Is being hungry every/most days an indication that you're in the right calorie deficit range?

cwolfman13

I was never hungry throughout the day...I'm generally hungry come meal time. If you're always hungry, you're probably either not eating enough or you're not eating foods that "stick to the ribs."

Calories don't necessarily equate to hungry or not hungry...I could eat an 800 calorie cupcake and I'm still going to be hungry...if I ate an 800 calorie balanced meal to include a good amount of protein, veg, and a starch or grain I would not.

littlebear0121

"Dieters need more protein than the RDA's. You should get .65-.85 grams per pound of ideal body weight (err towards the higher side if you're active) if you're dieting or are an older person. Both of these populations are at higher risk for muscle loss.

The current RDA's are only for sedentary individuals already at a healthy weight.

I should add that giving macros as percentages of one's intake is often not helpful information because it misses the context of their overall calorie limits and doesn't give you absolute numbers, which are important, especially when it comes down to nutritional requirements like adequate protein or fat. You should be hitting certain goals when it comes to those."

Thank you for this, GottaBurnEm... Very helpful. I'm not older, but am dieting and active (I exercise 6 or 7 days a week.) Right now I weigh 164 and my goal is 130. However, 145 would be a healthy weight for my height, so I'm basing my protein total on that for now. I might get to that weight and decide I like it. Anyway, I'm going to try to eat 123 grams of protein per day and see if that helps with the satiety and dizziness. Thanks for reminding me that the percentage isn't as helpful as the absolute number--that makes sense.

kimny72

littlebear0121 wrote: »

"Dieters need more protein than the RDA's. You should get .65-.85 grams per pound of ideal body weight (err towards the higher side if you're active) if you're dieting or are an older person. Both of these populations are at higher risk for muscle loss.

The current RDA's are only for sedentary individuals already at a healthy weight.

I should add that giving macros as percentages of one's intake is often not helpful information because it misses the context of their overall calorie limits and doesn't give you absolute numbers, which are important, especially when it comes down to nutritional requirements like adequate protein or fat. You should be hitting certain goals when it comes to those."

Thank you for this, GottaBurnEm... Very helpful. I'm not older, but am dieting and active (I exercise 6 or 7 days a week.) Right now I weigh 164 and my goal is 130. However, 145 would be a healthy weight for my height, so I'm basing my protein total on that for now. I might get to that weight and decide I like it. Anyway, I'm going to try to eat 123 grams of protein per day and see if that helps with the satiety and dizziness. Thanks for reminding me that the percentage isn't as helpful as the absolute number--that makes sense.

How many calories are you eating, and how much weight are you losing per week? Occasionally hungry is normal. Dizzy is another story.

AnnPT77

As an aside: A while back, there was a "10 veggie/fruit servings daily" challenge (80g servings). Some of the participants reported suddenly being so satiated they couldn't hit a calorie goal that previously had been difficult to stay within.

Since the challenge was also kind of fun, some of you who are feeling hungry might want to try it as a variant on "get more fiber".

One caution: If you're not eating many veggies now, it's a good plan to ramp up the servings slowly, over a couple of weeks, say; to drink adequate (not excessive) water or equivalent; and to get enough fat (hit your goal) alongside, or you may see . . . temporary unpleasant consequences.

https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10521320/10-a-day-800g-veggie-fruit-challenge-participants-check-in

zyxst

Hungry near meal times = okay

I don't enjoy being hungry all day. For me, if I'm hungry all day, I've not eaten enough calories. 176# lost & weight/measure my food if that's got any pull.

WillingtoLose1001984

Sheluvsbread2much wrote: »

For those of you who have been accurately weighing and measuring your food and losing weight as a result, do you feel hungry throughout the day or do you feel satisfied? I'm wondering on days I may feel hungry or light headed, is it normal? Par for the course? Or should I up my calories? If I'm not hungry, I think I must be eating too much. I've been hitting my calorie goals and feeling fine? Is that fine???

I like feeling pretty satisfied and I still lose weight maybe not as quickly but it comes off.

