I dont eat enough calories even though i eat when im hungry

neohdiver

HutchA12 wrote: »

Vetticus_3 wrote: »

I just want to ask - and not necessarily just the OP - how can people eat 1200 cals and not climbing up the walls in hunger?

I measure everything, eat a higher proportion of protein and fats, drink a lot of water, but at 1200 cals I'm eyeing the couch as a potential food source. mmmm fibre.

I keep on seeing these posts - I can't eat all of my 1200 cals, I'm too full on 1200 cals - and I just don't believe it.

I have a sneaking suspicion that these people don't measure their food accurately... can anybody chip in on how to be full at such low calorie intake?

I understand your confusion. I don't get it either. They are obviously here because at some point they were able to eat enough to need to losecweight. I also see them post about how they eat low cal food during the day. Why? If you need to struggle through eating to hit a good 1200 to 1300 cal just eat higher cal versions of what you eat or denser food in general. My best guess is some measure their food poorly bit still see loss.

I'm eating about 1200 calories and am never hungry (never have been) and - with my current health restrictions on content (low-carb cap, protein target) - I have a hard time envisioning increasing to maintenance. I'm actively looking for things that I will be able to include in a few months that will add not just calories, but micronutirents, without elevating my blood sugar.

I am certainly capable of consuming large quantities of food. My prior level of consumption (and starting weight) is driven by a lot of complex things, but hunger is not among them. Most recently - I work ~80 hour weeks, come home at 2-3 AM, after having eaten not much of anything during the day, anxious to fall into bed without wasting time fixing food. The path of least resistance has been to stop at the Sheetz on the way home and grab what is easy and tastes good - typically something high in carbs and/or sugar. Things that I can no longer eat because of a diabetes diagnosis.

So - even though the environmental pressures have not changed, the range of foods I can eat is severely restricted. I am taking time to prepare meals - but most of what I can eat in volume without sending my blood sugar skyrocketing (or killing my kidneys) is not terribly appetizing. I'm not averse to fat - but I don't find it appetizing unless it is paired with sugar or carbs. Since I can only eat sugar/carbs in minimal quantities, both of the appetizing ways to eat fat are out. Since I've never been driven by hunger to find something to eat, it requires a conscious decision work up the energy to prepare something that I'm not excited about eating that isn't filling a tangible physical need, and enough advance planning so I can hit a store that is still open if I don't have the ingredients in my pantry. Sometimes it's just not worth the effort.

You can believe it or not - that is, of course, your prerogative. But for some of us - not eating requires a lot less effort/angst than eating properly. I understand being hungry enough to find a couch attractive - it drives people around me. It just doesn't apply to me.

Arliah

Vetticus_3 wrote: »

I just want to ask - and not necessarily just the OP - how can people eat 1200 cals and not climbing up the walls in hunger?

I measure everything, eat a higher proportion of protein and fats, drink a lot of water, but at 1200 cals I'm eyeing the couch as a potential food source. mmmm fibre.

I keep on seeing these posts - I can't eat all of my 1200 cals, I'm too full on 1200 cals - and I just don't believe it.

I have a sneaking suspicion that these people don't measure their food accurately... can anybody chip in on how to be full at such low calorie intake?

I've been eating around 1200 calories ever since I joined over a year again, and most of the time it's just fine. I watch my macros and eat throughout the day (and weight/measure everything). Lost almost 63 lbs in almost two years, so I am guessing it's working, and I haven't starved myself yet, either. I don't have breakfast until 10 at the earliest, even when I am at work, then I have a small snack (nuts, protein bar) around noon. Lunch is usually around 2:30 or 3, then another small snack before I go home and dinner around 7 or 8 at the latest. I drink lots of water (at least 80 oz a day), and I eat stuff that keeps me full. Sure, there are days when I eat more (or want to eat more, and I do), but in general its not a problem. I am 5"3 and 124.8 lbs right now. My BMR is around 1300, TDEE around 1750. I would never claim though that I am too full on 1200 calories. Hope this helps a little

cwolfman13

ClosetBayesian wrote: »

cwolfman13 wrote: »

Vetticus_3 wrote: »

I just want to ask - and not necessarily just the OP - how can people eat 1200 cals and not climbing up the walls in hunger?

