Rationing out calories

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Replies

  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member
    @TonyB0588 I have 1480 calories per day. Thats before (if i do) work out.

    Is that the most appropriate calorie goal for you?
  • FL_Hiker
    FL_Hiker Posts: 919 Member
    edited November 2018
    How does everyone split up their calories for the day?? I know its alot of personal preference on whether you prefer a bigger breakfast or supper. But Lately I find come supper I am short on calories and end up going over (prob have to adjust what i am eating more to) but I wake up between 5 and 6am depending if i go to the gym or not. Start work at 830. Come 9/9:30 I am starving. I will then sip on coffee all morning and have something to eat which all together for the morning i tend to be between 400&500cals. Lunch is at 1. And tends to be a bit better and only have water for liquid calories. Then end up having a small snack in the afternoon. I work a desk job so its hard not to sit here and snack all day lol Supper is usually around 630 and by then seem to have around 600cals left. Which unless im only having salad or something light seems to cut it short. I am still working on finding the healthiest options. Then if I have a light supper, by 10pm im quite hungry again. Try and load up on water or add apple cider vinegar but looking to see how everyone else distributes their calories through the day so that there never starving at any point.

    Every day is different for me, if I wake up hungry i'll have a snack earlier or eat lunch earlier or if i'm not very hungry in the morning i'll have a big dessert after dinner. 600 calories is pretty good for dinner, that's around how many calories each of my meals are. Are you getting enough protein? Fat ? Are you meeting your macro goals? These things may help with satiety. Why do you add apple cider vinegar? Doesn't that make you gag?
  • KristaMac88
    KristaMac88 Posts: 163 Member
    @TonyB0588 I have 1480 calories per day. Thats before (if i do) work out.

    Is that the most appropriate calorie goal for you?

    I am not sure lol I have it set to lose 1.5lbs per week. I do go over my goal dialy but around 100cals..but..its making me super cautious of what im eating and how much.
  • bigbandjohn
    bigbandjohn Posts: 769 Member
    I usually do 200-300 for breakfast, 250-350 for lunch, 300-600 for dinner, and try not to go over 200 for any snacks, making sure I don't go over my 1660 limit for losing right now. If I have extra calories in the evening I may treat myself to a nicer snack.
  • Panini911
    Panini911 Posts: 2,325 Member
    @TonyB0588 I have 1480 calories per day. Thats before (if i do) work out.

    Is that the most appropriate calorie goal for you?

    I am not sure lol I have it set to lose 1.5lbs per week. I do go over my goal dialy but around 100cals..but..its making me super cautious of what im eating and how much.

    how much do you hope to loose overall?
  • KristaMac88
    KristaMac88 Posts: 163 Member
    FL_Hiker wrote: »
    How does everyone split up their calories for the day?? I know its alot of personal preference on whether you prefer a bigger breakfast or supper. But Lately I find come supper I am short on calories and end up going over (prob have to adjust what i am eating more to) but I wake up between 5 and 6am depending if i go to the gym or not. Start work at 830. Come 9/9:30 I am starving. I will then sip on coffee all morning and have something to eat which all together for the morning i tend to be between 400&500cals. Lunch is at 1. And tends to be a bit better and only have water for liquid calories. Then end up having a small snack in the afternoon. I work a desk job so its hard not to sit here and snack all day lol Supper is usually around 630 and by then seem to have around 600cals left. Which unless im only having salad or something light seems to cut it short. I am still working on finding the healthiest options. Then if I have a light supper, by 10pm im quite hungry again. Try and load up on water or add apple cider vinegar but looking to see how everyone else distributes their calories through the day so that there never starving at any point.

    Every day is different for me, if I wake up hungry i'll have a snack earlier or eat lunch earlier or if i'm not very hungry in the morning i'll have a big dessert after dinner. 600 calories is pretty good for dinner, that's around how many calories each of my meals are. Are you getting enough protein? Fat ? Are you meeting your macro goals? These things may help with satiety. Why do you add apple cider vinegar? Doesn't that make you gag?

