unable to maintain any deficit because of overpowering persistent hunger
Replies
-
A few pieces of advice. I've dropped 90+ lbs in the last year and am pretty much at my goal within the healthy BMI range.
1) It seems you've made great progress already, so don't beat yourself up. The weight becomes progressively more difficult to shed as you approach that ideal weight. You have to accept that it will take a bit longer, but can still be done.
2) I found keeping my carb intake at or below 25% really helped with the hunger issue. Almonds are one of my go to snacks to fight the urge to binge. You just have to be meticulous about counting them so you don't binge on them. Fats and proteins tend to suppress hunger while carbs tend to increase it. You don't have to go full blown Atkins to get some of the benefits of a reduced carb diet.
3) Keep tea or water handy and drink whenever you feel hunger pangs coming on. It may only stop your hunger temporarily, but sometimes that's all it takes to make it to your next meal without blowing your calorie budget on a few "emergency" snacks.5 -
-
GottaBurnEmAll wrote: »The last ten pounds are very, very tough if you're at a lower BMI and trying to lean out.
I've found that it's a normal response for either hunger or binging urges to hit people because the body does mess with hormones to defend a certain level of body fat.
There are ways to get around that, though.
The most effective way I've found is to keep a very, very small deficit, schedule regular maintenance days (once every ten days or so), cut back on exercise just a smidge (about 10%), get plenty of sleep and drink plenty of water.
It's also crucial to find a macro balance that keeps you feeling full and don't mess with it. What keeps you full might vary from what keeps me full, so I'm not going to just tell you to "eat more xyz", because that might not necessarily help you.
For now? My best advice is to take a diet break. Seriously. Eat at maintenance for a month and give your system time to get on an even keel. Then get back into the game.
Thank you for this. It seems like a reasonable advice. I think I'll definitely try to keep easy and just it at maintenance for a while and try not to worry abut it too much. And then experiment with different macro ratios and see how i feel.
3 -
longstocking wrote: »devil_in_a_blue_dress wrote: »Have you messed around with your macros? Most days I need higher protein and fat than carbs. But every now and then I need a very high carb day or two. Usually I know when this going to occur based on how I'm feeling. If I have a mild headache that doesn't respond to an ibuprofen or feel lethargic, that day instead of trying to eat around 113g carbs, I double it. If I ignore those feels and aim to keep my carbs at 113, I will be insanely hungry by 6 pm.
I'm trying out different macro ratios to see if it could help. Most days I eat 50% carbs, 30 protein and 20 fat. So with over 2000 cals it's way over 100g carbs, often over 200. Protein is usually around 100g and fat slightly under 100. I tried low-carb/high fat plans and was misarable every time, so I know I need to have carbs to feel full. I was thinking that maybe lowering my carbs a little - not quite to a a low carb level, but to around 100-150g could help. And up my protein and fat and see what it gives.I'm sorry if this has been answered before but I didn't see it, but OP are you sure you're not dealing with PMS or ovulation symptoms? That sounds like me when I'm ovulating and then again a day or so before my period. Also, my hunger during ovulation is worst than when I'm PMSing. It's just a thought, but if you don't have the necessary equipment that would make you ovulate or have a period then ignore this.I'm sorry if this has been answered before but I didn't see it, but OP are you sure you're not dealing with PMS or ovulation symptoms? That sounds like me when I'm ovulating and then again a day or so before my period. Also, my hunger during ovulation is worst than when I'm PMSing. It's just a thought, but if you don't have the necessary equipment that would make you ovulate or have a period then ignore this.
Well, I'm on the pill - and have been on it for several years - and I'm not sure if the "cycle" that I'm having functions hormonally like a regular menstrual cycle. I doubt it. But it's something that I've been asking myself. I tried to see if the hunger level vary depending on the day of the cycle and it doesn't seem like it.
I'm also aware that for many people the pill increases hunger drastically but I haven't noticed any increase when I first started taking it. I don't know if the effect can come months or years later after starting taking it?
Just a thought, but it could also be stress related. Also, are you following the NEAT or TDEE -X% method? Maybe you need to reevaluate your calorie numbers.
I'm not sure ehat a NEAT method is. I base my TDEE estimate on my fitbit, which already counts my exercise so I don't log it on MFP. And then I just try to eat at a deficit, as low as I can. But like I said if I want to fuction productively it's a very low or non-existent deficit.0 -
what are you doing to burn 2000 calories per day...?
