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.

I agree with this. On the fast days when it’s feeling a bit hard, I just remind myself that tomorrow I can eat normally and it helps me get through the fast day. It also helps with my general mindset - I find that if I am trying to eat lower calorie every day, then I think about food all day.

Agree with pp’s. More protein and eggs for breakfast. One of the most difficult things about hitting perimenopause for me has been accepting that I can no longer eat pasta and rice. I have to focus on getting at least 100g of protein per day and the only way I can manage that is to lose the empty carb calories. It’s tough but it is doable. The cereal bars and pasta will be making you more hungry. Soup is fine, but you need some protein with it. Eg a piece of chicken or some fish.

Because he uses outdated research that has been debunked to sell books.

Oh that’s interesting; I lost 3 stone post menopause after I followed his principles, I couldn’t shift the weight before. I’ve kept the weight off too.

Im on around 1400 calories a day and its easy enough

I tend to eat 12 - 8

I just have a glass of water most mornings, sometimes I make a milky coffee

My first meal of the day is a large portion of FF greek style yoghurt ( I make my own, Im talking yoghurt so thick you can slice it ) with a couple of tablespoons of oatbran and a vast amount of berries ( I use frozen )

Around 3ish if the hunger starts I will take a bowl of veg based soup to stop me reaching for the sugar ( I work in coffee shop, cakes everywhere )

Supper will be protein and veg - unlimited and something like a jacket potato, or air fried wedges, last night I had chicken, salad and jacket potato, tonight its baked salmon, asparagus, more salad,and probably sweet potato fries. Tomorrow its meatballs ( 5% mince ) wholeweat pasta and a hm tomato sauce packed with veggies

I avoid bread. Bread and cereals are just empty calories ( to me ). They dont fill me. If I do have bread its always wholemeal and usually a pitta. I can stuff a lot into a pitta. Rice is now brown, pasta is wholewheat. Couscous, quinoa, beans and lentils are now used as filler uppers

I use olive oil ( in a spray - not that low calorie stuff ). I skip butter ( I used to slice the butter on rather then spread) , if I want something on a jacket potato I use a low fat soft cheese spread.

If I want a curry or a chinese I have it - home made. If I want a cheese chip I have it - air fried hand cut chips . I dont go without. I do have the odd high calorific fat and sugar laden snack, Im human after all. I fancied a posh sausage roll from the place across the road so I got one. One , as a treat, in a week isnt going to derail me, same as I do sometimes reach for a cake , its when its a cake or sausage roll or bag of crisps every day that the problems arise. Im mindful. I dont deny myself, if the want is strong enough I go for it, but the want has to be stronger then my want to keep my BMI in a healthy range

I also get the steps in, two miles before work - with the dog so not fast, then I do between 4 and 6 miles in work then another 2 or 3 miles after work at pace when i can.

And sure being human, I do have days where I dont move off the sofa but I get an average of 90k steps a week

More fats and proteins less carbs and sugars, eggs and cheese are really easy sources of protein and fat and it will keep you fuller for longer.

You are eating too many carbs.

Your meals need to be the protein.
Cut the granola, cereal bars, pasta & biscuits. All these will just make you more hungry.

Meat & veg all the way.

Vegetable Curry, lunch and dinner every day, not to everyone's taste but it's how I did it. It's liw lcalories (use cauliflour, squash, sweet potato etc rather than chickpeas or lentils) and the spicing made me feel fuller than eating more bland foods. Don't ask me about the science but it worked!

In a similar boat. I have trained myself not to eat breakfast.....

Im used to it now so don't eat until 12.30pm

Up your protein intake.

I eat under 1700kcals a day and don't really feel hungry. I say roughly because I allow myself flexibility as long as I stay in my weekly allowance of 11,900kcals.

I make sure I drink at least 2.5 litres of water a day because dehydration feels very similar to hunger. I usually add lemon and ice to mine because I'm not actually keen on water.

For breakfast I generally soak oats, 1.5tsb of ground flax in unsweetened coconut milk overnight and then cook it into porridge in the morning. I top that with a large banana or a portion of berries - that comes to under 400kcals and keeps me full until lunch time

Lunch is something like - 2 soft boiled eggs, a piece of wholemeal toast and butter, a portion of cheese, and 3x portions of fruit and veg. - thats under 500kcals and is again quite filling.

Dinner varies but always contains a protein. It's generally around 500calories.

Which leaves me with 300kcals for extras if needed. I tend to snack on fruit and veg and have a sweet snack in the evening.

