Please help me.
ThrivingSpirit
Posts: 12 Member
I'm a 5'3" female at 175 lbs. Started at 185 lbs. Still obese, just barely. I'm fairly active as I work out 5 days a week - 3 days of weights and 2 days of cardio.
I lost those 10 lbs eating about 18-1,900 cal the whole time, and dropped about a pound per week. Meaning at least when I started, my TDEE was around 23-2,400 cal. I know that seems high, but the evidence is there.
All was going well until this month. I went through a couple weeks of severe stress and stopped losing weight despite continuing to eat under 2,000 calories and exercising. Then on top of not losing weight, I developed this excessive hunger. Like, eat a person level hunger. As I type this I'm laying in bed at 1 AM frustrated to all hell because I've eaten over 2,400 calories today and I'm still unable to sleep because my stomach is growling like I've been starving to death and if I don't eat right now I'll die.
I don't understand how. I've been eating around 24-2,500 + calories this past week and yet I'm constantly starving. My macros are PERFECT. It's not like I'm eating tons of carbs and sugar that aren't sustaining me. I eat plenty of satisfying meals throughout the day.
There is no way in hell I need this many calories and I've already started to gain back a pound or two. So what the hell gives?
Note: I've also been to the doctors a few times in the past couple years, had blood work done; no thyroid issues, not diabetic, nada.
I'm feeling so defeated like I'm doomed to regain and stay fat forever if I can't stop eating!
The other night about a week ago this happened, I tried to tough it out. Finally fell asleep. And then woke up around 2 AM dizzy, confused, and stumbling around in a hypoglycemic attack.
Please help.
ALSO!
This isn't the first time this has happened to me. It comes in boughts and started ever since I was just a teenager. It happened to me an adult a couple of years ago too, and every time it seems like it stops happening after a few weeks. Ya know, once I've regained all the weight. It's bizarre and I'm sick of it!
I lost those 10 lbs eating about 18-1,900 cal the whole time, and dropped about a pound per week. Meaning at least when I started, my TDEE was around 23-2,400 cal. I know that seems high, but the evidence is there.
All was going well until this month. I went through a couple weeks of severe stress and stopped losing weight despite continuing to eat under 2,000 calories and exercising. Then on top of not losing weight, I developed this excessive hunger. Like, eat a person level hunger. As I type this I'm laying in bed at 1 AM frustrated to all hell because I've eaten over 2,400 calories today and I'm still unable to sleep because my stomach is growling like I've been starving to death and if I don't eat right now I'll die.
I don't understand how. I've been eating around 24-2,500 + calories this past week and yet I'm constantly starving. My macros are PERFECT. It's not like I'm eating tons of carbs and sugar that aren't sustaining me. I eat plenty of satisfying meals throughout the day.
There is no way in hell I need this many calories and I've already started to gain back a pound or two. So what the hell gives?
Note: I've also been to the doctors a few times in the past couple years, had blood work done; no thyroid issues, not diabetic, nada.
I'm feeling so defeated like I'm doomed to regain and stay fat forever if I can't stop eating!
The other night about a week ago this happened, I tried to tough it out. Finally fell asleep. And then woke up around 2 AM dizzy, confused, and stumbling around in a hypoglycemic attack.
Please help.
ALSO!
This isn't the first time this has happened to me. It comes in boughts and started ever since I was just a teenager. It happened to me an adult a couple of years ago too, and every time it seems like it stops happening after a few weeks. Ya know, once I've regained all the weight. It's bizarre and I'm sick of it!
7
Replies
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have you seen your doctor about it?
can you open your diary?0 -
TavistockToad wrote: »have you seen your doctor about it?
can you open your diary?
I don't want to make my diary public bc it led to someone harassing me about being a vegetarian before.
But I can guarantee you my macros are perfect (seriously), I get over 100g protein, I'm not undereating, I don't go crazy on carbs etc.
