How do you deal with "Hungry Days"

mrs_kurz
mrs_kurz Posts: 185 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Hi All,

I've recently really got down to weight loss properly and I feel like i've done well. I want to get down to 9 stone (currntly 9 stone 11/12 and 5'5"). My diet (i don't like that word!) / eating less/healthier regeime has been going well but the last couple of days I just want to stuff my face with everything! I'm really trying not to but I'm worried i'm going to lose control and binge.

I'm trying to stick to 1,200 calories a day which seems to be working well for me at the moment. however I'm not sure it's enough. i'm just so scared of gaining weight now. I definitely developed a bit of an eating disorder when I left uni, bingeing and using food to control my emotions and ended up gaining about 3 stone. So losing weight is great but I want to be in a place where I can maintain 9 stone as a healthy weight and exercise as a lifestyle. What do you suggest to get through these days where I want to eat an entire tub of M&S treats just because they taste nice?! Worried i'm going to sabotage myself and gain it all back.

Replies

  • inktink
    inktink Posts: 135 Member
    That's tough and I've struggled with it too, but my first observation is that you're eating only 1200 calories.. why is that?
  • Railr0aderTony
    Railr0aderTony Posts: 6,803 Member
    You say that 1200 is working well for you but yet you are Hungry and ready to binge? I for one believe anytime you deprive yourself of the things you want you are setting yourself up for failure. Maybe try working in a few treats into your day to resist wanting to binge on all the things you love.

    I have serious doubts that 1200 calories is enough for you but more than that you need to know your numbers. Do you know your BMR and TDEE? I suggest you do a little reading find your true numbers of what you should be eatting then you might not be quiet as hungry.

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/975025-in-place-of-a-road-map-short-n-sweet
  • chandanista
    chandanista Posts: 986 Member
    If you are 5'5", 21 years old, and only have 11-12 pounds to lose (already at a healthy weight) then 1200 is almost certainly too low. Have you calculated your BMR? I would suggest not eating under that. Adding a few calories, and some treats, in your daily life will reduce the "need to binge" feeling.
  • mortuseon
    mortuseon Posts: 579 Member
    Try upping your calories by 1-2 hundred and seeing if the cravings desist. Also try to eat foods which will sustain you for longer (I eat wholegrains because they don't spike my blood sugar so much) and DO treat yourself occasionally or you'll fall off the wagon.
  • michelegurr
    michelegurr Posts: 55 Member
    Hi there! I just had a Hungry Day yesterday! VERY stressful day at work, Pressure to finish inline degree, etc. And for some reason I came home and wanted to eat the whole kitchen! But I ate some ice cream, decided to do a little wii video game stuff (my fave workout cuz its more like well, playing! haha) and I found I can make enough of the craving go away that I can fight it off by drinking those water additives? Don't know what you have available where you live but Dasani makes a coconut pineapple flavor that rocks! Well all of their flavors rock but try something like that...thank God there was no chocolate in the house yesterday LOL I'd have undone a few days hard work LOL Also got on myfitnesspal and chatted with friends to distract me and get moral support!
  • Lemmynade
    Lemmynade Posts: 160 Member
    I know it's bad, but sometimes on my "hungry days" I'll have a diet soda to make my stomach feel full. The carbonation helps trick me into believing that I'm full. I know that diet soda is the devil and all, but it helps me. I also force myself to drink a full glass of water before I indulge in whatever treat I'm craving. It helps me feel satiated quicker.

    And sometimes just one bite of something is satisfying! A bite vs. a whole candy bar is a great way to get what you want with minimal damage.
  • bluefox9er
    bluefox9er Posts: 2,917 Member
    Hi All,

    I've recently really got down to weight loss properly and I feel like i've done well. I want to get down to 9 stone (currntly 9 stone 11/12 and 5'5"). My diet (i don't like that word!) / eating less/healthier regeime has been going well but the last couple of days I just want to stuff my face with everything! I'm really trying not to but I'm worried i'm going to lose control and binge.

