Just upped my goal to 1.5 pounds per week...

Ati13
Ati13 Posts: 10 Member
Is it just me, or do those extra 280 calories seem to make all the difference? I haven't been very faithful to my goals, and I haven't lost any weight, so I figured I'd try upping the ante a little. Saw my new goal. I went from 2000 calories per day to 1720 and that seems like SO MANY calories lol.

What got you through eating at a deficit?

Replies

  • Merkavar
    Merkavar Posts: 3,082 Member
    Progress. Seeing the kilos drop off each week, month and soon to be year.

    Competition, with your self and others. Lifting more, walking further, being able to beat your brother at kickboxing

    Maybe some of these aren't directly related to eating at a deficit but I see it as a package deal of getting fitter.
  • PixelPuff
    PixelPuff Posts: 902 Member
    Could be worse; I'm eating 1200. And what is getting me through it...

    1) Not eating breakfast [I really just don't have time, though I'm also never hungry in morning], 2) Snacking on low cal stuff through day [pre-calculated calories, of course] 3) Large dinner to finish within my calorie goal. Awwwhhh yeah.

    Low cal substitutes are my angels. If I DO get breakfast for some reason, it is a small, light fruit while driving to work.
  • terbusha
    terbusha Posts: 1,483 Member
    having a rock solid why. Why are you doing it? What is driving you? How is doing this going to improve you life? I lost weight so I could set the right example for my wife and son. A strong why will help you accomplish any how.
  • callsitlikeiseeit
    callsitlikeiseeit Posts: 8,626 Member
    i work out every day so i can eat more.
  • eved305
    eved305 Posts: 29 Member
    Adding on a ton of veggies (mostly spinach for me). They have low calories so you can eat a lot of them and they fill you up. You can pair that with anything you want to eat. Weigh and measure everything or you won't lose. If I try to guess I'm usually off!
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  • TimothyFish
    TimothyFish Posts: 4,925 Member
    Exercise. My biggest problem with food is boredom eating. I could eat constantly, just to have something to do. It is more difficult to eat while exercising, and the exercise burns more calories so I can eat more at other times.
  • KarenJanine
    KarenJanine Posts: 3,497 Member
    Ati13 wrote: »
    Is it just me, or do those extra 280 calories seem to make all the difference? I haven't been very faithful to my goals, and I haven't lost any weight, so I figured I'd try upping the ante a little. Saw my new goal. I went from 2000 calories per day to 1720 and that seems like SO MANY calories lol.

    What got you through eating at a deficit?

    If you struggled to be faithful to 2000 calories, why do you think you'll do better at 1720 calories?

    Personally I'd rather have the extra 280 calories and be consistent with logging, and lose a bit slower, rather than deprive myself.
  • dawnsnarks
    dawnsnarks Posts: 101 Member
    i work out every day so i can eat more.

    Yup. This.
  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member
    Ati13 wrote: »
    Is it just me, or do those extra 280 calories seem to make all the difference? I haven't been very faithful to my goals, and I haven't lost any weight, so I figured I'd try upping the ante a little. Saw my new goal. I went from 2000 calories per day to 1720 and that seems like SO MANY calories lol.

    What got you through eating at a deficit?

    If you struggled to be faithful to 2000 calories, why do you think you'll do better at 1720 calories?

    Personally I'd rather have the extra 280 calories and be consistent with logging, and lose a bit slower, rather than deprive myself.

    This
  • jkwolly
    jkwolly Posts: 3,049 Member
    Ati13 wrote: »
    Is it just me, or do those extra 280 calories seem to make all the difference? I haven't been very faithful to my goals, and I haven't lost any weight, so I figured I'd try upping the ante a little. Saw my new goal. I went from 2000 calories per day to 1720 and that seems like SO MANY calories lol.

    What got you through eating at a deficit?

    If you struggled to be faithful to 2000 calories, why do you think you'll do better at 1720 calories?

    Personally I'd rather have the extra 280 calories and be consistent with logging, and lose a bit slower, rather than deprive myself.

    Exactly!

    Are you 100% sure you weighed and measured and tracked everything?!
  • strong_curves
    strong_curves Posts: 2,229 Member
    Ati13 wrote: »
    Is it just me, or do those extra 280 calories seem to make all the difference? I haven't been very faithful to my goals, and I haven't lost any weight, so I figured I'd try upping the ante a little. Saw my new goal. I went from 2000 calories per day to 1720 and that seems like SO MANY calories lol.

    What got you through eating at a deficit?

    If you struggled to be faithful to 2000 calories, why do you think you'll do better at 1720 calories?

    Personally I'd rather have the extra 280 calories and be consistent with logging, and lose a bit slower, rather than deprive myself.

