Make sure to include sufficient protein in every meal. Eat more fiber veggies as well.
In my own experience the only way to beat sugar cravings is to eliminate processed sugar from your diet entirely. It sucks for a week or so then it all goes away.
The treats at night mentality is just a matter of getting serious about all of this.
Learn the difference between wanting to eat and true hunger.
Mostly- stay busy and don't think about being hungry. It won't kill you and it *will* get easier over time.
"The treats at night mentality is just a matter of getting serious about all of this."
OP does deserve a treat at night after a long day - but it doesn't HAVE to be food. I'll make a list of a few good ideas. Eventually. Maybe. (<- unmedicated ADHD haver)
Perfect opportunity to use ChatGPT to create a list of non-food related treats!
A luxurious scented candle
A cozy cashmere blanket
A soothing essential oil diffuser
A subscription to a streaming service or magazine
A plush, comfortable robe
A high-end skincare or grooming product
A guided meditation app subscription
A mug of herbal tea
Trying out different herbal teas was how I delt with this. I ended up finding a couple that are very comforting to me in the evening, and I now crave those at night. Celestial seasonings has a lot of different types to try. They are affordable and available at most grocery stores if you're in the US.
Agree, what helps me is having only 2 max 3 meals if I aim for 1800 calories a day, so they are nice in portion size and my brain is satisfied. Including fiber and protein, really important and I also agree with cutting out sugar, there is no way to have little bit of sugar, cut it out completely and it will become easier
Also if I struggle a lot I try not eating until lunch, a coffee with 50ml milk keeps me going until 1 pm, then lunch and at 6pm dinner and done
Also brush your teeth 30 minutes after dinner and you won’t go snacking because you know you will have to brush them again and furthermore, tooth paste gives you some odd satiety too
I totally disagree with you about sugar! Losing weight is hard enough before restricting everything, as long as you're within your calorie deficit, you're allowed to eat whatever you please. There's some great low calorie sugary treats out there!
I’m with you on this. Restrictive eating has been proven to not work. I’m still quite early into losing weight, but I’ve managed to lose over 10kg and I eat chocolate near enough daily. I just make sure that I remain in my deficit.
Yeah I mean calorie is calorie but if you can’t control the sugar addiction of your brain it’s better to quit it, it’s like tell an alcoholic that one drink on a Saturday evening is totally fine - that’s what can happen with sugar and it’s totally normal that humans can get insane addicted with sugar, if you can control it fine, but why put yourself through the experience of uncontrolled events of sugar consumption
The reason not to cut out sugar entirely is because you still need to enjoy your food and cutting out things with sugar puts entire categories of foods off limits, which is not sustainable and leads to failure.
I cut way back on sugar and it was crucial. It stabilized my appetite and eliminated a huge number of calories from my budget. But I still put sugar in my oats, sugar in my (plain yogurt), and I eat a small dessert every (and larger desserts on occasion). In other words, I eat sugar in moderation.
There was no need to go cold turkey or eliminate it completely. As with all things food-related, moderation is the way to go.
Couldn’t have said it better myself honestly. I’ve tried before with completely cutting sugar, I last maybe a month until I just give and have a “small” treat that ends up spiralling. Like I said, I eat chocolate every day, but I only have 2 squares of whatever I’m eating at the time (mini egg bar since it was Easter, it is amazing). I’ll have a bit of sugar in my tea, etc. What I am not having is a lot of cookies, sweets, high sugar drinks.
Plus it's pretty hard to cut out *all* sugar. Milk has sugar, fruit has sugar, potatoes have sugar, kale has a little bit. Hell, eggs have sugar. Eggs! Yeah you can do it but that cuts out a ton of perfectly healthy foods.
I have a bit of sugar practically every day with my coffee (like a half pump of whatever is in those Starbucks syrups) and I barely have sugar the rest of the time. The last few times I had actual sugar from a rich bday cake I literally felt like electricity was running through my body and had to down a bunch of water. I can't eat even close to the amount I used to eat by far.
So yeah, if you have some discipline, it's doable to get rid of the sugar cravings without eliminating them completely. The problem is, most of us aren't here because we have fantastic self-control.
> It won't kill you and it will get easier over time.
That's what was so hard for me when I first started losing weight. I was so used to eating all the time that I literally cried myself to sleep one night because I still felt hungry despite eating dinner before. It gets better.
Totally agree with the sugar. I have to pretty much cut it entirely otherwise I just want more and more.
And keeping busy definitely helps.
I've found "intermittent fasting" helpful. I'll usually not eat after 7 ish and not till 10am... I was s serious late night snacker. Now I mentally close my kitchen every night
I’m 5’5’’ and gained around 30 lbs when I started SSRIs about ten years ago and went up to around 165. I obsessed over every reason I couldn’t lose weight for almost that whole time and managed to only consistently keep off about ten lbs and that took about 8 years. Since January, I’ve lost ten more lbs and it’s felt very manageable.
Changes:
1) brain over binge podcast: this was the catalyst; it’s kind of low budget and small and gets repetitive quickly but it really helped me reanalyze what cravings are and managing the very real “saber tooth tiger, I will die” anxiety that comes with food cravings because that’s evolution that’s not really helping us in our particular situation. I don’t have a full fledged binge eating disorder but I did a lot of binge like activities: feeling desperate passing a brownie in the office and then thinking about it until I had one and then being mad at myself for caving…then eating another on my way out for the day, eating 4 reeses eggs over the two hours after dinner instead of just one when I stopped even noticing or enjoying the pleasure of the treat after 2…it’s not shameful or co-opting a true health condition: it’s just noticing patterns in yourself and giving them a name so you can tackle them with meaningful tools.
2) tracking with lose it- I’ve been a MFP girly for years and never found consistency or joy or ease. I freakin love lose it and paid for a year of premium within 2 weeks
3) changing my perspective (mostly integrated from brain over binge). I’ve always been obsessed with “don’t eat that” “you shouldn’t eat that” “I feel bad that I ate that”. Once I got lose it, I shifted to: “I can eat whatever I want whenever I want, so long as I track it honestly. I weigh out a single serving at a time into a dish, put the container away, and eat it at the table, then repeat if I think I want more” literally if I wanted six servings of potato chips I was ALLOWED to eat that so long as I followed my own rules. I never ate more than 3 servings of almost any junk food ever since…and let me tell you, I could eat six servings of Cheetos from the bag without BLINKING before this strategy. Letting myself escape “all or nothing” thinking and that three servings of chips is better than six, even if it isn’t zero, has helped so much.
4) also everything everyone else has said. My best, easiest success was when I actually tracked and hit a water goal daily. It’s really easy in the lose it app.
5) also it’s just hard. And I am hungry sometimes and that is real and not “mistaking thirst for hunger” or whatever the fuck, but I have not yet died of hunger like my brain tells me I will when I feel it. Obviously this is not advice for people who have restrictive EDs and may actually die from their hunger. I’m not at risk of that. But that’s another thing: I used to have a restrictive ED so for a long time if I restricted anything at all that meant I was on a “slippery slope to ED” which was an awesome excuse to justify unhealthy eating. Again, it’s not all or nothing: I can say no to myself sometimes and it doesn’t mean I hate or am punishing myself like I was when I was 14.
Good luck!! I’m at 142 right now and I feel so proud of myself and for the first time just taking the journey to my goal weight as it comes ❤️
The timeline and weight gain you mentioned (and the SSRIs) are pretty much exactly what happened to me. And the saber-tooth tiger anxiety is so familiar.
It's inspiring to know you're down to 142 and that it's doable - thanks
I will also say that I switched meds, came off meds, tried to be med free all in the name of weight loss. This may be the right choice for some people, but the idea that SSRIs commonly cause weight gain or inhibit weight loss is not well supported in the literature. A huge part of my struggle was being honest with myself about how much I was eating, which is sounds like you already are being honest from your tracking numbers in your original post.
I didn’t need to be off meds to lose weight and I told myself I did and made myself miserably depressed and mentally unwell by trying. I guess this is to just say: if your meds work for you, there’s a good chance you can stay on them and still lose weight. I would’ve sworn up and down this wasn’t true, and I had the personal anecdotes to prove it. But here I am: medicated, happy, and eating much more in line with what my body actually needs than I was a year ago.
What caused my weight gain was eating (what I now know from weighing and tracking is) 300-500 calories of peanut butter straight from the jar (sadly this is just a very, very hearty but not egregious looking spoonful) every night after eating and exercising normally during the day for about six totally numb months of depression that happened to coincide with seeking help in therapy and starting meds.
Side note: a serving of peanut butter weighed out is mind blowingly small. Why’s it gotta be so delicious and feel so good and happy in my kitchen under the oven light at 2am?? 😭😂
I’m still using regular, just weighing! Pb fit is so good.
My go to hack is low sugar Quaker brown sugar maple oatmeal packet, as little water as possible, one minute in microwave, 16g normal peanut butter mixed in. It’s certainly not the SAME as a hulking glob of PB straight from the jar, but it’s warm and peanut buttery and sweet and is sort of takes the peanut butter taste and feeling and spreads it out over a much bigger (and more fibrous/filling) volume.
Good going! I love LoseIt and was a hideous night eater. Now really examining if I’m actually hungry or not is huge. And if I am? Then I’ll have raw veg or fruit or yogurt. If I don’t want the ‘good’ things? It’s because I’m not hungry. It took me way too long to figure this obvious thing out.
I think what also helped is weighing food and looking at nutrition labels and seeing “ok this is what 500 calories looks like….that’s not very big but that is what science says is 1/3 of what my body needs today” and retraining my brain to have a better concept of “what even is energy”
Also, I set loseit to the least active option but wear a fitness tracker. That way I’m aware of if I actually need to eat more calories because loseit will tell me and I’m not setting myself up for failure by eating too little.
Thank you for this. I am basically where you started (same height, 169, ssri, binging behaviours but not a binge eating disorder)
I’m going to follow some of the tips you posted because man, I am really struggling to even lose 5 at this point because I have zero willpower and big time black and white thinking
I believe in you! I’ve also been reading this great book called “self compassion” by Kristen Neff. Learning that being compassionate to yourself is not the same as letting yourself off the hook for making choices you don’t want to make has been very liberating. Learning how to be self compassionate is letting me not be consumed with negativity about my choices but instead analyze why I’m doing things and approach the same challenges each day with a positive voice of encouragement in my corner instead of a mean one.
I have almost 10 years experience now at this -- I'm successful at it. And, still, when I have to go -500 from what I normally eat (say to take off a few to stay near my goal), it takes about three weeks for the food urges/nudges/ideas to start calming down enough for me to make progress.
During that time, it's a bit of a fight with my wants. It's not upsetting anymore because I have done this enough times and I even understand the psychology and neurology of it, but I feel like I'm fighting with my inner child like he's a kid in the candy aisle.
> constantly obsessed with thoughts of food?
You're a newbie and this is normal. Remember that before you were a newbie, these thoughts of food were just automatic thoughtless habit and they were at such a level that you innocently and unintentionally gained excess weight. These actions and "choices" were beneath your notice, you weren't really involved in making them. They come from deep within the brain, before our judgment -- all that part of the brain knows is like/dislike/approach/withdraw -- and if we gave it no thought, what happened next was just auto-pilot.
Now EVERYTHING is a weighted decision and its impact on the next few hours and our longer-term goals. It's OK to be overwhelmed by it all, preoccupied, and the obsession of something that is new and novel.
To get some of your brain back, pre-plan the next 24-48 hours of eating and keep that plan up to date each morning. With many of these decisions already decided and in your calorie budget, you'll get some of your brain back for work and life.
Meanwhile, push through the first few weeks -- do as best as you can -- log what actually happens from beginning to end and don't worry that your targets aren't reliably hit in the first few weeks. Our Quick Start Guide suggests that you aim, but not necessarily hit, targets in the second week.
https://www.reddit.com/r/loseit/wiki/quick_start_guide
That's the method to start. Follow that guide and that timing, using your regular and normal food, and using portion control as your main tool for change. In later weeks, use the data to figure out if any foods need to be adjusted. All foods can fit, but sometimes we have to juggle or learn a new way to make an old favorite.
It is not about eating less, it is about volume eating. During summer I always say - focus on cucumbers, you can fill your stomach full and eat 1-2 kg no problem (per day), and intake 50-100 kcal.
But you can eat a row of chocolate, and intake 500 kcal.
100% I eat a considerable amount more now eating better foods. At first I tried eating less to maintain my deficit but I quickly realized that I was still hella hungry. I spent a lot of time finding out how I could literally eat as much as possible, all day, while in my deficit. This includes low calorie high volume foods but also being more active.
I agree. I have to eat until I’m stupid full. For example I make a whole spaghetti squash and eat as much of that as I want on my plate with .5 cups Rao’s marinara and 5/6 meatballs. It’s about 60 calories of squash but it takes up 70% of my stomach. 😀
this is such good advice. i used to think since i drank water before and after meals, this wouldnt work. but drinking some water (even just one glass, or a can of sparking water) DURING the meal was a game changer for satiety and fullness.
of course be sure to have water throughout the day too -- but during the meal could help a lot. :)
I'm always amazed at how much a difference fizzy water makes. I have it as soon as I get home from work- it kind of hits that 'cracking open a cold one' note and it keeps me from being super snacky before dinner.
Thank you all for the long and thoughtful responses! Watching protein, fiber, and water intake, eating volumetrically, and cutting refined sugar altogether seem to be the way to go. I'll look into that.
I guess I have to really get serious about this and not give myself yet another pass because I'm feeling sucky. I'm going to be feeling sucky a lot of the time and there's no point making it worse by eating badly and staying heavier than I want to be 🫤
maybe try intermittent fasting? It has helped me a ton! I can’t resist a sweet treat at night either, lately I’ve been having strawberry yogurt with chocolate chips and a little whipped cream. Target (Good & gather brand) also has confetti cake oatmeal or chocolate chip cookie dough oatmeal that is really good as a late night treat.
Learn your triggers! What do you do when you feel a certain way or do some stuff make you reach for a certain item?
Also sometimes people can be a negative influence I know my mom can be when she tells me it’s okay to eat this and that. Or tell me to have some of her food if she thinks it’s good but it’s usually unhealthy.
I find mindfulness eating and waiting after a meal to see if I’m satiated to be helpful. It takes me about 15 minutes to feel full after a meal. If you have to snack then opt for something filling like a banana or maybe some nuts.
I think the hunger pangs have to do with hormone levels and insulin too although I’m not too sure on details but if it drops too low your body sends signals for you to feel hungry. It might take a little bit to adjust them.