    I'm trying to stick to 1,200 calories a day which seems to be working well for me at the moment. however I'm not sure it's enough. i'm just so scared of gaining weight now. I definitely developed a bit of an eating disorder when I left uni, bingeing and using food to control my emotions and ended up gaining about 3 stone. So losing weight is great but I want to be in a place where I can maintain 9 stone as a healthy weight and exercise as a lifestyle. What do you suggest to get through these days where I want to eat an entire tub of M&S treats just because they taste nice?! Worried i'm going to sabotage myself and gain it all back.

    if im hungry, i eat. and 1,200 calories is probably less than a kid in Ethiopia would eat...try eating more.
  • Eaving1
    Eaving1 Posts: 40
    I have the same problem, binge-eating history and all, days where I just feel like eating everything in sight (today was one of those days...) When you get the urge to munch, depending on what time of day it is, chug a large glass of water and try to sleep, if that doens't work, go and buy whatever you're craving and have a small amount of it, then give or throw the rest away, so you can't overeat.
  • JulieAnn72
    JulieAnn72 Posts: 795 Member
    Try upping your calories by 1-2 hundred and seeing if the cravings desist. Also try to eat foods which will sustain you for longer (I eat wholegrains because they don't spike my blood sugar so much) and DO treat yourself occasionally or you'll fall off the wagon.
    ^^This. Also, as others have recommended, figure out your BMR and TDEE. I did the 1200 calories thing at the beginning and it worked great. But then it stopped working, particularly when I added in more exercise. I added calories and found myself more satisfied and continued to lose. It's definitely worth trying. You're very close to your goal.
  • Holly_Roman_Empire
    Holly_Roman_Empire Posts: 4,440 Member
    Eat the tub of m&ms until the craving is satisfied. Then exercise today and tomorrow until you work off the extra calories. Also, unless you're 5'0", it's likely you could raise your calorie goal and still be able to lose weight.
  • Eaving1
    Eaving1 Posts: 40
    That's tough and I've struggled with it too, but my first observation is that you're eating only 1200 calories.. why is that?

    1200 seems to be the recommended intake for weightloss.
  • kittenful
    kittenful Posts: 318 Member
    I don't have hungry days. When I'm hungry, I grab a little snack (piece of snack cheese, a few cherry tomatoes, what ever calls me at the moment). Trigger foods are obviously out, because if I can't (or won't) stop eating it, then it's not a good snack.

    You say "I'm trying to stick to 1,200 calories a day which seems to be working well for me at the moment", but that doesn't seem to be the case. Try upping your calorie intake a bit, or working out and eating back all of your exercise calories (you have my apology if you already do so).
  • blueboxgeek
    blueboxgeek Posts: 574 Member
    I'd say at only 1200 calories you have definitely got some space to go over if you are genuinely hungry. That would be a lot lower than most people's TDEE so even if you ate up to 1500 - 1800 it would more than likely still be under your TDEE so you wouldn't gain.

    If you are happy with 1200 then I'm not gonna judge, but on hungry days I wouldn't worry too much about eating a few hundred more calories.

    If it's more through boredom, then I enjoy things like painting my nails (makes eating harder.... though not impossible lol) or other pampering things, like a soak in a bubble bath, a pedicure or a facial. It kinda makes me feel good and I'm less likely to stuff my face when I am feeling good.
  • Hjdavenport
    Hjdavenport Posts: 21
    Try the Fiber One 90 calorie bars! They are delicious, and perfect for a snack. Especially if you have a sweet tooth. Plus they have lots of fiber to make you feel full longer. Also, you may want to try eating small meals several times a day...this has helped me stay full all day long and it keeps your metabolism going (i.e. 5 meals...spaced out every 3 hours or so).

    I agree with the statements above, 1200/day is probably not enough for you! I tried that at first (I only want to lose about 8 lbs), and when I started eating more calories I started losing more. Different strokes for different folks though, so whatever works for you!! :)
  • battybecks
    battybecks Posts: 147 Member
    if im hungry, i eat. and 1,200 calories is probably less than a kid in Ethiopia would eat...try eating more.

    A rich kid in Ethopia you mean? Don't trivialise ...



    I'm on 1,200 calories, but I always eat about 1,500 - just get some extra exercise done and then eat more!
  • mjf0461
    mjf0461 Posts: 470 Member
    It's during those times of hunger spasms that I jump up and do some kind of cardio, squats, walk some kind of exercise. That helps me forget that I am hungry. I also have gone an brushed my teeth when feeling hungry and that stops the hunger and cravings.

    Just don't be idle when you feel this urge coming on. Move do something.

    Good Luck
  • mrs_kurz
    mrs_kurz Posts: 185 Member
    It's during those times of hunger spasms that I jump up and do some kind of cardio, squats, walk some kind of exercise. That helps me forget that I am hungry. I also have gone an brushed my teeth when feeling hungry and that stops the hunger and cravings.

