Does eating low calorie seem easier after a few days?

While away at college, I have been eating much more than my usually 1500 cals a day. Now, I am finding it really hard to cut back down to this amount. I also noticed that this happened to me during the holidays too when I ate more than usual.

How can I get back on track and not to eat more than 1500 calories a day? Tips?

I found that after a few days of finding this website, and fully buying into losing weight, I used this site to make sure I was eating enough, and not the other way around.

Here's a tip that's been working for me. Eat foods low in calories, because if you blow it early on a "big purchase", you won't have any left to spend. 

Looking so far at what I've eaten today, everything is low cal, so you can eat "more":

-Yukon Gold potato: 110
-Yoplait: 170
-Cup of corn flakes with 2% milk: 165
-Peanut butter sandwich: 410
-Tons of water: free!
-Apple: 90
-Orange: 90

See, I eat this way, then if I want I can "go large" and basically eat whatever I want for dinner. Looking at the above, if I wanted to I could go eat a big disgusting bacon cheeseburger, with extra mayo, and still be on track. 

I found that when I previously ate bigger items for lunch (600-800 calories), I struggled because not only did I not have any calories to spend for later when I typically get hungry before bed, but also just the thought of "I don't have any more calories to spend" was difficult to bear.  

Another personal tip: Don't buy junk food at the store. Only have a kitchen full of stuff that's good for your weight loss plan. That way, if you "mess up", you add another yogurt or peanut butter sandwich instead of 1000 calories of Ben and Jerry's. And again, look at what I've eaten today above, none of that stuff is "health food" - so it's not a pain in the ass to maintain the diet. I'm not eating anything I wouldn't have wanted to eat before. I've got no "low-fat" mayo in my cupboard. It's all good tasting stuff, just happens to be low-cal in comparison to stuff I normally would have munched on. 

One last personal tip: Don't force yourself to eat if you're not hungry. Previously (remember I said I was having a problem eating ENOUGH after my body adjusted from a 2500 calorie per day diet to 1500-1800) I would eat when not hungry just to not under-eat, but then I found when I got the munchies before bed I had no calories left to "spend." Since I know I get hungry late at night, I leave myself some room. If you added up my calories of the foods I listed for today's intake, you'll notice I've got room for just about anything under the sun to eat. I'll probably eat a gigantic steak, and I'm not even hungry thinking about it. It'll be to make sure I didn't under eat. 

Other tips that I've read around here include to drink a big glass of water before and after your meal. Your stomach will feel full. I don't necessarily do that, but I drink water constantly throughout the day. An added benefit to this is, your body will lose water weight once it sees that it doesn't need to hold onto water (because you're not drinking enough). 

Also, drop the soda (if you drink it that is). It has been said a person who drinks soda everyday can lose 10 lbs. in a year just from dropping soda. Before I found this website and my desire to lose weight, I would literally drink 2-6 cans of Coke everyday. At 150 calories per can, that's a lot of food I could "spend" the calories on instead of just popping open a can out of boredom. 

The other poster has a lot of great advice.  I do similar, I stock may calories up for dinner.  My fiancee (and I am not blaming him at all he supports me) works a physical job and comes home hungry enough to eat a bear.  Raw.  So feeding him a 6oz chicken breast and salad would make him ask "whats for dinner" as soon as he finished.  I find it hard to stick to my diet while watching him eat a steak, so I am good with my calories during the day, I work out, and then in moderation, What I am saying, really, is if you find a way to fit your calories into a lifestyle that works for you, that makes you not feel deprived, you won't notice as much of a difference.  If you like smaller meals during the day and larger at night, it is possible to do this and not ruin a diet. Also, as the person above me does, find foods that work for you.  I HATE yogurt, LOL But find I love the Greek yogurt.  So, the 100 calorie regular yogurt leaves me feeling hungry but a 100 calorie Greek yogurt leaves me feeling satisfied.  A diet is a lifestyle change, a healthier way of eating, so finding a way that works for you is the best way to cut the calories. Also, healthier choices can make a big difference.  Water with lemon instead of a soda saves 150 calories, yet I find I am not thirsty after drinking both.  For the times I really want a soda, that's ok, but I listen to my body.  If I am craving the flavor and I feel satisfied after a few sips, well I can give the rest to someone else or throw it away.  That saves me 100 calories and takes away the craving, keeping me from drinking a whole one with dinner and then having another. I am also a fan of making the small changes to save the calories that I don't notice.  If I am making mashed potatoes for dinner, making them with skim milk (or non fat even) still results in good mashed potatoes, but with a lot fewer calories than if I had used whole milk. Hope these ideas help.  My final piece of advice is maintaining or losing weight is hard, so finding a balance that works for you may take some time.  You know you are there when you are no longer struggling with the idea, but rather are living a satisfied life with foods you enjoy but still staying where you need to be. Original Post by musicismylife:

While away at college, I have been eating much more than my usually 1500 cals a day. Now, I am finding it really hard to cut back down to this amount. I also noticed that this happened to me during the holidays too when I ate more than usual.

