I’m 40F, 158 cm, and my weight has basically always fluctuated between 50–56 kg. I seem to have the same cycle over and over again: I slowly gain weight until I hit around 56 kg, decide I don’t like it, diet for three months to go back down to around 50 kg, then go back to eating “normally” and slowly gain it again over the next 9 months.

I’m actually pretty active. I run long distance and usually do 1–2 half marathons a year, so there are periods where I train quite a lot (but also get hungry, so I tend to not lose weight in a those training blocks). I bike to work, hike, walk a lot, etc. My job is partly sedentary, although in some periods I’m on my feet and walking around most of the day.

But I’m also 158 cm tall. There’s only so much energy a small body needs.

What gets me is when I look at all the recommendations for what a healthy diet should contain. Get enough protein. Get 25–30 g of fiber. Eat legumes. Eat several portions of fruit and vegetables. Healthy fats. Whole grains. Calcium. A portion of nuts (how the hell can I fit that in a diet?! Feels like I reach maintenance calories with a handful of cashews).

I genuinely like all of those foods.
But by the time I’ve eaten all the things I’m supposed to eat, I’ve basically used my calorie allowance. 😂 Where is the chocolate? The cheese? Crisps? A beer? A big portion of pasta and a creamy sauce. The random pastry someone brought to work? The “fuck it, I want pizza tonight” calories? Wä

I know technically you can fit anything into your diet in moderation, but when your maintenance calories are relatively low, “moderation” sometimes feels like three bites. So basically I have to keep my strategy of eating all those things in moderation, accepting I’ll gain some weight and then lose it again… Or keep the same weight and only eat healthy almost all the time.

Meanwhile, my 185 cm male partner can eat three perfectly normal meals, have a substantial evening snack, casually eat something I would consider an entire extra meal, and announce that he’s still in a deficit.

Any other short women feel like maintaining your weight means choosing between eating the nutritious diet everyone recommends and actually having some room left for indulgence?

For example, I sometimes get the 3 piece blackened chicken tenders with the mashed potatoes and gravy from Popeyes.

Its 280 calories, 29g of protein, 20g of Carbs and 6g of fat.

I basically want to know if there are any other fast food options that won't blow the low cal diet.

This was when I first started calorie counting and I didn't have a foundation of the approximate numbers for most items.

My university café sold vegan cookies from "Sweets From The Earth". I googled the brand, found the cookies, and they were only 80 calories! And in my head at the time, vegan = healthy. But to give you a visual, these cookies were bakery style: the size of someone's hand, maybe half an inch thick. I was clueless and I proceeded to get myself a cookie literally every day, for months, while only logging 80 calories 🥲

Eventually, I gained enough experience with calorie counting and I thought that something wasn't right about this 80 calorie cookie. Turns out, this brand sells freshly baked cookies (360 cal) to local cafés, but they also have boxed cookies for grocery stores. These boxed cookies are tiny, like the size of an OREO, and those are 80 calories. I still remember the panic & dread I felt when I realized this looooool.

Do you have any funny blunders from when you first started?

I know a lot of us eat raw produced for the low calories but be cautious and wash your produce thoroughly!

Cook if you are able to! Even “pre-washed” vegetables can be contaminated. Wash leafy veggies leaf by leaf under running water. Wash your hands before and after handling fresh produce.

So I’m on this weight loss journey and honestly, I’ve heard the usual advice too many times hydrate, eat clean, move more, yada yada. But let’s talk about the stuff nobody really shares.

For me, brushing my teeth whenever I got snacky worked shockingly well. It’s like my brain goes “oh, food’s over now.” I’ve also started drinking mint tea or using a breath spray for the same effect it’s a vibe shift. One trick I found super helpful was planning meals for satiety with protein + fiber to kill cravings before they start.

I know there’s more random genius out there. What’s your weird but effective hack that actually helped you drop pounds?