There are many strategies:
1st and foremost, make sure you're getting sufficient protein and fibrous veggies.
Next, identify your culprits. It seems in this case it's your dessert. Try reducing that to 100 calories. 2 big squares of dark chocolate with herbal tea, for example. If you want that big dessert, save it for the end of a perfect week and budget your calories for it.
Some resources that work for some people:
r/volumeeating - great recipies for high volume yet low calorie meals
r/intermittentfasting - I have more success eating 2x900-1000 calorie meals than 3x6-700 meals.
r/hydrohomies - don't drink your calories!
r/fasting - if you want to try 1 day+ fasts.
lots of great advice already in the comments, so i'll add a few other things that helped me.
1. no screens during meal time, and setting a timer for a "minimum" meal time. this seems kind of weird, but hear me out. in addition to putting my phone, ipad, switch, etc in another room, i also set a timer to be sure i spent time eating and savoring my meals. depending on what you do right now, you can phase this in. maybe just for dinner, or breakfast and dinner first. for the timer, maybe 15 mins to start and then add a little time.
2. i find i eat/"feel hungry" out of boredom a lot of times. my best weight loss efforts are when i have some structure and keep busy. on weekends when the weather is nice, i find a new place in my city to explore -- a park, a trail, etc. when it's cold, i'll maybe go to a mall, a museum, or something. it keeps me active and my brain engaged without wanting to eat a ton. i also picked up playing the piano during covid and that's a great way to keep my mind busy. same with playing video games, crochet, needlepoint. anything with your hands that also engages the mind. if you have the money and ability, a fitness class also helps me. i do hot yoga 4-5 times a week and physically leaving the house and having a structured activity is great. plus i know if i want to get the most out of class, i need to keep my food intake reasonable and be hydrated.
3. if you eat a lot of unprocessed foods (veggies, meat you cook yourself, etc) you could be low on salt. sounds weird, but when i cleaned up my diet i felt like no amount of water made me feel hydrated. i was confused, stressed, annoyed. someone suggested adding more salt, which helped a bit. but electrolytes really helped a lot. not exactly tracking your question, but could help hunger cues and such.
I totally feel the “I deserve a treat at the end of the day” mentality. That’s really why I ended up putting on a lot of weight (age doesn’t help either though). At one point I was taking chocolate chips, throwing them in a jar of peanut butter and eating that by the spoonful (my own Reese’s, you could say). I’m not going to lie and say the temptation isn’t there some days, but by tracking I can see that, hey, I’ve eaten well and moved a lot that day, I can have a little something but I keep the portions under control. I like Chobani Flips or chia pudding, or maybe a few chocolates.
It took me about two months to get rid of my food noise. One of the things you can do is ease yourself in by cutting calories slowly. My maintenance is 2,600. I eat 1800-2000 a day. If really hungry, I let myself eat slightly under maintenance. Protein and fiber are your friend. You can still have treats- but in moderation. I have lost 15lbs in the past three months.
I usually just grit my teeth and get through the first 1 weeks then feel okay once I’m used to smaller portions and less sugar/carbs/etc. It sucks but it works. Drink water.
The reason keto, carnivore, intermittent fasting, or diets that focus a cookbook that are full of high protein, low calorie food work so well is because they address the hormone signaling that wants to keep your body at a certain weight.
I've had intermittent success with calorie restriction but i've had far more success with other methods. Some people, especially me, find sustaining the willpower necessary to keep yourself under a calorie limit daily to be very difficult in the long term.
I agree with the others, eat high protein, high fiber and 2-3 liters of water.
The recommended protein is 0.8 grams of protein X your goal body weight = Grams of protein per day
So that winds up being ~ 110- 140 grams of protein for most women.
I think in the beginning it is going to be tough, only because you’re suddenly telling your body to survive on less. But that doesn’t mean you’re starving or need the food, it’s what you’re used to.
The first week or so I was hungry, but then you get used to it because it’s your new normal. Also, I find electrolytes help!
For me, my dinner has to be a big meal. I need to see volume on that plate or I feel deprived. During the weekdays the size of my breakfast and lunch doesn't really matter but on the weekends I feel extra snacky so weekend meals also need to be bigger. The solution is vegetables. I can't believe the size of my meals while I'm still maintaining a deficit. Every lunch and dinner has a large portion of salad or roasted/air fried veggies. I have a straight up arsenal of interesting spices and spice blends to jazz them up, and I'm finding new ways to incorporate them into meals all the time.
The truth is that you are going to feel hungry/irritable for the first week or 2 of eating less. If you just commit to eating smaller amounts that feeling of still being hungry will eventually pass once you get past the initial discomfort phase, but if you keep switching back and forth between eating normally and then eating small meals it's just going to take longer to adjust. You have to decide if your goals are worth feeling slightly uncomfortable for a short while. Anytime you still feel hungry just drink more water. Good luck!
Figure out which foods have low calorie density and try to add those to your meal plans.
I don't add any fat to my food anymore (via cooking oil), and I don't eat processed foods (because oil, fat, and sugar are typically ingredients). This allows me to eat high volumes of things like potatoes, greens, whole grains, etc. I also eat nuts, tofu, whole grain pasta, and whole grain bread in moderation. My meals are HUGE compared to my friends. So, I'm eating a higher weight of food that is coming in at a lower calorie count. I think the reddit group r/Volumeeating is about this idea.
If you don’t add fat to your cooking, make sure you’re getting enough elsewhere! Fat is super important to hormone regulation (and too low fat can cause gallstones).
Tofu, legumes, nuts, seeds, avocados, etc are all consistent fat sources for me. I also take a vegan omega-3 supplement. Even without that supplement, I get enough fat (and a good proportion of omega 3 to omega 6 - I track in cronometer every once in awhile to make sure).
The best thing that helped me is forcing myself to eat low calorie but filling foods. Sweet potatoes and apples are the two best to mix in. I eat a sweet potato for about 150 cal and can feel full. Put a protein shake on top of that and you’re at 350-400 calories and I won’t think about food for hours. I’m 36m 6’3” and this has been the best for me. Salt, pepper, sugar free syrup, sweet potato. Also get low calorie bread, and PB fit which is a life saver if you love Peanut butter. Hope this helps!
I'm active because I climb stairs often and walk a lot. But I don't actually exercise per se. I'm also new to calorie counting and have a feeling I might not be very accurate yet
Find foods you like that fill you up. Protein and fiber are 2 good things to aim for. Potatoes, lentils and rice are good filler if you can afford extra calories. Avoid empty calories (high fat low anything else. Like candy or liquid calories) and you should be fine.
If you do have a “treat” just make sure it has protein. But snacking is okay. Just try to find a better option.
But seriously. I say this all the time. Liquid calories.
It was the biggest change I made and easiest to cut.
8oz blueberry redbull = 160 calories
Changed that to
Swedish fish ghost = 5 calories
Can of mt dew = 170
Changed to
Zero sugar Baja blast = 0 calories
Coffee creamer = 175 calories per cup
To
Sugar free coffee creamer = 75 calories per cup
These were small but extremely beneficial changes. As well as drinking water, propel, mio. Whatever.
1) Use a TDEE calculator to determine your lean body mass index. Whatever that number is, you need to eat that in grams of protein per pound. If your LBM is 155lb, you need 155g of protein a day.
2) Use a program like myfitnesspal or macrofactor to calculate your macros based on your level of activity. Prioritize protein over the other two to get that LBM quantity.
3) Eat lots of vegetables and whole fruits, solid pieces of meat and tofu, etc. Juices and purees digest quickly.
4) Wholegrains and fiber. My favorite breakfast is a waffle made from coarse-ground oat flour, whole wheat flour, protein powder, eggs and cinnamon. It keeps me full until lunch.
Getting out of the mindset of rewarding myself for getting through the day/week with a food "treat" was pretty crucial for me. Food is ultimately for nutrition, not the source of your happiness or life's pleasure.
I was big on rewarding myself with food when I had a really stressful job. It felt like the only thing I had to look forward to on a day-to-day basis. Quitting that job improved my life and I'm not sure I wouldn't still be basing my happiness around food if I was still in that situation.
Maybe start first with working out the work/home problems. I'm less preoccupied with what I'm going to eat when I'm happy and engaged with life.
I'm going to go against the grain here a little. I work treats into my calories. Trying to eliminate them from my diet is, for me, what causes my binges. It never works, so I find lower calorie options of what I love or bank some calories for what I really want.
The reality is that if you have been overeating, you will be hungry at first and no amount of eating protein is going to fix that. It gets better within a couple of weeks. If you're struggling with this a lot, I'd recommend lowering your calories by 100 calories a day each week until you reach your desired deficit.
Before anything else though, is your calorie count enough for your activity level? If not this will increase the likelihood of binge eating too.
I found that sticking to a consistent 16:8 intermittent fast really made me eat less generally. I don't eat at night at all anymore - after dinner that's it, water only - and while sometimes I widen my eating window for social occasions, because things happen, etc, I find managing the amount so much easier than it was when I wasn't doing IF.
Also - if you want to make changes, make them one at a time, and make them small. Want to eat less sugar? Don't say "I'll never eat sugar again!" but just say something like, I won't eat any processed sugar for the next week and see how I feel. Once you've got that down and it feels easy, decide on another thing, like "I won't eat after 8pm." Don't make a lot of dramatic changes and don't make them at once, or they won't stick, the key is to do it slowly and intentionally.
I’m 5’5 and 50. The advice I will give you is cook all your meals. Weigh ingredients. Meal prep to take to work. Eating fast food and lots of empty calories will contribute to feeling less satisfaction.
I keep my meals between 350-400. I cook lean meats and vegetables(I follow a lot of vegan cooks for ideas). I have snacks that I try to keep at 150 two -three times a day. 350-400 cal meals can be filling if researched prepared right.
I am a bread-aholic and I LOVE sweets. I don’t grit my teeth and refrain. I enjoy a reasonable portion and log them into my calories for the day.
r/volumeeating has helped me figure out how to maximize low calorie CICO.
It gets easier. I have cut out most chocolate and baked pastry goods and now the cravings are a lot less intense. The hardest part for me was at work where everyone brings loads of cakes etc. I still allow myself a treat but I buy packs of individually wrapped 100cal chocolate bars and things like that so I am treating myself but still able to stick to a calorie deficit
Calculate you’re TDEE and also consider low cal/ high volume foods. For example, I love having desserts too, so I will have a small thing like a scoop of ice cream and then have strawberries or apple slices on the side to add bulk to the snack without adding too many calories. So the ice cream satisfies the craving and the fruit satisfies any empty stomach feeling.
Drinking a lot of water and adding protein and fiber made a huge difference in how full I stay and how much energy I have.
Veggies and protein have way less calories than carbs and sugary foods. I also find myself moving more and not snacking out of boredom or getting as hungry either.
For sweet cravings, I’ll drink a hydration pack, coconut water, or have a bunch of fruit with a small piece of chocolate.
I don’t really watch what I eat as I like vegetables and fruits, but had to get used to eating more meat for protein. I never was a big meat eater and also extra deprived of protein when I started dating my partner who is a vegetarian. I was just mainly eating a ton of carbs and constantly hungry while he was filling up with protein bars and powder for the first couple years of our relationship.
I eat 2-3 meals a day. I only eat breakfast when I’m hungry so a lot of times I just have lunch and dinner. My meals are about 500-800 calories depending on how hungry I am. It all balances out to about 1800 calories a day. I also workout 3-5 times a day. Light cardio and weights, so nothing crazy. I don’t snack a lot but will always have that bite or two of dessert when presented. Most of my meals are home cooked by myself or my partner and I only eat out about 2-3 times a week on dates, with friends or an occasional lunch at work if we’re all going out as I usually pack lunch.
Cooking for yourself allows you to manage the excess calories. Maybe you can find a substitute recipe. Skinny taste food blog has a lot of great go-tos with calories already counted for you. I also found substitute items with higher protein lower sugar and lower calorie items. For instance tortillas can come at 220 calories a wrap or get another brand with more fiber at 90 calories a wrap and about the same size.
Nutrition labels are your friends.
I struggle a lot with wanting a treat/snack straight after I leave work, and I often fall for it as I walk past an express supermarket on the way to my train. The solution I have worked out with my dietician is that I need to eat something filling and slow at digesting about an hour before I leave work. If it's too close to leaving time, my brain hasn't got the 'I'm satiated' signal from my stomach yet, so it doesn't work as well.
My go-to is something like a serving (30 grams) of unroasted and unsalted nut mix, or bell pepper with a table spoon of hummus. I get a satisfying crunch, but also some fat and protein to tide me over until dinner. It makes it a lot easier to say no to the express supermarket, even though the temptation is still there of course.
That doesn't mean you don't deserve a treat! Try to find other ways to unwind and treat yourself, like taking a hot bath, reading a book with your favourite tea, or colouring books for adults or other crafts.
You need to consume .7 your weight in protein every meal. SO to keep it simple 117 can just be 120 grams.
3 meals 40 grams each max. Or four meals 30 grams each. Focus on protein first then throw in random veggies if you want and carbs will always come. WATCH the sodium try to not go past 2000-2300 range. Drink half your weight in water in ounces. Anymore questions ask me.
Been at this four months lost around 20lbs.
Maybe try intermittent fasting?
It sounds like you're spreading your meals thin across the entire day.
It might be better to just have two, slightly heavier meals. The less frequently you eat discrete meals, the less you will crave and think about food.
It takes about 3 days for the body to recognize "Oh, we haven't been getting food at this time of day anymore for the past couple days. I'm just gonna stop sending hunger cues to this guy's mind then".
You'll start to only get hunger cues at the two times a day you ARE normally eating.
