How to deal

LaurenRitter205

I was taking phentermine for a while now (appetite suppressant) well I recently decided to stop taking them and just try and go about my watching my calories and exercise without any pills but now that I've been off them for a few days my hunger and cravings are just so intense it's hard not caving and grabbing all the food in sight of the first thing I can get my hands on. I'm tempted to get back on them but I really just need to get used to life without them. How has someone in my position coped with this after being on appetite suppresants? I know I need lots of will power for this I'd just love some tips

VintageFeline

How much do you have to lose, what is your current calorie goal and what are you typically eating?

janejellyroll

How much of a deficit are you shooting for?

LaurenRitter205

I'm trying to lose about 70 lbs total my calorie goal daily is 1200 calories and usually I'll have subway since I get a 30 minute lunch and it's the closest thing to me that's not too high in calories and for dinner is when it gets tough. My husband is trying to gain weight and usually cooks stuff with pasta or rice and cheese and were on a tight budget so I usually have to try and fit that in my calorie goal or just take the chicken or whatever meat he cooks and make broccoli if I don't have enough calories. I usually just have coffee for breakfast cause if I eat early in the day I usually am hungrier throughout the day if that makes sense.

jdhcm2006

What do you have your loss per week set at? It might be too aggressive and you may need to lower the per week loss to something more sustainable. That way you'll have a few more calories to work with during the day and you won't feel deprived.

Trish1c

Make your lunch. You will save $$ & calories.

devilwhiterose

You can take a look at my diary if you want. I've got around 60-70 to lose and my calorie range is close to yours.

My snacks listed are what I eat in between meals to stay full.

I battled the breakfast thing too. I would get shaky by 11 if I ate breakfast. In time, I adjusted to eating breakfast and I feel better throughout the day.

As for the dinner issue...make a meat for the both of you and let him have the pasta side while you eat the veggie side. Steamfresh veggies are a godsend. Easy peasy and healthy.

sllm1

1200 calories is not enough if you are trying to lose 70 pounds. That's why you're craving food.

What is your activity level and pounds per week set at in MFP?

sllm1

What I mean is that is likely a large deficit.

janejellyroll

LaurenRitter205 wrote: »

I'm trying to lose about 70 lbs total my calorie goal daily is 1200 calories and usually I'll have subway since I get a 30 minute lunch and it's the closest thing to me that's not too high in calories and for dinner is when it gets tough. My husband is trying to gain weight and usually cooks stuff with pasta or rice and cheese and were on a tight budget so I usually have to try and fit that in my calorie goal or just take the chicken or whatever meat he cooks and make broccoli if I don't have enough calories. I usually just have coffee for breakfast cause if I eat early in the day I usually am hungrier throughout the day if that makes sense.

What did you choose as your weight loss goal per week? If you chose two pounds a week, try adjusting it to 1 or even .5 a week and you'll get more calories. Are you meeting your fiber and protein goals? Many people find that their hunger is better when they're getting sufficient fiber and protein.

SueInAz

Are you more interested in losing as much weight as you can quickly or losing the weight, learning to eat right to maintain that weight and keeping it off for life?

I'd hope the latter and in that hope I'm going to suggest that you eat more than 1200 calories. You won't have the worries about the appetite quite so much if you aren't starving yourself. Set your weight loss rate in MFP to one pound per week instead of 2 pounds. Eat a little more now, lose weight in a way that won't drive you insane but take a little longer to do it and learn how to eat the right amount so maintain the weight you want to be.

hypodonthaveme

Is there a way to cut back on the dose and gradually get off them? Sometimes our body goes hey wire when we abruptly stop a medication. I fully understand the reason why you want to do this without them and think you should, but gradually reducing the meds while doing so at first. But I am no Dr. So talk to yours about adjusting the dose while you learn to monitor calories.

Some people have an easier time with weight loss and others struggle for years. Wish it were as simple for everyone as it was for me. I don't have craving but a couple times a year. When I was pregnant ( dinosaur ages) , I never craved much. I am sorry you are having a rough time.

Is there a way you can go for a walk or side track your mind when a craving comes on? Mind you a craving isn't a bad thing unless you eat more than a serving and every day. We must eat a nice balanced calorie meal three times and save some calories for a couple of snacks.

If you are trying/hoping to lose 2 lbs a week, maybe that is too drastic for you right now. Try a pound or a half a pound. Sure it is slower, but you will have the extra calories so you can fit in that cookie, or whatever.

You can do this. It takes determination and will power. It takes support. We are all here for you. So just take a deep breath and let it out. Figure out what you want and start taking steps towards that. One day at a time. If you have a bad day ( and yes they do occur) just get back up the next day and start over. Every day is a new day. So don't beat yourself up. The beginning is always the hardest.

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.

kommodevaran

I think you can up your allowance a bit, because you can't sustain the loss it looks like you are aiming for. 1350 calories will give you a better chance to stick to a deficit, and fresh off appetite suppressants, you don't want to ruin what you've already achieved. Willpower can not beat hunger, not in the face of temptation.

Eating setting off hunger (or really, appetite) is normal. Maybe intermittent fasting (aka skipping breakfast) is something to look into?

