Left over calories .

infamousevan523
infamousevan523 Posts: 1 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
What should I eat ( if anything at all) after I've had all of my main meals but I still have a significant amount of calories left?

Replies

  • rankinsect
    rankinsect Posts: 2,238 Member
    Eat what you feel like. And yes, you should aim to not come in significantly under your calories.

    Personally, I plan my days, so I always come close to my calorie goals.
  • sunnybeaches105
    sunnybeaches105 Posts: 2,831 Member
    Did you get enough protein, fat, fiber, and micronutrients? If not, get those. If so, eat what you want within your calorie goals and other nutritional limitations.
  • samchez0
    samchez0 Posts: 364 Member
    Whatever you like. Or nothing if you aren't hungry. I don't force myself to eat just because I have left over calories.
  • Owlie45
    Owlie45 Posts: 806 Member
    Whatever sounds good.
    I personally keep a bar of Himalayan sea salt chocolate on hand.
  • JanetMMcC
    JanetMMcC Posts: 410 Member
    I like to keep a couple hundred calories for good chocolate. I just had Lindt dark with chili. :smile: Don't do that if you're worried about bingeing. But, really, assuming your food so far has been fairly well balanced, you can consider them free calories. :) Some people advise not eating back all exercise calories. I'd say test it - if you can eat back and lose or maintain, more power to you. :) If you find that the exercises calories aren't reliable, figure out how much you can eat back.
  • BranwynTaffy
    BranwynTaffy Posts: 23 Member
    I'm having the same problem as the OP lately. I go through periods when I'm simply not hungry.

    Now that I'm logging calories, I'm coming in 400-700 calories below my daily allowance, mainly as I've really boosted exercise & that adds to the daily allotment. I don't know which tactic to take... force myself to eat more, which I don't think is a great idea... if my body were hungry, I'd get hunger pangs... or risk falling into starvation mode & reaching a weight plateau, if that isn't a myth. I don't want to cut down on walking & stretching as I really need the strength building & I'm not doing more exercise than I can handle.

    It's summer. Sometimes when it's hot... I'm just not hungry. I have about 15-lbs to lose. Re: calories... work on increasing them or forget about it & let the body sort it out? I'd love some opinions, too. I think that's what the OP was asking, as well.
  • MsBuzzkillington
    MsBuzzkillington Posts: 171 Member
    It is important to keep your body fueled with proper nutrition. It is important to make sure you're not significantly under your calorie goal. The whole "eat only when you're hungry" thing is kind of a bit more gray than people make it out to be. Sometimes the body won't always send the cues that it needs food, but it still needs the food to function. Just kind of how sometimes you will feel hungry even though you've just eaten a meal, or sometimes feel really really hungry all day long no matter what you eat. The body isn't the most trust worthy thing.

    Eat your calories. Eat them.
  • JanetMMcC
    JanetMMcC Posts: 410 Member
    Branwyn - how much have you told MFP you want to lose per week? I'm not a nutritionist, but what I'd do is, if I had it set for 1/2 lb/week, I'd say, cool. I'll lose faster. If I was set for 2 lbs/week, I'd think about what sort of snacks I could add. For instance, a Quest nutrition bar (I happen to like them) would be 170 to 200 cals, and 4 squares from a bar of Lindt chocolate is 190. Nothing wrong with a bit of luxury if you have the calories and can stick to that amount.
  • Asher_Ethan
    Asher_Ethan Posts: 2,430 Member
    When I have left over calories, I anyways look at what macros I need to fill and I get a snack based on that.

    It's usually protein.
  • Rocknut53
    Rocknut53 Posts: 1,794 Member
    BranwynTaffy wrote: »
    I'm having the same problem as the OP lately. I go through periods when I'm simply not hungry.

    Now that I'm logging calories, I'm coming in 400-700 calories below my daily allowance, mainly as I've really boosted exercise & that adds to the daily allotment. I don't know which tactic to take... force myself to eat more, which I don't think is a great idea... if my body were hungry, I'd get hunger pangs... or risk falling into starvation mode & reaching a weight plateau, if that isn't a myth. I don't want to cut down on walking & stretching as I really need the strength building & I'm not doing more exercise than I can handle.

    It's summer. Sometimes when it's hot... I'm just not hungry. I have about 15-lbs to lose. Re: calories... work on increasing them or forget about it & let the body sort it out? I'd love some opinions, too. I think that's what the OP was asking, as well.

    Starvation mode is a myth, plateaus are not. I leave a little leeway for overestimates on calorie burns and discrepancies in calorie counts. If I'm not hungry I don't eat and I stay a little under my calories for the day. 30 pounds down since January and 5 pounds to goal (unless I decide to lower that) and I feel better than I have in 20 years so I guess it's working.
    @Asher_Ethan This is good advice and yes, it's usually protein that I'm short of.
  • RodaRose
    RodaRose Posts: 9,562 Member
    http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10142490/a-list-of-calorie-dense-foods
    avocado
    cheese
    full fat dairy
    Greek yogurt
    ice cream
    peanut butter (or other nut butters)
    dark chocolate
    less lean cuts of meat (including beef, pork, sausage, etc.)
    seeds (chia, flax, sunflower, etc.)
    nuts
    olive oil
    coconut oil
    butter
    beans and lentils
    protein shakes, bars, and smoothies
    hummus
    beef jerky
    cornbread
    tuna
    full calorie condiments
    full calorie sauces & dressings
    sour cream
    guacamole
    whole grain pasta
    rice
    bacon
    whole eggs
    quinoa
    fruit and fruit juices
    pretzels
    bananas
    scones
    muffins (bran, blueberry, banana nut, etc.)
    potatoes (sweet, red, gold, purple, white, etc.)
    dried fruit (raisins, apricots, plums, dates, etc.)
    granola
    coconut
    salmon
    edamame
    olives
    honey
    molasses

  • 85Cardinals
    85Cardinals Posts: 733 Member
    I'm saving my leftover calories to eat in heaven. I hear they got a helluva buffet up there.
  • amusedmonkey
    amusedmonkey Posts: 10,330 Member
    It depends. Are you hungry? Do you have anything in particular you feel like eating? If the answer is yes, eat whatever you want to close the calorie gap. If the answer is no, just bank these calories for another day where you find yourself feeling hungry or have something special planned.
  • JenRainbow1
    JenRainbow1 Posts: 74 Member
    When I have calories left over I usually can't find anything to eat because I'm on my maximum carbs
  • fr33sia12
    fr33sia12 Posts: 1,258 Member
    If this is a regular thing, instead of thinking "I need to eat something to use up my allotted calories" why not change what you eat throughout the day and try adding more calorie dense foods or if you're feeling hungry throughout the day have a little healthy snack or drink.
  • jennypapage
    jennypapage Posts: 489 Member
    a handful of nuts will give you anywhere between 100-200cal. and they're really good for you.

Categories