Problems staying in caloric goal

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JamieZ0503
JamieZ0503 Posts: 24
in Health and Weight Loss
I'm in need of a reality check or something.

I'm frustrated because I'm not losing weight, so I eat. I haven't been staying within my calories...and therefore am not losing weight.

Do I just need to "do it"? I feel hungry lately. Once I get to the point where I have only 200 calories left for the day I decide to just eat whatever I want anyway because what's the point..I'm not losing anyway.

How do I get out of the cycle?

Replies

  • Liftng4Lis
    Liftng4Lis Posts: 15,150 Member
    edited November 2014
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    Pre-logging your day helps tremendously, as it gives you a plan. Eat in a caloric deficit and you will lose, if you aren't losing, you're not in a deficit.. You say you're not losing so the next question will be, are you weighing and measuring your food?
  • leggup
    leggup Posts: 2,942 Member
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    1. Make sure your calorie deficit is reasonable. If you're trying to lose too quickly, you won't get very many calories each day. Your profile says you have 36 lbs to lose, so here's a basic guide with your goal in boldface. Make sure you have your MFP goal set correctly.
    If you have 75+ lbs to lose 2 lbs/week is ideal
    If you have 40-75 lbs to lose 1.5 lbs/week is ideal
    If you have 25-40 lbs to lose 1 lbs/week is ideal
    If you have 15 -25 lbs to lose 0.5 to 1.0 lbs/week is ideal
    If you have less than 15 lbs to lose 0.5 lbs/week is ideal.

    2. Pre-log your meals and snacks for the day. If you're getting hungriest at the end of the day, have a smaller breakfast or skip your mid-morning snack.

    3. Eat higher volume foods. Although protein and fat can be very filling, high volume foods can help you feel fuller and can help you feel like you got to eat a lot. Steamed broccoli, raw spinach, you get the idea. A pound of veggies goes a long way to helping you feel fuller.

    4. Check your macronutrients. Are you getting your protein minimums each day? If you're only eating 7-9% protein each day, you're going to be hungry.
  • robinsvitakjones
    robinsvitakjones Posts: 20 Member
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    Maybe start to eat 100 calories less than what you consumed yesterday. ...do that for a few days, to a week, then drop it down another 100 calories. Repeat. Drop it slowly. Your body will adjust and not feel so hungry that way. But, you will never lose weight if you don't start to eat less than you burn daily. Good Luck!!!
  • socalkay
    socalkay Posts: 746 Member
    edited November 2014
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    You decide you want it and then, yes, you just do it.

    Pre-logging is a great idea and maybe drop 100 calories from your daily goal and try that for a few weeks. I had to stop eating back half my exercise calories and drop calories a little to start losing again after a five week "plateau". I understand frustration but giving in to it just guarantees failure.

    If hunger is a problem, eat more salads and lean protein.
  • meltedsno
    meltedsno Posts: 208 Member
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    was literally in your place 18 months ago. Three factors changed my life... I started religiously logging on MFP, I walk, and I got rid of the scale. I'd get so upset when I didn't lose ...or gained that same pound I lost over and over again... figured screw it... ate whatever I wanted because I figured I was hopeless... but then something happened. As I walked a minimum of 5 miles a day... come rain or come shine... as I logged all my food every single day... suddenly my jeans were too big... and that was the beginning of the rest of my life. I've gone down from a tight size 18 to a comfortably loose size 4. I still don't know how much weight I've lost because I refuse to drag that thing out from under my bed. And for what it's worth, I own a Fitbit Aria scale... used it for a mere 3 weeks ... and then parted ways with it. Give yourself 30 days of logging, walking, and NOT weighing... and see where you are. So many times I started out with that 30 day goal only to fail after a week, if I was lucky to last that long... then I'd be angry at myself when the 30 days was up thinking "if I only stuck with it...". One day I did... and here I am today.

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