How do stay within your calorie goal?

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irma73
irma73 Posts: 25 Member
in Motivation and Support
I started my day off great, but once I got home it was all over. I had 2 drum sticks and a whole bag of salad.
How do you "train" yourself not to go over your calories? It's really important I stay within my goal to shed some
weight due to my knee injury. Any suggestions would be appreciated? :smile:
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Replies

  • devil_in_a_blue_dress
    devil_in_a_blue_dress Posts: 5,214 Member
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    Two drum sticks and a bag of salad, is what? 500 calories?

    I stay within my calories by choosing a limit that allows me to have a 500+ calorie dinner?:huh:

    ETA: Looked at your diary, what kind of salad kit was that?
  • psych101
    psych101 Posts: 1,842 Member
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    Plan ahead - Prelog your day :flowerforyou:
  • amwbox
    amwbox Posts: 576 Member
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    Really...you just have to say no. That simple.
  • wickedpursuit
    wickedpursuit Posts: 47 Member
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    Prelogging major meals and 'must have' snacks... and carefully timing my snacks so I don't get home in ravenous eatbeast mode. It usually works! You may also want to prepare your meals in advance, so there isn't any room to grab whatever you find and eat it. I spend Sunday cooking all of my lunches and dinners for the week and it saves me a stupid amount of time later - just throw a tupperware full of food in the microwave and eat.
  • krawhitham
    krawhitham Posts: 831 Member
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    It's hard for me too, I have to exercise daily so I can eat more. I eat all of my exercise calories back or else I get *starving*
  • ftrobbie
    ftrobbie Posts: 1,017 Member
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    Plan ahead - Prelog your day :flowerforyou:

    +1

    The great thing about not planning is that total failure comes as a complete surprise without being preceded by weeks and weeks of worry.

    Seriously, plan the work, work the plan. It is a lot easier spending 10 minutes the night before planning the day the ahead than it is guessing and doing it on the fly. For today I know I have 650 cals spare for "opportunities", the rest of the day has already been planned out. I can have opportunities depending on how I feel.

    Good luck to you
  • irma73
    irma73 Posts: 25 Member
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    Thank you for your replies. I did pre-plan my breakfast, snacks, and lunch. When I ran out of food I grabbed the red vines at work. So, by the time I came home I was just thinking about food, food, food. I wasn't as prepared as I thought. I should have packed more veggies in my lunch. Tomorrow will be better!
  • 053069
    053069 Posts: 52 Member
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    you can exercise and eat your calories back as someone said before. spend your calories more wise. you can do it !!! get meal examples from this forum.
  • Sharon_C
    Sharon_C Posts: 2,132 Member
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    I agree with everyone who says to plan your day ahead of time. But I'll also add that it becomes easier over time. Once you've been doing this for awhile (I've been logging for 2 years now) you'll get a sense of how much you've eaten and how many calories you have left. But in the beginning you have to be super vigilant and look at labels before you eat. That way you won't eat an entire bag of salad and two drumsticks.
  • kmash32
    kmash32 Posts: 275 Member
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    Pre-log and plan meals. Also if dinner is where your problem is, then figure out what type of afternoon snack makes it so you don't get home starving. For me it is Greek yogurt (due to protein) or A Kind bar or nuts (due to fat). I find that if I eat empty calories at this time like candy or chocolate then I am starving. If I am going to eat that type of stuff it is usually after dinner.
  • devil_in_a_blue_dress
    devil_in_a_blue_dress Posts: 5,214 Member
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    It was a Fresh and Easy Bistro Salad (salad bag)

    Yeah bagged salads on the east coast are just lettuce, which is why I was guessing your whole meal was 500 calories or so. Anyway, 660 calories just see excessively high. Am guessing yours had cheese? Or dressing? I would just skip one or the other next time?
  • 970Mikaela1
    970Mikaela1 Posts: 2,013 Member
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    I pre log the whole week and make small changes as necessary.
  • mztmarie
    mztmarie Posts: 4 Member
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    Get you a group of low cal snacks and stash them so you can grab something when you get hungry. I keep 100 calorie almond packs and protein bars in my car, home and work. I also have raw fruit and fruit cups and Oscar Meyer protein packs and protein shakes (I LOVE Pure Premier vanilla shakes). The snacks average about 100-200 calories and mostly protein so that I feel fuller longer. This way you have options for when those hunger pains hit!
  • sugarlemonpie
    sugarlemonpie Posts: 311 Member
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    I stay fairly regimented. I preplan my meals for the day and think about how many calories I want to consume that day and when. I leave room for some healthy snacks. There are about 3 breakfasts I rotate when I feel like them, and I portion leftovers for lunch or have an Amy's organic frozen meal.

    Dinner is tricky sometimes and I portion out how much I am allowed. Food scales and measuring cups are my friends. If I know we're gonna go out to eat I am sure to exercise in the morning.

    Just have to plan your days out and think ahead!
  • ftrobbie
    ftrobbie Posts: 1,017 Member
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    I stay fairly regimented. I preplan my meals for the day and think about how many calories I want to consume that day and when. I leave room for some healthy snacks. There are about 3 breakfasts I rotate when I feel like them, and I portion leftovers for lunch or have an Amy's organic frozen meal.

    Dinner is tricky sometimes and I portion out how much I am allowed. Food scales and measuring cups are my friends. If I know we're gonna go out to eat I am sure to exercise in the morning.

    Just have to plan your days out and think ahead!

    I use a slightly different plan. Sort out food in the following order

    Dinner
    Breakfast
    Lunch
    Mid morning snack
    Mid afternoon snack
    Supper, with what is left over.

    And if there is nothing left over for supper I know I should be ok, or if not I have made poor choices and need to swap some of them out. I control what I eat.
  • MagicalGiraffe
    MagicalGiraffe Posts: 102 Member
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    For my bigger meals I'll prelog it and then go make it. Also I go for walks everyday to give me a few extra calories, but that's mainly just incase I have a hypo where I'd need to consume.
  • ValGogo
    ValGogo Posts: 2,168 Member
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    Really...you just have to say no. That simple.


    SRRRRiously...Exactly what I was thinking.
  • looseseal
    looseseal Posts: 216 Member
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    Really...you just have to say no. That simple.


    SRRRRiously...Exactly what I was thinking.

    Impossible if you're really hungry.

    Pre-plan, eat protein and carbs each meal/snack. If you pre-plan your dinner and work your way back to lunch then b-fast it might be easier. I try to hit between 1350 - 1550 cals/day. If I'm sitting at 800-900 eaten before dinner I almost always stay within my range. If I'm sitting at 1100+ by dinner? Hmmm, usually that's a problem. Only time it's ok (for me) is if I sleep late and don't eat breakfast, end up eating just lunch and dinner. I love that!
  • Hornsby
    Hornsby Posts: 10,322 Member
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    Really...you just have to say no. That simple.


    SRRRRiously...Exactly what I was thinking.

    Yep. It's that simple. That doesn't mean it's easy to accomplish, but the answer is simple.
  • MyChocolateDiet
    MyChocolateDiet Posts: 22,281 Member
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    This eating all the foods late in the day happens to me when I don't eat enough cals throughout the day.

    I find I must eat 2 meals and 2 snacks so that I don't turn into a Hoover at dinnertime.

    Try that.

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