I'm just really active. I have a job where I'm constantly on my feet and have to walk big distances and climb stairs up and down, I'm a student (again, a lot of walking), I avoid taking public transport and walk instead. And I do cardio exercise on top of that several times a week. I make between 15-30k steps daily and climb many stair flights.2 -
longstocking wrote: »Keladelphia wrote: »Is this last 10 pound loss worth it?
Overpowering persistent hunger sounds a little scary to me, moderate hunger I get, but this sounds almost painful... interested in what others will say about this..
I find it interesting that you posted this as I had the same reaction before I wrote my response. The OP mentioned that she isn't quite in a normal BMI range which is the only reason why I didn't mention questioning if the 10 pounds was worth it. For me it wasn't. I was always hungry when I tried to maintain 10 pounds lighter than I am now but that was at the low end of my BMI range.
Good point... I did not miss the BMI, but I mentioned it anyway and then added about talking to a doctor.
OP's diary and profile are marked private so I could not peak in an makes an assessment based on any thing personal about her in her profile or food diary related to her food consumption, number of cals, types foods etc.. and how much she is exercising, etc.
I have seen this extreme hunger in people that are leaner and already at a healthy weight, not those that are outside of the BMI and it being completely distracting to daily living per se.
The idea that everyone can see what I eat freaks me out a little so I keep my diary private. I eat over 2000 most days, usually 50% carbs, 30 protein and 20 fat, but it quite often it's more protein and fat. I walk a lot most days, plus 30-40 mins light jogging a few times a week and light strength training (20-30 min) a couple of times a week.
I am of petite height, so 10-15 pounds make a huge difference in how I look. And it's not just about how I look, I feel way to heavy when I exercise etc. I've been oscillating between the higher end of normal BMI and lower and of the overweight for months. I would be happy if I could lose those 10 pounds to be stable in a healthy BMI range.
I was thinking several things and you have clarified those for me. You have macros covered, exercise seems fine, etc. But the burning 2000 sometimes 2300 - 2700 calories seems a bit high to me as well, now that you explained your exercise.
Can you just deal with the hunger and do a very light deficit..? Can you otherwise just decrease those calories ooooohhh so lightly each day, every three days or week until you find the right balance in the deficit you can stick to.. I think if you can get past the fact that the amount you are eating is enough to fuel you for the day and be in a calorie deficit to lose weight at the same time, perhaps you can find a happy medium..
I was hoping that you would open your food and exercise diary, I think we can help much better..but I get that.. sort of grasping at straws.. I hope it all works out!
0 -
It looks like most of the comments on here are promoting low carb/high fat, so I just thought I'd throw out there that moderate fat/carbs and high protein has been keeping me very content the past few months. Most of my meals are around 5 oz chicken, a few oz of green veggies, and a little sweet potato; and I eat that every few hours. Some days it's tough to get it all down each meal because of the density/volume. High fat things like nuts do not keep me full unless I eat a lot of calories worth, which is the opposite of what I want when trying to keep my calories low.
On another note, I wouldn't put *too much* emphasis on your fitbit burns unless the scale and your intake is reflecting that it is accurate. My fitbit burns are around 4000 on workout days, but I'm barely loosing 1 lb per week eating 1800 cals. It's possible you need more than it thinks, resulting in your hunger.0 -
BusyRaeNOTBusty wrote: »In reality you most likely WILL be hungry while dieting. What I usually do is skip breakfast, that way I'm really only hungry in the morning, and since I'm usually busy it's okay. But then I find I need to eat a big breakfast around 11am, like 800 to 1000 calories (including fats and protein), otherwise I get hungry and snack all afternoon. It sounds like a lot, but if you skip breakfast and eat a 600 calorie dinner you still have room for snacks even. I am trying for 1800 calories most days plus exercise.
I'm only hungry right before meals. I run a small deficit, eat at maintenance when I'm premenstrual and ovulating, and focus on highly satiating foods.
Understanding satiety: feeling full after a meal
...Tips on how to feel fuller
So how can we best try to enhance these feelings of fullness to help us control how much we eat? Here are some top tips for helping you feel fuller:- Foods high in protein seem to make us feel fuller than foods high in fat or carbohydrate, so including some protein at every meal should help keep you satisfied. Foods high in protein include meats such as chicken, ham or beef, fish, eggs, beans and pulses.