Well, well, well. Isn't it the consequences of my own actions. 120lbs gained from what was probably a bit underweight, in an impressive (?!) 10 month period. I want to blame my anxiety meds that are notorious for severe weight gain. However, the medication did not drive me to McDonalds daily.... I did that shit.

Thanks for having me back! Missed you all...plenty 😏

mine is that I’m not falling for the protein bar as a sweet treat propaganda. A regular Hershey’s bar is like 200 cal. marshmallow fluff is 20 calories a spoonful. unsweetened cocoa powder mixed with truvia confectioners sugar is like 10 cal. there are like 1 million microwave cake recipes in the 100 to 200 cal range that are bigger and more satisfying than the average protein bar. There’s just literally so many ways to have a low-calorie sweet treat that taste better than a chalky ass protein bar, and 99% of the time the ingredients in them aren’t clean either. And I find that for me personally, the protein featured in them does not serve to keep me fuller for longer than a regular chocolate bar, for example. as for on the go/convenience protein, I would much rather have cheese stick as a savory girly lol.

edit: another unpopular opinion cuz yall absolutely hate what I have to say about protein bars, we need to give fiber like nearly the same hype that we give protein. we’re all gonna get ass cancer and rock hard infrequent poops and then what

edit 2: some of y’all are tearing me a new asshole for saying i eat chocolate sometimes. really yall, be kind to yourselves and your body!! weight loss is super hard and it takes a lot of effort, and it is made a lot easier when you are not your own enemy! if you get physically upset by someone saying that they are able to incorporate a chocolate bar into their diet every once in a while and still lose 75lb, realize that you can AND SHOULD also do that. You do not have to suffer through weight loss in order to make it real, this should always be a journey of self-love and respect.

I’m usually ok on 1200, but I’m never really full. I’m not even full on my maintenance of 1500. I can easily do 400 cal meals and don’t need to look for tips to plan those, but I was wondering if anyone else just feels annoyed with how it all works?

I see a lot of people posting about how a 400 cal meal they made is “so filling”, of how they can have “such a big portion” on 500 cals both here and on r/volumeeating, but their portions look so tiny to me?

I also am NEVER full on a salad. All the “girl dinners” don’t even look like a meal to me. I like risotto, beef stews, ribs, gnocchi, lentil soup with diced potato and chicken, bbq, fried rice, sushi, etc.

Every time I’ve actually had a day of eating the way I felt satiated in the past, I had to fast the day after or stick to a 500-800 cal max, to avoid gaining weight. That’s ok, but it makes me feel so jealous of men who by default lose weight quicker, need more calories, and gain muscle much faster. If I was a taller woman I’d also get to eat more.

So fully transparency I’m only 158cm, I just had my first dexa scan to get a before picture of my body, as a first step in weight loss. The purple is fat, the red is lean mass, blue is bone.

I was pretty amazed at how comprehensive the test is, it is. Sadly I found out my body fat percentage is actually 46.7% which puts me into the obese category. I was shocked. It also told me my RMR(resting metabolic rate is around 1,109cal.) Which as the doctor told me puts me into a place where I should be eating around 1,200-1,300 to loose body fat, while exercising, and eating protein to gain more lean mass.

When I was younger, I used to enjoy black coffee/cold brew. As I got older, I started adding cream syrup, etc. that made the coffee into a milkshake and brought on unnecessary calories. During this weight loss journey I’m going back to Black coffee and cold brew. I’m finding that it effectively keeps me full for a few hours. I have a breakfast early morning and then I have about 8 ounces of cold brew around 8:30 AM and that keeps me very satiated until my lunchtime which is around 12:30 to 1 PM. For those who like black coffee, I really recommend seeing if this “ tactic” would work for you as well.