    Truth. I don't see how you're going to do better with less. :|
  • Ati13
    Ati13 Posts: 10 Member
    jkwolly wrote: »
    Ati13 wrote: »
    Is it just me, or do those extra 280 calories seem to make all the difference? I haven't been very faithful to my goals, and I haven't lost any weight, so I figured I'd try upping the ante a little. Saw my new goal. I went from 2000 calories per day to 1720 and that seems like SO MANY calories lol.

    What got you through eating at a deficit?

    If you struggled to be faithful to 2000 calories, why do you think you'll do better at 1720 calories?

    Personally I'd rather have the extra 280 calories and be consistent with logging, and lose a bit slower, rather than deprive myself.

    Exactly!

    Are you 100% sure you weighed and measured and tracked everything?!

    I don't have a food scale, so no. I will invest in one soon, but right now I'm going by measuring cups lol.

    Honestly, I think what tripped me up was always feeling like I had more calories than I reasonably could eat if I were eating healthfully. It led to making poor choices, this the reduction in calories. I do better when I feel like I'm making progress and hitting goals. The holiday weekend didn't hwlp. Plus multiple birthday parties and family gatherings. Too much junk food, plus feeling like it won't matter if I have a little extra equals weight gain lol.
  • kshama2001
    kshama2001 Posts: 28,052 Member
    Ati13 wrote: »
    Is it just me, or do those extra 280 calories seem to make all the difference? I haven't been very faithful to my goals, and I haven't lost any weight, so I figured I'd try upping the ante a little. Saw my new goal. I went from 2000 calories per day to 1720 and that seems like SO MANY calories lol.

    What got you through eating at a deficit?

    If you struggled to be faithful to 2000 calories, why do you think you'll do better at 1720 calories?

    Personally I'd rather have the extra 280 calories and be consistent with logging, and lose a bit slower, rather than deprive myself.

    Yup, I weigh, measure and log faithfully, and am consistently losing a pound per week without suffering.
  • JamieEAtkinson
    JamieEAtkinson Posts: 1 Member
    Ati13 wrote: »
    Is it just me, or do those extra 280 calories seem to make all the difference? I haven't been very faithful to my goals, and I haven't lost any weight, so I figured I'd try upping the ante a little. Saw my new goal. I went from 2000 calories per day to 1720 and that seems like SO MANY calories lol.

    What got you through eating at a deficit?

    If you struggled to be faithful to 2000 calories, why do you think you'll do better at 1720 calories?

    Personally I'd rather have the extra 280 calories and be consistent with logging, and lose a bit slower, rather than deprive myself.

    This. This is like saying "I can't do 5 pulls ups so I'm going to make my new goal 10 pull ups."

    I wouldn't worry about anything from over the weekend, you would have to be eating thousands of calories above your maintenance number to put on actual fat. You are likely just bloated and retaining water.
  • Maries_wine_calories
    Maries_wine_calories Posts: 152 Member
    Maybe you're preoccupied with the number of calories rather than the quality of the food you could be eating within your goal amount?

    My suggestion- the thing that really helped me with the calorie deficit, is to invest some time thinking of new ways to eat the things you love with less calories. Flavourful food that isn't complicated or unattainable.

    Balsamic and parmesan with sunflower seeds on spinach and romaine instead of the same old full fat Caesar salad with crutons> Have a tuna and cheddar stuffed baked potato instead of hamburger sauce and pasta ...get excited about your food choices and put some time into reading labels. Best of luck!!
  • kk_inprogress
    kk_inprogress Posts: 3,077 Member
    scoandmur wrote: »
    Maybe you're preoccupied with the number of calories rather than the quality of the food you could be eating within your goal amount?

    My suggestion- the thing that really helped me with the calorie deficit, is to invest some time thinking of new ways to eat the things you love with less calories. Flavourful food that isn't complicated or unattainable.

    Balsamic and parmesan with sunflower seeds on spinach and romaine instead of the same old full fat Caesar salad with crutons> Have a tuna and cheddar stuffed baked potato instead of hamburger sauce and pasta ...get excited about your food choices and put some time into reading labels. Best of luck!!

    +1

    My husband advised me to eat foods with more flavor and spice and I have found that it helps drastically with my hunger. I enjoy the foods I do eat a lot more!
  • arditarose
    arditarose Posts: 15,573 Member
    I agree with others. I mean, what you're doing is basically blindly measuring your food and just "shooting for" a lower calorie goal. Eventually you're going to need to be very accurate as you get close to goal. Might as well weigh all food, log accurately, eat and lose 1 lb per week.

    I'm back in a deficit again after almost two months in maintenance. I make the same meals but instead of avocado AND cheese, I opt for one or the other or (this is when that food scale is so important), halve my ingredients. Maybe I make the same dinner but with a more lean cut of meat. More lettuce, less rice. Things like that. I look at my diary every day like it's a puzzle, pre-logging here and there to see how I can meet my macros, eat yummy food, and still get dessert.
  • Dex37
    Dex37 Posts: 55 Member
    I am only losing 1lb per week. I can't go any lower than the 2500 calories or I become a bit moody.