Feeling Satisfied on a Low-Calorie Diet?

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grownupteeth
grownupteeth Posts: 2 Member
in Food and Nutrition
Hi folks,

MFP newbie here - nice to meet y'all!

First, just some background info - I've been working on losing weight for a while, lost about 15-20 lbs but have gotten stuck on a plateau for the past 3-4 months. I work out 2 days a week with a trainer, 2 or 3 other days by myself, usually about 30 min cardio and 30 min weight training. I have been eating about 1500 calories a day + exercise calories.

Recently I calculated my TDEE on a couple different tools and found out that it's only 1700 cal/day, so I dropped down to 1200 calories ( + eating back cals on days I exercise). My TDEE / calorie needs are so low because I'm only 5ft tall and petite (but my BF% is 29, so I definitely need to cut. Ideally want to get down to about 20%).

--
TLDR; I'm small so my calorie needs are low and I need to eat a very small amount of food to lose weight.

So my question is: does anyone have tips for foods that will help me feel full on this limited calorie "budget"? I've been eating 1200 + exercise calories for about a week and I feel constantly hungry and like my blood sugar is low. I eat mostly vegetarian, I do eat some eggs and cheese, and fish about once a week.

Here's an typical meal plan for me on a rest day:

Breakfast
1/3 cup oats microwaved w/ 1 cup soy milk, tbsp chia seeds, cup soy milk, + berries or other fruit
283 cals

Lunch
Amy's Veggie Burger w/ 2 servings steamed broccoli, 1/2 cup brown rice
378 cals

Snack
NuGo Slim Bar
180 cals

Dinner
6 oz Lite Tofu stirfried with veggies, 2tbsp peanut sauce and a sweet potato
266 cals

Total: 1107 cals; I usually eat another small 100 cal snack like a popsicle or popcorn, etc. before bed.

Any tips on how to feel fuller longer on this amount of cals?

Replies

  • mbaker566
    mbaker566 Posts: 11,233 Member
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    I eat about 1400 with exercise calories added
    protein and fiber keep me full longer.
    and bananas also keep me full.

    experiment. I find oatmeal does not keep me full. berries do. cucumbers do not.
  • Francl27
    Francl27 Posts: 26,371 Member
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    Ditch the rice or oatmeal and replace with more protein and fat. They are not very filling for the calories.

    Ditch the bar and have Greek yogurt or an apple with nut butter.

    Also stop using cup measurements for solids.
  • grownupteeth
    grownupteeth Posts: 2 Member
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    Thanks for the tips! :)
  • Kalikel
    Kalikel Posts: 9,626 Member
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    Fruits & veggies - you can eat tons of them for very few calories

    Oatmeal is very filling and not too high-cal. With the exception of one poster here, I've never met anyone who didn't find oatmeal to be really filling.

    Whole grain bread and pasta instead of white (more fiber.)

    Anything with a good amount of fiber. Fiber hangs out in the stomach longer, keeping you feeling more full. Raspberries are a yummy source of fiber. :)
  • mbaker566
    mbaker566 Posts: 11,233 Member
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    Kalikel wrote: »
    Fruits & veggies - you can eat tons of them for very few calories

    Oatmeal is very filling and not too high-cal. With the exception of one poster here, I've never met anyone who didn't find oatmeal to be really filling.

    Whole grain bread and pasta instead of white (more fiber.)

    Anything with a good amount of fiber. Fiber hangs out in the stomach longer, keeping you feeling more full. Raspberries are a yummy source of fiber. :)
    I know, I'm a special snowflake. seriously, five min later, starving :D

    greek yogurt as was mentioned is great. I add some Kashi golean cinnamon crunch on top of strawberry yogurt. it's almost like light cheesecake my mom makes
  • ki4eld
    ki4eld Posts: 1,215 Member
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    Francl27 wrote: »
    Ditch the rice or oatmeal and replace with more protein and fat. They are not very filling for the calories.

    Ditch the bar and have Greek yogurt or an apple with nut butter.

    Also stop using cup measurements for solids.

    I swear, she's reading my mind.

