need help, always hungry

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jl622
jl622 Posts: 104 Member
in Food and Nutrition
Hi. I'm looking for very easy meals/items that are low in calories, that will actually keep me full. I always feel like I'm starving and i end up going over my calories. I only get 1200 calories a day. I know I need to find items that are high in fiber and protein but many seem to have a lot of calories. Thanks.
(i also know from reading the boards that many people think 1200 calories a day is too low and you go into starvation mode. I just want to try to stay under my calories for a couple weeks before i decide to up my cal intake)

Replies

  • UponThisRock
    UponThisRock Posts: 4,522 Member
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    lean meat, veggies
  • MinnieInMaine
    MinnieInMaine Posts: 6,400 Member
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    To elaborate on UponThisRock's reply:

    Boneless skinless chicken or turkey
    Pork (especially sirloin)
    Ground meats that are 90% lean (or higher)
    Fish
  • taem
    taem Posts: 495 Member
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    I tend to eat foods that are low in calorie density but high in volume. That would be things like potatoes/rice, veggies and water. Fruits are good as well but then you don't need a lot of starches. Make sure you drink 8 cups of water a day and that 3 of those glasses are in the morning. Good luck.
  • Maryfullofgrace
    Maryfullofgrace Posts: 342 Member
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    I took a peek at your diary. Not too many days back, just the last few. Try to eat more frequently, and cook your own food. Don't rely on restaurants to make the smart choices for you. Buy some tangerines, stick one or two in your purse, snack on them. Bag up some raw almonds, about 14 of them in a little bag, along with the tangerines it is a nice tide-over snack. Make yourself breakfast and lunch. It is mentally nurturing to make food for yourself, it keeps you in the right perspective. That you are worth the time and effort to make healthy food, and good choices.
  • amylibbs
    amylibbs Posts: 2
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    Try eating eggs or egg whites....low in calories but they can keep you full for HOURS.

    & fiberplus bars are great for breakfast. They're only like 130 calories, they have 1/3 of your fiber for the day so you stay full, and they're really sweet so they taste like you're indulging when you're not!
  • wolfeben
    wolfeben Posts: 4
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    I keep fiber fruits and veggies out in open so when I am hungry, I will eat those. And it isn't always about taste, just filling up. Feel full. Plus the fiber helps keep me regular. I use raspberries, strawberries, blackberries, bluberries, broccoli, carrots and apples. Since I started doing this for all snacks and breafast I have lost 10 lbs. Good luck!
  • dianeellen2
    dianeellen2 Posts: 259 Member
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    I tend to eat loads of veggies and salads (being a vegetarian i dont do meat) scrambled egg is good too (on wholemeal toast - if you need carbs) keeps me full for ages. Porridge is a good breakfast - again keeps hunger at bay till lunch time xx
  • LesliePierceRN
    LesliePierceRN Posts: 860 Member
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    I eat every couple of hours.. I have Kellogg's Allbran buds (two servings) for breakfast with 1 cup blueberries and 1/2 cup fat free milk for breakfast. I try to eat salad and raw veggies daily. I keep protein bars and similar nutritious snacks on me if I'm going to be out for more than a couple hours. I did away with all white carbs in my house, we're all eating multigrain everything. I never hit a drive thru (unless it's just a coffee). My meats are lean, and I get fish (which I don't care for) at least once a week too. Make sure you're getting enough protein in each meal.. that'll keep you satisfied longer as well.
  • jilliebk
    jilliebk Posts: 252 Member
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    Fruits, some fiber one products. water, green tea. YES, some days r better then some but ... mind over matter!
  • rc630
    rc630 Posts: 310 Member
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    It seems like you're eating a lot of fast food. If you want to eat that stuff and still lose weight, you're going to have to exercise a lot more to make up those calories, or you'll need to make healthier choices.
    Like others suggested, making your own food would be most ideal. If you really aren't able to do that, you should try picking salads and grilled chicken instead of burgers, and veggies instead of fries when you go out to eat. Most restaurants that are chains have their menus online with nutrition information, so you can look up a healthier option ahead of time.
    Skipping the heavily flavored creamy coffee drinks will also help. I saw a 330 calorie coffee in your diary; That is a waste of calories and will leave you hungry later. Have your coffee with skim milk or a lighter creamer instead (Coffee Mate Natural Bliss has 35 calories in a tablespoon).
    Also, try having celery sticks, baby carrots, other veggies as snacks or have more of them with your meals. They will fill you up with less calories.
  • Jorra
    Jorra Posts: 3,338 Member
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    If you have only 30 pounds to lose you should set your weight loss goal to 1 pound or 1/2 pound per week. This should give you more calories to work with. It's very hard to lose 2 pounds per week when you are so close to your goal weight.

