A question for BIG eaters.

papa3x
papa3x Posts: 286
edited November 9 in Health and Weight Loss
OK, so far so good... losing weight. But prior to MFP, I was eating 3000 calories a day and maintaining my fatness. But MFP is working so it's all good..... except I get a little sad when I see only 1100 calories remaining a day after I finish lunch.... and then 800 calories after mid day snack.... and then 300 after dinner..... you get the point.

Does anybody else get a little disheartened when you see the daily calories remaining?

I gotta admit, if I have almost no calories left in the day, I sometimes go workout so that I can have another snack ( healthy one ),
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Replies

  • AshleyM2484
    AshleyM2484 Posts: 12
    At first, I was the SAME way! I've come to tailor my intake to more low-cal snacks and consuming them more often. This way, come meal time, I'm not feeling starved. I have noticed that I end up not even finishing my meal completely because I fill up quick. I think my stomach is shrinking! :)
  • mylildeva
    mylildeva Posts: 11
    Sometimes I add an extra workout just so I can have calories remaining or treat myself to dessert :) I can't figure out if I am more addicted to exercising or the food!
  • Driving_Miss_Daisy
    Driving_Miss_Daisy Posts: 45
    Oh yes. I just started working out twice a day so I am burning ruffly 600+ calories. It is harder then hell to get those calories back in me. I fell 900 calories short yesterday. My net was only 1100. I have been using protein shakes to try make up the difference.

    3k calories a day is hard when you eat health. If I ate at McDonalds for 3 meals I could do that no problem.
  • PlunderBunneh
    PlunderBunneh Posts: 1,705 Member
    I still get a little panicky if I have less than 800 calories left after lunch. I know in all reality I won't even need that many, but it feels similar to checking the balance on my grocery budget and seeing that it's mostly gone. I don't need more groceries, but dammit, I wanted it just in case. I don't need more calories, but I like to know they are there in the event of a super intense ice cream craving or something lol. And yes, I have worked out additionally to *earn* a snack.
  • LeenaRuns
    LeenaRuns Posts: 1,309 Member
    I try to log all of my food for the day while I eat breakfast. That way, I can space everything out evenly. If I wasn't using this site, I could very easily eat twice as many calories as I should. I love food!
  • abeachlady
    abeachlady Posts: 88
    I started logging in my dinner right after breakfast. That way I know how many calories I get to play with for the rest of the day until dinner. It helps me not feel deprived.
  • stacey76
    stacey76 Posts: 66 Member
    It amazes me when I see people's posts and they have calories remaining...I NEVER do, I'm always hungry...I don't like fruits and veggies so it's really hard to eat healthy and lose weight an I hate water...it's tough!!!! When you find the miracle of how not to be hungry please advise me!!! lol
    Stacey

    Good Luck and congrats on your lose so far!!!
  • mcdonl
    mcdonl Posts: 342 Member
    I log every bite I take... then, I get home and I bust my butt doing insanity (Or P90X....) and I burn 400-1000 calories in an hour, eat about half of them back so I still leave several hundred calories on the table, get fit and still get to eat 2000+ calories a day and lost 2 pounds on average a week.
  • dfborders
    dfborders Posts: 474 Member
    My husband makes dinner so he tells me the night before what we are having so I log my dinner in the morning with breakfast along with my fruit/veggie snacks for the day. That gives me an idea of where I stand and it is still changeable. In fact, I didn't like my sodium intake for today so I just changed my 2 cups FF milk to 1 cup and two hot dog rolls to 1 hot dog roll. I also do this because it helps to keep me more focused for the day (i.e. I know what I can eat for lunch without blowing dinner). Good Luck!!
  • reactor25
    reactor25 Posts: 146 Member
    I HATE seeing the calorie allotment dimenish as the day goes on because I love to snack at night and I always want some kind of treat in the evening. Upping my activity level has helped because I get to eat more.
  • Karmarie24
    Karmarie24 Posts: 48 Member
    That's one of the main reasons I started running long distances. Don't get me wrong I do love to run, but seeing 1000+ calories burns some days is pretty awesome! Knowing I can eat a little more that day gets me through the workouts some days!
  • dsweise
    dsweise Posts: 19 Member
    OK, now I see what the problem is for me lately - I've been having the extra snacks and not doing th eextra burn to make room for them!

    Seriously, though I miss riding - I'm done with a knee injury at the moment and I hope to get back at it soon.
  • BrandNewMia
    BrandNewMia Posts: 461
    I was the same way a year ago when I first started. I used to save 500-800 calories for after dinner snacking alone. I exercised every single day just so I could eat more. I don't think these things are *bad*, but it was mentally draining for me to constantly be worried about being hungry and fretting about food.

