Want to lose bodyfat but am always hungry

kelbellabelle

Hello,

I want to lower my body fat so I have abs again.

I'm currently about 51-52kgs and 155cm tall. My body fat is 18-20%, apparently.

I lift weights 5 times a week, do yoga and dance once a week.

My appetite is absolutely enormous for someone of my size. I really struggle to eat less than 2100 calories most of the time.

Just before xmas, I managed to eat about 1950 calories a day (my diary should be open). I'm having a hard time cutting down on my intake.

It baffles me to read how some tall men eat 1500 calories. What the devil?!

I'm looking for suggestions or someone to call me out on my gluttony on the reg.

livingleanlivingclean

Which do you want more - abs, or to not be hungry? There's sacrifice to both options. Losing body fat down to that level will require you to be in a deficit consistently - you will be hungry. You can try and choose less calorie dense carbs (lots of low carb, fibrous vegies) to bulk out your meals.... More volume helps a little.

There is nothing wrong with being hungry - learn to not need to be full 24/7. Ive always said if I didn't compete in body-building, I'd try competitive eating competitions, because I'd likely be good at them. I know I can't eat like that if I plan on staying relatively lean...

Maxematics

Hey, so I'm 161cm and 51kg with a similar BF to you. I maintain my weight on 2100 to 2500 calories per day. When you have less body fat you can't sustain as great of a deficit. The more body fat someone has, the greater deficit they can handle overall. When I was 139 pounds I could eat 1200 calories without an issue, even with exercise. Now I'd be kicking and screaming.

Your deficits, if any, should really be no more than 250 calories per day. As we get close to goal, a half a pound or ~0.2kg per week is all we should aim to lose. Body recomposition is the goal and larger deficits will only do harm as you have a higher chance of losing muscle.

Trying to get the greatest amount of nutrients via whole foods will give you the most bang for your buck, so to speak. If I just eat whatever, I come in at around 2200 calories. If I eat lean meat, veggies, dairy, nuts, and fruit during the day, I eat around 1300 calories and have a lot more calories to play around with at the end of the day with an easily achievable deficit of 250 if needed.

kelbellabelle

Thanks so much for your reply. What you said makes perfect sense. I suppose I should stop comparing my metabolism to other people's.

I will go back to trying 1950ish calories. I just want to be able to stick at it without caving in an eating everything in sight!

Kschmidt64

You need more lean protein. This is what fills you up. As you lose fat you need to build muscle. Try adding some health protein shakes, nuts for I between meals. Those good fats should help.

TavistockToad

Make sure you're getting enough fat, protein & fibre to keep you full

kelbellabelle

I definitely get enough protein. I sometimes scrimp on fats, but have recently made an effort to increase them for hormonal balance. I get enough fibre 90% of the time.

I guess I will have to start being more dedicated to hitting fat and fibre targets.