    I'll add to make sure you're tracking your carbs and protein. You can eat 1000 calories a day and still get far too many carbs to be eating right or even to lose weight. Add protein, subtract carbs, and you'll get better overall nutrition. Better nutrition will help with the hunger and satisfaction. If you're looking for a way to up protein, try a bariatric protein shake like Bariatric Fusion. Great nutrition profile for the calories and carbs. Don't lose a meal, just add a snack with some of the "saved" calories from dumping that crazy load of carbs in the rice and/or oatmeal.
  • youngmommy2
    youngmommy2 Posts: 71 Member
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    I'm also only 5ft tall and petite so I know you pain. I decided 1200 was just too low for me and upped it to about 1400-1500. Yes it will be a slower loss but I need the food and energy.

    looking at your typical day, I personally would:
    Replace the soy milk with unsweetened almond milk. Only 30 calories per cup.
    Add more veggies to meals like broccoli, spinach, brussel sprouts. They will add more volume and help you feel fuller with less calories. I eat alot of broccoli and spinach lol
    Get rid of the snack bar and eat food. have an apple with almonds, baby carrots with hummus. something like that, or a shake with more protein than that. Right now I'm using genisoy natural which is only 110 calories for 3 scoops and 25 g of protein. I mix that with frozen fruit and almond milk and that keeps me full for quite a while.



  • slaite1
    slaite1 Posts: 1,307 Member
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    Are you hungry every day or just on days you don't have those extra exercise calories? Maybe go based off of TDEE and get your average calories for the week. If 1700 is TDEE, try eating 1450 every day for a 1/2pound a week loss. Or use Mfp method and spread out your exercise calories throughout the week.

    1200 is a struggle for many people. You seem to workout consistently so TDEE can work well for you, and maybe help you feel more satisfied overall
  • ElJefeChief
    ElJefeChief Posts: 651 Member
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    I've found that eating tons of veggies and then hydrating works wonders as a way to stave off appetite.

    My go-to is making sure I always have a big bag of baby carrots sitting around at my desk at work. If I really start to get rumbly in my tumbly I bring it out, munch for about 20 minutes, and then chug a bunch of diet soda / black coffee / water. Then I'm good to go.
  • faye_machine
    faye_machine Posts: 8 Member
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    So I'm not as short in height as you, but I keep my caloric intake around 1,100. I really just aim for 1,000....but sometimes that extra nip of food is just sooo needed. As far as hunger goes, it's really hard, so I make myself snack every few hours throughout the day. Carrots, celery, light/fat-free cheese, rice crackers....whatever I can find that were super low in calories.

    Personally, I'd drop the breakfast and go for 1% milk + high fiber cereal (~200cal). For lunch, I'd slam some pastrami (40cal/serving) onto two slices of low-calorie bread (45cal/slice), add tons of vegetables in between and maybe some avocado (50cal/serving) if I'm feeling fancy, which roughly translates to ~220cal. Then I'd snack like crazy in between and drink a TON of water throughout the day. Totally on board with your dinner choice though!
  • umayster
    umayster Posts: 651 Member
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    grownupteeth wrote: »
    Hi folks,

    MFP newbie here - nice to meet y'all!

    First, just some background info - I've been working on losing weight for a while, lost about 15-20 lbs but have gotten stuck on a plateau for the past 3-4 months. I work out 2 days a week with a trainer, 2 or 3 other days by myself, usually about 30 min cardio and 30 min weight training. I have been eating about 1500 calories a day + exercise calories.

    Recently I calculated my TDEE on a couple different tools and found out that it's only 1700 cal/day, so I dropped down to 1200 calories ( + eating back cals on days I exercise). My TDEE / calorie needs are so low because I'm only 5ft tall and petite (but my BF% is 29, so I definitely need to cut. Ideally want to get down to about 20%).

    --
    TLDR; I'm small so my calorie needs are low and I need to eat a very small amount of food to lose weight.

    So my question is: does anyone have tips for foods that will help me feel full on this limited calorie "budget"? I've been eating 1200 + exercise calories for about a week and I feel constantly hungry and like my blood sugar is low. I eat mostly vegetarian, I do eat some eggs and cheese, and fish about once a week.

    Here's an typical meal plan for me on a rest day:

    Breakfast
    1/3 cup oats microwaved w/ 1 cup soy milk, tbsp chia seeds, cup soy milk, + berries or other fruit
    283 cals

    Lunch
    Amy's Veggie Burger w/ 2 servings steamed broccoli, 1/2 cup brown rice
    378 cals

    Snack
    NuGo Slim Bar
    180 cals

    Dinner
    6 oz Lite Tofu stirfried with veggies, 2tbsp peanut sauce and a sweet potato
    266 cals

    Total: 1107 cals; I usually eat another small 100 cal snack like a popsicle or popcorn, etc. before bed.

    Any tips on how to feel fuller longer on this amount of cals?

    You are eating a lot of soy and may want to evaluate the quantity in your diet.

    http://ucrtoday.ucr.edu/27989

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