Chunkahlunkah

The lower the calorie level I'm eating, the more influential what I'm eating will be on satiety. When I'm eating at maintenance, I don't need to pay much attention to macros for satiety, although I do still keep certain habits in place that help my energy feel more steady or don't trigger mindless overeating for me. Still, my maintenance level is the level of calories that I intuitively eat and feel full, so no need for extra planning. I'll feel hungry right before a meal, but that's it.

Once I create a deficit though, I need to plan what I'll eat bc even a small deficit (say, 200 calories) and my body will be more susceptible to hunger. If I'm careful with what I eat, then it'll just be a little extra hunger or even no more than usual.

For me, eating small frequent "meals," so long as those meals are good sources of protein, fat, or fiber, is the easiest way to keep hunger at bay. I'll usually not even be hungry at eating time, or only the tiniest bit. I prefer to be hungry when I eat though, so I actually like this method the least!

For my schedule and my own preferences, I like to eat less frequently but bigger meals. I've found that I can generally get a little over an hour of satiety out of every 80 or so calories (so long as I'm eating that mix of macros and fiber mentioned above). So if I eat too little at my "big" meal or push the wait time between meals too long, then I get hungry.

A lot of this will be experimenting and finding what works best for you. But no, you definitely don't need to be very hungry when eating at a deficit, but it can easily happen until you find the timing and types of foods that work best for you. If you're hitting your calorie goals and feeling fine, then it sounds like you've already found what you need for satiety! Are you losing at your expected rate?

NovusDies

Feeling light-headed or nauseous could easily be a sign of low blood sugar which is something that should be checked by a doctor right away. It is something that usually can be managed with proper diet but it should be under a doctor's care.

ap1972

NovusDies wrote: »

Feeling light-headed or nauseous could easily be a sign of low blood sugar which is something that should be checked by a doctor right away. It is something that usually can be managed with proper diet but it should be under a doctor's care.

I suffer with low blood sugar on occasions, how often would it need to occur to visit a doctor?

ap1972

apullum wrote: »

Feeling hungry isn't necessarily a reliable indicator of calories consumed. You can easily eat a lot of calories worth of food that doesn't make you feel full. You can also eat large quantities of low-calorie foods and feel full without meeting your calorie goal.

Feeling full is not an indication of not being hungry though, you can be full but hungry at the same time.

CSARdiver

I cannot think of a time that I was truly hungry. There were times adjusting to my appropriate caloric intake that I felt an increase in appetite, but whenever this came on I took a moment for some self awareness realizing that this was not true hunger, but habit eating.

To help with this I've learned a few tips that worked well with me.

1. I drink water 30 mins prior to meal times.
2. I establish a routine around eating, snacking, and log in advance for the majority of days.
3. I know the foods that are satisfying for me - soups, oatmeal, leafy greens, meat, high fiber foods.
4. I know the foods that are not satisfying - potato chips, tortilla chips, etc.

I don't eliminate any foods, but I know which foods I need to be cautious around.

NovusDies

ap1972 wrote: »

I suffer with low blood sugar on occasions, how often would it need to occur to visit a doctor?

Ideally now. You could buy a blood sugar monitor and check yourself 5 times a day for a week or two but the thing to worry about is that you can have consistent low blood sugar and have no symptoms until it gets to a certain place. If you do test yourself remember you have to stay in the normal range. Too high or too low is a problem.

ap1972

NovusDies wrote: »

ap1972 wrote: »

I suffer with low blood sugar on occasions, how often would it need to occur to visit a doctor?

Ideally now. You could buy a blood sugar monitor and check yourself 5 times a day for a week or two but the thing to worry about is that you can have consistent low blood sugar and have no symptoms until it gets to a certain place. If you do test yourself remember you have to stay in the normal range. Too high or too low is a problem.

The UK NHS only advise to visit doctors if it "keeps happening" with no guidance on the regularity to prompt a visit. I thought about getting a test kit but the consumables make it an expensive tool.