Out of ideas

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weehah
weehah Posts: 81 Member
in Food and Nutrition
You know, I've done MFP before (about two years ago) and it felt really hard for the first two weeks to stay within my 1200-calorie limit.

Now I have 1310 calories, but no matter what, I am always so short on calories! I do exercise but not every day, and those days are really hard. I feel discouraged that I had two tiny meals and a snack today (it's now 1:30 pm) and I'm already down to 525 calories left for the day. I won't go to sleep for another 10 or 11 hours!

Just looking for some menu ideas and some support.

Thanks.

Replies

  • yarwell
    yarwell Posts: 10,477 Member
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    Closed diary - hard to tell.

    If you set a lower weight loss rate you will get more calories of food, 525 for an evening meal is reasonable just make sure it's filling stuff with protein etc.
  • weehah
    weehah Posts: 81 Member
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    True, that is reasonable for dinner, but I think I'll need a snack or two, too, since I get hungry every two or three hours.

    What I've had today:

    breakfast:
    half banana
    3/4 cup flax multigrain flakes
    1/2 cup milk


    snack:
    small apple
    peanut butter

    lunch:
    less than ONE serving of cottage cheese
    tomatoes
    three triscuits
    one small piece of cheddar babybel
  • lemonsnowdrop
    lemonsnowdrop Posts: 1,298 Member
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    My go to low cal snacks are a piece of Nature's Own honey wheat (40 calories) toasted with two tablespoons of PB2 (45 calories) and fudgesicles, if I'm craving chocolate. For a filling, low cal dinner, try chicken breasts and sautéed squash.
  • pmart611
    pmart611 Posts: 17 Member
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    I recommend increasing your exercise and count those calories burned. It not only increases your metabolism but allows you to eat those calories back. Go walking on your lunch hour and keep trying to do more such as strength training. You not only will feel good but you will be motivated by the progress you can see. Diet is important - it is about 75% of your overall success, but that exercise component is key to making it all work and to keep going!
  • conniemaxwell5
    conniemaxwell5 Posts: 943 Member
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    True, that is reasonable for dinner, but I think I'll need a snack or two, too, since I get hungry every two or three hours.

    What I've had today:

    breakfast:
    half banana
    3/4 cup flax multigrain flakes
    1/2 cup milk


    snack:
    small apple
    peanut butter

    lunch:
    less than ONE serving of cottage cheese
    tomatoes
    three triscuits
    one small piece of cheddar babybel


    Depending on your activity level, your calorie goal may be too low. MFP basically uses a 'cookie cutter' approach to assigning calorie goals. Have you calculated your TDEE (google TDEE for an on line calculator)? My TDEE is 2200, so I eat at a deficit to that and lose weight. Most days I try to eat around 1700-1800 calories and when I do that I lose about 1/2 pound or so a week. I exercise 3-5 times per week for 30-45 minutes at a time. I have a desk job and am lightly active at home.

    If you want to stay at your current calorie goal, you can incorporate things like PB2 (powdered, low fat peanut butter) and low fat milk / cheese products that have less calories per serving. I also eat scrambled egg whites with salsa when I'm hungry and don't have a lot of calories left (16 calories per egg white and 10 calories for 2 T of salsa). Veggies have less calories than fruit so try eating carrots, celery, pepper strips, cucumbers, etc. instead of apples and bananas. Hummus is a good alternative to peanut butter when you're eating veggies (60 calories per 2 T, versus 190 for peanut butter).
  • RINat612
    RINat612 Posts: 251 Member
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    My go-to emergency low calorie meal are Shirataki Noodles w/ Red Sauce. It's basically a huge filling pasta dish which calories only from the spaghetti sauce and/or parm. cheese.

    These are good: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00BP36RTY/ref=wms_ohs_product?ie=UTF8&psc=1
  • CA_Underdog
    CA_Underdog Posts: 733 Member
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    I would drop your weight loss goal by 0.5lbs / week since it seems so uncomfortable, either that or find a way to integrate daily activity in your routine so you have extra calories to draw from.
  • yarwell
    yarwell Posts: 10,477 Member
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    True, that is reasonable for dinner, but I think I'll need a snack or two, too, since I get hungry every two or three hours.

    ah yes, the high carb diet blood sugar roller coaster.
  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member
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    You know, I've done MFP before (about two years ago) and it felt really hard for the first two weeks to stay within my 1200-calorie limit.

    Now I have 1310 calories, but no matter what, I am always so short on calories! I do exercise but not every day, and those days are really hard. I feel discouraged that I had two tiny meals and a snack today (it's now 1:30 pm) and I'm already down to 525 calories left for the day. I won't go to sleep for another 10 or 11 hours!

    Just looking for some menu ideas and some support.

    Thanks.

    I would reduce the amount you want to lose per week. From your profile pic you don't look like you gave much to lose?
  • weehah
    weehah Posts: 81 Member
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    Thanks, but that was when I was my lower weight, after MFP success last time. I've since gained about 15 pounds. : (
  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member
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    Thanks, but that was when I was my lower weight, after MFP success last time. I've since gained about 15 pounds. : (

    so you have about 15lb to lose? you should set MFP at 0.5lb per week, or 1lb for the first 5lb and then 0.5 for the last 10.

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