    I don't know what you're eating, but I made sure I ate well over 100grams of protein daily, and I made sure I was getting the bulk of my fiber intake from fresh fruits and vegetables, not processed sources. I also drank more than half my body weight in ounces of water. And as long as I was still losing weight I did NOT allow MFP to adjust my calorie intake, it was even more stressful to see my daily allottment of calories shrink!

    Eventually it gets a lot better. My snacking urges have shrunk considerably and my meals don't have to be quite so big to fill me up. They are still big, typically 400-600 calories per meal, but that's an improvment, believe it or not :wink: Hang in there and keep going, in a month or two this will no longer be an issue!
  • TinaVanHoecke
    TinaVanHoecke Posts: 56
    I think I am a big eater. I always have friends telling me they don't know how i can eat so much. Thankfully I have learned to love healthy foods. I eat huge salads with lots of protien and I fill my plate with lots of green veggies like brocolli. I think it is OK to workout so you have a treat ; )
  • DrBorkBork
    DrBorkBork Posts: 4,099 Member
    I think you'll be less sad once you figure out how to get the most bang for your buck-- ie: choosing foods that fill you up physically & emotionally and ending with a calorie surplus (still in the green) by the end of the day.
    Whole, unprocessed foods tend to have this effect :)
  • MaryDreamer
    MaryDreamer Posts: 439
    If you exercise you'll gain additional eating calories. Do what you can, even if it's just a walk. If you walk slow go for a an hour to burn calories. i walk about 30 mins and bike ride for 10-20.
  • IdalmisRodriguez
    IdalmisRodriguez Posts: 4 Member
    Hey, don't worry! Your stomach is like a rubber band -you stretch it (with food) and it'll continue to grow, so when you stop it goes back to its original size. It's hard now but give yourself a few days. Don't give up!!!
  • chaubner008
    chaubner008 Posts: 32 Member
    Try not to stress when there aren't many calories left... I always keep in mind that I can have a huge salad or stirfry or broth based soup for like less than 150 cal then use the last 100-150cal for lean protein (~4oz fish fillet, tofu-don't knock it til you try it grilled!, 8-10 egg whites...) but hey if that motivates you to workout then I guess it's a good thing to not have a ton of cals left at the end of the day...not to mention if you don't have a ton of cals to eat that means you aren't goin to bed with a bunch of food in your tummy (which has long been my issue). It is best to eat em while your body is awake to burn them most efficiently...good luck hope it helps,
  • douglasmobbs
    douglasmobbs Posts: 563 Member
    I got to my size by eating lots of rubbish. One of the thoughts I had when I set out to get below a BMI of 30 (a long way off) is that if I simply subsitute what I ate for healthy food I will not sustain my weight loss at the end as I will revert to less healthy options and still be used to large and frequent portions.

    From this I decided that I would have to be hungry for some time whilst I got used to having a lower volume of food. I know it may sound harsh but I am sure that it is the best way to go, and this is after trying loads of diets that let me eat as much as I want of one thing or another.
  • CheleLynn44
    CheleLynn44 Posts: 339 Member
    It amazes me when I see people's posts and they have calories remaining...I NEVER do, I'm always hungry...I don't like fruits and veggies so it's really hard to eat healthy and lose weight an I hate water...it's tough!!!! When you find the miracle of how not to be hungry please advise me!!! lol
    Stacey

    Good Luck and congrats on your lose so far!!!

    I don't like veggies or seafood. So I try VERY hard to stay within my guidelines in my diary. I usually fill in my dinners for each day because I grocery shop once a week and plan them out. This way I know what I can play with fir the rest of the day.

    I only find myself hungrier around my tom. I usually have calories left over everyday, except Thursdays, but I try to est between 1300-1500 calories on average. My daily calories is 1700. Now that I am exercising and getting more calories I am finding it harder to eat healthier things because I don't like veggies. But it seems to be working so far so I'm gonna keep plugging along!!
  • papa3x
    papa3x Posts: 286
    I started logging in my dinner right after breakfast. That way I know how many calories I get to play with for the rest of the day until dinner. It helps me not feel deprived.

    See, I have no idea what dinner will even be until my wife calls and says what time she will be home.....
  • papa3x
    papa3x Posts: 286
    I think you'll be less sad once you figure out how to get the most bang for your buck-- ie: choosing foods that fill you up physically & emotionally and ending with a calorie surplus (still in the green) by the end of the day.
    Whole, unprocessed foods tend to have this effect :)

    I happen to have 45 POUNDS... yes POUNDS, fresh produce in my home... I eat very little processed food.... like a bite hre or there. :)
  • danigirl1011
    danigirl1011 Posts: 314 Member
    I put all my food in for the whole day either in the morning or a day or two in advance. Then i never have to see what's remaining. My fear is i would eat too much throughout the day, then get to dinner and be out of calories. i like to see how i can work it to get the most food with the calories i've got. Works for me every day!
  • ShadowSoldier23
    ShadowSoldier23 Posts: 321 Member
    I started logging in my dinner right after breakfast. That way I know how many calories I get to play with for the rest of the day until dinner. It helps me not feel deprived.

