Constantly hungry/weak/tired on 1800 but not losing? Ridiculous?
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No you don't have to lose any muscle that's why protein intake is important. I would suggest decreasing your carbs to 50% and increase protein to 30%. Also are you eating clean? Unhealthy foods contain a lot of calories and sodium which makes it easy to over eat and not know itThanks for all the suggestions.
Currently:
Female, early 20s
151 lbs
5'5.5
24% bf according to my home scale (but who knows if that has any accuracy at all).
Goal is 130, 20% bf (I know I will have to lose some muscle for this but I'm a little bulky now imo).
Looking at what I was eating before, I was maintaining on 3000 or so. So, it's definitely a cut, but I figured if I'm eating more than what a lot of women maintain on, I should be ok - I'm no 'special snowflake'. Could be a tracking error, or being overly cautious... I just don't know, gah.
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With 20 to lose you should set a goal of.5lb per week. Or a 250 deficit. You're trying to cut several times that. Thats why you're tired and hungry.10
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Thanks for all the suggestions.
Currently:
Female, early 20s
151 lbs
5'5.5
24% bf according to my home scale (but who knows if that has any accuracy at all).
Goal is 130, 20% bf (I know I will have to lose some muscle for this but I'm a little bulky now imo).
Looking at what I was eating before, I was maintaining on 3000 or so. So, it's definitely a cut, but I figured if I'm eating more than what a lot of women maintain on, I should be ok - I'm no 'special snowflake'. Could be a tracking error, or being overly cautious... I just don't know, gah.
What do you have your weekly goal set to? With not all that much to lose, it should be no more than 1 lb per week. Plus you should be logging exercise and eating back at least some of those calories.
Are you using a food scale?
You may also be retaining some water do to the increased exercise.
Is it possible you are pushing yourself too hard in your workouts and your body is asking for a break?
Are you sleeping well and enough?
You don't have to answer all these here, just something to think about.1 -
HarlemNY17 wrote: »Unhealthy foods contain a lot of calories and sodium which makes it easy to over eat and not know it
Hence why logging is important for weight loss. If you log accurately and consistently, go ahead and eat as much 'unhealthy' food as you want. Just stay within your calorie targets.4 -
Stats would be helpful, as would the amount of calories you're burning per day. What is your net calorie intake after considering exercise?
In truth, 2000 calories is a ton of food and it would be the rare case that somebody would feel low energy at that level unless they were doing so much high-burn exercise that they significantly reduced their net calorie intake.
I'd pretty much kill someone from hanger on 2000cal a day (or attempt to eat my arm off) - and I'm female, 5'3" and maintain on 2500ish4 -
HarlemNY17 wrote: »
No you don't have to lose any muscle that's why protein intake is important. I would suggest decreasing your carbs to 50% and increase protein to 30%. Also are you eating clean? Unhealthy foods contain a lot of calories and sodium which makes it easy to over eat and not know itThanks for all the suggestions.
Currently:
Female, early 20s
151 lbs
5'5.5
24% bf according to my home scale (but who knows if that has any accuracy at all).
Goal is 130, 20% bf (I know I will have to lose some muscle for this but I'm a little bulky now imo).
Looking at what I was eating before, I was maintaining on 3000 or so. So, it's definitely a cut, but I figured if I'm eating more than what a lot of women maintain on, I should be ok - I'm no 'special snowflake'. Could be a tracking error, or being overly cautious... I just don't know, gah.
Yeah I'm eating about 95% clean right now. I'll try to increase protein and see if that helps! I'm finding it harder than expected to hit 120-140g per day though... Lots of chicken I guess0 -
deannalfisher wrote: »Stats would be helpful, as would the amount of calories you're burning per day. What is your net calorie intake after considering exercise?
In truth, 2000 calories is a ton of food and it would be the rare case that somebody would feel low energy at that level unless they were doing so much high-burn exercise that they significantly reduced their net calorie intake.
I'd pretty much kill someone from hanger on 2000cal a day (or attempt to eat my arm off) - and I'm female, 5'3" and maintain on 2500ish
Right - but would that be normal hunger or would it truly be a critical deficiency at 2000 calories (that is, low energy, excess fatigue, aches, etc.)? If your maintenance is 2500 calories, then a 500 calorie deficit might give rise to feelings of deprivation and need, but it likely wouldn't be deep enough to trigger actual physical symptoms of a critical calorie deficiency.
Only reason I say this is that I do think it's very important that people learn to differentiate between the mental and physical aspects of calorie deprivation. Our minds can be very powerful and it can be hard to tell the difference between a true physical need and a need for mental fulfillment only.