Yes as I said I've been to the dr.2 -
Hmm can't really help without seeing your diary. My advice would be to make sure you're getting enough fiber to feel full and also with that amount of protein and lifting weights you may be losing body fat and gaining muscle.3
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ThrivingSpirit wrote: »TavistockToad wrote: »have you seen your doctor about it?
can you open your diary?
I don't want to make my diary public bc it led to someone harassing me about being a vegetarian before.
But I can guarantee you my macros are perfect (seriously), I get over 100g protein, I'm not undereating, I don't go crazy on carbs etc.
Yes as I said I've been to the dr.
sorry, didn't see that about the docs.
cant really offer anything else, sorry.1 -
39flavours wrote: »Hmm can't really help without seeing your diary. My advice would be to make sure you're getting enough fiber to feel full and also with that amount of protein and lifting weights you may be losing body fat and gaining muscle.
fat keeps me full as well.3 -
Went to the doctor a few times in the past couple of years, but what about recently? Do you also get regular checkups with your 'female' doctor?
Hypoglycemia attacks are nothing to take lightly. When you exhaust all efforts to find balance working with diet and exercise its time to go back to OR find a doctor that will give you the right tests to find what is wrong.4 -
How often do you eat? Maybe you would benefit to breaking up your meals more and spreading them through out the day.
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Seriously, it might be time for another checkup. I didn't have eye disease until the year that I did, you know?13
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I know for some people exercise increases appetite, but intense cardio usually somewhat suppresses mine. Days I do intense cardio are easier for me to stick to a calorie budget so maybe you could try incorporating more into your routine and see whether it hurts or helps.1
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I am going to jump on the see a doctor bandwagon as well. If something suddenly changes in how you feel you need to rule out a medical reason.
In the meantime:
Compare your diary from a day you struggled to a day in the past where you got through the day without problems. If they are different try to replicate the day from your past and test the results. If you struggle try replicating a few other days. This will give you some additional data for yourself and the doctor.
You can also try eating less food more often or more food less often and/or at different times. I always skip breakfast because it makes me hungrier the rest of the day. I then proceed to eat 85-90 percent of my calories at lunch and the rest is basically a snack for dinner. This is what works for me and I am almost never hungry. Your mileage will almost definitely vary since part of the reason I eat this way is for medical reasons.
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39flavours wrote: »Hmm can't really help without seeing your diary. My advice would be to make sure you're getting enough fiber to feel full and also with that amount of protein and lifting weights you may be losing body fat and gaining muscle.
Typical day:
50% complex carbs.
20% protein.
30% healthy fats.
Minimally the recommended 25 g fiber but probably more like 50g most days.
64-80 oz of water.
No sweets.0 -
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mariececilia10 wrote: »I know for some people exercise increases appetite, but intense cardio usually somewhat suppresses mine. Days I do intense cardio are easier for me to stick to a calorie budget so maybe you could try incorporating more into your routine and see whether it hurts or helps.
I'm sorry if it seems like I'm brushing off suggestions here but the days I exercise are even worse since my appetite went crazy.1 -
I am going to jump on the see a doctor bandwagon as well. If something suddenly changes in how you feel you need to rule out a medical reason.
In the meantime:
Compare your diary from a day you struggled to a day in the past where you got through the day without problems. If they are different try to replicate the day from your past and test the results. If you struggle try replicating a few other days. This will give you some additional data for yourself and the doctor.
You can also try eating less food more often or more food less often and/or at different times. I always skip breakfast because it makes me hungrier the rest of the day. I then proceed to eat 85-90 percent of my calories at lunch and the rest is basically a snack for dinner. This is what works for me and I am almost never hungry. Your mileage will almost definitely vary since part of the reason I eat this way is for medical reasons.
Thank you. This is definitely something I had to adjust myself to quit binge eating when I started losing weight. Stopped eating breakfast bc I'm almost never hungry in the morning, started eating big dinners because I'm always hungry at night.
Seems that hasn't changed much since these "attacks" are only happening in the middle of the night! Even if I'm hungrier than normal I never seem to get these attacks during the daytime.
