Is it going to get easier?
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NoelFigart1 wrote: »
The important thing is finding what works. Me? I think there is little downside ('cept maybe to your wallet!) of trying your best to fill up on as much produce as you can get yourself to eat, and try to stay away from pre-packaged stuff.Fruitylicious03 wrote: »RavenLibra wrote: »all calories are NOT created equal... stay away from "packaged" anything...so.. you can "waste your calorie allotment by eating a bag of potato chips... OR you can fill yourself with a bag of baby carrots... it is NOT the number of calories.. it's where you are getting them from that matters... you want to feel full? increase protein intake... along with leafy greens and veggies from the "cabbage family"... broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, brussel sprouts... get your protein from boneless skinless chicken breasts... fish... nuts...boiled eggs, nonfat plain Greek yogurt... get your sugar fix from raw fruit with skin... like berries, apples, pears, grapes... get your fats from olive oil, peanut oil, moderate use of butter... you don't have to weigh your food to begin with... take small steps... begin with just cleaning out the fridge of all the cr*p... and filling it with good stuff... THEN... figure out how to weigh and measure the good stuff to suit your needs... I heard once that Jennifer Aniston has a cob salad everyday for lunch... I personally NOW start my day with 2 slices of dry toast a small tomato and a scoop of whey protein isolate... food is fuel... make that your mantra and you will begin to embrace the change you vowed to yourself you would make.
Actually calories are units of measurement. Therefore they are all equal. A centimetre is no different from another centimetre. Same with calories.
However, NUTRITION in food is different.
Many here say Eat everything in moderation. I too believe in that and it includes packaged food.
However, I think a good reason for cutting something out, is only if you have no self control around it and it constantly hurts your progress.
Personally I see no problem with having a little treat after one has met all their macros, and have eaten a well balanced diet throughout the day. (That is if you still have calories left)
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I have no problem with a treat, either. If I have the calories for it, I'll eat that chocolate truffle and totally enjoy it.
I mean in general.0 -
NoelFigart1 wrote: »I have no problem with a treat, either. If I have the calories for it, I'll eat that chocolate truffle and totally enjoy it.
I mean in general.
That's true.
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1200 is way too few. The key is to add more exercise. I work out an hour a day (in 15 minute intervals 4 times a day if I have to) and eat 1500 calories. I'm 5'2" and losing. Be sure too that you're choosing nutrient dense foods with lots of fiber and protein and they will keep you fuller, longer! Good luck.0
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When I'm on a calorie deficit kick, I literally gorge myself on raw veg / salad, and keep sugar free jello in the fridge to bloat myself out on if I get hungry. If you are feeling stuffed, it's easier to ignore any craving for snacks...
A lot of snacks are marketed as 'healthy' being around 100 calories or less, but at the end of the day they aren't nutritious or particularly filling, so it's 100 calories wasted that could have been spent on something like boiled eggs, which are nutritious and filling.0 -
NoelFigart1 wrote: »As I said, this can be pretty subjective. Oatmeal, yogurt, and fruit would be a crap breakfast for me, but I have a friend for whom this is absolutely optimum. I'm a bacon, eggs and fruit kinda gal.
This is absolutely spot on. I'm also a bacon and eggs kind of gal but for some, a more carb heavy diet works better. There's a quiz you can take that will tell you what kind of metabolizer you are, and which foods will work best for you:
http://luckytastebuds.wordpress.com/2009/04/21/oxidizer-test-from-jillian-michaels/0 -
Im on 1200 a day (most days, at least) and the trick I found is to find foods that you can eat a lot of, but dont cost a lot of calories. And also instead of whole meals, go for smaller meals and have snacks every few hours.
An example of my day would look like...
8 am Breakfast - Yoplait Light Yogurt ~90 cals [Im never very hungry until at least 10am]
10 am Snack - 1 cup of grapes ~100 cals
12:30 pm Lunch - Lean Cuisine Steak Portobello ~150 cals
3 pm Snack - 1 apple ~ 80 cals
5 pm Dinner - 1/3 Palmeros Margarita Pizza ~ 290 cals
6:30 pm Snack - Nabisco oreo snack pack ~ 100 cals
8 pm Supper - Lean Cuisine Shrimp Alfredo ~ 200 cals
9:30 pm Snack - 1 Low Fat String Cheese ~ 50 cals
And all this is only 1060 so you can indulge in a serving of some favorite snack. I have sugar free vanilla pudding(60), and Hostess Mini Donuts(250 for 4), and Fun Size Twix(80), that I keep around for when I have enough calories left to eat them. Or, if you are still very hungry, you can double the servings on one meal... have 2 yogurts instead of one... Or you can have juice/soda with a meal... I personally tend to just not eat the rest if im not hungry, as long as MFP says you had over 1000, because the labels on food can be off by like, 20% legally so I assume Im eating more than what the label says.
