Feel completely satiated at a caloric deficit?

slondro

I've been dieting to lose weight for over half a year, but just started counting calories. (Have gotten the majority of the way to my target, but plateaued.) In actually counting, I've realized that when I was dieting before, my macros were very inconsistent and I was eating about 30-35% under my TDEE (a rough estimate, since I wasn't counting, of course). Perhaps because of that, I'd go on excessive carb/fat binges every one or two weeks.

Now that I'm counting, I'm determined to properly fuel my body in order to break through this plateau and prevent counterproductive binges if possible. In taking this approach, I've noticed that even slightly under my allotted calories, I'm not hungry at all--which makes me feel like I'm not actually eating at a deficit. (I work out around 5 times a week and lift weights, but don't log it.)

Has anyone else experienced this? I'm thinking maybe my body is used to a larger deficit and having to binge periodically, as I can't think of another explanation for why I wouldn't feel hungry at a deficit.

I suppose eating at my current level and monitoring my weight for a couple of weeks is the safest bet--I'm worried decreasing my intake will lead to more desperate binging.

Nottafattie

I can eat just under 1200 calories and feel full. I make sure I get at least 85% of all of my micros every day. I've had problems with a D deficiency in the past and it led to some health issues. I notice that when I get at least the biggest majority of my daily nutrition, I end up with less cravings and feel more satisfied by what I do eat. I don't know if there is an actual correlation or if it's just in my head, but I don't argue with the results. At 5'2", I really don't have a lot of wiggle room in my budget.

I would definitely recommend monitoring things for a while before tweaking your intake to create a larger deficit. Just make sure to weigh/measure food to ensure you are getting the right count. If you are estimating the amount you consume, you might be eating more than you are logging, which could be why you are feeling full on what you think is less calories.

arditarose

Are you weighing all your food on a food scale? If so...maybe you're just doing it right

slondro

Thanks for the replies! I am indeed weighing everything, and even rounding calories up fairly often.

I think the main difference is that I'm eating much more fat now, where I was barely getting any before. Perhaps that's a factor?

arditarose

slondro wrote: »

Thanks for the replies! I am indeed weighing everything, and even rounding calories up fairly often.

I think the main difference is that I'm eating much more fat now, where I was barely getting any before. Perhaps that's a factor?

That, and protein. Have you been logging long enough to see if you have lost anything?

arditarose

If you're losing, I think the fact that you're paying more attention to your macros now did you wonders. Makes me happy to read.

dogsarebears

i think you're just doing great! fat, protein, and fiber are what make me feel and stay full. if i'm hitting the correct amounts of those I feel full at a deficit

WalkingAlong

slondro wrote: »

I've been dieting to lose weight for over half a year, but just started counting calories. (Have gotten the majority of the way to my target, but plateaued.) In actually counting, I've realized that when I was dieting before, my macros were very inconsistent and I was eating about 30-35% under my TDEE (a rough estimate, since I wasn't counting, of course). Perhaps because of that, I'd go on excessive carb/fat binges every one or two weeks.

Now that I'm counting, I'm determined to properly fuel my body in order to break through this plateau and prevent counterproductive binges if possible. In taking this approach, I've noticed that even slightly under my allotted calories, I'm not hungry at all--which makes me feel like I'm not actually eating at a deficit. (I work out around 5 times a week and lift weights, but don't log it.)

Has anyone else experienced this? I'm thinking maybe my body is used to a larger deficit and having to binge periodically, as I can't think of another explanation for why I wouldn't feel hungry at a deficit.

I suppose eating at my current level and monitoring my weight for a couple of weeks is the safest bet--I'm worried decreasing my intake will lead to more desperate binging.

