1570 calories and can't do it.

oh nice. the apple trick. i rarely want an applei like them, just not to really eat. maybe with peanut butter or cream cheese! see? this is where i screw up lol

Don't be afraid of screwing up, because you will do it. We all screw up, some of us on a regular basis.

If you trip over a rock, that doesn't mean you have to bash your head against it repeatedly.

Just start making incremental changes. Set a goal this week to cut your bread intake by half and double your veggie intake, even if you are over on your calories. Next week, set another goal. You'll get there.

Yup... the first thing that came to mind, is to eat more protein !!! Protein fills you up for a long time!
lean beef
chicken
turkey
beans
tofu
greek yogurt
EGGS !!!

---

Eggs are awesome: cheap, lots of protein, easy to make, fast to make, can carry with you anywhere, you can eat them for breakfast, lunch, dinner, snacks, etc...

And drink lots of WATER... many times I think I'm hungry when my body is "hungry" for water. thirst/hunger are tricky. So drink some sparkling water if you don't like the regular stuff.
good luck, I'm here for you.:)

Sometimes I just want to eat. I want to chew and I think I am hungry. Here is one fix I use. I saute a large pan of diced celery in soy sauce. I may add onions. I eat this huge pan until the volume makes me full. I also drink hot crystal light lemonaid in the evening instead of eating more food. These are just tricks. But if you have stirred fried veggies or celery you can add a measured amount of protein - chicken, fish etc. Just some tricks to add volume to your diet. Good luck.

I'll trade you. I only get 1200

me too!

Why don't you just get a baseline - eat until you feel full that day, but log everything you eat. See how many calries you actually consume when you feel full. Then, instead of following what MFP is telling you, cut off 100 calories each day from what you eat for a week. Then you are already eating 700 fewer calories a week. Then the next week, shave off another 100 calories daily. If you do it slowly and systematically, your body will get used to it. No one is saying to do it drastically if you feel you aren't ready - you should feel successful, not out of control and starving.

I think you are waiting too long in between snacks or meals. It may be a little better if you broke your meals in to smaller snacks and ate throughout the day.

*Cheers*

Go to my diary and take a look at how I eat. You need more protein!!!! I am NEVER hungry. I will be more than happy to help you out. Dryvonnesmith

I can't eat oatmea or I am starving for the rest of the day. I usually have a smoothie made with fruit, soymilk and protein powder. Keeps me full for a long time! It sucks when you are feeling so hungry!!

Jenny,

From your profile I noticed that you have FM and your food diary revealed that you must have an infant too, so you must be in pain, tired and frazzled and that will certainly contribute to your frustration and out-of-control hunger.

Some simple suggestions--possibly already mentioned, though I haven't had a chance to read all the responses to your plea--

1. Never skip a meal. Since your energy levels are flagging, buy easy to grab and eat foods that are healthy and filling, such as small apples, clementines, almonds, lite string cheese, hard boiled eggs, dried fruit like cherries, cranberries, dates, etc. Keep hummus, plain Greek yogurt (to make a quick dip) and cut up raw veggies in the fridge.

2. Skip the peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. Likewise pizza, except as an occasional treat. (I eat 1/2 Freshetta Cal. Style pizza every couple of weeks--yum!) Use lower fat whole grain wraps, whole grain breads, thin corn tortillas, brown rice, whole grain pastas, etc. Crave potatoes?--nuke a small potato, even better, a small yam or sweet potato. Nix sugary sodas and fruit juice.

3. Have at least one fruit or veggie with every meal. Two would be even better. Until you have more energy, stock your freezer with frozen fruit and veggies (without sauces or pasta). The fruits can be thrown in the blender for slushes or smoothies and the veggies will always be there when you are too tired to deal with slicing and dicing fresh.

4. Ditch fatty, high calorie proteins like sausage, chicken nuggets, and burgers that are 85% beef. Have at least 2 fish meals a week. Dying for beef? Have a small lean steak--top round, london broil. And avoid the buns. Pork tenderloin is lean and a little goes a long way. Chicken, turkey, and beans (black, pinto, kidney, etc), lentils, too, are good options.

5. Have a cup of herb tea or broth or veggie soup before lunch or dinner. Drink your water--all 8 cups! Since you're nursing, every time you sit down with the baby, sip on a tall glass of water. My personal fav is sparkling water, flavored, in 32 oz. bottles. I have 1 every night as a special treat to avoid mindless TV snacking. (60 cents for 32 oz.--Kroger)

6. And since you are a nursing mom, don't forget to get 3 servings of dairy every day: skim or 1% milk, 1 oz. of lean, hard cheese, 0% cottage cheese, sugar/fat-free pudding. Ice cream doesn't count!

7. Plan your snacks. I'm taking in about the same calories as you and today my snacks included 1/4 C. of Planter's Nut-trition (walnuts, cranberries, little chocolate thingies, no salt); a WW dark chocolate-raspberry bar; and a Peppermint Pattie. Sometimes I'll have garlic herb cheese and Triscuits for a treat, or 5 dates.

8. Watch your sodium intake. Processed meats (deli, sausage, ham and hot dogs), frozen meals, canned soups and sauces, pizza, many ethnic foods--Chinese and Mexican, for example, salty stuff like chips, crackers, pretzles, nuts, cookies, and bakery goods are all very high in sodium, as are some condiments like mustard and ketchup. Unless you have a health problem, your sodium intake should be about 2200 mg. daily. MFP allows you to track it.

9. When you can find the time, try planning your meals in advance, enter them in the food diary, then follow your plan. If you find you have the strength to cook, look up sites like Skinnytaste.com for lighter recipes or take an old favorite, use MFP's recipe calculator to tweak it until you have just what you're in the mood for and the calories you're willing to "spend" on it.

I'm just an old granny who's struggled for years with weight, but in those struggles I've learned at lot that makes sensible eating easier and more bearable. Good luck to you. If you need a friend/advisor, feel free to friend me. I have lots of advice--all free, naturally. Hang in there.

How wonderful it is that so many people gave up their time to help you, you are blessed!

I also love dessert, but I limit myself to a couple of times a week, and then a single serve thing from the supermarket or a very yummy full-fat yoghurt occasionally.

I agree that start by making small changes that you can stick to. I started by cutting out extra sugar (sugars that occur naturally like in fruit are OK), because I know I crave them and it can set me off. Rather than feeling deprived, you end up changing your mindset along the lines of making that sacrifice means that you are feeding your body better.

Once you are not hungry all the time, hopefully you will feel your energy levels evening out and you can go for a walk, do some exercise videos or something easy to start with. Honestly, being fitter gives you energy.

*hugs*
GG

You need to eat foods that provide great bulk for less calories, fruit and veges. I like to take a desert spoon of psyllium husks mixed with 1/2 glass of orange juice, stir it in and drink it quick or the husks will turn to gel. Follow that up with a glass of water or two give it five minutes and eat your sandwich for lunch, or oats for breakfast. Psyllium soaks up moisture and turns into a gel, it's low in calories,if prepared the way I recommend you get a full belly for about 50 calories.