As for replicating days that worked for me we had the same train of thought so thats what I've been trying to do. Unfortunately... the outcome is the same. Seems no matter what I try and how perfect my eating is, my appetite goes insane in the middle of the night lately.0 -
ThrivingSpirit wrote: »I am going to jump on the see a doctor bandwagon as well. If something suddenly changes in how you feel you need to rule out a medical reason.
In the meantime:
Compare your diary from a day you struggled to a day in the past where you got through the day without problems. If they are different try to replicate the day from your past and test the results. If you struggle try replicating a few other days. This will give you some additional data for yourself and the doctor.
You can also try eating less food more often or more food less often and/or at different times. I always skip breakfast because it makes me hungrier the rest of the day. I then proceed to eat 85-90 percent of my calories at lunch and the rest is basically a snack for dinner. This is what works for me and I am almost never hungry. Your mileage will almost definitely vary since part of the reason I eat this way is for medical reasons.
Thank you. This is definitely something I had to adjust myself to quit binge eating when I started losing weight. Stopped eating breakfast bc I'm almost never hungry in the morning, started eating big dinners because I'm always hungry at night.
Seems that hasn't changed much since these "attacks" are only happening in the middle of the night! Even if I'm hungrier than normal I never seem to get these attacks during the daytime.
As for replicating days that worked for me we had the same train of thought so thats what I've been trying to do. Unfortunately... the outcome is the same. Seems no matter what I try and how perfect my eating is, my appetite goes insane in the middle of the night lately.
maybe those macros aren't 'perfect' though?
maybe try taking 10% off your carbs and adding it to protein and fat? see if that makes a difference?
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I think a doctor visit is something that you need while you're having the problem and seeing a dietitian might help too. You might be missing something that your body needs.
The only time I had the problems you're describing is when I was pregnant...3 -
I think a doctor visit is something that you need while you're having the problem and seeing a dietitian might help too. You might be missing something that your body needs.
The only time I had the problems you're describing is when I was pregnant...
😂 Well I'm definitely not. I've been having these episodes ever since I was a teenager, they always happen to me after I've lost weight.
(Also, my husband got snipped).
So the official verdict from speaking to a professional today is that my body is freaking out trying to restore the weight I lost bc it doesn't understand that I'm not in a famine. Even though I never have a bigger deficit than 500 cals a day. My body is just really resistant to losing weight and is trying to save me as stupid as it is. Lol.
Increased ghrelin and leptin apparently.
😑 The official advice so far is just to ride it out and try to control it as much as possible to not regain the 10 lbs I lost.1 -
ThrivingSpirit wrote: »I think a doctor visit is something that you need while you're having the problem and seeing a dietitian might help too. You might be missing something that your body needs.
The only time I had the problems you're describing is when I was pregnant...
😂 Well I'm definitely not. I've been having these episodes ever since I was a teenager, they always happen to me after I've lost weight.
(Also, my husband got snipped).
So the official verdict from speaking to a professional today is that my body is freaking out trying to restore the weight I lost bc it doesn't understand that I'm not in a famine. Even though I never have a bigger deficit than 500 cals a day. My body is just really resistant to losing weight and is trying to save me as stupid as it is. Lol.
Increased ghrelin and leptin apparently.
😑 The official advice so far is just to ride it out and try to control it as much as possible to not regain the 10 lbs I lost.
Maybe get a second opinion? I've never heard that before....14 -
ThrivingSpirit wrote: »So the official verdict from speaking to a professional today is that my body is freaking out trying to restore the weight I lost bc it doesn't understand that I'm not in a famine. Even though I never have a bigger deficit than 500 cals a day. My body is just really resistant to losing weight and is trying to save me as stupid as it is. Lol.
Increased ghrelin and leptin apparently.
😑 The official advice so far is just to ride it out and try to control it as much as possible to not regain the 10 lbs I lost.
Glad you talked to a professional. If you're on track with MFP to lose a pound a week, can you change the goal to a half-pound a week and see if that helps? You'd still be in a deficit, but not quite as large of one?1 -
Maybe there are food triggers for you. For example, and I'm not suggesting this is your problem, it's just an example of what happens with me - if I eat something sweet in the morning like pancakes or muffins, I feel like I'm starving all day long and will often lose control and eat everything in sight.
