I don’t know wtf I’m doing

[joyfullyobey]

30 yo cw 160 gw 140 for now
TDEE 2000
Target 1500
I am realizing I must not know how to diet. I am absolutely starving by 5pm every day and it sucks. Is this just par for the course? I am dying to go to the gym but it’s just not in the budget. I also try not to spend much on myself for food because I feel guilty for it (a me problem not an SO problem he is amazing) Breakfast is usually around 300 cals a coffee with half and half and dry cereal or breakfast bar sometimes a frozen egg white and turkey sausage sandwich. Lunch is also around 300 cals with either a premade salad/veggie tray or guac/ hummus and wheat thins or the occasional leftovers. I do add in a protein shake or some other snack around 100 cals before dinner. Dinner I splurge a little more with a meat and veggie with the occasional dinner roll or rice. What am I doing wrong?

 

[macbosch]

@joyfullyobey Anybody would feel starving on dry cereal and veggies + hummus -- it's not just you! Your body needs more protein and a balance of carbs and fiber. I never understood how to feel full on a deficit until I downloaded the free version of Cronometer, or even just looking at macro recommendations. I realized I was highly overestimating the amount of protein in my food and it was leaving me starving! Egg whites are great, so is turkey, so that breakfast with maybe a few veggies or guacamole sounds great. For lunch I would try having whole chickpeas instead of hummus. Dry or canned beans/legumes/lentils are a wonderful and usually cheaper source of protein. Aldi and other budget groceries usually have a great variety. Try to meet your protein goals and see how you feel. Don't feel like you need to go out and buy a whole new pantry, that can be SO overwhelming. Focus on making reasonable changes and checking in with your body. If the gym isn't possible, try walking outdoors or a YouTube workout series. Lift canned goods or bottles of wine at home, and be on the lookout at thrift stores for weights. You've got this!

 

[smilesandsunshine]

@macbosch Hopping on the protein train REALLY makes a difference! I have a protein shake (25-30g, 150cal) mixed with my morning black coffee instead of creamer. Lunch is salad with chicken breast / tuna salad or cottage cheese with Wasa crackers / light Greek yogurt with fruit and granola, all options are under 300 cal and have about 20-35 G protein. Dinner is lean meat, veggies, and a carb such as potato, bread, rice. Usually about 500 cals and 40g protein. After dinner I eat a protein bar as a dessert/evening snack, which is another 15g protein and 150 cals. This leaves me a few hundred calories for wiggle room, snacks, or treats and gets me to my goals of 100g protein / ~1400 cals. I’m 5’3” and 150 lbs, down 15 lbs on this plan.

 

[joyfullyobey]

@smilesandsunshine Ooh the protein shake with coffee is a great idea! I miss using my favored creamer!

 

[joyfullyobey]

@macbosch Thanks so much! Def looking into that app!

 

[cph]

@joyfullyobey As a 5’2F on a 1300-1500 calorie diet, the processed food and higher fat items in your list stand out to me. The half & half, cereal, breakfast bar, guac/hummus, and crackers aren’t the best choices even if they’re marketed as healthy. They don’t give you a lot of bang for your buck on a lower calorie diet and they’re easy to over consume.

My diet: breakfast- 1 packet of oatmeal and black coffee (160 calories). Snack: banana, 1 cup of grapes, or an apple. If I’m really hungry I have 2 servings (100-200 calories). Lunch: oatmeal (160), turkey sandwich no mayo (400), or chicken spinach salad with light dressing (400). Snack- 1 or 2 servings of fruit or veg, no dip (100-200 calories). Dinner options: 2 chicken fajitas no oil (~500 calories), pork chop with steamed veggies and potatoes/rice (~600 calories), chicken BLT (~600), or chicken stir fry (~400-500).

I choose to eat lighter throughout the day so I can eat slightly more in the evening. It also leaves me with room to have a piece of chocolate or something in the evening. If I order out, I eat oatmeal for each meal and the smaller snack, then eat half of what I order (they use a lot of oil/butter that drives up the calorie amount). I give up all liquid calories when I’m dieting because they just aren’t worth it.

 

[jacksamual]

@cph I highly recommend protein oatmeal! About 230 calories per pack with 12 grams of protein. If you like oatmeal it’s great way to get something more filling in the morning

 

[acmowery]

@jacksamual This is my favorite, although it can be hard to find in store.

~140 calories, 7g fiber, 6g protein.

Edit: And wayyy lower in sugar than the regular protein one, too. I feel like shit after eating too much sugar in one sitting, so this one is perfect for me.

 

[joyfullyobey]

@cph Thank you! This was soooo helpful!! I have def been focusing too much on “diet foods”

 

[cph]

@joyfullyobey You’re very welcome! I’ve also never gone to a gym, I do bodyweight or strength training in a circuit and keep my heart rate up. So 3-5 sets of 9 different exercises (abs, arms, legs repeated 3x) and I shoot for 20 reps a piece.

 

[irishamerican4christ]

@joyfullyobey Girl whole food allll the way for life

 

[irishamerican4christ]

@cph Ohhh sameeee yeah girl! How much grams of oat meal do you do? I feel like it can add up.

smoothie and sodas are easily making ppl overweight ... Chewing solid food is bomb.

 

[cph]

@irishamerican4christ I do great value maple and brown sugar oatmeal packets I switched to buying it in bulk for a while and it didn’t keep me full as long or satisfy my sweet tooth.

 

[dawn16]

@joyfullyobey what’s your daily protein intake?
also if you live in a city with a planet fitness their membership is only $10/mo

 

[dawn16]

how big is your dinner? if you’re only having 700 cals for everything else that gives you 800 for dinner. you can have a pretty big meat and veggie dinner for that.

 

[joyfullyobey]

No idea what my protein intake is but probably not nearly enough. Unfortunately I am very rural so only 1 expensive gym in my area. I am only eating a regular portion of meat like 1 piece of chicken etc but more veggies for dinner. I may not actually be getting in enough calories now that I think about it

 

[dawn16]

@joyfullyobey if you don’t have a food scale i’d recommend getting one and start tracking so you know exactly what you’re eating instead of guessing definitely get some more protein in you’ll feel better for it

 

[joyfullyobey]

@dawn16 I definitely should. I read that most be overestimate so to combat that I think I may have been doing the opposite

 

[danieljames]

@joyfullyobey The more protein you consume the more satiated you’ll feel. I also thing that you’re not eating enough, but if you did choose to stick to the calories you’re eating make an effort to get more protein in. Aim for 100g per day to start. Lean chicken, lean pork or seafood are all great options for very little calorie impact but make a big difference in how hungry you are during the day! Also, fibre helps you feel full too.

 

[coffeeinseattle]

@joyfullyobey You don’t have to eat breakfast foods for breakfast. I often eat dinner leftovers in the morning which are very filling.

I agree with a lot of the other comments that what you’re eating is not very satiating. We petites really need to get a lot bang for our buck when it comes to calories. You might want to check out r/volumeeating for ideas on how to get more food out of your calorie allowance and what foods keep you fuller longer.