unable to maintain any deficit because of overpowering persistent hunger
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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
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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. "
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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
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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
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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.
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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!!
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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.
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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
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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
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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
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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
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