if 1200 calories is hard for you, consider going up to 1400 calories a day and using those 200 'extra' calories for your evening snack/meal. You'll still lose weight at 1400 calories a day, but that little bit extra might be enough to stave off binging and keep you on track.

Or, find ways to shave off calories from your other meals to save up 100 or so calories for the evening.

I only stick to 1200, because my BMR is 1500 so that is only a 300 calorie deficit. So Id rather eat the 1200 and have a bigger deficit.
I'm vegetarian so getting in all the protien can be tuff.
But I have Cereal and almond milk with a banana in the morning
Lunch varies, some times its brown rice and black beans with salsa. Or Pb and J, with fruit and greek yougurt.
Dinner is what gets me. I get home from the gym and just want to snack. I usualy don't make dinner. I get home from the gym around 7 and I go to bed around 8:30 so I don't have time to cook and let it settle before I shower and get to bed.

I have very little time in the evenings to cook and then wash dishes, so I cook ahead of time and make my own frozen meals. That way I don't have to worry about the timing of anything, but I'm getting homemade meals that are healthy and quick. On days that I have more free time (weekends for me) I just cook a few dishes, portion, and freeze. When I get home from work and I'm packing the next day's snacks/lunch, I can just heat up my chosen "one pot" freezer meal. I even make my own frozen burritos and veggie burgers, but I mainly eat curries, stews, soups, and chilis with the occasional pasta mixed w veggies.

Quick meals: salads, wraps, sandwiches, omelettes, "breakfast foods," microwave "baked" potato.

If I need something super quick, I use frozen veggie mix in steamer packets, and add them to broth and minute brown rice for soup.

You can realistically have a meal in 10 minutes, eat it, then have time for it to settle. I think the better option is to eat a low calorie, planned meal rather than 500 calories over your plan with snacks that aren't filling you up.

Have you tried starting your calorie count in the evening after the gym? Knowing the count has just been reset to 0 may give you extra motivation to binge less. It may also be easier for you to "be good" at breakfast or lunch the next day since those aren't meals you normally go overboard on.

Munchy That is a great idea. When you re-heat the frozen foods, does it still taste as good? or does it have that frozen taste still?

Spetty I have never thought of that. Starting it at zero for the day at night. That could work, I have never thought of that. I always thought of it as, when you wake up, back at 0. Hmmm. Wow, how could that have not came into my mind? I'm baffled. I guess I really am a blonde at heart. (Nothing against blondes!)

If your binge eating, I think your body may be telling you it needs more. Just like sontaikle has stated, I'd bring it up to 1400. Because if you look at it this way, an 200 extra calories is nothing compared to what you are probably consuming in a binge, am I right? Food for thought.... :)

TheLindsy: You say your BMR is 1500, I used your stats and your BMR is indeed between 1500 and 1600. BMR isn't your Daily Calorie Need though! BMR is what your body needs to survive if you'd be in a vegetable state almost. ;)

Your daily calorie need depends on your activity level, if you have a desk job and are pretty much sedentary your daily calorie need is BMRx1.2, so let's say that's 1550x1.2 = 1860. Just for living your life and getting up in the morning, that's what you'll burn.

I always use the number for inactive lifestyle beause I feel all the exercise and added movement calories should go to my weightloss. But if you have a very physical job, you could even have a higher daily calorie need.

So I think you should maybe do some more research on what you need, because it sounds like you are burning yourself out at such low calories and with such a feeling of stress. There's threads on the veggie board about ways to add in protein without meat. Though the reason I stopped being vegetarian is because I find that too difficult. Hihi. Anyhow, goodluck!

TheLindsy you could lose weight on 1400 calories a day :) I think you're confusing BMR with your actual calories burned. There's no way 1500 is maintenance for you—especially if you're hitting the gym!

Remember, your BMR is what you would burn just existing; if you did nothing else. Even if you are sedentary you multiply this number by 1.2!

Use this formula to find out what your BMR is:
Women: BMR = 655 + ( 4.35 x weight in pounds ) + ( 4.7 x height in inches ) - ( 4.7 x age in years )

Then when you find out that number, multiply it according to the following:

If you are sedentary (little or no exercise) : Calorie-Calculation = BMR x 1.2
If you are lightly active (light exercise/sports 1-3 days/week) : Calorie-Calculation = BMR x 1.375
If you are moderatetely active (moderate exercise/sports 3-5 days/week) : Calorie-Calculation = BMR x 1.55
If you are very active (hard exercise/sports 6-7 days a week) : Calorie-Calculation = BMR x 1.725
If you are extra active (very hard exercise/sports & physical job or 2x training) : Calorie-Calculation = BMR x 1.9

Those will be your calories to maintain :) subtract 500-1000 to figure out around what you would need to lose weight.

