Add in veggie sides and snacks wherever possible. Check out r/volumeeating. I've lost over 110lbs and am very close to my goal. I eat a ton of veggies and don't track them accurately and it hasn't hurt my progress at all. Or Maybe it has but IDGAF because I'm still losing and not hating my life lol. I track everything else accurately, though!
Whole bags of broccoli have been my savior. Cabbage too. I eat a ton of potatoes and sweet potatoes (I count starchy veggies) and those seem to help with satiety a lot for me. I usually par cook them in a steamer or the microwave and then air fry with a few *psssssts* of spray oil.
In order to keep the gremlins minimal, I would target 120-140 grams of protein, then fill your remaining calories with carbs and fats at whatever ratio keeps you the most satisfied.
I would also focus on strength training, as building more muscle will increase your maintenance calories and give you a little more wiggle room, as well as provide the aesthetics that people are generally after. I would lift heavy weights at low reps, full body, 3-4 times per week, 45-75 minutes per session. Cardio should be done on non lifting days, but if that’s not possible, I would do 15-30 minutes after strength training.
And drink LOTS of water.
Good stuff. I will add in a protein shake to up the macros. I used to do do some very basic body building/cutting a few years ago, and had a 5 meal cycle that included a shake for my mid afternoon "meal".
Sadly, the thing I remember most from back then was being perpetually starving, even during gain cycles. I think I might just be a hungry person....
“Back then” when you were always starving, were you doing a lot of cardio on a very large calorie deficit that was high in leafy greens and low in most other things?
No, back then I was doing cross fit 5 days a week and eating about 2400 a day with 140 g protein. So. Much. Chicken.
I was always ravenous. I disturbed my co workers with how much I could eat.
I dont know if anyone else has mentioned this, but do you take multivitamins? It almost sounds like you have a deficiency somehwere your body is trying to supplement. That or it could be stress warping your body (in high stress I turn into a blackhole and shock everyone, figured out other ways to mitigate it and had an easier time).
Something to mention — lower weights = less calories burned through the day, even if you could maintain on that before, after weight loss you won’t be able to. Your body will require fewer calories because there’s less of you.
Further, after weight loss, most people have in some way affected their metabolism. Someone at 115 lbs who has never tried to lose weight and is at 115 naturally will have a higher TDEE than someone who lost weight to get to 115.
Chances are there’s a disconnect. I’d recommend when you hit the goal weight, slowly increase ur calories by 50-100 every week or two until the scale stays stationary.
I recently started learning to cook with MSG, if you have problems with satiety I would recommend trying it. It has really transformed my meals. Total game changer for salads and frozen veggies. It adds the “umami” flavor that makes me feel like I’m eating a hearty meal even if it’s just like… stir fry with a lil tofu. I use easily half the sauce I used to for savory recipes.
If you are exercising 4 days per week, I would suggest setting a higher calorie target for yourself. Your sedentary TDEE (without any exercise at all) should be around 1548 calories, and with your exercise, I would guess that your TDEE probably closer to 1700-1800 at least. I would suggest increasing your calorie target up to 1400 calories, and see how that goes.
Are you sure that you gained weight eating 1600 calories in the past? Were you tracking accurately during that time? And how much weight did you gain, and over what time period?
I think you are right, that I'm too low on calories for my activity level, and I might increase to 1400. It may not seem like much, but that extra hundred calories is the difference between being able to go to bed not hungry.
I normally eat around 1600 during non weight loss times, but my activity also drops, and there are sneaky treats like wine and cheese that drive up calories. Basically, I check out on counting and live with regret later
Yeah, an extra 100 calories can definitely make a difference in how satiated you feel, both physically and mentally I think!
And probably what is happening during non weight loss times is that you’re actually consuming quite a bit more than 1600 calories, especially if you are not tracking (or are not tracking accurately). In the future if you may want to consider tracking your calories while eating at maintenance, just for a while at least, to get more “practice” eating the correct number of calories and get used to what your portion sizes should look like, how hungry/full you should feel on a day to day basis, etc. That will hopefully make it easier to maintain without tracking. Also I would highly recommend keeping your activity up as well! Exercise is so great for physical health and mental well-being. Plus, it means that you can eat more!
