Hi there!
I am trying to figure out this calorie deal, and I have learned that I am supposed to consume 1300 calories a day to lose weight. Well I have been trying but it seems that after breakfast (which apparently I am supposed to eat even tho I don't really want to) I have cereal with berries on top, and then a snack of nuts or something, a protein shake after the gym, and another snack, my calories are all eaten up by the afternoon! No calories left for the big dinner I love to eat.
I am happy to skip breakfast to save calories for dinner, but I know it is best to eat breakfast.
My personal trainer told me I need to have protein shakes with banana after the gym to help gain and heal my muscles.
And it's not like I eat a huge lunch or anything, I mostly just snack.

does anyone feel this way?
do you have any tips on how to save calories for dinner?
thanks!!

Maybe choose different snacks? Nuts are pretty high in calories. You could do two egg whites instead with salsa for under 50 calories. Egg whites of course, are also very high in protein. For the next snack you could do raw veggies or two Wasa Crackers with a LC Lite cheese for 100 calories.

I am not sure which cereal you are eating but you could opt for Fiber 1 for 60 calories and 1/2 cup skim milk for 40 calories. I would keep the fresh fruit in there.

I concur, nuts are extremely high in calories. Yup,and I agree with Thighs Be Gone, those snacks are perfect!!!

Breakfast IS important. It helps kick start your metabolism in the morning.

I think if you are getting enough protein in your diet, unless you are trying to build huge muscles, you don't need the protein shakes. My guess is that your dinner calories are in the shakes your trainer is telling you to drink. You might want to try actually eating a lunch, too. Maybe a big green salad with grilled chicken. Wouldn't need to snack as much and save some calories there.

Best of luck figuring out where to get some extra calories!

I'd kick the protien shake and try chicken, eggs, or another source of protien. Protien shakes just don't seem to satisfy as much as REAL food. Good Luck!

I found that when I first started out, it was really hard to even get below 2000. Now sometimes I will finish dinner, and be at 1100 or 1200, and can even afford an after dinner snack. The more you do it, the easier it becomes to make choices that are lower in calories.

My days usually look like this:

Breakfast: 350
Snack: 150
Lunch: 350
Dinner: 500
Snack: 150

...but whatever works for you works for you. The beauty of counting calories is that there are no limitations or anything saying when and where you have to eat. Personally, I like to eat frequently, otherwise I know I may make poor choices out of hunger. That might not be you, and thats ok.

I strive for 1500 calories, I rarely make it that high. I love breakfast, but I don't like to snack. I always save calories for a big meal at dinner. Maybe for go the protein shake and just have a banana with your cereal? some people think you should spread all your calories, some think its doesn't matter. I have lost 22lbs in 2 1/2 months with only eating 3 meals a day. Here is a link to a post with one day of a calorie counting journal

http://www.3fatchicks.com/forum/showthread.php?t=166792

I know, you'd be surprised how many calories are in things like fruit and nuts.

I'd try to get your protein from food sources (egg whites, tofu, chicken breast, etc.) instead of shakes - you'll have a much more sustained feeling of fullness.

Additionally, maybe try a volumetrics sort of idea - bulk out your meals/snacks with low calorie veggies, plain popcorn, that type of thing - lots of fullness for not many calories.

1300 calories is truly not a lot of food. It is hard to lose weight because there tends to be hunger raging (at least for me ) between meals. I recently lost 22 lbs. in two months and my day went sort of like this: breakfast - a rice milk latte (espresso and 2 tsp. sugar) and an egg prepared w/ a little olive oil spritzed onto the pan/ snack - another egg/ lunch 2 or 3 oz. of shrimp or fish or chicken, a bowl of homemade gazpaho (no bread) or a bowl of stir-fry veggies prepared w/ a little olive oil and spices and a grapefruit or a couple of kiwis/ snack - a protein (2 or 3 oz of fish or meat or an egg or a low-fat cheese 2 oz) / dinner - 2 or 3 oz. of lean meat or fish , a vegetable prepared w/ as few added cals as possible, and a small fruit / snack - a protein. To bed hungry... The calories add up quickly and just straying from a plan can cause extra weight to sneak on, for example, a dinner out each week. It's not easy to lose weight, or everyone would be doing it. I'm in a holding pattern right now because I have to get my mind around the next big drop that'll take me towards my goal. It seems as though you are getting your extra cals in your protein shakes and especially your nuts. Nuts are extraordinarily dense in cals. After the first month of eating the way I described above I became more accostumed to less food, but it took awhile to tone down my appetite. My friend did this along with me with the same results and she's in a holding pattern right now, too, while we reboot. Good luck, you can do it!

Shakes are loaded with sugar, for one thing. I use them when I'm training very intensely. But you'd be fine with a half turkey sandwich within thirty minutes of training.

I do oatmeal with a banana for breakfast and that stays with me for at least five hours.

Play with your food.... and really. Bag the shakes.

My calories add up really quickly. Because of my busy work days, I tend to eat higher calories in the morning and taper off in the afternoon/evening. Usually by the time dinner is here, I can't eat hardly anything to stay below or equal to my count. It's really hard!

That is def. a really low range for calories but I guess if you dont weigh a lot then its probably not that low. I went into the livingstrong.com under my daily plate and enter my foods. I think for that low of a range you truly have to plan your meals or you will end up the end of the day with nothing. You can go in and enter what you want to have and how much and it will tell you your calories. If you take LOVES snack & meal calorie limit that will really help you. Then you know for each meal what you need. If you dont snack then combine the snack calorie's to a meal or whatever. But I am new to this and am realizing the crazy people on this board that always talk about planning what they are going to eat arent as crazy as i thought!!! LOL Because I now find myself at dinner putting in what I am going to eat so that I can get the right portion and still have my 90 calorie snack bar!!!

A low calorie is the veggie steamers and they are SUPPPERRRRR good. I am not a big cooked veggie person either. I never really like broccoli until i just started having them I think its the steamed ones that make them better with the cheese sauce.

Well thats enough from me!!

I love the Valley Fresh Steamers from Green Giant (I think that's what they are called...). They are so, so, soooo good!

I think this is a learn-as-you-go way of eating -- which makes it truly more of a lifestyle change than a diet. I've had a few days where I just couldn't stay within my calorie range, but the real reason is that I'm not surrounded with the low-calorie choices, and still lingering around in my cabinets are the higher-calorie stuff that I purchased before beginning this.

Tomorrow night I'm taking a LONG list to the grocery store. Many of the ideas I've gotten from you guys!