Running out of calories too soon in the day

jessicastanfill · January 2020

I started my mindful eating this week. I am limited myself to 1600 calories a day with a bit of eating back exercise calories if hungry.
I’m finding myself seriously eating most of my calories before 4pm. I am an early riser but I’m up until 9pm so I feel like I’m struggling to spread this calorie amount out - I’m hungry!!
Do you have any thoughts on this? Is it a given y’all will be hungry or am I going about this in an unproductive way?

jessicastanfill · January 2020

Also, my macros are admittedly low on protein but high on fiber and fat. Lots of veggies, avocado, whole grains, beans. A small amount of animal protein (fish).

RelCanonical · January 2020

Current height and weight? Maybe you can afford to eat more and still lose at a reasonable rate.

janejellyroll · January 2020

Pre-logging (logging what I plan to eat the day before) really helped me with this.

If 1,600 is a realistic goal for you (hard to tell from the limited information you've shared), it may be worth playing with your macros to see if that helps you feel fuller. Some people do find that increasing the protein in their diet is helpful.

jessicastanfill · January 2020

Thanks for the replies. 5’9 200 pounds
Using Lose It app determined 1600 per day would all 1-2 pounds a week loss

lemurcat2 · January 2020

I would plan how to spread your calories out, and if you are hungry try snacking on low cal veg and looking at what you ate to see if you can modify it to make it more filling (which could well include changing up the macros).

I tend to eat around 400 cal in the morning, 550 cal at lunch, and 650 cal at dinner if doing 1600, but obviously what works varies (and I vary a lot too, it's not uncommon for me to eat a bigger lunch and smaller dinner).

tulips_and_tea · January 2020

I know you said you get up early, but are you actually hungry early? If not, maybe skipping breakfast or having something smaller might help.

koalathebear · January 2020

I pre-log and trying to factor what I'm going to eat that day. When I was in weight loss mode, I knew that during the week when I was at work, I couldn't be very productive if I was hungry during afternoon meetings, I brought in little snack boxes of fruit and nuts that I could use to graze on slowly throughout the afternoon. I also drink carbonated mineral water. I also boost my calorie budget with exercise so I don't get hungry. This can be just a short leisurely walk or some low impact zumba etc.

poisonesse · January 2020

I'm not a fan of "mindful" eating, it doesn't work well for me. I find that it seems to consume my thinking, all I can think about is what I'll be eating next, which makes me feel hungry. So I just keep a few usual meals the same... breakfast is always an egg, a piece of fruit, and a bread-like product (whole grain bread, whole grain waffle, high fiber English muffin, etc). Lunch is some form of wrap, as my Ole wraps pack a whopping 11 G of fiber, so I'll have veggies on a wrap, powdered PB and jam on a wrap, cheese melted with veggies (or some salsa)... and then dinner is when I have the bulk of my calories. I also allow for my dark chocolate and Smartfood popcorn every night as a snack. I come in at around 1200-1400 calories per day, but I don't feel hungry until it's time for my next meal. Works for me. But most peeps I know that do "mindful" eating also don't log all of their foods... which for me, means instant gains and constant hunger. But hey, that's just me. What works for others doesn't always work for you, if you know what I mean.

lorrpb · January 2020

Swap out some fat for protein earlier in the day. It might help with satiety and give you more available calories later in the day. Or go up to 1700 calories so you have room for an evening snack. An extra 100 cals a day will Slow your loss by only one lb a month. Be sure to eat back your exercise calories too.

jessicastanfill · January 2020

Thank you all!!

windra06 · January 2020

If you are being mindful and listening to your body, and you are still truly hungry when you reach your calorie goal then it might be time to consider either some tweaks to your meals or upping your goal if you are seeing a healthy weight loss already.

It sounds like we eat similar foods, when i started on 1200cal i sadly had to lower my fat intake significantly since you get a lot less bang for your buck when it comes to fats. I almost cried when i went past the avacados at the market, but it felt far better to eat double the portion size with extra beans and veggies than have an avacado on my dinner.

As others have said, pre-planning your meals can really help, you can see how much food you get for your allowance and make small swaps here and there to get the most 'value' from what you choose. For me that meant swapping the fats like oil, avacado, nut butter and coconut for more legumes and reducing the grains slightly but adding more fruit and vegetables.

kshama2001 · January 2020

BZAH10 wrote: »

I know you said you get up early, but are you actually hungry early? If not, maybe skipping breakfast or having something smaller might help.

Yes, I feel hungry in the AM but have realized I'm actually thirsty - after I start drinking tea the "hunger" goes away and I don't get truly hungry until 11 or 12. YMMV.

I have a smallish breakfast and lunch and save my calories for the end of the day.

maureenkhilde · January 2020

Consider pre-logging food. I have found that to be extremely helpful.
The other thing that has really helped me. Is that I bag up snacks in the 100 to 150 calorie range, including their carb, fat and protein amounts. I do low carb (diabetic).
I have a decent size breakfast, bigger lunch, and dinner is the smallest.
I exercise at night and have a snack afterwards around 11PM. I am at 1400 calories and doing the above I am not running out of calories. And most days above that based on amount of exercise, I eat back half of my exercise calories.

Running out of calories too soon in the day

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