filling food

hi

im having trouble at staying full during the day

ive resorted to saving all my calories for the evening so i can eat a hearty dinner and tea and biscuits because i hate going to bed hungry.

i can eat whenever i want at work but three lunches a week i spend at the gym so i need something that i dont need to cook at lunch time (or i can prepare all the night before) because generally ive been having salads or diet sandwiches with a piece of fruit, i jsut cant seem to stay full up.

has anyone got any suggestions on what i can eat maybe something small to nibble on so i can keep my calorie intake low yet not feel hunger so i can actualy focus on doing some work!

by the way, just for reference. on gym days i usualy have half my sandwich before at about 12, go to teh gym at half 2 and when i get back at half 3 i have the other half of my sandwich and a piece of fruit.

any suggestions welcome. i like all fruit and vegetables and like to eat A LOT.

also i dont like nuts as a snack. i wish i did but i just dont. unless its chocolate with hazelnuts YUM!!!

Make sure first of all that you've got a big enough calorie intake for the day to cope with your activity level.   Because you should be able to accommodate three decent-sized meals and a few healthy snacks into your allowance.   Skipping meals will end up making you fatter, not slimmer.  If you use the CC tools and your maintenance calorie intake is 2200, for example, don't aim to eat less than 1500.  Scraping by on very low cals if you're exercising is not all that pleasant or even that effective.

Next step.... use your calorie allowance wisely by 'spending' it on filling and sustaining foods.   The most filling combination is that of protein and fibre.  So a breakfast of eggs with some wholegrain toast, for example, is much more filling than just toast by itself.

At lunchtime, don't skimp.  Add a low-fat yoghurt to your sandwich, an extra piece of fruit, perhaps.  And make sure your sandwich is, again, wholemeal and with a decent amount of protein in the filling.... sliced meats, hummus, egg,....  Take along a big green salad, some tomatoes, some raw vegetable sticks to snack on...  

Finally, you can create very filling evening meals by adding lots and lots of extra vegetables.  Fill half your plate with them and this will make the meal more satisfying.  Again, make sure there is plenty of protein on the plate.... beans, lentils, chickpeas, meat, fish.... and just a little wholegrain carbohydrate... pasta, rice, potato...

But do make sure that your calorie allowance is set at the right level to start with.  Best of luck

hi my calorie intake is set at 1200 because thats what the tool told me to set it at. i had it at sedentary because i sit in an office all day and the only exercise i get is walking to work for 15mins and back and then i go to the gym on 3 lunches and burn 400 calories each time.

should my calorie intake be higher?

Well veggies are always a great snack to eat since they are super low in cals.

I love to eat carrots, or brocoli as a snack. It fills me up alot too.

Do you have a favorite veggie? that would be the ideal choice.

Also, i love Baked potatoes with nothing on them. I just love the taste of potatoes, dont really feel they need anything else. This fills me up too and has no fat and probably 150 or so calories for a good sized potatoe

You should set your activity level to 'light' - which is a fairer reflection of reality -  and redo the calculation.   Base your target date on losing 1.5lbs a week.  If you're anywhere between 140 and 190lbs you should be able to lose weight pleasantly and steadily on 1400-1500 cals a day.

Do you drink enough?

I often get hungry out o bordom so i drink lots of tea (and smoke lots of cigerettes, but i wouldnt recomend that) Herbal tea is good, you can have a lot of variety and you dont need milk or sweeteners.

Its good to snack between meals if its within your calorie allowance, it seeds up your metabolism :)

xXx

sometimes having different "courses" or plates helps me feel like i'm eating more.  so maybe 1/2 tuna salad sandwich before the gym.  after gym, protein shake w/fruit.  then 1.5hr later, 1/2 tuna sandwich w/chic peas+veggies+lemon balsamic vinegarette.  1.5hr later, nonfat yogurt or tomato soup.

Hi everyone thanks for all of your replies.

Im changing my burn meter as I think it needs to go the next level up, thats so right.

Im drinking more water now.

And I too love tuna i forgot how much I love a brown pitta filled with tuna, Its my lunch tomorrow now!

great to hear that you're making positive changes and sounding optimistic.  best of luck.  also remember that there's also egg salad, vegetarian tuna/chicken salad, chicken salad, soy bacon lettuce + tomato.  those are great pita fillers too.