    No aha I add it to water in the mornings or evening because i read it had different benefits to it but it more so helps keep you full longer.
  • FL_Hiker
    FL_Hiker Posts: 919 Member
    FL_Hiker wrote: »
    How does everyone split up their calories for the day?? I know its alot of personal preference on whether you prefer a bigger breakfast or supper. But Lately I find come supper I am short on calories and end up going over (prob have to adjust what i am eating more to) but I wake up between 5 and 6am depending if i go to the gym or not. Start work at 830. Come 9/9:30 I am starving. I will then sip on coffee all morning and have something to eat which all together for the morning i tend to be between 400&500cals. Lunch is at 1. And tends to be a bit better and only have water for liquid calories. Then end up having a small snack in the afternoon. I work a desk job so its hard not to sit here and snack all day lol Supper is usually around 630 and by then seem to have around 600cals left. Which unless im only having salad or something light seems to cut it short. I am still working on finding the healthiest options. Then if I have a light supper, by 10pm im quite hungry again. Try and load up on water or add apple cider vinegar but looking to see how everyone else distributes their calories through the day so that there never starving at any point.

    Every day is different for me, if I wake up hungry i'll have a snack earlier or eat lunch earlier or if i'm not very hungry in the morning i'll have a big dessert after dinner. 600 calories is pretty good for dinner, that's around how many calories each of my meals are. Are you getting enough protein? Fat ? Are you meeting your macro goals? These things may help with satiety. Why do you add apple cider vinegar? Doesn't that make you gag?

    No aha I add it to water in the mornings or evening because i read it had different benefits to it but it more so helps keep you full longer.

    That's a myth..
  • TonyB0588
    TonyB0588 Posts: 9,520 Member
    @TonyB0588 I have 1480 calories per day. Thats before (if i do) work out.

    How much weight are you trying to lose? I was at 1821 calories when I began, then I reset MFP after it came down a bit and now it gives me a slightly higher allowance.
  • KristaMac88
    KristaMac88 Posts: 163 Member
    TonyB0588 wrote: »
    @TonyB0588 I have 1480 calories per day. Thats before (if i do) work out.

    How much weight are you trying to lose? I was at 1821 calories when I began, then I reset MFP after it came down a bit and now it gives me a slightly higher allowance.

    I am looking to lose about 30+ lbs. Do not have any set timeframe though.
  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member
    @TonyB0588 I have 1480 calories per day. Thats before (if i do) work out.

    Is that the most appropriate calorie goal for you?

    I am not sure lol I have it set to lose 1.5lbs per week. I do go over my goal dialy but around 100cals..but..its making me super cautious of what im eating and how much.

    What are your stats?
  • tulips_and_tea
    tulips_and_tea Posts: 5,741 Member
    I would be interested in knowing what you are eating that 600 calories seems stingy for dinner. 4-6 oz of lean meat, a veg or two with some oil, and a carb should just get you there.

    Im sure 600 is actually not. Its me figuring out my correct portion sizes and (husband does the cooking in our house) looking at what he is making before hand and figuring out the nutrition of it all and how much, if any of certain carb food i can actually have..last night for instance we had wraps. I knew the wrap itself would have some carbs/ higher in cals but wasnt to bad. Then had some chicken, cucumber, tomatoe, cheese (put more than i should have for the cals in it) then added leftover quinoa..which has a ton of cals.. then chipotle sauce which was nooott a good choice either. Seemed like a healthy meal..just should have really took the time to look into everything first before eating it thennnnn adding it in here.

    None of these are "bad". Sometimes it's just about making trade-offs. For me, when adding cheese to something with this many ingredients, the cheese tends to get lost in the mix and you can't really taste it (i.e. wasted calories). In this case, I would've left out the cheese since you used the chipotle sauce (strong flavor). "Save" cheese for when you can enjoy the taste.

    Nothing wrong with using leftovers (the quinoa) but maybe eat the wrap first and see if you're still hungry. If so (and if you have the cals) then have the quinoa. Anyway, just my $0.02. This is trial and error for everyone particularly at first so just do what works for you.
  • sarakenna12
    sarakenna12 Posts: 37 Member
    My calories are broken up similar to yours. It's hard finding dinner options in the 600 cal range, but it's doable. The trick is subbing out higher calorie foods for low calorie foods. Basically, eat a ton of veggies. I tend to have a late lunch of a low-cal soup, because the volume fills me up so I'm not too starving come dinner time. Look up "volume eating" for ideas on which foods you can eat a ton of to feel full that wont blow your diet. When it comes to drinking, I stick with red wine. If I want to have more than 1-2 glasses because I'm socializing, I'll cut it with sparkling water and make spritzers.
  • KristaMac88
    KristaMac88 Posts: 163 Member
    @TonyB0588 I have 1480 calories per day. Thats before (if i do) work out.

    Is that the most appropriate calorie goal for you?

