Do you "Top Off" Calories?

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  • bcattoes
    bcattoes Posts: 17,299 Member
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    Are you actually "full" all day on this calorie plan? Not "I can tolerate this for while" full, but full to the point that you really don't want anything to eat? Unless you are very small, that's unlikely if you are meeting your fat goal. If you are not meeting your fat goal, then eat more nuts, olive oil, avacado or other source of healthy vegetable fat.

    Low fat is not good for your body.
  • cabaray
    cabaray Posts: 971 Member
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    It's just hard to eat when I'm not hungry and without going over in the other nutrient areas such as protein.
    I wouldn't worry about going over on protein. If you are following the MFP default, the protein seems low. You would really have to eat a lot of protein for it to be a problem. Plus, if you are lifting at all, you need extra protein.
  • gatorginger
    gatorginger Posts: 947 Member
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    I exercise very moderately so I don't eat my exercise calories back but I do however eat my calories for the day and I have manged to lose weight. Then when I increase my calories I lost more weight. You will need to test it out, if you lose weight not eating more then fine if you aren't losing weight by not eating your calories then I would suggest eating them and see what happens.
  • Tinnesand3
    Tinnesand3 Posts: 2 Member
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    There is no reason why you can munch on raw or steamed veggies all day long! They are good calories to be taking in with lots of nutritional value and it is not a good idea to take in too few calories a day or your body may start to think that it is starving and is more likely to hold on to every pound of fat it can!
  • weeblex
    weeblex Posts: 411 Member
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    Add in some nuts and avocado and you won't have to worry about being under on calories. 150 calories for breakfast and 150 for lunch? Seriously? What are you eating? Are you eating? Or are you just drinking slimfast? Because that might actually make sense. We can't see your diary so can't know for sure. Sorry--I know I sound nasty :smile: but I'm always blown away by folks for claim to be stuffed on 1,200 calories (or less) a day.

    Breakfast is 142 Calories actually, one slice of turkey, 2 slices whole wheat bread, one teaspoon margarine, one teaspoon mayo, and a bottle of water.

    Another sandwich about 11, then the slimfast at 180 calories to total 464 Calories and that will get me home.

    Tonight for dinner we are having a Baked Penne Chicken Casserole dish, that I entered all the ingredients into MFP for brand names and all and it comes out to 517 calories a portion. Weighing and counting makes all the difference IMHO

    Total for the day 981 Calories, and I'll probably have a handful of potatoes chips if I get peckish about 8ish. That is my average day.
  • weeblex
    weeblex Posts: 411 Member
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    I am seeing a definite contradiction here.

    1. Don't eat if you aren't hungry

    2. Fiddle around with the types of food you eat to raise those calories

    3. How can you possibly be eating only those calories?

    No clear consensus so I will have to go with the try it and see system :)

    FYI I'm 6'1" and 242lbs and by drinking my 8 cups of water a day, usually when I get that first inkling of hunger, yes, I am pleasantly full but not bursting.
  • lizziebeth1028
    lizziebeth1028 Posts: 3,602 Member
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    Add in some nuts and avocado and you won't have to worry about being under on calories. 150 calories for breakfast and 150 for lunch? Seriously? What are you eating? Are you eating? Or are you just drinking slimfast? Because that might actually make sense. We can't see your diary so can't know for sure. Sorry--I know I sound nasty :smile: but I'm always blown away by folks for claim to be stuffed on 1,200 calories (or less) a day.

    Breakfast is 142 Calories actually, one slice of turkey, 2 slices whole wheat bread, one teaspoon margarine, one teaspoon mayo, and a bottle of water.

    Another sandwich about 11, then the slimfast at 180 calories to total 464 Calories and that will get me home.

    Tonight for dinner we are having a Baked Penne Chicken Casserole dish, that I entered all the ingredients into MFP for brand names and all and it comes out to 517 calories a portion. Weighing and counting makes all the difference IMHO

    Total for the day 981 Calories, and I'll probably have a handful of potatoes chips if I get peckish about 8ish. That is my average day.

    hmmm coming up with more calories in that breakfast calculation - about 200. Maybe your getting more calories than you're estimating thus feeling fuller.
  • weeblex
    weeblex Posts: 411 Member
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    Add in some nuts and avocado and you won't have to worry about being under on calories. 150 calories for breakfast and 150 for lunch? Seriously? What are you eating? Are you eating? Or are you just drinking slimfast? Because that might actually make sense. We can't see your diary so can't know for sure. Sorry--I know I sound nasty :smile: but I'm always blown away by folks for claim to be stuffed on 1,200 calories (or less) a day.

    Breakfast is 142 Calories actually, one slice of turkey, 2 slices whole wheat bread, one teaspoon margarine, one teaspoon mayo, and a bottle of water.

    Another sandwich about 11, then the slimfast at 180 calories to total 464 Calories and that will get me home.

    Tonight for dinner we are having a Baked Penne Chicken Casserole dish, that I entered all the ingredients into MFP for brand names and all and it comes out to 517 calories a portion. Weighing and counting makes all the difference IMHO

    Total for the day 981 Calories, and I'll probably have a handful of potatoes chips if I get peckish about 8ish. That is my average day.

    hmmm coming up with more calories in that breakfast calculation - about 200. Maybe your getting more calories than you're estimating thus feeling fuller.

