Needing Diet Help
UVAPhan
Posts: 21 Member
I have tried this numerous times and I always end up quitting. I am starting back today but I need some help with meal planning. I was told that I need to start big and work down as the day progresses, so a big breakfast, medium lunch, small dinner. However, I can eat a big breakfast (for instance three eggs with bell pepper, four strips of bacon, and some fruit) around 7am and by 10am I'm hungry again. The same thing with lunch, I can eat a medium lunch, maybe a salad with some grilled chicken and some fruit, and by 4 I'm starving. Is this normal? Anyone have any suggestions so that I don't turn to quick fixes to curb my hunger which are almost always bad for me?
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Replies
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Why were you told you need to start big and work down as the day progresses? Do you have some medical condition that makes that necessary?5
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You don't need to eat any specific food or any specific amounts at any given time. Eat what works for you and when you're hungry. You really only need a calorie deficit to lose weight.
Can you give us some numbers? How heavy are you, age, size and gender? How much do you want to lose per week and what has MFP given you?5 -
Those rules are not necessary. Eat what you want when you want.
What matters is weighing and logging your food so you know how many calories you are consuming. 4 -
If you’re hungry a lot, make sure you are getting enough protein at every meal (3 eggs and four strips of bacon is enough in one meal!). Consider rebalancing to 3 smaller meals and 2 lighter snacks. Make sure what you are feeling is not thirst disguised as hunger. Drink lots of water. The first few weeks, running a calorie deficit can feel so different than always being full. Take it slow. You will get used to it.3
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I have tried this numerous times and I always end up quitting. I am starting back today but I need some help with meal planning. I was told that I need to start big and work down as the day progresses, so a big breakfast, medium lunch, small dinner. However, I can eat a big breakfast (for instance three eggs with bell pepper, four strips of bacon, and some fruit) around 7am and by 10am I'm hungry again. The same thing with lunch, I can eat a medium lunch, maybe a salad with some grilled chicken and some fruit, and by 4 I'm starving. Is this normal? Anyone have any suggestions so that I don't turn to quick fixes to curb my hunger which are almost always bad for me?
Have you tried skipping breakfast? What you describe is why I don't eat it. Not only am I often hungry again late morning I am usually more ravenous the rest of the day.
I think it is best to forget almost everything you have ever been told. The mechanics of weight loss can be stated simply as "Eat Less Than You Burn." It doesn't require specific food. It doesn't require eating at special times. It doesn't require exercise. It only requires that you are in an energy deficit forcing your body to use stored energy to make up the difference.
Instead of trying to lose weight initially I suggest you treat the next few weeks like an experiment. You may lose weight too but right now it is very important you learn how to keep yourself full and only really hungry before meals. Try skipping breakfast for a few days. Make notes for when you are hungry and if you feel an energy drop note when that happens. If you have a good day then make a note of what made it good. Remember it is an experiment not your plan. If you are miserable eat more food and call whatever you are doing at that moment a fail and move on to something else.
How much weight do you have to lose and what did you set as your loss per week in MFP? We need to make sure you are not being too aggressive and that is causing your problems.
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Thanks for all the help. I am a 36 year old male, I am 5'10, and weigh 275. I'd like to lose 2 a week and MFP has given me 2010.0
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Honestly I know that protein is generally considered the gold standard of feeling full but I find no matter how much protein I eat, I will be hungry again soon unless I also have a good amount of fiber.
Maybe try adding something high fiber to your breakfast in addition to the protein and see if it keeps you full longer. It may take some experimenting to find what keeps *you* full the longest.
Dont worry about "rules" of how to split your calories up throughout the day. As others have said, being in a calorie deficit is what matters. If you'd rather save more calories for dinner, do that. Rather eat 5 small meals, do that. Do whatever you think you will be most likely to stick to.2 -
JackieMarie1989jgw wrote: »Honestly I know that protein is generally considered the gold standard of feeling full but I find no matter how much protein I eat, I will be hungry again soon unless I also have a good amount of fiber.
Maybe try adding something high fiber to your breakfast in addition to the protein and see if it keeps you full longer. It may take some experimenting to find what keeps *you* full the longest.
Dont worry about "rules" of how to split your calories up throughout the day. As others have said, being in a calorie deficit is what matters. If you'd rather save more calories for dinner, do that. Rather eat 5 small meals, do that. Do whatever you think you will be most likely to stick to.
Thanks for the insight. What would you suggest for a breakfast idea that is both high in protein and high in fiber?0 -
Thanks for all the help. I am a 36 year old male, I am 5'10, and weigh 275. I'd like to lose 2 a week and MFP has given me 2010.
