Trying to lose weight and STARVING

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balla8701
balla8701 Posts: 5 Member
in Motivation and Support
Hey everyone!!! I am just starting out on here with a limited in take calorie number of 1320 a day!!! I am so starving by the time I get off work I’m getting bad headaches and ready to give up!!! HELP!!!!

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  • rose2_0
    rose2_0 Posts: 150 Member
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    If don't don't have much too lose, that may be an aggressive goal. What are your stats?

    If not, you might need to mess around with your "way of eating" by including more protein, or more carbs (if that is satiating to you), fat, etc.
  • inked1013
    inked1013 Posts: 18 Member
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    Adjust your calories so that you aren’t so hungry. I’d add in 250 calories more until your body is adjusted and then cut back to your 1320. You’ll still lose weight and it shouldn’t take you long to get accustomed to the new number. Also, make sure you are completely honest with your lifestyle. If you only choose sedentary as an option and it should be moderate (or whatever more effort is) then change it. That also has a lot to do with what your calorie intake should realistically be. You could also choose to lose less amount of weight per week which will give you a little more calories to live off of until you are adjusted. Remember this is a lifestyle change and not a race! Losing weight at any rate is a win if that’s your goal. Make sure you’re drinking half your body weight in ounces of water. That helps fill you up! I hope this helps and gives you some peace of mind :)

    Jess
  • amusedmonkey
    amusedmonkey Posts: 10,330 Member
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    Are you able to fit in a walk or an exercise session? How is your non-exercise daily activity, usually? Are you constantly moving around, chasing kids, walking to stores..etc? You'll find you are able to eat more and still lose weight when you're active. If your daily activity is not sedentary, you can change that in the settings and you will get more calories. If you exercise or take a walk and log it, the calories given to you will increase and it's okay, even good, to eat them back.

    I'm currently set to around 1400 calories base to lose 1 pound a week, but I try to move around more throughout the day plus exercise and end up being able to eat 1600-2000 calories to lose at that pace depending on how active I am on any particular day.
  • diannethegeek
    diannethegeek Posts: 14,776 Member
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    I was hoping the OP would come back with more details, but without them these are my really general tips for hunger:

    1. Make sure that your calorie goals are actually set appropriately. Don't skip this step. A lot of people set goals that are too aggressive and then wonder why they're having a hard time. http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/819055/setting-your-calorie-and-macro-targets

    2. Try different macros. A lot of people look for foods higher in protein, fat, and fiber. These help us stay full and more satisfied longer. If you're using MFP's default settings, try to consider protein, fat, and fiber as minimums to reach every day rather than maximums to stay below. Others feel better with high volume, higher carb diets (I trend this way during my period, personally). That's okay, too. See what makes you feel best.

    3. Drink plenty of fluids. Some people really do confuse thirst and hunger.

    4. Get plenty of rest. This includes sleeping enough and taking rest days from the exercise. Sometimes our bodies look for food when they're exhausted.

    5. Play around with your meal timings. Some people do really well on 5-6 small meals a day and others feel like they want to gnaw their own arm off eating like that. Skipping breakfast, eating breakfast, 16:8 fasting, 6 small meals, 3 larger meals, snacks, no snacks, meal timing won't make a big difference to your weight loss, but it may help your hunger levels, mood, concentration, gym performance, etc. throughout the day. Don't be afraid to try a different way and see if it helps.

    6. Wait it out. If you know you're eating enough and the other steps above aren't helping, you may just have to wait it out. Our bodies send out hunger signals partially out of habit. If you eat at a certain time every day your body will start to get hungry at that time. The good news is that these signals can be retrained to stop telling you to be hungry all the time. The bad news is that you may just have to be hungry for a little bit while that happens.

    7. I also think it's important to remember that there's a habitual component to hunger. This goes along with point #6, but if you eat because you're bored or you're used to eating in front of the TV or in the car or whatever it is, then you can replace those habits with others that are better for you. Things like keeping water on hand to sip instead of snacking or picking up hobbies that keep your hands busy or that get you out of the house more can help out a little while you're retraining your hunger cues. You might need to pay attention to why you're eating/hungry or what you're feeling when you eat and try to replace food with other things, but it can be really beneficial over time.
  • malibu927
    malibu927 Posts: 17,565 Member
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    Mishy_ wrote: »
    Try working in 6meals per day (breakfast, snack, lunch, snack, dinner, snack). Its not easy, especially if you are always on the go, but it is doable. I am currently 1wk into my diet and have lost 8lbs. Eating 6 meals (the first meal within 1 hour of waking up and then every 2-3hrs) has been helping me feel less hungry through out my day, giving me better control over random cravings that I otherwise would give in to. The trick is to eat clean while eating 6times a day and as a treat give yourself 1 cheat day. My cheat day was this past Thursday, I had chicken parm with zitti (so unhealthy but sooooo delicious lol).

    Also, if you have been dealing with stress/emotional eating I would recommend keeping a food journal. Write down everything you eat and next to it write down WHY you ate it. I came across that idea while reading an online article a few wks ago and have found it to be very helpful in identifying unhealthy eating patterns.
    Hope this helps:)

    While six meals a day works for you, it isn't for everyone. You also may want to provide your definition of "clean eating", as there are dozens of them.
  • SaunaSuit
    SaunaSuit Posts: 96 Member
    edited May 2018
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    May I please offer a sugesstion: Cabbage Soup! it stops all the cravings and it is really good for you on top of that it will shed off pounds the fastest! I am down 67lbs since January.
    The cabbage soup
    can be eaten at any time you feel hungry
    during the day, and you can eat as much as you wish as often as you like!

    6 large green onions or one yellow
    2 bell peppers yellow only
    5 Carrots
    1 bunch celery
    1 small cabbage green only
    3 medium zucchini yellow (optional)
    2 potatoes yellow
    Season to taste with pepper, parsley, garlic and onion
    1 Hambone for Bone marrow, and oil.
    You can add any veggies you personaly like, or spices, roots like celery, make it to your taste buds.

    You will need a large pot. Dice or Grind up all the vegetables in small to medium pieces and cover with water. Boil fast for 10 minutes, and then cut to simmer and continue cooking until all vegetables are tender. You can freeze this soup. I suggest you put them in Glass Mason Jars and put in the frig for the week the longer it sits the better it is for you. I make it on sunday and Jar it this way I have it all week long. It so far has never gone bad!

    Tip: Add enough water to keep the sodium level low. High sodium levels will retain water in the body.

    This is also for Irritable bowel syndrome if you suffer from it. OR If you are Stuck in your diet and are not losing anyweight, plateaued~ Eat this everyday for 2 weeks, you can have as much as you need. To feel comfortable~

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