My doctor advised me to divide my calories somewhat evenly through the day and eat 300-400 calories for breakfast even when I'm not hungry in the morning because it will keep me from eating too much in the evening. It does help. I used to completely lose control around 3 or 4 in the afternoon, likely because I hadn't eaten anything until noon and was in too much of a calorie deficit by then.3 -
Perhaps tweaking your macros a bit for a few days might help just to see if you find it easier. My gut says more fat or even maybe a tad more protein since you are working out regularly. I would think 100g would be right but until you play with a little you never know if a little more might help.
Or perhaps adjusting your fasting window to start a little later at night?0 -
ThrivingSpirit wrote: »I think a doctor visit is something that you need while you're having the problem and seeing a dietitian might help too. You might be missing something that your body needs.
The only time I had the problems you're describing is when I was pregnant...
😂 Well I'm definitely not. I've been having these episodes ever since I was a teenager, they always happen to me after I've lost weight.
(Also, my husband got snipped).
So the official verdict from speaking to a professional today is that my body is freaking out trying to restore the weight I lost bc it doesn't understand that I'm not in a famine. Even though I never have a bigger deficit than 500 cals a day. My body is just really resistant to losing weight and is trying to save me as stupid as it is. Lol.
Increased ghrelin and leptin apparently.
😑 The official advice so far is just to ride it out and try to control it as much as possible to not regain the 10 lbs I lost.
Yep.
Huge bowls of lettuce and other raw vegetables helped me a lot. I didn't necessarily get ravenous in the middle of the night, but I was legit ravenous in general right after losing and deciding to bump up calories again. It happens any time I increase calories after losing a few pounds. It's like, "Oh, we get to eat more now? EXCELLENT let's just eat all the food."
It settles down. Usually takes a couple weeks for me.
Hang on.3 -
Read around in the Maintaining Weight forum. Really common. :flowerforyou:1
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allieeveryday wrote: »ThrivingSpirit wrote: »So the official verdict from speaking to a professional today is that my body is freaking out trying to restore the weight I lost bc it doesn't understand that I'm not in a famine. Even though I never have a bigger deficit than 500 cals a day. My body is just really resistant to losing weight and is trying to save me as stupid as it is. Lol.
Increased ghrelin and leptin apparently.
😑 The official advice so far is just to ride it out and try to control it as much as possible to not regain the 10 lbs I lost.
Glad you talked to a professional. If you're on track with MFP to lose a pound a week, can you change the goal to a half-pound a week and see if that helps? You'd still be in a deficit, but not quite as large of one?
It seems like right now I can't do any kind of deficit. Can't even maintain. I'm starving unless I'm in a surplus!1 -
cmriverside wrote: »ThrivingSpirit wrote: »I think a doctor visit is something that you need while you're having the problem and seeing a dietitian might help too. You might be missing something that your body needs.
The only time I had the problems you're describing is when I was pregnant...
😂 Well I'm definitely not. I've been having these episodes ever since I was a teenager, they always happen to me after I've lost weight.
(Also, my husband got snipped).
So the official verdict from speaking to a professional today is that my body is freaking out trying to restore the weight I lost bc it doesn't understand that I'm not in a famine. Even though I never have a bigger deficit than 500 cals a day. My body is just really resistant to losing weight and is trying to save me as stupid as it is. Lol.
Increased ghrelin and leptin apparently.
😑 The official advice so far is just to ride it out and try to control it as much as possible to not regain the 10 lbs I lost.
Yep.
Huge bowls of lettuce and other raw vegetables helped me a lot. I didn't necessarily get ravenous in the middle of the night, but I was legit ravenous in general right after losing and deciding to bump up calories again. It happens any time I increase calories after losing a few pounds. It's like, "Oh, we get to eat more now? EXCELLENT let's just eat all the food."
It settles down. Usually takes a couple weeks for me.
Hang on.
