After losing weight, I find myself hungrier than before

krist3ng

OP here. I ended up taking the advice on this thread and taking a break from my diet (more or less- I had around 1700 calories/day) for a week. It was a mixed experience for me. On the plus side, it was fun to eat more food than usual. On the negative side, it really killed my motivation for a bit. It was really hard to remember to log my calories, and I felt bad about my progress, especially when going back to lower calories. But I was able to lose weight really easily again afterward (I lost like 2 pounds last week, bringing me to a total loss of 25 pounds!!), and I could feel it was resetting my equilibrium. So it’s something I might try again in a few months if I feel like it, but I could see myself losing focus on a “break”.

CarvedTones

Francl27 wrote: »

captivatedheroine wrote: »

Same concern here. I've lost around 25 lbs for the last 9 months, and my appetite has been fluctuating. I went on a vacation a week ago, and I wasn't strict with my diet. Before this vacation, I was semi-strict with my diet. When I got back, I felt hungrier than usual all the time, and I am not easily satiated anymore. I also crave for a lot of junk food lately, and I give in a lot which is not good. This is kinda messing me up mentally since I still want to shed some fat especially from my abdominal area.

Haha yeah. I was 2 lbs from my goal 3 years ago, and we went on vacation, ate out all the time, after that I was never able to get back to my deficit. Yes, part of it is more cravings/less willpower, but when I compare what I eat now with what I ate when I was losing, for the same deficit, I'd just be hungry all the time if I ate what I used to eat.

That's why I don't really understand why people recommend diet breaks all the time. It messed it all up for me.

I have similar concerns. I have lost 41 pounds and planning to lose 17+ more to be <25 BMI. I am at a weight that I considered healthy for a few years. People are making comments that make me feel like I am at an acceptable place. If I paused here, it could become a little too comfortable. What's worse is tat this isn't a magic number; I could change it and rationalize a little more... So I don't want to take a break. I want to push on through. If I get below 25 BMI, that is a magic number; I can't choose to change it. It's a weight I have not been at for a very long time and it is territory I hope to defend.

MegaMooseEsq

CarvedTones wrote: »

Francl27 wrote: »

captivatedheroine wrote: »

Same concern here. I've lost around 25 lbs for the last 9 months, and my appetite has been fluctuating. I went on a vacation a week ago, and I wasn't strict with my diet. Before this vacation, I was semi-strict with my diet. When I got back, I felt hungrier than usual all the time, and I am not easily satiated anymore. I also crave for a lot of junk food lately, and I give in a lot which is not good. This is kinda messing me up mentally since I still want to shed some fat especially from my abdominal area.

Haha yeah. I was 2 lbs from my goal 3 years ago, and we went on vacation, ate out all the time, after that I was never able to get back to my deficit. Yes, part of it is more cravings/less willpower, but when I compare what I eat now with what I ate when I was losing, for the same deficit, I'd just be hungry all the time if I ate what I used to eat.

That's why I don't really understand why people recommend diet breaks all the time. It messed it all up for me.

I have similar concerns. I have lost 41 pounds and planning to lose 17+ more to be <25 BMI. I am at a weight that I considered healthy for a few years. People are making comments that make me feel like I am at an acceptable place. If I paused here, it could become a little too comfortable. What's worse is tat this isn't a magic number; I could change it and rationalize a little more... So I don't want to take a break. I want to push on through. If I get below 25 BMI, that is a magic number; I can't choose to change it. It's a weight I have not been at for a very long time and it is territory I hope to defend.

NVM

sky_northern

krist3ng wrote: »

OP here. I ended up taking the advice on this thread and taking a break from my diet (more or less- I had around 1700 calories/day) for a week. It was a mixed experience for me. On the plus side, it was fun to eat more food than usual. On the negative side, it really killed my motivation for a bit. It was really hard to remember to log my calories, and I felt bad about my progress, especially when going back to lower calories. But I was able to lose weight really easily again afterward (I lost like 2 pounds last week, bringing me to a total loss of 25 pounds!!), and I could feel it was resetting my equilibrium. So it’s something I might try again in a few months if I feel like it, but I could see myself losing focus on a “break”.

Thanks for reporting back!
I've also heard that the mental aspect of a maintenance break is good practice for after you are done losing - as it's basically a long maintenance break you have to learn how to not regain

krist3ng

sky_northern wrote: »

Thanks for reporting back!
I've also heard that the mental aspect of a maintenance break is good practice for after you are done losing - as it's basically a long maintenance break you have to learn how to not regain

I definitely see it as good mental training for the holidays, vacations, or any time you have to change your food routine drastically. Actually, most diet attempts I’ve failed in the past have been disrupted/derailed, so I think that’s just my weak spot! Better to be aware of it