I measure everything, eat a higher proportion of protein and fats, drink a lot of water, but at 1200 cals I'm eyeing the couch as a potential food source. mmmm fibre.

I keep on seeing these posts - I can't eat all of my 1200 cals, I'm too full on 1200 cals - and I just don't believe it.

I have a sneaking suspicion that these people don't measure their food accurately... can anybody chip in on how to be full at such low calorie intake?

I always wonder this and also wonder how in the hell people became overweight and needing to diet if they simply can't bear to eat more than a handful of calories because they're just so full....

I basically chalk it up to they're either not accounting for things properly and are eating more than they think or they've got some kind of ED or at minimum, some majorly disordered thinking.

I gained weight by living on bagels, Hamburger Helper, ice cream, cheese fries, and lots of beer (at least three per day; as many as 12 on weekends). Had a hellacious gummy bear craving while I was pregnant with my oldest daughter; pregnancy + gummy bears = 70lbs weight gain when I was already borderline obese. To answer your question, that's how I became overweight and needed a diet. I sure as heck didn't eat then what I do now. I have completely changed what I eat (and how much I drink) in order to lose weight.

but do you struggle and feel oh so full on 800 calories?

that was the point...people eating *kitten* loads and then suddenly they just can't...it doesn't make any sense

i eat completely different than i used to also...but i can still pack it away. i dieted on 2300 calories and i was still hungry....

jgnatca

cwolfman13 wrote: »

ClosetBayesian wrote: »

cwolfman13 wrote: »

Vetticus_3 wrote: »

I just want to ask - and not necessarily just the OP - how can people eat 1200 cals and not climbing up the walls in hunger?

I measure everything, eat a higher proportion of protein and fats, drink a lot of water, but at 1200 cals I'm eyeing the couch as a potential food source. mmmm fibre.

I keep on seeing these posts - I can't eat all of my 1200 cals, I'm too full on 1200 cals - and I just don't believe it.

I have a sneaking suspicion that these people don't measure their food accurately... can anybody chip in on how to be full at such low calorie intake?

I always wonder this and also wonder how in the hell people became overweight and needing to diet if they simply can't bear to eat more than a handful of calories because they're just so full....

I basically chalk it up to they're either not accounting for things properly and are eating more than they think or they've got some kind of ED or at minimum, some majorly disordered thinking.

I gained weight by living on bagels, Hamburger Helper, ice cream, cheese fries, and lots of beer (at least three per day; as many as 12 on weekends). Had a hellacious gummy bear craving while I was pregnant with my oldest daughter; pregnancy + gummy bears = 70lbs weight gain when I was already borderline obese. To answer your question, that's how I became overweight and needed a diet. I sure as heck didn't eat then what I do now. I have completely changed what I eat (and how much I drink) in order to lose weight.

but do you struggle and feel oh so full on 800 calories?

that was the point...people eating *kitten* loads and then suddenly they just can't...it doesn't make any sense

i eat completely different than i used to also...but i can still pack it away. i dieted on 2300 calories and i was still hungry....

When I was on a (medically supervised) VLCD diet, liquid diet, a certain number of Ensure a day and a half-cup of skim milk besides, all normal hunger pangs dissipated within 48 hours. It was DEADLY BORING and UNAPPETIZING. Now, a craving could hit like an avalanche, say, if I was blindsided by a Big Mac commercial. But I was on a PLAN for a LIMITED TIME, and I could COUNT THE DAYS to when I could eat normally again. So I ignored the commercial and dreamed of the day....

3dogsrunning

Arliah wrote: »

Vetticus_3 wrote: »

I just want to ask - and not necessarily just the OP - how can people eat 1200 cals and not climbing up the walls in hunger?

I measure everything, eat a higher proportion of protein and fats, drink a lot of water, but at 1200 cals I'm eyeing the couch as a potential food source. mmmm fibre.

I keep on seeing these posts - I can't eat all of my 1200 cals, I'm too full on 1200 cals - and I just don't believe it.

I have a sneaking suspicion that these people don't measure their food accurately... can anybody chip in on how to be full at such low calorie intake?

