How is this possible?

Fruitylicious03

I'm trying to lose the last 15lb. But it seems like everytime I try to keep a deficit...I eat up to maintenance or over. Why?

Because I'm super hungry! Not mentally (like cravings and such) but physically. Stomach grumbling, nauseating hunger.

Now I maintain at 1670. (I'm sedentary because I sit and study all day, I do eat back exercise calories but I don't set mfp to lightly active as my activity varies) my deficit is only 250 calories.

I hit all my macros, focussing on protein and fat (the rest kind of falls wherever) and drink water all day. I can't understand why I can't get over this blasted hunger! Am I missing something?

bulbadoof

Try loading up on veggies. They put a lot of stuff in your stomach for not a lot of calories.

TavistockToad

how much fat and protein do you eat per day?

Fruitylicious03

I eat 85g of protein and 45g of fat a day. On 1470 calories.

Fruitylicious03

Sometimes a little more I'm in the red quite a few times. Mostly because I don't care for carbs. Not because they're "bad", I'm just always naturally under on them.

I don't eat bread or rice because they don't fill me up so about the only carbs I get are from potatoes, pasta and veg.

mcspiffy88

if you are hungry, eat. that has been my way to diet at least. if you feel the need, divide your meals.

taunto

hmm, would it be possible for you to open your diary so we can check it out?

Fruitylicious03

I don't log regularly though so my diary won't help. What I'm doing is learning portion control...well trying.

I eat the same thing generally for breakfast and dinner. Lunch has around the same calories p/meal often but the ingredients in the meal vary.

I cook my food ahead for the week, so what I do is weigh and measure everything in the recipe ONCE, and create a recipe on mfp just to see the total calories for a serving of the recipe. That's how I know how much I eat a week.

Dave198lbs

mcspiffy88 wrote: »

if you are hungry, eat. that has been my way to diet at least. if you feel the need, divide your meals.

no, eating every time we want to or feel hunger is why most people are on this site. feeling hunger does not always mean you have to eat, especially if you are trying to lose weight. Hunger feelings can subside even without eating. Drinking water, getting some exercise, even just 5-10 minutes, can get rid of hunger until your specific eating plan calls for your next feeding window.

sheldonklein

Have you tried eating more, smaller meals? If find that I can go about 3 hours on 150-200 calories without extreme hunger, which leaves calories for a"normal "dinner

Fruitylicious03

sheldonklein wrote: »

Have you tried eating more, smaller meals? If find that I can go about 3 hours on 150-200 calories without extreme hunger, which leaves calories for a"normal "dinner

I haven't tried that no. When I first started losing I cut out all snacks, because for me that was the cause of the gain. I snacked on lots of sweets ALL THE TIME. Like constantly. I replaced my snacks with drinking water and learned to eat just 3 meals a day.

lvbor

If it's an ongoing thing, and you're confident that you're getting enough calories, protein and fat every day, and that your meals are decently spaced, I'd recommend talking to your GP. There are common medical conditions that can cause severe hunger even when your intake is seemingly good, so if there's nothing obvious on the nutrition front you should check that out.

2013sk

If you only have 15lbs to lose, set your goals to lose 0.5lb per week, you get to eat more.

Eat lots of protein & good yummy fats - These will keep you fuller for longer!

Things I love - Peanut butter, almonds, cottage cheese, greek yoghurt, fruit, veggies, chicken.

I snack on nuts and peanut butter from the jar really if I am peckish. A banana before a workout is good. Protein shakes/bars

I also drink lots of water - make sure your drinking enough? You could be thirsty and not hungry

TimothyFish

What has helped me is learning to embrace hunger. I like to think of hunger as meaning that my body is dipping into the fat reserves. I visualize the fat flowing out of my fat cells and into the blood stream, because there isn't enough food in my stomach to feed my body.

blktngldhrt

Fruitylicious03 wrote: »

I eat 85g of protein and 45g of fat a day. On 1470 calories.

Maybe try upping your fat macro? I find the more fat I eat the less hungry I am throughout the day.

Calliope610

Fruitylicious03 wrote: »

I don't log regularly though so my diary won't help. What I'm doing is learning portion control...well trying.

I eat the same thing generally for breakfast and dinner. Lunch has around the same calories p/meal often but the ingredients in the meal vary.

I cook my food ahead for the week, so what I do is weigh and measure everything in the recipe ONCE, and create a recipe on mfp just to see the total calories for a serving of the recipe. That's how I know how much I eat a week.

I eat 85g of protein and 45g of fat a day. On 1470 calories.

If you don't log regularly, how do you know you "eat 85g of protein and 45g of fat a day. On 1470 calories."

