I'm trying to change my eating habits 180 degree but...
I feel like I'm starving myself. Yesterday I had 2 chicken quesdillas in the morning and I felt like those two would add up to 1200 alone so I starved myself for the rest of the day. I'm on a 1200 daily calorie intake and it's a hard lifestyle change for me because I'm so used to eating 1200 in one meal alone, 2-3 times a day while snacking in between a lot!
Going to walmart today to get some crystal light flavored packs along with some tuna in water and some bread and mayo. I'm finding it so hard to eat in moderation throughout the day when I can just chug everything down one meal and be fine for the rest of the day, even though I feel hungry by nighttime, I just try to sleep through it.
This weekend is my dad's birthday and I'm going out to buy some crawfish for my family. About a pound each for each family member... I checked myfittnessplan and they said 5 lbs of boiled seasoned crawfish adds up to about 538 calories.. am I reading this incorrectly?? 5 pounds for only 538 calories??
Do you guys have any advices?
P.S. I never knew some fast food meals had so much calories in them! No wonder I'm fat!! Now I'm saving money AND my health by not eating fast food!
I'm 5'4 and 160 pounds. Since I began this weight loss journey, everything I put in my mouth, I feel guilty about. I ate a granola bar this morning (100 calories) and I'm regretting it!
Maybe use one of the free calorie counting websites out there to figure out how many calories you should be eating. I use this one: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/
But there are many good sites out there. Once you have your calorie goal for the day, try planning your day's food out in advance. Budget a certain number of calories per meal and then make your meals accordingly.
It can be a little overwhelming at first, but you'll get the hang of it.
I'm not sure if you're asking whether you can have more calories or if you're asking if you have to eat throughout the day. You can probably have more calories. I shoot for 1200, but I have enough cheats to avg more like 1300. But then, I've got a lot to lose and I've gotten used to it. You'll probably lose on more calories than that.
If it's the other question: Why do you feel like you have to "eat in moderation throughout the day?" I assure you, that you don't. Six small meals a day works for some people (and it's in vogue right now, which is why everyone will feed you a load of swill about it upping your metabolism), others only eat one. As long as you're sticking to your chosen calorie count, don't worry about when/how often you eat. If you'd prefer one big 1200 calorie meal, go for it. If you'd rather eat tiny meals, that's fine too.
My own current plan tends to be 400 cal lunch and 800 cal dinner, no snacks; but that fluctuates when I need it to. Whatever makes you happiest.
Ok, thanks guys! This is my meal plan everyday for the next month, do you guys think it's too much calories/not enough or am I good? (Sorry for all the questions, I haven't tried losing weight in a while, and I really want to make it happen this time!)
Have 3-4 slices of toasted wheat bread with tuna in water mixed with some mayo. each day. While also eating lettuce with thousand island dressing perhaps once a day. A granola bar and some cheerios here and there when I want to snack. And plenty of water as well!
It seems like this plan is lacking in nutrition. Your body needs a variety of foods to get all of the micronutrients as well as macronutrients. If you track what you eat with an online food calculator, it will break down your daily nutrient percentages so you can see where you are lacking. You need to get the cancer-fighting compounds present in whole foods as well. There is no vitamin suppplement for these. They are health promoting as well as weight loss supporting. You don't want to be skinny and malnourished, you should aim for a healthy weight with a bangin' body! If you have health care, some people here have recommended visiting a nutritionist for a balanced plan, as it may be covered and could give you some guidance. Best wishes! You have found the right place for support.
How many calories you are intaking depends on what your body is demanding - and then making a deficit out of that. But you don't want to have TOO BIG of a deficit. If your body is used to having 2000+ calories a day, it might be best to cut it down to 1500 to start.
It looks like you like carby stuff - i do too - but you'll be less hungry if you eat more protein and less refind sugars. Apples and carrot sticks - I live on them. And almonds. There are about 20-25 almonds in a serving size, not too shabby. Turkey pepperoni and greek yogurt (not together!) are also full of protein to stave off hunger.
good luck!
Your plan is processed carbs + tiny amount of lean protein. You'll fall apart on that!
You need fresh fruit and veg, lean proteins, and healthy fats. Bread is such a huge calorie waster. Ditch it, if you can live without it. Snack of fruits and veggies. What kinds of foods do you like?
use the nutrition tracker in here and plot out your day. if you schedule your meals (i eat every 3hrs) and keep your focus on the protein, you will quickly determine if you are a low-carb dieter or a low-fat dieter (you absolutely cannot go both low-carb AND low-fat).
i'm on 750cal/day (medically supervised and absolutely no picnic) and i have to micromanage everything. i don't have a lot of wiggle room. to that end, i rely heavily on shrimp (13 large size shrimp - that is to say, 31-40 count - is only 80cal. pair that with a honking big bowl of salad (no egg, no bacon, no croutons, no cheese, no dressing, no nuthin' except veg and a bit of balsamic vinegar or frank's red hot sauce) and dry-sautéed mushrooms and onions in low-sodium consommé and you have a hefty meal for under 100cal.