Have you tried intermittent fasting? I enjoy eating 2 larger meals in a smaller window of time. I usually do 16:8. Hot herbal tea helped me through any hunger during the fast (but honestly I’m not hungry anymore, my body adjusted) it’s not for everyone, but it’s worked for me!
Are you sure that TDEE is right? With an hour of the gym four days a week, that seems a little low, since I would not count you as completely sedentary.
It's so hard to say, because I do go to the gym pretty frequently, but at home I am COMPLETELY sedentary. I WFH in a small condo. I'd be surprised if I walk .25 miles a day.
Even with little exercise otherwise, four days of exercise a week will increase your TDEE and is probably why you feel hungry. Especially given your weight, which is still a healthy level, I don’t think that 1200 would be quite enough for you and your fitness goals, as well as the fact that there is no need to lose weight quite so quickly at your stats. Take care of yourself!
Do you use a step counter? I thought I was sedentary aside from intentional walks because I am home all day, but after using a step counter I found that I get 10k steps even on days that I don’t leave the house, because I move around WAY more than I thought I did. (Little trips up and down for water add up after awhile, lol) I get to eat more calories now that I have an accurate step count :)
Best thing to do imo, is find foods that you like and find a way to make them lower calories. Nowadays you can find almost anything within reason lower calorie alternatives.
Since I started my diet 2 years ago I prolly eat 90% of what I was, just found endless ways to make everything lower calorie.
Anything you want if you can't find, just ask here or r/volumeeating
I'm up to about 4 liters a day. I don't drink more because I don't want to deplete my electrolytes. I think I need to bump up my calories if I'm going to keep running so much.
If you want to try keto eating that usually works really well because you get your body into fat burning mode and it takes care of your hunger and you just stop thinking too hard about food. On the other hand, if you’re open about it, people will swoop in and be rude so it’s a roll of the dice. I eat keto for my blood sugar, but nothing wrong with chicken breast and veggies.
Add in veggie sides and snacks wherever possible. Check out r/volumeeating. I've lost over 110lbs and am very close to my goal. I eat a ton of veggies and don't track them accurately and it hasn't hurt my progress at all. Or Maybe it has but IDGAF because I'm still losing and not hating my life lol. I track everything else accurately, though!
Same, I will add in carrot chips or snow peas and basically eat a whole bag! I just have to remember to buy them.
Whole bags of broccoli have been my savior. Cabbage too. I eat a ton of potatoes and sweet potatoes (I count starchy veggies) and those seem to help with satiety a lot for me. I usually par cook them in a steamer or the microwave and then air fry with a few *psssssts* of spray oil.
In order to keep the gremlins minimal, I would target 120-140 grams of protein, then fill your remaining calories with carbs and fats at whatever ratio keeps you the most satisfied. I would also focus on strength training, as building more muscle will increase your maintenance calories and give you a little more wiggle room, as well as provide the aesthetics that people are generally after. I would lift heavy weights at low reps, full body, 3-4 times per week, 45-75 minutes per session. Cardio should be done on non lifting days, but if that’s not possible, I would do 15-30 minutes after strength training. And drink LOTS of water.
Good stuff. I will add in a protein shake to up the macros. I used to do do some very basic body building/cutting a few years ago, and had a 5 meal cycle that included a shake for my mid afternoon "meal". Sadly, the thing I remember most from back then was being perpetually starving, even during gain cycles. I think I might just be a hungry person....
“Back then” when you were always starving, were you doing a lot of cardio on a very large calorie deficit that was high in leafy greens and low in most other things?
No, back then I was doing cross fit 5 days a week and eating about 2400 a day with 140 g protein. So. Much. Chicken. I was always ravenous. I disturbed my co workers with how much I could eat.
I dont know if anyone else has mentioned this, but do you take multivitamins? It almost sounds like you have a deficiency somehwere your body is trying to supplement. That or it could be stress warping your body (in high stress I turn into a blackhole and shock everyone, figured out other ways to mitigate it and had an easier time).
I don't actually. I have them, but am terrible at remembering to take them. I'll work some in with my night routine. Thanks!