I also avoid eating back too many exercise calories. I usually just eat about 1200 a day and leave it at that. Its worked for me so far. I never feel much like cooking so I mostly eat pre-prepared foods, or when I do cook I make plenty and portion it out into separate containers...
Yes, it does get easier after a few weeks once you get used to it. At least, it did for me...0 -
If you keep eating foods that don't keep you full, then it will never get much easier. Whereas, if you get used to eating nutrient dense foods that are lower in calories like veggies, fruits, and lean protein, then yes it will get much easier.
Also, you should strongly consider exercising and eating back your exercise calories. It's a lot easier to get enough fiber, protein, etc., when you're eating more food.0 -
I've eaten at 1200 net calories for over three months and I've lost weight at a steady 6 lb per month. You can do it, but it takes careful planning:
First, don't drink anything with calories in it -- just water, tea, coffee.
Second, eat plenty of protein and fat because they help you feel satisfied for longer.
Third, there's very little room in a 1200 calorie diet for fruit and sweetened foods, because they'll use up calories and leave you hungry afterwards. Every bite you take has to be super-dense with nutrients so that your body's daily nutritional needs are met. Green leafy vegies, nut butter, meat, cheese, whole grains, yogurt, beans.
Fourth, budget your calories to last the whole day. Eat about five times a day so you don't have long starvation times.
Fifth, expect to be slightly hungry most of the time.
If you want to be more casual about what you eat, and leave room for a wide range of food choices without feeling hungry, then make a plan for more calories and slower weight loss. We're all different, and we each have to find the approach that makes us happy.0 -
You really have to be pedantic about the lifestyle/eating changes and stick with if for a very long time before it gets easier. (For me anyway) It was 9 months before I felt like I could do this without thinking so hard every second about what and how much I would eat.
I finally feel like I am in control now - but then again I was 61 when I started this change so my bad habits were very ingrained.
Be consistent and patient about weight loss - don't try to lose too much too soon or it's just not sustainable. Do whatever you can to make life changes not just quick changes.
I actually eat whatever I want as long as I log every bite and stay within my calorie deficit each day. I never do a weekly deficit because that leads to too many mistakes.
I also eat a huge variety of foods so that I am getting all the nutrients that I need from my food rather than from pills.
It has really worked for me. I am now down nearly 60lbs.
Good luck.0 -
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LiveLaughLoveEat1 wrote: »I've eaten at 1200 net calories for over three months and I've lost weight at a steady 6 lb per month. You can do it, but it takes careful planning:
First, don't drink anything with calories in it -- just water, tea, coffee.
Second, eat plenty of protein and fat because they help you feel satisfied for longer.
Third, there's very little room in a 1200 calorie diet for fruit and sweetened foods, because they'll use up calories and leave you hungry afterwards. Every bite you take has to be super-dense with nutrients so that your body's daily nutritional needs are met. Green leafy vegies, nut butter, meat, cheese, whole grains, yogurt, beans.
Fourth, budget your calories to last the whole day. Eat about five times a day so you don't have long starvation times.
Fifth, expect to be slightly hungry most of the time.
If you want to be more casual about what you eat, and leave room for a wide range of food choices without feeling hungry, then make a plan for more calories and slower weight loss. We're all different, and we each have to find the approach that makes us happy.
why not (to the bolded part).
Because drinking calories isnt going to make you feel full, and it will be harder to sick to your calorie goal. If feeling full isnt an issue, you can go ahead and do it, but if you are always feeling hungry you should use the calories for more food.0 -
1200 works for me and I haven't been exercising. It isn't the amount you eat, it's WHAT you are eating.0
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I'm going to second all that except I'd add fiber to #2.I've eaten at 1200 net calories for over three months and I've lost weight at a steady 6 lb per month. You can do it, but it takes careful planning:
First, don't drink anything with calories in it -- just water, tea, coffee.
Second, eat plenty of protein and fat because they help you feel satisfied for longer.
Third, there's very little room in a 1200 calorie diet for fruit and sweetened foods, because they'll use up calories and leave you hungry afterwards. Every bite you take has to be super-dense with nutrients so that your body's daily nutritional needs are met. Green leafy vegies, nut butter, meat, cheese, whole grains, yogurt, beans.
