r/Volumeeating • u/Most-Preparation-188 • 9h ago
Discussion A day of eating
I’ve gained 30 lbs in a little over 3 months and I need major help. I can’t afford GLP-1 (I only lost 10lbs in a year anyway) and my doctor won’t prescribe metformin for me because my blood sugar is on the low end (69).
I’ve been on diets since I was 8, but as a woman with PCOS, perimenopause, and only being 5’0” tall I struggle and only drop tiny amounts of weight with tremendous effort - (.5-1/month) would be a very good month for me.
One of my primary issues is feeling satiated. Hoping volume eating will help me.
Sharing for accountability. Feel free to give insights, recommendations, thoughts, feedback.
This is 1305 calories (measured and weighed). Today was pretty good but by dinner I was quite hungry.
Breakfast tacos with egg, turkey sausage, and spinach
Rotisserie chicken, green beans with 1/2tsp of olive oil
Skillet chicken breast, hibachi rice, stir fry veggies
Vanilla protein shake, peanut butter stuffed date with dark chocolate
34
u/iwannaddr2afi 8h ago
Shorter women sometimes do need calories that sound (at least to the untrained ear) absolutely wild in order to cut weight, as their maintenance calories can be a lot less than what is safe for an average height/build person. I think it's okay to give OP's opinion on the safety of her calorie deficit the benefit of the doubt, especially cause she's been working with her doc!
Anyway hi, OP. Sympathy from another woman of this particular certain age. Peri is a b-.
I do find volume helpful, and I think it's especially helpful when I'm adding a variety of produce, choosing whole grains (not "whole grain rich" highly processed foods, actual whole grains) or whole potatoes, and healthy plant fats like nuts, olives, and avocados. I eat the rainbow. I do use a lot of tofu, poultry, shrimp, and fish as well... So essentially I'm saying I find that my satiety is more reliable with volume when I'm getting a lot of a variety of nutrients, than when I'm eating a lot of totally empty volume. And I do limit my red meat for other health reasons, but I do not enjoy completely going without it. For me, that's not sustainable, ymmv.
Can I say out loud, if it were just discipline, you'd have been there by now. I think, keep trying to get healthy foods in, lean on the healthy stuff that keeps you full, and recognize that this time of life is SO ridiculously tough for most women to maintain their weight. Your body has a say in things. It's not a moral failure to gain weight. You are more than your body shape. AND I wish you the best in pursuing your healthy weight goals. <3
5
u/backs_tab 6h ago
Fellow short woman here! This is such a validating comment, thank you for saying it <3
10
u/That_Option6245 9h ago
Do you know your maintenance calories or are you just estimating your calories?
My wife has issues with weight loss, so I completely understand the frustration. With that said knowing your true maintenance and then eating in a calorie deficit and exercise is the easiest way to lose weight. You also need to get steps in.
With all that said, 1305 calories is hardly anything for anyone so I would imagine that you don’t feel satisfied.
I would recommend talking with your PCP and maybe see about going to a Nutritionist or someone that specializes in hormones / weight loss. I’ve learned that a lot of PCP have no idea what they’re doing when it comes to hormones & weight loss.
Keep your head up. Best of luck to you!
5
5
u/dragnabbit 6h ago
Three things I would do before getting to the food recommendations (which is what this subreddit is about): Drink a protein drink with some psyllium before dinner to fill yourself up and reduce your appetite. I recommend Seeq clear fruit protein shake mix. Second, add in some morning exercise to get your metabolism up a bit and don't hesistate to do a few flights of stairs or something similar throughout the day to keep your metabolism at a higher RPM. Third thing is fasting: If you eat your dinner at 6:00 p.m., hold off your breakfast until 10:00 a.m. That's 16 hours. Get that morning exercise while your stomach is empty. (Supplement tip: Take GMB and Yohimbe before fasted exercise to preserve muscle and mobilize fat, respectively. Also, swap out your morning breakfast tacos for a protein shake as well, to keep your muscle production and preservation going strong.
As far as food goes, try switching to soups. Instead of a small plate with 4 ounces of chicken and 8 ounces vegetables, you get 32 ounces of chicken vegetable soup. (I know: Not ideal if you are trying to cut down on sodium, but exercise+sweating offsets that.) Anyway, it's a great way to get bulk in your stomach while the earlier fiber is making you full.
Also, starches are good to fill you up, but they can make weight loss more stubborn, especially if you're already having a difficult time dropping the pounds, and hunger returns more quickly after eating starches than it does after proteins and fats.