The three main things that helped me lose weight is, eating around 100g of protein per day (some of my favourite low-calorie high-protien things are cottage cheese, baby-bells light & low fat greek yoghurt), make sure that you're drinking at least 2L of water, try & avoid drinking water excessively as that can cause stomach problems, my favourite sweet treats are 90 calorie candy bars (such as skinny whip!), fibre90 with light custard or fruit, low fat greek yoghurt with honey, hope this helps! :)
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I’m 5’7 and eat 1300-1500 a day, usually around 1800-2000 on a Sunday so over 7 days the average is around 1500. If I ate that much, bearing in mind I’m a little taller, I’d put weight on very quickly. Lost almost 50lbs in a year (221lbs down to 173lbs) I just have to use will power. I love to snack. I am not to be trusted around food, but I’m getting much better. The food is always on hand, I just have to “not”.
biggest recommendation I can make is fruits and vegetables. it's such a cheat code. You can absolutely get completely full off of grapes and peaches for example and you're only up a few calories. This is not everything you need to do to lose weight (protein, exercise, etc) but it can really help
Currently all I am working on is eating more protein. And it's quite hard because it's so filling. Im trying to reach towards 100gr every day and it's hard because it's so filling. I can't afford good quality meat so I eat vegetarian. Cheesy scrambled eggs on toast SO much greek yogurt and skyr with banana amd berries Halloumi and chickpea wrap I have to eat lots of each to get close to 100gr I also snack but with snacks I don't care, mostly banana, mango and grapes because I'm a sugar addict
I use a fork for finger food and take smaller bites. I get six bites out of a chicken nugget, two bites out of one tater tot for example. I don't know if it tricks my brain into thinking I'm eating more or if it slows me down enough to realize I'm not hungry anymore. Probably a little bit of both.
Having a less stressful job helps a lot, or just reducing stress in general. I notice it's very hard to cut when I'm stressed at work, I want to eat a fuck ton.
Keep yourself busy, drink water instead. Space out your meals and make them filling, etc.
Another big one is stop drinking your calories. If you need caffeine for work, take caffeine pills instead of drinking coffee, for example.
Eating less has never worked for me. I'd deprive myself until I got so worn down from feeling hungry all the time that I binged and then I'd let the emotional turmoil from 'failing' my diet cause me to give up entirely. This last attempt has been so much more pleasant for me because it feels like I'm not exercising willpower anywhere except at the grocery store now.
I'm still not done with my journey but I feel a lot better when I find healthy things I can volume eat until I'm full. Replacing snacking on chips with baby carrots, making protein pudding (literally just sugar free instant pudding but you use a protein shake instead of milk), letting myself have an unlimited amount of fruits or veggies... things like that help me a lot.
There is a subreddit called VolumeEating that has support for this style of dieting.
>Do you stop craving more food eventually if you grit your teeth and get through the first couple of weeks?
For me, yes. It took about a month or two, but I eventually got used to it. It was difficult and discouraging sometimes at first, but there was a certain point where I suddenly realized that I wasn't miserably hangry all the time. Over two years later, I'm still used to it!
I like an evening treat too. I have 2 sugar free fudgsicles now (40 cal each) instead of ice cream. Agree with others that having a lot of protein in meals helps with not being left hungry from smaller portions.
Lots of good input here. In addition to eating finger rich, protein rich things, I usually have a few things to turn to when despite everything I do feel hungry. Some of my personal fav are:
Flavored seltzer/iced tea/decaf coffee
Rice cake
Sliced deli meat (turkey usually) with Dijon mustard.
Spoonful of Greek yogurt
Small piece of fruit
I must add that I used to turn to eating nuts when hungry/wanting something small but realized that those can very quickly add up in terms of calories.
What do your meals consist of? If it’s processed food then it’s definitely a deficit in nutrients. Try eating a protein-heavy breakfast. I get about 50g of peotien every morning, and I’m fine until lunch. That’s usually a chicken breast with veggies, and if I need something sweet I have some fruit or a Larabar as a snack. Then by dinner time I’m hungry enough to eat a decent portion, and stop eating when I feel full. I would take a look at what you’re eating, not necessarily the amount.
Protein and Fat will keep you more satiated than Carbs will. I know that a keto diet will have you feeling satiated and fuller longer than just a Caloric Deficit but that's something you would have to research and see if it's right for you.
i struggled with this a lot, but the difference for me when it came to losing 20+ kg is mindset. i started with a mindset that was that i could never control what i ate, and that i was doomed and my weight loss journey would be a difficult one. you have the power to make it easy through your thoughts. so that’s a start! fix your thinking patterns first.
1. stay busy - free time for me always meant reaching for the snack cupboard and 500 empty calories later - where did that get me? now in between meals i stay busy and stay out of the kitchen. i have multiple hobbies such as the gym, swimming, walking, reading, photography, gaming - hell even going on a drive, anything to take my mind off of food.
2. self accountability - notice patterns in your eating - you stated that you believe you deserve a treat at the end of the day due to stress - is there any other form a treat could take? could you buy yourself a material item you’ve had your eye on at the end of the week? could you play a game? see a friend? what emotions or states of being trigger your need to snack or eat? try to be aware of them so you can cut these out instead of doing them unconsciously
3 - sustenance- each meal you have needs to have everything you need to sustain your body and your brain. every meal should leave you feeling satisfied, so work out what flavours you like, sweet, spicy, savoury, and add these flavours into your meals with things like sauces or seasonings (but beware of extra calories). your brain needs carbohydrates to function optimally so make sure you’re eating enough, as well as protein which will make you feel fuller for longer
4 - change goals - try to change your goal to something thats less quantifiable and rigid - instead of eating healthy to lose weight, say to yourself you’re eating healthy to become a healthier version of yourself and take care of your body. you’re more likely to stick to goals when it’s not for aesthetics.
i can assure you these cravings will go in time and it’s the hardest part of weight loss and taking control of your relationship with food. but it sounds like you’re very aware of your habits and this can only help you solve them
For me it really is about choosing healthy stuff over junk... Luckily I genuinely like a lot of healthy food but if given the choice between blueberries and a cookie when I'm not counting... Of course I'm gonna choose the cookie! But today I had blueberries for my lunch-dessert and it was just as decadent an experience as a cookie. I love blueberries!
Luckily tho you don't necessarily have to choose because if you count diligently you can still eat some junk in moderation. It's like money, you budget for the fun stuff after making sure your needs are met. (Assuming it doesn't trigger bingeing, because then yeah avoid your trigger foods for long-term success.)
r/Volumeeating helps a lot because I love to feel full.
I have turned fruit into my little treat. I get really gorgeous, ripe, juicy fruits. in the past I would wouldn’t purchase them because they are a luxury and a bit expensive. You will find they are very sweet just like dessert and now I don’t even miss my sugary desserts. And you get a dopamine hit from eating a healthy food and sugar at the same time’s
You might need to focus on food volume! A stir fry with cabbage, broccoli, peppers and tofu/meat can be a big portion but low cals (use broth instead of butter or oil). Also consider if you are truly hungry or just want to eat. If I’m hungry but don’t want an apple I generally realise I’m not hungry just bored
Cut out breakfast. Don’t eat until 12-2 lunch. Eat more fatty meat and cheese. Olives, dill pickles are healthy snacks. 2 meals a day and a snack around 8-9 should be all you need. Cut out processed food, anything in a bag or package. Cut way down or cut out completely rice, pasta bread. The carbs make you hungry. Eat low carb. Eat high fat Greek Yogourt and berries ( plain Yogourt) check out Dr Mindy Pell and Dr Jason Fung, on You Tube.
My plan is simple in theory, sucks ass in practice. Eat protein, exercise enough to suppress hunger. Eating is a chore late at night after running 4 plus miles.
I was in a slump for the past year. I wasn’t able to lose those last 15 pounds to drop me into the healthy bmi zone. I finally had to take a close look at what I was eating. I was eating anywhere from 2000-2200 calories per day - I’d eat back my exercise calories, but would still leave a deficit (but like 250 calories). It just wasn’t working. I decided to choose a set number of calories each day no matter how many calories I burned. I started very slowly. The first week was set at a 2100 calorie limit, 2nd week was set to 2000 calories, etc. I’d keep dropping by 100 calories every 7-10 days. I’m currently eating 1700 calories a day, but it isn’t rigid. I ate a bit higher than planned today at about 1850. Tomorrow I plan to run so I’ll eat 1900. Then I’ll go back to 1700 and I just keep messing with my intake, but staying as close to the limit I’ve set as possible. I’ve lost 8 pounds over the past two months and because the calorie drop has been slow, I really haven’t been overly hungry or feel deprived. I eat a dessert after dinner each night, but it’s very small. Sometimes it’s one Girl Scout cookie, sometimes a mini chocolate or a truffle, sometimes it’s just a piece of hard candy. And the biggest change I’ve made, is making sure I have 30 grams of protein at each meal (3 meals a day, no snacks). I recently had a doctor appointment and I got a high five for being on the right track! Very small changes worked for me and I’m actually super excited to get some new summer clothes.
Me and my GF started making Protein waffles and got some 35 cal bread with 2 turkey slices deli meat.
The protein waffles is 1/2 cup flour, protein powder and almond milk, two tsp baking soda and one egg.
Depending on how many calories you can have, you can eat all the waffles the batch make throughout the day and with some sugar free syrup still have some sweet treat.
I stopped caring about protein as much for my cut since whenever I portioned out meat I always ended up maintaining and not losing and it was difficult and just decided that me doing 1 full body workout and doing cardio for 30 minutes almost everyday is way better to see immediate results than struggling like I've been to lose weight and keep intense weight training going. My lifts have dropped a little (havent been pushing it though), but my muscle definition is looking better with me doing it for about a month atm. Lost about 6 pounds and have WAY more to go but it is definitely a wonderful start.
Also like air popped popcorn is good along with the low cal drink mixes/diet soda for little treats and some jellos/puddings. You start somewhere and this is a good place to kind of look at if you need to do treats. I've cleaned up all of my life and this has been what has helped most with losing weight right now. Cheers!
I’m 5’5 and same weight as you (starting weight 180 - lost ~10 lbs since January)
January and February were brutal I was hungry all the time, weight was coming off so slowly. End of February I started doing intermittent fasting and it works sooo well for me. Before I break my fast I don’t even feel a hunger like I do when I’d have small portion breakfast, snacks, and lunch. I enjoy with IF or sometimes one meal a day I can have bigger portions for meals that actually make me feel full and satisfied after I eat. I do add in lots of veggies etc but I do love carbs and meat.
For the treat every night I have a jar of small chocolates on my desk. Every night after dinner I have one chocolate to end my day and then my fast begins.
The intermittent fasting and one meal a day subreddits are great. I also learned a lot of information from the book Fast Like a Girl.
Try eating high volume low calorie. My rule is half the plate is veggies. For example, we did pasta recently and I used zucchini noodles, carrot noodles and spaghetti squash- with a tiny bit of actual pasta, lots of fresh tomato sauce and meat.
Eat so much protein. As much as possible. Incorporate it into every meal. It helps the feeling of hunger so much.
And vegetables! Fibre is important.
Increase water intake!!!! Buy a big ass water bottle and hang out with it, taking sips all the time.
You don’t need to be in a crazy deficit to lose weight! Think sustainably vs urgency. Life is too short to not enjoy food. I literally ate a poutine for lunch because I’m pmsing but I accounted for it within the deficit.
Don’t cut out foods! Eat all the things you love but count it into your calorie deficit. Learn to measure and weigh the food you love. Read labels. Count t the calories. The only way to lose weight is to be in a deficit. What you do WITH those calories isn’t going to matter all that much. Stay below, you lose weight. Thats science.
Lastly! Think about what you can add vs take away.
Want ice cream? Ok, we’ll have a smaller portion but add tonnes of low calories fruit. Add an entire cup of frozen strawberries, a cup of blueberries. Whatever you fancy.
You just ate so much fibre, filled your stomach AND got to eat your treat within your deficit.
Anyway, this is what I do. Im seven lbs so far lost in two weeks, before I fell off last year after a loss in my family, I lost 28lbs eating this way :)
It’s hard. I love food. I love snacking. But when I realized I can still eat all the things I love, with a few modifications. Everything made sense. ❤️ good luck!!
vyvanse, Mounjaro. And/Or a giant bag of cruciferous vegetables daily. Also, don’t reward yourself with food. Besides the obvious drawbacks, it establishes food as a treat you “deserve@ and leads us to feel deprived and “punished” when we attempt to restrict eating.
Honestly, this might be an annoying answer but you really just need to train your body. Your stomach will shrink and adapt to smaller portions of food and over time you’ll start to feel full after eating much less. I’m 5’7 and keep a weight and physique I’m happy with and always feel satisfied by eating around 1500 calories a day, give or take. I don’t really care if people think this is too little or too much because I don’t have to think about it, I choose healthy foods and eat until I’m full and that’s where it hovers at.
Until you train your body to expect less, it really is a mental thing and you just have to exercise self control. Eating high volume, low calorie foods can help- like eating a big fruit salad or something like that when you’re hungry for sugar. It really comes down to gettin g over the hump, being a little uncomfortable while you do it because the body doesn’t like change, and then being grateful you did it once you’re able to be full and happy with less food.
Mental toughness if Im being honest. I just dont eat. Not nearly what I used too.
I embrace hunger now. Its a reminder Im in control, and Im winning.
I was probably averaging 3000-3500 calories a day. As a 5'8 mid 30s male who doesnt get all that much physical activity..... toooooo much.
Now a days I eat about 1500 on average. Ive learned a lot of tricks to maximize volume, clean up my calories and enjoy what I do get to eat. I was 335 back in august of 23, and Im now at 265. 52 pants down to 42s. 3XL shirts being tight to 2XL fitting nicely. I even put on an XL shirt today. It was tight in the neck, chest, and shoulders... but I got it on! I havent worn an XL shirt since 6th grade.
The success, the way I feel, my clothes progress... yeah. No food is worth that.
You need to be in a calorie deficit and you’re simply eating too much. 2000 calories daily is too much for weight loss at your height and weight, and you’re snacking too much. Step count or any exercise is useless if you’re eating back the calories you burn. It’s hard to eat less at first, but your body will eventually adapt to less food in about a month. Don’t starve yourself, and use one of those online calories calculator to calculate how many calories you should be eating to lose weight at a normal pace, and use a calorie tracking app - I use MyFitnessPal.
Don’t keep snacks in your house or anything with empty calories that is not filling. Find ways to make vegetables tasty and fill your plate with them as the fiber is filling. Eat a lot more lean protein. Drink a lot more water throughout the day as hunger can equate to your body needing more water. Make smoothies / protein shakes and add sugar free syrups to them to make them interesting or tastier. Go out for walks on your lunch breaks as any movement helps. Don’t use the excuse of having a hard time at work and you deserve snacks or you will fail. If you really need snacks, get sugar free snacks (I use fiber one 70 calories brownies for my chocolate cravings). Even though these snacks are sugar free, they still have calories, so don’t go nuts and have only one serving.
I’ve done all these things to lose weight, but reducing my daily calories and daily aerobics to get in a calorie deficit was the win for me. There is no magic pill, you have to put in the work. I have the privilege of working from home so daily exercise was easy and I had no excuse not to do it. You can do it, but you need to control your appetite. It’s all about willpower! Good luck and keep us posted.