- If you are watching your weight, opt for lower fat versions, using leaner cuts of meat, cutting off visible fat and avoiding the skin on poultry as this will help reduce the energy density of the diet, which can help to enhance satiety (see below).
- Foods that are high in fibre may also enhance feelings of fullness so try to include plenty of high-fibre foods in the diet such as wholegrain bread and cereals, beans and pulses and fruit and vegetables.
- Alcohol seems to stimulate appetite in the short-term and therefore drinking alcohol is likely to encourage us to eat more. Alcoholic beverages can make you forget about your intentions to eat healthily by making you lose your inhibitions. Alcoholic drinks are also calorific, so you should cut down on alcohol consumption if you are trying to control your weight.
- The ‘energy density’ of food has a strong influence on feelings of fullness or satiety. Energy density is the amount of energy (or calories) per gram of food. Lower energy density foods provide less energy per gram of food so you can eat more of them without consuming too many calories. Low energy density foods include fruit and vegetables, foods with lots of water added when cooking such as soups and stews, and lower fat foods. Click here for more information on energy density.
Read more: http://www.nutrition.org.uk/healthyliving/fuller/understanding-satiety-feeling-full-after-a-meal.html
4 -
longstocking wrote: »what are you doing to burn 2000 calories per day...?
I'm just really active. I have a job where I'm constantly on my feet and have to walk big distances and climb stairs up and down, I'm a student (again, a lot of walking), I avoid taking public transport and walk instead. And I do cardio exercise on top of that several times a week. I make between 15-30k steps daily and climb many stair flights.
i would suggest re-evaluating your calories burned estimate as you may be assuming that you are burning more calories then you think you are.
are you using anything to measure these burns?0 -
longstocking wrote: »what are you doing to burn 2000 calories per day...?
I'm just really active. I have a job where I'm constantly on my feet and have to walk big distances and climb stairs up and down, I'm a student (again, a lot of walking), I avoid taking public transport and walk instead. And I do cardio exercise on top of that several times a week. I make between 15-30k steps daily and climb many stair flights.
i would suggest re-evaluating your calories burned estimate as you may be assuming that you are burning more calories then you think you are.
are you using anything to measure these burns?
She's ravenous while eating satiating foods, which to me suggests that if anything she is underestimating her TDEE.
@longstocking what’s your frame size? http://www.myfooddiary.com/Resources/frame_size_calculator.asp2 -
kshama2001 wrote: »longstocking wrote: »what are you doing to burn 2000 calories per day...?
I'm just really active. I have a job where I'm constantly on my feet and have to walk big distances and climb stairs up and down, I'm a student (again, a lot of walking), I avoid taking public transport and walk instead. And I do cardio exercise on top of that several times a week. I make between 15-30k steps daily and climb many stair flights.
i would suggest re-evaluating your calories burned estimate as you may be assuming that you are burning more calories then you think you are.
are you using anything to measure these burns?
She's ravenous while eating satiating foods, which to me suggests that if anything she is underestimating her TDEE.
@longstocking what’s your frame size? http://www.myfooddiary.com/Resources/frame_size_calculator.asp
Not to nitpick, but OP said "I try to eat really healthy, too: few processed foods, lots of veggies and fruits, a decent amount of fat and protein from different sources with every meal."
That's kind of a vague statement compared to something like "I eat x ounces of x foods" or whatever.. There's just too many ways to interpret that.
I could easily say the same thing about my diet, but then at night eat one calorie bomb of a "processed food" that could have been spent on a few more meals during the day and cured my ravenous hunger. (Ex- I'm going to have one cupcake tonight, so I'd definitely say I'm not eating a lot of processed foods as that's just one item, but that one item is nearly 700 calories and could have been 2-3 filling meals instead..)
It is very possible that she is underestimating her TDEE, but it's also possible there are other factors at play. Without diary entries or stats it's hard to know just how satiating her intake would be to others, and how often it's being implemented. Feels like there's too much information missing to determine she's severely under eating just based on that claim, especially if she hasn't lost any more weight.