Mistaking the latter for the former (or choosing to interpret a feeling as the former over the latter) can be a way for some people to 'talk themselves' out of their weight loss efforts.3 -
HarlemNY17 wrote: »
No you don't have to lose any muscle that's why protein intake is important. I would suggest decreasing your carbs to 50% and increase protein to 30%. Also are you eating clean? Unhealthy foods contain a lot of calories and sodium which makes it easy to over eat and not know itThanks for all the suggestions.
Currently:
Female, early 20s
151 lbs
5'5.5
24% bf according to my home scale (but who knows if that has any accuracy at all).
Goal is 130, 20% bf (I know I will have to lose some muscle for this but I'm a little bulky now imo).
Looking at what I was eating before, I was maintaining on 3000 or so. So, it's definitely a cut, but I figured if I'm eating more than what a lot of women maintain on, I should be ok - I'm no 'special snowflake'. Could be a tracking error, or being overly cautious... I just don't know, gah.
Yeah I'm eating about 95% clean right now. I'll try to increase protein and see if that helps! I'm finding it harder than expected to hit 120-140g per day though... Lots of chicken I guess
The curious side of me has to ask what the 5% 'dirty' consists of?3 -
snickerscharlie wrote: »HarlemNY17 wrote: »
No you don't have to lose any muscle that's why protein intake is important. I would suggest decreasing your carbs to 50% and increase protein to 30%. Also are you eating clean? Unhealthy foods contain a lot of calories and sodium which makes it easy to over eat and not know itThanks for all the suggestions.
Currently:
Female, early 20s
151 lbs
5'5.5
24% bf according to my home scale (but who knows if that has any accuracy at all).
Goal is 130, 20% bf (I know I will have to lose some muscle for this but I'm a little bulky now imo).
Looking at what I was eating before, I was maintaining on 3000 or so. So, it's definitely a cut, but I figured if I'm eating more than what a lot of women maintain on, I should be ok - I'm no 'special snowflake'. Could be a tracking error, or being overly cautious... I just don't know, gah.
Yeah I'm eating about 95% clean right now. I'll try to increase protein and see if that helps! I'm finding it harder than expected to hit 120-140g per day though... Lots of chicken I guess
The curious side of me has to ask what the 5% 'dirty' consists of?
Dirt?4 -
deannalfisher wrote: »Stats would be helpful, as would the amount of calories you're burning per day. What is your net calorie intake after considering exercise?
In truth, 2000 calories is a ton of food and it would be the rare case that somebody would feel low energy at that level unless they were doing so much high-burn exercise that they significantly reduced their net calorie intake.
I'd pretty much kill someone from hanger on 2000cal a day (or attempt to eat my arm off) - and I'm female, 5'3" and maintain on 2500ish
Right - but would that be normal hunger or would it truly be a critical deficiency at 2000 calories (that is, low energy, excess fatigue, aches, etc.)? If your maintenance is 2500 calories, then a 500 calorie deficit might give rise to feelings of deprivation and need, but it likely wouldn't be deep enough to trigger actual physical symptoms of a critical calorie deficiency.
Only reason I say this is that I do think it's very important that people learn to differentiate between the mental and physical aspects of calorie deprivation. Our minds can be very powerful and it can be hard to tell the difference between a true physical need and a need for mental fulfillment only.
Mistaking the latter for the former (or choosing to interpret a feeling as the former over the latter) can be a way for some people to 'talk themselves' out of their weight loss efforts.
that would be can't concentrate at work, snapping at people type of hunger - trust me - i came from a low calorie background (avg 1200-1300 a few years ago) and have been working with RD's for the last year to get to where I am0 -
What are you eating?. The types of foods are just as important at the quantity. If you are eating a lot of high calorie low nutrional value foods, that could be the problem. It could also be that you are not tracking correctly - use food scales and measuring cups religiously!1
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Yeah I'm eating about 95% clean right now. I'll try to increase protein and see if that helps! I'm finding it harder than expected to hit 120-140g per day though... Lots of chicken I guess
I had this question last week and everyone was really helpful in helping me get up to 80+g of protein (my staple is hard boiled eggs this week and it's been amazing even though i hate eggs)
eggs, turkey, chicken, fish, greek yogurt, cottage cheese, etc. Also, it did help my feeling tired - I'm much more awake and my energy has evened out (I eat approx every 2-4 hours until my cut off at 7p, back at it at 6a)
good luck!1 -
Protein helps with recovery. You may need to increase your protein if you are having a hard time getting through your workouts. I don't know what type of exercises you are doing but if it involves strength training, 3 weeks might be too soon to tell if anything is wrong. The body goes through an adjustment period that involves protecting itself when starting a new, strenuous exercise program. Some people will gain weight during this period and others may not lose any weight during that period. I wouldn't even pay attention to the scale. Take body measurements and periodic pictures to see if any changes are taking place.0
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Try shooting for 40% carbs, 30% fat, 30% protein, see if that helps you feel better. Also one of the most often ignored problems is lack of sleep, make sure you're getting enough at night. Shoot for 7 hrs of solid rack time at least, and if that ain't enough, get more.2
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deannalfisher wrote: »Stats would be helpful, as would the amount of calories you're burning per day. What is your net calorie intake after considering exercise?