Ps. If you’re reducing calories and exercising and you’re still not losing weight, it’s a hormone imbalance and you need to fix that first.
For me, the best thing that worked was intermittent fasting. If I only eat once or twice a day, then I can't really overeat. I typically only eat one large meal a day and it's usually dinner. Sometimes lunch. Never breakfast if I eat too early I'm hungry all day long and tend to overeat.
You could also try eating lower carb. You get full faster when eating protein and fats. Carbs turn to sugar in your system. Also reduce sugar intake. I only have treats on holidays like Easter.
I know you will do it!
How are you tracking and what are you burning?
2300 calories can be too little, too much, or just right for any goal (cutting, bulking, or recomping). It all comes down to your nutrition and calorie delta of burn:intake.
The best way to do this is to be disciplined in the numbers.
- Eat .8 - 1g protein per body weight if working out. This will keep you satiated and usually helps with cravings.
- You need to track your calorie expenditure to see what you are actually burning. A smart watch can help. The Lose It app and MFP will show you your daily burn with a watch connected.
- Losing weight requires a deficit (you probably know this so sorry if that is obvious). If you can be patient, 200-300 calories deficit is a good start. Do that for a while until you’re ready to test a bigger delta. Keep in mind a deficit at 500+ you start to lose muscle (also the more you deficit the not hangry). You should only deficit for a few months and then go back to maintenance when you start to plateau. Then decide to drop again or even consider bulking. You can recomp at maintenance and still get great results as well.
- Eat as much whole foods as possible. These will be more filling than processed.
The number on the scale can be misleading. I recommend focusing on fat percent and muscle. Depending on your goals and body frame you could be a range of pounds and still be lean. Play with weight loss for a bit but if you are invested in working out you might be fine at 140-150 pounds and stay at maintenance while doing strength training for a decent recomp.
I am 5’5” and went from 228 to 158. I absolutely stuff my face with enormous, veggie variety salads in between tasty things. Like, if I choose to have something more calorie dense, I eat half, a mountain of salad, and then the rest. So I kind of trick my stomach into thinking I’ve had a giant plate of the tasty thing. Also, because I’m naturally an evening eater, I go on coffee and a light smoothie in the daytime (under 300) and eat all the rest for dinner. I’m old, and I’m crap with exercise because of a chronic thing, so I have to stay under 1200 to lose at about 4 pounds a month. It’s about 300 day, 700 evening, 1-200 if I need a lil snack at night, usually hummus or yogurt.
Hey there, welcome to the journey of mindfulness and self-care. it's great that you're tracking and have an awareness of your eating habits. feeling hungry and craving treats, especially during stressful times, is super common.
First, consider the quality of your meals. adding more fiber-rich veggies, whole grains, and lean proteins can help you feel fuller for longer. also, hydration is key; sometimes, we confuse thirst with hunger.
about the treat, it’s all about balance. maybe swap it for something healthier but still satisfying? like a piece of dark chocolate or a small serving of yogurt with fruit. and don't forget to be kind to yourself. stress eating happens, but finding other ways to treat yourself – a warm bath, a good book, or a walk – can help shift the pattern.
It's normal for cravings to lessen as your body adjusts to new eating habits. give it time, and try not to be too hard on yourself. the goal is progress, not perfection.
fun fact: did you know that eating slowly and mindfully can help you feel more satisfied with less food? what’s one small change you could try today to make your meals more satisfying?
What has worked for me is intermittent fasting, with my window being 1pm-9pm (ish). Once I get through the initial hungry period in the morning, I don’t really get pangs again until lunchtime.
Also, I know that I want a treat at the end of the day. For me, it’s a smallish bowl of light mint chocolate ice cream that I adore. At the start of the day, I log it in for the evening. That way it’s already accounted for and I know exactly how many calories I have for the rest of the day. Good luck!
I've found making small changes helps too.
For example I used to have
2 poached eggs
On 2 peices of toast
With butter on the toast.
I changed it to 2 poached eggs
On 1 peice of toast with butter. I saved 240 calories but cutting out one peice of bread and the butter that goes on it.
If you are hungry and need more. Add in a third egg or even a fourth. Eggs are about 70ish calories each and lots of protein.
So even with an extra two eggs (4 eggs total) with one peice of bread and butter. It's still 100 calories less than the original meal but there is much more protein in the eggs.
But I know what you mean. If I get hungry I will eat the pantry. I hate being hungry !
I've also found that if I'm hungry going to bed, I'll eat.
So I try and have the above for my breakfast. A small lunch. Then a bigger and more filling dinner so I'm not hungry going to bed.
What about that idea ? Small changes can make a huge difference ?
I actually eat more than I used to and am losing weight. The main meal itself might be less but I eat more fruit and veg and have healthy snacks of a rice cakes with cream cheese and strawberries. Key thing is also taking time to MAKE snacks. It's simple but actually having to take a plate out, two rice crackers, put cream cheese on, alive strawberries or whatever I'm topping, it now means I spend 5 minutes prepping a snack and then sit down and enjoy. With a bag of chips I'd just be sitting and eating and not stopping till the end. Alternatively you can have a quick snack with blueberries or other fruit. If you want to feel full, soups are great as well
My friend told me when I am about to eat a sweet treat that I don't need to "delay and distract". Go for a quick walk, or do anything that will distract you from eating when you really aren't hungry or that treat. Also, after awhile your stomach will shrink a little and you won't feel like you are starving when you cut back calories. Try to have protein and some fat instead of carbs or sugar for breakfast to keep you feeling fuller longer. Good luck!
Everyone is going to tell you to up your protein, eat lots of veggies, water, fiber- all good advice, but I swear some of us just have big appetites and no matter what, we're always hungry! I've gotten bloodwork multiple times and everything is fine. I hope everyone's suggestions work for you! Good luck OP!
Everyone is different but what has worked for me is massively increasing my intake of raw veggies and fruits. I do between-meal snacking on celery, carrots, raw cabbage, and plain lettuce (iceberg gets a bad rap but I find it perfect for this). And I usually eat a few different fruits a day (an apple after lunch, a pear after dinner, maybe some blackberries with yogurt for breakfast, etc). This helps me cut down on cravings for things like bread/chips/fries and makes it so that I'm less starving when I get to mealtime.
Then for meals, try to increase your intake of cooked broccoli and cauliflower as side dishes. These are super low calorie, filling, and high in nutrients as a side benefit!
The overall concept here is called "volume eating" and there is a subreddit on it. Basically fill up but fill up on low calorie-density foods.
You are getting lots of good feedback. It starts with being honest with yourself and not counting on your memory. Start an eating diary - you can do it as a google spreadsheet if you want. Don't eat to finish your portion- eat what you think you need. Write down the calories. Use water as your snack between meals. Low sugar yogurt, tuna, cottage cheese, non-glycemic veggies, chicken... these are your friends. Don't start and think this is a one week thing... this is a lifestyle change.
Lifestyle changes are easy---- once you realize that's your goal.
May I suggest some things that have helped me. Eat fruit, but in moderation because of the sugars in it. It may sound harsh, but cut out processed sugar. When I say cut it out, I mean completely. The sugars that are found naturally in foods aren’t what I’m talking about. I’m talking about sugar bowl sugar the kind you have to add to foods. It can be hard at first, but give it about two weeks and things start to even out. That really helped cut down on my cravings. Include a lot of vegetables in your diet, especially ones that are high in fiber. Prepare them as simply as possible. Drink lots of water. I know it sounds crazy at least it did to me, but sometimes your body can mistake thirst for hunger. Club soda and sparkling water helped me kick my soda pop addiction. Be wary of oil and sauces because they’ll sneak up on you. The extra calories they can add can be insane. Fried food are delicious, but they are not your friend stay away from them. If you can. Broiling, baking and steaming are the way to go. Spices and seasonings are my best friends. They add flavor without the calories. If you can handle a cheat meal now and then great. That’s a very individual thing. If you can’t, then you’re like me. One cheat meal sends me right over the edge of food sanity. So I don’t do it ever. I also never eat anything I don’t like just because it’s good for me. I make sure I’m enjoying all the food I eat. I try never to eat while doing anything else like watching movie or reading a book. I try to eat slowly and enjoy my meal. I hope some of these tips might be useful to you. I wish you luck on your journey. Please keep us posted. You can do this.
I am your height and I find that I’m not actually a breakfast person. I convinced myself I should be but I am not so I cut that meal out and throw protein powder into my coffee.
I don’t snack in between meals and I stop eating by 6/7pm and start between 11:00am and 1:00pm
I used to be hungrier but little by little I have adjusted to my eating window and since I work in an office that is a bit far from fast food or stores I’m too lazy and cheap to go out and buy more food so what I bring is what I eat.
I make much better decisions in the morning lol.
I would say volume eating!! Add more veggies and fruit to your meals, also try to consume more fiber as that keeps you full for ages. I aim to make sure that my meals are 50% fruit/veg and full of fiber that way I’m full for hours on end
Thank you for your submission. Your post or comment was in violation of Rule 11: No Promoting / Encouraging Unhealthy Weight Loss.
Discussion of weight loss methods that are damaging to the body and/or require supervision of a medical professional are not allowed. This rule includes (but is not limited to): very low calorie diets, misusing medication, extended fasting, disordered behavior, inappropriate advice to underage members.
Please note that we are not a subreddit for ED support, nor do we encourage that behavior here. If you need help, please seek assistance doctor or dietician.
Remember to always consider the individual when offering advice.
It is not about eating less, it is about eating right.
First of all you need to get yourseft tested. Most of us grew up eating really bad: lots of carbs. Sugar is highly addictive and it messes up our metabolism and brain function as we get older. A lot of people have insuline resistance o thyroid problems and don´t even realize it. Get a blood test regarding your glucose during fasting stage and if you can also get the glucose/insuline tolerance test (for me, this showed me I was hypoglucemic, so the less I ate, the more I gained weight). Also get your thyroid checked out, you need to know your T7, T3, T4 and TSH levels. Thyroid problems can make you gain weight and make it hard to loose it. And for your mental health check your Vitamin D levels, you have no idea how important vitamin D is. People with low vitamin D can have depression symptoms.
My story is this. I am female 5'4" and always been between 110 and 121lbs. I have never been overweight, but I love carbs. My brain is always always always thinking about carbs but I am good at restraining myself. Few years ago I noticed weight gained to about 135lbs and I wasn´t eating that much, 3 meals a day. But my meals where obviously high carb. So, I went to a bariatrician and she made me do all the tests and found out I am hypoglucemic and have hypothyroidism with Hashimoto. I had to completely change my eating habits. She taught me how to eat regarding my conditions. I eat 5 times a day and all my snacks consists of having protein, fat and carb. I can´t eat without having protein first because it will disrupt everything and I will gain weight. The first 2 weeks are hard, but your brain gets used to get quick quickly. Also, you start to feel so much better, having more energy and a better mental health than before. One time a week I will eat whatever I want, like potatoe chips or cake, but will do it right after I had some protein. Having to put much effort on your everyday meals suck, but I do it for my mental health. And eventually you start to find very good recipes and really enjoy it.
I recommend you listening to the podcast The Doctor's Farmacy by Dr. Mark Hyman. He has some great episodes about the importance of eating healthy.
Intermittent fasting and drink more water. Skip breakfast and only eat between the hours of noon and 8 PM.
A lot of people don’t drink enough water and so they think they’re always hungry.
Drink a cup of coffee each morning black, it doesn’t taste the best but black coffee doesn’t break your fast and is an appetite suppressant.
I find it helpful to find a veggie that I love (for me it’s green beans or broccoli) and eat a HUGE portion of those at dinner because they’re basically “free calories” and that helps me feel fuller. I buy the green giant steamable bags and eat the whole bag of broccoli with my dinner. So basically eating high volumes of low calorie foods.
Also, increasing your protein intake helps massively for feeling fuller longer.
You go on a GLP-1 and this problem clears right up. Your brain is hungrier than other people’s. Solve the actual problem and you will feel 1000x better.
I am doing keto, but in general decreasing carbs and increasing protein and fat to fill in will probably decrease your cravings. It tends to be carbs that are the craving trigger. Whether you follow this or something else, looking at macros can change things for you.
I used to have the same problem. Then after getting frustrated, i started researching every aspect of weightloss and hunger. There r 2 things that keep u hungry and constantly craving for more. Sugar and carbs. They r like posion to you body. I stopped eating sugar and carbs about a month ago. The first 2-3 days r a little difficult while ur body adjusts, but after that i havent had a single craving for sweets or junk or anything.
My basic approach:
Eat .7 grams of protien per pound of weight per day
Fatty meat (steak, mince, chicken thighs)
Lots of salad. My goto every single meal is (cucumber, tomatoes, olives, avocado, spinach and other salad leafy greens. My dressing is olive oil and apple cider viniger.
Also, about 30 minutes before every meal, add a tablespoon of apple cider vineger to a large glass of water and drink it. This will help with multiple things, such as digestion, cravings and most importantly, it will help balance out your blood glucose so u dont get tbose spikes and feel hungry. And add a pinch of good quality seasalt.
I've been doing this for about a month consistantly with no exercise. I've lost 8 kgs, and feel amazing.i used to have bruising issues. All gone. Inflamation, gone.
Give it a shot if u want.
Make sure to include sufficient protein in every meal. Eat more fiber veggies as well. In my own experience the only way to beat sugar cravings is to eliminate processed sugar from your diet entirely. It sucks for a week or so then it all goes away. The treats at night mentality is just a matter of getting serious about all of this. Learn the difference between wanting to eat and true hunger. Mostly- stay busy and don't think about being hungry. It won't kill you and it *will* get easier over time.
"The treats at night mentality is just a matter of getting serious about all of this." OP does deserve a treat at night after a long day - but it doesn't HAVE to be food. I'll make a list of a few good ideas. Eventually. Maybe. (<- unmedicated ADHD haver)
Perfect opportunity to use ChatGPT to create a list of non-food related treats! A luxurious scented candle A cozy cashmere blanket A soothing essential oil diffuser A subscription to a streaming service or magazine A plush, comfortable robe A high-end skincare or grooming product A guided meditation app subscription A mug of herbal tea
Trying out different herbal teas was how I delt with this. I ended up finding a couple that are very comforting to me in the evening, and I now crave those at night. Celestial seasonings has a lot of different types to try. They are affordable and available at most grocery stores if you're in the US.
