Calorie increase dilemma!?!?

Soooo, I made it a point to eat over 1300 calories today (probably about 1600-- damn that leftover chocolate in my drawer--, as I have been under 1200 for the last few days. I keep hearing I should up my calories and all if I want to lose weight ( 5'6", 183, female). But how in the jiminy cricket can I do this, without feeling like a pig AND meeting my nutritional goals. For the most part, I come home from and reevaluate my caloric intake for the day and nutritional goals BEFORE I eat dinner or any other snacks for the day. I've been eating before I workout- 30-45 minutes of cardio and 30-45 minutes strength training 5 days a week--- 

My overall goal is to lose 40-50 pounds within a year.

This is what I had today:

Breakfast: oatmeal, flaxseed meal

Snack: Whole wheat crackers, light cheese, chocolates :-/

Lunch: Spinach with a few leftover steak strips, orange juice, a few baby carrots

Dinner: cheese steak subway sandwich ( I never usually order this. I had a full 12 inch minus a 1/4 of the wheat bread, really trying to make my calories today)

This is the most for my carb intake I have had all week, I am stuffed, don't wanna eat anything else, and DONT want to consume this many carbs on an everyday basis ( I am really trying to reduce my carb  and sodium intake permanently since I grew up on fast food and southern favorites)  I am full and not even at 2000 calories and would have been even more under if I didn't eat that chocolate!

-Back to the question: What can I (or do you) eat that maximizes daily nutrition -low carb, low sodium, low saturated fat- AND ensures sufficient caloric intake?

Again, I really really appreciate your thoughts. 

 

 

I usually eat nuts or cottage cheese if my calories are a bit low. I know how difficult it is to get your head around having to eat more to lose weight but it does work! I was eating around 1300 and working out 6 days a week and I didn't lose any weight for 5 weeks. I upped my calories to around 1800, or whatever gives me a 500 deficit, and last week I lost a pound

So for my first 5 weeks here I was eating between 1300 and 1400 cal. I went from 222 to 210. Then for the last 3 weeks I upped my cals to 1600-1800 per day and have lost another 8lbs! Crazy I know how this whole body burning calories thing is.

So, I too used to want to limit my carbs, but have found that when I eat carbs (esp in the morning) I generally feel better. So here's my breakdown:

Carbs 140-160g

Fat 45-50g

Protein 100-105g

This is what my typical day looks like:

Breakfast:

1/2 c egg beaters

1 morning star sausage patty

2 whole grain waffels (frozen)

1/8 cup sugar free syrup

Morning Snack:

Low carb yogurt

3 oz frozen berries

1/2 cup kashi go lean cereal

Lunch:

6 oz spinach mix salad

1 oz fat free feta

5 kalamata olives

2 oz chicken breast

10 grape tomatoes

2tbs balsamic vinegret

1 cup of sugar free jello

Afternoon snack:

1/4 cup of hummus

3 oz carrots

3 oz sweet peppers

Later afternoon snack:

3/4 oz colby cheese

1 hardboiled egg

1 bag of sliced apples

Dinner:

9 oz of steamed veggies

1 Morning Star Veggie Patty

I try to change it up just to give my body variety, but I could honestly probably eat this combination of food for am month and not mind. I change up my lunch sometimes, but not usually anything else, but don't eat this during the weekend.

Yeah. From reading what everyone says, I know that everyone is saying the same thing about upping the calories. I am ok with that.  

 

CCanale- don't you find that you're sodium is high on your nutrient chart. I recently bought the morning star sausage patties, not because I am vegetarian, but to keep my cholesterol down, but I know there's a lot of sodium, so I probably won't buy them again. ugh. just seems like you sacrifice one thing for another. I am not trying to totally get rid of carbs. I just know they sneak up on you and even when I do well, I am OVER.   I guess I am trying to find a perrfect science to this thing

 

Maybe my solution is to aim to do well in 3-4 areas ( carbs, sodium, cholesterol... etc) a day as to not stress myself out about what the nutrient chart says. 

 

My weight is a whole other thing. I am not seeing the scale move like I would like it to, but I know some of it is trial and error with my diet and exercise regimen right now. 

I try to keep my sodium around 2500, even though I know that its higher than what is recomended. I eat the morning star stuff too for pure convenience. I can microwave them and have instant high protein, low fat and calories to go with my food. I think the theory that not eveything will be perfect every time helps. 2 out 3 or 3 out of 4 works for me. I mean, I'm human after all!

 I stopped using salad dressing and use those spray on dressing just to give it the taste. That cut some sodium out. I also sometimes have chicken breast sausage from trader joes instead of the morning star.  I dont add salt to ANYTHING I cook and drink tons of water too.