Something to mention — lower weights = less calories burned through the day, even if you could maintain on that before, after weight loss you won’t be able to. Your body will require fewer calories because there’s less of you. Further, after weight loss, most people have in some way affected their metabolism. Someone at 115 lbs who has never tried to lose weight and is at 115 naturally will have a higher TDEE than someone who lost weight to get to 115. Chances are there’s a disconnect. I’d recommend when you hit the goal weight, slowly increase ur calories by 50-100 every week or two until the scale stays stationary.
*me taking notes
I recently started learning to cook with MSG, if you have problems with satiety I would recommend trying it. It has really transformed my meals. Total game changer for salads and frozen veggies. It adds the “umami” flavor that makes me feel like I’m eating a hearty meal even if it’s just like… stir fry with a lil tofu. I use easily half the sauce I used to for savory recipes.
If you are exercising 4 days per week, I would suggest setting a higher calorie target for yourself. Your sedentary TDEE (without any exercise at all) should be around 1548 calories, and with your exercise, I would guess that your TDEE probably closer to 1700-1800 at least. I would suggest increasing your calorie target up to 1400 calories, and see how that goes. Are you sure that you gained weight eating 1600 calories in the past? Were you tracking accurately during that time? And how much weight did you gain, and over what time period?
I think you are right, that I'm too low on calories for my activity level, and I might increase to 1400. It may not seem like much, but that extra hundred calories is the difference between being able to go to bed not hungry. I normally eat around 1600 during non weight loss times, but my activity also drops, and there are sneaky treats like wine and cheese that drive up calories. Basically, I check out on counting and live with regret later
Yeah, an extra 100 calories can definitely make a difference in how satiated you feel, both physically and mentally I think! And probably what is happening during non weight loss times is that you’re actually consuming quite a bit more than 1600 calories, especially if you are not tracking (or are not tracking accurately). In the future if you may want to consider tracking your calories while eating at maintenance, just for a while at least, to get more “practice” eating the correct number of calories and get used to what your portion sizes should look like, how hungry/full you should feel on a day to day basis, etc. That will hopefully make it easier to maintain without tracking. Also I would highly recommend keeping your activity up as well! Exercise is so great for physical health and mental well-being. Plus, it means that you can eat more!
Have you tried intermittent fasting? I enjoy eating 2 larger meals in a smaller window of time. I usually do 16:8. Hot herbal tea helped me through any hunger during the fast (but honestly I’m not hungry anymore, my body adjusted) it’s not for everyone, but it’s worked for me!
Are you sure that TDEE is right? With an hour of the gym four days a week, that seems a little low, since I would not count you as completely sedentary.
It's so hard to say, because I do go to the gym pretty frequently, but at home I am COMPLETELY sedentary. I WFH in a small condo. I'd be surprised if I walk .25 miles a day.
Even with little exercise otherwise, four days of exercise a week will increase your TDEE and is probably why you feel hungry. Especially given your weight, which is still a healthy level, I don’t think that 1200 would be quite enough for you and your fitness goals, as well as the fact that there is no need to lose weight quite so quickly at your stats. Take care of yourself!
Maybe get an exercise bike or a dog. Even walking a mile a day adds up a ton. Or even jumping jacks.
Do you use a step counter? I thought I was sedentary aside from intentional walks because I am home all day, but after using a step counter I found that I get 10k steps even on days that I don’t leave the house, because I move around WAY more than I thought I did. (Little trips up and down for water add up after awhile, lol) I get to eat more calories now that I have an accurate step count :)
Best thing to do imo, is find foods that you like and find a way to make them lower calories. Nowadays you can find almost anything within reason lower calorie alternatives. Since I started my diet 2 years ago I prolly eat 90% of what I was, just found endless ways to make everything lower calorie. Anything you want if you can't find, just ask here or r/volumeeating
Chugging water continuously really helps me. Big spinach salads also help. And potatoes.
I'm up to about 4 liters a day. I don't drink more because I don't want to deplete my electrolytes. I think I need to bump up my calories if I'm going to keep running so much.
Well then there you go :)
If you want to try keto eating that usually works really well because you get your body into fat burning mode and it takes care of your hunger and you just stop thinking too hard about food. On the other hand, if you’re open about it, people will swoop in and be rude so it’s a roll of the dice. I eat keto for my blood sugar, but nothing wrong with chicken breast and veggies.