So hungry

CaseyReneeBrownGraham

I'm use to eating all day long. I'm trying to stick to the 1200 calorie goal, but I am always so hungry. Anyone have any suggestions?

RuNaRoUnDaFiEld

Exercise and eat half of those calories back. Snack on salad leaves with tomatoes and cucumber, a full bag of salad leaves is around 30 calories! Also look to add in more fat calories as they leave you feeling fuller for longer, as do protein calories. You can get protein shakes for under 100 calories I believe.

sstrack123

I tried 1200 calorie and struggled as I always went over some. I am one who has to eat or I am moody and depressed all day. Trying to learn and focus on what feels right for me and not what others think I should do. I have an open diary and like to communicate and not just hit "like" button. Words of encourage daily really just help day go better. I like friends with open diaries and accept almost all friend request.

sherbear702

If you're feeling hungry on 1,200 calories, why don't you up your calorie intake a little bit? I tried eating 1200 for a while and was miserable.

November_Fire

1200 calories isn't for everyone; that's a number MFP spews out assuming you're entirely sedentary and set the goal for a pound a week or more.

Use a TDEE calculator to estimate how much you burn in a day.

Eat 500 less than that.

I cut on 1500-1700 a day, sometimes more.

Examine what you're eating. Eat more protein and fat to keep you feeling full. Consider adding in another small meal (I split my cals over 4 meals a day.) Low-calorie vegetables you can eat lots of to fill you up.

Protein shakes can act as appetite suppressants, which can help.

But it also could just be habit. If you're used to eating all day, and now you're not doing that, you miss the old habit and think you're hungry when you're not - you're bored, you're craving and you're thinking about food. This is the time to tackle those feelings head on. I make a cup of tea when I get those not-really-hungry-just-want-to-eat cravings. And do something else.

strong_curves

I would be hungry too if I ate that little. I'm eating 1800 calories a day and am losing! I've lost 4 pounds in 2 months, which put me right on track with MFP since I set it to lose .5 a week.

lectric102002

Try the 3-hour diet by Jorge Cruise. You get to eat every 3 hours, so it feels like you are always eating something or close to it. I use 100 calorie snacks between meals and then a sensible meal. You can still manage 1,200 if that is really what you want to do. Personally, I think that's a little light.

Google 3-hour diet by Jorge Cruise.

999tigger

Eat thing to fill you up, eat more because it sounds too aggressive. One of the additional benefits of exercise is more calories to eat. Drink. Use your calories during the day stragically.

If you want to succeed then you must minimise hunger, personally I prefer to avoid it altogether and will do some of the above to deal with it. If you do not deal with it you will be unable to sustain your current level of deficit the result being binging or giving up along with all the rest. As people have pointed out 1200 just happens to eb a common number mfp comes up with becayse you think oh id like to lose xlb a week, when in fact losing less per week but for a few weeks more will help you lose more overall at a more sustainable rate.

RavenLibra

add more protein to your diet... protein will help you feel fuller longer... and eat slowly... drink plenty of water.. dehydration "feels" the same as hunger to the brain

ibu279

The best trick for me is whenever I feel hungry, I first drink 1-2 glasses of water. I immediately feel better and usually less hungry. Then, the miracle food for me are: soups. They're usually light, tasty, and give you instantly a feeling of being full (and well fed) while not being too caloric neither. If I'm craving for sugar, I allow myself to eat 1/2 a tsp of honey, a little amount is enough to calm my craving down. For salty craving, try small parts of tomatoes with a little bit of salt on the top: it's delicious and again, enough to calm down the feeling of hunger. Good luck!

justcat206

Try to balance your macros based on when you feel you need them most, as well. This might take some experimentation, but you'll figure it out soon. For example, I can get away with eating fairly low carb for breakfast (some eggs with veggies, etc) and feel full and energized until lunch. But if I don't have a starchy carb with dinner, I'll feel ravenous all night (even if I'm not actually in need of calories) and then snack all evening. If you're having an afternoon slump where you're tired and hangry, try something with carbs and protein to refuel. I've also sometimes found that if I'm feeling munchy but could probably make it to the next meal before really needing food, minty gum is great for taking my mind off the hunger feeling and keeping my mouth busy. And as others said -be sure to stay hydrated. Even something as simple as adding a zing of fruit to your water might make you 'feel' like you're having something more satisfying. Good luck! (and fwiw, I'm super short and maintain at a low healthy weight on about 1600 cal with minimal exercise).

