Do you eat when hungry if out of calories?

srecupid
srecupid Posts: 660 Member
edited November 13 in Goal: Maintaining Weight
I had breakfast at 5am which is about 3 hours earlier than I normally do. I have 360 calories left for 5 hours and worried I might get hungry. What do you do in situations like this?
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Replies

  • neldabg
    neldabg Posts: 1,452 Member
    edited November 2016
    Make the most out of those 360 calories you have left. Idk what your breakfast was like, but if it was filling and you ate enough, the energy provided should last you until the late afternoon and/or dinnertime.
    A lot of times for me, it's just boredom hunger, so I chew gum, take a walk, watch a movie, catch up on work I've procrastinated on, etc. If and only if distractions don't work and I truly feel hungry will I just go ahead and overeat.
  • Evamutt
    Evamutt Posts: 2,761 Member
    I eat something filling for me with fewer calories. For me, microwaved potato, lots of veggies & small serving of protein & bread if i have enough calories, or just go over a little, lots of water too
  • krwjohnson
    krwjohnson Posts: 46 Member
    If I'm out, I'm out. I always keep fresh vegetables on hand so if I run low I can fill up on those.
  • Christine_72
    Christine_72 Posts: 16,049 Member
    edited November 2016
    I bake some broccoli and mushrooms in the oven (til broc is slightly crunchy), sprinkle with lemon juice and lemon pepper seasoning before cooking, and drizzle a bit of ranch over it after it's cooked. Surprisingly filling for low calories, I had some yesterday for a total of 143 calories which tide me over til dinner.

    ETA: I used to pour olive oil over it all before cooking, but i stopped doing that and it makes no difference to taste or texture (which i thought it would have).
  • srecupid
    srecupid Posts: 660 Member
    neldabg wrote: »
    Make the most out of those 360 calories you have left. Idk what your breakfast was like, but if it was filling and you ate enough, the energy provided should last you until the late afternoon and/or dinnertime.
    A lot of times for me, it's just boredom hunger, so I chew gum, take a walk, watch a movie, catch up on work I've procrastinated on, etc. If and only if distractions don't work and I truly feel hungry will I just go ahead and overeat.

    Yeah I had 3 eggs some cheese and toast. I don't know why I worry about hypothetical so much.
  • sgt1372
    sgt1372 Posts: 3,997 Member
    I do cardio (rowing) to "earn" more calories so that I can eat more. Works out to about 10 mins of rowing per 100 cals earned at a moderate rate of effort.
  • HappyGrape
    HappyGrape Posts: 436 Member
    sometimes I do but I look at the quality of my calories and trying to improve over time, without overcompensating

    for example in the past it may have happened that I snacked on too much fruit, or I had oatcake thinking I will have one and end up having 6, 3 days in row. If I am hungry at my maintenance level for few days in row it either means some of my food choices can improve or I am overtired.

    Sometimes, I may feel pickish and not have anything. Tolerating little bit of hunger and managing cravings is important in my opinion and saying No sometimes too
  • AnthonyX150X
    AnthonyX150X Posts: 293 Member
    I personally have a perfectionistic personality and wouldn't go over my calorie goal regardless if I feel hungry or not.

    Drinking more water can help supress hunger.
  • Janet1608
    Janet1608 Posts: 9 Member
    I always have some low calorie veg in the fridge. Easy to heat up and part of your 5 a day.
  • amusedmonkey
    amusedmonkey Posts: 10,330 Member
    I personally try to increase my activity to earn more calories, if that's not an option, I try to cram the most filling foods to me into the few remaining calories, and if I'm still hungry and don't feel like staying hungry, I just "borrow" some calories from tomorrow or just call it a day as long as it's under maintenance.
  • Noreenmarie1234
    Noreenmarie1234 Posts: 7,492 Member
    I always eat extra if I am hungry. Usually I will be less hungry the next day thats why I let my calories range from 2100-2600 per day. Some days I am naturally more hungry so I don't worry about it. Some weeks I eat 2600 every single day and don't gain, others I eat 2100 it all balances out in the end.
  • rainbow198
    rainbow198 Posts: 2,245 Member
    edited November 2016
    I wait it out and sip water or unsweetened herbal tea. Usually the hunger pang goes away after a half hour or so.

    But when I am hungry-hungry I will eat something and make up for it the next day.

    Since I look at my calories on a weekly basis, not daily it all evens out.