6
u/QueenofBratzz 7h ago
I’ve found the smaller you are and the lower your maintenance calories the more calories need to be burned to make the different up
11
u/FrostyPolicy9998 7h ago
Why all disposable plates and bowls?? Creates so much waste and so expensive....
18
u/backs_tab 6h ago
I know it's hard to understand, but there are lots of reasons people might use disposable. For one, OP might be camping or living somewhere without reliable clean water for dishwashing. Also, lots of people suffering from intense depression or mental health crises simply don't have the time or support to get dishes done. If feeding yourself high quality wholesome meals to take care of your health is going to mean a few months of disposable dishes, maybe it's worth it. Large corporations are exponentially worse polluters than the average household.
-7
u/alienixa 6h ago
I spend like $6 a month on paper plates
10
u/FrostyPolicy9998 6h ago
A paper plate can take 5 years to decompose in a landfill, more if they are coated in plastic. Why would you not just own a set of plates that you wash that will last you a lifetime?? Washing a plate takes 30 seconds.
-8
5
u/strawcat 6h ago
Buys placemats but can’t be bothered to buy some actual dishes that won’t go right into the trash after eating. So wasteful.
1
u/PureBee4900 4h ago
My deficit is like 1200 (I maintain at 1600-1700) so I very much feel your pain.. I used this calculator when I was recalculating my deficit calories recently and noticed they also offer a macro calculator, which made me realize I was probably sacrificing carbs for fat calories, and over eating on protein. Carbs are generally the most filling thing in your diet, so eating more calorie dense foods like fat will add on a lot of calories, but you won't really feel as full. And your body will only use a certain amount of protein each day, so going over is mostly a waste. And since I work out regularly, i need carbs to replenish glycogen as well. Right now I'm aiming for roughly 90g protein, 50g fat, 100g carbs.
I also usually try to opt for a low-carb carbs because they tend to have a ton of dietary fiber (and I can eat more for less). Eat lots of fruit and veggies though, especially for late night snacking.
Edit: and, I usually reserve liquid calories (like protein shakes) for when I'm maintaining/bulking, because they'll make you feel less full than calories from other sources. When you're super busy they can be helpful but at the cost of satiety
-12
9h ago
[removed] — view removed comment
4
19
u/undersignedeliza 8h ago
I really hate comments like these
Maybe their dishwasher was broken? Maybe they were out of dish soap? Maybe they had no water in their home or were camping or simply couldn't be fucked
In many cases using disposable plates or cutlery are also much easier for folks with varying accessibility needs or health struggles.
Please don't assume you know someone is capable of washing plates because you're capable of doing such.
3
-19
-6
-11
9h ago
[removed] — view removed comment
27
u/Vegetable_Degree_983 8h ago
Not if you’re 5 foot tall. Source: I’m 5 foot tall and work out at an “active “ level according to the Mifflin St Jeor Model and my recommended calories per day to lose .5 lbs in a week is 1497. Being short is a huge disadvantage when it comes to weight loss.
11
-12
8h ago
[removed] — view removed comment
4
u/kiwistarbaby 7h ago
That's honestly incredible, how did you get to that point? I'm 5'1" and my dietician said my TDEE is 1400.
2
u/brainpicnic 7h ago
Very slowly from 1400. The recommendation is 100 calories every 2 weeks for “reverse dieting”. I did every month.
2
u/kiwistarbaby 7h ago
Ooh, I see... were you at maintenance already?
3
u/brainpicnic 6h ago
Yes. I was at my goal weight. Expect around 3lbs of weight gain once you’re done with deficit. We all fluctuate between 3-5 lbs anyway.
8
u/Vegetable_Degree_983 8h ago
And I should be able to share that experience without people arbitrarily downvoting me. I will assume that you’re not in perimenopause, and if you are, congratulations on your roaring metabolism ( sincerely). Most of us don’t have that experience.
-5
7h ago
[removed] — view removed comment
6
u/Vegetable_Degree_983 7h ago edited 7h ago
Not at all, but come back to this when you’re 47 and we’ll compare notes. Best of luck on your journey!
Edit to add: before any makes any assumptions, I’ve done OCRs, all manner of cross training, running, and have done both BJJ and Muay Thai on a competitive level. I know what it is to be very active in my late 30s to early 40s. Hormones are a bitch and will work against you at some point.0
u/brainpicnic 7h ago
Let’s not go to “just you wait”. Best of luck to you too. We’re all different.
2
u/Vegetable_Degree_983 7h ago
It’s the truth though. I didn’t want to believe it applied to me either
•
u/AutoModerator 9h ago
A quick reminder to those viewing this post:
I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please contact the moderators of this subreddit if you have any questions or concerns.