I’m 5'3" and trying to lose weight, with a daily target of around 1700 calories. Lately I’ve been struggling to meet that target — some days I end up well under, and then every couple of weeks I’ll have a binge if I’m having a rough day.
I’ve attached a screenshot of yesterday’s calories as an example — I was well under my goal. I know under-eating can make binging more likely, so I’m trying to break this cycle.
If you’ve been through something similar, how did you make sure you were eating enough without going over? Any tips for easy, calorie-dense but healthy foods would be great.
by CommonConflict9519
18 Comments
Weirdly I maintain my weight/gain more weight when I stop paying attention to calories and eat intuitively
Add nuts/ nut butter the oatmeal
Protein smoothie later in the day with nuts/ nut butter blended in
Desserts and snacks with nut butter and dates.
No. I get 2,400-2,500 calories between two meals. I’m a petite but active slim 5’3 female. Good appetite from being active.
You need to eat more for your meals. Even if you’re not hungry. Oatcakes aren’t a meal. Add some quinoa and legume salad with fruit and you’re easily looking at 800 calories if you eat enough.
Start by eating a proper lunch. Oatcakes 176 cals isn’t “lunch”.
Same here.
I’ve always had a small stomach and not much of an appetite. I’m supposed to eat 2,200 calories a day according to Chronometer, but I often don’t even reach that if I eat junk. When I eat healthy, I struggle big time to reach that and I average about 1,200 calories in a day, so I try making up for it with things like fruit, smoothies, and energy balls (peanut butter, oats, fruit, and protein powder rolled into balls) and I often have to force them into my system. Healthy plant-based food is just surprisingly low in calories. I can stretch my stomach over time to get used to reaching calorie targets with healthy plant-based eating and sometimes it shrinks back and I have to start the process again and it’s a hassle.
Your snacks and lunch are easy opportunities to add healthy calories. You’re not eating much fruit either. You don’t have to do all of these in one day but some suggestions:
For your AM snack did you just eat the hummus alone? Hummus is a dip/spread, you can eat it with a chopped red pepper/carrots/pita bread.
Oatcakes are not a healthy lunch, eat something similar to your dinner. If you need to eat a quick lunch due to time or whatever, add some nut butter and a piece of fruit.
Add hummus and a piece of fruit to your PM snack.
You can use your remaining calories to “catch up” on missing nutrients. Have a salad with berries, dark leafy greens, some nuts, and whatever dressing you prefer, depending on how heavy you go on nuts/dressing you could easily add 300-400 calories.
Damn, based on my TDEE I would need less than 1200 to be in a calorie deficit. I’m jealous yours allows you 1700 cals.
What I have found helpful in trying to lose weight is increasing protein to keep you fuller longer which may also help with your binging.
as others have highlighted the lunch you have really isn’t lunch at all.
My easy lunch is my favourite veg roasted (courgette, mushroom, peppers, aubergine, carrot) – tossed with oil and spices of my choice, add some cooked tofu (plain or again with spices or smoked, and some lentils. I usually make a salad dressing and add that to it too, maybe some seeds or nuts for texture! Can have it hot or cold and can add grains (quinoa, brown rice, bulgar wheat). It’s a good amount of protein, also has nice fats from the oil and it keeps me so full for ages. I’ve lost 30kg eating similar meals, i make burgers from beans etc and to be honest i haven’t really counted calories per se but roughly work it out in my head. You genuinely need to eat more!
(i’m a fellow binge eater – ive not been perfect but that’s the nature of the beast)
I add sunflower seeds, chia seeds, flax seeds and frozen cherries to my oatmeal and it’s over 600 calories even though I don’t add plant milk.
I wish.
Add in more healthy fats. Also miso soup with tofu is a very low calorie dinner
What! I’m 5,7 I need to be in 1200 to loose weight 😑
Studies say (plz don’t ask me for them) that eating between 1 ounce and 2 ounces of nuts/seeds per day is associated with lower BMI and weightloss because of the saitity of nuts.
Are you getting enough greens and veggies? Are you watching your calcium?
What are oatcakes?
If you’re trying to loose weight and 5’3″, provided you’re not too active, I’d think 1200 would be about where you should be if you’re looking for a 500 cal deficit. I’m a little taller than you and my TDEE is around 1600.
Have lots of seeds and nuts with your oatmeal in the morning. Add sunflower seeds, poppy seeds, chia, pumpkin seeds, buckwheat (whole), cook all that together with the oatmeal (ideally, soak all that over night, that way you can absorb the nutrients better).
Also add lots of nuts to your oatmeal. Almonds, walnuts, Brazil nut (only one each day, for selenium, don’t eat too many of those). Add coconut flakes as well! If you eat oils, add linseed oil for the omega 3. It only has ALA so it’s not absorbed as well but it’s a start.
For dinner (and lunch if you like) always have some legumes with it and look into grains as well. There are some beautiful options, all kinds of different lentils and beans, and chickpeas. Use canned if cooking takes too long. You need the protein anyways.
Also there are some cool grains you can add, millet, buckwheat, quinoa, amaranth etc. You can cook them just like rice. Black or brown rice is great as well! (Just not white rice, because if blood sugar).
Also, I’m not a fan of counting calories at all. Eat big portions with plant based food, you should feel full and satisfied for a few hours after a meal. If you are trying to eat enough, counting might make sense. But usually, people lose weight in whole foods even if they don’t count, because it’s really hard to overeat on them.
Also being in a deficit will just make your metabolism slow down and the weight will come back. Eat whole foods and your body will adjust.
No. I eat 3800-4000 calories a day but my stomach is a bottomless pit.
Your oatmeal is excellent for breakfast. I add a scoop of protein powder, 1.5T chia seeds, 1T flax seeds, banana, and 1/2 cup of blueberries. Gives me about 30g protein and double the calories.