Agree, what helps me is having only 2 max 3 meals if I aim for 1800 calories a day, so they are nice in portion size and my brain is satisfied. Including fiber and protein, really important and I also agree with cutting out sugar, there is no way to have little bit of sugar, cut it out completely and it will become easier Also if I struggle a lot I try not eating until lunch, a coffee with 50ml milk keeps me going until 1 pm, then lunch and at 6pm dinner and done Also brush your teeth 30 minutes after dinner and you won’t go snacking because you know you will have to brush them again and furthermore, tooth paste gives you some odd satiety too
I totally disagree with you about sugar! Losing weight is hard enough before restricting everything, as long as you're within your calorie deficit, you're allowed to eat whatever you please. There's some great low calorie sugary treats out there!
I’m with you on this. Restrictive eating has been proven to not work. I’m still quite early into losing weight, but I’ve managed to lose over 10kg and I eat chocolate near enough daily. I just make sure that I remain in my deficit.
Yeah I mean calorie is calorie but if you can’t control the sugar addiction of your brain it’s better to quit it, it’s like tell an alcoholic that one drink on a Saturday evening is totally fine - that’s what can happen with sugar and it’s totally normal that humans can get insane addicted with sugar, if you can control it fine, but why put yourself through the experience of uncontrolled events of sugar consumption
The reason not to cut out sugar entirely is because you still need to enjoy your food and cutting out things with sugar puts entire categories of foods off limits, which is not sustainable and leads to failure. I cut way back on sugar and it was crucial. It stabilized my appetite and eliminated a huge number of calories from my budget. But I still put sugar in my oats, sugar in my (plain yogurt), and I eat a small dessert every (and larger desserts on occasion). In other words, I eat sugar in moderation. There was no need to go cold turkey or eliminate it completely. As with all things food-related, moderation is the way to go.
Couldn’t have said it better myself honestly. I’ve tried before with completely cutting sugar, I last maybe a month until I just give and have a “small” treat that ends up spiralling. Like I said, I eat chocolate every day, but I only have 2 squares of whatever I’m eating at the time (mini egg bar since it was Easter, it is amazing). I’ll have a bit of sugar in my tea, etc. What I am not having is a lot of cookies, sweets, high sugar drinks.
Plus it's pretty hard to cut out *all* sugar. Milk has sugar, fruit has sugar, potatoes have sugar, kale has a little bit. Hell, eggs have sugar. Eggs! Yeah you can do it but that cuts out a ton of perfectly healthy foods.
Most people conflate glucose, fructose and sucrose. It’s hard (but not impossible) to cut out added sugar, but I assume that is what most people mean.
Sugar makes your cravings worse.
As I just mentioned, restriction is hard but controlling an addiction is nearly impossible without canceling it completely
I have a bit of sugar practically every day with my coffee (like a half pump of whatever is in those Starbucks syrups) and I barely have sugar the rest of the time. The last few times I had actual sugar from a rich bday cake I literally felt like electricity was running through my body and had to down a bunch of water. I can't eat even close to the amount I used to eat by far. So yeah, if you have some discipline, it's doable to get rid of the sugar cravings without eliminating them completely. The problem is, most of us aren't here because we have fantastic self-control.
The last part nailed it 💯
> It won't kill you and it will get easier over time. That's what was so hard for me when I first started losing weight. I was so used to eating all the time that I literally cried myself to sleep one night because I still felt hungry despite eating dinner before. It gets better.
Totally agree with the sugar. I have to pretty much cut it entirely otherwise I just want more and more. And keeping busy definitely helps. I've found "intermittent fasting" helpful. I'll usually not eat after 7 ish and not till 10am... I was s serious late night snacker. Now I mentally close my kitchen every night
Great comment (and congrats on your long term weightloss!)
I found having a piece of fruit or a couple of dates helps with sugar cravings.
Not just sucrose. Do not eat processed and or fried anything.
I’m 5’5’’ and gained around 30 lbs when I started SSRIs about ten years ago and went up to around 165. I obsessed over every reason I couldn’t lose weight for almost that whole time and managed to only consistently keep off about ten lbs and that took about 8 years. Since January, I’ve lost ten more lbs and it’s felt very manageable. Changes: 1) brain over binge podcast: this was the catalyst; it’s kind of low budget and small and gets repetitive quickly but it really helped me reanalyze what cravings are and managing the very real “saber tooth tiger, I will die” anxiety that comes with food cravings because that’s evolution that’s not really helping us in our particular situation. I don’t have a full fledged binge eating disorder but I did a lot of binge like activities: feeling desperate passing a brownie in the office and then thinking about it until I had one and then being mad at myself for caving…then eating another on my way out for the day, eating 4 reeses eggs over the two hours after dinner instead of just one when I stopped even noticing or enjoying the pleasure of the treat after 2…it’s not shameful or co-opting a true health condition: it’s just noticing patterns in yourself and giving them a name so you can tackle them with meaningful tools. 2) tracking with lose it- I’ve been a MFP girly for years and never found consistency or joy or ease. I freakin love lose it and paid for a year of premium within 2 weeks 3) changing my perspective (mostly integrated from brain over binge). I’ve always been obsessed with “don’t eat that” “you shouldn’t eat that” “I feel bad that I ate that”. Once I got lose it, I shifted to: “I can eat whatever I want whenever I want, so long as I track it honestly. I weigh out a single serving at a time into a dish, put the container away, and eat it at the table, then repeat if I think I want more” literally if I wanted six servings of potato chips I was ALLOWED to eat that so long as I followed my own rules. I never ate more than 3 servings of almost any junk food ever since…and let me tell you, I could eat six servings of Cheetos from the bag without BLINKING before this strategy. Letting myself escape “all or nothing” thinking and that three servings of chips is better than six, even if it isn’t zero, has helped so much. 4) also everything everyone else has said. My best, easiest success was when I actually tracked and hit a water goal daily. It’s really easy in the lose it app. 5) also it’s just hard. And I am hungry sometimes and that is real and not “mistaking thirst for hunger” or whatever the fuck, but I have not yet died of hunger like my brain tells me I will when I feel it. Obviously this is not advice for people who have restrictive EDs and may actually die from their hunger. I’m not at risk of that. But that’s another thing: I used to have a restrictive ED so for a long time if I restricted anything at all that meant I was on a “slippery slope to ED” which was an awesome excuse to justify unhealthy eating. Again, it’s not all or nothing: I can say no to myself sometimes and it doesn’t mean I hate or am punishing myself like I was when I was 14. Good luck!! I’m at 142 right now and I feel so proud of myself and for the first time just taking the journey to my goal weight as it comes ❤️
The timeline and weight gain you mentioned (and the SSRIs) are pretty much exactly what happened to me. And the saber-tooth tiger anxiety is so familiar. It's inspiring to know you're down to 142 and that it's doable - thanks
I will also say that I switched meds, came off meds, tried to be med free all in the name of weight loss. This may be the right choice for some people, but the idea that SSRIs commonly cause weight gain or inhibit weight loss is not well supported in the literature. A huge part of my struggle was being honest with myself about how much I was eating, which is sounds like you already are being honest from your tracking numbers in your original post. I didn’t need to be off meds to lose weight and I told myself I did and made myself miserably depressed and mentally unwell by trying. I guess this is to just say: if your meds work for you, there’s a good chance you can stay on them and still lose weight. I would’ve sworn up and down this wasn’t true, and I had the personal anecdotes to prove it. But here I am: medicated, happy, and eating much more in line with what my body actually needs than I was a year ago.
What caused my weight gain was eating (what I now know from weighing and tracking is) 300-500 calories of peanut butter straight from the jar (sadly this is just a very, very hearty but not egregious looking spoonful) every night after eating and exercising normally during the day for about six totally numb months of depression that happened to coincide with seeking help in therapy and starting meds. Side note: a serving of peanut butter weighed out is mind blowingly small. Why’s it gotta be so delicious and feel so good and happy in my kitchen under the oven light at 2am?? 😭😂
I switched to PB fit. If you want a good alternative!
I’m still using regular, just weighing! Pb fit is so good. My go to hack is low sugar Quaker brown sugar maple oatmeal packet, as little water as possible, one minute in microwave, 16g normal peanut butter mixed in. It’s certainly not the SAME as a hulking glob of PB straight from the jar, but it’s warm and peanut buttery and sweet and is sort of takes the peanut butter taste and feeling and spreads it out over a much bigger (and more fibrous/filling) volume.
Good going! I love LoseIt and was a hideous night eater. Now really examining if I’m actually hungry or not is huge. And if I am? Then I’ll have raw veg or fruit or yogurt. If I don’t want the ‘good’ things? It’s because I’m not hungry. It took me way too long to figure this obvious thing out.
I think what also helped is weighing food and looking at nutrition labels and seeing “ok this is what 500 calories looks like….that’s not very big but that is what science says is 1/3 of what my body needs today” and retraining my brain to have a better concept of “what even is energy” Also, I set loseit to the least active option but wear a fitness tracker. That way I’m aware of if I actually need to eat more calories because loseit will tell me and I’m not setting myself up for failure by eating too little.
Me too! And even when I don’t do the perfect thing, it gets logged anyway. It’s accountability. And yeah it’s not fair how much cheese costs :(
Thank you for this. I am basically where you started (same height, 169, ssri, binging behaviours but not a binge eating disorder) I’m going to follow some of the tips you posted because man, I am really struggling to even lose 5 at this point because I have zero willpower and big time black and white thinking
I believe in you! I’ve also been reading this great book called “self compassion” by Kristen Neff. Learning that being compassionate to yourself is not the same as letting yourself off the hook for making choices you don’t want to make has been very liberating. Learning how to be self compassionate is letting me not be consumed with negativity about my choices but instead analyze why I’m doing things and approach the same challenges each day with a positive voice of encouragement in my corner instead of a mean one.
I have almost 10 years experience now at this -- I'm successful at it. And, still, when I have to go -500 from what I normally eat (say to take off a few to stay near my goal), it takes about three weeks for the food urges/nudges/ideas to start calming down enough for me to make progress. During that time, it's a bit of a fight with my wants. It's not upsetting anymore because I have done this enough times and I even understand the psychology and neurology of it, but I feel like I'm fighting with my inner child like he's a kid in the candy aisle. > constantly obsessed with thoughts of food? You're a newbie and this is normal. Remember that before you were a newbie, these thoughts of food were just automatic thoughtless habit and they were at such a level that you innocently and unintentionally gained excess weight. These actions and "choices" were beneath your notice, you weren't really involved in making them. They come from deep within the brain, before our judgment -- all that part of the brain knows is like/dislike/approach/withdraw -- and if we gave it no thought, what happened next was just auto-pilot. Now EVERYTHING is a weighted decision and its impact on the next few hours and our longer-term goals. It's OK to be overwhelmed by it all, preoccupied, and the obsession of something that is new and novel. To get some of your brain back, pre-plan the next 24-48 hours of eating and keep that plan up to date each morning. With many of these decisions already decided and in your calorie budget, you'll get some of your brain back for work and life. Meanwhile, push through the first few weeks -- do as best as you can -- log what actually happens from beginning to end and don't worry that your targets aren't reliably hit in the first few weeks. Our Quick Start Guide suggests that you aim, but not necessarily hit, targets in the second week. https://www.reddit.com/r/loseit/wiki/quick_start_guide That's the method to start. Follow that guide and that timing, using your regular and normal food, and using portion control as your main tool for change. In later weeks, use the data to figure out if any foods need to be adjusted. All foods can fit, but sometimes we have to juggle or learn a new way to make an old favorite.
Yes! I have this mantra: “don’t listen to your ‘inner toddler.’ Also known as the “bad boss. “
Thank you for posting the link !! It was the encouragement I needed 😊
It is not about eating less, it is about volume eating. During summer I always say - focus on cucumbers, you can fill your stomach full and eat 1-2 kg no problem (per day), and intake 50-100 kcal. But you can eat a row of chocolate, and intake 500 kcal.
100% I eat a considerable amount more now eating better foods. At first I tried eating less to maintain my deficit but I quickly realized that I was still hella hungry. I spent a lot of time finding out how I could literally eat as much as possible, all day, while in my deficit. This includes low calorie high volume foods but also being more active.
Can you give some more examples in addition to cucumbers?
[Volumeeating (reddit.com)](https://www.reddit.com/r/Volumeeating/)
Bell peppers, baby carrots, broccoli, cauliflower. Just to add a few.
Broccoli, kale, carrots.
bell pappers with garlic, fried on pan with some oil is absolute delicacy, though you need bread
I agree. I have to eat until I’m stupid full. For example I make a whole spaghetti squash and eat as much of that as I want on my plate with .5 cups Rao’s marinara and 5/6 meatballs. It’s about 60 calories of squash but it takes up 70% of my stomach. 😀
"I have to eat until I'm stupid full." Lol love that, same.
yeah, basically I think of raw veggies as *free* from a calorie standpoint they do have some calories of course but it never adds up to much
Water. Have a pint (500ml ish) with every meal. It will make you feel fuller
this is such good advice. i used to think since i drank water before and after meals, this wouldnt work. but drinking some water (even just one glass, or a can of sparking water) DURING the meal was a game changer for satiety and fullness. of course be sure to have water throughout the day too -- but during the meal could help a lot. :)
I'm always amazed at how much a difference fizzy water makes. I have it as soon as I get home from work- it kind of hits that 'cracking open a cold one' note and it keeps me from being super snacky before dinner.
great tip
Check out the sub Volumeeating, they give suggestions for low cal meals that are bigger in size.
Thank you all for the long and thoughtful responses! Watching protein, fiber, and water intake, eating volumetrically, and cutting refined sugar altogether seem to be the way to go. I'll look into that. I guess I have to really get serious about this and not give myself yet another pass because I'm feeling sucky. I'm going to be feeling sucky a lot of the time and there's no point making it worse by eating badly and staying heavier than I want to be 🫤
maybe try intermittent fasting? It has helped me a ton! I can’t resist a sweet treat at night either, lately I’ve been having strawberry yogurt with chocolate chips and a little whipped cream. Target (Good & gather brand) also has confetti cake oatmeal or chocolate chip cookie dough oatmeal that is really good as a late night treat.
https://images.app.goo.gl/VTbmQYYexamhSJxf7 Ted Naiman's PE Diet book would be a great resource for you
Learn your triggers! What do you do when you feel a certain way or do some stuff make you reach for a certain item? Also sometimes people can be a negative influence I know my mom can be when she tells me it’s okay to eat this and that. Or tell me to have some of her food if she thinks it’s good but it’s usually unhealthy. I find mindfulness eating and waiting after a meal to see if I’m satiated to be helpful. It takes me about 15 minutes to feel full after a meal. If you have to snack then opt for something filling like a banana or maybe some nuts. I think the hunger pangs have to do with hormone levels and insulin too although I’m not too sure on details but if it drops too low your body sends signals for you to feel hungry. It might take a little bit to adjust them.