    See, I have no idea what dinner will even be until my wife calls and says what time she will be home.....

    You could plan dinner the night before with her and ask for her support in that so you can track/plan ahead. Sometimes I have to plan ahead if I'm stuck at school all day! I would talk to her and see if you can come up with your own plan for the next day. It might make life easier. I sometimes get that running out of calories problem if I don't plan or at least think about my choices the night before.
  • Bentley2718
    Bentley2718 Posts: 1,689 Member
    OK, so far so good... losing weight. But prior to MFP, I was eating 3000 calories a day and maintaining my fatness. But MFP is working so it's all good..... except I get a little sad when I see only 1100 calories remaining a day after I finish lunch.... and then 800 calories after mid day snack.... and then 300 after dinner..... you get the point.

    Does anybody else get a little disheartened when you see the daily calories remaining?

    I gotta admit, if I have almost no calories left in the day, I sometimes go workout so that I can have another snack ( healthy one ),

    You "only" have 1100 calories left after lunch? Rationally/metabolically, I understand why your get so many calories, but at the same time, my daily allowance is 1340 to lose 1 pound a week, so I have a hard time feeling for you. I miss the days when I could just eat a little healthier and not really have to watch portions to lose weight (you know, the good old days, when I didn't have to weigh my carrots). Then again, I don't miss being that weight, so I guess it balances out.
  • UnderCoverShyGirl
    UnderCoverShyGirl Posts: 254 Member
    Oh totally - i was eating 3000 cals daily and maintaining my fatness too. And yes, once in a while i miss just sitting down and eating whatever i want. It wasn't like i was eating loaves of bread and gallons of ice cream...but poor food choices and eating out let the day tally up super quickly!

    I have learned that manypeople who get down to 1200 or so calories per day do exercise more so they can eat more, i think that's part of the recipe for success...you can indulge sometimes but know it means a workout at the gym, or an extra 20 mins on the treadmill, etc...don't feel bad about that!

    It's a struggle, but it's a lifestyle that we have to have if we want to be healthier. I think with time, it becomes pretty natural...my days of not overeating are way more often than days of old. I'm trying to focus on healthier choices, but am far from perfect because i do eat "conveniently" a lot (processed)....but you know, when your day is full of veggies and whole grains and protien, hunger is kept at bay a lot easier! You will get there!
  • danigirl1011
    danigirl1011 Posts: 314 Member
    I started logging in my dinner right after breakfast. That way I know how many calories I get to play with for the rest of the day until dinner. It helps me not feel deprived.

    See, I have no idea what dinner will even be until my wife calls and says what time she will be home.....

    Maybe you could plan some stuff out with your wife a few days ahead of time so you know what you'll have for dinner? Or modify what you're eating if it's too many calories. Make whatever dinner is into a salad and put it on a bed of lettuce?
  • papa3x
    papa3x Posts: 286
    OK, so far so good... losing weight. But prior to MFP, I was eating 3000 calories a day and maintaining my fatness. But MFP is working so it's all good..... except I get a little sad when I see only 1100 calories remaining a day after I finish lunch.... and then 800 calories after mid day snack.... and then 300 after dinner..... you get the point.

    Does anybody else get a little disheartened when you see the daily calories remaining?

    I gotta admit, if I have almost no calories left in the day, I sometimes go workout so that I can have another snack ( healthy one ),

    You "only" have 1100 calories left after lunch? Rationally/metabolically, I understand why your get so many calories, but at the same time, my daily allowance is 1340 to lose 1 pound a week, so I have a hard time feeling for you. I miss the days when I could just eat a little healthier and not really have to watch portions to lose weight (you know, the good old days, when I didn't have to weigh my carrots). Then again, I don't miss being that weight, so I guess it balances out.

    You probably never weighed 326 pounds..... ( now 269 )
  • teacosygirl
    teacosygirl Posts: 1
    just wondering can you still eat unhealthy things, such as a chocolate bar or a biscuit , if you stay within your calorie limit for the day ?
  • katsmit2
    katsmit2 Posts: 54
    I started logging in my dinner right after breakfast. That way I know how many calories I get to play with for the rest of the day until dinner. It helps me not feel deprived.

    I like this - I think I'll start doing this also.
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