Always Hungry!

pooey718

I am 5ft 4 weight 174lbs. My calories are 1500. I work out on average 3-4 times a week 2 strength classes and 2 boxercise classes. I try to leave 250 calories out of my daily calories but I am soooo hungry. I have not lost any weight but have seen a real difference in how toned I am beginning to look. I log everything although I do tend to eat quite a few car so. Do you think it's okay to eat the whole 1500 calories or do I need to leave some to lose the weight. I go to bed hungry most nights at the moment.

JaydedMiss

if MFP set 1500 as your goal that has the defecit included....eat your goal.

try2again

1500 is a goal to reach, not to beat.

How long have you not been losing? What you are describing means you are not even netting 1000 calories. If you are not losing on that, it may point to a logging issue.

pooey718

Since October. I didn't realise the deficit was included. I'll start eating the whole 1500. Thank you.

amyllu

I think that you might find that if you cut down on carbs and increase protein it should help. .. it works for me!

pooey718

Thanks I'll give that a try.

Tacklewasher

pooey718 wrote: »

Thanks I'll give that a try.

No problem in trying it, but be aware that this may or may not work for you. Food satiation is personal and you will just have to experiment to see what makes you feel fuller.

But, yeah. Eat your 1500.

ifefam

Try this recipe. Mix apple cider vinegar with warm water and add some honey and cinammon in it. I have found it helps reduce my hunger cravings if i drink it through out the day. Good luck

__TMac__

And if you're doing cardio, the goal gave you won't include those earned cals, so eat some of those too.

Tacklewasher

ifefam wrote: »

Try this recipe. Mix apple cider vinegar with warm water and add some honey and cinammon in it. I have found it helps reduce my hunger cravings if i drink it through out the day. Good luck

Again, you can try it (I wouldn't) but be aware that the ACV thing is a recent Facebook fad that does nothing to help with weight loss.

DietPrada

Tacklewasher wrote: »

pooey718 wrote: »

Thanks I'll give that a try.

No problem in trying it, but be aware that this may or may not work for you. Food satiation is personal and you will just have to experiment to see what makes you feel fuller.

But, yeah. Eat your 1500.

Oh no ... someone suggested less carbs more protein again ...

Thing is, it's a fact that lower carbs and higher protein = less hunger. A scientific fact. Because of the way carbs and insulin and hunger work. Almost every single person who has opted to eat low carb after years of struggling and being hungry on a reduced calorie diet will tell you they can eat the same calories or less on low carb and not feel hungry. Don't be so quick to shoot something down just because you don't like it.

JaydedMiss

EbonyDahlia wrote: »

Tacklewasher wrote: »

pooey718 wrote: »

Thanks I'll give that a try.

No problem in trying it, but be aware that this may or may not work for you. Food satiation is personal and you will just have to experiment to see what makes you feel fuller.

But, yeah. Eat your 1500.

Oh no ... someone suggested less carbs more protein again ...

Thing is, it's a fact that lower carbs and higher protein = less hunger. A scientific fact. Because of the way carbs and insulin and hunger work. Almost every single person who has opted to eat low carb after years of struggling and being hungry on a reduced calorie diet will tell you they can eat the same calories or less on low carb and not feel hungry. Don't be so quick to shoot something down just because you don't like it.

Not true my hunger didnt go away until i increased carbs. Dont be so quick to defend it either.

try2again

EbonyDahlia wrote: »

Tacklewasher wrote: »

pooey718 wrote: »

Thanks I'll give that a try.

No problem in trying it, but be aware that this may or may not work for you. Food satiation is personal and you will just have to experiment to see what makes you feel fuller.

But, yeah. Eat your 1500.

Don't be so quick to shoot something down just because you don't like it.

Huh... I thought he said "it may or may not work".

rdmitch

There are loads of filling easy to make foods. I live for low calorie stuff that is filling since I like to stay at my goal calories.
I am at 1500 too and usually eat around 1300-1400 a day. A few items that work well are a big bowl of broccoli is only about 60 cals
A entire can of progresso light chicken noodle, vegetable or barley soup is only 140 calories and is majorly filling. Salads, popcorn and grilled chicken (no skin) are easy ones too

Keep in mind if you are too far below target your body will think you are starving yourself and will go into protection mode reducing the ability to burn fat.

Rusty740

amyllu wrote: »

I think that you might find that if you cut down on carbs and increase protein it should help. .. it works for me!

Yes, this. Protein is magic (not really but you get the idea). Multitudes (seriously, lots) of studies show that increasing protein has a dramatic effect on weight loss. This is mostly due to the way protein makes you less hungry. Eat protein early in the day and the effect will last quite a while.

gotbeer518

From what it sounds like you are working out a little more than average...if 1500 calories is your allowed amount per day i wouldnt worry about going up to the 1500....healthy food choices and portion control are important but you cant starve yourself either...if your always hungry try a snack inbetween meals maybe like some fruit or a protein bar or a handfull of unsalted nuts just somethingto take the edge off

bbell1985

Eat your exercise calories back and don't leave 250 calories? That's a lot to just leave. For me that's the difference between weight loss and maintenance.

mmmpork

Take the MFP calories with a grain of salt. The formulas used can be inaccurate. I'd even suggest we should be eating a lot less calories than those formulas suggest. I'd recommend you experiment. Try eating 1500 for a few weeks and see how it affects your weight. MFP says I should be eating around 1550 to maintain my current weight (5'6", 180 lbs). I discovered that after I lost about 60 lbs, my appetite started decreasing and I could easily eat 1200-1300 calories per day. When I followed their recommendation, I started gaining weight. You've just got to see where it's at for you, and note that it will change as your body changes.

Another thing I've found is I often gain weight the day after a workout day. I just attribute it to muscle swelling or something. Sometimes my weight will plateau for a few weeks and then I'll suddenly drop dramatically with no real change in my eating or exercising. Bodies are weird, you have to look at trends over time and get to know your body.

While weight loss is about creating a deficit, satiation is a different story. You have to figure out what works best for you. For me personally, if I don't eat enough saturated fat, I'm usually hungry by the end of the day even if I've eaten my full calorie allotment. I find I need a pretty equal balance of carbs, protein, and fat. I tend to get cravings for one if I'm too low. Learn how to read your body, it will usually tell you what you're missing.

Don't specifically eat back your exercise calories. Unless you're exercising in a lab and have a fancy contraption to measure what you're burning, you're more likely overestimate how much you've actually burned. Figure out what/how much you can realistically eat after working out to find satiation. It's different for everyone. My ideal post swim/reformer pilates thing is a shake made with homemade ovaltine mix (cocoa powder, powdered milk, barley malt), 8 oz whole milk, and a big scoop of NOW whey protein. I remember one study was published that showed chocolate milk was the best workout recovery beverage. This is my lower sugar, protein pumped version of that

pooey718

Thanks guys. Really appreciate the comments. Will definitely be trying out the tips given