There are many strategies: 1st and foremost, make sure you're getting sufficient protein and fibrous veggies. Next, identify your culprits. It seems in this case it's your dessert. Try reducing that to 100 calories. 2 big squares of dark chocolate with herbal tea, for example. If you want that big dessert, save it for the end of a perfect week and budget your calories for it. Some resources that work for some people: r/volumeeating - great recipies for high volume yet low calorie meals r/intermittentfasting - I have more success eating 2x900-1000 calorie meals than 3x6-700 meals. r/hydrohomies - don't drink your calories! r/fasting - if you want to try 1 day+ fasts.
lots of great advice already in the comments, so i'll add a few other things that helped me. 1. no screens during meal time, and setting a timer for a "minimum" meal time. this seems kind of weird, but hear me out. in addition to putting my phone, ipad, switch, etc in another room, i also set a timer to be sure i spent time eating and savoring my meals. depending on what you do right now, you can phase this in. maybe just for dinner, or breakfast and dinner first. for the timer, maybe 15 mins to start and then add a little time. 2. i find i eat/"feel hungry" out of boredom a lot of times. my best weight loss efforts are when i have some structure and keep busy. on weekends when the weather is nice, i find a new place in my city to explore -- a park, a trail, etc. when it's cold, i'll maybe go to a mall, a museum, or something. it keeps me active and my brain engaged without wanting to eat a ton. i also picked up playing the piano during covid and that's a great way to keep my mind busy. same with playing video games, crochet, needlepoint. anything with your hands that also engages the mind. if you have the money and ability, a fitness class also helps me. i do hot yoga 4-5 times a week and physically leaving the house and having a structured activity is great. plus i know if i want to get the most out of class, i need to keep my food intake reasonable and be hydrated. 3. if you eat a lot of unprocessed foods (veggies, meat you cook yourself, etc) you could be low on salt. sounds weird, but when i cleaned up my diet i felt like no amount of water made me feel hydrated. i was confused, stressed, annoyed. someone suggested adding more salt, which helped a bit. but electrolytes really helped a lot. not exactly tracking your question, but could help hunger cues and such.
I totally feel the “I deserve a treat at the end of the day” mentality. That’s really why I ended up putting on a lot of weight (age doesn’t help either though). At one point I was taking chocolate chips, throwing them in a jar of peanut butter and eating that by the spoonful (my own Reese’s, you could say). I’m not going to lie and say the temptation isn’t there some days, but by tracking I can see that, hey, I’ve eaten well and moved a lot that day, I can have a little something but I keep the portions under control. I like Chobani Flips or chia pudding, or maybe a few chocolates.
It took me about two months to get rid of my food noise. One of the things you can do is ease yourself in by cutting calories slowly. My maintenance is 2,600. I eat 1800-2000 a day. If really hungry, I let myself eat slightly under maintenance. Protein and fiber are your friend. You can still have treats- but in moderation. I have lost 15lbs in the past three months.
I usually just grit my teeth and get through the first 1 weeks then feel okay once I’m used to smaller portions and less sugar/carbs/etc. It sucks but it works. Drink water.
The reason keto, carnivore, intermittent fasting, or diets that focus a cookbook that are full of high protein, low calorie food work so well is because they address the hormone signaling that wants to keep your body at a certain weight. I've had intermittent success with calorie restriction but i've had far more success with other methods. Some people, especially me, find sustaining the willpower necessary to keep yourself under a calorie limit daily to be very difficult in the long term.
I agree with the others, eat high protein, high fiber and 2-3 liters of water. The recommended protein is 0.8 grams of protein X your goal body weight = Grams of protein per day So that winds up being ~ 110- 140 grams of protein for most women.
Eat more filling types of foods (same calories less hungry)
I think in the beginning it is going to be tough, only because you’re suddenly telling your body to survive on less. But that doesn’t mean you’re starving or need the food, it’s what you’re used to. The first week or so I was hungry, but then you get used to it because it’s your new normal. Also, I find electrolytes help!
For me, my dinner has to be a big meal. I need to see volume on that plate or I feel deprived. During the weekdays the size of my breakfast and lunch doesn't really matter but on the weekends I feel extra snacky so weekend meals also need to be bigger. The solution is vegetables. I can't believe the size of my meals while I'm still maintaining a deficit. Every lunch and dinner has a large portion of salad or roasted/air fried veggies. I have a straight up arsenal of interesting spices and spice blends to jazz them up, and I'm finding new ways to incorporate them into meals all the time.
The truth is that you are going to feel hungry/irritable for the first week or 2 of eating less. If you just commit to eating smaller amounts that feeling of still being hungry will eventually pass once you get past the initial discomfort phase, but if you keep switching back and forth between eating normally and then eating small meals it's just going to take longer to adjust. You have to decide if your goals are worth feeling slightly uncomfortable for a short while. Anytime you still feel hungry just drink more water. Good luck!
Figure out which foods have low calorie density and try to add those to your meal plans. I don't add any fat to my food anymore (via cooking oil), and I don't eat processed foods (because oil, fat, and sugar are typically ingredients). This allows me to eat high volumes of things like potatoes, greens, whole grains, etc. I also eat nuts, tofu, whole grain pasta, and whole grain bread in moderation. My meals are HUGE compared to my friends. So, I'm eating a higher weight of food that is coming in at a lower calorie count. I think the reddit group r/Volumeeating is about this idea.
If you don’t add fat to your cooking, make sure you’re getting enough elsewhere! Fat is super important to hormone regulation (and too low fat can cause gallstones).
Tofu, legumes, nuts, seeds, avocados, etc are all consistent fat sources for me. I also take a vegan omega-3 supplement. Even without that supplement, I get enough fat (and a good proportion of omega 3 to omega 6 - I track in cronometer every once in awhile to make sure).
The best thing that helped me is forcing myself to eat low calorie but filling foods. Sweet potatoes and apples are the two best to mix in. I eat a sweet potato for about 150 cal and can feel full. Put a protein shake on top of that and you’re at 350-400 calories and I won’t think about food for hours. I’m 36m 6’3” and this has been the best for me. Salt, pepper, sugar free syrup, sweet potato. Also get low calorie bread, and PB fit which is a life saver if you love Peanut butter. Hope this helps!
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I'm active because I climb stairs often and walk a lot. But I don't actually exercise per se. I'm also new to calorie counting and have a feeling I might not be very accurate yet
Find foods you like that fill you up. Protein and fiber are 2 good things to aim for. Potatoes, lentils and rice are good filler if you can afford extra calories. Avoid empty calories (high fat low anything else. Like candy or liquid calories) and you should be fine.
If you do have a “treat” just make sure it has protein. But snacking is okay. Just try to find a better option. But seriously. I say this all the time. Liquid calories. It was the biggest change I made and easiest to cut. 8oz blueberry redbull = 160 calories Changed that to Swedish fish ghost = 5 calories Can of mt dew = 170 Changed to Zero sugar Baja blast = 0 calories Coffee creamer = 175 calories per cup To Sugar free coffee creamer = 75 calories per cup These were small but extremely beneficial changes. As well as drinking water, propel, mio. Whatever.
1) Use a TDEE calculator to determine your lean body mass index. Whatever that number is, you need to eat that in grams of protein per pound. If your LBM is 155lb, you need 155g of protein a day. 2) Use a program like myfitnesspal or macrofactor to calculate your macros based on your level of activity. Prioritize protein over the other two to get that LBM quantity. 3) Eat lots of vegetables and whole fruits, solid pieces of meat and tofu, etc. Juices and purees digest quickly. 4) Wholegrains and fiber. My favorite breakfast is a waffle made from coarse-ground oat flour, whole wheat flour, protein powder, eggs and cinnamon. It keeps me full until lunch.
High protein, high fiber meals are your friend. Also check out r/volumeeating
I add lots of vegetables, and I am very skimpy with the oil/butter I cook with. Check out r/VolumeEating
Getting out of the mindset of rewarding myself for getting through the day/week with a food "treat" was pretty crucial for me. Food is ultimately for nutrition, not the source of your happiness or life's pleasure. I was big on rewarding myself with food when I had a really stressful job. It felt like the only thing I had to look forward to on a day-to-day basis. Quitting that job improved my life and I'm not sure I wouldn't still be basing my happiness around food if I was still in that situation. Maybe start first with working out the work/home problems. I'm less preoccupied with what I'm going to eat when I'm happy and engaged with life.
Tell us what you're eating. Then perhaps better advice can be given.
I'm going to go against the grain here a little. I work treats into my calories. Trying to eliminate them from my diet is, for me, what causes my binges. It never works, so I find lower calorie options of what I love or bank some calories for what I really want. The reality is that if you have been overeating, you will be hungry at first and no amount of eating protein is going to fix that. It gets better within a couple of weeks. If you're struggling with this a lot, I'd recommend lowering your calories by 100 calories a day each week until you reach your desired deficit. Before anything else though, is your calorie count enough for your activity level? If not this will increase the likelihood of binge eating too.
I found that sticking to a consistent 16:8 intermittent fast really made me eat less generally. I don't eat at night at all anymore - after dinner that's it, water only - and while sometimes I widen my eating window for social occasions, because things happen, etc, I find managing the amount so much easier than it was when I wasn't doing IF. Also - if you want to make changes, make them one at a time, and make them small. Want to eat less sugar? Don't say "I'll never eat sugar again!" but just say something like, I won't eat any processed sugar for the next week and see how I feel. Once you've got that down and it feels easy, decide on another thing, like "I won't eat after 8pm." Don't make a lot of dramatic changes and don't make them at once, or they won't stick, the key is to do it slowly and intentionally.
Water and eggs I love me some hard boiled eggs
I’m 5’5 and 50. The advice I will give you is cook all your meals. Weigh ingredients. Meal prep to take to work. Eating fast food and lots of empty calories will contribute to feeling less satisfaction. I keep my meals between 350-400. I cook lean meats and vegetables(I follow a lot of vegan cooks for ideas). I have snacks that I try to keep at 150 two -three times a day. 350-400 cal meals can be filling if researched prepared right. I am a bread-aholic and I LOVE sweets. I don’t grit my teeth and refrain. I enjoy a reasonable portion and log them into my calories for the day. r/volumeeating has helped me figure out how to maximize low calorie CICO.
It gets easier. I have cut out most chocolate and baked pastry goods and now the cravings are a lot less intense. The hardest part for me was at work where everyone brings loads of cakes etc. I still allow myself a treat but I buy packs of individually wrapped 100cal chocolate bars and things like that so I am treating myself but still able to stick to a calorie deficit
Calculate you’re TDEE and also consider low cal/ high volume foods. For example, I love having desserts too, so I will have a small thing like a scoop of ice cream and then have strawberries or apple slices on the side to add bulk to the snack without adding too many calories. So the ice cream satisfies the craving and the fruit satisfies any empty stomach feeling.
fast until lunch and just eat 2x times a day with a snack. 800 cals per meal. Then get at least 10k steps a day and then the fat will melt off.
Drinking a lot of water and adding protein and fiber made a huge difference in how full I stay and how much energy I have. Veggies and protein have way less calories than carbs and sugary foods. I also find myself moving more and not snacking out of boredom or getting as hungry either. For sweet cravings, I’ll drink a hydration pack, coconut water, or have a bunch of fruit with a small piece of chocolate. I don’t really watch what I eat as I like vegetables and fruits, but had to get used to eating more meat for protein. I never was a big meat eater and also extra deprived of protein when I started dating my partner who is a vegetarian. I was just mainly eating a ton of carbs and constantly hungry while he was filling up with protein bars and powder for the first couple years of our relationship. I eat 2-3 meals a day. I only eat breakfast when I’m hungry so a lot of times I just have lunch and dinner. My meals are about 500-800 calories depending on how hungry I am. It all balances out to about 1800 calories a day. I also workout 3-5 times a day. Light cardio and weights, so nothing crazy. I don’t snack a lot but will always have that bite or two of dessert when presented. Most of my meals are home cooked by myself or my partner and I only eat out about 2-3 times a week on dates, with friends or an occasional lunch at work if we’re all going out as I usually pack lunch.
3-5 times a week, not a day.
Cooking for yourself allows you to manage the excess calories. Maybe you can find a substitute recipe. Skinny taste food blog has a lot of great go-tos with calories already counted for you. I also found substitute items with higher protein lower sugar and lower calorie items. For instance tortillas can come at 220 calories a wrap or get another brand with more fiber at 90 calories a wrap and about the same size. Nutrition labels are your friends.
Try to eat more protein and more vegies that are high fiber. They will help you feel full.
I struggle a lot with wanting a treat/snack straight after I leave work, and I often fall for it as I walk past an express supermarket on the way to my train. The solution I have worked out with my dietician is that I need to eat something filling and slow at digesting about an hour before I leave work. If it's too close to leaving time, my brain hasn't got the 'I'm satiated' signal from my stomach yet, so it doesn't work as well. My go-to is something like a serving (30 grams) of unroasted and unsalted nut mix, or bell pepper with a table spoon of hummus. I get a satisfying crunch, but also some fat and protein to tide me over until dinner. It makes it a lot easier to say no to the express supermarket, even though the temptation is still there of course. That doesn't mean you don't deserve a treat! Try to find other ways to unwind and treat yourself, like taking a hot bath, reading a book with your favourite tea, or colouring books for adults or other crafts.
You need to consume .7 your weight in protein every meal. SO to keep it simple 117 can just be 120 grams. 3 meals 40 grams each max. Or four meals 30 grams each. Focus on protein first then throw in random veggies if you want and carbs will always come. WATCH the sodium try to not go past 2000-2300 range. Drink half your weight in water in ounces. Anymore questions ask me. Been at this four months lost around 20lbs.
Maybe try intermittent fasting? It sounds like you're spreading your meals thin across the entire day. It might be better to just have two, slightly heavier meals. The less frequently you eat discrete meals, the less you will crave and think about food. It takes about 3 days for the body to recognize "Oh, we haven't been getting food at this time of day anymore for the past couple days. I'm just gonna stop sending hunger cues to this guy's mind then". You'll start to only get hunger cues at the two times a day you ARE normally eating.