    Just don't be idle when you feel this urge coming on. Move do something.

    Good Luck

    LOL I'll just stand next to my desk and do some starjumps!! Thanks everyone for the replies. I agree that 1,200 is proabbly not enough but it was probably a good way to start me getting into the mindset of eating less. I will spend some proper time tongiht looking into that TDEE and BMR thing properly - never realy done any proper calculations! I guess my aim now is to lose inches and tone up more while I lose the last few pounds!
  • BoubouChan
    BoubouChan Posts: 163 Member
    Most days I don't have too much trouble sticking to my calorie goals, but I do have days when I just feel hungry all the time. On those days I try to distract myself, go for a walk. etc. If I feel my hunger is genuine and not psychological I will have a reasonable snack. Otherwise I remind myself that I care more about meeting my goals than about eating this or that treat. Plus I have issues with binge eating so I know I really have to be careful. Emotional binge eating is how I gained the weight in the first place.
  • noemibp
    noemibp Posts: 167
    Eat the tub of m&ms until the craving is satisfied. Then exercise today and tomorrow until you work off the extra calories. Also, unless you're 5'0", it's likely you could raise your calorie goal and still be able to lose weight.

    This. ;)
  • Iron_Lotus
    Iron_Lotus Posts: 2,295 Member
    If your hungry eat! Your body is telling you something.
  • doctorsookie
    doctorsookie Posts: 1,084 Member
    Honestly if I feel hungry I eat. If I don't I set myself up for a binge later. Don't deny your body food, it will tell you when it's hungry. Learn to recognize these clues and you'll so fine. And extra sandwich won't sabotage you. Good luck and hope you gwt things figured out.
  • Hildy_J
    Hildy_J Posts: 1,050 Member
    Agree with advice about upping calories 200 to kill cravings.

    Sometimes I eat the treats. All the treats the 24-hour garage sells. Sometimes I resist the treats. Falling off the wagon isn't important. All that matters is that you get back on and remember that feeling guilty gives you a 0-calorie burn. :wink:

    You're doing great and you're finding your own way through.
  • sloth3toes
    sloth3toes Posts: 2,212 Member
    I want to eat an entire tub of M&S treats just because they taste nice?

    Is this a typo, ( did you mean M&M's ? ) or is it some kind of UK delicacy that I'm unfamiliar with? I Googled it, and did find something like a M&S gift basket, that has edibles in it... so, I"m thinking it could be either way.
  • xyz68x
    xyz68x Posts: 30
    Go to Panera and get a big *kitten* salad
  • SLLRunner
    SLLRunner Posts: 12,942 Member
    In my experience as the cheating/bingeing poster child in my kind of recent past, binge eating goes away when I eat a balanced diet, don't deprive myself, and eat enough calories to keep myself moving.

    You need to properly fuel your body, and unless you are sedentary (sitting on the sofa all day with your eyes bugging our and your mouth hanging open or you are sleeping all day), you probably need more than 1,200 calories.

    So, my advice to you would to be eat more and allow that occasional treat. There is nothing wrong with having a brownie or a serving of ice cream, the problem happens when we have two or three brownies or a double serving of ice cream.

    Hang in there, and congratulations on your success so far!
  • GingerLolita
    GingerLolita Posts: 738 Member
    It depends on what is causing my hunger. It's usually either an above-average exercise length/intensity, not enough sleep, eating empty calories from non-filling foods, or boredom.

    If it's exercise, I realize that body might truly need those calories, so I eat some extra if I need, as long as I don't go above my net maintenance calorie budget.

    I've been truly to get close to 8 hours of sleep each night so that I don't have crashes that can only be solved with getting extra energy from food. I usually have 1 or 2 shots of espresso in the morning, but I can't have caffeine later in the day or I won't sleep the next night. Dark chocolate is also a good source of caffeine that doesn't affect my sleep as much as coffee. Otherwise, stick with small amounts of high-energy foods, like a handful of peanuts or a teaspoon of sugar.

    Assess what you've been eating the past few days and make sure all your foods have been filling enough, assuming you've been eating enough calories. Are you getting enough protein and fiber? Are most of your grains whole? If your diet is full of processed food with poor nutritional content, you may not be getting what you need from your food.

    Boredom is a difficult one, but it helps to realize that you aren't hungry as a first step. Then just keep yourself busy and get out of the house (or at least the kitchen) if possible.

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