For example, my BMR is 1356. I am very active, but I believe I'm somewhere between the moderate and very active range, so I multiplied my BMR by 1.6 and get 2170 calories to maintain.

granted we are not machines so each body varies, but generally you'll find you can eat more than you thought and lose weight.

When I was 125 pounds I was eating 1600 calories and still losing weight!

EvilWomanIamShe That is true, I think I am just afraid of uping my calories, and then gaining.

Philana I'm a bank teller so I'm not really doing a lot. 1860 sounds like a lot to me lol. I will look into more calories. I have been at 1200 for a while and lost 20lbs or so, So maybe I do need to bump it up to change it around..

Sontaikle Really 1600? Woah! I have been on 1200 and figured that was the way to go. The fewer the better. So my Calculation Says my BMR= 1663 and with the Moderate activity level, I hit 2578.

So the 2578 is what I need to maintain. and the 1663 is what I NEED to eat in order for my body to properly function.

I'm not new to all this, I even took a nutrition class last year in college. I guess when I got used to the idea of 1200, I just stuck to it. I get set in my ways and forget what I have learned along the way..

I'm 5'7" as well, and my BMR is not 1500. I have my app, that I use to track with, and my BMR at sedentary (which is what i have it set at, as I work at a desk all day) is 1689. My weight maint cals are at 2500, so I'm eating about 1500 to 1800 a day, and since my pleatau I've been loosing nicely at that, as long as I don't have too many sore muscles. :)

I would suggest playing with your calories! And to keep going. :D

Originally Posted by TheLindsy:
Munchy That is a great idea. When you re-heat the frozen foods, does it still taste as good? or does it have that frozen taste still?

I've never had a frozen taste with my food, but I do know that foods that are "saucy" (stew, soup, most curry dishes, dal, Puerto Rican red beans, tomato sauce, BBQ sauce, enchilada sauce, etc) freeze really well and that's what I started with (well, it was baby food, but still, it's pureed!)

I freeze casseroles by letting them freeze for a few hours until semi-solid, cutting into number of servings, and putting the individual squares into a gallon ziploc bag.

I know that potatoes don't freeze well unless in a sauce (like in a stew, soup, or even with shepherd's pie) Dairy also separates or gets odd tasting but I find the exception is cheese melted into a soup or sauce.

It helps me so much because I'm cooking once for 6-8 (sometimes even 12+) servings, and since I keep doing it, I have a lot of variety. I don't have to eat the same foods all week like when I would double up and cook two servings of something at a time to keep in the fridge.

lots of water,,,try to do something else to entertain you and get you out of that mode. also,,,save yourself 200 calories for night, eat you 2 bags of 100 calories popcorn. huge plate of veggies with fat free ranch dip. i like to boil a whole bag of broccoli and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese,,,lol,,,,when im in an eating mood at night.

You mentioned that you work out. Just curious, are you "eating back" those calories that you burned? Also, Are you eating something small and protein-filled before you workout? I've found that if I workout right after work without eating anything beforehand, I am STARVING when I get home and do tend to go overboard.

TheLindsy, I agree with sontaikle: You should easily be able to lose on 1500-1600 per day. I'm much older than you (based on your photo) and much shorter than you, and I lost approx. 40 lbs. in 5-6 months eating 1400 per day. I cycled my calories, but the average was 1400 per day. Now that I'm maintaining (135-138), I can eat approx. 2100 per day. So, all of that is to say that I think you can eat much more and still lose, and it's better if you do. I know this is probably an old wive's tale, but I believe that your body adapts to a lower calorie count very easily, and that's the last thing you want it to do.

As far as eating at night, increasing your calories may help. However, I also struggle with this even at 2100 calories. I find that I have a strong craving to eat for about an hour or so most nights. I'm not physically hungry, but I just want to eat. If I can just push through that hour, then I'm okay. I try to push through because, frankly, I don't want to get into the habit if eating after dinner; when I have gotten into that habit, it just seems to spiral out of control.

(Btw, I always start my "day's" calorie count at dinner. It has worked out well for me).