CaseyReneeBrownGraham

Thanks everyone. I am a picky eater. I probably don't eat anything I should. I'm 5'5 and 150 so I really need to lose weight fast. I lost 10 lbs then plateaued so I'm feeling discouraged and all I want to do is eat. The struggle is real. This site is full of amazing and helpful people.

BlueSkyShoal

Are you just starting out? My main advice is HANG IN THERE. It was really, really hard for me the first week. I was hungry all the time. But once my body adjusted and started "expecting" less food, I was fine.

Power through it with the knowledge that those hungry feelings won't last forever.

CaseyReneeBrownGraham

It's been 20 days. I was doing great cuz the weight was just falling off. Now that it's not going anywhere it's harder to focus on the goal

juggernaut1974

CaseyReneeBrownGraham wrote: »

Thanks everyone. I am a picky eater. I probably don't eat anything I should. I'm 5'5 and 150 so I really need to lose weight fast. I lost 10 lbs then plateaued so I'm feeling discouraged and all I want to do is eat. The struggle is real. This site is full of amazing and helpful people.

Why do you need to lose weight fast? That's just barely above a normal weight on a BMI chart.

You could (and really should) be eating a lot more than 1200 calories a day and still lose weight successfully, especially if you do any sort of physical activity

BoxerBrawler

If you're new at this just suck it up and give it a while. If you insist on 1200 per day your body will get used to it and you won't feel so hungry anymore. I don't have an opinion on the amount of calories a person should need. I tend to live on 1000 to 1200 per day but carry a huge deficit. But that's what works for me. I make sure to eat foods that are nutrient rich and extremely filling e.g., raw veggies. I drink a ton of water and I use Plant Fusion for a protein shake. It's 100% vegetable plant protein with 22g of protein in one serving at only 120 calories. It's delicious and filling

kr1stadee

You only have 20lbs left to lose.
You don't need to set an aggressive goal. Set it to 1 pound per week. Log exercise, eat half back.

Slow, steady and healthy weight loss. And no one gets hurt from the hangriness!

strong_curves

We have the same stats... I'm 5'5 and 152 lbs (started at 156!) and like I said earlier I'm eating 1800 calories a day and have been losing. i haven't been hungry or felt like I've been struggling with my weight loss. But then, I'm in no real rush to lose my weight fast, my plan was to lose in a healthy, sustainable way.

That said, you need to have some patience, the weight isn't going to fall off in 20 days... it just doesn't work that way. I suggest reading these threads so you'll have a better understanding on your weight loss journey:

http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/1080242/a-guide-to-get-you-started-on-your-path-to-sexypants/p1

http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/1235566/so-youre-new-here/p1

http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/1296011/calorie-counting-101/p1

martinel2099

strong_curves wrote: »

We have the same stats... I'm 5'5 and 152 lbs (started at 156!) and like I said earlier I'm eating 1800 calories a day and have been losing. i haven't been hungry or felt like I've been struggling with my weight loss. But then, I'm in no real rush to lose my weight fast, my plan was to lose in a healthy, sustainable way.

That said, you need to have some patience, the weight isn't going to fall off in 20 days... it just doesn't work that way. I suggest reading these threads so you'll have a better understanding on your weight loss journey:

http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/1080242/a-guide-to-get-you-started-on-your-path-to-sexypants/p1

http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/1235566/so-youre-new-here/p1

http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/1296011/calorie-counting-101/p1

This is a very good post OP, you should consider it. Losing weight is not a race and you will have better and more long lasting results.

Losing weight while eating like a normal person, win/win.

InvaderGashloog

I always drink tea when I'm hungry. That helps. Also, really strong black coffee. That always gets rid of hunger when I can't eat any more calories.