Find it hard not to go over calories. Weight mostly stays the same.
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You need to change your diet. Protein, fat, and fiber, is what you want. MFP's protein goal is too low, if anything, and you really need to try and meet it... For me a good day is when I'm over on protein, fat, and fiber, and under on carbs. If I mostly eat carbs, I'm hungry all the time.
Find protein sources that you like - there are a lot of tasty ways to have meat other than plain chicken (stuffed peppers, tacos, meatloaf, Bolognese pasta for example). Heck get protein powder and mix that in oatmeal, if you eat that, or make protein shakes/smoothies.
If you're hungry and need snacks, go for a bit of cheese, yogurt (or cottage cheese), some fruit, and some nuts. Try to switch your sandwich bread for some low carb/high fiber wraps and load up on the veggies and meat/cheese. And eat veggies - they are a good source of protein!
Basically it comes down to 1) not losing more weight and possibly gaining some back, 2) being hungry all the time, 3) making an effort to change your diet. After that, it's your choice.0 -
You need to change your diet. Protein, fat, and fiber, is what you want. MFP's protein goal is too low, if anything, and you really need to try and meet it... For me a good day is when I'm over on protein, fat, and fiber, and under on carbs. If I mostly eat carbs, I'm hungry all the time.
Find protein sources that you like - there are a lot of tasty ways to have meat other than plain chicken (stuffed peppers, tacos, meatloaf, Bolognese pasta for example). Heck get protein powder and mix that in oatmeal, if you eat that, or make protein shakes/smoothies.
If you're hungry and need snacks, go for a bit of cheese, yogurt (or cottage cheese), some fruit, and some nuts. Try to switch your sandwich bread for some low carb/high fiber wraps and load up on the veggies and meat/cheese. And eat veggies - they are a good source of protein!
Basically it comes down to 1) not losing more weight and possibly gaining some back, 2) being hungry all the time, 3) making an effort to change your diet. After that, it's your choice.
Good advice. Thank you.0 -
Hi. I've been counting calories for about a year and a half, and have lost 38.5 pounds/17.5 kg. I'm 5 feet tall and currently weigh 185 pounds/84 kg. I have a lot more weight to lose.
For a long time now my weight has barely moved because I go over my calories quite often. I changed it from 1200 per day to 1500 and I still go over. I'm not gaining the weight I lost back but I'm not losing either because I often eat almost as many calories as I burn. I exercise a fair bit but eat those calories too. I can see it clearly in the numbers - I log my food quite accurately and weigh my food, and I use a Fitbit to calculate my exercise calories. I can clearly see based on the numbers why my weight is staying the same.
I just don't know how to stop eating so much. I'm ALWAYS hungry. When I feel hungry it's almost painful, so I eat. I don't eat a lot of fast food but I eat processed food and snacks. I think snacking is my main problem. I graze a lot, and don't always eat healthy snacks. I don't eat to the point of feeling sick hardly at all, I usually feel hungry even when I go over my calories. I just don't know how to stop feeling hungry, and find it hard to sleep if I go to bed hungry.
Any advice would be great.
Ya, losing weight would really suck if I were hungry. I need to eat about 300 exercise calories on top of what MFP gives me to feel satisfied. I don't go to bed hungry cuz that would keep me up or wake me up and mess up my next day. I save 200-300 calories for a bedtime snack. Something made with rolled oats is really filling. Rolled oats, yogurt, and strawberries are really yummy.
The rest of the day, I focus on eating protein, fats, veggies, and fiber and this fills me up. I am hungry right before meals, but that's it.0 -
I've always eaten when hungry since I've been counting calories, and I try to exercise to make up for eating too much. There's only so much exercise I can do though. Contrary to what I just wrote above I don't really want to sit around starving because on diets where I've done that I always gain the weight back. I am very, very slowly losing weight, but at this rate it will take years to lose substantial weight. I do want to try eating more protein even though I don't like it much. Maybe that's part of the answer, as well as maybe accepting I'm just going to lose weight slowly.
One thing I haven't mentioned is I take medication for depression, and have to take it even when I'm doing fine. I don't think the tablets have too much of an impact on my weight loss but might slow it down a little. I don't know if the tablets can make you hungry.