I think when we eat at a lower level for long periods, our TDEE lowers in response (adaptive thermogenesis) so you wind up at less of a deficit than the calculators say you are. I also think our bodies when overweight don't insist we take in every calorie we burn in a day as food. We do fund that deficit with body fat. We're designed to do so. When fat stores get low, I think hunger probably kicks into higher gear to let you know it might be time to do some more hunting/gathering. But if the body thinks you're eating according to environmental conditions (which might be famine) and its health isn't threatened, I think it dials hunger down.

slondro

dogsarebears wrote: »

i think you're just doing great! fat, protein, and fiber are what make me feel and stay full. if i'm hitting the correct amounts of those I feel full at a deficit

Thanks so much for the encouragement! I'm hoping that's the case for me as well.

I've lost about a pound in the past week, so I'm tentatively hopeful! I am aware that water weight and the time of day can be factors, though, so I'll stay vigilant.

slondro

arditarose wrote: »

That, and protein. Have you been logging long enough to see if you have lost anything?

I'm basically doing an IIFYM plan based on TDEE-20%, and I've already seen some encouraging results. I'll keep watching my numbers!

Yeah, one of the greatest joys of MFP is being able to plan out meals that hit every macro and taste great. It's almost like a game, but one where the reward is feeling your body being properly fueled.

arditarose

slondro wrote: »

arditarose wrote: »

That, and protein. Have you been logging long enough to see if you have lost anything?

I'm basically doing an IIFYM plan based on TDEE-20%, and I've already seen some encouraging results. I'll keep watching my numbers!

Yeah, one of the greatest joys of MFP is being able to plan out meals that hit every macro and taste great. It's almost like a game, but one where the reward is feeling your body being properly fueled.

It does kind of feel like a game. People complain about logging but I think it's fun. When I have a good macro/calorie day that was delicious I get so happy I keep looking at it and feel like a kid who got an A+ on her homework.

slondro

WalkingAlong wrote: »

I think when we eat at a lower level for long periods, our TDEE lowers in response (adaptive thermogenesis) so you wind up at less of a deficit than the calculators say you are. I also think our bodies when overweight don't insist we take in every calorie we burn in a day as food. We do fund that deficit with body fat. We're designed to do so. When fat stores get low, I think hunger probably kicks into higher gear to let you know it might be time to do some more hunting/gathering. But if the body thinks you're eating according to environmental conditions (which might be famine) and its health isn't threatened, I think it dials hunger down.

Fascinating stuff! Eating far below my original TDEE initially produced great results, but then after a while (presumably when my fat stores dropped to a certain point), I started binging periodically. I'm sure the binging affected my metabolism as well (I hear taking in lots of carbs makes it rocket up). To add to that, I was strenuously exercising about 5 days a week through the entire thing. I felt guilty after each binge and was determined to beat such urges with will power, but didn't want to count calories or weigh myself because I was scared of becoming fixated on numbers instead of health (paradoxically enough).

The scary thing about blindly dieting is that you lose track of the difference between light hunger (which I rarely ate enough to feel) and severe cravings (which I now suspect was my body firmly telling me it wasn't getting the proper fuel). Perhaps I became so used to ignoring the latter that the former doesn't hurt so much anymore.

I suspect in the coming weeks, my body will tell me whether my suspicions are correct, and if I keep tracking macros, I'm confident I can adjust my habits as necessary.

TheVirgoddess

I'm trying to eat at maintenance (around 1800), but I find myself around 1500 most days - full and happy. I still have another 15 pounds or so to lose, so that's okay for now.

I also have fun planning my days around my macros, too.

burtnyks

I recently switched over from working on gaining (for muscle building) to cutting/dieting and am surprised that I'm not hungry when I'm eating about 600 cals less per day than I was. I just cut out all the processed foods and added a crapload of veggies. I figured since I am on restricted calories those would fill me up more than what I was typically eating.

kommodevaran

I feel full and satiated on a deficit. Usually even better than when I'm gaining weight, because when I work to lose weight, I watch my diet and eat more healthily. It's no wonder, because the calorie deficit is taken from the body's stored energy reserves. That's how it's meant to work.

callsitlikeiseeit

i can eat anywhere from 1300-1600 and most days that more than enough.