Are you exercising now? If so, are you logging it and eating back at least half of the exercise calories? The concern here is that you are exercising and burning a high number of calories and your body is just screaming for fuel. If you are exercising and it only adds 300 or so calories to your calorie goal even if you were not eating it yet this is not as much of a concern at 2000ish per day.
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Thanks for all the help. I am a 36 year old male, I am 5'10, and weigh 275. I'd like to lose 2 a week and MFP has given me 2010.
Are you exercising now? If so, are you logging it and eating back at least half of the exercise calories? The concern here is that you are exercising and burning a high number of calories and your body is just screaming for fuel. If you are exercising and it only adds 300 or so calories to your calorie goal even if you were not eating it yet this is not as much of a concern at 2000ish per day.
Not yet but I'd like to start walking at least to exercise at least a little.0 -
I actually go the other way. Start small and get bigger through the day. I find that my hunger is not as much earlier but by evening, that's when I want to eat. So it helps me to know that my dinner meal and snack are there to help with that. I couldn't do it the opposite way.4
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Thanks for all the help. I am a 36 year old male, I am 5'10, and weigh 275. I'd like to lose 2 a week and MFP has given me 2010.
Are you exercising now? If so, are you logging it and eating back at least half of the exercise calories? The concern here is that you are exercising and burning a high number of calories and your body is just screaming for fuel. If you are exercising and it only adds 300 or so calories to your calorie goal even if you were not eating it yet this is not as much of a concern at 2000ish per day.
Not yet but I'd like to start walking at least to exercise at least a little.
Ok so I don't see anything obvious wrong that would cause your hunger issues unless you are logging your food way too high which rarely happens. That just means you need to experiment and find what works for you. Do only one thing at a time though and try to give each thing at least 3 days unless it seems to be making things worse then ditch and move on.
Things to try:
Skipping breakfast
Rearrange your meal calorie distribution (bigger meal at dinner and then try lunch)
Increasing fiber (be careful here because if you increase it too fast you may experience a lot of discomfort)
Increasing fat
Increasing carbs
Eat a high volume of lower calorie food
Adding or removing snacks
Of that list one or two will probably take care of you at your calorie level.2 -
JackieMarie1989jgw wrote: »Honestly I know that protein is generally considered the gold standard of feeling full but I find no matter how much protein I eat, I will be hungry again soon unless I also have a good amount of fiber.
Maybe try adding something high fiber to your breakfast in addition to the protein and see if it keeps you full longer. It may take some experimenting to find what keeps *you* full the longest.
Dont worry about "rules" of how to split your calories up throughout the day. As others have said, being in a calorie deficit is what matters. If you'd rather save more calories for dinner, do that. Rather eat 5 small meals, do that. Do whatever you think you will be most likely to stick to.
Thanks for the insight. What would you suggest for a breakfast idea that is both high in protein and high in fiber?
I like to have oatmeal with a hard boiled egg or two on the side, or Greek yogurt with a high fiber fruit like an apple. You could also add some whole grain toast to your eggs.2 -
For other meals, beans are great source of both fiber and protein you could try making some lunch salads with those. Although salad is great leafy greens don't actually have a ton of fiber.1
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I noticed today that I have exceeded my sodium but I am still under for my calories. Is this a big concern?0
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I think your plan is on point with some small adjustments to deal with the hungries.
Pre package some 100 calorie snacks to take a few hours after your two big meals.
Experiment with carbs, fiber, fat and water to see what gives you satiety. Though your breakfast sounds like it has enough protein and fats.
If you want to lower your salt, look to cut prepared foods first. Bacon is a high scorer.0 -
I much rather have a small breakfast and small lunch so I know I have enough calories leftover to eat at night. I’ll take being a little hungry in the morning and afternoon. I was miserable when I’d get to dinner starving and realize I only have 300 calories left for the day. 😡😀
It’s afternoon now and I have over 1100 calories to eat tonight. Yay!1 -
I don't think tapering down the cals per meal starting at the beginning of the day is a very good idea, but maybe it works for some people. I eat 2 meals (brunch and dinner) of 600 cals each, and 2 snacks (afternoon and night) of 200 each, for a 1,600 total. Been losing 2.5+ pound/wk very steadily. I'm flexible on the cals per meal - if there's something I want for dinner that's 800 cals, I'll just reconfigure my other food consumption that day. I'm not saying this is the "best" way to do it because dieting is very individual, just showing that there's different ways to organize your food day to make it work. One thing is, if I don't get a satisfying, calorie-rich dinner and at least a little snack at night, I start to feel deprived after a few days. I couldn't possibly eat tiny dinners and stay motivated over the long term. That's why I think tapering the calories from big early meals to small later meals is questionable as a long-term approach.2
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