I've been eating around 1200 calories ever since I joined over a year again, and most of the time it's just fine. I watch my macros and eat throughout the day (and weight/measure everything). Lost almost 63 lbs in almost two years, so I am guessing it's working, and I haven't starved myself yet, either. I don't have breakfast until 10 at the earliest, even when I am at work, then I have a small snack (nuts, protein bar) around noon. Lunch is usually around 2:30 or 3, then another small snack before I go home and dinner around 7 or 8 at the latest. I drink lots of water (at least 80 oz a day), and I eat stuff that keeps me full. Sure, there are days when I eat more (or want to eat more, and I do), but in general its not a problem. I am 5"3 and 124.8 lbs right now. My BMR is around 1300, TDEE around 1750. I would never claim though that I am too full on 1200 calories. Hope this helps a little

Can I ask - you eat bacon and sour cream for a meal? I haven't seen or heard of that before.

xXxWhitneyxXx

H4N4H wrote: »

xXxWhitneyxXx wrote: »

WinoGelato wrote: »

H4N4H wrote: »

Vetticus_3 wrote: »

I just want to ask - and not necessarily just the OP - how can people eat 1200 cals and not climbing up the walls in hunger?

I measure everything, eat a higher proportion of protein and fats, drink a lot of water, but at 1200 cals I'm eyeing the couch as a potential food source. mmmm fibre.

I keep on seeing these posts - I can't eat all of my 1200 cals, I'm too full on 1200 cals - and I just don't believe it.

I have a sneaking suspicion that these people don't measure their food accurately... can anybody chip in on how to be full at such low calorie intake?

I'm on 1220 cal a day, I have a food scale and properly use it. I measure everything I eat even down to weighing my eggs before I boil them. I weigh/measure everything and when I can't I use the higher cal options in the MFP database to ensure I'm not just picking it because it has the lowest calories because you can.

I can tell you that if you eat like *kitten* you will be hungry. I have completely cut out condiments like ketchup, mayo, and salad dressings. Sauces don't exist, if your food is dry you sip water or suck it up. Cheese, cheese doesn't exist except for the occasional half a sandwich and even then it's a slice of fake cheese by Kraft and it's more like a cheese flavored square for 45 cal. Dessert items are a no, chocolate say goodbye. Any broth based soup can be watered down, 1 cup of soup can usually have 1/2 cup of water added to it without it being flavored water with floating vegetables. Never drink calories. Soda no. Milk, juices, punch, sweetened teas, dolled up coffees are all bad ideas. Protein shakes make an exception because they can usually be part of a meal. Carbs, don't avoid them but don't abuse them, if you crave carbs make room now before craving becomes raging.

I have tried a 1200 cal diet with foods I love like icecream and pizza. You can't. The reason 1200 calorie diet don't work is you have to let go of old foods. My sweet tooth is gone. My grease tooth is too. Pizza is disgusting and whenever I do have it, it tastes like grease. Diet Coke used to be bland, now it's borderline making me sick from how sweet it tastes. I went from cream and sugar in my teas and coffee to black coffee and plain tea.

Carrots taste sweet to me now. I was a sugar addict and now carrots, a vegetable i used to hate, tastes like candy. My taste buds have changes drastically. As for people being stuffed on 1200 kcal, I also suspect they are bad at measuring and weighing and estimating.

I am never ever stuffed. I am never even full. I'm satiated. I'm satisfied until my next meal. I am usually hungry and hour before my next meal. I am usually hungry for breakfast when I wake up. Hunger=/=Starving though. It's okay to have an appetite for your next meal.

TLDR; What you eat matters, eat *kitten* you'll feel like *kitten*. Eat lots of quality food and you can get by.

That really just does not sound that pleasant...

100% Unpleasant. Unless you're planning on living the rest of your life this way, never eating sugar and being on 1200 calories forever, which doesn't seem realistic. I mean I wouldn't be able to have a piece of my kids birthday cake, or take them to enjoy and ice cream cone or eat a slice of wedding cake at a wedding. I wouldn't be happy. And let someone try to take my end of the day brownie or cookie from me. I'll slap the soul out of somebody.