Fourth, budget your calories to last the whole day. Eat about five times a day so you don't have long starvation times.
If you want to be more casual about what you eat, and leave room for a wide range of food choices without feeling hungry, then make a plan for more calories and slower weight loss. We're all different, and we each have to find the approach that makes us happy.
I deleted #5 because I'm not hungry most of the time. Some mornings I hate waiting for breakfast, but other than that, I'm not hungry. 0 -
I eat 1200 calories a day and I'm never hungry. I eat clean (I'm OCD like that) so I sometimes have to force the food down my throat to reach 1200. I don't use sugar (I never really did). I eat oatmeal, farina, egg whites, chicken breast, fish, tofu, beans, olive oil, fruit, veggies, hummus, greek yogurt, yams, high protein shakes. Generally speaking, I follow a bodybuilders diet. I also eat 5 meals a day. I think your issue is the quality of calories and also the time between meals. If you eat 5-6 meals/snacks 2.5 to 3 hours apart, you will likely not be hungry. And also, I OD on water (so much so that I go to the little girls room ever friggin' 15 minutes). No hunger here. I also do cardio and strength training 5x a week. I've been successful doing this in the past but sabatoged myself when I broke my ankle and gained a ton of weight back in a very short amount of time. I'm sure some would say I should eat more but I'm OK at this point. I have to actually force myself to wake up early on weekends (not working) to start eating to get in my 1200 calories. And I log, weigh and make EVERYTHING myself (OCD, hehehe).0
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I'm 5'5", 36, I've lost 81 pounds and I've never eaten less than 1600. I guess it depends on how active you are though, but if it's too little food... move more.
It's still not 'easy', don't get me wrong, but much easier than 1200 calories - there's no way I could do that.0 -
You have had enough people tell you that you need to eat more that I think you've got the picture, by now. Once you get THAT worked out it will be easier, but not easy. I found that after the first 30 days of eating better, logging everything and exercising on an almost daily basis, it became much easier. Like a habit. Like brushing your teeth or combing your hair. I also set myself small goals. I had 75 lbs total to lose. I set my goals in 10lb increments and every time I hit one I got a non-food treat. Manicures. Movie out alone. Concert tickets for me and hubs. New video game. You get the picture. Each goal was a reason to celebrate and I did. Also, after your body adjusts to eating fewer calories at each stage, you don't feel as hungry any more. That lasts a little bit and then you go through it again. I lost my weight at a rate of 1 lb a week because I want to KEEP it off and it gave me time to adjust to healthy new habits. Now that I have less than 10lbs to lose I changed it to lose .5 lbs a week. It will take longer, but it isn't a race. I want my weight loss to be permanent or what's the point? Hope this helps.
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I had a problem with the 1200 calorie count but made sure that what I ate was good calories and I started using the 21 day fix and yu know what it took the guess work out of measuring and thinking about 1200 calories. I have lost 10lbs since I started using it. I have to have knee surgery so I have not been able to use the exercise dvd but it is working. Eat every 2-3 hours. Nothing after 8. Drink your water
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Are you sure you calculated your calories right? It sounds low. But could be right....I'm 5'8 and active, so I always gasp at 1200 calories.
Better food choices, drinking enough water, getting enough sleep, reducing stress, increasing exercise, and letting your body adjust to your new lifestyle will help make things feel easier. It is still work, but it gets easier once you figure some of those things out.
I have found my body tends to throw a temper-tantrum for a few days when I change something on it. For instance I'm dealing with a back injury and the lack of exercise for the past week has made me miserable.
Best of luck, you can do it!!!0 -
I'm not active at all, and I don't see that changing. I never really got into the idea of exercising to earn calories. It's a slippery slope for me.
Thanks for all the wonderful advice, everyone. I bumped my calorie limit to 1325 for the day and I'm feeling a lot better today 0 -
If you do TDEE ..look at the activity settings. Move more..eat more.. that's my advice. That's the main reason i exercise so much so i can eat more. 1200 a day sucks.0
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LiveLaughLoveEat1 wrote: »why not (to the bolded part).
Because someone who is overly hungry trying to maintain 1,200 calories a day doesn't have wiggle room to consume things that aren't filling.LiveLaughLoveEat1 wrote: »well, like most people, if I want a soda during the day, I'll fit it into my calories.
That's great for you, but you're not the one making a thread about how you spend all day starving on 1,200 calories.0
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