In truth, 2000 calories is a ton of food and it would be the rare case that somebody would feel low energy at that level unless they were doing so much high-burn exercise that they significantly reduced their net calorie intake.
I'd pretty much kill someone from hanger on 2000cal a day (or attempt to eat my arm off) - and I'm female, 5'3" and maintain on 2500ish
Yes well, maintaining @2500 cals/day for a 5'3" female is fairly unusual.4 -
LOL excellent question. That was very much an approximation. I let myself have a treat every week, whether it's a meal or some ice cream or whatever.snickerscharlie wrote: »
The curious side of me has to ask what the 5% 'dirty' consists of?2 -
deannalfisher wrote: »deannalfisher wrote: »Stats would be helpful, as would the amount of calories you're burning per day. What is your net calorie intake after considering exercise?
In truth, 2000 calories is a ton of food and it would be the rare case that somebody would feel low energy at that level unless they were doing so much high-burn exercise that they significantly reduced their net calorie intake.
I'd pretty much kill someone from hanger on 2000cal a day (or attempt to eat my arm off) - and I'm female, 5'3" and maintain on 2500ish
Right - but would that be normal hunger or would it truly be a critical deficiency at 2000 calories (that is, low energy, excess fatigue, aches, etc.)? If your maintenance is 2500 calories, then a 500 calorie deficit might give rise to feelings of deprivation and need, but it likely wouldn't be deep enough to trigger actual physical symptoms of a critical calorie deficiency.
Only reason I say this is that I do think it's very important that people learn to differentiate between the mental and physical aspects of calorie deprivation. Our minds can be very powerful and it can be hard to tell the difference between a true physical need and a need for mental fulfillment only.
Mistaking the latter for the former (or choosing to interpret a feeling as the former over the latter) can be a way for some people to 'talk themselves' out of their weight loss efforts.
that would be can't concentrate at work, snapping at people type of hunger - trust me - i came from a low calorie background (avg 1200-1300 a few years ago) and have been working with RD's for the last year to get to where I am
I am at the point of not concentrating well and being very irritable but, I'm averaging more like 1700 this past week, not 2000. Net burn from activity generally 800-1200. So I am definitely in a deficit but I feel like it's more of a psychological trap - if I can get myself out of it I will be ok. My brain is freaking out because it wants the adequate energy it's used to and is trying to make me miserable.
I am down 2.4 lbs after this weekend though. So maybe my efforts just took a little while to get going. (Also, my mom told me I looked thinner, and I haven't said anything to her about trying to lose weight.)1 -
Thanks! I loooove cottage cheese but I totally forgot about it. Eggs are awesome but I'm not that into the whites only so the fat puts a limit on how many I can eatenyagoboom wrote: »
Yeah I'm eating about 95% clean right now. I'll try to increase protein and see if that helps! I'm finding it harder than expected to hit 120-140g per day though... Lots of chicken I guess
I had this question last week and everyone was really helpful in helping me get up to 80+g of protein (my staple is hard boiled eggs this week and it's been amazing even though i hate eggs)
eggs, turkey, chicken, fish, greek yogurt, cottage cheese, etc. Also, it did help my feeling tired - I'm much more awake and my energy has evened out (I eat approx every 2-4 hours until my cut off at 7p, back at it at 6a)
good luck!
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deannalfisher wrote: »Stats would be helpful, as would the amount of calories you're burning per day. What is your net calorie intake after considering exercise?
In truth, 2000 calories is a ton of food and it would be the rare case that somebody would feel low energy at that level unless they were doing so much high-burn exercise that they significantly reduced their net calorie intake.
I'd pretty much kill someone from hanger on 2000cal a day (or attempt to eat my arm off) - and I'm female, 5'3" and maintain on 2500ish
Yes well, maintaining @2500 cals/day for a 5'3" female is fairly unusual.
I maintain on 3000 and I'm 5'5.5, not THAT much taller. fairly unusual among the normal population, but not those who work out regularly/hard.0 -
beatyfamily1 wrote: »Protein helps with recovery. You may need to increase your protein if you are having a hard time getting through your workouts. I don't know what type of exercises you are doing but if it involves strength training, 3 weeks might be too soon to tell if anything is wrong. The body goes through an adjustment period that involves protecting itself when starting a new, strenuous exercise program. Some people will gain weight during this period and others may not lose any weight during that period. I wouldn't even pay attention to the scale. Take body measurements and periodic pictures to see if any changes are taking place.
That's a good idea. I think I am just over that adjustment period, since I am finally losing weight and am getting less and less sore from workouts. Thanks!0
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