I also make sure I chew my food properly because studies show that chewing each mouthful 20-40 times is optimal. It helps your body recognise that you're eating, and gives your body time to recognise when you're full.

I also don't deprive myself if there's an event or special occasion. I just resume my deficit the day after. I've lost 20lb so far and kept it off.

Eat reeeaaallllllyyyyy sloooooooowly

Have you got time to exercise? I try and make sure I do 10,000 steps a day which gives me more calories to eat! I can’t get to the gym at the moment so this was my only option for now. I’ve lost half a stone, albeit slowly, since I really committed to the walking.

Placemarking for reading later. Watch button doesn't always work.

Cut out bread anyway, it's so processed. Protein is the way to go. Eggs, chicken, beef, lamb, fish, with fresh veg. Yogurt with high protein like quark or Skyr, with fruit. Graze rather than meals. I cook chicken fillets and snack on them during the day, for instance.

Granola is basically a deconstructed flapjack, delicious but high in sugar and low in valuable nutrients. Try porridge instead.

Apples, fish, peanut butter.

Unfortunately im very short and menopausal and if I ate 1600 calories a day I'd be gaining weight. So Ive had to cope with training myself not to snack and to eat all of my calories within an eight hour period (11.30- 7.30). When I'm trying to lose weight I eat 800 cals and when I'm maintaining about 1200 cals.

Things that fill me up are massive tuna salads with a mayo and lemon juice dressing, eggs, eggs and more eggs, homemade pho with loads of veggies, chicken and rice noodles. Sometimes having a little bit of something sweet after dinner also helps me to put a full stop in my eating day so I'll usually have a 10cal jelly or a couple of squares of dark chocolate.

I would concentrate on protein and fibre. Definitely change your breakfast (ditch the granola). Look up the glucose goddess hacks.

I've lost a stone since January but if I was eating the way you are I would be starving.

If I have cereal or granola etc for breakfast I am hungry by mid morning. I don't like yoghurt but the Greek yoghurt is fine with proper fresh fruit but what I have is eggs. Scrambled egg on toast (2 eggs but only one 1 bread and a tiny amount of butter) keeps me going until lunchtime.

Lunch will then be a sandwich or similar. I can't cut out bread but what I do is pack it full of chicken or ham with salad I actually like so for me that is romaine lettuce, grated carrot, sweetcorn etc. Heck, I will even have a pack of lower fat crisps such as frazzles or french fries.

If you have soup it needs to have plenty of protein so with a chopped up chicken breast or tofu or lentils etc.

Evening meal is a larger portion of protein so for me chicken or fish with jacket potato or wedges and lots of veg. I might have a mini chocolate bar or a biscuit as a treat

@wiggleweggle - would you be kind enough to post a link to your 5 seed crackers recipe please?

Not all Greek yoghurts are the same. For calorie deficit I found Fage 0% the best, it is high protein, low sugar/calories. Combine it with a low sugar muesli, or rolled oats instead of granola and add berries. You can buy frozen berries relatively cheaply which improve the taste and are low calorie.
Then add low fat cottage cheese to everything! It bumps up your protein and is low calorie. I stir it into soup for an extra protein boost.
Protein shakes are really good for filling you up if you're still hungry in an afternoon, just choose carefully watching the sugar content.

Team RH - really generous deficits that can be easily adhered to and it works (so long as you commit to a minimum of 10k steps a day).

If you can watch the programme Fat Fiction (I think its on Prime) you'll get some great advice from professionals. Fat is not the enemy and is in fact very nutritious. Protein and fat all the way, carbs = sugar and are inflammatory and cause insulin spikes which will increase appetite.
Eggs, meat, fish. avocados etc. You'll probably find that you can't even eat 3 meals a day doing this. I generally eat one meal a day and no snacking as I don't feel the need because I eat the correct foods.

Its hard work and I think a lot is about will power. Esp at the beginning.
I'm currently trying to lose weight and on 1400 calories plus additional depending on exercise level that day. Some days I find it easy, others are so hard.

Protein has good filling power. I tend to remove half the carb element of a meal and replace with protein.
I also find having a better breakfast makes the day easier. Like today I've had eggs and sausage for breakfast (with tea). I haven't felt the need to snack yet and usually on a office day I would have cereal and be snacking by this point any ready.

Do you pre plan your meals and snacks? I find of days I have pre planned everything I am eating, it is easier to stick too. I'm trying to pre plan a few days in advance at the moment and it is easier to stick to it. On days where I kind of go with the flow, it feels alot harder to stick too.