How am I supposed to do this?

It's day 1 for me, both dieting and on this web site. I put in all my information and it tells me how many calories I can have. I had a yogurt for breakfast. Starving! I had a PB&J for lunch. Still not full! and now all I have is 420 calories left for the whole day. How am I going to make dinner that my whole family will eat and only get 420 more calories. Not to mention not die of starvation.
I'm already feeling like I can't do this?

Replies

  • runnercheryl
    runnercheryl Posts: 1,314 Member
    What is your calorie goal, and what else have you eaten? I'm assuming a yoghurt and a sandwich haven't taken you that close to your net for the day. Have you exercised to earn some extra calories, and perhaps not yet eaten those back?

    Also, one idea for a meal you could still eat with your remaining calories - a 200g chicken fillet, 100g of peas and a small baked sweet potato. Plus quite a few mushrooms, actually. It was my meal last night, but I had it without the mushrooms.
  • SPNLuver83
    SPNLuver83 Posts: 2,050 Member
    1) You need to exercise. Whatever calories you burn will be added to the total you can eat.

    2) After only yogurt and PB&J you only have 420 calories left? That doesn't seem right. How much of both did you eat and what kind of product did you use? When I make PB&J I use whole wheat bread, natural crunchy peanut butter and one serving of preserves. It's only around 350 calories.
  • SavCal71
    SavCal71 Posts: 350 Member
    If you'd make your diary public, we could give you a better response.

    That said, I can do dinner for 420 calories fairly easily.
  • The first week I started, I felt like I was going to pass out every day because my blood sugar was so low, and my stomach was growling every night. Because I was curious, I entered what I'd eat on a normal day BEFORE I started counting calories, and realized it was close to 4000. Dropping from 4000 to 1500 calories that suddenly was making me feel like crap, so for a few days I just ate at the level I needed to maintain, THEN dropped to the level I need to lose a pound a week. It was much easier to do it that way!

    Rome wasn't built in a day, yadda yadda :)
  • lina1131
    lina1131 Posts: 2,246 Member
    A yogurt and PBJ sandwich have left you with only 420 calories for the day?
  • deborahdi72
    deborahdi72 Posts: 18 Member
    OK So I didn't put in my excerise yet and didn't know that would give me more calories to eat. Like I said, this is my first day.
    I only had 1 yogurt and 1 PB&J. I even used 12 grain bread, but if you add the bread, peanut butter and preserves all up it totals 680 calories, HOW?
  • treetop57
    treetop57 Posts: 1,578 Member
    If you put "2 pounds per week" as your goal, I'd back off to "1 pound per week," at least until you get used to eating a little less and exercising a little more. Ramp down instead of jumping off a cliff [so to speak].
  • moonpony
    moonpony Posts: 20 Member
    I totally agree with easing into the weight loss goal. My first day was pretty rough too, so I backed mine down to something I could live with for that first week. Good luck!
  • Yanicka1
    Yanicka1 Posts: 4,564 Member
    Considers the first weeks as a learning experience. You will find lower calories items, plan your day better and also don't just eat 1200 calories a day....it is way to low. You will not go anywhere if you try to change everything at the same time.

    I suggest you try getting used to maintenance first while you learn the tricks :) We all want to lose weight RIGHT NOW LOL but it is not worth being miserable
  • cmayfield3
    cmayfield3 Posts: 176 Member
    Multigrain bread may have more nutrients but it doesn't have fewer calories, unfortunately. This comes down to two things: 1) food choice and 2) portion size. If your calorie allotment is low, you have to choose foods that are pretty filling in relation to their calories, and a PBJ isn't always the best choice. And you have to watch your portions, so instead of a 200-calorie, 2-tablespoon serving of peanut butter, you go with 1 tablespoon.

    Your first day doesn't have to be perfect! If you need to eat more than 420 calories tonight, go for it, just learn from it and do a little better every day. And--what is your calorie target, is it 1200? You may want to slow down your goal so you can eat more.
  • Mookz0r
    Mookz0r Posts: 143
    Ok.. Just the way i did it, but it worked. Do a week of warts-and-all logging, so eat as you do normally and log absolutely everything. This will show you exactly what your current habits are and hopefully some things will jump out at you straight away. For me, it was there on the screen that i was drinking 200 calories in coffee alone and another 700 in random snacks throughout the day. It also showed that i was eating nearly double the recommended portion size of carbs... So i cut out the excessive coffee and snacking, tweaked the portion sizes and without changing my meal plans, was down to around 1500 a day... Still feeling good and losing weight steadily.

    Even now, i have absolutely no idea how anyone can only rack up 1200 or less and still have enjoyable, balanced meals... But the thing is, you don't need to go that low to lose. Get MFP to calculate your BMR and then the number of calories you need to maintain your current weight - keep them in mind and as long as you're over your BMR and under your maintenance cals, you WILL lose weight... Heathily.
  • cmayfield3
    cmayfield3 Posts: 176 Member
    Also, it really helps me to divide up my calorie allotment into meals, and always aim for that amount for every meal. For example, I get 1600 calories. That means a 200-calorie breakfast, 400 calories for lunch, 200 for midday snack, 600 for dinner, 200 for evening snack. Every day. It really really helps me stay on target because I only have to think of a meal at a time, and I know if I stick to that breakdown I won't be stuck at the end of the day with not enough calories for dinner.
  • elishabeish
    elishabeish Posts: 175 Member
    OK So I didn't put in my excerise yet and didn't know that would give me more calories to eat. Like I said, this is my first day.
    I only had 1 yogurt and 1 PB&J. I even used 12 grain bread, but if you add the bread, peanut butter and preserves all up it totals 680 calories, HOW?
    [/quote

    I just got the hang of it today... the more you exercise the more you can eat, this blog explained it pretty well for me.

