I'm starving!!

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chartrandpatricia
chartrandpatricia Posts: 2 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Hey I'm wondering if I'm the only one with this problem. I'm 25, 5ft2", 140lbs female. I've been doing my fitness pal on and off for a few years. I'm on a 1200cal diet, I eat whole foods, lots of vegetables ( I make my calories count). I exercise at least 5 days a week and I eat the calories I burn. I'm really determined to see results but I am freaking starving. How come other people I talk to seem fine with 1200 cals a day.
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  • janejellyroll
    janejellyroll Posts: 25,763 Member
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    Did you tell MFP you wanted to lose 2 pounds a week? Pick a more reasonable goal and you'll get a more reasonable number of calories.
  • AriesGal329
    AriesGal329 Posts: 236 Member
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    1200 is really low. If you stay with that, I recommend filling up on a lot of grilled vegetables like onion, brussel sprouts, broccoli, etc. You can sautee them with a few ounces of chicken or ground turkey and it's very filling. Brothy soups are good, too.
  • biggsterjackster
    biggsterjackster Posts: 419 Member
    edited May 2016
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  • Serah87
    Serah87 Posts: 5,481 Member
    edited May 2016
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    I'm 46 yrs old and 5'2, I eat between 1700-1900 calories to lose weight. That's netting around 1200-1300 calories with exercise.
  • lesleyann0403
    lesleyann0403 Posts: 3 Member
    edited May 2016
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    I'm 4'11 and only have 1200 calories a day too! I find I get hungry a lot too but what has really helped is I bought an ALL natural supplement that is backed by science to help lose weight by helping you feel full longer (Its really just a certain kind of fiber) What it does it makes you feel full longer. Its a capsule you take 20 min. before eating and it basically expands in your stomach to give you that fuller feeling longer it really helps me a lot. It is called Konjac Root/Glucomannan. I attached a photo. Also, lots of protein, protein digest differently and takes longer to break down so it also helps you feel full longer. Another thing I do is drink water LOTS of water. I bought a nalgene and keep track I drink about 120 ounces a day! Hope this helps.
  • KetoneKaren
    KetoneKaren Posts: 6,411 Member
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    Are you getting plenty of sleep? Sleep deprivation affects ghrelin levels. I call it the Ghrelin Gremlin.
  • jen_bush
    jen_bush Posts: 679 Member
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    I go for 1200, but I feel satisfied unless I stay awake too late, then I get hungry around midnight. But I get most of my calories from good, filling foods - 1200kcal can be taken in in so many different ways. :)
  • dragon_girl26
    dragon_girl26 Posts: 2,187 Member
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    janejellyroll wrote: »
    Did you tell MFP you wanted to lose 2 pounds a week? Pick a more reasonable goal and you'll get a more reasonable number of calories.

    ^^ This. Unless you are very obese, 2 lbs/wk is too aggressive.
    .5 lb to 1 lb/ wk is a more appropriate goal, depending on how much you have to lose. This will give you more calories, and will be more sustainable for you.
  • mommazach
    mommazach Posts: 384 Member
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    Eat back about half of your exercise calories. You can still do this and lose weight, but make healthier protein choices. Heavier proteins stay with you longer. I am also on the 1200 calorie diet, it's tough, but I noticed that when I eat back some of my calories the end of day - you'll weigh &*% in 5 weeks- is always lower. After reading this about 90 times, I decide to start eating back some of the calories, and I got out of my slump. Best of luck to you
  • Sarahb29
    Sarahb29 Posts: 952 Member
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    Are you "eating back" the calories you're burning? 1200 is already low, if you're exercising even more off then yea you'd be hungry. Are you getting enough healthy fats in your diet, ie olive oils, avocados etc?
  • Jthanmyfitnesspal
    Jthanmyfitnesspal Posts: 3,522 Member
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    Hunger rules us all! It's an amazingly persistent sensation that has evolved such that many of us will overeat if given the chance. You have to override it with your rational mind. It does get better over time. Balancing the macros helps me.

    Note that there's no reason to jump to any particular weight lost rate. You have chosen to try to lose 1lb per week, I guess, based on your numbers. That works out to about a 500kcal per day deficit. You can change your setting to .5lb per week and see if that's better for a while. Also, exercise calories are very hard to estimate accurately. You can adjust based on your actual weight loss.

    Finally, if you have an active job, you need more kcals. You can set that in MFP or you can get an activity tracker (e.g., FitBit) which will estimate your daily burn including activity level, but their accuracy varies by what activities you engage in.

    What is never debatable is your mean weekly weight change. The hard part is that you won't know it for a couple of weeks at least. I weigh daily and average.
  • Cave_Goose
    Cave_Goose Posts: 156 Member
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    lesleyann0403 wrote: »
    I find I get hungry a lot too but what has really helped is I bought an ALL natural supplement that is backed by science to help lose weight by helping you feel full longer (Its really just a certain kind of fiber) What it does it makes you feel full longer.

    What science? As soon as I started Googling it, all I could find was reliable websites saying it was unproven and "might" work.