These medications are the reason why you are feeling hungry all the time. Your macros are set to the MFP default (I'm assuming), and they should be more like 30% carb/35% fat/35% protein in order for you to feel full.
Research a diabetic diet. Depression drugs and other classes of drugs can make your body mimic insulin resistance or diabetes (hence the side effect of gaining weight on a lot of these drugs). This will suggest that you need to lower your overall carb percentage and with every meal there should be some fats and proteins. Try really concentrating on hitting those protein numbers and NOT eat all carb meals or snacks. Those are killer for your carb numbers. The occasional carb heavy meal is ok, but look at the overall day's numbers. You'll find this hard in the beginning, but the hunger pangs will go away after 2 weeks of successfully hitting your protein numbers.0 -
I just had a slice of cheese and am no longer hungry. Normally I would have had a cookie for the same calories but it's obviously unhealthy. I'm definitely going to look into having more protein. Does sweetened low calorie yogurt count as protein?
Well, what's the protein count of the brand of yogurt you're contemplating? Greek yogurt has more protein than regular. Cottage cheese may have more, depending on the brands involved. For under 200 calories, I find this really filling and yummy. Add nuts to make it more substantial:
I find this really filling due to the oats. I let the yogurt "cook" the oats for an hour or so before I eat it:
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I've always eaten when hungry since I've been counting calories, and I try to exercise to make up for eating too much. There's only so much exercise I can do though. Contrary to what I just wrote above I don't really want to sit around starving because on diets where I've done that I always gain the weight back. I am very, very slowly losing weight, but at this rate it will take years to lose substantial weight. I do want to try eating more protein even though I don't like it much. Maybe that's part of the answer, as well as maybe accepting I'm just going to lose weight slowly.
One thing I haven't mentioned is I take medication for depression, and have to take it even when I'm doing fine. I don't think the tablets have too much of an impact on my weight loss but might slow it down a little. I don't know if the tablets can make you hungry.
These medications are the reason why you are feeling hungry all the time. Your macros are set to the MFP default (I'm assuming), and they should be more like 30% carb/35% fat/35% protein in order for you to feel full.
Research a diabetic diet. Depression drugs and other classes of drugs can make your body mimic insulin resistance or diabetes (hence the side effect of gaining weight on a lot of these drugs). This will suggest that you need to lower your overall carb percentage and with every meal there should be some fats and proteins. Try really concentrating on hitting those protein numbers and NOT eat all carb meals or snacks. Those are killer for your carb numbers. The occasional carb heavy meal is ok, but look at the overall day's numbers. You'll find this hard in the beginning, but the hunger pangs will go away after 2 weeks of successfully hitting your protein numbers.
So the medication can make you feel hungry? My meals aren't carb heavy really but my snacks are, and I snack a lot. I'm going to change my diet a fair bit - more protein and fibre. I'm looking forward to this!0 -
kshama2001 wrote: »I just had a slice of cheese and am no longer hungry. Normally I would have had a cookie for the same calories but it's obviously unhealthy. I'm definitely going to look into having more protein. Does sweetened low calorie yogurt count as protein?
Well, what's the protein count of the brand of yogurt you're contemplating? Greek yogurt has more protein than regular. Cottage cheese may have more, depending on the brands involved. For under 200 calories, I find this really filling and yummy. Add nuts to make it more substantial:
I haven't bought yogurt in ages but I'll look at the protein count on the label before I buy it.
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I'll eat a bunch of baby carrots, or last night for example, I ate a whole steam bag of frozen broccoli. It was 120 calories, or something like that.0
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kshama2001 wrote: »I just had a slice of cheese and am no longer hungry. Normally I would have had a cookie for the same calories but it's obviously unhealthy. I'm definitely going to look into having more protein. Does sweetened low calorie yogurt count as protein?
Well, what's the protein count of the brand of yogurt you're contemplating? Greek yogurt has more protein than regular. Cottage cheese may have more, depending on the brands involved. For under 200 calories, I find this really filling and yummy. Add nuts to make it more substantial:
I haven't bought yogurt in ages but I'll look at the protein count on the label before I buy it.
