How to eat in a calorie deficit and not be bloody starving!!

[flossie232]

Trying to eat in a calorie deficit of 1600. I have at least 1.5 stone to lose. I'm finding it so hard to keep to 1600, I'm just hungry all the time. I try to make good choices, today for example I had granola, Greek yoghurt and berries for breakfast thinking it would fill me up. By lunch I was starving again and had a hearty soup for about 300 calories which filled me up at the time but by the evening I was hungry again so ended up having a massive pasta dish that will have probably tipped me over my calories. Even with sensible meals it seems really tough to eat 3 satisfying meals a day and incorporate the other little things I like (like a few coffees, maybe a biscuit in the evening etc) without going over.

I know this method will work if I can find a way to eat within a deficit sustainably. Does anyone have any tips or maybe recommendations for low calorie but filling food? It's astonishing how quickly calories add up and how calorific certain things are.

On my working days I used to have a cereal bar and a coffee for breakfast, then a sandwich/crisps at lunch and something from a Gousto box for tea. I genuinely didn't think that was a lot but logging it all on MFP has made me realised how many calories are in things like supermarket sandwiches. It's all just such hard work.

When I was watching calories this was a day for me at about 1400 calories…

eggs and meat are the key. Sorry for the reference but forget about girly diet foods. Most of them a sugary crap.

I’d eat beef jerky, eggs, grilled chicken, steak and veggies

honestly a typical day for me would look something like this.

coffee
Breakfast: American biscuit, egg, cheese, bacon sandwich + fried potatoes + apple juice (small juice box) ~ 650 cal (from a fast food restaurant)
Lunch: deli meat or a large salad ~200
Dinner: nuts, cheese, and crackers or peanut butter and toast ~250
cocktail ~200
tea + small dessert something ~100

Clearly the cocktail is the height of nutrition… but hey if I am going to stick with it it had to be realistic 🤣

This is exactly what I did. Early lunch, coffee with milk only for breakfast! I also ate somethings that were very low calorie but took a long time to eat, ie, homemade popcorn or rice cakes because I am a snacker.

I also exercised to add calories, ie, I did not eat them all back but would add a conservative amount.

reduce carbs - the sandwich, crisps, pasta aren't helping - nor the cereal bar.

I find porridge which is low in sugar helps, as you say it is hard. Counting calories doesn't work for me, I find counting the number of grams of fat I eat and sticking to less than the daily recommended intake works better.

the egg comments amused me - when I was about 18 I did an egg and wine crash diet - one of those 3 day or 5 day things.
Breakfast - boiled egg, glass of wine
lunch, 2 boiled eggs, 2 glasses wine
supper I think more boiled eggs, rest of bottle, steak tartare (I didn't eat meat, so substituted tuna).

Don't remember feeling hungry or depressed :)

Eat a lot more veg. Eat the veg before your other food, when you're really hungry. Then by the time you get to your pasta you won't have space for a huge portion. Three quarters of every meal should be veg. Limited carb. Don't skimp on fat and protein.

If plain veg is too boring put some olive oil and balsamic vinegar on it.

Drink.more water before meals

Cut out refined sugar (cereal bars, granola ) or limit to one sweet thing a day. A chopped banana or raisins or dates or other dried fruit can provide the sweetness in a much more healthy way

Don't eat after 6 pm or if really hungry eat only fruit

Also - make sure you are getting enough sleep. Being tired makes you eat more and less likely to do exercise

Hunger is not really about calories but about volume of food. E.G. you could have a small but high calorie supermarket sandwich that won’t fill you up versus a giant homemade salad that you will struggle to finish for fewer calories. As someone said above, meals should be mainly vegetables and save the best for last (usually meat) while eating. You can still enjoy things like pasta and be full by making a vegetable-heavy sauce and reducing the pasta by 50% but massively increasing the amount of sauce. You might have to start making more packed lunches and making dinner from scratch (easier if you make extra dinner and have it for lunch). It might also be worth following some fitness influencers on social media who show what they eat, the meals are usually protein heavy but with swaps that mean they eat a bigger volume of food than you’d expect

Have you tried lower carb, higher protein instead of low cal? Food with a lot of simple carbs like granola bars and pasta give you a sugar rush, after which there is a withdrawal when your blood sugar goes down. It can cause cravings and the feeling of never getting enough food to satisfy you.
Lentil or chickpea pasta are better choices and taste good. Save the sweet stuff like granola bars for an occasional treat.

I didn't read the whole thread, but protein is key. I am trying to find my balance for better eating habits. The medical team I'm working with say to aim for 30 grams of protien and no .ire than 30 grams of carbs (though you don't have to eat the full 30 for carbs). It's been an eye opener. Just looking at labels has opened up my eyes. I aim for the 30g of protein and find I'm not hungry, the cravings for carbs has gone down, etc., and I'm starting to lose weight. My calorie intake is around 1600 a day.

