I just started calorie counting yesterday and the first thing I've noticed is how hungry I am... Yesterday it was actually hard for me to fall asleep because I was still hungry. I joined sparkpeople and it said to shoot for between 1200-1600 calories per day. I go more for 1600 because I'm still nursing and am very active (we don't have a car so I walk everywhere, I spend most of my day chasing a toldder, and I exercise about 4-5x per week either running 3-5 miles or doing a 30 minute exercise video, sometimes 2).

I had 1679 calories yesterday and was really hungry! I admit, I made a bad choice in the morning because I had a part of a bagel, which was way more calories than I expected and a sweet potato in the afternoon (again, a lot more than I expected). Today I had a much better breakfast but for lunch I tried to grab something healthy looking (I was at work and didn't have time to pack this morning) but when I counted the calories it was almost 700 calories! It was this Korean lunchbox and it didn't even fill me up. So now I have somewhere between 300-655 calories left for the day and I'm really hungry. Plus, I need energy for a run I was planning this afternoon. When I get off from work I plan on eating some black beans with salsa since I know it has a lot of protein and the calorie count isn't too high. But I'm wondering if I should be eating more calories per day or if my body just needs some time to adjust? How long would you give your body before upping your calorie count? Obviously, I made two wrong choices the past few days because I underestimated the calories but still... should I be feeling this hungry? Oh, and I drink TONS of water, there's seriously no problem there.

I did notice I was down a pound on the scale today (since yesterday) but I'm also getting over a cold so I figure that could just be some water weight. But I've been stalled for over a week between TOM and this cold so it was still a happy sight.

I wish I had more wisdom for you, but I am kinda in the same boat. I am not nursing, but I need foods to give me more energy! I would just play around with the foods you're eating to see which ones help you stay fuller longer...maybe eat more protein? You are very active... When you calculated your calories, did you include how active you are? I know calculators are all different.

Oh...and when I started counting I was hungry at first too. It took my body a few days to adjust and now I am just fine!

I *think* you need to add about 200 calories a day for nursing (so do 1400 - 1800). Or maybe even shoot for 2000 a day for the first week, and get used to counting calories and get used to eating less... then drop to the lower range?

Add make sure you are getting lots of veggies and nutrient rich foods (no more bagels! )

Eat your veggies, eat less bread and mashed taters, those have an insane amount of calories in them. If you have hunger pangs, try a glass of milk. I know everyone says drink a glass of water, but that only works during and after a meal to help me get fuller faster, so I end up eating a smaller meal in total.

Soups and microwave meals can be more calories than you expect, too, so be careful and make sure to read the back of everything, and if there is no back, use your better judgement and eat none or eat half.

Good luck! It gets easier

I count calories as well but I have "freebies" that I don't count in my calories at all. This would be like fresh fruits, mainly apples, and I do a "freebie salad" that is just loaded with veggies and a bit of very low cal dressing (Kraft light balsamic vinaigrette). I fill up on those things if hungry between meals or if I am at calorie limit and very hungry. I also never count fresh veggies or fruits that are in my meals.

I have found taht eating those things, even when I eat a lot of them on some days, I lose more than if I just go hungry! I can stick with it this way too, I would quit if I was hungry all the time.

i generally have a million ideas on eating healthy foods to fill us up. but keep it short, i'll name a few foods you might try. i just started cc too.

black beans and salsa in romaine leaf 'taco' or flat out wraps. reg is 120 cal for a HUGE tortilla thing. light it 90 cals. lots of fiber.
salmon in a pouch is 120 cal i think. have with some veggies, wrap, or 'taco'.
spinach! or any greens you like. another food that's great for you and your baby, and you can eat a ton. it has hardly any cals.

carrots. radishes. those peas in a pod, cabbage. almost any veggies that you like. pile 'em on!

avoid oil, rice, noodles, i still eat bread, but i only eat whole wheat.
you can also make a pizza out of those flat out wraps.

for a quick breakfast. maybe you could make a few omletts ahead of time. then grab it and go before you go to work. lots of veggies mixed into it in a wrap. just warm it before you go, or eat it at work. `

you could look at the list of super foods, then choose which ones are the most bang for your buck. frozen cherries and berries have few cals, taste awesome, and have fiber. i can't even tell lol.
frozen fruit on fiber one(or another filling cereal) is REALLY filling for few cals. can't remember how many. or add to yogurt.

well that wasn't very organized, but hope it helps. and kudos to you! nursing and working is sooo hard!