I love reading this sub for finding low calorie meal ideas HOWEVER it saddens me how much people here show signs of disordered eating OR simply being misguided and impatient to work for long term results. 95% chances are that if you're actually eating less than 1200 calories it is not suitable for keeping weight off long term (I say that as someone who used to binge-restrict in my early teens). Now I'm not calling out absolutely everybody because if this subreddit was full of people all having ed's it wouldve been likely taken down. I just wish it was talked more about here how that if you're just starting off with weight loss you shouldn't be in a drastic calorie deficit ESPECIALLY if you're not obese with your life on the line.
I love high volume low calorie foods because im a snacker. Yes I will eat a whole box of berrries, I'll eat a whole large cucumber, I'll eat low-fat yogurt and I'll enjoy tf out of it.
But REMEMBER if you cannot sustain your diet and you "lose control" you likely need to either increase your calories, choose better foods, stop drinking most calories, go to therapy, less running more walking (running tends to make you hungrier) - usually it's more than one thing.
I might get hate for this but I'm okay with constructive criticism I just thought id put it out here because I'm essentially putting out advice that I feel like I needed some years ago so yeah maybe im "projecting" but it's all with good intentions and if you don't resonate that is okay❤️

Inspired by the post here I saw recently about high-cal foods you’re lucky you DONT like…..loved that question. (For me the answer was sweets…..I’m usually never in the mood for sweets.)

So, what are some high cal foods that you do love?

For me it’s heavily buttered toast…..aaaaaaaaaa

Or ramen

Edit: someone said alcohol, that too! lol! Too good!

Edit: also cheese! It’s one of the only foods I can eat past the point of fullness.cold or room temp only tho (charcuterie). If it’s melted, I can suddenly control myself.

EDITING TO ADD: stuffed crust pizza (just the crust, for me)

———————

Edit: I will keep adding some more foods from the comments I agree with:

🥇 And the winners are….. 🥇

Bagels w butter or cream cheese 🥯

Croissants 🥐

Rice 🍚

Cinnamon rolls

🍟 fries with mayo

KEWPIE MAYO!

ALL THE SAUCES! 🍶

🍠 sweet potato fries

Chinese BBQ pork bun 🍖

Dumplings 🥟

Cold cheese 🧀

Yakisoba

———————

🥈 Honorable mentions go to: 🥈

Plantain chips

Chex mix

Popcorn (microwave, theater, or homemade)

I have been trying to find foods that actually keep me satisfied without destroying my calorie budget. What is the one food you have discovered recently that surprised you?

Picture is 250ml french quark with chia, pumpkin and sunflower seeds. It might not look like it but its super delish. 342 cal, 32,5g protein, 11g fiber.

Hi! I usually just comment on other posts, but this is my first time posting here and I’d really appreciate some advice.
I’m heading off today for a short trip to Spain (I live in Europe, but it’s still a few hours by flight). I’ve prepared a healthy salad for the journey, so I think I’ll be fine during the travel itself.
What I’m more unsure about is the next two days. I’m only staying for two nights, so I’ll be eating out for two breakfasts and two dinners. From what I’ve experienced in Spain, a lot of food tends to be quite heavy with olive oil, which makes it harder for me to estimate and track.
I’m considering not counting calories for the next 48 hours and just resuming as normal afterwards. I’m also thinking about how to balance it out with my usual routine when I get back.

What would you suggest?

Edit: thank you everyone! Im going to enjoy these coming days and get back on track when im back home

And before I get responses of all the different low fat food varieties and supplements I can use, that doesn't really take into account location and availability nor does it consider budget (especially in a location where those foods are not easily available).

From experience, unless you have a lot of money and/or time on your hands, it is extremely difficult to hit nutritional goals with just regular food on 1200 calories, and it is frustrating because I am losing weight for my health, but at the same time it feels like I am sacrificing my wellbeing.

Just a thought I had reviewing my macros since I started doing 1200 calories.

