I am a calorie counter newbie, but have been doing pretty good so far. BUT I find myself getting hungry. OR I plan out what I am going to eat and its way under calorie.. such as only about 700 but it shows too much protein and too much sodium (I use MyPlate on daily plate).

So can you guys tell me some "feel full foods" or give me some examples on what I can eat different? What should I change?

Thanks in advance!

There's nothing wrong, i\n my opinion of being over protein on TDP, their levels are very low. As for sodium, meh, I base it on personal experience. I almost always go over sodium on TDP yet it never shows water gain unless Ive got 3x my max.

On that note, I've noticed that when I eat pasta, white rice, refined carbs, I get hungrier much faster afterwards. I always have trouble controlling my portions. Eating a lot of lean meat has been a great improvement to my diet, keeping me from munching. Ideally I want to have 90 g of protein per day.

Other people find high-fibre foods, whole grains helpful. I haven't actually tried that, preferring instead to cut out more grains...

How much protein is it telling you to eat?

700 calories it dangerously low.

Can you post what you typically eat in a day? But basically you should be eating lots of veggies, lean proteins, a good amount of fruits, and also good carbohydrates. Anything less than 1200 calories is too little. I find myself eating an average of 1300-1500 calories a day.

Hi! I sometimes have that problem too...obviously the common answers are lean protein, high fiber, veggies, etc. which are all really good, but I also add in soup (preferably homemade for MUCH lower sodium) because it us very filling and usually low calorie. Just a thought!

Good luck!

I think it would be quite difficult to eat "too much protein" whilst only consuming 700 calories... But I too think we need a clearer picture, so why not help us to help you and post a typical day.

As far as feel full foods - for me that means VOLUME - that volume for me comes in the form of ENORMOUS salads & piles of roasted veggies. LEan proteins - like egg white omlettes - loaded with veggies. Chicken & turkey breast, fish.. I also eat frequently so I AVOID getting/being hungry.

Think veggies, veggies, veggies, protein, protein, fruit.

Again, waiting to hear your food print so we can know where to tweak

Thanks for the info so far. VERY helpful. The 700 was from today, so I have never eaten that low so don't think that.. Just saying that after I entered in what I was GOING to eat at 700 it was saying that my protein was too high.

On TDP it says 32g of protein (which doesn't seem like a lot) and then only 1529mg of sodium. Also said I was going over fiber at 16 g. And so I was frustrated because I still had calories left, but didn't want to go over the other parts.

Today I think I have had too much refined carbs... I had a 100 calorie english muffin with the light laughing cow cheese... and a banana. Lunch I had some sliced chicken breast and some 2% cheese on a multigrain la tortilla wrap.. SOOOO I know I screwed up with the carbs so far. For dinner I have some squash to eat and I KNOW I need more veggies. I just hate most of them. Made myself sick of cucumber. I have never tried roasting veggies.. that may help.

During the week when I have work (Spring break this week) I have trouble with breakfast. I need to get up earlier to MAKE something, but honestly I am a bum. Maybe making something before bed would work?

I know I can do this, just gotta get it all straightened out. What I had been eating was within calorie, but I was going around hungry. I don't like that.

You guys are awesome...

After seeing your goal numbers, I think I would try and not use the goals from TDP.

Just my opinion, but I would say many would agree with me, 32g of protein is really nothing to be worried about. There are many days where I exceed 100g of protein. I find it helpful in not being hungry, and also it helps me feel better (physically) after a strenuous exercise.

I also aim for 40-50g of fiber daily, I don't always make it, but I aim for it. (Note: if you're eating a lot less, don't jump your fiber up quickly.)

Also if you don't have a medical reason to watch your sodium, that might not be too big of a deal either. (I mean don't go drinking soy sauce or anything), but being a little high won't hurt.

Thank you Tessa.. an above poster said they ate up to 90g of protein a day. So I think the TDP is telling me REALLY low.

Do you use a website to log your calories?

Hi shortandfluffy! i use TDP too and their protein, sugars, carbs, sodium, etc. levels are a good estimate but not an exact science. It must also be based on height because my fiber is 21g. However, I just read an article that said women should aim for 21-25 grams a day so I think that those levels must be based on the lowest recommended dose and then adjusted for height. Not really sure, but that's what it seems like to me. I always go over sugar, but it's all from fruit sooo I don't really think much of it.

Anyhoo, my "feel full foods" are popcorn and lentil soup. Food network's Giada DeLaurentis (sp?) has a lentil soup recipe that I use but I don't add salt because I don't like/need it. Usually if I'm feeling hungry and want something unhealthy, I tell myself "first, eat a bowl of soup and then if I'm hungry, I'll eat whatever I want" but then I'm not hungry after I eat the soup. It has celery, carrots, tomatoes, and lentils so it is pretty darn healthy and low calorie. and filling! I also just bought a can of garbanzo beans to make roasted chickpeas to munch on but I haven't tried it yet. (Sounds yummy though! Just a dash of olive oil tossed with cumin, chile, and cayenne and then baked) Also, lately I've been feeling lazy so I've just been cooking 1/2 cup lentils with a can of tomatoes with chiles and a little water, and then eat like a cup of it for a meal. I've had it for lunch and dinner today and it's been pretty filling. Have you tried couscous before? it's a complex carb so that would help you stay full longer. I like it with hot sauce on it, but i've yet to meet anyone else who does that. I like spicy foods! beans, legumes, and whole grains are really filling, low calorie, and high in fiber and protein. You can't really go wrong with them!

wow thank you maggie for the suggestions! I have heard of people eating chickpeas but I never really knew what it was.. also that soup sounds good! I was going to look up some recipes and I am going to for sure try that one.

Sites like Fitday and Sparkpeople have it set up so you can keep track of food, food values, exercise, etc.

Great suggestions here.

Hm.

Shredded wheat cereal eaten slowly with coffee or tea is good.
6 Tricuit crackers with a slice of 2 % cheese.
love love love egg whites all by themselves... omelette or hard boiled
Fiber One cereal dry, with a cup of tea
popcorn eaten one kernal at a time lasts for a long time (love to eat this when I'm reading)
Lots of veggies with a lowfat dip

Hope something here can be of use!

Best wishes!

I'm one of those people who likes having some whole grains in my diet. I find a meal much more satisfying and it has much more staying power in terms of my feeling full if I have small portion of grains, along with lean meat and lots of veggies. I'm not one of those people who can eat veggies for breakfast, so that is just grain and protein but my lunch and supper always have 2-4 oz of grains. Not a big portion but it makes a big difference to me, I experiment from time to time to see if I really would miss it, and yep, I always do.

So I think the bottom line is that what makes YOU feel full may not be the same as for someone else. Along with tracking your calories, I'd try to track your hunger, so you identify what foods are most satisfying for you, and then build your menu around those.

Wow! Great ideas for snacks! Going to have to try these!

Maggie-Is this the Giada recipe you are referring to? It sounds like something I might try. I would probably exclude the pasta. I don't see nutrition info on it either. Do you know it? Sorry for the hijack....thanks!