    I should have said low fat mayo, and the type of bread makes a huge difference I have discovered. Using the Barcode scanner on the iphone app makes counting this stuff really easy. Even still at 200 that brings me up to 1097.
  • lizziebeth1028
    lizziebeth1028 Posts: 3,602 Member
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    Add in some nuts and avocado and you won't have to worry about being under on calories. 150 calories for breakfast and 150 for lunch? Seriously? What are you eating? Are you eating? Or are you just drinking slimfast? Because that might actually make sense. We can't see your diary so can't know for sure. Sorry--I know I sound nasty :smile: but I'm always blown away by folks for claim to be stuffed on 1,200 calories (or less) a day.

    Breakfast is 142 Calories actually, one slice of turkey, 2 slices whole wheat bread, one teaspoon margarine, one teaspoon mayo, and a bottle of water.

    Another sandwich about 11, then the slimfast at 180 calories to total 464 Calories and that will get me home.

    Tonight for dinner we are having a Baked Penne Chicken Casserole dish, that I entered all the ingredients into MFP for brand names and all and it comes out to 517 calories a portion. Weighing and counting makes all the difference IMHO

    Total for the day 981 Calories, and I'll probably have a handful of potatoes chips if I get peckish about 8ish. That is my average day.

    hmmm coming up with more calories in that breakfast calculation - about 200. Maybe your getting more calories than you're estimating thus feeling fuller.

    I should have said low fat mayo, and the type of bread makes a huge difference I have discovered. Using the Barcode scanner on the iphone app makes counting this stuff really easy. Even still at 200 that brings me up to 1097.


    Ah gotcha!!! low fat and low calorie diet food.
  • roachhaley
    roachhaley Posts: 978 Member
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    eat more calorie dense foods like peanut butter and avocado
  • Beezil
    Beezil Posts: 1,677 Member
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    Since I cut out the Soda and cut out the wine from my diet I'm suddenly WAY under my recommended calories. Usually a 150 calorie breakfast and lunch, a slimfast bottle for snack and about a 600 calorie dinner brings me just over the 1000 calorie mark.

    MFP suggests I should be at 1500-1800 calories a day depending on how you describe my work, and that doesn't even allow for using the treadmill. The whole BMR thing says more calories than that.

    So when you come up short, do you find things to eat just to make up the difference or just go with the More Calories out/Less Calories in is good?

    Even when I'm not hungry, snacking for snacking's sake seems counter-intuitive?

    I do, definitely, as long as I'm hungry. If not, just eat a little more the next day.
  • EmCarroll1990
    EmCarroll1990 Posts: 2,849 Member
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    lol I guess I just love to eat....being under my calories is never a problem!!!

    skinny cow ice cream treats
    string cheese
    dark chocolate
    cottage cheese
    one little tablespoon of olive oil added to a meal is a hefty 119 calories

    in the end if you're not hungry don't eat but do be aware that consistently eating too few calories can actually slow down weight loss, slow down your metabolism and cause plateaus.

    My goal is to have a healthy strong nourished body. To be able to enjoy a variety of foods ranging from a hot fudge sundae to steamed brussel sprouts.....it's all about MODERATION NOT STARVATION!

    This girl knows where it's at! I have difficulty staying UNDER goal, I'm always waaay over.
  • MadiRose2
    MadiRose2 Posts: 145
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    If you're not hungry then don't eat.

    I agree
  • weeblex
    weeblex Posts: 411 Member
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    The quote is making this huge so I'm going to stop quoting :)

    With the bread I just discovered that the store brand bread is high fat and low nutrient, the "Nature's Own" bread seems to be lower in junk and calories and IMHO tastes better too.
  • kaotik26
    kaotik26 Posts: 590 Member
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    If I'm not hungry I don't eat. I see not reason in forcing down food that my body doesn't want
  • Beezil
    Beezil Posts: 1,677 Member
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    If you're not hungry then don't eat.

    I agree

    People who suffer from anorexia are often not hungry, simply because their metabolism has slowed down so much and their bodies are used to a lack of food. Does that mean they don't need to eat? :huh:
  • saraya12
    saraya12 Posts: 13
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    I don't worry about it day to day. if i'm not hungry and have leftover calories, I won't force something down. I usually make it up later in the week on a non-exercise day.
  • kitka82
    kitka82 Posts: 350 Member
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    I eat 5-6 clean meals a day and I often come up short, just because what I'm eating is not always heavy in calories. If I come up short, I add in healthy fats or a protein shake. Sometimes I increase my protein servings from 3-4 oz to 5-6 oz. I'm rarely starving, but I'm hardly ever stuffed because I eat every 3-4 hours and I work out.

    Sometimes I'll add in a treat, depending on what it is and how my carbs are looking. It's not really rocket science. Just try to be accurate with your tracking, and eat real food (i.e. not diet food like 100-cal packs) all day. If you round out each meal with a complex carb, lean protein, and veggie, you should be good to go. IMO.
  • weeblex
    weeblex Posts: 411 Member
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    Hahahaha You lot aren't helping, but the wine did taste good and the calories got back up there! :)

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