Is this expected?

Okay, so I have succesfully been upping my calories--I am now eating about 1700 calories a day, or more if I exercise a lot! By the way I'm 5'1', female, 18 years old and I run at least 1 mile and walk the other mile a day. And I also use the eliptical and all that good stuff.

 It's taking me a while to get used to this--I was one of those teens who restricted wayyy to much during the day and then would binge at night. Now I am learning to spread my calories throughout the day to successfully maintain my weight.

But this is all so weird to me.

It is about 2 pm and I have eaten 1,134 calories. And I feel great! No binging, just healthy, calorie dense foods. You know peanut butter sandwich, low fat granola, soy milk, bananas (even one cookie!!), turkey sandwich.

This number seems so huge, I'm worried that it is. But when I really think about it, I'm about to go work-out, which will burn about 300 calories..so I will be needing to eat around 2000 today. So I guess that will leave me 866 calories or the rest of the day. That's a snack and a dinner!

Is this a good thing?  I mean, should I slow down on the calories during the day? I guess I'm just worrysome because this is all so new. And that number seems so huge for 2 pm..but as my brain is worried and feeling crappy my body feels better than ever!!!

I guess I just needed to vent my worries. I mean, or people who are eating about 1800 calories a day--is eating almost 1200 of it by mid-afternoon expected?

I think I just need to relax and eat when I'm hungry-like I've done today-and try not to worry about numbers anymore. But it is just so hard! Sigh...

 

OMG, I was thinking the same thing.  I am almost at my goal and have been giving maintenance a bunch of thought.  I am deathly afraid of going over like 400 calories before dinner.  I too save most of my calories for dinner.  I think the thing for me would be to plan everything out in the beginning to find my approximate maintenance calories and then translate to "intuitive" eating. 

I think you are doing really well!  Its important to not obsess too much I think.  That gets me in trouble.  If you're hungry, and are eating good food and you're not compulsive about it, then its great.  By the way, how did you get up to 1700?  How much were you eating while "dieting?"  Did you gradually go up to where you are now - how?  Sorry for all the questions!

I usually hit around 1,000 calories or more before dinner, and I've been eating around 1,600 to 1,700 a day.  I like eating during the day and never "save" for dinner.  I usually eat around 400 for dinner, then have something nice later in the evening like yogurt with granola.

For me it's better not to eat too much in the evening.  I love getting up in the morning feeling hungry and having toast with my coffee.

I usually hit 1500 by 2 pm. It all really depends on how things work out. I don't really count anymore. I just know if I ate a really big lunch that dinner needs to be lighter. But I have a lot of wiggle room at 2500 calories a day. 

I was on a 1200 cal per day diet from Jan thru May and lost 30 lbs.  My maintenence is about 1700 per day.  I am 5' and prefer to sit on my behind if I can help it.  It was weird when I upped 500 cals per day.  I had been saving over half of my cals for dinner so I upped my breakfast and lunch sizes.   I have kept my weight off for over 5 months.  You will get used to the changes and they will feel normal after a month or so.  I can guestamate the calories in almost anything by now.