Buy Greek yogurt.0 -
You just have to find snacks that are protein and nutrient dense. The processed snacking will be your downfall because, per volume, they are calorie dense. By switching your snacks to ones that are not empty calories, you'll feel full longer and ultimately be more successful.0
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OP, when I increased my servings of veggies and focused on hitting my protein goal every day, it became a lot easier for me to stay at my calorie goal and not feel peckish all day. Good luck!0
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I have gained dramatic weight on some medicines (60/2months), and it was a rumbly stomach hunger and not the brain hunger. I would consider eating more protein and fiber. both will keep you full longer
I have switched medication at times because of side effects-you may consider talking to your dr about it. there are many different antidepressants. Me, wellbutrin gave me vertigo. really bad. like barely able to sit in a chair vertigo.0 -
Maybe you could try more substantial meals to cut back on the snacking ritual.0
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Hi
I have to say I was a red meat eater most of my life so far! I can have a burger and chips and eat the rest of the evening snacking on rubbish or even healthy stuff as long as it's good.
If I eat chicken and chips with salad that's me full till morning so think it's what your eating is the problem.good luck tho. Xx0 -
The medications can make you feel hungry because one of the signals that tells your brain and stomach to feel hungry is a dip in blood sugars. If your body is mimicking insulin resistance, then you react very quickly (spikes and dips) when you eat carbs. So carbs are very good for taking away that hunger signal, but because your body doesn't process it that well, you also get that large dip in blood sugar translating to another hunger signal.
You need to work on evening out your blood sugar. Focusing on the protein will help TREMENDOUSLY. The proteins will help keep you satisfied without dipping your blood sugar. If your snacks are the cause, then stop or change those snacks.
Think of yourself as a diabetic when you eat and you will find that you will stop going over on your calories (no need to snack anymore).0 -
I know it sounds cliche, but water really helps...when I get hungry I pound a bottle of water like a frat boy does beer...then I forget about food for a couple hours
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I agree with adding some protien. I like the Greek Gods brand plain, full fat greek yogurt. I put a splenda, a dash of vanilla extract and blueberries in mine. So good. But my favorite snack and the most "frequent" food in my list is apples. I love an apple and the fiber in it help me feel full. Apples are also good in yogurt or cottage cheese and they are pretty sweet.0
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danieltsmoke wrote: »I know it sounds cliche, but water really helps...when I get hungry I pound a bottle of water like a frat boy does beer...then I forget about food for a couple hours
coffee does the trick too.
OP, logging food is a good way to learn knowledge but not a daily task to stress you out. I started serious weight cutting 3 months ago. Only logged food for 1 month, then let go. Because after 1 month I have the knowledge, I know what I am eating. What to put to my diet and how much energy it feeds my body.
Good luck.0 -
Things I find that help my appetite:
- Delaying breakfast and lunch for as long as I can, then I have less time to the next meal and that helps me cope.
- Having a huge dinner at night, around 600 calories of a huge salad, cold chicken breast, grated carrot, beetroot, cottage cheese or grated cheese, steamed small potato/sweet potato.. I'm bursting afterwards, but I prefer that to feeling hungry.
- I save 200 calories most days to have an ice cream cone after dinner.
- Drinks.. lots of water, or a low cal coffee from my coffee pod machine, low cal cup-a-soup.
- Soups. Try making a homemade soup that is low calorie and then have a hot cup of that when you are struggling, and a cup before meals, depending on the calories.
- I eat a raw carrot as I'm making/weighing my evening meal, and a large drink, seems to help fill me up.
Hope that helps a little, and upping your protein should help you a lot.
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I've been having good luck with nuts/nut-based meal bars/snacks that are specifically high in protein while still being in the calorie range of what I'm wanting to eat. I know a lot of people here have issues with different meal replacements, but they're great if you're always running late to get out the door to work or something.
Also, popcorn. I get these AMAZING little bags of lime/salt flavoured microwave popcorn, and it's like 25 calories for the whole thing. When my husband whines that he wants more, I can point out that he could eat four of them for the number of calories in our normal snacks. That's a LOT of popcorn.0
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