What to do when you hit your allowance too early.

The whole point of logging your food is so you can prevent "running out of calories before dinner". I mean, it happens occasionally, but if it is happening consistently, then you're not planning out your meals very well. I plan out what I'm going to eat each day, to make sure I have enough calories for the day.

You are having lots of fruit at lunchtime . If you really want to have your peanut butter sandwich at lunch then use the fruits as your snacks. That will cut out the two cheese snacks. I would have a more filling breakfast- porridge or all bran cereal with low fat milk will be less calories but more satisfying. When you get home to your mums meal just eat the protein bit and fill your plate with low cal veg or salad. Eg, if she has made chicken with potatoes, skip the potatoes. For pasta bolognase skip the pasta. Good luck.

If I were in your shoes I would exercise to earn at least 200 cal extra per day.

That would put you at 1570 which is around what I eat in a day.



^ I' d suggest this! I tried the TDEE method - 20%, but it didn't work for me! MFP gives me around the same calorie allowance as you and then I try to do 30 - 45 mins exercise to give me an extra 200 - 250 calories a day. Beware though! MFP is said to overestimate burns. I only eat back 50% of what MFP calculates the burn to be.
Some days, though, I go over and I try not to stress about it too much and just resolve to do better tomorrow!:laugh:

The whole point of logging your food is so you can prevent "running out of calories before dinner". I mean, it happens occasionally, but if it is happening consistently, then you're not planning out your meals very well. I plan out what I'm going to eat each day, to make sure I have enough calories for the day.

This. Plan your days out. Here are some things that help me be consistent:

- Plan out the next day's breakfast and lunch (I should plan dinner too, but I don't for various boring reasons). I make tomorrow's lunch and put it in the fridge.
- If I do go over, I still try to eat reasonable.
- I don't beat myself up if I go over my goal by 100-300 calories. I don't use it as an excuse to binge either. "Oh look, I'm over my goal by 2 calories. Sigh. I might as well eat this box of Oreos now... and cover them in ice cream... after I drink 5 beers."
- After you start logging enough meals, you'll be able to guesstimate how much a meal is and make better decisions about eating during the day.
- On occasion, if I'm over and hungry, I'll just go to bed a little earlier, without eating that meal that will put me WAAAAAY over my calories, and the next day have a NORMAL breakfast.

Instead of having a smoothie in the a.m., why don't you try eating your calories so you're more sated. Greek yogurt with those strawberries and some nuts in it is a great breakfast and knocks about 100-120 off those calories, which you can save later towards your dinner. Try preplanning your day so you can see where you need to adjust. I did 1300 for the first three months here, and never had that problem keeping within my caloric goals.

Space your meals out a bit more and have more nutrient-dense foods during the earlier part of the day. (Vegetables and fruits, protein and fats)

If I'm hungry, I eat. Don't usually bust a calorie limit (usually under my number), but if I'm hungry, I'm eating.

You could rearrange your calories so that you eat fewer during the day and more at night. If you're eating junk food, you could replace it with low-cal fruits and veggies. You can fill up nicely on those for very few calories! If you aren't eating a balanced diet, try balancing it out. You could be hungry because you are craving something you're missing. Take your vitamins, too!

I'm with this. I've gotten into a breakfast and lunch routine that saves the bulk of my calories for evenings, when I tend to eat heavier meals or go out with friends. And if I end up being home alone one evening, I can eat a bit less for dinner and save up some calories for later in the week. (I generally make it a goal to balance out weekly more than anything else.) Basically, I had to rearrange my eating to fit my lifestyle, instead of trying to change my lifestyle to a certain type of eating.

I also have to assess what foods I'm eating. I know that I can't eat a donut for breakfast, because I'll be starving in an hour. I know that I can't have chips around the house, because I will blow my calorie goal out of the water in twenty minutes. I learned that I am actually capable of eating chocolate in moderation, but not ice cream -- etc. (I clearly had/sometimes have an overeating problem. I know that's not the case with everyone, lol.)

If it were me I would replace some of those carbs with protein.

Your body digest sugar (carbs) much more rapidly then proteins and that in turn makes you hungry sooner where as proteins and fats keep you satisfied longer.

If I eat a fruit smoothly for breakfast I am hungry by 10am and want to eat again. If I eat an egg, mushroom and avacado omelet I am good until well after noon time.

