How long did it take before you stopped going over your calories?

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iamsoveryrich
iamsoveryrich Posts: 12 Member
in Motivation and Support
Hey guys. I'm just starting and I was doing really well for the first week and now it seems that I'm going over my calories everyday by alot! Did this happen to you? How did you get yourself on track? Thank you for any advice you have for me.

Replies

  • shadow2soul
    shadow2soul Posts: 7,692 Member
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    You might want to look through your diary and see why your going over.
    Low on protein and/or fat, maybe. Or picking calorie dense foods that don't keep you full for very long.
    Or is your deficit to large?

    recommendations for deficit are:
    • No more than 1% bodyweight loss per week
    • 0.5 lbs if you have less than 25 lbs to lose
    • 1 lb if you have 25-50 lbs to lose
    • 1.5 lb if you have 50-75 lbs to lose
    • 2 lbs if you have 75 + lbs to lose

    Are you eating exercise calories or not? If not your deficit could be too large, which could lead to the overeating your talking about.

    Are you drinking enough water?
  • Brans34
    Brans34 Posts: 599 Member
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    I think it just has to do with the type of foods you are eating. I went over mine quite a bit until I started cutting out most pastas and breads. They have a LOT of calories! Add more vegetables. Find your favorite vegetables to snack on so you don't over do it at dinner time. I like peeled carrots with a little hit of light ranch. Just one tablespoon of ranch is usually more than enough to dip a couple carrots into, and they are hard and crunchy, so they take a long time to eat, and there are very few calories in them. Look for lower calorie alternatives, but don't do something like going from whole milk to fat free. You will hate it, and not switch. Step it down slowly, like a few gallons of 2% before going to 1%. And drink a lot of water! I try to make sure I have at least 4-8oz glasses a day before lunch, and another 4 before dinner. If I don't have my 4 glasses, I don't let myself eat until I finish my water. Kinda like not letting your kids have desert if they don't eat their real food first.
  • phillyhockeyfan
    phillyhockeyfan Posts: 57 Member
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    How aggressive is your weight loss set to? I try decreasing it by .5 pound (from 2 to 1.5, or 1 to .5, ect). Maybe try prelogging. This way you can see where all of your calories are going and adjust as necessary before you actually consume them.
  • cmriverside
    cmriverside Posts: 34,121 Member
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    I still go over on a regular basis. I'm down to that last five pounds to lose and - - - well. . . 'nuff said.

    shadow2soul makes the (excellent) point that it may be due to you under-eating/setting your weight-loss goal too aggressively. That is the most common reason. I also agree that close attention to macros is important.

  • iamsoveryrich
    iamsoveryrich Posts: 12 Member
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    shadow2soul wrote: »
    You might want to look through your diary and see why your going over.
    Low on protein and/or fat, maybe. Or picking calorie dense foods that don't keep you full for very long.
    Or is your deficit to large?

    recommendations for deficit are:
    • No more than 1% bodyweight loss per week
    • 0.5 lbs if you have less than 25 lbs to lose
    • 1 lb if you have 25-50 lbs to lose
    • 1.5 lb if you have 50-75 lbs to lose
    • 2 lbs if you have 75 + lbs to lose

    Are you eating exercise calories or not? If not your deficit could be too large, which could lead to the overeating your talking about.

    Are you drinking enough water?

    I am currently not exercising so I'm not eating those calories . I don't have the energy yet. I think I need to up my water intake. I tend to choose foods with high sugar so I'm thinkingthinking by your ideas I need more protein.
  • SassyMommasaurus
    SassyMommasaurus Posts: 380 Member
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    I started eating a lot more fruits and veggies and ever since then I don't go over my goal. But my goal is 1 pound a week which puts me at 1800 calories a day without a workout. If you're going 2 pounds a day, it's a lot easier to go over your goals.
  • iamsoveryrich
    iamsoveryrich Posts: 12 Member
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    Brans34 wrote: »
    I think it just has to do with the type of foods you are eating. I went over mine quite a bit until I started cutting out most pastas and breads. They have a LOT of calories! Add more vegetables. Find your favorite vegetables to snack on so you don't over do it at dinner time. I like peeled carrots with a little hit of light ranch. Just one tablespoon of ranch is usually more than enough to dip a couple carrots into, and they are hard and crunchy, so they take a long time to eat, and there are very few calories in them. Look for lower calorie alternatives, but don't do something like going from whole milk to fat free. You will hate it, and not switch. Step it down slowly, like a few gallons of 2% before going to 1%. And drink a lot of water! I try to make sure I have at least 4-8oz glasses a day before lunch, and another 4 before dinner. If I don't have my 4 glasses, I don't let myself eat until I finish my water. Kinda like not letting your kids have desert if they don't eat their real food first.