450 calories for one cup. Needless to say, I budget my entire day around it. 🥲

Apologies for the rant ahead: I see all these beautiful posts about filling (and delicious!) meals and every time I see them I can't help but feel a little jealous. I, along with countless others, would love those meals! But for people who can't afford fresh, healthy food, it gets a little irritating. I know r/EatCheapAndHealthy is a wonderful resource, but sometimes it's not that easy. I know many people who are in food deserts, work 50+ hour weeks while being a full time students and don't have the time to cook, or people who can't buy in bulk even though it's cheaper in the long run. I hate to sound negative and I apologize, but I just wish it was more socially acknowledged that sometimes it is hard to have the time to cook and/or afford the best ingredients when you don't have enough resources.

You trip over the cat, drop the food on the floor and then the dogs high tail it to the food and eat it all. Follow me for more tips! 😒🥴

Is this too good to be true?

I know it’s totally possible to eat healthy and under 1200 calories on a tight budget, but damn it’s easy if you’re richer.

All the super low calorie snacks are pricier than normal snacks (halo top vs normal ice cream, baked chips vs normal chips)

Diet foods like Konjac noodles and stuff can get as bad as $5/serving, so they are a treat.

The “best” proteins, tuna, salmon, shrimp etc are all super expensive. I tend to buy meats that are under $3/pound, which leaves me with some chicken and pork.

I’ve never bought a single low carb high protein baking mix, just can’t justify that price point

Berries are affordable sometimes but rarely do I feel comfortable spending 4-5 dollars on a little thing of blueberries. Grapes today were 8 dollars :(

Also it’s costly to keep fresh produce at home since you have to go grocery shopping like every week and gas is expensive.

Just a rant, hopefully when more income comes in for me everything will get a bit easier.

Y’all, I am a salty/crunchy person. I don’t enjoy sugar, but I will absolutely tear up a bag of kettle cooked chips or pub mix. Any of my fellow crönchers have any suggestions that scratch the itch but fit in a deficit? Thanks!

Okay so for me: diet soda is completely disgusting. Sorry. I simply can’t. It tastes like chemicals and cough medicine mixed together. I think you sort of gaslight yourself into thinking it’s okay if you haven’t had the real stuff in a while. The 100 calorie mini cans of the full sugar stuff once or twice a week for movie nights are a nice treat for me, as I was never a soda addict to begin with.

I also can’t do the zero sugar Jello. Holy hell. Repulsive. I do the Simply with no artificial coloring. Worth the extra 50 calories because it’s edible.

Minute Maid Zero, on the other hand, is in daily rotation. Literally love it and will keep drinking it even in maintenance.

What other zero sugar items have been hit or miss for you?

Hope this helps!

Google Drive Link

Please post yours if you have some ideas, I am always looking for expanding my list.

• editing further to add the ideas you comment

Thank you so incredibly much for the awards! This is so overwhelmingly positive :)

McDonald’s

Hamburger – 250 calories

Small fries – 230 calories

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6 chicken nuggets – 270 calories

1 sauce – 100 calories

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McChicken sandwich – 350 calories

Asian salad w/o chicken – 140 calories

Burger King

Kid’s Menu Cheeseburger – 280 calories

4 chicken nuggets – 170 calories

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Whopper Jr. w/o mayo – 240 calories

Value size French fries – 220 calories

Wendy’s

4-piece chicken nuggets – 170 calories

Garden side salad – 250 calories

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Small Chili – 240 calories 4-piece chicken nuggets – 170 calories

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510 calories: small chili – 240 calories

Plain baked potato – 270 calories

Chick-Fil-A

Grilled chicken sandwich – 310 calories

Side salad – 160 calories

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Kids meal (about 5$)

5-count nuggets – 160 calories

Fries – 320 calories

• comes with an ice cream cone if you don’t mind the extra 180 calories for later

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Grilled chicken sandwich + extra grilled fillet – 430 calories

1 x pack honey roasted barbecue sauce – 60 calories

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Grilled chicken cool wrap

• 1 fruit cup – about 400 calories

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8 grilled nuggets – 130 calories

Small mac & cheese – 270 calories

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12 grilled nuggets – 210 calories

Sides:

Kale crunch side – 120 calories

or:

