i (23f) moved recently and have a fairly sedentary office job now with an hour lunch. after some uncertainty with my job and the stress of moving made me gain some quick weight, i’m trying to settle back into a routine and work it off. my go-to at lunch has been a prepared salad bowl (if it’s a larger trader joe’s one, that’s all i’ll do + sometimes a protein bar), and if it’s a smaller one from a different store (have been getting the 230 cal ones recently), i’ll pair it with more snacks + fruits or veg to fill out my meal. here’s what i ate today for lunch, but my stomach is rumbling like i didn’t eat anything. how can i curb the food noise? i know if i ate more i would eventually feel satiated, but i can’t eat 800 cal for every meal thats how i got here in the first place lol. my breakfast was an oikos triple zero peach yogurt with a bit of granola in it and a large iced coffee. i’m really struggling with feeling fine from after my lunch period until the end of the day when i go home and can have a dinner. CW 178, GW 140-150ish
by solarllama
14 Comments
That chocolate bar can be replaced with something in the same calorie range but way more filling, like a bowl of Fage 0% with a few semi-sweet dark chocolate chips for example. You can have almost 230 grams of Greek yogurt and like 6-7 grams of chocolate chips with some Splenda and it be tasty but way more efficient in calories.
Replace the chocolate bar for some Greek yogurt and berries.
Are you trying to do low carb? Maybe adding a whole wheat tortilla could help. It looks like ur lunch has very little carbs.
Also this is just a me thing but I really struggle to feel satiated when my meal is cold. My breakfasts and dinners HAVE to be hot or I feel empty inside. A hot cup of tea or adding something warm to your meal could help.
some people are throwing suggestions to replace the crunch bar, so i thought i’d throw my 2 cents in for a replacement that better hits the cravings. chocolate rice cake! i also will add on some zero sugar cool whip and it really helps give “more” for less calories
You are using all of your calories on snacks in your meal…move the chocolate to and after dinner snack and the cheese to an afternoon snack. Replace it with soup and crackers and if you still need a bit of a treat, some sugar free jello. Or double your salad bowl portion.
I would replace the chocolate bar with a built puff bar for 140-150 cals and 17 grams of protein. Also swap out the pirates booty for a half bag of quest protein chips—same cals as the booty but an additional 10 grams protein. The extra protein will keep you full.
Make you some beans and rice, that’ll fill you right up for less calories.
I would argue that you don’t have a lot of volume here, and those salad bowls are not very big, and you’re pretty low on carbs. Remember that a satiating meal has fats, carbs, protein, and fiber and that’s how you get full and stay full.
For 200 calories less than what you ate here, I have been having a homemade burrito bowl that is super filling and tasty, with room to have your chocolate on top as a treat. I meal prepped this and can give more info on what I did if you’re curious, but each of my bowls breaks down to:
4 oz. of chicken breast, taco seasoned (110 cal.)
1/4 cup of dried black beans (80 cal.)
1/4 cup sweet corn (30 cal.)
1/2 svg of Mahatma yellow rice (95 cal.)
14g of cheddar cheese on top (55 cal.)
My husband eats more than me, so his bowl had 28g queso fresco instead of the cheddar, and double the amount of corn and yellow rice, plus chicken thighs instead of breasts.
Your lunch looks good but have you considered a little more for breakfast to try and offset the hunger by the time you get to lunch? Your breakfast is yogurt and some granola. Maybe add a boiled egg or cheese? Or maybe switch it up entirely to something with a little more bulky?? Example. Low carb breakfast tacos/burritos. I did mine with some ground turkey mixed in my scrambled eggs with some spinach and a tiny bit of cheese. Honestly, the yogurt and granola sounds like one of my snacks 😭
Sandwich or wrap with a good protein filling is generally a lot more satiating than salads.
Also look at your breakfast. You’re not coming off the greatest base. Drinking calories is generally not the greatest idea.
Add in a cup of hot brothy soup. Hot tea would have a similar effect but probably not as satisfying.
Maybe add some veggies like carrots and broccoli?
Get rid of cheese and candy and add fruit, protein and carb
Drink more water