Eating more to lose weight and feeling more hungry. Why?

DanielleBeserra

I've been really striving to eat my recommended daily calories which is 1,490. Before I was eating 1200-1300 a day plus working out. I aim to eat as little processed food mainly lots of fruit and veggies. I have been feeling more hungry than when I was eating less calories a day. Why is this? Am I on the right track to losing the last couple pounds I have left.

galgenstrick

How long have you been hungry for after increasing the calories?

gothchiq

the more I eat, the hungrier I get. I need to find the sweet spot (maintenance) and stay there. If I go over, I start feeling hungry for more and more. Worse than during cutting. I know there are other women with a similar situation, it's not just you and me.

DanielleBeserra

Well this is the first week I've been trying to eat enough to increase my calories. Once I eat I feel satisfied for maybe an hour then I feel very hungry again.

galgenstrick

try hitting your protein goal, proteins can be more satiating than carbs and fats, and you've been under on your goal the past week.

How much do you weight? You should aim for about 0.8grams protein per pound of body weight per day, and you could even go higher if it makes you feel more satisfied.

DanielleBeserra

Yes i have not hit my goal exactly but I am closer to it then usual. I'm 135 and 5'7. I'll try eating more protine, I do struggle with that. Thanks

cwilso37

There is a common theme in your diary (at least for the past week). When you add your coffee with your snacks it is typically more than half your daily calories. If you were to have more substantial meals this might help you.

galgenstrick

cwilso37 wrote: »

There is a common theme in your diary (at least for the past week). When you add your coffee with your snacks it is typically more than half your daily calories. If you were to have more substantial meals this might help you.

Whats wrong with coffee and snacks? I don't see any heavy creamer and sweetener, so she's not really drinking her calories.

gothchiq

Well, what's wrong is that she isn't staying satisfied. Feeling hungry all the time is no fun. Therefore I would second the more protein suggestion.

DanielleBeserra

I only drink water besides my daily coffee and snacking is what gets me through the day. But I agree I need to eat more protine. Thank you, I will definitely try to reach my protine goal

cwilso37

About half the days have some form of latte or Starbucks caramel etc. On those days they make up more than 10% (on average) of her daily intake. I have found when I just graze all day, I never actually feel full. If half of your daily calories are from these two sources, I can understand why a person wouldn't feel full. I think we are saying the same thing. Eat larger meals with more filling things such as protein.

galgenstrick

I agree, some people do better not grazing all day. For example, I do intermittent fasting because if I eat breakfast I'm hungry and out of calories by dinner.

Option B is to burn more calories through exercise so you can eat a bit more.

Option C is to reduce your deficit and lose weight a little slower but eat more.

What is your deficit anyways?

DanielleBeserra

I work out six days a week and usually burn 200-400 calories during. MFP has me eating 1,490 calories to lose weight and I don't eat my exercise calories back.

galgenstrick

DanielleBeserra wrote: »

I work out six days a week and usually burn 200-400 calories during. MFP has me eating 1,490 calories to lose weight and I don't eat my exercise calories back.

What is your weight loss rate set to?

DanielleBeserra

1lb a week. I've been weighing between 132-135 for forever.

galgenstrick

DanielleBeserra wrote: »

1lb a week. I've been weighing between 132-135 for forever.

Sounds reasonable.

The processed food thing was good advice. Also, you want to be drinking about 3L of water every day which will help if you're not already doing that.

heybales

DanielleBeserra wrote: »

I work out six days a week and usually burn 200-400 calories during. MFP has me eating 1,490 calories to lose weight and I don't eat my exercise calories back.

No, actually, MFP has your base calories set to 1490 for NON-exercise days.

They account for NO exercise until actually done. That's how this tool works.

When you exercise you obviously burn more that day - remove 500 calories for weight loss - guess what, you eat more.

No wonder you are hungry.
Use a tool right, usually does what it's supposed to. Use a tool wrong, at best it doesn't do anything, at worst it'll hurt you.

And I dare say, probably not getting nearly as much out of those workouts as you could if eating more.

Just a fact you can't perform or recover as well in a diet, and making it extreme by your method - even worse.
You probably feel like you are giving it your all during the workouts - but that's just because you are tired, body is tired, even on days it may not feel like it.

Eat up - and probably take a smaller deficit if within 15 lbs of healthy weight.

DanielleBeserra

Okay! And yes I'm constantly drinking water. Thanks for all your great advice

lemurcat12

heybales wrote: »

DanielleBeserra wrote: »

I work out six days a week and usually burn 200-400 calories during. MFP has me eating 1,490 calories to lose weight and I don't eat my exercise calories back.

No, actually, MFP has your base calories set to 1490 for NON-exercise days.

They account for NO exercise until actually done. That's how this tool works.

When you exercise you obviously burn more that day - remove 500 calories for weight loss - guess what, you eat more.

No wonder you are hungry.
Use a tool right, usually does what it's supposed to. Use a tool wrong, at best it doesn't do anything, at worst it'll hurt you.

And I dare say, probably not getting nearly as much out of those workouts as you could if eating more.

Just a fact you can't perform or recover as well in a diet, and making it extreme by your method - even worse.
You probably feel like you are giving it your all during the workouts - but that's just because you are tired, body is tired, even on days it may not feel like it.

Eat up - and probably take a smaller deficit if within 15 lbs of healthy weight.

This is good advice.

She's BMI 21, based on her stats.

At that weight, you are likely going to be hungry if you go for a deficit of 1 lb and don't eat back exercise calories. Eating less probably killed your appetite in an unhealthy way that's not sustainable. You might well do better eating more but getting more out of the workouts.

That said, I haven't reviewed your diary, but I am also someone who gets nothing out of constantly snacking and needs fewer bigger meals to feel satisfied, so those saying that might be something to try might be right.

Derf_Smeggle

I'm playing around with fats and proteins right now. They digest more slowly and there is a change in the neuro-chemical response to eating fats (healthy), over carbohydrates and simple sugars, that leads to feeling more satiated for longer periods of time. It doesn't take much to do the trick.

Try stir-frying veggies in coconut oil (*refined* for no coconut taste), or butter.

If you have chicken, eat it with the skin on for the fat.

Hard boil some eggs for that later night snack.

The not-so-secret secret is that eating fat doesn't make a person fat. Eating too many calories does. Eating fat is also not the magic bullet for heart disease. 30 years of low fat diets and no significant change in heart disease rates, along with a whole host of other research tells us this.