Can rarely manage to stay below 1280 calories...

mantramoon
mantramoon Posts: 31 Member
edited November 18 in Health and Weight Loss
Okay, I need to ask people - do you manage to stay at or below your calorie allotment for the day, and if so, how? I know I have improved my eating habits since starting on here 4 months ago, and I've lost 13 lbs so far. I exercise 25 - 45 min per day, walking, biking or elliptical machine, and burn 200-300 calories per session.

But I rarely manage to stay below 1280 calories, which is my daily goal. I have lost weight anyway, but very slowly, and it sometimes will creep up a little before going back down. I'm in this for the long haul, and am trying to do only what I know I can sustain long-term. How do people manage to stay below their target calories? I don't have the time to exercise much more each day, and I get hungry!
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Replies

  • mantramoon
    mantramoon Posts: 31 Member
    Yes, I do eat back exercise calories. If I didn't I would never hit my goal at all.
  • janejellyroll
    janejellyroll Posts: 25,763 Member
    mantramoon wrote: »
    Yes, I do eat back exercise calories. If I didn't I would never hit my goal at all.

    How slow is your weight loss? What are you averaging per week?
  • cmriverside
    cmriverside Posts: 34,458 Member
    I have to plan carefully when I'm in weight-loss mode, which for me is about 1400 net. I always eat all the exercise calories. Protein and fats are at the top of my goal planning, carbs fall where they will. I'm usually over on fats and under on carbs at the end of the day. I make sure I'm eating whole vegetables and fruits and some whole grains, eggs, and nuts. Yogurt, and a small amount of meat or fish daily.
  • mantramoon
    mantramoon Posts: 31 Member
    My weight loss has been uneven, but overall I've lost 13 lbs in 4 months. http://www.myfitnesspal.com/reports
  • KIZGNARR
    KIZGNARR Posts: 28 Member
    I could not see your food diary, but when I am struggling, I try to look back at the higher calorie meals or items and see if there are substitutes... of course, adding vegetables will always help satiety, but it is an evolution for me :) Just try to drink more water too.. vs. calories from drinks... and keep up the good work!! :)
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
    mantramoon wrote: »
    My weight loss has been uneven, but overall I've lost 13 lbs in 4 months. http://www.myfitnesspal.com/reports

    So very close to 1 Lb per week...perhaps that is more appropriate for you. I'm assuming 1,280 is attempting to get to 2 Lbs per week?
  • ShiverStorm
    ShiverStorm Posts: 4 Member
    I'm very jealous you've managed to lose some real weight. I've been focusing hard on my calories and been staying well under and STILL end up around the same. it's been 4 months!!! so Grats for you for making real progress!!

    What I've done though, to stay within calories is rely super heavily on spinach and kale "salad" and by "salad" i mean about 3/4 cups of spinach and/or kale with some Walden Farms Calorie Free dressing.. it's about 30ish calories for the whole thing. it's not fulfilling emotionally haha but it'll definitely keep you full for a couple hours. :)
  • mantramoon
    mantramoon Posts: 31 Member
    My goal is set to lose 1 lb per week. I have a sedentary job, but am fairly active once I get out of work (have a husband, 2 kids, and several pets to take care of, a household to run - don't have a lot of time to sit down at home!)
  • mysunshine2016
    mysunshine2016 Posts: 2 Member
    I find it hard to stay around 1200. That really is not many calories to work with. No one just wants to eat salads or skip meals. I just started on here but I switched to a different diet and I am not as hungry on it. Maybe eating more healthy fats might help you feel full longer. Some people like to fast and only eat for a certain amount of hours a day like 4 or 6 hours, when she got more strict about it she lost 8lbs in a month.
  • Clody80
    Clody80 Posts: 15 Member
    My daily goal is 1200 and I find this pretty hard to work with. If you cut out all "pleasures" it's doable, otherwise quite hard. I try to keep it to 1200-1300 most days and exercise enough to a low myself some treats on others. Losing slowly, but making some progress
  • PrincessMel72
    PrincessMel72 Posts: 1,094 Member
    I'm at 1200 as well. I've lost 19lbs in 3 months and I splurge a bit on weekends. I have a desk job but do 30-45 mins per day, 5x/wk on the recumbent bike at our apartment gym. I make it easier by pre-planning and pre-logging all my meals in the morning before I eat anything at all. I get to work about 10 mins early and log everything I will eat for the day. Sometimes I do not know what I'll have for dinner, but with breakfast and lunch already done, I know exactly how many calories I'll have with exercise. That's how I do it. When I get hungry between meals, I'll sip some green tea or eat a few raw almonds. So far, so good!