    Foods high in protein and fiber will keep you fuller.
  • LivLovLrn
    LivLovLrn Posts: 580 Member
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    Looking at your food diary I can see why you are always hungry, you really aren't eating much. Also it looks like you are letting a lot of empty calories take up your allotment for the day.
    I will echo what others are saying...LEAN meats, lots of fruits and veggies, rice, whole grain breads, nuts, raisins. It is so much better to eat at home than out, but chose salads or wraps if you have no other options than to eat out. If you do decide to cook at home, make extra and freeze in individual servings so it is easy to reheat. I commend you on your logging, it is good to see what you are doing now and go from there
  • steffiejoe
    steffiejoe Posts: 313 Member
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    For breakfast I have oat bran, oat meal or steel cut oats. I add a teaspoon of almond butter(or peanut butter), cream cheese and a scoop of whey protein powder. I also have 2 slices of bacon with this. I am full until around 12 noon. I work at a fast passed high stress level job and this tides me over til I can have lunch.
    For snacks I may have a boiled egg, almonds, or a piece of cheese.
  • LFern
    LFern Posts: 141
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    Have you tried chewing gum? The new Just Desserts flavors are so much like snacking on a piece of cake or candy it's like eating!

    Drink water.

    I like almonds. Fibre One bars. Cereal with Soy Milk. Very Filling!

    Vegy's are always good. Carrots, Broccoli, Cauliflower.

    My new favorite is a whole wheat wrap - spread Philadelphia cr cheese on the wrap, cover with baby spinach or whatever lettuce is your favorite, add sliced tomatoe & about 3 slices of dried beef. It's less than 300 calories and very filling. High protein and low in carbs. :happy:
  • jl622
    jl622 Posts: 104 Member
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    Have you tried chewing gum? The new Just Desserts flavors are so much like snacking on a piece of cake or candy it's like eating!

    My new favorite is a whole wheat wrap - spread Philadelphia cr cheese on the wrap, cover with baby spinach or whatever lettuce is your favorite, add sliced tomatoe & about 3 slices of dried beef. It's less than 300 calories and very filling. High protein and low in carbs. :happy:

    ^^good ideas, will def try those. thanks.
    weekends are harder for me, since my husband always wants to go out. i will stock up on lean meats and veggies. thanks everyone
  • rodegghero
    rodegghero Posts: 212 Member
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    Beans, lentils have Tiber and protein and are lower calorie
  • Missjulesdid
    Missjulesdid Posts: 1,444 Member
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    For me.. and this is just me, you'll want to find exactly what works for you.. but for ME, I don't feel full unless I have some sort of starchy carb like a piece of whole wheat toast, or some beans, or half a cup of brown rice, or a small serving of oatmeal or a banana AND I don't STAY full unless I have a protein and fat with it. For me something that works are chicken breast tacos. A small whole wheat tortilla has 85 calories, 4 ounces of chicken has 200 and 1/2 T olive oil has 60. Just over 300 calories and it keeps me full especially if I add some lettuce and tomatoes to the top. This works for me because it has carbs, protein and fat.

    Serves 2: add 1T olive oil to large frying pan, saute half a cup of chopped onion push the onion to the side of the pan, and 4 ounces of thinly sliced lightly salted chicken breasts. brown on all sides. add four cloves of chopped garlic add the following mix of spices: 2t chili powder, 1t garlic powder, 1/2 t paprika, 1t cumin, 1/2 t oregano, 1/2 t cilantro, 1/2 t salt, 1/2 t sugar. sprinkle over the chicken and stir while cooking over medium high heat for 45 seconds or so.. Add 1/4 cup water and continue to stir adding more water as necessary to keep the mixture from drying out too much and scorching. Cook until the chicken is done serve in one small whole wheat flour tortilla. You'll have extra meat. I just roll it up in lettuce and make like a lettuce wrap.

    Another go to meal is eggs and toast. Two over easy eggs or poached if you don't want any oil at all and 100 calories worth of 100% whole grain toast (could be one or two slices depending on the bread you use) and a serving of plain yogurt with berries. It's a big meal and keeps me full for hours. It's 400 calories for all this food but for me it leaves me feeling so full and satisfied that I don't need to eat anything until I have a late lunch.

    two cups of steamed broccoli before a meal helps. It's like 100 calories and it helps fill me up so that I can be satisfied with a smaller portion of the main course.


    Also some people like to eat many smaller meals but for me I don't feel satisfied unless I actually fill myself up at least once in the day. Not full until I'm overstuffed but full until I'm not at all hungry anymore after eating it. I found that by eating a larger meal rather than spreading the calories out over the course of hours, I stayed full and didn't want to snack and I felt satisfied by the meal. I typically eat one large meal, two smaller meals and a snack.
  • kjstavig
    kjstavig Posts: 7 Member
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    One of my favorite quick and healthy meals is Chicken Breast (about 140 cals per chicken breast) and green beans.
    You can NEVER go wrong with green beans. It's only about 25 cals a serving.
    You can make BBQ chicken for just about 50 calories more.

    Or, another one I like to make is some fish (about 80 cals/serv) with a little bit of rice (about 140 for 1/2 cup) and broccoli or mixed veggies (not sure, but little calories).
    (cod, tilapia, etc -- you can get 4 piece frozen pks at walmart for a good price)

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