    I am not sure lol I have it set to lose 1.5lbs per week. I do go over my goal dialy but around 100cals..but..its making me super cautious of what im eating and how much.

    What are your stats?

    I dont even know what you mean by "Stats" lol sorry..
  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member
    @TonyB0588 I have 1480 calories per day. Thats before (if i do) work out.

    Is that the most appropriate calorie goal for you?

    I am not sure lol I have it set to lose 1.5lbs per week. I do go over my goal dialy but around 100cals..but..its making me super cautious of what im eating and how much.

    What are your stats?

    I dont even know what you mean by "Stats" lol sorry..

    Weight, height, amount of weight you want to lose
  • leanjogreen18
    leanjogreen18 Posts: 2,492 Member
    I eat 10ish & 3/4:00pm ish about 500/600 calories each give or take. Sometimes I have room for snack sometimes not.

    I know this isn't typical of everyone but this is just the times I normally like to eat even when not eating in a deficit. I also find I'm a volume eater and I like a little more carbs to keep me satiated. I think you need to find your sweet spot for protien, carb, fat ratio to find what works to keep you satiated.

    I didn't red all three pages so I'm just adding what works for me in hopes it helps someone. There are more intellegent folks that are a lot further on their plan commenting so I'd trust them.
  • KristaMac88
    KristaMac88 Posts: 163 Member
    @TonyB0588 I have 1480 calories per day. Thats before (if i do) work out.

    Is that the most appropriate calorie goal for you?

    I am not sure lol I have it set to lose 1.5lbs per week. I do go over my goal dialy but around 100cals..but..its making me super cautious of what im eating and how much.

    What are your stats?

    I dont even know what you mean by "Stats" lol sorry..

    Weight, height, amount of weight you want to lose

    Lol figured. As much as i hate putting that info out there.. height is 5"4, weight is 196 (i think ive lost half a pound this week though) and my goal weight is 160.
  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member
    @TonyB0588 I have 1480 calories per day. Thats before (if i do) work out.

    Is that the most appropriate calorie goal for you?

    I am not sure lol I have it set to lose 1.5lbs per week. I do go over my goal dialy but around 100cals..but..its making me super cautious of what im eating and how much.

    What are your stats?

    I dont even know what you mean by "Stats" lol sorry..

    Weight, height, amount of weight you want to lose

    Lol figured. As much as i hate putting that info out there.. height is 5"4, weight is 196 (i think ive lost half a pound this week though) and my goal weight is 160.

    And you only get 1480 cals?

    How many steps do you do in a day?
  • DietQJ
    DietQJ Posts: 8 Member
    Try adjusting your goal to 1 lb per week. I'm about the same size as you and can easily lose that on 1600-1700--a couple hundred cals per day can make the difference for me between starving and ok. Also eating more fat at breakfast (about 10 grams) has helped me feel satisfied during the day and that helps me not overeat at night. Play around with the types of foods you eat to find what makes you feel full.
  • RivenV
    RivenV Posts: 1,667 Member
    edited November 2018
    Panini911 wrote: »
    600 calories for dinner is a ton. You just need to work on better dinner plans not reduce breakfast. Things didn't work out with the wrap but that in no way means you can't have a good and satisfying meal for dinner for 500-600 calories (depending if you want a snack after dinner or eat all the calories for dinner).

    600 calories for dinner is ... a warm up.

    You need to figure out what works and is sustainable for you, @KristaMac88 . I know, for me, I am not satisfied with a day unless there is one really big meal. I'm not so hungry in the mornings and actually eating a breakfast makes me feel ill, so I don't. It's that easy. :) I have some protein in my coffee at home (190 cals), coffee at work (~25-50 cals), a light lunch (300-500 cals), more coffee in the afternoon at work (~25-50 cals), and then as a big of a dinner as I can make fit. My dinners tend to range between 900 and 1400 calories, depending on the day and on the dinner.

    If I want to have dessert, I'll also reduce dinner some to plan for a serving or two of ice cream or a couple glasses of nice scotch... or whatever! You can do it--the planning is simple. (Just the execution can be tough!)

    Edited to add: you might find this post very informative. I did--and I still do. https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/1080242/a-guide-to-get-you-started-on-your-path-to-sexypants/p1
  • bigbandjohn
    bigbandjohn Posts: 769 Member
    My calories are broken up similar to yours. It's hard finding dinner options in the 600 cal range, but it's doable. The trick is subbing out higher calorie foods for low calorie foods. Basically, eat a ton of veggies. I tend to have a late lunch of a low-cal soup, because the volume fills me up so I'm not too starving come dinner time. Look up "volume eating" for ideas on which foods you can eat a ton of to feel full that wont blow your diet. When it comes to drinking, I stick with red wine. If I want to have more than 1-2 glasses because I'm socializing, I'll cut it with sparkling water and make spritzers.