0 -
longstocking wrote: »I'm trying out different macro ratios to see if it could help. Most days I eat 50% carbs, 30 protein and 20 fat. So with over 2000 cals it's way over 100g carbs, often over 200. Protein is usually around 100g and fat slightly under 100. I tried low-carb/high fat plans and was misarable every time, so I know I need to have carbs to feel full. I was thinking that maybe lowering my carbs a little - not quite to a a low carb level, but to around 100-150g could help. And up my protein and fat and see what it gives.I'm sorry if this has been answered before but I didn't see it, but OP are you sure you're not dealing with PMS or ovulation symptoms? That sounds like me when I'm ovulating and then again a day or so before my period. Also, my hunger during ovulation is worst than when I'm PMSing. It's just a thought, but if you don't have the necessary equipment that would make you ovulate or have a period then ignore this.
Well, I'm on the pill - and have been on it for several years - and I'm not sure if the "cycle" that I'm having functions hormonally like a regular menstrual cycle. I doubt it. But it's something that I've been asking myself. I tried to see if the hunger level vary depending on the day of the cycle and it doesn't seem like it.
I'm also aware that for many people the pill increases hunger drastically but I haven't noticed any increase when I first started taking it. I don't know if the effect can come months or years later after starting taking it?
The math is a little of with your grams above. 200g carbs, 100g protein and slightly under 100g fat doesn't match the percentage ratio you were striving for. 200 x 4 = 800 calories from carbs, 100 x 4 = 400 calories from carbs, and 100 x 9 = 900 calories from fat. 2100 calories total, almost 50% from fat. Nothing wrong with that ratio at all, but if that's not what you think you're doing or what you want to be doing it might be worth reviewing. (If that's how you're eating.)
Many women find increased appetite on hormonal birth control. Are there other medications you're on? If so, look ask your pharmacist or doctor if any potential side effects is increased appetite. I get that way when I'm on steroids.
Personally, I eat a lot of protein and fiber to help keep my appetite in check. I should eat more healthy fat. I can go through almost a bag of frozen broccoli a day. Lots of berries, egg whites, greek yogurt, tofi, chicken, fish, beans, berries, protein shakes. A lot of it finding what works best for you.1 -
longstocking wrote: »Well, I'm on the pill - and have been on it for several years - and I'm not sure if the "cycle" that I'm having functions hormonally like a regular menstrual cycle. I doubt it. But it's something that I've been asking myself. I tried to see if the hunger level vary depending on the day of the cycle and it doesn't seem like it.
I'm also aware that for many people the pill increases hunger drastically but I haven't noticed any increase when I first started taking it. I don't know if the effect can come months or years later after starting taking it?
Have you changed your pill since losing weight?
If you haven't, discuss it with your doctor at your next appointment. Different weight levels can be affected differently by the hormone doses in the pill.
2 -
longstocking wrote: »what are you doing to burn 2000 calories per day...?
I'm just really active. I have a job where I'm constantly on my feet and have to walk big distances and climb stairs up and down, I'm a student (again, a lot of walking), I avoid taking public transport and walk instead. And I do cardio exercise on top of that several times a week. I make between 15-30k steps daily and climb many stair flights.
i would suggest re-evaluating your calories burned estimate as you may be assuming that you are burning more calories then you think you are.
are you using anything to measure these burns?
As I mentioned in my original post, I'm wearing an activity tracker with a heart rate monitor (FirtBit Charge HR). Judging by how much I've been losing/gaining/maintaining in relation to my intake it's been pretty accurate for the last year. Even if it isn't accurate and is OVERestimating the calories I burn, it means I'm burning less and eating way over my TDEE, which should make me feel too full, NOT super hungry.kshama2001 wrote: »longstocking wrote: »what are you doing to burn 2000 calories per day...?
I'm just really active. I have a job where I'm constantly on my feet and have to walk big distances and climb stairs up and down, I'm a student (again, a lot of walking), I avoid taking public transport and walk instead. And I do cardio exercise on top of that several times a week. I make between 15-30k steps daily and climb many stair flights.
i would suggest re-evaluating your calories burned estimate as you may be assuming that you are burning more calories then you think you are.
are you using anything to measure these burns?
She's ravenous while eating satiating foods, which to me suggests that if anything she is underestimating her TDEE.
@longstocking what’s your frame size? http://www.myfooddiary.com/Resources/frame_size_calculator.asp
According to the wrist method I have a thin frame, but according to the elbow method it's medium. Why is it relevant?2 -
I honestly don't see how her TDEE number is out of line for a young woman who is walking around a lot in a day.
I'm a short 54 year old woman who walks around a lot and my TDEE is 2000.
