1 week into maintenance & I’m starving

Kdp2015

I didn’t have any appetite when I was losing weight, 8 days into maintenance & I’m hungry all the time - is this likely to even out?
For the week I’ve averaged 2038 cals per day and put on 0.2lbs - I assume that’s water weight.
I’ve tried loading my plate with veg and getting enough fat etc but it’s not helping and I don’t want to start gaining.

TavistockToad

Look at your macros - are you getting enough fat/protein/fibre/carbs? You need to find whatever balance of all these works for you.

kami3006

When I go from a cut to maintenance, even just upping by a few hundred calories, my appetite goes through the roof after a couple days and stays like that for a couple weeks. From what I understand it's a hormone response. It does even out. I usually have to load up on more protein which is the primary macro that keeps me feeling full albeit a bit bloated too. I am experiencing this right now and it's starting to level off.

Congrats on hitting maintenance!

cmriverside

I maintain on about 2000, but this time of year I'm fighting carb cravings, just like every year. Are you in the northern hemisphere? I find this always happens going into winter for me.

Plus whenever I raise calories I get a brief period of just wanting more food...like the hounds have been unleashed. It dies down. Hang on.

Kdp2015

55% carbs 31% fat 14% protein
Ave 30g fibre
I am trying to increase protein by having larger portion with dinner (and less potatoes or whatever the carb part happens to be)

Kdp2015

I’m in UK but spend most of day outside and it’s getting cold!
I guess it might be hormones, I might have started at the wrong time of the month!
I will certainly keep at it, it’s nice to hear it’s quite common, thanks

kimny72

cmriverside wrote: »

I maintain on about 2000, but this time of year I'm fighting carb cravings, just like every year. Are you in the northern hemisphere? I find this always happens going into winter for me.

Plus whenever I raise calories I get a brief period of just wanting more food...like the hounds have been unleashed. It dies down. Hang on.

OMG this is so me. It's like the first frost signals my body to demand my weight in roasted potatoes and garlic bread daily

OP, try to bump up your protein and fat and see if you can ride it out for a week or two. It is something a lot of folks seem to experience. Try getting more sleep too if you can, sometimes I personally find my sleep schedule can exacerbate appetite problems, at least for me. Congrats and good luck!

TavistockToad

Kdp2015 wrote: »

55% carbs 31% fat 14% protein
Ave 30g fibre
I am trying to increase protein by having larger portion with dinner (and less potatoes or whatever the carb part happens to be)

My maintenance is around the same (net). I aim for 20-25% protein, 40ish% carbs and 30-35% fat which seems to work.

Adding protein is a good idea

Kdp2015

kami3006 wrote: »

When I go from a cut to maintenance, even just upping by a few hundred calories, my appetite goes through the roof after a couple days and stays like that for a couple weeks. From what I understand it's a hormone response. It does even out. I usually have to load up on more protein which is the primary macro that keeps me feeling full albeit a bit bloated too. I am experiencing this right now and it's starting to level off.

Congrats on hitting maintenance!

Thanks, I’m not actually convinced I’m there yet but after recent advice have decided to give it a go and hope my mindset will follow!

kami3006

Kdp2015 wrote: »

I’m in UK but spend most of day outside and it’s getting cold!
I guess it might be hormones, I might have started at the wrong time of the month!
I will certainly keep at it, it’s nice to hear it’s quite common, thanks

Not necessarily monthly hormones, though that can be an influence, but being in a deficit affects our hormones and once we go up in calories they tend to balance out. It's one of the reasons people take diet breaks. So, just a normal response to coming out of a deficit. Adjusting macros should help you ride it out.

Kdp2015

TavistockToad wrote: »

Kdp2015 wrote: »

55% carbs 31% fat 14% protein
Ave 30g fibre
I am trying to increase protein by having larger portion with dinner (and less potatoes or whatever the carb part happens to be)

My maintenance is around the same (net). I aim for 20-25% protein, 40ish% carbs and 30-35% fat which seems to work.

Adding protein is a good idea

Thanks, I think dieting made me lazy in the kitchen and rely on carb based snacks, I’m hoping to enjoy food again so will try looking up protein snack recipes

cwolfman13

Kdp2015 wrote: »

I didn’t have any appetite when I was losing weight, 8 days into maintenance & I’m hungry all the time - is this likely to even out?
For the week I’ve averaged 2038 cals per day and put on 0.2lbs - I assume that’s water weight.
I’ve tried loading my plate with veg and getting enough fat etc but it’s not helping and I don’t want to start gaining.

Most of this is hormonal changes (not monthly)...when you eat in a prolonged deficit, your hormones get all jacked up and one side effect of that is a decrease in appetite...when you start eating more, those hormones start to re-regulate and appetite returns. Yes, I experienced this as well...it will even out once your hormones even out.