I would also advice to plan meals and bring lunch. A sandwich is okay, but at a low calorie level and a with a carb heavy dinner, and then being hungry at that, you should get in more protein and fat at every opportunity. Eggs, cans of tuna, beans combined with grains, are good and cheap protein sources. Also, vary your food intake. Look for good deals and pick lots of different vegetables, fruits, meats and fish, grains, nuts when you go shopping.

bethannien

Is it possible to pack a lunch? I used to eat subway a lot but it was crap for satiety IMO and the calorie exchange isn't much better than if I was eating a mcdouble and a fruit and yogurt parfait (just for example).

Most weeks, I'll make a batch of something (taboulleh, a lot of grilled veggies for wraps with hummus, a pasta dish and a handful of hard boiled eggs to mix in, a vegetarian "meatloaf," etc). It is usually enough to last 4 days and it's more filling than a 6inch subway sandwich.

LaurenRitter205

My weight loss is set to 2 lbs per week and it hit the 1200 calorie range when I got to 230 lbs. I could pack lunches and snacks i just am not good at packing every day. It's a bad excuse though, and I really need to do it. Any snack ideas that are high in protein low cal?

kommodevaran

High protein won't be low cal, so you need to administer your calories wisely, but you aren't going to undereat either. There is no way you can lose 2 pounds per week at your weight, but MFP does its best and spits out "1200 calories" which is the lowest it will go. If you adjust your expectations, and do that small effort it takes to pack lunch/snacks, you won't be needing so much willpower and you will have greater chance of success.

ahoy_m8

Trish1c wrote: »

Make your lunch. You will save $$ & calories.

^^^This. Seriously. And you will probably be less hungry on fewer calories. Subway would not keep me full, either.

The most important thing is ascertaining the appropriate number of calories. I suspect 1200 is too low for you. I weigh 115 and I can barely get by on 1200 *with careful planning* but I cannot sustain on that. Like Dianne says, don't skip that step.

The next most important thing is determining the nutritional minimums you need to feel good. E.g. for me it's 25g fiber, 50g fat and 100g protein. If I hit these minimums, I feel ok on 1200 for a day or two. Subway is a lot of carbs with not much fiber, fat or protein, so that's why it's not the most filling choice for the calories.

One rule of thumb is at least .35g fat per pound bw, but that is a minimum for hormone synthesis, not satiety. Similarly, 0.6 to 0.9g protein per pound bw (depending on activity) is a minimum for muscle sparing fat loss, but it's not for satiety either. Many people try to get more of both to stay full when in a deficit.

jdhcm2006

2lbs seems to be too aggressive if you're always hungry. Personally, I would dial it back to 1lb. That way you can eat more and still lose weight. There's no need to lose weight rapidly. You also want to minimize any excess skin that might happen, and a slower loss will help do that.

SueInAz

LaurenRitter205 wrote: »

My weight loss is set to 2 lbs per week and it hit the 1200 calorie range when I got to 230 lbs. I could pack lunches and snacks i just am not good at packing every day. It's a bad excuse though, and I really need to do it. Any snack ideas that are high in protein low cal?

The fact that MFP has given you 1200 calories (the lowest it will go for a female) is a good indicator that you're trying to lose too much too quickly. To understand why, you need to understand how MFP works and you'll see that you can't lose 2 pounds per week forever. To start with, here's a practical set of guidelines for how many pounds you should be attempting to lose each week. The number in parentheses is the calories you need to eat fewer than your body burns each day to reach that goal:

Pound per week goals
More than 75 lbs: lose 2 pounds per week (-1000 calories per day)
Between 40-75 lbs: lose 1.5 pounds per week (-750 calories per day)
Between 25-40 lbs: lose 1 pound per week (-500 calories per day)
Between 15-25 lbs: lose 1-0.5 pound per week (-500 to -250 calories per day)
Less than 15 lbs: lose 0.5 pound per week (-250 calories per day)

As you can see, to lose 2 pounds per week you need to be eating 1000 calories per day fewer than your body burns. You didn't mention doing any exercise so I'm going to go off the assumption that you're mostly sedentary. At 230 pounds, female and sedentary, your BMR is around 1800 calories and your TDEE is around 2100 calories, meaning that you burn an extra 300 calories per day moving around. Subtracting 1000 from 2100 + any added exercise gives you your calorie goal so if you want to lose 2 pounds per week while remaining mostly sedentary you could only eat 1100 calories per day. MFP won't give you a number under 1200 calories so if you eat 1200 calories and not 1100 calories you won't be losing 2 pounds per week. NOTE: I am not advocating that you eat less than 1200 calories, I am making a point. Keep in mind that the more weight you lose, the lower your BMR and TDEE become because you're moving around less mass every day. So every day you are losing weight the less and less weight you can lose eating 1200 calories. By the time you hit 180 pounds, your TDEE is down to about 1900 calories and so it goes.

Say you decided you wanted to increase your exercise to create the extra deficit. Now you're expending more energy while still eating 1200 calories. Eventually, you'd hit a wall because your body is trying to conserve energy since you aren't eating enough to sustain your activity level. It's at this point that a lot of people give up on their diet because they don't realize that they need to either eat more or exercise less.

One other consideration is the loss of lean muscle tissue. Long term undereating will set your body on a path to start burning muscle tissue instead of fat for energy. Your body doesn't know that you are literally surrounded by food and starving yourself on purpose so it starts to panic. It wants to conserve your fat stores since it doesn't know how long this starvation period is going to last. Muscle, especially unused muscle, is an easy target. So your body fat percentage will be higher than it might have been if you'd lost the weight more slowly.