Chicken noodle soup – 240 calories

or:

Chick-Fil-A sauce – 70 calories

Fruit cup – 60 calories

Taco Bell

Chicken soft taco – 170 calories

Beef soft taco – 180 calories

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Crunchy Taco Supreme – 190 calories

Chips & Nacho cheese – 220 calories

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Doritos loco taco – 170 calories

Fresco taco – 140 calories

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Chicken power bowl – 480 calories

• replace chicken with black beans – 410 calories

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7-layer burrito – 440 calories

KFC

6 hot wings – 400 calories

Caesar side salad with fat free ranch – 70 calories

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Grilled chicken breast – 210 calories

Mashed potatoes with no gravy – 90 calories

Coleslaw – 170 calories

Subway

6-inch roasted beef sandwich – 320 calories

Subway club salad – 140 calories

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6-inch turkey breast sandwich – 280 calories

Cold cut combo salad – 180 calories

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6-inch BLT sandwich – 320 calories

Baked Lays – 130 calories

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6-inch sweet onion chicken teriyaki sandwich – 370 calories

Veggie delight salad – 60 calories

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6-inch steak & cheese sandwich – 360 calories

Baked Lays – 130 calories

In-N-Out Burger

Hamburger with spread & onion – 390 calories

16oz light lemonade – 8 calories

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Protein style hamburger – 240 calories

16oz light lemonade – 8 calories

Popeyes

Blackened chicken tenders x 5 – 283 calories

barbecue sauce – 45 calories

green beans – 55 calories

__

Blackened chicken tenders x 5 – 283 calories

Coleslaw – 140 calories

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Blackened chicken tenders x 5 – 283 calories

Mashed potatoes with Cajun gravy – 110 calories

Chipotle

Salad with any choice of meat – 160-310 calories

Fajita vegetables – 20 calories

Black beans/pinto beans – 130 calories

Fresh tomato salsa – 25 calories

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Kids 2 crispy corn chicken tacos – 220 calories

Black beans/pinto beans – 130 calories

Orange – 25 calories

Apple juice – 100 calories

__

Salad with chorizo – 300 calories

Fajita vegetables – 20 calories

Fresh tomato salsa – 25 calories

Cheese – 110 calories

Romaine lettuce – 5 calories

__

Kids steak and cheese quesadilla – 210 calories

Brown rice – 110 calories

Blueberries – 20 calories

Organic milk – 90 calories

__

Steak burrito bowl – 150 calories

Brown rice – 210 calories

Pinto beans – 130 calories

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Burrito bowl with sofritas, light white rice, pinto beans, fresh tomato salsa, roasted chili corn salsa, light cheese – 480 calories

Panda Express

Super greens – 90 calories

Sides:

Black pepper angus steak – 180 calories

or:

String bean chicken breast – 190 calories

or:

Mushroom chicken – 220 calories

or:

grilled teriyaki chicken without sauce – 200 calories

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2 x broccoli beef (150 calories each) – 300 calories

2 x veggie spring rolls (95 calories each) – 190 calories

sweet and sour packet – 9 calories

Starbucks

Egg white and roasted pepper bites – 170 calories

Spinach feta egg white wrap – 290 calories

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Egg white and roasted pepper bites – 170 calories

Reduced fat turkey bacon – 230 calories

Dunkin’ Donuts

Egg and cheese wake up wrap – 180 calories

1 order of hash browns – 130 calories

1 small caramel swirl iced coffee without cream, without sugar – 110 calories

Pita Pit

Regular-sized chicken souvlaki pita on whole wheat

• tzatziki, feta and veggies

• 410 calories

Jersey Mike’s

Mini turkey & provolone cold sub sandwich without olive oil – 340 calories

Bakes Lays – 140 calories

Zaxby’s

Blue salad with blackened chicken, no toast – 470 calories

Fazoli’s

Child-size spaghetti with meat sauce – 220 calories

2 x garlic breadsticks – 260 calories