Why so hungry??

princessorchid

I have a serious problem keeping udner my 1200 kcal a day, in fact unless I've done some seirous amount of exercise (like going for a 5 hour hike), I don't think I've ever kept to U1200!

Well today, I was determined I'd manage it. I'm at about 11700 at the moment and I am STARVING. I mean properly feeling dizzy, stomach feeling horrible, headache...

I've eaten quite a bit today as well. Can anyone shed some light? I think my food diary should be public...

hamiltonba

maybe you're coming down with something?

valerieflames

are you eating enough fat and protein? also keep an eye on how much sugar you're eating.
this helped me!
good luck!

eliblish

If you are so hungry that you're getting dizzy then you should eat! Try a piece of fruit and some walnuts or almonds. Your diary isn't public so I can't see what you're eating.

xxquzme

First of all i assume that you mean that you are at 1100 calories today. You put 11700. If that is the truth then i would assume that you are eating the wrong stuff. If you have only 100 calories left for the day then you need to start eating more fruits and veggies to get you through the hard part of your day. make that journal public so we can see what you have been consuming.

LotusF1ower

I have a serious problem keeping udner my 1200 kcal a day, in fact unless I've done some seirous amount of exercise (like going for a 5 hour hike), I don't think I've ever kept to U1200!

Well today, I was determined I'd manage it. I'm at about 11700 at the moment and I am STARVING. I mean properly feeling dizzy, stomach feeling horrible, headache...

I've eaten quite a bit today as well. Can anyone shed some light? I think my food diary should be public...

Make sure you take your quota of protein in everyday, protein is filling and you won't feel so hungry.

If you are dizzy and have a headache you may not be eating enough to sustain you and if you continue like that you will eventually feel like bingeing out.

Regarding your diary, I was unable to view it, have a look in settings and see if you have it on public view.

PJilly

Maybe 1,200 is too low for you. I would be STARVING if I tried to keep under that. I lost 30 pounds eating 1,700 to 1,800 a day. I've recently upped my calories to 1,900, and I think I'm in heaven. :happy:

shanli

Fiber! Fiber!Fiber! Fiber is so good for you. It's one thing that REALLY fills me up and helps keep me at or under my calorie goal. I really like FiberOne original cereal. It's plain to the taste so if you need to sweeten it sprinkle some 0-cal sweetner on top. It may not be your favorite meal of the day but it will deffinately help keep you from feeling like your starving. If you don't like cereal, strawberries are another one of my favorites. They are only about 2 cals a piece and are loaded with fiber and vitamin C. As far as the 'earning calories' by exercising goes, you can burn a ton of calories with biking. Even light bike riding. Hope this helps!

princessorchid

Oops - it's set to public now! Eep! I think I was having a blonde moment...

I caved and had a tuna sandwich from the canteen at work, I didn't eat the crusts and it didn't have mayo in it but I logged it as a tuna mayo sweetcorn sandwich. Feel slightly better now.

I'm now over my 1200 kcal but I looked and I was waaaaay under with the protein. I had quite a bit of fruit today, a bit of dairy, but not much else.

princessorchid

Maybe 1,200 is too low for you. I would be STARVING if I tried to keep under that. I lost 30 pounds eating 1,700 to 1,800 a day. I've recently upped my calories to 1,900, and I think I'm in heaven. :happy:

I usually aim for U1500 (don't usually meet that goal either though). I always thought U1200 was far too low for me, but i work in an office so am sitting most of the day...

eliblish

Your fat looks a little low. Fat helps you feel full. Healthy fats. My fitness pal is awesome but it is somewhat of a one size fits all. Try upping your calories a bit. Listen to your body. If you are eating healthy nutritious foods and still feeling genuinely hungry than eat some more.

Also, I don't see alot of complex carbs. Those help you feel full longer. And more veggies wouldn't hurt. Those are also filling.

clcastro34

When you've eaten enough and your still hungry its because your body is craving nutrients that its not getting from your food. I looked at your diary and you are good on the protein intake however a lot of your snacks are high in carbohydrates and it didnt say on the chart but from the foods I think high in sugar as well. Carbs serve a quick fix for hunger but wears off quickly making you feel hungry again sooner.

Do you take a multi-vitamin? GNC sells all kinds of great multi-vitamins for women that help you get those vitamins you might not normally take in , taking this will help a little but will help improve your health as well.