I think a lot of you are forgetting that she's not saying she's burning 2000 in exercise, she's saying her TDEE is 2000-2700.11 -
kshama2001 wrote: »longstocking wrote: »what are you doing to burn 2000 calories per day...?
I'm just really active. I have a job where I'm constantly on my feet and have to walk big distances and climb stairs up and down, I'm a student (again, a lot of walking), I avoid taking public transport and walk instead. And I do cardio exercise on top of that several times a week. I make between 15-30k steps daily and climb many stair flights.
i would suggest re-evaluating your calories burned estimate as you may be assuming that you are burning more calories then you think you are.
are you using anything to measure these burns?
She's ravenous while eating satiating foods, which to me suggests that if anything she is underestimating her TDEE.
@longstocking what’s your frame size? http://www.myfooddiary.com/Resources/frame_size_calculator.asp
0 -
One last resort and anyone chime in on this...
How about issues related with hormones ghrelin, leptin, cortisol, thyroid, etc. and perhaps female hormones as well. Something can very well be off metabolically.
OP How is your sleep? How is your stress level? Do you have ANY side effects like lethargy, fatigue, headache, low energy, etc.. besides the extreme hunger...
Considered getting blood work done to rule out deficiency and/or out range (normal) results. It does not have to be extremely out of the normal range for you to have certain side effects. I know if this were me, I would have already made the appointment..1 -
TresaAswegan wrote: »kshama2001 wrote: »longstocking wrote: »what are you doing to burn 2000 calories per day...?
I'm just really active. I have a job where I'm constantly on my feet and have to walk big distances and climb stairs up and down, I'm a student (again, a lot of walking), I avoid taking public transport and walk instead. And I do cardio exercise on top of that several times a week. I make between 15-30k steps daily and climb many stair flights.
i would suggest re-evaluating your calories burned estimate as you may be assuming that you are burning more calories then you think you are.
are you using anything to measure these burns?
She's ravenous while eating satiating foods, which to me suggests that if anything she is underestimating her TDEE.
@longstocking what’s your frame size? http://www.myfooddiary.com/Resources/frame_size_calculator.asp
Not to nitpick, but OP said "I try to eat really healthy, too: few processed foods, lots of veggies and fruits, a decent amount of fat and protein from different sources with every meal."
That's kind of a vague statement compared to something like "I eat x ounces of x foods" or whatever.. There's just too many ways to interpret that.
I could easily say the same thing about my diet, but then at night eat one calorie bomb of a "processed food" that could have been spent on a few more meals during the day and cured my ravenous hunger. (Ex- I'm going to have one cupcake tonight, so I'd definitely say I'm not eating a lot of processed foods as that's just one item, but that one item is nearly 700 calories and could have been 2-3 filling meals instead..)
It is very possible that she is underestimating her TDEE, but it's also possible there are other factors at play. Without diary entries or stats it's hard to know just how satiating her intake would be to others, and how often it's being implemented. Feels like there's too much information missing to determine she's severely under eating just based on that claim, especially if she hasn't lost any more weight.
My breakfast is usually an oat bran porridge with any combination of flex seeds, chia seeds, protein powder, nut butter, hemp flour with a piece of fruit. Or a whole wheat English muffin with some a spread (nut butter, avocado, hummus etc.), plus pumpkin or sesame seeds plus fruit.
Lunch is usually a little starch (small potato, lentils, buckwheat), a few ounces of lean protein (chicken, fish, veggie burger), sometimes beans and fresh or cooked veggies. Similar thing for dinner.
When I talked about a few processed foods I meant occasional pre-packaged veggie burger, Quest bar or small oatbran/protein cookies (under 100 cals each). Sometimes I have a square of extra dark chocolate to help me study. Other then that I snack on fruit, veg, nuts, plain yoghurt, almond milk with protein powder etc.One last resort and anyone chime in on this...
How about issues related with hormones ghrelin, leptin, cortisol, thyroid, etc. and perhaps female hormones as well. Something can very well be off metabolically.
OP How is your sleep? How is your stress level? Do you have ANY side effects like lethargy, fatigue, headache, low energy, etc.. besides the extreme hunger...
Considered getting blood work done to rule out deficiency and/or out range (normal) results. It does not have to be extremely out of the normal range for you to have certain side effects. I know if this were me, I would have already made the appointment..
