why am I feeling hungry?

annbobby

Hi everyone - I am a newbie and am finding it hard with calorie counting .... cannot understand why I always feel hungry both before and after eating... any help please - I have also increased the water intake

janejellyroll

We'll need more information to try to help. To begin, how did you choose your calorie goal? Did it come from MFP? How much weight do you have to lose and what did you choose as your goal rate of loss per week? Are you eating back exercise calories?

annbobby

Hi Jane

MFP gave the calorie goal of 1200 per day. I have chosen to lose 20lb. However, I am more than 4st overweight - so thinking small for now... I have not chosena goal loss per week ... just happy with anything at present. not as active as I would like to be.. will be working on this

stanmann571

annbobby wrote: »

Hi Jane

MFP gave the calorie goal of 1200 per day. I have chosen to lose 20lb. However, I am more than 4st overweight - so thinking small for now... I have not chosena goal loss per week ... just happy with anything at present. not as active as I would like to be.. will be working on this

How did MFP give you a calorie goal if you didn't choose a rate of loss?

diannethegeek

You might find some ideas here. 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.

Go_Deskercise

stanmann571 wrote: »

annbobby wrote: »

Hi Jane

MFP gave the calorie goal of 1200 per day. I have chosen to lose 20lb. However, I am more than 4st overweight - so thinking small for now... I have not chosena goal loss per week ... just happy with anything at present. not as active as I would like to be.. will be working on this

How did MFP give you a calorie goal if you didn't choose a rate of loss?

^ this! You had to have given MFP the information to go on to get 1200. MFP may have given you this calorie goal but only because of the information you put in. I would take a look at the guided set up again and make sure you have it set to "lose 1lb per week" or ".5 per week" if you want to go slower.

motivatedmartha

Also - make sure you have your activity level set up right - at 1200 I suspect you may have it set to sedentary which is fine but if so, you do really need log any activity you do on top of just breathing and eat back at least 50% of any calories you earn that way. Otherwisw you will not be fuelling your body, you will get very hungry and most stop under those conditions. This is not a race - slow and steady is a wise approach as we all need to unlearn those habits that made us overweight and learn to eat in a way which will keep us slim forever.
Some really good advice in teh stickies at the top of each forum - a good one in the link provided above by @diannethegeek

It is normal to feel peckish as meals draw close but you shouldn't still be hungry having just eaten - nutrient dense and filling foods help. Good Luck

LisaMC1R

I have the same problem! I can stay on task all day and maintain my goals, but then I get home from work and I finally eat dinner and it unleashes a monster in me. I can't stop eating and craving food! It's the hardest to overcome/deal with since I've started to make these food changes in my life. So I totally understand your pain and frustration. I'm there with you.
Since you say you are new to the site are you also new to changing your food lifestyle? For me, it was a solid three weeks of feeling like I was absolutely starving before my body got used to the changes I was making. Try to muscle through the cravings. You are going to be hungry and it's no fun. It's the reality of it. But, it gets better. Much better. If you falter go right back after it the next day. Don't get discouraged. This site really helps with tips and the people here are very supportive. I have just started here myself and the scale hasn't budged after initially losing 15 lbs. It seems like I'm doing everything I'm supposed to. It can be very frustrating but I keep focusing forward and I don't let myself get down. At some point, I will find what works for me. I just have to keep up the good fight. Success is out there!

yirara

Experiment with different types of food, and maybe have small, low calorie bites at the times you feel most hungry.

I had a real eye opener the past week. I usually have paprika and cucumber on my desk to get over the after lunch to dinner period. Works, kind of. But found that nibbling on radishes works much better. No idea why to be honest. maybe because they are less watery.