More hungry than normal

jennyi27

Hello MFPers!

What is everyone doing to deal with hunger cravings? I need some new ideas. I have been more hungry than normal the last few days, for some unknown reason. I feel like at any moment I could lose it and go on a food binge, and I have been doing a good job of NOT allowing that to happen up to this point.

I do tend to stay full longer if I have eggs in the morning, but I can't do that everyday. Sometimes I have eggs, other times it is a smoothie or yogurt. Today I had a smoothie, and I wanted to start gnawing my arm off at 10a.m.!

My fear is that I haven't been as strict as I need to be in the last few days (although I have been under my calorie goal), and that now my body keeps on wanting more and more!!!

hope516

This happens to me right before that TOM. Since i have pinpointed it it has made it easier to control. Also if you can't just get over it and not eat, eat at maintenance, as someone in another similar thread suggested.

ElizabethOakes2

Check your macros and make sure you're getting enough protein and fiber in your diet. You can have all the smoothies in the world, but sometimes, you need a big pile of black beans and corn. You say you're eating under your calorie goal? Why aren't you eating at your calorie goal? You may be hungry just because, well, your body needs food.

I do have insane hunger days that are hormone related and I try to boot it with low-fat, high fiber snacks like popcorn, or flaxseed crackers.

jennyi27

ElizabethOakes2 wrote: »

Check your macros and make sure you're getting enough protein and fiber in your diet. You can have all the smoothies in the world, but sometimes, you need a big pile of black beans and corn. You say you're eating under your calorie goal? Why aren't you eating at your calorie goal? You may be hungry just because, well, your body needs food.

I do have insane hunger days that are hormone related and I try to boot it with low-fat, high fiber snacks like popcorn, or flaxseed crackers.

It's a good idea to watch the macros more closely. Protein does help to keep me full longer, which is why I like to have my morning eggs. My smoothies are 100% fruit (sometimes I'll add chia or flax), so that is good in terms of fiber. I have significantly reduced many of the carbs I used to eat, such as bread and pasta (and unfortunately, my beloved iced coffee drinks), so I could use my calories to eat fruits, veggies, and proteins.

I guess my observation over the past month-ish is that I was starving the first week of my diet/calorie deficit (usually this is my adjustment period), then I was OK for 2 weeks, and now I am starving again. It's odd. One would think that my hunger levels would decrease over time.

I was wondering if other people experienced something similar, or if I can attribute this to maybe hormones or, more likely, side effects of meds.

ElizabethOakes2

Are you working out as part of your weight-loss plan? It could be that as you lose weight and get fitter, you're raising your BMR and need some extra calories.
What's your current calorie allowance, if you don't mind me asking?

(Iced coffee drinks- Get a french press, buy good dark roast bean, and International Delight Creamers- Makes excellent iced coffee with 35 calories instead of 200-400 calories! )

Afura

jennyi27 wrote: »

ElizabethOakes2 wrote: »

Check your macros and make sure you're getting enough protein and fiber in your diet. You can have all the smoothies in the world, but sometimes, you need a big pile of black beans and corn. You say you're eating under your calorie goal? Why aren't you eating at your calorie goal? You may be hungry just because, well, your body needs food.

I do have insane hunger days that are hormone related and I try to boot it with low-fat, high fiber snacks like popcorn, or flaxseed crackers.

It's a good idea to watch the macros more closely. Protein does help to keep me full longer, which is why I like to have my morning eggs. My smoothies are 100% fruit (sometimes I'll add chia or flax), so that is good in terms of fiber. I have significantly reduced many of the carbs I used to eat, such as bread and pasta (and unfortunately, my beloved iced coffee drinks), so I could use my calories to eat fruits, veggies, and proteins.

I guess my observation over the past month-ish is that I was starving the first week of my diet/calorie deficit (usually this is my adjustment period), then I was OK for 2 weeks, and now I am starving again. It's odd. One would think that my hunger levels would decrease over time.

I was wondering if other people experienced something similar, or if I can attribute this to maybe hormones or, more likely, side effects of meds.

I notice that that TOM definitely can make me crave and hungry more. Maybe in your smoothie add in some yogurt for protein? Depending on the iced coffee you cut out that may have been cutting out fats as well. Our bodies are random and strange things that are constantly evolving. Ask me a few months ago and I wasn't that hungry inbetween means, but now I had to start eating every 3 hours (even just a snack of deli meat, cheese and celery) or so or I get really hungry (lunch is in 40minutes, argh!) and a meal doesn't cut down on the feeling of hungry.
Also I noticed that constantly thinking of food really didn't help, it was always on my mind, and made me hungry.