Just my .02

I completely agree with this. I actually gained about 15lbs last year because I was constantly eating carbs (granted, I wasn't tracking either) but I was constantly hungry, and so I thought "well my body is telling me to eat so I'd better listen to it." As soon as I swapped out most of my meals and snacks for protein and healthy fats like coconut oil, I began to feel full for much longer and didn't have the urge to snack as much. (well the urge was still there, but it was more psychological and that is a different battle entirely). Once I changed those habits, it made a big difference to my actual hunger level. And the scale

1st of all, plan your day at the beginning! know what you're eating for each meal all day long. that way you won't go over too early, because it's already decided for you.

if you have a tendency to snack while studying, go to the library and take with you only the snacks that fit in your caloric intake. or take a break from studying and go workout to get more calories for the day, if you're wanting to follow the MFP net calories way of thinking. Science suggests taking ten minutes every hour of studying to let your brain recharge anyways, so why not use that time to jog a mile, or go for a walk, do push ups, or squats... anything!

Or, research TDEE and try eating more to lose... it works well for some, but definitely involves staying committed to your workout plan and planning ahead too!

If you are only having a tsp of peanut butter, I would say you are over-counting calories for lunch unless you have a really dense bread?

Whatever you may think, it is not a failure and don't let that make you throw your hands up and quit and say "tomorrow". Just take control of the situation. It's a simple as taking 30 minutes (or even 15 if you can't do that) and exercise. Maybe a high intensity circuit, jog, or really anything that can get you moving so you can burn some of those extra calories. Even if you have already exercised earlier, just add on a little more. You'd be amazed of the calories burned with even 5 minutes of steady cardio exercises. But don't allow yourself to have a mindset that you are using exercise to punish yourself for eating too much. Likewise, don't use exercise as a scapegoat to be able to eat more. Just think of it as a give and take and working toward a balance of both and make it enjoyable. Then be very mindful of your next meal(s). Try to make them reasonable in calories so that you're not sabotaging your efforts of getting back your calorie allowance.

1. Make sure your calorie intake goal is reasonable.
2. Get better at planning out your meals. Log before eating, for example. This can help you get into the habit of making substitutions or having smaller portions.

Eat lots of veggies and drink lots of water. But don't starve yourself.

This is an issue I occasionally face because I'm older, short, and at 1200. It usually happens if I eat lunch out or have a conference or professional event where lunch is served. If I'm making my own food for lunch, I usually have at least 400 left for dinner, but at most of these events, it's hard to get away with under 500 calories for lunch. If I eat a big lunch, I usually just eat fruit and salad for dinner, even if that means I'm eating differently from the rest of my family. For instance, I might cook a big meal for them and just eat the salad and veggie, but not the protein and the starch. This isn't a huge sacrifice since I've already had a satisfying meal in the middle of the day.

That being said, I could offer a couple of pieces of advice to OP since it looks like you are in control of what you eat during the day. I might switch from a smoothie to eating something with bulk in it for breakfast. Smoothies are high calorie but you're drinking your calories, so you're not feeling as full as if you ate something. You could have a poached egg and an english muffin, a bowl of oatmeal (which takes only a minute in the microwave) or a cup of high fiber cereal and lowfat milk for less than 330 calories and you might feel fuller and less inclined to snack. I've found a high protein cream cheese that I have on an English muffin (less caloric than a bagel). Also the peanut butter sandwich is a big calorie item. You either have to cut back on the peanut butter (which is very calorie dense) or the bread. I'd recommend the latter, since the peanut butter is also nutrient dense. You could make only half a sandwich if you are using full calorie bread, or switch to a low calorie "light" bread. If you like fruit, eat the peanut butter on an apple, which is only 75 calories, vs. anywhere from 180 to 200 calories for 2 slices of bread.

If it were me I would replace some of those carbs with protein.

Your body digest sugar (carbs) much more rapidly then proteins and that in turn makes you hungry sooner where as proteins and fats keep you satisfied longer.

If I eat a fruit smoothly for breakfast I am hungry by 10am and want to eat again. If I eat an egg, mushroom and avacado omelet I am good until well after noon time.

Just my .02

I agree with this ^^,

Plus, you need to plan your meals. If you're just randomly eating whatever you want without planning, it's common sense that you'll hit your calorie max early in the day.

Plan your meals and snacks in advance. And then stick to your plan.