Trying to decide on a final goal weight + hunger?

netitheyeti

Ok, so I've been maintaining in the 128-132lb range past 3-4 months. I'm 30F, a hair under 5'3, so it's a high normal BMI. I felt like I really needed a break and some time to assess my goals.
I lost weight eating 1200-1300kcal a day in the past (I was roughly 160lbs last July), but I was not very active. I would work out maybe 2-3x a week for half an hour.

Past 2, 2 and a half months I've really upped both my exercise and my intake. I saw my weight initially jump 2lbs but since then it's stayed stable.
I've been working out 5-6x a week for anywhere between 45-90 minutes (mostly cardio/body weight stuff, then using whatever weights I have at home roughly 2x a week), and occasionally throwing in a long walk or some beginner level yoga. Eating back about 80-90% of the calories mfp gave me seemed pretty spot on for maintenance btw.

My concern is I feel like I'm too close to the high end to feel really comfortable at this weight? I feel like I look "ok" but still have (at least imo) a fairly large amount of bodyfat. I feel stronger and like I have a lot more endurance than I did before, but definitely don't feel very "firm".

But I've now (past few days) tried to drop my intake about 250-300 kcal and I feel like I'm starving. Yikes. I don't remember being this hungry before.
I eat a LOT of vegetables and fibre, and a decent amount of protein. The only thing I can think of is I'm working out a lot more than I used to?
Any advice? I know I'm technically within normal in terms of BMI but apart from having wide hips/bigger thighs I have a relatively small frame and figure might be better off aiming for something along the lines of losing another 10 lbs, long term

sijomial

Learning to maintain has given you additional options.
Especially for the "last few pounds" and without any time pressure you don't need to be in a calorie deficit every day. That might make it easier to slightly tip your average calorie balance into a negative without feeling overly restrictive or struggling with hunger every day.

There are days I can comfortably be well under maintenance levels, normally on a day of high activity or longer low to moderate cardio. High intensity exercise (strength or cardio) I find boosts my hunger far more and not a good day for me to choose to cut calories.
Plus there's a big mental/emotional difference to being under calories for just one day at a time rather than facing an interminable every day deficit.

Really all options are open to you including dieting for a day at a time to a week at a time, skipping meals, short term restriction or even exclusion of some treats, boosting your NEAT, increasing/changing your exercise.... etc. etc.

Start from thinking how to make it as easy as possible would be my suggestion.

cmriverside

Those last few pounds I was hungry a LOT. Especially in the beginning of lowered calories.

Give it about a week.

It took me nine months to lose the last 15 pounds - did I mention I was hungry? I had a very hard time sticking to a consistent calorie deficit. I did it sometimes, but sometimes I just couldn't. Stay the course, you'll get there - it's just slow at the end.

netitheyeti

I might just try and stick to a bigger (well. bigger relative to my goals, not like... insane for someone with my stats) deficit on the days when I go for a walk/do yoga vs the days where I spend an hour+ jumping around like a maniac hah.
Yeah the mental/emotional aspect of it was a big reason why I decided to try and maintain for a few months in the first place. Again, I don't feel bad or think I look particularly bad atm, I'm just trying to find my "happy/comfortable weight" and know I'm not quite there yet. Hopefully my appetite will level off a bit if I keep going and maybe work on eating food with more volume. I just realised I've barely had any of my typical salads lately, too, just because we've not been going shopping as often as we normally would.

DancingMoosie

I found that at the beginning of weight training, it really spiked my hunger. It takes a lot of energy to build muscle and strength. But as time went on, I don't feel that hunger spike any more. So, if strength training is new, maybe that's it. A smaller daily deficit (maybe 200), or closer to maintenance some days, larger deficit others, depending on how your exercise affects your hunger. I also find that certain foods just don't really register as filling to me. I've recently switched a carby night snack for a protein bar, and it seems to stick with me longer

netitheyeti

DancingMoosie wrote: »

So, if strength training is new, maybe that's it.

I only added it in within the past 2-3 weeks, yeah! I'd been doing some bodyweight stuff before, but the rest is new, definitely

sardelsa

As others mentioned, the last 5-10lbs or so can be a bit uncomfortable but with time it can get easier. You kind of start to see patterns of hunger and which foods fill you up. Sometimes exercise increases hunger and it eventually levels off. You might have to play with other things besides macros and fiber like food timing, food schedule (if you want to eat more some days, less other days, take refeed days). Sometimes it is just remains slightly uncomfortable so taking regular diet breaks help.

VeryKatie

Once I started lifting weights I really had to up my protein AND FAT. More so fat, to be honest. What is your fat intake like? Fat actually keeps you full longer than protein. Protein helps provide nutrition for building or keeping muscle in a deficit. Both are important.

You could also try eating more on days you do weights and less (net) on days you don't.

netitheyeti

I seem to end up eating 40 something % carb , around 30% fat and the rest protein (most days anyway) - this is with me only focusing on kcal not the macros (seems to be how I end up eating if I eat whatever I want?), 90% of the time I'm well above the minimum fibre too... I don't cook with oils much but I get a decent amount of fat through nuts and seeds, and some of my meat

cmriverside

40/30/30 is a great split for that last few pounds.

I made it my job to cook and prepare 13 out of 14 meals myself. I vetted every food item I logged to make sure I was logging accurately. I used a food scale set to grams. I ate as close as possible to my projected protein goal every day - even when it increased with exercise.

I dumped the treat food and alcohol. Dessert was fruit and yogurt and maybe a little jello powder and nuts with that, depending on my mood.

I cut back my grains to one serving a day.

I found productive ways to deal with stress such as exercise, meditation and sufficient sleep. I cut back on my caffeine.

It was a juggling act in the end and I had to do everything in my power to make it happen.