    It can be hard. If I go out I tend to allow more, but you'd be surprised by many filling options even at such a low number.

    That's also why I snack during the day. It's more like having multiple light meals than one big one.
  • hroderick
    hroderick Posts: 756 Member
    MFP is great for tracking and socializing, but no help with planning. In past attempts I've gotten diet fatigue from eating the same thing over and over because it made planning easy.

    This time my whole family is on board with platejoy.com

    It provides weekly menu, recipe, and shopping list that are highly customized to us. We eat the same items just different portions. They take into account allergies, time available to cook, available appliances, and much more. We fill our grocery basket full of fresh meat and veggies each week. The recipes usually include fresh herbs or ingredients and methods we'd not tried before. Our dining out has dropped drastically and nutrition has raised exponentially. Planning takes us about 5 minutes to discuss weekly variances and pick among suggested recipes.

    I put the recipes into MFP using copy/paste as manual recipes, then log servings. My diary is public so you can see the recipe names. But ignore Thanksgiving week because we were out of town and on the road a lot. They offer a 2 week free trial.
  • KristaMac88
    KristaMac88 Posts: 163 Member
    @TonyB0588 I have 1480 calories per day. Thats before (if i do) work out.

    Is that the most appropriate calorie goal for you?

    I am not sure lol I have it set to lose 1.5lbs per week. I do go over my goal dialy but around 100cals..but..its making me super cautious of what im eating and how much.

    What are your stats?

    I dont even know what you mean by "Stats" lol sorry..

    Weight, height, amount of weight you want to lose

    Lol figured. As much as i hate putting that info out there.. height is 5"4, weight is 196 (i think ive lost half a pound this week though) and my goal weight is 160.

    And you only get 1480 cals?

    How many steps do you do in a day?

    Ive never actually kept track🤷‍♀️ i walk to and from buses/bus stops..a bit around the office.. and just in the last week or two have gotten into going to the gym in the morning before work but cant go full out yet and seem to burn around 300cals while im there (only there 40mins)..
  • Love_2_Hike
    Love_2_Hike Posts: 103 Member
    I'm on 1400 calories per day. I divide it into 4 x 350 calorie meals. My meals look like this below. I always make sure I'm eating and fat and proteins.

    1) Yopro, fruit, granola and coffee with cream
    2) Ham (or other protein) and salad in a low carb wrap, cheese and pickles
    3) Dip, veggie sticks, olives, protein, fruit.
    4) Steam-fresh veg, carb portion, and 200gm protein Fish/chicken
  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member
    @TonyB0588 I have 1480 calories per day. Thats before (if i do) work out.

    Is that the most appropriate calorie goal for you?

    I am not sure lol I have it set to lose 1.5lbs per week. I do go over my goal dialy but around 100cals..but..its making me super cautious of what im eating and how much.

    What are your stats?

    I dont even know what you mean by "Stats" lol sorry..

    Weight, height, amount of weight you want to lose

    Lol figured. As much as i hate putting that info out there.. height is 5"4, weight is 196 (i think ive lost half a pound this week though) and my goal weight is 160.

    And you only get 1480 cals?

    How many steps do you do in a day?

    Ive never actually kept track🤷‍♀️ i walk to and from buses/bus stops..a bit around the office.. and just in the last week or two have gotten into going to the gym in the morning before work but cant go full out yet and seem to burn around 300cals while im there (only there 40mins)..

    What does MFP give you for light active and losing 1.5lb per week?

    Meaningful exercise should be counted separately
  • WilmaValley
    WilmaValley Posts: 1,092 Member
    These are some great suggestions!
  • gallicinvasion
    gallicinvasion Posts: 1,015 Member
    Wake up around 7am
    Breakfast ~100 cals around 8:30am
    Lunch ~400 cals around 12:15pm
    Afternoon snack ~150 cals around 5pm
    Dinner ~600-800 cals around 8pm
    Dessert or Drinks ~whatever I feel like using from leftover calories (around 100-300 cals).

    This comes out to about 1500 calories, which I’m set to help me lose 1 lb per week.

    If I go short on certain days, I tend to use the calories on the weekend.