Absolutely Starving

moonshine_betty

Most people can eat way more than they think and still lose weight!

This. It still boggles my mind that I can eat 2300 calories a day and still lose a pound a week. Makes me feel like a pig when I read people complaining about being full on 1200 calories...I often feel like my 2300 calories is not enough! OP, it's always best to cut calories conservatively especially if you have a bit to lose. You'll have to reduce your calories anyway as you lose weight and you can only go so low if you're starting out at 1200 calories. Like others have said, losing weight doesn't mean you have to starve yourself!

kmbrown91

You need to drink more water, start early and drink often! It really helps a lot! I was shocked at the difference in my hunger level when I drink a gallon in one day or a half a gallon. The less water I drink the more I eat; the more water I drink the less I eat and I don't have hunger pangs. Here are some hints to fight off dieting hunger.....

Eat breakfast
Skipping breakfast can generate stomach hunger pangs, also leading to snacking and binging later in the day. Hunger pangs begin 12 to 24 hours after the last ingestion of food, and are usually more intense in young people because they have more "muscle tone" than older people.

Stay hydrated
Eight glasses of water a day minimum are recommended however more recently it has been advised to drink half your wieght in water per day ie if you weigh 200 pounds drink 100 ounces of water a day. It can be easy to confuse hunger pangs with thirst.

Spice up your meals and snacks
Control hunger pangs by sending “full” messages to the brain with spicy aromas like ginger, turmeric, curry, chili powder and cayenne, advises Dr. Alan Hirsch of the Chicago Smell and Taste Treatment and Research Foundation. These plant extracts also increase metabolism.

Eat protein every four hours
Protein acts as an appetite suppressant to help control hunger pangs. Eating two to three ounces of protein triggered a 25 percent spike in energy, increasing fat metabolism 32 percent, and lasting up to four hours, in research conducted by the University of Wollongong in Australia.

Watch your sugar intake
Sugar's aliases are corn syrup, high-fructose corn syrup, brown sugar, honey, maltose, corn sweeteners and dextrose. Don't eat simple sugar foods alone — ensure they are mixed with a meal to help control your hunger. Richards J. Johnson, M.D., of the University of Florida showed in his research that communication between the digestive tract and the brain’s fullness center was disrupted by high-fructose corn syrup, making appetite control difficult.

Exercise regularly
According to a 2008 study published in the American Journal of Physiology: Regulatory, Integrative and Comparative Physiology, any form of aerobic exercise helps regulate appetite to control hunger pangs.

Snack strategically
Weight loss diets like The Mayo Clinic Diet manage hunger and reduce binging with snacking. The Mayo Clinic Diet recommends snacks that have 100 calories or less to stay in your daily calorie goal. The diet also suggests fruits, vegetables, nuts and seeds and lowfat dairy products to reduce hunger pangs.

Eat slowly
A 2009 study published in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism found that eating slowly results in a greater sense of fullness, reducing the intensity of hunger pangs.

Work your jaws: Chew
Chew low-calorie gum when you feel stomach hunger coming on. According to recent research conducted by the University of Rhode Island, chewing gum before and after meals helps reduce your hunger and the amount of calories you eat.

Stomach pains may be unrelated to hunger
If your hunger pangs do not go away when you consume food and drink, seek medical attention immediately. The pain may be caused by some gastrointestinal disorder that is in the early stages, and such disorders can be isolated and treated if caught early.

heybales

Thank you for the reply. I did understand the net calorie concept, but I appreciate you explaining it concisely. What about using the TDEE number and subtracting 500 for the 1 lb weekly loss goal? Or does that not make any sense? 1480 vs 1565 vs 1650.

Oh, and FWIW I have a heart rate monitor and my 45 minute training sessions have me burning 500-600 calories each session.

So a teacher on your feet most of the day, AND 135 minutes weekly exercise.
You just went over Lightly Active by some degree, that rough guide but better than 5 levels will help. Spreadsheet even more.

Regarding the block calorie method vs % method - % is always better, as less to lose should be less attempted to be lost.

Even to the point that 20% should be backed off as you get closer to goal weight, 10% for last 5 lbs. 15% somewhere in there.

If you stress the body too much, it'll fight weight and fat loss. And losing slowly because you forced the body to that is a recipe for muscle loss compared to losing slowly because you intentionally set it up that way.

Majority on their 3-12 month plateau's starting losing slower and slower - it obviously wasn't better as they sit there with no loss now.

heybales

Going by the TDEE, I should be eating 1580, that seems excessive!

Compared to what exactly?

What experience besides MFP possibly giving you 1200 or constantly seeing people talk about 1200, do you have with different calorie levels?

Have you ever gone back and logged a typical eating day before you started your diet, just to see about how much you used to eat?
Might be a real eye opener. And that was likely without nearly the level of exercise you are doing now.

You could come from driving a big SUV and start driving a big car, and think wow this 15 mpg is great gas mileage, that's the best! Ya, compared to 8 mpg it's almost double, but if you've never noticed how many cars are getting 30 mpg or above, then not really an informed opinion.