eat all my calories by lunch
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booksandchocolate12 wrote: »allenpriest wrote: »Usually I take my left over dinner for lunch.
Then stop doing that.
pre-log and only est the plan.
Adjust your goal to just maintenance until you csn hit those targets consistently then increase the weight loss goal per week which gives you less calories.
Drink more water throughout the day.
Eat somewhere else to break your pattern.
Why do you feel it's wrong to take dinner leftovers for lunch? I do it all the time. In any event, Elias wasn't even asking for our advice.
OP, I agree with those who said that pre planning is key. Log your food ahead of time and stick to that plan.
Good luck!
She complained about what she was doing not working for her. So change what you are doing.
There's nothing wrong with taking dinner leftovers for lunch. - unless you blow your plan every day.0 -
When I am hungry and things look delicious, I often make bad decisions, so I have learnt coping strategies for this.
Never plan, prep, log or dish up food when you are hungry - it is the same as not shopping hungry. It is easy to kid yourself about choices and portion sizes when your stomach is screaming at you.
I plan my dinner, just after finishing a satisfying lunch. I plan my breakfast (and pack it) after finishing dinner etc.
I work full time, but there are things you can do to avoid prepping food hungry. I prepare a batch of overnight oats each week and split it into 5 portions, 3 of which I freeze. It defrosts nicely and is delicious and because I tracked the recipe on MFP, I know exactly what is in it. All I need to do is grab it, warm it and eat it in the morning - no calorie surprises, no dishing up based on my current hunger as each portion is already packed and weighed in its own container.
I prepare my lunch in advance and I often make use of leftovers. To avoid any temptation around leftovers, it is even better if I can weigh and pack it into a tupperware the night before. What that looks like is : Dish up and weigh your dinner serving (you already worked out earlier in the day how much you can have for dinner, so dishing up is easy). Eat it. While feeling full and happy, return to the leftovers and weigh and portion your lunch directly into a tupperware. Seal it with clingwrap if you are worried you might want to tuck into late night leftovers. That way it is ready to grab and heat the next day, calories already worked out. Using this system you could also put the lunch into the freezer and mix up the order in which you eat it.
Planning is everything, as well as recognising how weak most of us are in the face of hunger. When hunger comes, you want to be ready, not wandering into the kitchen for the first time.
I am a lazy cook and a convenience food fan but planning has brought it all together for me.
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Maybe focus on eating at maintenance every day for a couple weeks. Let's say MFP says your maintenance is 2300. Then after a couple weeks, decrease to 2200 as a goal. Then after a week, 2100.
Do you have MFP set to lose 2# per week? Second thought is change it to lose 0.5 per week. You just might not be able to tolerate a big deficit.0 -
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The person who said that she took leftovers for lunch was giving advice to the OP, not the OP.allenpriest wrote: »booksandchocolate12 wrote: »allenpriest wrote: »Usually I take my left over dinner for lunch.
Then stop doing that.
pre-log and only est the plan.
Adjust your goal to just maintenance until you csn hit those targets consistently then increase the weight loss goal per week which gives you less calories.
Drink more water throughout the day.
Eat somewhere else to break your pattern.
Why do you feel it's wrong to take dinner leftovers for lunch? I do it all the time. In any event, Elias wasn't even asking for our advice.
OP, I agree with those who said that pre planning is key. Log your food ahead of time and stick to that plan.
Good luck!
She complained about what she was doing not working for her. So change what you are doing.
There's nothing wrong with taking dinner leftovers for lunch. - unless you blow your plan every day.0 -
allenpriest wrote: »booksandchocolate12 wrote: »allenpriest wrote: »Usually I take my left over dinner for lunch.
Then stop doing that.
pre-log and only est the plan.
Adjust your goal to just maintenance until you csn hit those targets consistently then increase the weight loss goal per week which gives you less calories.
Drink more water throughout the day.
Eat somewhere else to break your pattern.
Why do you feel it's wrong to take dinner leftovers for lunch? I do it all the time. In any event, Elias wasn't even asking for our advice.
OP, I agree with those who said that pre planning is key. Log your food ahead of time and stick to that plan.
Good luck!
She complained about what she was doing not working for her. So change what you are doing.
There's nothing wrong with taking dinner leftovers for lunch. - unless you blow your plan every day.
