Does anyone else get like this? *sigh* it's so stupid :/

I noticed that I am fine when I count calories. I know how to do it, I've been doing it for as long as I can remember, I have no issues with logging and keeping track. I know I need to eat 1500 calories a day, with a variety of foods, and to eat when I'm hungry, and I am good at spreading out my food hroughout the day.

Really, I'm good as far as counting calories goes right up until I reach that 1,000-calorie mark. Then I get so WEIRD. I freak out that I *only* have 500 calories left and I can't decide what to eat.

If I eat a salad, that's barely anything. If I eat a bagel with cream cheese, that's 300 calories right there. Which is fine, because it's already evening.

My problem is I have a hard time dealing with the fact that by the end of the day, I will have used up all my calories. It's almost easier to stop at 1,000 calories. But I don't want to do that.

What do I do? It's more of an annoyance than anything -- I still mostly get my calorie counts, but it's really frustrating when I find myself  not knowing what to eat. It's as if I'm scared to run out of calories too early and then for some reason want something to eat...

Any advice, please?

YOU ARE NOT ALONE!!!  LOL.  I too am this way and think "Oh No! I am almost out of calories--what do I do?!?  Do I eat this piece of lettuce instead of something lasting?  What if I decide I want to eat something else later, and I can't because I have used up all of my calories?"

Not sure how we overcome this, as I said, I too do the same thing.

You are not alone!

I get the same feeling and most of the time I end up going to bed without eating ( thinking this way I wont screw up my whole day)

I dont know how to overcome that either! It is very annoying!

I get like this as well. But its more around the 900 calorie mark.

Try planning out what you are going to eat everyday (at what hour too). Then write it down . So this way instead of worrying what you are going to eat. You already know, and are looking forward to your next snack or meal :) This also helps overcome overeating from boredom/mindless eating. Helps you listen to your body

Yes. I seem to overload my dinners because I have all these leftover calories I was too cowardly to eat earlier...

I think it is all in case of those spontaneous pub trips with my friends to be honest - I hate the thought of missing out socially due to my daft eating habits.

I count my calories from 5pm - 5pm for this very reason. Each day when 5pm rolls around my new day starts and I can eat dinner without a problem. I find it much easier to cut back a little on my lunch and snacks rather than my dinner. It doesn't appeal to everyone but it works well for my wife and I.

-Jon

Jon:  That is an amazing idea!  I can't believe it hasn't ever occurred to me to do it that way!  Thanks for the tip!  This just might help me finally lose my last 10.  :)

hahaha i am the same way. seriously i rarely ever eat much over 600-700 calories during the day, because if i do i start to consider it a "bad" day. how stupid is that. i am trying to correct it! it is hard now too b/c i am home from college for the summer and my mom generally makes dinner, and so i have to budget my calories so that i can eat her dinner everyday. she doesn't cook overly unhealthy or anything, but still its not like i can just make myself a piece of grilled chicken/salmon with some veggies for dinner b/c i have already eaten 1000 calories that day.

i kind of like eating this way though. i never feel weighed down during the day from a heavy meal, and i feel better exercising when i'm not full which i do during the day. i can enjoy what i want for dinner as long as i keep my portions reasonable. idk what it is about that 1000 calorie mark though. it always makes me nervous haha.

Jon

Wow the 5pm to 5pm thing might just be the most genius thing I have ever heard of!  I am implementing that today

I try to plan the entire day in advance.  I enter my intake for the entire day in the morning and then I stick to what I planned.  I leave some wiggle room in case I get hungry and need to add a small snack or two and still stay 500 cal+ below what I'm burning.  Also, I tend to "back load" the days calories so I have something to look forward to for dinner.

Wow, glad to know I'm not alone!! Thanks for all the advice, really. I actually am trying not to plan my days out because i noticed I get too obsessive when I do that, and then when an event comes up that I haven't planned for, I find myself in trouble. So, I have my general guidlines which I follow, but I'm actually trying to do this without planning ahead. I also feel like it will help me keep this for life.

The 5 to 5 thing might just be the most brilliant idea ever. I would LOVE to try this! I do admit I'm a little nervous because it's totally new. Maybe when I start ballet again I'll start it. If anyone else does it let me know how it goes. A question about it, though: can you program CC to count calories for you that way? I feel like I might not want to do that if I can't log it here.

Original Post by bairn:

I think it is all in case of those spontaneous pub trips with my friends to be honest - I hate the thought of missing out socially due to my daft eating habits.

Yeah I'm the same too. My first three weeks, I only had drinks on my birthday (not by choice), but now in my  fourth week, I'm really missing heading out to karaoke night or go out after work. It's tough! Damn calories.

Original Post by pballerina:
A question about it, though: can you program CC to count calories for you that way? I feel like I might not want to do that if I can't log it here.

I add dinner to the following day. Tonight's dinner for example is logged as the 12th. Tomorrow's breakfast and lunch will also be the 12th and tomorrow's dinner will be the 13th... and so on.

5pm starts a whole new day so it makes the most sense for me to log it this way.

Sorry for all the questions, I'm just very interested in this concept! How do you enter it for another day? I mean, if today is the 11th how do I enter it for the 12th? Or do you wait for the 12th to log it?

*stupid question, I know. But it's the third day back at school...that's my excuse, haha.*

Original Post by pballerina:

Sorry for all the questions, I'm just very interested in this concept! How do you enter it for another day? I mean, if today is the 11th how do I enter it for the 12th? Or do you wait for the 12th to log it?

*stupid question, I know. But it's the third day back at school...that's my excuse, haha.*

No worries, glad to help. When you add food to your log there is a field for the date. It defaults to the current date but you can change it. It's very easy!

-Jon

also, i am loving the 5pm to 5pm thing. seriously genius. will be perfect for my life. i am starting tomorrow. you are so smart hahaha.

Thanks! I'll have to try it out sometime!

Original Post by dkcobra:

I count my calories from 5pm - 5pm for this very reason. Each day when 5pm rolls around my new day starts and I can eat dinner without a problem. I find it much easier to cut back a little on my lunch and snacks rather than my dinner. It doesn't appeal to everyone but it works well for my wife and I.

-Jon

 Jon, this is one of those 'oh wow' ideas that completely changes the way I look at counting calories.  May I share it with my health coach?  I"ve been planning my day in the morning--even entering it ahead of time -- and that works until my husband says at 6 pm "Let's go out to the mexican place tonight" and I had been planning to eat 200 calories.  My surprises DO seem to come at dinner time, so starting the counting-day then should make a HUGE difference! 

Thanks for contributing!

I was like this but worse when I was counting calories. I would freak out to the point of going way over my calories just for comfort... and in return probably gained more weight than not even counting calories at all. It made me realise that counting calories wasn't for me, so I went back to Weight Watchers. The whole idea of points is just so much easier for me. I don't panic with points because it's not such a big number. They are simple numbers and when I hear that an apple is one point versus 80 calories I don't feel like I am using up as much. It's just all mental. I use calorie count to calculate my WW points. Works great for me.

Oh and thanks Jon! I agree with everyone else, that is the most brilliant idea I've ever heard!!! I can't believe none of us thought about it like that before. It's one of those ideas that blows your mind yet it's so simple. lol