Eating breakfast will be making you hungry for the rest of the day, even if it's a light breakfast, intermittent fasting is wonderful for weight loss and once you get used to it you won't feel hungry until it's time for your 6h of eating but it takes a couple of weeks to adjust. Eat lots of eggs and stay away from refined sugars because they make you hungrier. If you can't do without breakfast make it eggs, then eat your carby and sugary foods at the end of the day so you're asleep when you're craving more.

Check out the Glucose Goddess on Facebook. Her page is full of tips on reducing peaks and troughs in blood sugar levels, and therefore hunger pangs.

I hear you OP, I am trying to keep myself on 1500 diet (my weight it 13 stone), which is especially hard having to cook for the rest of the family, and also end up having a filling evening meal. My way to cope is that I just push myself for a late 20-30 min cardio workout to shave 200 calories from my daily intake. Progress is shamefully slow but at least I stopped being focused on my hunger. Lost half a stone within a month of trying hard…

Being hungry is normal.
Look at more volume less cal. I managed, breakfast, lunch, dinner and 2 snacks on 1500. You are starving hungry at the beginning when your body is used to more, but that levels up in a week or so. I lost 100 pounds and bar first few weeks never felt like I was depriving myself.

Lots of protein, IF and walk lots. I’ve lost 3 1/2 stone just by doing this! Wish I knew this years ago!

Protein is also very important for the preservation of lean muscle mass when in a calorie deficit. If you don't prioritise it and exercise alongside over half your weight loss will be muscle which will lower your metabolic rate and mean your calorie allowance goes lower.

I disagree with people saying skip breakfast, you need a high protein breakfast and if your schedule allows you are much better bringing your dinner forward and not eating in the evening to give a 12 to 14 hour overnight fast.

I would make sure each meal has over 0.5 plate veg (and don't blend it like soup if it is whole it will keep you fuller), and the rest mainly protein. Minimise starchy carbs (bread, rice, potatoes).

Don't drink calories, stick to water, black coffee, herbal teas etc.

This is probably ill advised but I find if I take naproxen I feel sick and therefore don't feel hungry or want to eat.

Cut the white carbohydrates.

Eggs for breakfast

Lots and lots of green and red vegetables. I’ll eat 400 grams of broccoli and 3 small tomatoes plus a grilled pepper as a meal. It’s a plateful!

Lean protein- so the vegetables I list above plus a grilled chicken breast, some tuna steaks, or other sort of fish.

My really sweet treat is a couple of scoops of vanilla protein powder in about 200 grammes of Greek yoghurt (Fage 0% fat ).

Cut the granola and the pasta. Have your pasta sauce on steamed or grilled courgettes. Not just one courgette - eat 3!

I cook from scratch as much as possible. I meal prep for when I have days of meetings.

Have a look at “low calorie density, high volume“ eating.

Intermittent fasting, more protein and more water

Given some of the rather grim things people seem to be prepared to eat, there’s an alternative approach is this book https://www.amazon.co.uk/Fat-Girl-Slim-Ruth-Watson/dp/1844001695.

The Author is a restaurateur and cookery writer, and the recipes are pretty full on - quite a few ingredients need specialist shops, some are time consuming. But it’s all real food and the book is absolutely stuffed with commentary on the mindset that foodies need to lose weight by calorie counting.

There's a reason for the good old MN cliché 🥗🥗🥗🍗🍗🍗🥗🥗🥗

Reduce carbs, include a small amount of whole grains and avoid refined white/ beige carbs.
Minimise sugars (for many this will include artificial sweetners as in some people they trigger a similar hormonal response) Fruit is better than refined sugars because of the fibre (and nutrients) but save it for later in the day.
Maximise fibre and potein
Include some healthy fats

Try and eat foods in their most natural form.

Get your muscle mass up with weights and maximise your movement. This will help your metabolic rate as well as the active calories.

As a middle-aged shortie, without exercise I'd be maintaining on about 1500 calories or less. A good muscle mass and regular exercise spares me from having to exist on what looks like a permanent restrictive, low calorie diet to most people whiie accompanied by ravenous teenagers and a 6ft husband who can eat 25+% more

Definitely more protein and a less refined sugar. Eggs would keep you full longer than a cereal bar or granola.
crisps are empty calories.

eggs, lean meat, fish, tuna, skyr, protein shakes. Brown bread. Lots of veggies.

You need to massively increase your protein intake. Ditch the granola as it's high calories and won't keep you full. Eat more eggs, cottage cheese, fat free yoghurt, chicken, tuna etc. it keeps you fuller for longer.

I have a snack of 2 low fat babybels for example rather than crisps etc.

Protein, protein, protein and some fibre thrown in. Try and incorporate 100g of protein in to your daily meals. If you like granola, m&s do a great high protein one. Cut out bread. Pasta is not your friend. Aldi do some great protein products too.