PAV8888

My strong suggestions are a weight TREND app to check on your weight (I use trendweight.com; libra android; happy scale iphone), comparing your weight to the same time of the month... a month ago (weightgrapher.com allows you to visually do that).

It also depends on how large and how long of a deficit you're coming out from. If you manage to wait things out long enough... things will get easier.

Also: your maintenance may actually be a little bit higher than the last bit of weight loss would indicate. Don't be too scared to add an extra 100 Cal or even more to what your last bit of weight loss indicated. As your hormones up-regulate your body is likely to start spending a few more calories allowing you to push that number a bit higher...

Do remember that your efforts so far were your entry ticket into playing the game you're playing now--so you're sitting in the winner's circle. Hang in there!

LivingtheLeanDream

TavistockToad wrote: »

Look at your macros - are you getting enough fat/protein/fibre/carbs? You need to find whatever balance of all these works for you.

+1

hroderick

Grats on your achievement. Here comes the yo in yoyo. Have you perhaps changed the type of food you are eating? For example very low to moderate carb or no sugar to some sugar? Keep the commitment to the goal you worked so hard for. Your body is in transition and wants to rebuild reserves lost during famine. I often have to remind myself that it is OK to be hungry. I also plan to do cut and bulk muscle building when I begin maintenance instead of relaxing my attention

erjones11

I have just entered maintenance as well. I tried to gradually increase calories and this didn't work. I ended dropping five more pounds then I wanted to.

Starting this week I jumped my calories to almost 2,000 and eating back about half of what MFP says are my exercise calories. I modify the exercise calories by cutting them in half when I input them this way I know my exact target.

I can't say I really feel any more hungry with the increase calories and some days this past week I struggle to hit the amount as I am just used to eating so much less. Seriously 2,000 calories seems like a lot of food to me.

Happy to be a little below goal and getting started on recomp.

nowine4me

Congratulations and welcome. One thing o encountered..... when upping my calories, I add in some foods that I might have abstained from during my cut. I think the diversity liggts up my taste buds and I want more and more. I’m not hungry per se, just want to eat.

margbarco

Something similar happened to me. I lost a total of 11 pounds in 60 days (I had mfp set to lose 1 per week) and I wasn’t very hungry. When I changed mfp to lose half a pound a week, my appetite suddenly became ravenous with the addition of extra calories. I couldn’t control my refined carbs intake and didn’t lose anything over the past 3-4 weeks.

Now, things have finally leveled off to a point where I’m not battling hunger or sugar cravings. This morning the scale is down a bit and I feel like I did at the beginning.

Hang in there!

workinonit1956

This is all very enlightening. I’ve been in maintenance about 2 weeks and am experiencing some hunger. @nowine4me I think you’re right!

Evamutt

I'm so glad I read this, my appetite has gone up since eating on maintenance & have been having hard time not over eating

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psychod787

Interesting article..... there was also one talking to Spencer Nodolsky? Spelling I am sure is wrong......
https://www.livescience.com/53942-weight-loss-biology.html
Could be pseudo science, but Rosenbaum if I remeber correctly is actually a respected metabolic researcher.
http://www.latimes.com/science/sciencenow/la-sci-sn-weight-loss-hunger-20180202-story.html

Kdp2015

Had a massive blowout yesterday but back on track today with more protein and healthy fat, I think I just needed to get the post diet madness out of my system!

cmriverside

The struggle is real!!

pinuplove

Happens every time I take a maintenance break. It settles down after a few days, but it is a mind *kitten* to be hungrier eating more than I was eating less for a while! I've always assumed, as others have said, that it's a hormone readjustment (part of the reason taking diet breaks is a good idea )

canadjineh

Just something else to think about.... are you getting enough water in maintenance? The body can confuse hunger signals with slight dehydration and many who used water to keep tummies full during weight loss can forget about it in maintenance.

brenn24179

I know I am not as hungry if I eat lower carbs and more protein and drink my water.

ritzvin

cmriverside wrote: »

I maintain on about 2000, but this time of year I'm fighting carb cravings, just like every year. Are you in the northern hemisphere? I find this always happens going into winter for me.

Plus whenever I raise calories I get a brief period of just wanting more food...like the hounds have been unleashed. It dies down. Hang on.

ditto on both of these for me too.

try2again

Just curious for those who might know- is gradually increasing calories supposed to help prevent this, or doesn't it matter?

nxd10

When I started to maintain I added carbs. That made me hungry. Go with fats and proteins. You'll find your way.

Kdp2015

So...the starving thing scared me out of maintenance, it’s been 3 weeks and I’m 6lbs down.
I will try again at some point but realise I will need a lot of support to get to that stage - it terrifies me but I know it’s something I will have to deal with.