Thank you! That's the first comment so far that's actually helped to ease my anxiety a bit. So you didn't regain a ton of weight though?1 -
Have you tried eating something with protein and fat just before bed? I'll usually eat cheese or drink milk at bedtime and it keeps me from not being able to sleep because I'm hungry.1
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ThrivingSpirit wrote: »cmriverside wrote: »ThrivingSpirit wrote: »I think a doctor visit is something that you need while you're having the problem and seeing a dietitian might help too. You might be missing something that your body needs.
The only time I had the problems you're describing is when I was pregnant...
😂 Well I'm definitely not. I've been having these episodes ever since I was a teenager, they always happen to me after I've lost weight.
(Also, my husband got snipped).
So the official verdict from speaking to a professional today is that my body is freaking out trying to restore the weight I lost bc it doesn't understand that I'm not in a famine. Even though I never have a bigger deficit than 500 cals a day. My body is just really resistant to losing weight and is trying to save me as stupid as it is. Lol.
Increased ghrelin and leptin apparently.
😑 The official advice so far is just to ride it out and try to control it as much as possible to not regain the 10 lbs I lost.
Yep.
Huge bowls of lettuce and other raw vegetables helped me a lot. I didn't necessarily get ravenous in the middle of the night, but I was legit ravenous in general right after losing and deciding to bump up calories again. It happens any time I increase calories after losing a few pounds. It's like, "Oh, we get to eat more now? EXCELLENT let's just eat all the food."
It settles down. Usually takes a couple weeks for me.
Hang on.
Thank you! That's the first comment so far that's actually helped to ease my anxiety a bit. So you didn't regain a ton of weight though?
No. It settles down. But there are going to be some ravenous days in the meantime. Don't give in.
You've successfully lost weight. That's one reason why we preach and preach about tiny deficits at the end of weight loss. You want to ease into it, not suddenly go from 1800 to 2400. That's just too big a jump and causes an unexpected appetite increase.
If you are still needing to lose more weight, set your goals and stick to them regardless of hunger/appetite. It will settle back down.
Easy does it.2 -
...and for the record, I lost over 70 pounds and have been in weight maintenance for nearly twelve years. The end of weight loss is the tricky part, but don't let your mind catastophize. Your body will find its happy place at the lower weight. Keep good records and trust them. I only need XXXX number of calories per day, regardless of what my appetite tells me sometimes.
A few days of being over by several hundred still won't make me gain a "ton of weight." If I do gain a pound or two, I know I can be careful for a few days and it will drop back off. Slow down that thinking. Give yourself a range.
Are you still needing to lose more weight?4 -
cmriverside wrote: »...and for the record, I lost over 70 pounds and have been in weight maintenance for nearly twelve years. The end of weight loss is the tricky part, but don't let your mind catastophize. Your body will find its happy place at the lower weight. Keep good records and trust them. I only need XXXX number of calories per day, regardless of what my appetite tells me sometimes.
A few days of being over by several hundred still won't make me gain a "ton of weight." If I do gain a pound or two, I know I can be careful for a few days and it will drop back off. Slow down that thinking. Give yourself a range.
Are you still needing to lose more weight?
Yeah I'm still obese, I have about 55 more lbs to go.0 -
ThrivingSpirit wrote: »I think a doctor visit is something that you need while you're having the problem and seeing a dietitian might help too. You might be missing something that your body needs.
The only time I had the problems you're describing is when I was pregnant...
So the official verdict from speaking to a professional today is that my body is freaking out trying to restore the weight I lost bc it doesn't understand that I'm not in a famine. Even though I never have a bigger deficit than 500 cals a day. My body is just really resistant to losing weight and is trying to save me as stupid as it is. Lol.
What professional told you this? This sounds like "starvation mode" which is absolutely not a thing. Adaptive thermogenesis doesn't kick in until you're basically dying starving.
Definitely agree with others that a doctor visit is in order but if it were me I might also go through the database entries I used and double-check the info is correct. Perhaps you're not getting as much as you thought you were (happened to me a couple times).
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