onto a more whole foods diet. The processed foods cause huge blood sugar swings which leave you feeling like you need to eat more and more and more. The first few days of dropping the processed foods will probably make you feel pretty terrible, but the cravings will pass fairly quickly and so will your desire to eat all the time. Your body is craving nutrients that it isn't getting with your current foods, so it keeps triggering you to eat - hoping it will get the foods it needs.

    Part of your problem could also be habit - similar to people who bite their nails. You indicated you don't feel hungry, just that you need to eat. In this case, instead of reaching for the poptarts try drinking a large glass of water and doing something active to distract you. Most cravings will pass within 10-15 minutes if you ignore them. You can also try to figure out if you're really hungry or just bored (or whatever). When you get the urge to reach for a granola bar or a poptart, ask yourself "Am I hungry enough to eat an apple?" If the answer is "no" then walk away from the food. If the answer is "yes" then eat an apple.
  • typicallyjazzy
    typicallyjazzy Posts: 41 Member
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    I do the exact same thing. It is so frustrating. I don't snack and binge because I'm hungry at all - I have a good bowl of oatmeal just about every morning that is very satisfying and fills me up but I still just WANT to eat! Then I either have to go to the gym and burn 300-500 calories just to be able to have anything else to eat before I go to bed (usually at midnight) because I know my willpower won't last between noon and midnight to not eat anything. It's to the point where I can never even have dinner with my kids at night because I don't have any calories left and that's what I hate. I have tried eating protein for breakfast too - it doesn't matter what I eat I still just want to eat. I don't know how to avoid the cravings. I figure when it warms up outside maybe I can go for a walk when the urge hits or something but right now I'm stuck inside because it's 10 degrees out. I'm managing to keep my weight off but I hate fighting this every day too.

    It's frustrating. I too can never have dinner with my family normally. I always skip it and tell them im full already. It can be 4pm and I have to either go over my calories or skip meals. My family is starting to worry because I "never eat" but the thing is, I eat too much too quickly.
  • darrenj12
    darrenj12 Posts: 1 Member
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    You need to figure out what triggers your eating, my weakness is portions or availability. If I but a large packet of chocolate I WILL eat it all in one sitting, If I buy a tub of ice cream I will eat it in about 3 days.

    For me, I need to plan the meals in advance and buy the right foods at the supermarket stage. I allow for one cake treat a week and one pizza week, then I try to make very low cal/fat meals during the weak, like Salmon and rice or chicken in sauce etc.
  • geebusuk
    geebusuk Posts: 3,348 Member
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    This is one of the reasons I don't eat early and stick to a 1pm-9pm 'eating window'.

    I also limit the tempting foods I have lying around.

    On my lower calorie days one thing I often do is make a salad with plenty of lettuce and tomato with some lean protein (I also add some light Caesar dressing or similar - about 40cals worth). Not many calories from salad and dressing, but still fairly filling.

    I only buy cakes/sweets and the like if I know they fit in to my calorie goals for that day. (Yesterday's post-run evening meal was a whole icecream roll and a whole small budget swiss roll.)

    A big part of it is habit, too.
    If you can, I'd try and set yourself a target to absolutely stick to for 28 days. 4 x 7 day weeks isn't THAT hard.
    If you're not happy with it after then, it's unlikely to be sustainable. But most people actually 'develop the habit' quicker than that.

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