I've been having on and off periods of fatigue for the last couple of years and I've seen several doctors and made all kind of tests, including thyroid hormone- and diabetes-related and the only thing they have found is a that I had a hypokalimia (low calcium level in the blood) possibly related to calcium absorption problem because of my parathyroid gland. I also had elevated cortisol, but they said it was still within acceptablel levels. My thyroid hormone levels were normal, though. And I've been prescribed a good calcium and vit d supplement for the hypokalimia. I'm also taking a good multivitamin and a B complex.
I wouldn't say that I've been too stressed lately, even less stressed than before. And I'm getting more than enough sleep most days. But I've been wondering about possible ghrelin and/or leptin issues lately. So maybe you're right and it's time fr another doctor visit. "
0 -
One last resort and anyone chime in on this...
How about issues related with hormones ghrelin, leptin, cortisol, thyroid, etc. and perhaps female hormones as well. Something can very well be off metabolically.
OP How is your sleep? How is your stress level? Do you have ANY side effects like lethargy, fatigue, headache, low energy, etc.. besides the extreme hunger...
Considered getting blood work done to rule out deficiency and/or out range (normal) results. It does not have to be extremely out of the normal range for you to have certain side effects. I know if this were me, I would have already made the appointment..
The ghrelin/leptin were why I suggested a diet break.
In her original post, she stated that she's lost a lot of weight and that's she'd down to the last 10 pounds.
That's a long time eating at deficit, grinding away at those hormones.1 -
Diet break or even purposely gaining a three or 4 pounds would be what I would try. I did it accidentally a few times as I faced my last 10 lbs and now with 5lbs left, I do it on purpose. Maybe it helps those hormones reset, or maybe it just suits my lifestyle.4
-
How would a diet break help if she's been eating at maintenance anyway because she's too hungry? Could be the pill causing it too, to be honest.0
-
GottaBurnEmAll wrote: »One last resort and anyone chime in on this...
How about issues related with hormones ghrelin, leptin, cortisol, thyroid, etc. and perhaps female hormones as well. Something can very well be off metabolically.
OP How is your sleep? How is your stress level? Do you have ANY side effects like lethargy, fatigue, headache, low energy, etc.. besides the extreme hunger...
Considered getting blood work done to rule out deficiency and/or out range (normal) results. It does not have to be extremely out of the normal range for you to have certain side effects. I know if this were me, I would have already made the appointment..
The ghrelin/leptin were why I suggested a diet break.
In her original post, she stated that she's lost a lot of weight and that's she'd down to the last 10 pounds.
That's a long time eating at deficit, grinding away at those hormones.
I made a mental note of the three years early on in this thread. Going with the flow of the posts and comments and where they were leading OP to, I decided to not bring that up in my posts.
A diet break is not needed per se, she is not in a deficit now. Determining the root cause from an outside professional like her doctor is going to be where she needs to start and rule out things to form her next strategy.
1 -
GottaBurnEmAll wrote: »One last resort and anyone chime in on this...
How about issues related with hormones ghrelin, leptin, cortisol, thyroid, etc. and perhaps female hormones as well. Something can very well be off metabolically.
OP How is your sleep? How is your stress level? Do you have ANY side effects like lethargy, fatigue, headache, low energy, etc.. besides the extreme hunger...
Considered getting blood work done to rule out deficiency and/or out range (normal) results. It does not have to be extremely out of the normal range for you to have certain side effects. I know if this were me, I would have already made the appointment..
The ghrelin/leptin were why I suggested a diet break.
In her original post, she stated that she's lost a lot of weight and that's she'd down to the last 10 pounds.
That's a long time eating at deficit, grinding away at those hormones.
I made a mental note of the three years early on in this thread. Going with the flow of the posts and comments and where they were leading OP to, I decided to not bring that up in my posts.
A diet break is not needed per se, she is not in a deficit now. Determining the root cause from an outside professional like her doctor is going to be where she needs to start and rule out things to form her next strategy.
Fair enough, but since she mentioned in her OP having weeks where she could comfortably maintain her deficit, I did not presume her to be in constant maintenance.1 -
GottaBurnEmAll wrote: »GottaBurnEmAll wrote: »One last resort and anyone chime in on this...
How about issues related with hormones ghrelin, leptin, cortisol, thyroid, etc. and perhaps female hormones as well. Something can very well be off metabolically.