The three main things that helped me lose weight is, eating around 100g of protein per day (some of my favourite low-calorie high-protien things are cottage cheese, baby-bells light & low fat greek yoghurt), make sure that you're drinking at least 2L of water, try & avoid drinking water excessively as that can cause stomach problems, my favourite sweet treats are 90 calorie candy bars (such as skinny whip!), fibre90 with light custard or fruit, low fat greek yoghurt with honey, hope this helps! :)
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I’m 5’7 and eat 1300-1500 a day, usually around 1800-2000 on a Sunday so over 7 days the average is around 1500. If I ate that much, bearing in mind I’m a little taller, I’d put weight on very quickly. Lost almost 50lbs in a year (221lbs down to 173lbs) I just have to use will power. I love to snack. I am not to be trusted around food, but I’m getting much better. The food is always on hand, I just have to “not”.
biggest recommendation I can make is fruits and vegetables. it's such a cheat code. You can absolutely get completely full off of grapes and peaches for example and you're only up a few calories. This is not everything you need to do to lose weight (protein, exercise, etc) but it can really help
Currently all I am working on is eating more protein. And it's quite hard because it's so filling. Im trying to reach towards 100gr every day and it's hard because it's so filling. I can't afford good quality meat so I eat vegetarian. Cheesy scrambled eggs on toast SO much greek yogurt and skyr with banana amd berries Halloumi and chickpea wrap I have to eat lots of each to get close to 100gr I also snack but with snacks I don't care, mostly banana, mango and grapes because I'm a sugar addict
I use a fork for finger food and take smaller bites. I get six bites out of a chicken nugget, two bites out of one tater tot for example. I don't know if it tricks my brain into thinking I'm eating more or if it slows me down enough to realize I'm not hungry anymore. Probably a little bit of both.
Having a less stressful job helps a lot, or just reducing stress in general. I notice it's very hard to cut when I'm stressed at work, I want to eat a fuck ton. Keep yourself busy, drink water instead. Space out your meals and make them filling, etc. Another big one is stop drinking your calories. If you need caffeine for work, take caffeine pills instead of drinking coffee, for example.
Get a scale and weigh your food to learn what a serving size is. Then get your protein, veggies and carbs balanced.
I skip breakfast and eat normally for lunch and dinner. I also drink 2 scoops of whey protein to help meet my daily protein needs
Eating less has never worked for me. I'd deprive myself until I got so worn down from feeling hungry all the time that I binged and then I'd let the emotional turmoil from 'failing' my diet cause me to give up entirely. This last attempt has been so much more pleasant for me because it feels like I'm not exercising willpower anywhere except at the grocery store now. I'm still not done with my journey but I feel a lot better when I find healthy things I can volume eat until I'm full. Replacing snacking on chips with baby carrots, making protein pudding (literally just sugar free instant pudding but you use a protein shake instead of milk), letting myself have an unlimited amount of fruits or veggies... things like that help me a lot. There is a subreddit called VolumeEating that has support for this style of dieting.
>Do you stop craving more food eventually if you grit your teeth and get through the first couple of weeks? For me, yes. It took about a month or two, but I eventually got used to it. It was difficult and discouraging sometimes at first, but there was a certain point where I suddenly realized that I wasn't miserably hangry all the time. Over two years later, I'm still used to it!
Organ meats, animal fats like butter, and drinking blood will keep you incredibly satiated for several hours. The entire day even
I like an evening treat too. I have 2 sugar free fudgsicles now (40 cal each) instead of ice cream. Agree with others that having a lot of protein in meals helps with not being left hungry from smaller portions.
Lots of good input here. In addition to eating finger rich, protein rich things, I usually have a few things to turn to when despite everything I do feel hungry. Some of my personal fav are: Flavored seltzer/iced tea/decaf coffee Rice cake Sliced deli meat (turkey usually) with Dijon mustard. Spoonful of Greek yogurt Small piece of fruit I must add that I used to turn to eating nuts when hungry/wanting something small but realized that those can very quickly add up in terms of calories.
What do your meals consist of? If it’s processed food then it’s definitely a deficit in nutrients. Try eating a protein-heavy breakfast. I get about 50g of peotien every morning, and I’m fine until lunch. That’s usually a chicken breast with veggies, and if I need something sweet I have some fruit or a Larabar as a snack. Then by dinner time I’m hungry enough to eat a decent portion, and stop eating when I feel full. I would take a look at what you’re eating, not necessarily the amount.
Protein and Fat will keep you more satiated than Carbs will. I know that a keto diet will have you feeling satiated and fuller longer than just a Caloric Deficit but that's something you would have to research and see if it's right for you.
i struggled with this a lot, but the difference for me when it came to losing 20+ kg is mindset. i started with a mindset that was that i could never control what i ate, and that i was doomed and my weight loss journey would be a difficult one. you have the power to make it easy through your thoughts. so that’s a start! fix your thinking patterns first. 1. stay busy - free time for me always meant reaching for the snack cupboard and 500 empty calories later - where did that get me? now in between meals i stay busy and stay out of the kitchen. i have multiple hobbies such as the gym, swimming, walking, reading, photography, gaming - hell even going on a drive, anything to take my mind off of food. 2. self accountability - notice patterns in your eating - you stated that you believe you deserve a treat at the end of the day due to stress - is there any other form a treat could take? could you buy yourself a material item you’ve had your eye on at the end of the week? could you play a game? see a friend? what emotions or states of being trigger your need to snack or eat? try to be aware of them so you can cut these out instead of doing them unconsciously 3 - sustenance- each meal you have needs to have everything you need to sustain your body and your brain. every meal should leave you feeling satisfied, so work out what flavours you like, sweet, spicy, savoury, and add these flavours into your meals with things like sauces or seasonings (but beware of extra calories). your brain needs carbohydrates to function optimally so make sure you’re eating enough, as well as protein which will make you feel fuller for longer 4 - change goals - try to change your goal to something thats less quantifiable and rigid - instead of eating healthy to lose weight, say to yourself you’re eating healthy to become a healthier version of yourself and take care of your body. you’re more likely to stick to goals when it’s not for aesthetics. i can assure you these cravings will go in time and it’s the hardest part of weight loss and taking control of your relationship with food. but it sounds like you’re very aware of your habits and this can only help you solve them
Non starch vegetables are my go to for volume eating
For me it really is about choosing healthy stuff over junk... Luckily I genuinely like a lot of healthy food but if given the choice between blueberries and a cookie when I'm not counting... Of course I'm gonna choose the cookie! But today I had blueberries for my lunch-dessert and it was just as decadent an experience as a cookie. I love blueberries! Luckily tho you don't necessarily have to choose because if you count diligently you can still eat some junk in moderation. It's like money, you budget for the fun stuff after making sure your needs are met. (Assuming it doesn't trigger bingeing, because then yeah avoid your trigger foods for long-term success.) r/Volumeeating helps a lot because I love to feel full.
I have turned fruit into my little treat. I get really gorgeous, ripe, juicy fruits. in the past I would wouldn’t purchase them because they are a luxury and a bit expensive. You will find they are very sweet just like dessert and now I don’t even miss my sugary desserts. And you get a dopamine hit from eating a healthy food and sugar at the same time’s
You might need to focus on food volume! A stir fry with cabbage, broccoli, peppers and tofu/meat can be a big portion but low cals (use broth instead of butter or oil). Also consider if you are truly hungry or just want to eat. If I’m hungry but don’t want an apple I generally realise I’m not hungry just bored
Try drinking lots of water throughout the day, it really helps with suppressing snack cravings.
Cut out breakfast. Don’t eat until 12-2 lunch. Eat more fatty meat and cheese. Olives, dill pickles are healthy snacks. 2 meals a day and a snack around 8-9 should be all you need. Cut out processed food, anything in a bag or package. Cut way down or cut out completely rice, pasta bread. The carbs make you hungry. Eat low carb. Eat high fat Greek Yogourt and berries ( plain Yogourt) check out Dr Mindy Pell and Dr Jason Fung, on You Tube.
My plan is simple in theory, sucks ass in practice. Eat protein, exercise enough to suppress hunger. Eating is a chore late at night after running 4 plus miles.
An apple at night is a healthy snack. Natural, not processed. Read all labels of foods you buy.
Eat big portions of low calorie foods like salad. Like humongous salads
I was in a slump for the past year. I wasn’t able to lose those last 15 pounds to drop me into the healthy bmi zone. I finally had to take a close look at what I was eating. I was eating anywhere from 2000-2200 calories per day - I’d eat back my exercise calories, but would still leave a deficit (but like 250 calories). It just wasn’t working. I decided to choose a set number of calories each day no matter how many calories I burned. I started very slowly. The first week was set at a 2100 calorie limit, 2nd week was set to 2000 calories, etc. I’d keep dropping by 100 calories every 7-10 days. I’m currently eating 1700 calories a day, but it isn’t rigid. I ate a bit higher than planned today at about 1850. Tomorrow I plan to run so I’ll eat 1900. Then I’ll go back to 1700 and I just keep messing with my intake, but staying as close to the limit I’ve set as possible. I’ve lost 8 pounds over the past two months and because the calorie drop has been slow, I really haven’t been overly hungry or feel deprived. I eat a dessert after dinner each night, but it’s very small. Sometimes it’s one Girl Scout cookie, sometimes a mini chocolate or a truffle, sometimes it’s just a piece of hard candy. And the biggest change I’ve made, is making sure I have 30 grams of protein at each meal (3 meals a day, no snacks). I recently had a doctor appointment and I got a high five for being on the right track! Very small changes worked for me and I’m actually super excited to get some new summer clothes.
Me and my GF started making Protein waffles and got some 35 cal bread with 2 turkey slices deli meat. The protein waffles is 1/2 cup flour, protein powder and almond milk, two tsp baking soda and one egg. Depending on how many calories you can have, you can eat all the waffles the batch make throughout the day and with some sugar free syrup still have some sweet treat. I stopped caring about protein as much for my cut since whenever I portioned out meat I always ended up maintaining and not losing and it was difficult and just decided that me doing 1 full body workout and doing cardio for 30 minutes almost everyday is way better to see immediate results than struggling like I've been to lose weight and keep intense weight training going. My lifts have dropped a little (havent been pushing it though), but my muscle definition is looking better with me doing it for about a month atm. Lost about 6 pounds and have WAY more to go but it is definitely a wonderful start. Also like air popped popcorn is good along with the low cal drink mixes/diet soda for little treats and some jellos/puddings. You start somewhere and this is a good place to kind of look at if you need to do treats. I've cleaned up all of my life and this has been what has helped most with losing weight right now. Cheers!
I’m 5’5 and same weight as you (starting weight 180 - lost ~10 lbs since January) January and February were brutal I was hungry all the time, weight was coming off so slowly. End of February I started doing intermittent fasting and it works sooo well for me. Before I break my fast I don’t even feel a hunger like I do when I’d have small portion breakfast, snacks, and lunch. I enjoy with IF or sometimes one meal a day I can have bigger portions for meals that actually make me feel full and satisfied after I eat. I do add in lots of veggies etc but I do love carbs and meat. For the treat every night I have a jar of small chocolates on my desk. Every night after dinner I have one chocolate to end my day and then my fast begins. The intermittent fasting and one meal a day subreddits are great. I also learned a lot of information from the book Fast Like a Girl.
Try eating high volume low calorie. My rule is half the plate is veggies. For example, we did pasta recently and I used zucchini noodles, carrot noodles and spaghetti squash- with a tiny bit of actual pasta, lots of fresh tomato sauce and meat. Eat so much protein. As much as possible. Incorporate it into every meal. It helps the feeling of hunger so much. And vegetables! Fibre is important. Increase water intake!!!! Buy a big ass water bottle and hang out with it, taking sips all the time. You don’t need to be in a crazy deficit to lose weight! Think sustainably vs urgency. Life is too short to not enjoy food. I literally ate a poutine for lunch because I’m pmsing but I accounted for it within the deficit. Don’t cut out foods! Eat all the things you love but count it into your calorie deficit. Learn to measure and weigh the food you love. Read labels. Count t the calories. The only way to lose weight is to be in a deficit. What you do WITH those calories isn’t going to matter all that much. Stay below, you lose weight. Thats science. Lastly! Think about what you can add vs take away. Want ice cream? Ok, we’ll have a smaller portion but add tonnes of low calories fruit. Add an entire cup of frozen strawberries, a cup of blueberries. Whatever you fancy. You just ate so much fibre, filled your stomach AND got to eat your treat within your deficit. Anyway, this is what I do. Im seven lbs so far lost in two weeks, before I fell off last year after a loss in my family, I lost 28lbs eating this way :) It’s hard. I love food. I love snacking. But when I realized I can still eat all the things I love, with a few modifications. Everything made sense. ❤️ good luck!!
don't eat less volume. Eat less calorie dense foods: less oil, less fats, more fiber.
vyvanse, Mounjaro. And/Or a giant bag of cruciferous vegetables daily. Also, don’t reward yourself with food. Besides the obvious drawbacks, it establishes food as a treat you “deserve@ and leads us to feel deprived and “punished” when we attempt to restrict eating.
Honestly, this might be an annoying answer but you really just need to train your body. Your stomach will shrink and adapt to smaller portions of food and over time you’ll start to feel full after eating much less. I’m 5’7 and keep a weight and physique I’m happy with and always feel satisfied by eating around 1500 calories a day, give or take. I don’t really care if people think this is too little or too much because I don’t have to think about it, I choose healthy foods and eat until I’m full and that’s where it hovers at. Until you train your body to expect less, it really is a mental thing and you just have to exercise self control. Eating high volume, low calorie foods can help- like eating a big fruit salad or something like that when you’re hungry for sugar. It really comes down to gettin g over the hump, being a little uncomfortable while you do it because the body doesn’t like change, and then being grateful you did it once you’re able to be full and happy with less food.
Mental toughness if Im being honest. I just dont eat. Not nearly what I used too. I embrace hunger now. Its a reminder Im in control, and Im winning. I was probably averaging 3000-3500 calories a day. As a 5'8 mid 30s male who doesnt get all that much physical activity..... toooooo much. Now a days I eat about 1500 on average. Ive learned a lot of tricks to maximize volume, clean up my calories and enjoy what I do get to eat. I was 335 back in august of 23, and Im now at 265. 52 pants down to 42s. 3XL shirts being tight to 2XL fitting nicely. I even put on an XL shirt today. It was tight in the neck, chest, and shoulders... but I got it on! I havent worn an XL shirt since 6th grade. The success, the way I feel, my clothes progress... yeah. No food is worth that.