Or...hear me out, some people....when they stop eating 1200 calories a day...they do this thing where they slowly reintroduce foods they enjoyed back into their diet. You think when I'm in maintenance I'm gonna water down my soup? Or say no to sauces?

And that is where the problem will be. You'll then start gaining it all back. The lower you go, the farther from maintenance you are the harder it will be to adjust to it.

Christine_72

xXxWhitneyxXx wrote: »

H4N4H wrote: »

xXxWhitneyxXx wrote: »

WinoGelato wrote: »

H4N4H wrote: »

Vetticus_3 wrote: »

I just want to ask - and not necessarily just the OP - how can people eat 1200 cals and not climbing up the walls in hunger?

I measure everything, eat a higher proportion of protein and fats, drink a lot of water, but at 1200 cals I'm eyeing the couch as a potential food source. mmmm fibre.

I keep on seeing these posts - I can't eat all of my 1200 cals, I'm too full on 1200 cals - and I just don't believe it.

I have a sneaking suspicion that these people don't measure their food accurately... can anybody chip in on how to be full at such low calorie intake?

I'm on 1220 cal a day, I have a food scale and properly use it. I measure everything I eat even down to weighing my eggs before I boil them. I weigh/measure everything and when I can't I use the higher cal options in the MFP database to ensure I'm not just picking it because it has the lowest calories because you can.

I can tell you that if you eat like *kitten* you will be hungry. I have completely cut out condiments like ketchup, mayo, and salad dressings. Sauces don't exist, if your food is dry you sip water or suck it up. Cheese, cheese doesn't exist except for the occasional half a sandwich and even then it's a slice of fake cheese by Kraft and it's more like a cheese flavored square for 45 cal. Dessert items are a no, chocolate say goodbye. Any broth based soup can be watered down, 1 cup of soup can usually have 1/2 cup of water added to it without it being flavored water with floating vegetables. Never drink calories. Soda no. Milk, juices, punch, sweetened teas, dolled up coffees are all bad ideas. Protein shakes make an exception because they can usually be part of a meal. Carbs, don't avoid them but don't abuse them, if you crave carbs make room now before craving becomes raging.

I have tried a 1200 cal diet with foods I love like icecream and pizza. You can't. The reason 1200 calorie diet don't work is you have to let go of old foods. My sweet tooth is gone. My grease tooth is too. Pizza is disgusting and whenever I do have it, it tastes like grease. Diet Coke used to be bland, now it's borderline making me sick from how sweet it tastes. I went from cream and sugar in my teas and coffee to black coffee and plain tea.

Carrots taste sweet to me now. I was a sugar addict and now carrots, a vegetable i used to hate, tastes like candy. My taste buds have changes drastically. As for people being stuffed on 1200 kcal, I also suspect they are bad at measuring and weighing and estimating.

I am never ever stuffed. I am never even full. I'm satiated. I'm satisfied until my next meal. I am usually hungry and hour before my next meal. I am usually hungry for breakfast when I wake up. Hunger=/=Starving though. It's okay to have an appetite for your next meal.

TLDR; What you eat matters, eat *kitten* you'll feel like *kitten*. Eat lots of quality food and you can get by.

That really just does not sound that pleasant...

100% Unpleasant. Unless you're planning on living the rest of your life this way, never eating sugar and being on 1200 calories forever, which doesn't seem realistic. I mean I wouldn't be able to have a piece of my kids birthday cake, or take them to enjoy and ice cream cone or eat a slice of wedding cake at a wedding. I wouldn't be happy. And let someone try to take my end of the day brownie or cookie from me. I'll slap the soul out of somebody.

Or...hear me out, some people....when they stop eating 1200 calories a day...they do this thing where they slowly reintroduce foods they enjoyed back into their diet. You think when I'm in maintenance I'm gonna water down my soup? Or say no to sauces?

And that is where the problem will be. You'll then start gaining it all back. The lower you go, the farther from maintenance you are the harder it will be to adjust to it.

She won't gain fat weight if she sticks to her maintenance calories. .

pepperfrostx

I go through spells like that from time to time but ultimately (and from experience) your going to binge. If you don't however, awesome. Either way, be careful.