OP How is your sleep? How is your stress level? Do you have ANY side effects like lethargy, fatigue, headache, low energy, etc.. besides the extreme hunger...
Considered getting blood work done to rule out deficiency and/or out range (normal) results. It does not have to be extremely out of the normal range for you to have certain side effects. I know if this were me, I would have already made the appointment..
The ghrelin/leptin were why I suggested a diet break.
In her original post, she stated that she's lost a lot of weight and that's she'd down to the last 10 pounds.
That's a long time eating at deficit, grinding away at those hormones.
I made a mental note of the three years early on in this thread. Going with the flow of the posts and comments and where they were leading OP to, I decided to not bring that up in my posts.
A diet break is not needed per se, she is not in a deficit now. Determining the root cause from an outside professional like her doctor is going to be where she needs to start and rule out things to form her next strategy.
Fair enough, but since she mentioned in her OP having weeks where she could comfortably maintain her deficit, I did not presume her to be in constant maintenance.
I saw that too, as she has been trying to eat a deficit but making up for that the next day or days after wards keeping her weekly calories out of a deficit. Not saying going up and down in calories every other day is a good thing. It can only compound things further.
And just note that I also believe that there is or may be a physiological and psychological aspect that has been stemmed by what ever is the root cause of this. I will not go into detail as I do not want this to be taken out of context.
I am just pleased that OP has a direction to move forward.0 -
How would a diet break help if she's been eating at maintenance anyway because she's too hungry?
I was considering a diet break recently, until i realised i'm eating around maintenance anyway. I'm also down to around my last 5 or so lbs, and it's becoming a constant irritating battle!!
1 -
If for no other reason that sometimes a mental break is needed too. Hunger isn't an objective gauge, like your gas gauge in your car; it can be highly influenced by your perception. There can be an enormous mental difference between "I'm trying to eat at a deficit but I just don't have the energy to keep it up, so I'm accidentally eating at maintenance and I feel like a failure" and "I'm going to eat at maintenance on purpose and cut myself some slack," even if it makes no difference in your actual intake.How would a diet break help if she's been eating at maintenance anyway because she's too hungry? Could be the pill causing it too, to be honest.
13 -
On that note, if there are only 10 pounds left to lose, aiming for a 250 cal/day deficit (which is more likely to be doable than a larger deficit) might be a strategy worth considering. Successfully achieving a goal of 250 cals/day deficit will be more satisfying than eating exactly the same but feeling like you're failing at a 500 cals/day deficit.0
-
My reply to you is to up your protein and fat and down your fruit intake. This should be more filling and satisfying. Your fruit is a quick sugar fix and would be making you hungry.0
-
shirataki noodles were the answer for me! High in fiber, 9 cals per 100g, no carbs and they absorb water so really fill you up. I add about 200g of these to whatever I have for lunch and dinner and they only add on an extra 18cals for a more filling meal. You can get them online at a good price and there are loads of different brands, the most tasty I found was the barenaked ones and they offer a better pack size
1 -
If for no other reason that sometimes a mental break is needed too. Hunger isn't an objective gauge, like your gas gauge in your car; it can be highly influenced by your perception. There can be an enormous mental difference between "I'm trying to eat at a deficit but I just don't have the energy to keep it up, so I'm accidentally eating at maintenance and I feel like a failure" and "I'm going to eat at maintenance on purpose and cut myself some slack," even if it makes no difference in your actual intake.How would a diet break help if she's been eating at maintenance anyway because she's too hungry? Could be the pill causing it too, to be honest.
Yeah that's true, I've been there, but that's how I ended up gaining a couple pounds back too... which isn't so great mentally either as it took me months to lose them!0
Categories
- All Categories
- 1.4M Health, Wellness and Goals
- 393.4K Introduce Yourself
- 43.8K Getting Started
- 260.2K Health and Weight Loss
- 175.9K Food and Nutrition
- 47.4K Recipes
- 232.5K Fitness and Exercise
- 427 Sleep, Mindfulness and Overall Wellness
- 6.5K Goal: Maintaining Weight
- 8.5K Goal: Gaining Weight and Body Building
- 153K Motivation and Support
- 8K Challenges
- 1.3K Debate Club
- 96.3K Chit-Chat
- 2.5K Fun and Games
- 3.7K MyFitnessPal Information
- 24 News and Announcements
- 1.1K Feature Suggestions and Ideas
- 2.6K MyFitnessPal Tech Support Questions