Unfortunately, I'm not on a healthcare plan so I cannot seek professional help The thing about fruits is that I'm allergic to most kinds of fruits (esp. the sweeter kinds.) I have a mild allergic reaction to lettuce, but it's doable and lettuce is something I can eat everyday and not be tired of, so I try to stick with it. I'll probably buy some apples and yogurt to get some more nutrients in my diet.. Do you guys recommend anything? I'm pretty open to anything at this point. I refuse to give up bread though, haha (2 slices of wheat bread is about 140 calories, so I think I'm good!)
Since I began this diet, every time I finish eating something (like just a salad), I feel so much regret! I know it's bad to think that I should starve myself in order to lose weight, so I need to get out of that mentality asap!
Last edited by Bloopers; 03-26-2012 at 07:06 PM.
Reason: mispelled
I agree with everyone else, Bloopers. (I like the name). There's no fiber, fruits or veggies there. I would gain weight on that plan.
Thanks I think I'll take ELBS717's advice and go look around for some greek yogurt tomorrow! Also, I don't like almonds but I absolutely love unsalted cashews. I'll get some of that too and perhaps some celery/carrots for snacking
Unfortunately, I'm not on a healthcare plan so I cannot seek professional help The thing about fruits is that I'm allergic to most kinds of fruits (esp. the sweeter kinds.) I have a mild allergic reaction to lettuce, but it's doable and lettuce is something I can eat everyday and not be tired of, so I try to stick with it. I'll probably buy some apples and yogurt to get some more nutrients in my diet.. Do you guys recommend anything? I'm pretty open to anything at this point. I refuse to give up bread though, haha (2 slices of wheat bread is about 140 calories, so I think I'm good!)
Since I began this diet, every time I finish eating something (like just a salad), I feel so much regret! I know it's bad to think that I should starve myself in order to lose weight, so I need to get out of that mentality asap!
Honestly I wouldn't worry about fruit too much. You shouldn't eat too much of it anyway. I only have one or two pieces of fruit a day and supplement everything else with veggies and lean proteins. I have bread every other day or so and only one bread item (a whole wheat wrap, a high fiber english muffin, etc.). I thought I couldn't live without bread either, but it's been surprisingly easy to eat very little of it.
Eggs are my favorite go-to meal/snack item. Very filling and high in protein. I eat chicken pretty much every day as well. Another filling and high-protein food! Tuna is also great. I'll dump it out of the can and eat it like that!
If you like peanut butter you might want to try PB2. It's great tasting and very low in calories vs regular peanut butter.
Please don't get into the mentality that eating=bad. Eating is enjoyable, fun, and necessary for survival. With some work you can enjoy eating and still be healthy.
Honestly I wouldn't worry about fruit too much. You shouldn't eat too much of it anyway. I only have one or two pieces of fruit a day and supplement everything else with veggies and lean proteins. I have bread every other day or so and only one bread item (a whole wheat wrap, a high fiber english muffin, etc.). I thought I couldn't live without bread either, but it's been surprisingly easy to eat very little of it.
Eggs are my favorite go-to meal/snack item. Very filling and high in protein. I eat chicken pretty much every day as well. Another filling and high-protein food! Tuna is also great. I'll dump it out of the can and eat it like that!
If you like peanut butter you might want to try PB2. It's great tasting and very low in calories vs regular peanut butter.
Please don't get into the mentality that eating=bad. Eating is enjoyable, fun, and necessary for survival. With some work you can enjoy eating and still be healthy.
Haha, it's weird because I never really ate bread that much before. But now I need it to supplement the endless amount of tuna I bought today. So I'm thinking 2 slices of bread a day instead of 3-4! As for eggs, do you eat hard boiled eggs or do you fry them? And I'm scared to even think about eating chicken!!
Btw, I checked out your weight loss thread. Truly inspiring and you look amazing!!
I'm trying to change my eating habits 180 degree but...
The thing about fruits is that I'm allergic to most kinds of fruits (esp. the sweeter kinds.) I have a mild allergic reaction to lettuce, but it's doable and lettuce is something I can eat everyday and not be tired of, so I try to stick with it. I'll probably buy some apples and yogurt to get some more nutrients in my diet.. Do you guys recommend anything? I'm pretty open to anything at this point. I refuse to give up bread though, haha 
(2 slices of wheat bread is about 140 calories, so I think I'm good!)
