Bad hunger pains!

vtotheicky

Hi everyone! I just joined the other day after realising that I really need to lose weight.

I've tried to be really strict with myself but today has been really hard!

I keep having these intense hunger pains that won't stop even after I eat a healthy meal. Is this normal? Yesterday I was fine until the night time and then the hunger pains kicked in so I ate a banana and that did the trick. However today has been totally different- i've done less exercise but I'm much more hungry than I was yesterday. My stomach won't stop rumbling but I'm afraid that if I eat I'll end up going over my calories.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks!

36jessica

Hi! First of all, what's your max calories per day? Maybe you're not eating enough. You've mentioned you're working out... although there is a debate here on MFP on whether or not you should eat back your work out calories, if you daily goal is already low, you might need to eat at least some of them back.. Your profile is empty and I didn't see a diary so I can't really tell... I think you might need to give us a little more information.

diannethegeek

Your diary is closed so I'll ask the obvious question. How many calories are you eating per day?

Also, you can look at your protein, fat, and fat intake. All of these help us feel full longer, so if you find yourself eating a lot of carby meals it might be time to work on changing what you eat.

pmtmartin

Hi guys!
Just joined and am hoping to avoid the same sort of dilema, I have been using the Slim Fast 321 plan for the last couple of days and am finding it tough going between meals (the recommended snacks for 100 calories just dont seem to be enough) any suggestions would be great

kellykw

Not only how many calories are you eating, but what kinds of foods are you eating? How's your fiber intake? I'm not suggesting this applies to you, but it is possible to hit your calorie limit with foods that aren't so filling or nutritious.

AllzahGoddess

If you aren't eating enough then, yes, it's normal to have hunger. Eat something good for you. Don't suffer.

KKdesign82

How much water are you drinking? Whenever I feel hungry I always drink a big glass of water. If the hunger comes back after 15-30 minutes then I know it's really hungry and not my body asking for water.

Joocey

If it's your first day too... it'll go away?

Assuming you aren't actually undereating.

Suddenly going from a lot of food to not as much food is a shock. It's not permanent though.

Kristi858

Check out this site: http://www.fat2fitradio.com/tools/bmr/

It gives you a better idea of how many calories YOU need to eat. The MFP calculator sets most people at 1200 which is rediculous. Everytime I tried eating the 1200 (even eating BACK my exercise calories) I was grumpy and starving.... not to mention I gained 2-4 lbs. each time because my body was going into starvation mode... Your body needs fuel... feed it! Just don't overdo it. And remember, if you want to be HEALTHY, losing the weight takes time. If you want to damage your body, try the starving yourself thing, you'll get results quicker and feel like garbage! (speaking from experience).

Good luck!

kkclif

My advice is to drink a lot of water and make sure you have a protein and a healthy fat in every meal (avacado, nuts, etc.) I allow myself to eat unlimited veggies to fill me up. As I'm sure you have already heard, try to eat 5 small meals a day instead of 3 large ones in order to keep you satisfied consistently throughout the day. I usually drink a protein shake with almond milk and half of a banana before bed to ease the hunger pains. Hope this helps

pmtmartin

Thanks guys, will keep at it, hope it goes ok for you too Vtotheicky

vtotheicky

Thanks for the replies guys! I'm eating a lot of protein- mackerel, prawns, tuna and chicken. I'm also eating lettuce and tomatoes. My MFP calorie goal is 1540 and I still have over 600 calories to eat today. That sounds like a lot but I don't want to go over. I haven't eaten any of the normal carbs that I used to eat like pasta, bread etc. Could that be the cause? I'm drinking water but it's definitely not enough so I'll up my intake.

beccala18

It could just be you adjusting to the new meal plans.

As for the going over of calories, plan out your meals for the day ahead of time - then you know what is left for snacks when you are hungry! It's also a really easy way to keep yourself on track.

I always put in breakfast and lunch into my diary, then know how much to play with for dinner/snacks. As things change, I adjust them, but it is nice to see what I have left for the day.

As you spend more time inputting food, it'll get easier to gauge how much you will be eating.

vtotheicky

Thanks so much Kristi858. Fat2Fit Radio says my BMR is 1765 which means i should really eat more. Does that mean that so far as i don't go over that i'm fine or is that how much i should eat if i'm exercising?

diannethegeek

Thanks so much Kristi858. Fat2Fit Radio says my BMR is 1765 which means i should really eat more. Does that mean that so far as i don't go over that i'm fine or is that how much i should eat if i'm exercising?

Your BMR is how many calories your body burns in a coma. That's how many calories your body burns doing the important things like pumping blood and breathing.

Your TDEE is the number of calories your body burns in a day including things like exercise and going to work. It's the number of calories you could eat in a day to maintain your weight. A lot of people recommend eating between your TDEE and BMR (about 20% less than TDEE is usually what's recommended). And if you're finding yourself hungry on MFP's goal it might be something you want to look into.

Kristi858

On the page I sent you it will tell you your BMR, then scroll down and see how many calories you should be eating according to how much you exercise per week.... it will be a lot more! Eating below your BMI is detrimental to your health.

andezz99

I'm on a Paleo diet (vegetables, meat, fruit, nuts, eggs) in other words if a "caveman" could hunt or gather it, it's acceptable. What's not is dairy, packaged food, sugar, beans, bread, lentils, alcohol. This may seem like a very restrictive diet however, it's the first diet I've been on that hasn't left me hungry. You can go to town on vegetables and protein and you just don't get as hungry with simple calorie counting. The reason is most people who hit the calories fast with empty carbs are hungry. Compare a bag of chips calorie count to an equivalent amount of broccoli. You'd have to eat a lot of broccoli to match calories, in fact it would be impossible.

Calorie counting is not enough, make sure you load up on vegetables, your body craves the nutrients and when it gets them, it stops sending those hunger signals. Meat is a slow burning fuel which keeps you going so it is important to have meat with vegs. Fruit is ok but don't go crazy because it stimulates your desire for sugar.

Look into Paleo or www.whole30.com for examples of better eating and guidance. I've lost 20 lbs in a three week period, I have lots of energy and I am not hungry.

Joocey

Compare a bag of chips calorie count to an equivalent amount of broccoli. You'd have to eat a lot of broccoli to match calories, in fact it would be impossible.

It would be about 5 cups of chopped broccoli...

I kid, I kid.

fiery777

I have always found that drinking a glass or two of water before i eat helps, and also making sure that you take at least twenty minutes to eat a meal...it takes the brain twenty minutes to register to the stomach that it's full....it can be hard because if you have kids or work, you are always in a rush....i even tried taking a bite and put my fork down, chew more than usual swallow then pick the fork back up....it works....

fayehjort

Sometimes I find having a hot cup of water with lemon helps calm the growlies! If it doesn't calm in 15 minutes then grab an apple or baby carrots. Your body will take time adjusting to the new way of eating. But stick with it! You can do it!