Liftng4Lis

Fruitylicious03 wrote: »

I don't log regularly though so my diary won't help. What I'm doing is learning portion control...well trying.

I eat the same thing generally for breakfast and dinner. Lunch has around the same calories p/meal often but the ingredients in the meal vary.

I cook my food ahead for the week, so what I do is weigh and measure everything in the recipe ONCE, and create a recipe on mfp just to see the total calories for a serving of the recipe. That's how I know how much I eat a week.

If you're not logging, weighing and measuring everything, you have no idea how much you're really eating. If ingredients are "varying" then you're not really sure about the protein intake, or calories for that matter.
Unless you're actually in a deficit, which you can't know unless you're seriously tracking, you wont lose that last 15 pounds, especially with such little leeway for error.
As far as hunger, as aforementioned by others, up your fat and protein intake.

JenAndSome

Oh, you don't log. You may not be eating enough then. Try logging for a while.

WalkingAlong

Fruitylicious03 wrote: »

I don't log regularly though so my diary won't help. What I'm doing is learning portion control...well trying.

I eat the same thing generally for breakfast and dinner. Lunch has around the same calories p/meal often but the ingredients in the meal vary.

I cook my food ahead for the week, so what I do is weigh and measure everything in the recipe ONCE, and create a recipe on mfp just to see the total calories for a serving of the recipe. That's how I know how much I eat a week.

What do those breakfasts and lunches consist of, typically?

I wonder if your diet is so repetitive it's making you really want to eat more.

turtlez23

TimothyFish wrote: »

What has helped me is learning to embrace hunger. I like to think of hunger as meaning that my body is dipping into the fat reserves. I visualize the fat flowing out of my fat cells and into the blood stream, because there isn't enough food in my stomach to feed my body.

Ha- I like that!

RibStabsHeart

Log everything and weigh all your food for 2 weeks, and see if you lose weight. Instead of including my exercise calories in my macros, I add them in when I earn them through exercise. So if I don't work out that day, I still try to keep it at/below 1400 calories. If I do work out, I can eat between 1550-1700 calories. This has worked for me, but it's not for everyone.

I really, really like spacing out my meals with lots of little snacks. I have an egg or small granola bar when I wake up, some fruit or the rest of my granola about 1-2 hours later, and have lots of fruit I snack on throughout the day. It really helps satisfy my sweet tooth and give me something to look forward to every day.

Seriously, though -- try doing MFP religiously for 2 weeks and see if you don't lose weight weighing and logging everything that enters your mouth. It's the only way I can consistently lose weight every week.

jabarih

I totally understand where you are coming from! I could not get past my 15 lb plateau to save my life!! However, I have good news! Today is the day that I reached my goal. I was able to break through my plateau and get it done. Hunger was my biggest enemy as well. I created my deficits by maintaining a high protein diet. While at work, I would keep my calories low by creating 200-300 calorie snacks of ham and cheese or chicken drum sticks and I would drink about 96 ounces of green tea each day. For my workout, I took up running and HIIT. I ran sprints. I ran miles using intervals of sprinting and jogging. I made sure that as I lost weight, I would readjust my goals in MFP to make sure that I maintained the correct amount of caloric deficit (MFP doesn't automatically readjust). I also set my goals on MFP to lose 2 pounds a week. That way if I did go over my caloric limit by a little, I would still have some wiggle room. In conclusion, the way that I lost weight and broke through my plateau was HIGH PROTEIN and HIGH INTENSITY TRAINING! Good luck!

silentKayak

Logging your food will help with hunger. You will be able to see exactly how much wiggle room you have in your budget. You can also see which foods are "expensive" and where you can cut. You might decide you don't really "need" that steak after all, and that the chicken might be better. You'll no longer be afraid to snack (as long as you snack smart) because you can see how it all adds up by the end of the day.

If you're hungry on almost 1700 calories, you're eating the wrong foods. You need vegetables, fruit, and other high-fiber foods. Try eating an entire dinner plate sized salad of lettuce, cucumber, carrots and bell pepper (no dressing) BEFORE your main meal and then tell us you're hungry I have been known to eat a salad at 9 AM or a whole bell pepper like an apple. Veggies are magic.

Also, if you struggle with hunger, mild exercise (30-60 minutes of walking a day) is better than high-intensity. It doesn't make you as hungry after, but gives you a few extra calories per day.

365andstillalive

Fruitylicious03 wrote: »

I'm trying to lose the last 15lb. But it seems like everytime I try to keep a deficit...I eat up to maintenance or over. Why?

Because I'm super hungry! Not mentally (like cravings and such) but physically. Stomach grumbling, nauseating hunger.