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/539912-why-eating-exercise-calories-is-so-important

    Hope this helps, YOU CAN DO THIS!! Good Luck:happy:
  • MichelleSawatzky
    MichelleSawatzky Posts: 44 Member
    The first few days are usually the hardest, but you can do it!! I eat a lot of veggies and fruit to get me through the day. You probably need to take a look at what you are eating...what kind of yogurt? I like greek yogurt better than the reg yoplait yogurt. It seems to fill me up a little better and has more protein which is good. Regular peanut butter and preserves have a lot of calories in them. So take a look at your labels....even some bread has a lot of sugar/calories even if it it 12 grain. Try to stay away from processed foods if at all possible. Chicken breast is always a good staple.
    You will have to play around a little with what you eat and what seems to be satisfing you.
    Good Luck and stay with it...you can do this!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :happy:
  • deborahdi72
    deborahdi72 Posts: 18 Member
    Thanks so much everyone for all the advise. I put in my excerise and that did the trick. I walk my dogs every morning 2 miles so that gave me the extra I will need to get threw the day. Please I just may wii dance with the kids tonight to get an extra treat. I really want to do this.
  • MOTH477
    MOTH477 Posts: 17
    This is interesting I am struggling to get to 1900 calories plus . But thanks to reading this blog I realized that increasing my weight loss to 1.5lbs per week reduces my calorie intake to 1600 working out 3 times a week. When I workout I will have 1900 when I don't then I will be at 1600. I'm I on the right track?
  • snowstorme
    snowstorme Posts: 125 Member
    Volume wise you get alot of food from low-starch veggies (lettuce, broccoli, cauliflower, spinach etc). Stay away from processed foods as much as possible as many of them have added sugars and other things that jump up the calories. Look for lower calorie alternatives to foods you now eat. For example I make a lasagna that uses cabbage instead of noodles. Use leaner cuts of meat, chicken breast or tenderloin instead of chicken thighs. Stay away from anything sauced or breaded. Don't drink your calories (ie alcohol, sugared pops, creamers etc).
  • Ok, don't panic!! That's my first piece of advice. :) Here are some things to think about.

    - You don't have to do everything at once. Trying to change your whole life overnight is a really hard thing to do. I see that a lot of folks are suggesting you do exercise to add more calories to what you can eat. While I completely agree with the advice of using exercise to lose weight, I'd suggest establishing some new eating habits first and then adding the exercise once you feel confident. To much change at once will only intimidate and demotivate.
    - Second, I know the starving feeling you can have right at first. However, ask yourself whether your body is hungry or if it is just used to large amounts of food and it is noticing that it isn't getting that. You may find that you are hungry because you are used to eating and not because you are in need of fuel.
    - Start to think of this as a process and not a feat of strength. You won't be perfect every day and that's ok. Our bodies are just like any machine. They need fuel to run properly. It's a energy in versus energy out system.
    - Now to the food/calorie portion. You've got a slightly more difficult situation than some because you are not only feeding you but you are feeding a family. There are some great recipes that you can look up online that are low in calories and provide you with good nutrition. By choosing the right types of foods, you can handle a 420 calorie dinner and still feel like you actually ate something. However, this is about you and what you want so that might mean that sometimes the fam has pizza and you have a half a tuna sandwich and a cup of soup.
    - Also, if it's day one, you've probably got some left over food in the cupboards that you didn't buy with healthy eating in mind. Be mindful of your nutrition labels on those foods cause they can sneak up on you. As you use those up and buy knew, spend some time looking at labels. Two of the same type of items can sit right next to each other on the shelf and have very different calorie counts. I switched to a multigrain english muffin, which I am thoroughly enjoying, and saved myself 50 calories a muffin.
    - And lastly remember, you could study the ins and outs of weight management and energy systems in the body but the majority of us don't need that. The important thing to remember is to supply your engine (body) with enough fuel to operate but not so much that it can't use it all and has to store the excess because that's how we gain weight.
    - Oh actually, one last note. Keep reaching out for advice. This is a great place to learn and get good support. You don't have to do it all on your own and you'll learn new things all the time. Don't get overwhelmed by the longterm or all the weight loss aspects. Just focus on the basics and ask when you don't know. YOU CAN DO THIS!!!! :)
  • runnercheryl
    runnercheryl Posts: 1,314 Member
    Thanks so much everyone for all the advise. I put in my excerise and that did the trick. I walk my dogs every morning 2 miles so that gave me the extra I will need to get threw the day. Please I just may wii dance with the kids tonight to get an extra treat. I really want to do this.

    Great news. You're bound to get hungry if you're burning off calories doing exercise and not eating to fuel them, so just keep an eye on that in future and you should find yourself getting less hungry. No harm in using the next week or two to see how many calories you burn doing certain things, planning in the morning what exercise you're going to do, eating the extra throughout the day rather than all in one big meal at the end, and doing your exercise when you have the time. Just remember, you don't have to do the exercise BEFORE you can eat the extra calories, as long as you're going to do it.

    I do most of my eating in the morning up until lunchtime, and have all my snacks in the morning. I find if I stay full until lunchtime, I'm set for the day. If I'm still hungry when I take my last bite of lunch, I know the evening is going to be a difficult one.

    With all my snacking in the morning, I can't remember the last time I felt 'starving'.