How can I get back on track and not to eat more than 1500 calories a day? Tips?

 

 

mistake double post

As bunny stated, "making small changes" to your existing foods can make a great difference. I do this too. When I pointed out my "Yukon Gold" potato, notice there wasn't any butter. I like Yukon's because they're the type of potato that is naturally, um, creamy? Adding butter to it doubles the calories! But as I stated in my first post, I am an advocate of "eating what you want so long as not going over budget". If I want the butter, fine, but that's 100 calories coming out of the rest of my day somewhere. What I like about this philosophy (of continuing to eat the foods you want) is that it's going to be easier to maintain my weight when I reach my goal. I'm not going to revert back to "eating normal" because I lost the weight eating what I wanted. 

Another example, I've always liked mayo on my sandwiches. But depending on what I've already eaten in the day, or what I have in mind for dinner, sometimes it's not worth mayo on an already decent sandwich if it means not reaching my long term goal, or even simpler, if it means I have to cut out a bed time snack later on when I'm hungry again. A good sandwich is still going to be good without the luxury, and even more, fills you up the same.

I am confident that you will adapt a lot sooner than you'd think. Before I started this thing I literally ate a fast food meal at minimum once a day. Usually twice! And I'd been doing this since I was 18, and I'm 30! It took less than a week in before I was using the site to make sure I was eating enough. 

I started on March 7th, 2012 at 198, and am now down to 182, less than two months in.

If you find yourself struggling after giving it a really fair shot, consider upping your calorie intake, because it's better to reach your long term goal later than you wished, then saying 'forget this' and never reaching the goal at all.

I think it's actually going to get easier in the long run for me, because after months of eating 1500-1800 calories per day, I noticed that the "maintenance level" calorie intake for my goal weight of 175 is around 2200 calories. Now that's really eating whatever I want! 

Another thing I do is rate the "splurge" by the needed workout to make it up.  I love cheese.  I usually try to input what I am eating during the day in one session (I cook nightly for the fiancee, so it really isn't hard to do this as I know what is good and about how many calories, so I usually do this after breakfast and lunch but before dinner) and then tweak it to make sure I am hitting where I need to be.  If I am over, I have a choice...either remove the cheese from the sandwich (cheese is my weakness) or burn those calories with EXTRA time in the gym.  I have a workout routine that I am loyal to and if I want to splurge or know I am going to be splurging, I try to be mindful of that and add a little extra cardio to help keep the burned and eaten calories in line.

Also, WAY TO GO cutting out the fast food. That's a huge lifestyle change that is not only one for weight loss but a WHOLE bunch of other great things for your overall health.  So, major kudos Bakesalee

Thank you so much for the advice!!

Yes, I have done calorie budgeting before and it has worked. I just need to get back on my game. It's just hard being away at college and having to eat both lunch & dinner in the dining hall. However, in less than a week I will be back at home and able to purchase & prepare my own foods as well as eat whenever my body is telling me that I am hungry (as opposed to when the dining hall is open).

You say that you were eating a lot more while at college - how much more? And what were the results?

Maybe you don't have to cut calories as low as you think you do.

Didn't we already discuss this?  You are at a healthy weight, have been maintaining that weight within 2-3 lbs since last fall eating over 2000.  You really don't need to be on 1500 cals, especially if you plan to exercise more now that you are out of school :(

Frankly I am 44 and eat more than 1500 cals and I can still lose weight.  Why are you obsessing over this?

Whatever calorie level you're consistently eating is what your body gets used to and comes to expect. If you were starving yourself on 500 calories a day (DO NOT DO THIS!) your body would come to expect it after a certain period of time and more would seem like ridiculously too much. Conversely, if you're used to eating 3000 calories a day, suddenly cutting back to a healthier 2000 feels like starvation for a week while you adapt. You need to find the healthy amount for YOU to eat, and then your body will adapt to it and it will come to seem like the right amount of food.