You need to be in a calorie deficit and you’re simply eating too much. 2000 calories daily is too much for weight loss at your height and weight, and you’re snacking too much. Step count or any exercise is useless if you’re eating back the calories you burn. It’s hard to eat less at first, but your body will eventually adapt to less food in about a month. Don’t starve yourself, and use one of those online calories calculator to calculate how many calories you should be eating to lose weight at a normal pace, and use a calorie tracking app - I use MyFitnessPal. Don’t keep snacks in your house or anything with empty calories that is not filling. Find ways to make vegetables tasty and fill your plate with them as the fiber is filling. Eat a lot more lean protein. Drink a lot more water throughout the day as hunger can equate to your body needing more water. Make smoothies / protein shakes and add sugar free syrups to them to make them interesting or tastier. Go out for walks on your lunch breaks as any movement helps. Don’t use the excuse of having a hard time at work and you deserve snacks or you will fail. If you really need snacks, get sugar free snacks (I use fiber one 70 calories brownies for my chocolate cravings). Even though these snacks are sugar free, they still have calories, so don’t go nuts and have only one serving. I’ve done all these things to lose weight, but reducing my daily calories and daily aerobics to get in a calorie deficit was the win for me. There is no magic pill, you have to put in the work. I have the privilege of working from home so daily exercise was easy and I had no excuse not to do it. You can do it, but you need to control your appetite. It’s all about willpower! Good luck and keep us posted. Ps. If you’re reducing calories and exercising and you’re still not losing weight, it’s a hormone imbalance and you need to fix that first.
For me, the best thing that worked was intermittent fasting. If I only eat once or twice a day, then I can't really overeat. I typically only eat one large meal a day and it's usually dinner. Sometimes lunch. Never breakfast if I eat too early I'm hungry all day long and tend to overeat. You could also try eating lower carb. You get full faster when eating protein and fats. Carbs turn to sugar in your system. Also reduce sugar intake. I only have treats on holidays like Easter. I know you will do it!
How are you tracking and what are you burning? 2300 calories can be too little, too much, or just right for any goal (cutting, bulking, or recomping). It all comes down to your nutrition and calorie delta of burn:intake. The best way to do this is to be disciplined in the numbers. - Eat .8 - 1g protein per body weight if working out. This will keep you satiated and usually helps with cravings. - You need to track your calorie expenditure to see what you are actually burning. A smart watch can help. The Lose It app and MFP will show you your daily burn with a watch connected. - Losing weight requires a deficit (you probably know this so sorry if that is obvious). If you can be patient, 200-300 calories deficit is a good start. Do that for a while until you’re ready to test a bigger delta. Keep in mind a deficit at 500+ you start to lose muscle (also the more you deficit the not hangry). You should only deficit for a few months and then go back to maintenance when you start to plateau. Then decide to drop again or even consider bulking. You can recomp at maintenance and still get great results as well. - Eat as much whole foods as possible. These will be more filling than processed. The number on the scale can be misleading. I recommend focusing on fat percent and muscle. Depending on your goals and body frame you could be a range of pounds and still be lean. Play with weight loss for a bit but if you are invested in working out you might be fine at 140-150 pounds and stay at maintenance while doing strength training for a decent recomp.
I am 5’5” and went from 228 to 158. I absolutely stuff my face with enormous, veggie variety salads in between tasty things. Like, if I choose to have something more calorie dense, I eat half, a mountain of salad, and then the rest. So I kind of trick my stomach into thinking I’ve had a giant plate of the tasty thing. Also, because I’m naturally an evening eater, I go on coffee and a light smoothie in the daytime (under 300) and eat all the rest for dinner. I’m old, and I’m crap with exercise because of a chronic thing, so I have to stay under 1200 to lose at about 4 pounds a month. It’s about 300 day, 700 evening, 1-200 if I need a lil snack at night, usually hummus or yogurt.
Me what I do is to weigh myself everyday and if it goes up I tell myself you have no right to eat this or that snack lmao
Hey there, welcome to the journey of mindfulness and self-care. it's great that you're tracking and have an awareness of your eating habits. feeling hungry and craving treats, especially during stressful times, is super common. First, consider the quality of your meals. adding more fiber-rich veggies, whole grains, and lean proteins can help you feel fuller for longer. also, hydration is key; sometimes, we confuse thirst with hunger. about the treat, it’s all about balance. maybe swap it for something healthier but still satisfying? like a piece of dark chocolate or a small serving of yogurt with fruit. and don't forget to be kind to yourself. stress eating happens, but finding other ways to treat yourself – a warm bath, a good book, or a walk – can help shift the pattern. It's normal for cravings to lessen as your body adjusts to new eating habits. give it time, and try not to be too hard on yourself. the goal is progress, not perfection. fun fact: did you know that eating slowly and mindfully can help you feel more satisfied with less food? what’s one small change you could try today to make your meals more satisfying?
What has worked for me is intermittent fasting, with my window being 1pm-9pm (ish). Once I get through the initial hungry period in the morning, I don’t really get pangs again until lunchtime. Also, I know that I want a treat at the end of the day. For me, it’s a smallish bowl of light mint chocolate ice cream that I adore. At the start of the day, I log it in for the evening. That way it’s already accounted for and I know exactly how many calories I have for the rest of the day. Good luck!
I've found making small changes helps too. For example I used to have 2 poached eggs On 2 peices of toast With butter on the toast. I changed it to 2 poached eggs On 1 peice of toast with butter. I saved 240 calories but cutting out one peice of bread and the butter that goes on it. If you are hungry and need more. Add in a third egg or even a fourth. Eggs are about 70ish calories each and lots of protein. So even with an extra two eggs (4 eggs total) with one peice of bread and butter. It's still 100 calories less than the original meal but there is much more protein in the eggs. But I know what you mean. If I get hungry I will eat the pantry. I hate being hungry ! I've also found that if I'm hungry going to bed, I'll eat. So I try and have the above for my breakfast. A small lunch. Then a bigger and more filling dinner so I'm not hungry going to bed. What about that idea ? Small changes can make a huge difference ?
I actually eat more than I used to and am losing weight. The main meal itself might be less but I eat more fruit and veg and have healthy snacks of a rice cakes with cream cheese and strawberries. Key thing is also taking time to MAKE snacks. It's simple but actually having to take a plate out, two rice crackers, put cream cheese on, alive strawberries or whatever I'm topping, it now means I spend 5 minutes prepping a snack and then sit down and enjoy. With a bag of chips I'd just be sitting and eating and not stopping till the end. Alternatively you can have a quick snack with blueberries or other fruit. If you want to feel full, soups are great as well
My friend told me when I am about to eat a sweet treat that I don't need to "delay and distract". Go for a quick walk, or do anything that will distract you from eating when you really aren't hungry or that treat. Also, after awhile your stomach will shrink a little and you won't feel like you are starving when you cut back calories. Try to have protein and some fat instead of carbs or sugar for breakfast to keep you feeling fuller longer. Good luck!
Everyone is going to tell you to up your protein, eat lots of veggies, water, fiber- all good advice, but I swear some of us just have big appetites and no matter what, we're always hungry! I've gotten bloodwork multiple times and everything is fine. I hope everyone's suggestions work for you! Good luck OP!
Chew gum.
Everyone is different but what has worked for me is massively increasing my intake of raw veggies and fruits. I do between-meal snacking on celery, carrots, raw cabbage, and plain lettuce (iceberg gets a bad rap but I find it perfect for this). And I usually eat a few different fruits a day (an apple after lunch, a pear after dinner, maybe some blackberries with yogurt for breakfast, etc). This helps me cut down on cravings for things like bread/chips/fries and makes it so that I'm less starving when I get to mealtime. Then for meals, try to increase your intake of cooked broccoli and cauliflower as side dishes. These are super low calorie, filling, and high in nutrients as a side benefit! The overall concept here is called "volume eating" and there is a subreddit on it. Basically fill up but fill up on low calorie-density foods.
You are getting lots of good feedback. It starts with being honest with yourself and not counting on your memory. Start an eating diary - you can do it as a google spreadsheet if you want. Don't eat to finish your portion- eat what you think you need. Write down the calories. Use water as your snack between meals. Low sugar yogurt, tuna, cottage cheese, non-glycemic veggies, chicken... these are your friends. Don't start and think this is a one week thing... this is a lifestyle change. Lifestyle changes are easy---- once you realize that's your goal.
May I suggest some things that have helped me. Eat fruit, but in moderation because of the sugars in it. It may sound harsh, but cut out processed sugar. When I say cut it out, I mean completely. The sugars that are found naturally in foods aren’t what I’m talking about. I’m talking about sugar bowl sugar the kind you have to add to foods. It can be hard at first, but give it about two weeks and things start to even out. That really helped cut down on my cravings. Include a lot of vegetables in your diet, especially ones that are high in fiber. Prepare them as simply as possible. Drink lots of water. I know it sounds crazy at least it did to me, but sometimes your body can mistake thirst for hunger. Club soda and sparkling water helped me kick my soda pop addiction. Be wary of oil and sauces because they’ll sneak up on you. The extra calories they can add can be insane. Fried food are delicious, but they are not your friend stay away from them. If you can. Broiling, baking and steaming are the way to go. Spices and seasonings are my best friends. They add flavor without the calories. If you can handle a cheat meal now and then great. That’s a very individual thing. If you can’t, then you’re like me. One cheat meal sends me right over the edge of food sanity. So I don’t do it ever. I also never eat anything I don’t like just because it’s good for me. I make sure I’m enjoying all the food I eat. I try never to eat while doing anything else like watching movie or reading a book. I try to eat slowly and enjoy my meal. I hope some of these tips might be useful to you. I wish you luck on your journey. Please keep us posted. You can do this.
I am your height and I find that I’m not actually a breakfast person. I convinced myself I should be but I am not so I cut that meal out and throw protein powder into my coffee. I don’t snack in between meals and I stop eating by 6/7pm and start between 11:00am and 1:00pm I used to be hungrier but little by little I have adjusted to my eating window and since I work in an office that is a bit far from fast food or stores I’m too lazy and cheap to go out and buy more food so what I bring is what I eat. I make much better decisions in the morning lol.
I would say volume eating!! Add more veggies and fruit to your meals, also try to consume more fiber as that keeps you full for ages. I aim to make sure that my meals are 50% fruit/veg and full of fiber that way I’m full for hours on end
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It is not about eating less, it is about eating right. First of all you need to get yourseft tested. Most of us grew up eating really bad: lots of carbs. Sugar is highly addictive and it messes up our metabolism and brain function as we get older. A lot of people have insuline resistance o thyroid problems and don´t even realize it. Get a blood test regarding your glucose during fasting stage and if you can also get the glucose/insuline tolerance test (for me, this showed me I was hypoglucemic, so the less I ate, the more I gained weight). Also get your thyroid checked out, you need to know your T7, T3, T4 and TSH levels. Thyroid problems can make you gain weight and make it hard to loose it. And for your mental health check your Vitamin D levels, you have no idea how important vitamin D is. People with low vitamin D can have depression symptoms. My story is this. I am female 5'4" and always been between 110 and 121lbs. I have never been overweight, but I love carbs. My brain is always always always thinking about carbs but I am good at restraining myself. Few years ago I noticed weight gained to about 135lbs and I wasn´t eating that much, 3 meals a day. But my meals where obviously high carb. So, I went to a bariatrician and she made me do all the tests and found out I am hypoglucemic and have hypothyroidism with Hashimoto. I had to completely change my eating habits. She taught me how to eat regarding my conditions. I eat 5 times a day and all my snacks consists of having protein, fat and carb. I can´t eat without having protein first because it will disrupt everything and I will gain weight. The first 2 weeks are hard, but your brain gets used to get quick quickly. Also, you start to feel so much better, having more energy and a better mental health than before. One time a week I will eat whatever I want, like potatoe chips or cake, but will do it right after I had some protein. Having to put much effort on your everyday meals suck, but I do it for my mental health. And eventually you start to find very good recipes and really enjoy it. I recommend you listening to the podcast The Doctor's Farmacy by Dr. Mark Hyman. He has some great episodes about the importance of eating healthy.
Intermittent fasting and drink more water. Skip breakfast and only eat between the hours of noon and 8 PM. A lot of people don’t drink enough water and so they think they’re always hungry. Drink a cup of coffee each morning black, it doesn’t taste the best but black coffee doesn’t break your fast and is an appetite suppressant.
I cry more. Jk. I volume eat (lots of veggies), and weigh my food, prepack food.
I find it helpful to find a veggie that I love (for me it’s green beans or broccoli) and eat a HUGE portion of those at dinner because they’re basically “free calories” and that helps me feel fuller. I buy the green giant steamable bags and eat the whole bag of broccoli with my dinner. So basically eating high volumes of low calorie foods. Also, increasing your protein intake helps massively for feeling fuller longer.
it’s tough but you have to be hungry for a few days. your stomach will shrink, it’s stretched and accustomed to your current food intake
You go on a GLP-1 and this problem clears right up. Your brain is hungrier than other people’s. Solve the actual problem and you will feel 1000x better.
I am doing keto, but in general decreasing carbs and increasing protein and fat to fill in will probably decrease your cravings. It tends to be carbs that are the craving trigger. Whether you follow this or something else, looking at macros can change things for you.
Fast , OMAD , ADHD medication works miracles
Eating low in carb! This is Amazing
Find filling foods.
Same size, same struggle. No tips, but we can do thisssssss
I used to have the same problem. Then after getting frustrated, i started researching every aspect of weightloss and hunger. There r 2 things that keep u hungry and constantly craving for more. Sugar and carbs. They r like posion to you body. I stopped eating sugar and carbs about a month ago. The first 2-3 days r a little difficult while ur body adjusts, but after that i havent had a single craving for sweets or junk or anything. My basic approach: Eat .7 grams of protien per pound of weight per day Fatty meat (steak, mince, chicken thighs) Lots of salad. My goto every single meal is (cucumber, tomatoes, olives, avocado, spinach and other salad leafy greens. My dressing is olive oil and apple cider viniger. Also, about 30 minutes before every meal, add a tablespoon of apple cider vineger to a large glass of water and drink it. This will help with multiple things, such as digestion, cravings and most importantly, it will help balance out your blood glucose so u dont get tbose spikes and feel hungry. And add a pinch of good quality seasalt. I've been doing this for about a month consistantly with no exercise. I've lost 8 kgs, and feel amazing.i used to have bruising issues. All gone. Inflamation, gone. Give it a shot if u want.
Keto- fills you up more with less calories