    You're doing great!!!
  • apullum
    apullum Posts: 4,838 Member
    I've been eating 1200 calories/day plus exercise calories for about 2.5 years now. It IS doable and you do not have to deny yourself "pleasures."

    I generally eat an apple or banana before my workout (100 calories). I burn 200-400 calories in a typical workout, much more on a long run day. After running or going to the gym, I have a snack (250-300 calories). Lunch is usually about 400 calories, dinner about 500. I have dark chocolate every day (50-100 calories). On days I don't work out, I usually skip the mid-morning snack and have a smaller lunch. I rarely skip the chocolate.

    Today, I had a banana, then went to the gym. I've burned about 350 calories so far today. I came home and had a protein brownie. For lunch, I had soup with tofu and rice noodles, and some frozen veggie potstickers. My afternoon snack was a slice of low-calorie bread with hummus and vegan turkey, and a piece of chocolate. Dinner is going to be baked tofu in a sweet Asian-style sauce, on a bed of roasted broccoli. (I don't usually eat this much tofu, but I have some I need to use up.) I still have some calories left, so I may have something else later.

    I'm not intentionally low carb, but I've found that carbs are generally not my favorite use of my calories. It's easy to eat 500 calories of nothing but pasta, but I probably won't feel very satisfied if I do that. So I prefer small portions of carbs, more veggies, and more protein.
  • jwcsanders
    jwcsanders Posts: 50 Member
    I just started back, but I am at 1200 as well. I eat a lot of veggies tho, as I am working on lowering my cholesterol. I have a desk job, but much like you I have an active household. I garden a good bit, have a 4 year old, etc. I do drink a ridiculous amount of water. meh. I really have a weakness for certain sweets, but I don't like skipping meals, so I haven't had any lately. I leave for the beach in 17 days, so I am going to log until the day I leave, while I am there just try to make conscious healthy decisions.
  • TxTiffani
    TxTiffani Posts: 799 Member
    edited May 2017
    I'm 5'0 and have about 25ish more lbs I'd like to lose. I eat 1200 cals most of the time. I don't "clean" or whatever but you're welcome to add me. I weigh and log everything possible (aside from occasional eating out where I have to rely on internet calorie counts or flat out guess and pick the best MFP logging option available).
    Started (again :^/ )in February 2017
    SW 152 CW 136.6 GW 110ish?
  • kayeroze
    kayeroze Posts: 146 Member
    I eat 1270 calories + exercise cals, and I feel more satisfied if I eat around 1400-1600 calories in the day, so I eat like I have to go workout that afternoon. I don't really pre-log like others, and instead have learned how to find low-calorie, high protein foods as my focus. High fat or high carbs make me feel hungrier, so instead I aim for protein. Without exercise calories, I eat approximately 900 calories for 3 meals, and leave the rest for snacks. And with eating, I schedule when I should eat to help prevent the ravenous hunger that comes between meals. It's possible, but you have to become smart about foods, nutritional profiles, and portion sizes/weighing.
  • bbell1985
    bbell1985 Posts: 4,571 Member
    1280 is hard. 1300 is the lowest I go and it's no walk in the park. I can do it if I really put my mind to it, but I usually have a higher maintenance day or two as well. I never average 1300 per week.
  • raimondasa
    raimondasa Posts: 5 Member
    Intermittent fasting helps a lot when I am on low calorie days.
  • DamieBird
    DamieBird Posts: 651 Member
    I wouldn't make it if I had to stay at the MFP calorie target (1380) for non-exercise days. I use TDEE, based on a weekly estimate, which gives me about 1850 kcals/day regardless of if it's a rest day or an exercise day. I work out deliberately (gym day) 4x week, plus at least 10k-13k steps on the other days. I use a weekly calories allowance vs. a daily one to keep myself sane and less hungry, since I tend to want to eat more M-F than I do on weekends. I've been losing an average of #1.5/wk, which is right in line with my ideal rate of loss. I recently took 28 days of good logging data and compared it to my estimated TDEE and it was right on track to where it was supposed to be, based on my loss.
    Diets (even here on MFP, using CICO) have always failed for me in the past, because if I couldn't work out everyday, I would be too hungry and go over my target and then get upset and downward spiral. Keeping track with longer time intervals and weekly exercise averages has made me MUCH more successful this time around.
  • solieco1
    solieco1 Posts: 1,559 Member
    janejellyroll wrote: »
    Are you eating back exercise calories? 1,200 net is the lowest a woman should generally go and if you're exercising, your gross calories should be more than 1,280.

