I feel like I'm starving...

NewandImproved1

I have tried MFP in the past and never used it more than a week and now I realize why. I feel like I'm starving and I started anew on Tuesday and Woke up Friday 3 pounds lighter. My perfect weight as far as looks and clothes is 225 Im tall and that's also how my body composition is. I suspect there is something different in Diet settings when you already weigh so much...It restricts so much. I was probably eating 3500 calories per day and now down to 1900.

In the past I never counted I just tweaked a few things and changed the "type if foods I was eating" I am eating lots of vegetables now, and brown rice...but I am trying to get used to this pain in my stomache.

Oh well...

Mokey41

Open your diary and we may be able to offer you some suggestions that will help with your food choices. Plan some 100 calorie snacks throughout the day and drink lots of water or other sugar free beverage. It takes about 3 weeks for your body to assume a new habit so you have to tough it out for a bit. FWIW, 1900 calories is more than enough food if you make good choices to not be starving. I'd kill to be able to eat that much in a day.

BarbieAS

Make sure your intake level is appropriate for you and your activity level. If you're tall, and (sorry if I'm wrong, but judging by your post and ticker) you weigh ~330lbs, then 1900 might be too aggressive of a goal for you, especially if you're adding in any sort of exercise. There's COUNTLESS posts on here about the best ways to set a calorie goal for yourself, search around and check them out.

Then, make sure that you're eating enough protein and fat - sometimes (especially within the MFP defaults) people hit too far under on those macros and those are the ones that are going to contribute to satiety the most. Make sure to get enough fruits, vegetables and fiber as well, plus make sure to get enough water - all of those will go a long way to keeping you full, too. Also, try to avoid snacks that aren't really providing you anything nutritionally. Sure, there very well might be room for 100 calories of pretzels or one of those packs of cookies in your day, but if you're having trouble with hunger there are better ways to spend 100 calories - a string cheese, some nuts, etc.

Finally, give it a few days. It's a big shock to go from 3500 to 1900 calories, and your body needs to adjust. As you get used to the new calorie intake, and as you find foods that help you stay fuller longer, it will become easier.

allshebe

Try eating what you normally do for a week or two (and log every bite you eat) to get a baseline for where you're at now (and are you relatively stable or gaining?). From your baseline, find ways to cut from 250-1000 calories, depending on whether you are stable or gaining now and how fast you want to lose. Eating at a deficit of about 3500 calories per week should average out to a 1 pound per week loss.

NewandImproved1

Thanks Mokey I'm kind if self conscious about having a public profile but I will try to eat more frequently rather than piling the calories 3x a day

Barbie this all all very good advice...like what you said about protein and fat...thanks so much.

Allshebe... Haha I should have done that before I guess. Should have taken note of exactly how much pizza I was eating...

Hildy_J

Hmmmm 1900 really doesn't sound very much if you have over a hundred to lose. Perhaps adjust your weekly loss to a pound a week instead of two? Or try TDEE-20% - that way you don't have to log exercise calories.

I put in the details (my guesstimate!) for a lady who is 30 yrs old, 5ft 10 and 300 pounds into the TDEE calc here http://www.fat2fitradio.com/tools/bmr/ then took off 20% and arrived at a daily calorie allowance of 2311.

All the best, anyway!

FrauHaas2013

Check out the "show me your food" thread and see the massive plates of food people on MFP are eating!!! There's no reason to starve yourself; you've just got to learn to make better food choices that will fill you up for your caloric limit, which seems pretty low, BTW unless you're working out like crazy!

aelphabawest

Start smaller! If your baseline is 3,500, eat 3,000 for a week or two, then 2,500, then 2,000, etc. Decrease gradually and you won't feel like starving as much. Make sure MFP says 1 or .5 lbs as your goal as well. More isn't always better.

NewandImproved1

I'm actually 6 foot something. Thanks for the link

NewandImproved1

Thank you

NewandImproved1

Yes one other person sent me a message on how to maximize my calories...
This Is a big part if it.

amiedwards906

I'm 5'10" and I started out trying to keep my total calories under the suggested amount (for me it was about 1840 to start and down to 1760 since I've lost) not taking into account exercise and honestly, I was so hungry I wanted to cry. I looked back at some of those "early days" and my net calories were about 800-900 a day. There was a reason I was starving, I was used to eating about 2,000 calories more than that! I have tweeked it since then so that I make sure that my net (rather than total) calories stay between 1200- 1600 calories depending on the time of the month. Also, I choose snacks that will give me the illusion of eating a lot. I choose things like pistachios in shell and string cheese (that can be dragged out so it feels like you've been eating for 20-30 minutes) or popcorn (3 cups is a 160 calorie serving and will fill up a decent size bowl). I also rarely drink my calories. I drink water or unsweetened herbal tea and on the rare occasion I treat myself with Starbucks, I will do added exercise to make up for it. Hope this helps! :-)

ToFatT0B3S1ck

I the feeling of being hungry.

Nicolee_2014

You may be feeling hungry because you aren't eating the right stuff. It's 1 thing to reach your calories for the day but if they are 'empty' calories so to speak, you will be hungry.

NewandImproved1

Yes it does help I have been drinking a few hot chocolates a day . I guess something like all natural popcorn would be a better snack. The liquid calories (Shakes My Head)

NewandImproved1

Thanks for your comments everyone

OMGeeeHorses

hey great job! I am tweaking my numbers as we speak, I keep plateauing after loosing my 40lbs on 1600-1800 now I am at 1300-1500 at 290lbs. I eat a ton of vegetables and am satisfied. I have not felt hungry in a long time honestly.

FYI- Plateauing due to being allergic to gluten and lactose intolerant issues. My stomach is back on track now tho and I am working my way back up in calories ( been averaging 1160, very bad!!)