    Thank you
    .I actually don't drink milk, but I understand what your sharing here. I definitely need to find snacks that are veggies or low calorie. I definitely choose food that is carb/sugar.
  • cmriverside
    cmriverside Posts: 34,121 Member
    edited July 2016
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    iamsoveryrich wrote: »
    shadow2soul wrote: »
    You might want to look through your diary and see why your going over.
    Low on protein and/or fat, maybe. Or picking calorie dense foods that don't keep you full for very long.
    Or is your deficit to large?

    recommendations for deficit are:
    • No more than 1% bodyweight loss per week
    • 0.5 lbs if you have less than 25 lbs to lose
    • 1 lb if you have 25-50 lbs to lose
    • 1.5 lb if you have 50-75 lbs to lose
    • 2 lbs if you have 75 + lbs to lose

    Are you eating exercise calories or not? If not your deficit could be too large, which could lead to the overeating your talking about.

    Are you drinking enough water?

    I am currently not exercising so I'm not eating those calories . I don't have the energy yet. I think I need to up my water intake. I tend to choose foods with high sugar so I'm thinkingthinking by your ideas I need more protein.

    Oh, yeah - I did that when I first started too. Because that was the way I had been eating. . .which, News Flash! That's how I got to be over-weight. :blush:

    Start with logging all your food. Then at the end of the day, look at your numbers. Really look at your Protein and Fat - in that order. They are MINIMUMS - they are goals you really want to reach. Carbs will fall in line when you take this approach. Excessive carbs tend to make some people want to eat more, too - so working on increasing protein will help you with hunger/compulsive eating of sugars.

    The best thing I did for my energy level was to provide my body proper nutrition.

    Add a vegetable to each meal!
  • SassyMommasaurus
    SassyMommasaurus Posts: 380 Member
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    Also the fact that I snack on more fruits and veggies gives me enough calories to eat the things I want without over eating them because I don't feel like I'm starved when I go to eat them so I don't over eat. And the foods I do feel like I might over eat, I drink a lot of water after I eat the limit I put for it and it's helped me not to binge, so far.
  • iamsoveryrich
    iamsoveryrich Posts: 12 Member
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    cmriverside wrote: »
    iamsoveryrich wrote: »
    shadow2soul wrote: »
    You might want to look through your diary and see why your going over.
    Low on protein and/or fat, maybe. Or picking calorie dense foods that don't keep you full for very long.
    Or is your deficit to large?

    recommendations for deficit are:
    • No more than 1% bodyweight loss per week
    • 0.5 lbs if you have less than 25 lbs to lose
    • 1 lb if you have 25-50 lbs to lose
    • 1.5 lb if you have 50-75 lbs to lose
    • 2 lbs if you have 75 + lbs to lose

    Are you eating exercise calories or not? If not your deficit could be too large, which could lead to the overeating your talking about.

    Are you drinking enough water?

    I am currently not exercising so I'm not eating those calories . I don't have the energy yet. I think I need to up my water intake. I tend to choose foods with high sugar so I'm thinkingthinking by your ideas I need more protein.

    Oh, yeah - I did that when I first started too. Because that was the way I had been eating. . .which, News Flash! That's how I got to be over-weight. :blush:

    Start with logging all your food. Then at the end of the day, look at your numbers. Really look at your Protein and Fat - in that order. They are MINIMUMS - they are goals you really want to reach. Carbs will fall in line when you take this approach. Excessive carbs tend to make some people want to eat more, too - so working on increasing protein will help you with hunger/compulsive eating of sugars.

    The best thing I did for my energy level was to provide my body proper nutrition.

    Add a vegetable to each meal!

    I am becoming so aware of how food feels in my body after I eat it. I totally understand this. I understand how sugar/carbs make me feel like crap. I will look at my numbers. That is a great tool. I understand that once I'm giving my body real food it will be energy.
  • sammispatz92
    sammispatz92 Posts: 18 Member
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    Get a food scale! It's especially helpful for measuring things like meats, nuts, cheeses etc. Things that you can easily go overboard with on accident.
  • onefortyone
    onefortyone Posts: 531 Member
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    Great advice in this thread :) I don't like the term 'clean' or 'good/bad' to describe foods but I have been trying to follow the MyPlate standards of eating, so each meal has a whole grain, vegetable, fruit, dairy and protein. It has helped me go from eating a crapton of carbs and protein to really filling out each meal with veggies, and having fruit right after helps satiate my sweet tooth. Good luck!
  • lorrpb
    lorrpb Posts: 11,464 Member
    edited July 2016
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    If you're going over by less than 100 cals, no worries. I was able to get on target right away by limiting bread & pasta, adding fruits/veggies & protein at every meal & snack.
  • iamsoveryrich
    iamsoveryrich Posts: 12 Member
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    onefortyone wrote: »
    Great advice in this thread :) I don't like the term 'clean' or 'good/bad' to describe foods but I have been trying to follow the MyPlate standards of eating, so each meal has a whole grain, vegetable, fruit, dairy and protein. It has helped me go from eating a crapton of carbs and protein to really filling out each meal with veggies, and having fruit right after helps satiate my sweet tooth. Good luck!

    Thank you. I will check that out

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