Now I maintain at 1670. (I'm sedentary because I sit and study all day, I do eat back exercise calories but I don't set mfp to lightly active as my activity varies) my deficit is only 250 calories.

I hit all my macros, focussing on protein and fat (the rest kind of falls wherever) and drink water all day. I can't understand why I can't get over this blasted hunger! Am I missing something?

Honestly, it's going to be pretty hard for anyone to actually help you other than giving anecdotal evidence of what worked for them because you aren't actually accurately tracking so you have no idea if you're actually eating 1670 calories or hitting the protein/fat macros you posted.

Not to rag on you, but how do you know that you maintain at 1670? Is that what MFP or a website told you? Maintenance isn't actually an exact calorie amount, it's a range typically of around 200 calories. The only way to know what your true maintenance is, would be to eat that for around 60-90 days and see if you gain or lose. I have no idea how tall you are, how much you weigh, etc but 1670 is actually a fairly low maintenance unless you are 5'2 or under, and weighing around 110-120lbs, especially since you're only 21. I'm 5'6/5'7 and nearing a healthy weight for my height, I'm lightly active, a year older than you, and I maintain around 2100-2300 calories; something I know because I've done maintenance cycles over my three year weight loss journey.

ruffnstuff

You should really take some of the advice given here and consistently log EVERYTHING (weigh it!) for a few weeks. I have no doubt in my mind that you are probably consuming more than 1670 cals a day if you are maintaining. You are 21 years old. Unless you are very, very, very petite, these are not the maintenance calories of a healthy, active 21 yr old.

Good luck finding your groove for those last 15. They are, indeed, a B*&%H!

feralkitten1010

Just a thought, but maybe you aren't getting proper hydration? Try drinking some water to see if the "hunger" subsides. If it doesn't, then you should eat.

silentKayak

ruffnstuff wrote: »

You should really take some of the advice given here and consistently log EVERYTHING (weigh it!) for a few weeks. I have no doubt in my mind that you are probably consuming more than 1670 cals a day if you are maintaining. You are 21 years old. Unless you are very, very, very petite, these are not the maintenance calories of a healthy, active 21 yr old.

I agree OP should log, but it could be close to right. They did say "sedentary" and that it's 1670 before exercise calories. They didn't say "healthy" or "active". You're assuming that.

ruffnstuff

zarckon wrote: »

ruffnstuff wrote: »

You should really take some of the advice given here and consistently log EVERYTHING (weigh it!) for a few weeks. I have no doubt in my mind that you are probably consuming more than 1670 cals a day if you are maintaining. You are 21 years old. Unless you are very, very, very petite, these are not the maintenance calories of a healthy, active 21 yr old.

I agree OP should log, but it could be close to right. They did say "sedentary" and that it's 1670 before exercise calories. They didn't say "healthy" or "active". You're assuming that.

Well if that's the case, that sucks for her!! I'd have a hard time losing too if my TDEE was around 1700. But again, for these numbers to be realistic, she must be rather petite. She's not 21, 5'9" with those numbers.

stacyjh1979

TimothyFish wrote: »

What has helped me is learning to embrace hunger. I like to think of hunger as meaning that my body is dipping into the fat reserves. I visualize the fat flowing out of my fat cells and into the blood stream, because there isn't enough food in my stomach to feed my body.

I do this too! Mentally in my mind I'm like "yes!! I'm hungry!" lol sounds kinda crazy but it's like a mini victory to not eat every single time I feel a little hunger.

Fruitylicious03

Hi all I'm sorry I took so long to reply. I know you all recommend that I should log. Keep in mind that I am, just not everyday because I eat the same things. When I create the recipes I log one day as a sample menu to check my macros and stuff that's how I know how much I eat.

I'm sure my maintenance is 1670 as I have maintained on that number for 6 months before attempting to lose again. I'm 21, 5'2 and small framed.

ndj1979

Fruitylicious03 wrote: »

Hi all I'm sorry I took so long to reply. I know you all recommend that I should log. Keep in mind that I am, just not everyday because I eat the same things. When I create the recipes I log one day as a sample menu to check my macros and stuff that's how I know how much I eat.

I'm sure my maintenance is 1670 as I have maintained on that number for 6 months before attempting to lose again. I'm 21, 5'2 and small framed.

if you do not log everyday, then how do you know that you are in a surplus, deficit, or at maintenance...???

It always blows my mind when people say "help, I need to lose the last 15 pounds and can't" then upon further review they admit to not logging all the time; then when told to log all the time to determine actual calorie intake they come back and say "no, I do not need to do that because I know how much I am consuming" ...If you know how much you are consuming, then why cant you lose the last 15 pounds???!!