Getting used to reduced calories

rabbitjb wrote: »

I don't snack on raw, plain vegetables ...that would not work for me ...it's about finding ones own balance and tricks ...and learning to understand a real hunger cue and ignore the ones that are just appetite ...if you've just eaten you're probably not hungry ..if you leave it 30 mins it might go away

They don't have to be raw, you can slightly cook them as well, they taste nicer if slightly cooked. Like I wrote, it is one of many alternative techniques between meals (not after you've just eaten no, but between meals), one that's worked for me during and after my big weight-loss prog (has worked for my wife too, she lost 50 lbs and is maintaining it well). I've found it's worked for other people, especially those who are home-based.

I agree with you about the "30 mins" thing. Yes, losing a lot of weight or keeping it of is also about sacrifice, resilience, about suffering a lot at first (especially the first month when your body copes with the changes), then a little then not really after a good while (as your stomach adjusts to your new regime), it's about changing your mindset, no pain no gain as they say.

What everyone here is basically telling you - find what works for you and play around with it until it does.

Eating 3 meals a day leaves me feeling hungry all the dang time. So I make sure to have 5-6 "meals" a day (within my calories). I eat when bored, so I've found projects and "things" to do to keep me occupied. I like to snack when reading, so I've taken to drinking tea or warm water instead. After 4-5 days of eating protein and veggies my body REALLY wants carbs, so I have some pasta (within budget of course) for dinner, maybe some toast for breakfast, to take away that intense craving without binge eating. Don't do it all at once, just play around with one option or one meal or one idea until you come to a set of rules that work for you. Then stick with it.

1700 cals is a good amount to eat so you shouldn't feel starving, it must be more about WHAT you are eating for those cals. Your diary isn't open for us to see that.
The thing is to be able to eat as much as possible and still lose - totally achievable by the way on 1700 cals

I've sent you a FR

ps in the evening is when I'm most hungry, I drink lots of water and cups of tea, it really helps! plus I leave an allotted 200 cals for a treat if I need it. If you're eating plenty of protein you really wont ever feel hungry. Sometimes its just a notion and one you can wean yourself off in a few short weeks.

I'd really forgotten what an art it is, to balance macros within a budget. I hate having a smaller budget (can't rely on activity as in the past bc of injuries/arthritis). Not doing that well with the diet focus, is all I can say.

Here's a basic thing about weight loss that I maybe once knew but don't remember: how is it that we cut calories during loss, but don't gain weight when we bring things back up to maintenance? I maintained on a really high number of calories for a long time, until I had to cut my activity back. I'm pretty sure I ate more than I burned, too.

The mental part - wanting yummier foods - took a few weeks. The physical part - hunger adjustments - took less than a week.

If you truly are a night time eater and you can't get it under control just yet, perhaps until you do, try calorie shifting. Eat lighter in the day and save some calories for night.

You can slowly work way out of this later by increasing day time and reducing night time calories but for now..you can go with it as long as what you do at night isn't binge eating.
I say instead of fighting the night time urge just ensure you save some calories for night.
I will say in night eating it is better to have a meal than snacks (at least for me.) Snacks make me want more snacks. When I am hungry at night I am wanting that fuller feeling so I sleep better. I would plan for night time calories so you can have this.

I actually don't snack much. I just eat meals. Snacks feel like a waste for me. They do nothing more than appease a sense of taste (which only lights up my appetite.) I would rather feel satisfied. I skip "snack calories" and move them into meal calories. Would much rather have good meals that keep me full until next meal any day. I feel eating when not hungry (for me that is snacking) just re-enforces mindless eating.

Another thing in planning my meals is knowing when I am hungry. I know in the morning I just need enough to get through..same with lunch, so those calories are less. In a 1200 cal day for instance I would do 200 cal breakfast (eggs or oatmeal fill me for the small cal amount) 300 lunch, 400 dinner, then a 300 cal night meal. If doing 1500 calories I would just add the extra calories to dinner (700 dinner is filling!) to really hold me. You could also do 600 cal dinner and 400 night meal if that holds you better personally. On 1700 cal plan, I would do same as 1500 cal day, plus a bonus 200 reserved for whenever I chose. This is where snacks would finally play in. There can be lots of flexibility in 1500-1700 calorie diets without feeling restricted at all.

This type of eating isn't for everyone. It is just what works for me. If I want something for taste i will have a bite and log it..but I keep this to 100 cal a day max and I either exercise it off or subtract it elsewhere in food.