Hi
I'm a female
5'0 height
135 pounds
I'm trying to lose weight and I'm trying to eat around 1300-1500 cal but I'm finding it very hard. I'm always hungry. I try to eat clean but I'm always fighting these hughe cravings. Am I eating the wrong foods or in wrong combinations?
thank you so much :D

Could you post a sample daily menu? It could be that you aren't selecting foods that will keep you full longer. For example, when I rely too heavily on meal replacement bars and shakes, I am STARVING all the time because I just like having more bulk in my foods.

Low calorie doesn't HAVE to mean tiny portions. I had a chicken salad today that filled a 6.3 cup Tupperware container to the brim. It was all of 260 calories. I also had a big slab of turkey/spinach/WW lasagna that was so large that I'm still feeling stuffed 3 hours later, LOL.

Maggie

oki doki
ok here it goes
I figure out that I should be eating around 1400 (I can't remember the exact quantatity but it near that)
A typical day can be:

BF:1 small banana + 1 cup skim milk + 1 cup bran flakes

Snack: cereal bar or fruit

L: 1 cup rice or pasta or small potato
4 oz chicken or turkey
small salad with 1 tbs olive oil and vinegar
1 fruit


S: 1 cup skim milk + 1/2 cup of bran flakes
or 1 tbs peanut butter and a fruit (apple)

Dinner: same as lunch

S: 1 yogurt or 1 tbs peanut butter or 1 cup milk or 1 pear

thks.
can you give me example of your daily diet? thks so much :tu:

Here's a pretty typical daily diet for me. I aim for 1400-1700 calories a day right now and 50% carb, 30% protein, 20% fat in each meal. Most of my meals are around 250-280 calories each.

1: 3 egg white/1 whole egg omelette, 1 c. spinach, 1 large navel orange

2: 3 oz chicken breast, 6 c. salad (lettuce, tomatoes, celery, corn, black bean, bean sprouts, and green onion) with 2 T. fat free ranch dressing and 2 T. low carb BBQ sauce

3: Banana yogurt protein shake (around 3 c.)

4: 4 oz. sauteed tilapia filet, 1 c. broccoli in oyster sauce, 1/2 c. brown rice

5: Turkey spinach lasagna with whole wheat lasagna noodles

6: 5 protein pancakes (egg whites, oatmeal and a bit of protein powder) and 1 c. strawberries

I think that your meals are simply too small in size right now, and too carb-heavy. I'm not advocating low-carb by any means, but if your replaced your milk and bran flakes with omelette, oatmeal or fruit, and a serving of veggies, you would feel a lot fuller longer. Your snacks are also very small, especially the peanut butter/fruit, cereal bar, or single fruit or yogurt. If you try to balance out each meal with both a healthy carb and a lean protein, you will feel satiated longer.

You're doing exactly what i did when i began, and i had the same discomfort... I would wake up hungry in the middle of the night, even. I even dreamed about food, as crazy as that sounds! My husband said i woke him up smacking my lips as though I were eating. At that time i guess i was keeping it around 1100 to 1200 calories, but now I get between 1400 and 1600 k. I feel much better like this. You must need more than you are getting- everyone's different, that's for sure.

You must need more than you are getting- everyone's different, that's for sure.
I agree with FerretNose. It's not a race.

Maggie's suggestions are great, but if you try some of her tips and are still hungry, then eat more. At 135 pounds, you will likely lose weight as long as you keep it below 2000 calories.

I'm at about 120 pounds, and I don't think I ever ate below 1600 calories. Based on my hunger cues, I automatically adjusted the amount that I was eating as I lost weight. Now, I couldn't even finish the amount of food that I used to eat when I was 130.

Choose foods with lots of water, air, and fibre in them, and be sure to drink lots of water. I'm most full when I'm stuffed with fruits and vegetables. You might want to try replacing the rice or noodles in lunch or dinner with extra vegetables like broccoli and spinach. I always aim for 6-8 servings of fruits and vegetables per day.

how do you figure out how many calories a person needs?

how do you figure out how many calories a person needs?
A good start is the fat loss (http://forums.johnstonefitness.com/showthread.php?t=1222) guide, it has some great tips for beginners, and later you can adjust your food/calloric intake to your personal needs.

Definately get in some protein with every meal and alittle fat (like a tiny handful of nuts) or veggies for snacks. It will make a big difference.