You should try and figure out what type of metabolizer you are, if you are a slow oxidizer ur ideal macronutrient intake per day should be 60% carbs, 25% protein, and 15% fat. If you are a balanced oxidizer, 40% carbs, 30% protein, 30% fat. If you are a fast oxidizer 30% carbs, 40% protein, and 30% fat. There are tests online to help you figure out which you might be

Also eating every 4 hours and only every 4 hours is ideal and should help control hunger!! hope this helps! :happy:

PJilly

I have a desk job as well, but I work out hard six days a week. (Doing P90X right now.) It's not always easy to dial in what your calories should be, but it's worth it to find the number that works for you. It shouldn't be something that's miserable to stick with, or it will be difficult to have any kind of consistency. When I first joined MFP, I entered a weight-loss goal of 1 pound/week and set my activity level to sedentary (because I have a desk job). I tracked my exercise and ate every single exercise calorie. Still, I felt like I wasn't getting enough food, so I changed my activity level to lightly active. It increased my calories only slightly, but it made all the difference in the world in how I felt, so it was much easier for me to be successful. I hope that helps. I wish you much success!

rohan02

Why are you trying to eat so little? Isn't it dangerous and unhealthy for any person to eat less than 1200 Cal a day?

dontpanic1984

Why are you trying to eat so little? Isn't it dangerous and unhealthy for any person to eat less than 1200 Cal a day?

1200 isn't a blanket number for all people. it's more of a guideline. i'm only 5' 1.5", small of frame, and a full time student who spends a lot of time sitting down pushing a pencil so 1200 net calories works great for me. the first week or so of 1200 i was like "WHYYYYY???? I NEED MORE FOOOOOOOOD!" and then all at once, 1200 was plenty (as long as all 1200 are good, nutritious calories). Now if you're 5' 10", have a larger frame, and tend to be very active even before your exercise routine then 1200 would be dangerously low. when i work out, i definitely eat my exercise calories, though. i've kept this up for almost a month now and i feel better than i've felt in years.

dontpanic1984

also, i highly recommend baked potatoes topped with fresh veggies, salsa, and deli meat. it's not so many calories if you avoid cheese and butter, and if you're careful about the type and amount of meat. it's nutritious, low cal, and FILLING.

Example:
1 med yukon gold potato (poke some holes in it and microwave for 6 min or so, until soft and fluffy)
1/2 cup chopped grilled chicken breast
1/2 cup diced veggies (I chose tomatoes, bell pepper, and red onion)
1/2 cup baby spinach (put it in the potato while it's still piping hot, it'll wilt the spinach)
3 tablespoons salsa

258 cal, 33g carbs, 3g fat, 25g protein, 6g fiber

add a handful of walnuts afterward and you've got some nice healthy fats added to the mix.

princessorchid

Thanks for the suggestions everybody!

Just to explain a bit - I calculated how many kcal I should consume a day when I first joined MFP, and it was always set at 1200kcal. I thought it was a bit low, but then again I alsos et my activity level as sedentary, as I work in an office and don't do much activity to the day. I was also not doing much exercise when I joined.

I changed my daily kcal limit to U1800 yesterday, and actually felt a little better knowing I might be able to manage that in a day! I think I was a little demoralised before because I know myself and I KNOW I would never be able to keep U1200 a day!

lilmissy2

It is hard to stick to that kind of calorie limit and not be hungry. I agree that increasing the cals is a good idea.

In terms of your diary... You seem to have a lot of packaged types meals, sandwiches etc from waitrose or sainsburys (I only had a quick look and you only seemed to have a few days filled in so not sure if this is typical). There is nothing wrong with that, they aren't overly processed foods but they do have a lot of calories for small-ish serves (I have found anyway). If you are able to make food yourself, you can add in loads of extra veg and cook in healthy ways with very little oil and low fat dressings or leave the margarine off a sandwich... so essentially you can end up with a bigger, more filling meal for less calories.

princessorchid

Hi - I should probably explain, I make my own pasta salads but I usually just log them as the prepackaged versions (I think I had a Waitrose salmon pasta salad a few weeks ago and used it as a template). I guess I figure the Waitrose version will prob have more kcal, fat, sodium etc so if I log it as their version I'll always be under that number if that makes sense? I do the same for my exercise kcals - I log half an hour of PowerPlate as half an hour of yoga/stretching as this was the closest thing I could find (I don't have a HRM).

But you're totally right - I really should add more veg to bulk out my meals! I've stopped buying some veg from the supermarket as the mileage on some of the fruit and veg is insane...the corn and the broccoli seem to have had more exotic holidays than I have! I think I've been eating less interesting fruit and veg as a result, but I am trying to make a concerted effort to try veg I don't quite recognise from the farmers market (and I'm still not sure what to do with chard...I bought it because the red stems look pretty).

susiewusie

If you are doing so much exercise you obviously need more calories ,try having more for the next week or 2 and see how you go .

crikeyjo

I recommend you invest in going to a nutritionist.

It would seem you are not getting the right balance of nutrition for your body, once you begin to understand, then you will find the right foods for your body type.

