How many calories to aim for each meal? I'm still hungry....

[sketchdoll]

I just started keeping track of my calories as I am trying to lose 8-10lbs and I was curious if anyone has a ballpark answer for how many calories each meal should look like? I know it will differ from person to person and their goals, but I'm curious what others think.  My own stats are: female, 5'4", 125lbs, moderately active (running and some weight training).  I have my Fitbit set up to have a deficit of 500 calories per day, so it tells me I should be aiming for around 1300 calories.  Does that seem right? I'm coming away from meals hungry and at least two of my meals are 300 calories or less.... Should I be eating higher calorie meals?  For example, I just finished eating lunch and I'm still hungry. I've had 642 calories today and 35 grams of protein so far.  I've been aiming for more protein in my diet but it doesn't seem to make much of a difference.  Is the grumble in my belly just my body getting used to lower calorie meals and it will adjust?

[Nomad92]

Hello Sketchdoll.

First I would like to say that I am very proud of you! You are one of a few who actually started to work on their physical goals, keep it up 🙂

To answer your question:  I've found this table which shows how much calories you would need depending from your age,gender etc. 

http://www.webmd.com/diet/estimated-calorie-requirement

So it literally says that a moderately active woman at the age of 19 - 30 would need around 2000 calories a day.

If you want to lose weight very bad and speed up the process, it might help if you cut it down to 1800 or 1700 calories a day.

additionally I have to say that it doesn't only matter HOW MANY calories you get in, it is also important to eat balanced and healthy, and to drink a lot ( best option would be water ).

I like to add some coffee and chilli to my meals, since it is supporting weight lost and keeps your circulation running 🙂

I hope I could help, if you should have any questions about losing weight or fitness, you can contact me via private message whenever you want.

Cheers.

[SunsetRunner]

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@sketchdoll wrote:

I just started keeping track of my calories as I am trying to lose 8-10lbs and I was curious if anyone has a ballpark answer for how many calories each meal should look like? I know it will differ from person to person and their goals, but I'm curious what others think.  My own stats are: female, 5'4", 125lbs, moderately active (running and some weight training).  I have my Fitbit set up to have a deficit of 500 calories per day, so it tells me I should be aiming for around 1300 calories.  Does that seem right? I'm coming away from meals hungry and at least two of my meals are 300 calories or less.... Should I be eating higher calorie meals?  For example, I just finished eating lunch and I'm still hungry. I've had 642 calories today and 35 grams of protein so far.  I've been aiming for more protein in my diet but it doesn't seem to make much of a difference.  Is the grumble in my belly just my body getting used to lower calorie meals and it will adjust?

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If you still feel hungry after eating you can either drink water, or eat a little more and train an extra hour.   

[OCDOC · Accepted solution]

As mentioned, drinking lots of water might help expand what you're eating and suppress the hunger.

However, being hungry for any sustained period is bad! The reason is that the same processes that stimulate hunger (via ghrelin, leptin, and a bunch of other weird things) will also start to slow your metabolism..your body thinks food is scarce, and your BMR can drop 30%..quickly. Not good. Your hunger will fade, but so will your energy level..ugh.

Much depends on what you are eating. Carbs spike hunger sooner than protein or fat. People who eat lots of carbs often eat small meals very frequently..eg 1800 cals means 6x300 meals a day..almost grazing. Hunger doesn't have a chance to get started.

Protein and especially fat suppress hunger longer...some people on strict LowCarb eat only once a day and are never hungry...same calorie total.

Without knowing how you balance your macros, the basic notion is eat smaller and more frequent the more your diet is carb-based. And don't forget the water!

[sketchdoll]

Thanks for the reply! All my life I have been pretty addicted to carbs. I've been trying to slowly wean myself off of eating too much of them though. I would ideally like to move more into a Paleoesque lifestyle. I think my issue right now is I am not getting in enough healthy fats.  I think I need to up my amount in my meals and even snacks so that I stay fuller longer.  And of course more water! 

However, I know that once I add in more fats, my calorie count will go up more.  I guess I'll just have to juggle my meals around and see what works for me.  I think it's been hard this past week because I am both trying to increase my physical fitness and eat less. It almost feels like my body is shocked and saying "Girl, you gotta stop!" Maybe I should lower my deficit to a smaller goal and make it easier? I'll play around with some different meals this week and see how it goes adding in more fat though.

Thanks again!

[OCDOC]

@sketchdoll

Agree that experimenting is a good idea. Everybody's hunger center responds differently. There are plenty of good fat choices, and remember that butter isn't evil anymore 🙂

For some reason my 'surefire' appetite-killer is avocado. If I have half an avocado with a meal I am DONE for hours. 

You sound very intelligent and motivated; my money is on you succeeding! R

[OCDOC]

Re avocado killing my appetite:

http://www.healwithfood.org/articles/avocados-natural-appetite-suppressant.php

Their main caution is to count the 160 calories the 1/2 avocado provides to your daily total..uh..ok 🙂  R

[sketchdoll]

I love love love avocados! I haven't had any in a while because it seems like their prices went up where I live.  I was waiting for them to drop down again before buying some.  I may just have to bite the bullet and get some anyway. I could easily eat a whole avocado every day though. Yikes! I better just stick with 1/2. 

This morning I added a tbsp of coconut oil to my morning coffee and I can really tell a difference. Several hours later and I'm not hungry at all! Adding in the fat has helped a lot! Thanks for the suggestion 🙂