I really like your "freebies" purplefirefly! What a great idea!!

Definitely try to eat more protein and veggies- that's what fills you up.

Also- you don't have time to make lunch in the morning then make it the night before! I make pots of soup then portion it out and warm it up at work. In the summer I cut up all my veggies for salad then pack them up. I usually put lettuce and carrots and dry veggies straight in my tupperware, and then tomatoes and meats and cheeses get a small baggie and then a small tupperware for my dressing- when I get to work and it's lunchtime I combine it in my tupperware and give it a good shake. That keeps my salad fresh

You have to make more time for food planning and preparation- eating out is hard to do when you want to lose weight.

I agree 1200 calories is too low for you. At 210 I wouldn't eat less than 1600 calories a day but probably stick to 1600-1800 a day, and I agree- try 2000 a day for the first week then lower it slightly if you see no loss.

Definitely take more time to prep food so you don't eat stuff off plan

I like the idea of upping your calories to see where you are comfortable and go from there. If you are nursing you should be buring tons of calories. I've never had a child but my sisters tell me nursing is the best diet ever. lol

I weigh less than you and i eat 1700-2000 calories per day and I'm losing (.5 to 1 lb per week). I could lose it faster if I went down more calories but I'm looking for a lifestyle change that I am okay with maintaining rather than starving myself. I know the more weight I lose I will have to go lower.

Good Luck!

Thanks everyone for the responses and all the great food ideas.

I like the idea of upping my calories for the first week or so and getting used to the smaller portions. I went home today and ended up eating about another 350 calories (black beans and salsa and a fruit smoothie) because I was so hungry after that lunch today. I don't feel like I'm starving anymore, just normal. If I stick to 1600 calories that means only 300 for dinner but I think I'm going to shoot for 1800-2000 this week. That's also a good idea about unlimited veggies that might be another option for me. I still have to play with this to see what works best.

I'm still confused on if I need to add in extra calories for nursing/activities? I tried livestrong before and they changed the calorie count but on sparkpeople I didn't see that option or not.

If you are exclusively breastfeeding an infant 6 months old or younger, meaning no supplements of any kind, then you need about 500 more cals per day.

If you have substituted any feeds, or are feeding solids along with nursing, you can get away with about 300 more.

I'm nursing a 2 year old, I'm eating about 1800-2000 per day, and losing like a turtle, but it is going down. . .

DD is almost 2 so 300 calories. Thanks!

Whoa! You're nursing and running 3-5 miles! Please eat more.

Try freedieting.com and compare the nursing calorie calculator and the one that allows you to input your activity level, I don't think you can do both.

I run 3-5 through the week and one longer run on the weekend and am eating 1600-1800 with one to two higher days.

Now I will say that we're all different and you need to find the cals that work for you, but be very careful if you're nursing because you will stop producing if you don't eat enough. And if you're truely hungry and it's not because of poor food choices, then you need to add cals. Good luck!

Oh and way to go on nursing til two! I dried up at 14.5 months

2 years! I can't even imagine! I dried up after 10 WEEKS. ~sigh~ big worthless boobies! Lol! I produced a whole lot at first and was pumping and pumping (I pumped and bottled it - b/c my son wouldn't latch). then it slowly teatered off until... nothing. And I tried everything. I was just *poof* done. Apparently my mom and my mom's mom had the same thing happen.