How do you snack? Fresh vegetables? You should also look at keeping any juices from steamed vegetables and drink that instead of water the following day - that provides your body with nutrients as well as having your water intake as well.

Just a few suggestions.

KimmyBee

Hi - I should probably explain, I make my own pasta salads but I usually just log them as the prepackaged versions (I think I had a Waitrose salmon pasta salad a few weeks ago and used it as a template). I guess I figure the Waitrose version will prob have more kcal, fat, sodium etc so if I log it as their version I'll always be under that number if that makes sense? I do the same for my exercise kcals - I log half an hour of PowerPlate as half an hour of yoga/stretching as this was the closest thing I could find (I don't have a HRM).

That may be where you are going wrong. If you are making your own food (as an example, lets say it cost 300 calories) and you are putting pre-packaged food into your diary, saying its 500 calories. By the end of the day youre hitting 1200 calories on MFP and being hungry because you havent actually eaten 1200, youve eaten 1000. Do this a few times a day or severasl times a week and youre severely cheating yourself on calorie intake. Not to mention other nutrition!

Try logging in EXACTLY what you eat for a few weeks and see if this makes any difference. Also, you should be able to eat more nad feel hungry less while actually keeping to your goal.

Also, this website is about learning as much as being healthy. you cant learn what kinds of calories/nutrients are in what kinds of foods if you dont look them up and log them in. If you do take the time to learn whats what you will find yourself knowing approximately what calories are in a meal before you have even made it, that is what has helped me.

justahorsen

Are you sure you are drinking enough water? I get a headache and feel sick if I don't get enough water during the day.

PJilly

Thanks for the suggestions everybody!

Just to explain a bit - I calculated how many kcal I should consume a day when I first joined MFP, and it was always set at 1200kcal. I thought it was a bit low, but then again I alsos et my activity level as sedentary, as I work in an office and don't do much activity to the day. I was also not doing much exercise when I joined.

I changed my daily kcal limit to U1800 yesterday, and actually felt a little better knowing I might be able to manage that in a day! I think I was a little demoralised before because I know myself and I KNOW I would never be able to keep U1200 a day!

That sounds a lot more reasonable to me! :happy:

❤B☩❤

Well, how's THAT for MFP support? There are so many knowledgeable members on here and there is NEVER a shortage of great ideas!! Hopefully some (or all) of these ideas have helped you. I know, myself , that the support is so encouraging for me. I LOVE the idea about saving the water from steamed veggies. "crikeyjo", that is BRILLIANT!:drinker:

sammydiddly

Hi,
I think perhaps getting rid of smoothies etc will help. Try drinking only water for a little while. If you look at Saturdays diary. You had a mago smoothie for 150 calories and a white wine for 232 calories. They are calories you could be saving for eating by just having water instead. When I get sick of water I also have brought some low fat and sugar cordial. Hope this helps

88starz

I know exactly why you're so hungry... it's the amount of carbs in your diet. Keep it under 100 and you'll feel like a new person. I've lost 21 pounds in 3 months and feel like I'm 25 again!!!! SO liberating!!!!

I can be a support for you if you want to change to the only way of eating that works with your body's chemistry - I'm a HS science teacher LOL

My dad finally did it and he's down 25 pounds in 2 months; my cousin is down 30 pounds in 5 months too.

Jenn

MrsBattousai

I have had the same problem so I said to myself is it worth my health having a goal that can hurt me. I would rather eat more, I just eat healthy options inside of alot of prossed and refined foods. Also you should not strave your self on a diet if your hungry eat because it will lead you to binging later on and that can do more harm then good. But each to there own good luck and I hope you find what you want to do!

Yurippe

Hi - I should probably explain, I make my own pasta salads but I usually just log them as the prepackaged versions (I think I had a Waitrose salmon pasta salad a few weeks ago and used it as a template). I guess I figure the Waitrose version will prob have more kcal, fat, sodium etc so if I log it as their version I'll always be under that number if that makes sense?

Try this recipe calculator instead of using prepackaged food that is already in the system.

http://recipes.sparkpeople.com/recipe-calculator.asp

Mom2Emery_Liam

I agree, 1200 is unreasonable, unless you have a small frame. I began with mine at 1200 and also found it hard to keep up with. However, i usually went over by only 100-200 cals. So I kept mine at 1400 for several months and have lost 14 lbs. I moved it back down to 1290 and will try that this week to see how it goes (note I took a month long break from tracking, so I'm trying to jump start things and will move up again after I lose more). Oh and I always eat my exercise calories:-)

I think it's good you've set it back to 1800, maybe once you've got the hang of that, move down to 1700, 1600, 1500 as you lose weight.