A question for BIG eaters.

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.

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!

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.

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 )

I'm 5'7, my high weight in my medical records (didn't own a scale back then) is 238. The estimated maintenance calories there is around 2300, not 3000, but now low either.

After awhile you do start to crave less food. Food is like a drug, once you tell yourself you can't have it, or if you suddenly consume less your mind plays mind games with you. I work out regularly so I can eat more, but after awhile you will start to enjoy working out. It is a lifestyle change, if it was easy then it would not be as rewarding to meet your goal.

Some little things that help me are chewing gum, drinking water, and just remembering that you are taking it 1 day at a time. Tomorrow you will wake up and have a full day's worth of calories again, its all psychological

I was so sad today when I found myself hungry after my afternoon snack b/c I knew I didn't have more calories for a bigger snack based on what I planned on for dinner.

I didn't get to eat a roll with dinner. :sad:

I had a 800 calorie dinner last night and I was stuffed. I don't know how you guys can do a 1000+ calories. My portions have got so small over the past 3 months, I cannot take big meals anymore. I even had to cut down on my exercise because I cannot eat the calories.

I had a 800 calorie dinner last night and I was stuffed. I don't know how you guys can do a 1000+ calories. My portions have got so small over the past 3 months, I cannot take big meals anymore. I even had to cut down on my exercise because I cannot eat the calories.

Well, I'm jealous. I have played with my diet enough to know that I can eat about 3300 calories per day and not gain weight.But if I was left to my own devices at all meals I would eat an easy 4K. Only by playing numbers games early in the day can I keep my calorie count low enough to lose or maintain without too much hunger.

I'm sure we are to some extent wired differently. My signal for fullness does not come on quickly. I ate and would continue eating until the food was gone and still be hungry. ninety minutes later would be when I got that stuffed feeling. I have learned to wait at least one hour after eating what I think is an appropriate sized meal before eating any more.

My wife, OTOH, goes from wanting to continue to eat to being full within a couple of bites. She stops eating mid-plate and can't eat anymore.

I use to be that way. I would eat eat and eat some more. The key is veggies. I would eat an insane amount of veggies at dinner to keep from eating so many calories. You can have a pound of tri tip or a half a pound with 10 carrots and still eat less calories. More food makes you feel fuller. My rule of thumb is half a plate of veggies then teh rest of protein and carbs. That is how I overcame the huge meals.

Last nights dinner was 6oz Samon, 3 large carrots, 1/2cup of corn, protein powder mixed with 2 cups of fat free milk. It was 750 calories or something like that.