  • Gamliela
    Gamliela Posts: 2,468 Member
    No, I don't worry about it, espcially in the situation you described. If I get up earlier its probable I'm going to need more calories to fuelthe day. I eat if I'm hungry, it evens out over the next few days. A couple hundred one way or the other happens. It fluxuates depending on what foods I eat and other things like activity, stress, social occassions. For every up day there is a down one, so just logging and keeping an eye out seems a sàtisfactory maintenance plan.
  • Gallowmere1984
    Gallowmere1984 Posts: 6,626 Member
    I do, but I run such an absurd deficit that I could eat two extra times per day and still be under maintenance.
  • kenyonhaff
    kenyonhaff Posts: 1,377 Member
    I try to drink a hot beverage, such as coffee with skim milk and Truvia. Or some tea.
  • Francl27
    Francl27 Posts: 26,371 Member
    I eat more in that case.
  • sbrandt37
    sbrandt37 Posts: 403 Member
    edited November 2016
    I do one of several things, most of which have already been suggested:
    - Exercise to earn more calories;
    - Drink something. I keep Sobe Water around for when I have cravings. It seems to satisfy me;
    - Eat something low calorie and filling, like lots of veggies and some meat (with zero carbs);
    - Eat. Any day I am at or below maintenance level is a success, even if I go over my calorie target for the day.

    Bottom line: Don't stress too much about it if you occasionally go over your target. Just try not to make a habit of it.
  • srecupid
    srecupid Posts: 660 Member
    I personally try to increase my activity to earn more calories, if that's not an option, I try to cram the most filling foods to me into the few remaining calories, and if I'm still hungry and don't feel like staying hungry, I just "borrow" some calories from tomorrow or just call it a day as long as it's under maintenance.

    Work at a grocery store on my feet for 8 hours and it's chicago so it's cold. It's the week of thanksgiving and i'm completely burned out and don't want to move. But, yeah i'd usually do that. Plus the sun goes down at like 4pm now.
  • trigden1991
    trigden1991 Posts: 4,658 Member
    Drink water, drink coffee, go for a walk, plan a 360 calorie meal
  • Noreenmarie1234
    Noreenmarie1234 Posts: 7,492 Member
    Also I believe if I am TRULY hungry that my body really does need the extra calories. Maybe I was more active the past few days, maybe my body was healing an injury or doing some processes, etc. Now that is when I am truly hungry not just... darn at my calorie limit but I still want to eat because food is good. Then I don't eat extra if I am not actually hungry because my body doesn't need it, I just want to eat lol.
  • robininfl
    robininfl Posts: 1,137 Member
    Popcorn. That is what i do when I feel like I need to eat something, even though logically I know I've consumed (or will) enough for a whole day already.
  • Kristi26
    Kristi26 Posts: 184 Member
    I add some exercise to earn more calories or I choose low calorie options like carrots, applesauce, popcorn, a sweet potato, broccoli, or green beans. I've also had a hot drink like coffee or tea.
  • ShammersPink
    ShammersPink Posts: 215 Member
    If I'm just a bit peckish, no, I'll try to fob my body off with a cup of tea. If I'm genuinely properly hungry, then I'll eat. It doesn't happen very often. Today is one of those "not very often"s.

    I won't try to exercise to compensate - that'd just exacerbate the issue. I might try to offset it over the next few days, but not if that just makes me more hungry. In other words, play it by ear (or stomach).
  • superstargalaxy
    superstargalaxy Posts: 21 Member
    When that happens, I usually drink lots of water to help bloat my stomach a bit. These days though, I'm drinking mostly green tea.
  • rileysowner
    rileysowner Posts: 8,331 Member
    Exercise to get more calories. Actually 360 is really pretty far from out if you eat a bunch of veggies with some lean protein.
  • Elise4270
    Elise4270 Posts: 8,375 Member
    Some good advice here. I agree with making the most of the 360. If you go over today, maybe plan some extra exercise tomorrow.
  • Meghanebk
    Meghanebk Posts: 321 Member
    I eat if I'm awake/active longer than usual (at least I hope you don't usually get up before 5!). If you're awake, you're burning more (sometimes a lot more) energy, so eat more if you get hungry. I wouldn't go overboard, but certainly add at least a substantial snack.

    For example, a normal day I'm awake 16 hours, asleep by 11PM. If I take advantage of a day off and am up till 2 am, I eat another snack late in the evening. If I don't, I spend the time from 12-2 getting progressively hungrier and more snappish.
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