    That said, I find that pre-logging is the best way for me to consistently meet any calorie goal. I log what I am going to eat the day before I eat it and that gives me a chance to make tweaks to my meal plan, macros, etc.

    This is how I'm most successful too.
  • ent3rsandman
    ent3rsandman Posts: 170 Member
    mantramoon wrote: »
    Okay, I need to ask people - do you manage to stay at or below your calorie allotment for the day, and if so, how? I know I have improved my eating habits since starting on here 4 months ago, and I've lost 13 lbs so far. I exercise 25 - 45 min per day, walking, biking or elliptical machine, and burn 200-300 calories per session.

    But I rarely manage to stay below 1280 calories, which is my daily goal. I have lost weight anyway, but very slowly, and it sometimes will creep up a little before going back down. I'm in this for the long haul, and am trying to do only what I know I can sustain long-term. How do people manage to stay below their target calories? I don't have the time to exercise much more each day, and I get hungry!

    You pretty much have to plan your meals out ahead of time and get into the habit of not deviating from your food schedule. Also try to add in some kind of filler food that can go a long way - something like fruit, vegetables, egg whites, etc.
  • ElyInColors
    ElyInColors Posts: 2 Member
    I do 1000 a day! and sometimes i have a lot of calories left for dinner and still choose something small
  • LORAXPLORA
    LORAXPLORA Posts: 5 Member
    Biggest game changer for me with the 1200 goal was learning which foods have the most sodium and find alternatives. Or else be frustrated ;( So although I thought was low truly I was very mistaken. I did all the regular cuts... back off sugar except for 1 apple and carrots and of course tomato but I'm steady shedding before that it was SODIUM hell. I am super full with making broths and incorporating no salt broth to meals. Best of luck... especially as a woman cycle time hangs on to water so patience and timing broths and low sodium... and meal prep for week. I imagine if you are a parent you're prob even more dedicated because of the time and meal prep obstacles ( on top of everything) so good for you for doing in the first place!!! I would share what I eat if you want some suggestions...
  • mnbvcxzlkjhgfdsa12
    mnbvcxzlkjhgfdsa12 Posts: 204 Member
    I eat 1200 a day and never eat back exercise calories. Provided I'm thinking about what I'm eating I don't find it hard. I eat breakfast, lunch, dinner, afternoon snack and desert everyday.

    If you're finding it hard to stick to your calorie goal think about what you're eating and what foods satisfy you longest. Focus your diet around vegetables- you can eat a whole lot of vegetables for not many calories. Almost everyone would benefit from more vegetables in their diet too so it's a win-win.
  • CoolBoyMom6
    CoolBoyMom6 Posts: 10 Member
    I would starve on that. I am eating about 2200 a day. Counting macros.. and I am losing weight. Losing more now at 2200 than I was at 1700 a day.
  • nowine4me
    nowine4me Posts: 3,985 Member
    edited May 2017
    Its really about what you're eating and your satiety. I eat 1300 calories a day when I'm cutting. It's a LOT of food, but I eat a 90% plant-based diet (vegetables, fruit, nuts, seeds, beans). Eating added sugar puts me directly in binge mode. To maintain, I eat closer to 1900 and add in dairy and a bit of meat. My point......1200 calories CAN be a lot of food, if you eat the right things. Here's my 1200 per day snapshot

    Breakfast - flat bread with almond butter, spinach protein shake and a banana (400 cals)
    Lunch - a TON of broccoli, bell peppers, black beans, walnuts, dried cranberries and an apple (400 cals)
    Dinner - huge salad with zucchini, mushrooms, corn, peppers, lentils and frozen grapes or berries (400 cals)
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