@LittleTikiBirdy is the person who complained that what she was doing wasn't working.
@elias1609 is the person who suggested that the OP take leftovers for lunch. Further, @elias1609 never said that what she was doing wasn't working for her.
Do you even look at who's posting?
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the solution to your problem is planning yours meals ahead of time. You need to sit down and log low cal ideas for breakfast and lunch and a snack that you think will satisfy you. During the day when you are feeling "hungry" but you have already eaten enough, have a glass of water and force yourself to wait a little longer. The "hunger" will probably go away. Find ways to distract yourself too, so that your mind doesn't trick you into wanting to eat. You should also plan your dinner and log it, so you have something to look forward to. Commit to eating dinner around the same time each day.0
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Pre plan and pack your lunch. A lean microwaveable lunch or can of soup and an apple or yogurt fits into most people's calorie budget.
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Actually, (and this is just me personally), I found that pre-planning not always works out so well. I used to be the same - I would pre-plan, pre-pack, and take my lunch to work with me, but was still eating it all by about 10am. I knew I should wait, I knew I had a plan, but for some reason (lack of discipline) still find myself eating it all.
I actually found that a mixture of pre-planning and not kinda worked. So, I would pre-plan the morning and just take a few low-calorie snacks, then go out and buy lunch. This forced me to wait for food, and I also found I became more conscientious of calories already eaten and what I could fit in for lunch.
If you can't afford to buy lunch every day (I only needed to do this for a couple of weeks before habit and discipline kicked in and now I can pre-plan and NOT eat it all in the morning), then maybe try and store your lunch somewhere it is not easy to get to - I mean, this may sound a bit whacky, but if you're desperate you will try anything - but for example the gym I visit it just a ten minute walk from my work and I have a locker there, so on the way to work I would pop in, put my lunch in my locker, and then go and get it for lunch. As I said, sounds a bit nuts, but it did the job, I'm losing weight, and can now save myself when bringing food in (most of the time
). Good luck OP! 0 -
I LOVE FOOD. If I could sit and stuff my face all day everyday with my favorite foods I would, trust. BUT as I would be obscenely obese and probably dead if I did that, I'm working on my own personal self control. I realized I was eating A LOT of my calories as a morning snack/lunch/and my afternoon snack, leaving me almost always with only 200-300 calories for dinner which I can usually stay in most nights as my family is big on heavy, greasy dinners and, I am not a huge fan always. I'd ruin it with an ice cream or cookies while i was watching my shows though.
Now, from learning from my mistakes, I try to be more conscious of my meals throughout the day. If I'm approaching my calories for the day and its only after lunch, I try to skip my afternoon snack (even if I feel like I'm super hungry, I know that I'm probably just bored), and if I don't I go home after work and do 1-3 laps around my neighborhood to get the extra burn in. You have to condition yourself to do better. It is hard, I know it is. But in time it will get easier and0 -
NoIdea101NoIdea wrote: »Actually, (and this is just me personally), I found that pre-planning not always works out so well. I used to be the same - I would pre-plan, pre-pack, and take my lunch to work with me, but was still eating it all by about 10am. I knew I should wait, I knew I had a plan, but for some reason (lack of discipline) still find myself eating it all.
I actually found that a mixture of pre-planning and not kinda worked. So, I would pre-plan the morning and just take a few low-calorie snacks, then go out and buy lunch. This forced me to wait for food, and I also found I became more conscientious of calories already eaten and what I could fit in for lunch.
If you can't afford to buy lunch every day (I only needed to do this for a couple of weeks before habit and discipline kicked in and now I can pre-plan and NOT eat it all in the morning), then maybe try and store your lunch somewhere it is not easy to get to - I mean, this may sound a bit whacky, but if you're desperate you will try anything - but for example the gym I visit it just a ten minute walk from my work and I have a locker there, so on the way to work I would pop in, put my lunch in my locker, and then go and get it for lunch. As I said, sounds a bit nuts, but it did the job, I'm losing weight, and can now save myself when bringing food in (most of the time). Good luck OP!