  • martin71967
    martin71967 Posts: 16 Member
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    I have read that a lot of our hunger is actualy our bodies not having enough water. if you feel hungry even when you think you have eatin earlier drink a glass of water if your hunger goes away its a sighn that you could be dehydrated. it is a proven fact that we as people actually do not drink enough water even without exercise it is recommended we drink at least 8 8oz cups of water a day,and more if your exercising. hope this helps
  • lesleyann0403
    lesleyann0403 Posts: 3 Member
    edited May 2016
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    Cave_Goose wrote: »
    lesleyann0403 wrote: »
    I find I get hungry a lot too but what has really helped is I bought an ALL natural supplement that is backed by science to help lose weight by helping you feel full longer (Its really just a certain kind of fiber) What it does it makes you feel full longer.

    What science? As soon as I started Googling it, all I could find was reliable websites saying it was unproven and "might" work.

    There are several science based studies. Here is just one link but I can send you more. Make sure what you are reading is a credible source. Some stuff on the internet can be inconclusive even though it may seem credible. Also, are you googling for "weight loss" or that it has been proven to curb appetite and make someone feel fuller for longer? Glucomannan is a natural, water-soluble dietary fiber extracted from the roots of the elephant yam, also known as konjac. Glucomannan is sold as a dietary additive, specifically as an emulsifier or thickener. It has a remarkable ability for absorption. To prove the point, you can empty a capsule of glucomannan in a small glass of water and the entire contents will turn to gel. To add to its value, it is very low in calorie count. The main reason it is so effective is because the fluids in your stomach cause it to gel and makes you feel full. I also study these things as a medical student and there have been several studies showing this supplement to help a person full longer over the course of my work. As with everything, different things react differently to different bodies, so it may work better for some than others. As in my experience, it has helped curb my appetite tremendously. There is also lots of other health benefits it provides as well.
    .
    https://authoritynutrition.com/glucomannan/
  • kshama2001
    kshama2001 Posts: 27,988 Member
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    lesleyann0403 wrote: »
    Cave_Goose wrote: »
    lesleyann0403 wrote: »
    I find I get hungry a lot too but what has really helped is I bought an ALL natural supplement that is backed by science to help lose weight by helping you feel full longer (Its really just a certain kind of fiber) What it does it makes you feel full longer.

    What science? As soon as I started Googling it, all I could find was reliable websites saying it was unproven and "might" work.

    There are several science based studies. Here is just one link but I can send you more. Make sure what you are reading is a credible source. Some stuff on the internet can be inconclusive even though it may seem credible. Also, are you googling for "weight loss" or that it has been proven to curb appetite and make someone feel fuller for longer? Glucomannan is a natural, water-soluble dietary fiber extracted from the roots of the elephant yam, also known as konjac. Glucomannan is sold as a dietary additive, specifically as an emulsifier or thickener. It has a remarkable ability for absorption. To prove the point, you can empty a capsule of glucomannan in a small glass of water and the entire contents will turn to gel. To add to its value, it is very low in calorie count. The main reason it is so effective is because the fluids in your stomach cause it to gel and makes you feel full. I also study these things as a medical student and there have been several studies showing this supplement to help a person full longer over the course of my work. As with everything, different things react differently to different bodies, so it may work better for some than others. As in my experience, it has helped curb my appetite tremendously. There is also lots of other health benefits it provides as well.
    .
    https://authoritynutrition.com/glucomannan/

    Glucomannan does help me stay full but it also gave me acid reflux so I stopped using it. You get 114 servings for $12.95 here: http://www.iherb.com/Now-Foods-Glucomannan-100-Pure-Powder-8-oz-227-g/38548

    If anyone is south of Boston and wants the rest of my bottle they are welcome to it. I will also give you some strawberry plants as they spread like weeds and I can't get rid of them fast enough on Freecycle.
  • TarahByte
    TarahByte Posts: 125 Member
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    Where does it say she's trying to lose 2 lbs a week? I'm 4'11" and have mine set to 1/2 a pound per week and I'm at 1200 calories too. We're little. We don't need as many calories.

    Also, I go through this feeling every so often. I've found that it helps to take a diet break or have refeed days. I've also read that eating at a deficit for too long isn't good for you and that taking deliberate diet breaks where you eat at maintenance for a week or two helps get rid of that sluggishness.

    This is just one of the many articles out there on it.
    http://www.muscleforlife.com/refeed/
  • Mavrick_RN
    Mavrick_RN Posts: 439 Member
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    chartrandpatricia wrote: »
    Hey I'm wondering if I'm the only one with this problem. I'm 25, 5ft2", 140lbs female. I've been doing my fitness pal on and off for a few years. I'm on a 1200cal diet, I eat whole foods, lots of vegetables ( I make my calories count). I exercise at least 5 days a week and I eat the calories I burn. I'm really determined to see results but I am freaking starving. How come other people I talk to seem fine with 1200 cals a day.

    OP says she eats the calories she burns so she is eating more than 1200 cal per day on the days she exercises.

  • Nikki10129
    Nikki10129 Posts: 292 Member
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    I'd try upping the calories a little bit and see if that helps while still losing weight. Yes being short means we don't get as many calories, but if you are feeling hungry you aren't getting enough, I'm 5'0'' and I find 1200 leaves me too hungry, I'm losing successfully netting about 1400, sure it'd be a little faster at 1200, but I'll take the slower pace in order to feel full and comfortable any day!

    Play with the numbers, see what happens if you go up to 1300, do you feel full? Are you still losing? If yes that's a good number, if you're still hungry, try 1400 and observe again. All of our bodies are so different, the formulas used to calculate how many calories to consume to lose are helpful for finding a starting point, but you have to listen to your body as well and don't be afraid to play around with the number of calories a bit.

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