Does anyone freak out when they only have 500+ calories left, and they still have to have dinner?

cyaneverfat · August 2020

I'm like this, but it can be with as many as 1500 calories. I don't know what I eat for dinner most nights, because my mom cooks, and she doesn't like listing out all the ingrediants she uses, and she doesn't weigh the food. I just guess that dinners are between 500 and 1000 calories.

I also struggle to stay under a certain calorie amount on days that I don't go for a 90 minute or longer walk. How do you lose weight without exercise?

Thanks

harper16 · August 2020

Could you offer to cook a few nights a week, so you have more control over the calories?

OHFlamingo · August 2020

No, that doesn't happen to me, as I do my own cooking, and pre-plan my meals. I am on only1200 calories, and my meals are evenly divided at about 400 calories each. Perhaps you could watch/help your Mom cook dinner and that would help you. Good luck!

cyaneverfat · August 2020

harper16 wrote: »

Could you offer to cook a few nights a week, so you have more control over the calories?

Probably a good idea

jan110144 · August 2020

I pre-log my calories for the day either in the morning or the night before. That way I know what I am going to eat when so I don't find myself with minimal calories left for dinner. Obviously, not every day goes as planned, but a large majority do and that's what counts (consistency not perfection).

bmeadows380 · August 2020

Normally, since I'm living alone and cooking for myself, I control all the ingredients in whatever I make and 500 calories is a great number for dinner and what I usually aim to have left by that time.

but I understand your situation - my mom and I switch Sundays on a family dinner, and I usually have to do some guessing on her Sundays because while she tries to help me out, she often forgets things or eyeballs them. For me that's not a big deal because while I know that Sunday I'll be over and just have to guess, its one day out of 14. It would be a whole lot harder if it was more days than that!

Is your mom sympathetic to your weight loss efforts, or hostile? Is there a way that you can just cook for yourself while she cooks for everyone else?

can you be in the kitchen to observe what she's making for dinner and can list the ingredients that way yourself? It can also be a good way to spend some time with your mom and if she's a really good cook, pick up some tips. Might not work so well, though, if she is stressed by fixing dinner. Perhaps you can offer to help her out by cutting and chopping things, then weighing them before you give them to her?

the offering to cook a few nights a week is a great idea - it could help your mom by taking some load off of her and give you control over your diet.

Jacq_qui · August 2020

I would at least serve yourself the portion you want and weigh it out. I agree though you could definitely be involved in meal prep and weigh then. My husband often cooks and everyone is used to me weighing stuff before and afterwards. Get involved!

lorimiller18 · September 2020

No, i hired a PT and he has me on a reverse diet because I've been living on the "1200 calories standard lose weight " diet for years. Ive had to add almost 500 calories to my diet daily, and I IF! But his results speak for themselves. I never realized how difficult eating more was going to be, especially in such small eating windows. Meal prepping, food diary and weighing everything is the only way to go though, you'd be surprised how much you may under or over eat.

LivingtheLeanDream · September 2020

500 calories can actually be a filling dinner.

Dogmom1978 · September 2020

If I don’t have enough calories left and i still have dinner left, I will do some exercise before dinner.

If I don’t have time to exercise, then I try to eat a reasonable dinner and understand that I am going to go over my goals for the day.

That said, you should definitely get involved in meal prep so you can accurately weigh and measure your dinner. Guessing is how most of us ended up here trying to lose weight in the first place.

Does anyone freak out when they only have 500+ calories left, and they still have to have dinner?

Replies

Categories