This is actually a solid plan. I read somewhere about someone who leaves her purse in her car trunk to avoid drive thrus. Hey, if it works!0 -
I think it helps to get to the root cause of your compulsion and try a new strategy (or two) until you find something that works. It is possible you just aren't eating enough at breakfast to carry you over. Or you might be getting in to habitual/compulsive snacking during the day. Is it boredom eating? Could you be doing more stimulating activities instead of eating?
I get in to a state where I just want to chew and feel full. When I get like that I pack popcorn to snack on. It provides me the sensory load that I need without a lot of calories.
By the way, if you eat too much during the day and you're hungry again in the evening, eat a sensible dinner. You can't subtract after the fact for what has happened. Come up with a better strategy for the next day.0 -
allenpriest wrote: »Usually I take my left over dinner for lunch.
Then stop doing that.
pre-log and only est the plan.
Adjust your goal to just maintenance until you csn hit those targets consistently then increase the weight loss goal per week which gives you less calories.
Drink more water throughout the day.
Eat somewhere else to break your pattern.
She's not the OP.0 -
I found on certain days that if I eat a gigantic breakfast - eggs, meat, some fruit, some yogurt, etc...not a giant bowl of Froot Loops, lol -- I am less hungry during the day.
The way my job is, sometimes I have no opportunity to eat a normal lunch and I would find myself starving while on the road and of course pulling in to McDonalds for a not-wise choice.... so on those days, I eat a big, protein rich breakfast - and I find it takes me through the day without being starved and I'm not hungry again until 3 ish - and then something like a low calorie fiber bar or a banana will tide me over till supper. Drinking plenty of water throughout the day helps too but is not a good option when I'm on the road and can't stop at a bathroom. ha!
On days when I am at HOME - I find I am constantly hungry and fighting the urge to snack all day long - I think it's more of a habit than anything - my fingers long to stuff something in my mouth.0 -
I pre-plan and pre-log everything. It works for me. It helps me stay focused. One of the things I have learned is how much mindless eating/snacking I was doing. Also learning to deal with a little hunger. I'll start to feel hungry and hour or so before my lunch, it won't kill me to just wait it out!
Try something for a couple weeks. If it isn't working, try something new. Part of weight loss, for me, is finding a groove, what works for you!0 -
Once I start eating I can't stop. Having random labels like "breakfast" or "snacks" didn't help. When I put times on my food it worked well for me (plus, my lunch is a bit later than I would like to inspire me to actually go do my workout on my lunch hour). I log all meals, but leave 200 calories for unexpected foods or a treat at some point. I can't touch the next meal until the time the meal is set for.
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Expatmommy79 wrote: »Maybe fast in the morning to cut the habit of eating so frequently to lunch?
I had a similar issue and started IF till 11 am. Has helped me a lot. I wake up at 6/7 and have a cup of coffee and then sit tight till 11. Lots of water in between.
I started doing this, too. once I start eating for the day, I am hungrier and want more food. but pushing back my start time has helped me eat less.0 -
I didn't see if you said what you were eating specifically but look at choosing wisely foods that pack a big punch of fullness for fewer calories. For breakfast I usually have a protein shake with spinach, banana etc. It's 300 calories and keeps me full till 10:30 where I have a protein snack like egg etc. Lunch is almost always a giant salad wit tuna and avocado or egg. It's about 260 calories and most days I can't even finish it. Afternoon is usually a protein bar which ensures I'm not starving when I get home for dinner. For dinner meal I cut out as many carbs as I can. Eg. Cauliflower puree, spaghetti squash, Eggplant in place of things like pasta and potatoes.
If I feel hungry in the evenings, I munch om celery or carrots to fulfill the need for crunch. I am never hungry and I never wake up starving.
Just keep at it and try different things till u find what word for you!0 -
If you are having a smoothie decrease the amount. You are likely eating more than 1 serving.0
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I think it helps to get to the root cause of your compulsion and try a new strategy (or two) until you find something that works.
This is what I was going to say.
The first step is figuring out how it happens. How do you happen to go over? Do you feel compelled to keep eating or is it an issue of making poor choices? If the latter, it's easy -- plan out a breakfast and premake and bring a lunch or pick out what you will have in advance. If you want a snack, plan and bring a snack. If it's more a compulsion thing, you will have to figure out the triggers, when are you feeling like eating? Can you plan some alternative things to do until you get used to your new habits or bring low cal foods?0
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