why am i so hungry?

lollypopxo92

Im eating 1200-1500 calories a day yet most days im always hungry at night, if i eat anymore i wont lose any weight as i lose very slowly as it is. the only excercise i do is moderate walking for an hour 3-4 times a week. I weigh 141 pounds and im around 5,7 so only trying to lose a few pounds. Am i undereating/overeating? Any evening snack ideas that fill you up but dont ruin your day? Usually its apples with peanut butter or a yoghurt!

diannethegeek

These are my really general tips for hunger:

1. Make sure that your calorie goals are actually set appropriately. Don't skip this step. A lot of people set goals that are too aggressive and then wonder why they're having a hard time. http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/819055/setting-your-calorie-and-macro-targets

2. Look for foods higher in protein, fat, and fiber. These help us stay full and more satisfied longer. If you're using MFP's default settings, try to consider protein, fat, and fiber as minimums to reach every day rather than maximums to stay below.

3. Drink plenty of fluids. Some people really do confuse thirst and hunger.

4. Get plenty of rest. This includes sleeping enough and taking rest days from the exercise. Sometimes our bodies look for food when they're exhausted.

5. Play around with your meal timings. Some people do really well on 5-6 small meals a day and others feel like they want to gnaw their own arm off eating like that. Skipping breakfast, eating breakfast, 16:8 fasting, 6 small meals, 3 larger meals, snacks, no snacks, meal timing won't make a big difference to your weight loss, but it may help your hunger levels, mood, concentration, gym performance, etc. throughout the day. Don't be afraid to try a different way and see if it helps.

6. Wait it out. If you know you're eating enough and the other steps above aren't helping, you may just have to wait it out. Our bodies send out hunger signals partially out of habit. If you eat at a certain time every day your body will start to get hungry at that time. The good news is that these signals can be retrained to stop telling you to be hungry all the time. The bad news is that you may just have to be hungry for a little bit while that happens.

7. I also think it's important to remember that there's a habitual component to hunger. This goes along with point #6, but if you eat because you're bored or you're used to eating in front of the TV or in the car or whatever it is, then you can replace those habits with others that are better for you. Things like keeping water on hand to sip instead of snacking or picking up hobbies that keep your hands busy or that get you out of the house more can help out a little while you're retraining your hunger cues. You might need to pay attention to why you're eating/hungry or what you're feeling when you eat and try to replace food with other things, but it can be really beneficial over time.

Ready2Rock206

You might want to open your dairy to get some better suggestions. At 1200 - 1500 you likely will be a bit hungry. I am hungry 100% of the time if I am eating my calorie goal - just what it takes to lose weight. However, be sure you're getting enough fat, protein and fiber.

Depending on the yogurt there are some brands/types that make me extremely hungry. Plain Greek yogurt doesn't do that but the sweet low calorie ones leave me starving!

godlikepoetyes

You will be hungry when you lose weight, especially in your case trying to lose just a few pounds. The diet industry has worked very hard, and succeeded, to convince people that they can lose weight and "never be hungry." It's wacky. Of course you'll be hungry because you're used to eating more than you are now. And as one person said, take the values that MFP gives you and make your goal 1 lb or, better yet, .5 a week.

Francl27

Move more.

tlflag1620

I'm also 5'7" and 143 lbs. my maintenance (lightly active) is about 1900 per day. I eat 1700-1800 per day and am slooooooowly losing those last 4-5 "vanity lbs". IMO, being that you are already smack in the middle of normal bmi, 1200-1500 creates too aggressive a deficit. I'd say 1500 should be your absolute minimum (I'd be starving on 1200!).

Fwiw, I don't go hungry. I don't think you need to go hungry to lose weight (and not because the diet industry told me so). Going hungry (and I don't mean just being hungry right before mealtime, I mean feeling hungry all the time) is counterproductive. Unless you plan to use going hungry as a maintenance strategy, there is no point to it. That said, I do focus on getting enough fat, protein, and fiber so that I feel more satisfied on fewer calories. If you find you are hungry at night, can you shift around your meal times or eat less during the day so you can have a larger dinner or a bedtime snack? I tend to save calories for the evening because that is when I am most hungry.

Are you set to lose a half lb per week? At our size, a quarter lb a week is probably more realistic, lol, but shooting for one lb per week will leave you feeling hungry.

I usually have some cheese and almonds or berries and heavy cream for a snack at night. Sometimes a couple squares of dark chocolate (if I'm not very hungry, because while its tastey, it really isn't very filling to me).

dlkfox

I love air popped popcorn with olive oil spray. I prelog it every day so I fit everything else in.

I have found that high fiber foods fill me the best. Experiment with your macros to find what works for you. And Google a list of low glycemic index (GI) foods -- they take longer for your body to burn.

ugofatcat

I am 5'7 and fluctuate between 142-147, trying to get to 130-135. I can relate to you as I struggle to do 1,800. Some days I will eat bags of steamable vegetables and/or raw veggies just to feel full. Or lots of fruit. I may go over but it does less damage then chips.