going hungry on a low calorie diet!!! (I have a long day)

soinbnsng
soinbnsng Posts: 65 Member
in Food and Nutrition
I'm 179 5'8 and have already lost some weight from diet and exrecise. I am work outing out 5 times a week cardio and strength training. According to mfp my net calories should be around 1530 and that's what I try to keep it at.
The thing is I work two retail jobs and go to school. So usually I'm up at 330am no later than 5am everyday including weekends and don't get to bed until 10-11pm. The day seems really long and I'm usually to my limit of calories by 7pm but right before bed I'm starving!!!! And sometimes I end up binging :(
Am I doing something wrong?? Am I really hungry because I just recently started workin out a lot? Will that pas once I get use to it?
Is there some sort of appetite suprresent I can take? I already use green tea and I try eating pretty healthy. Lots of fruits and veggies and whole grains and protein. I keep the junk limited to date night and stuff. I'm losing weigh but I'm always hungry and that's no fun
Any advice is appreciated. Thanks

Replies

  • Dragonwolf
    Dragonwolf Posts: 5,600 Member
    There's no way to know for sure without seeing your diary, but here are some thoughts that have come to mind:

    1. You're not eating enough in general. 1530 for someone who's 5'8" is good if they're sedentary or maybe "lightly active." You, however, are not. Retail is far from "lightly active." So your base calories may be too low.

    2. You're eating too many carbs. I'm not saying "carbs are evil," but one thing I've seen most around here is that carbs increase appetite in a lot of people. I know I struggled personally with hunger until I decreased my carbs and increased my fats. Fats are naturally satiating, so you'll fell full longer. Make sure they're good fats. The fats from deep fried foods aren't really good fats. Get the fats from things like avocados, nuts, good quality meats, and full-fat dairy are better options.
  • Arbeidslyst
    Arbeidslyst Posts: 129
    It would help to know what you eat. But general advice:

    - You're not eating enough.
    - How many meals do you eat a day? Could you try snacking between main meals?
    - What are you eating? For my part I stay full longer with a good mix of fat, carb and protein.
  • Lizzy622
    Lizzy622 Posts: 3,705 Member
    You also may not be getting enough sleep. If you don't sleep enough your body does not produce enough hormones to tell you to stop eating. (ghrelin is the hormone I think)
  • meshashesha2012
    meshashesha2012 Posts: 8,329 Member
    why cant you eat after 7? are you a gremlin?
    are you eating things that really keep you full rather than filler stuff that tricks your body into being full?
    are you sure your calorie goal is adequate?
  • kiaydemir
    kiaydemir Posts: 8
    Try some cottage cheese with avocado for your last meal (with or without some whey protein drink)It's a brilliant "before bedtime "snack. Slow release fats and protein, keep you full for longer. :)
  • Confuzzled4ever
    Confuzzled4ever Posts: 2,860 Member
    eat after 7...choose higher protein foods and consider you might not be eating enough overall...

    ETA: agree with the sleep comment. You need sleep for health. I always eat more when I don't sleep enough. You're body needs sleep to recharge, if you don't allow it to sleep it will want more calories (more energy) so it can stay awake.
  • Carnivor0us
    Carnivor0us Posts: 1,752 Member
    Thirding the sleep comment. Too little sleep and too much activity can cause hunger.
  • cuinboston2014
    cuinboston2014 Posts: 848 Member
    Thirding the sleep comment. Too little sleep and too much activity can cause hunger.

    Fourthing (?) this. Some days I'm up at 4:30am and usually also have to stay up later. These days I am always hungrier - and even if I'm not actually "hungry" my appetite is much greater. Sleep plays a huge role.

    Not just for your weight but for many health reasons you really need to get more sleep.
  • JeanDescole
    JeanDescole Posts: 152
    I suppose the answer here is to eat more protein and up your calories and sleep hours, but I think you should also look at how and when you eat. Often eating a blended soup, smoothie or oatmeal helps fill me and other members of family up for longer because it takes the stomach more time to digest these as opposed to a regular meal and lots of non-thick fluid like soda or water. It's because the fluid disappears quickly so the stomach contracts quickly, but when you have thick blended soup it fills your stomach up because it doesnt flow to your bladder straight away.
  • BlueBombers
    BlueBombers Posts: 4,064 Member
    why cant you eat after 7? are you a gremlin?
    are you eating things that really keep you full rather than filler stuff that tricks your body into being full?
    are you sure your calorie goal is adequate?



    I love that movie!
  • Eleonora91
    Eleonora91 Posts: 688 Member
    If I slept 4-6 hours each night I would probably not be hungry, just dead...
    You definitely need to satisfy all of your needs - sleep, rest, and also food! If you're starving by eating 1500 kcals, try to increase it (calculate your TDEE so that you can stay under) and choose your food wisely by eating filling, healthy foods that won't leave you hungry
  • extra_medium
    extra_medium Posts: 1,525 Member
    why cant you eat after 7? are you a gremlin?

    OP said he or she is at the calorie limit by then most days, so maybe spreading it out better is the answer
  • itsjoma
    itsjoma Posts: 2 Member
    Eat more vegetables! They are portable and many can be eaten without any preparation. I try to eat at least 4 cups of vegetables a day and 1-2 fruits in addition to lean protein at every meal. I cut out breads and sugars and end up eating lots of food with very low calories. I try to drink a half gallon of water throughout the day. Water is my only beverage. I have been very successful losing when I stick to this formula and I am rarely hungry.
  • soinbnsng
    soinbnsng Posts: 65 Member
    I googled tdee and calculated it. If I stay 20% under I'm still at a little over 2,000 calories. That seems like an awful lot considering I'm trying to lose 30 pounds
  • soinbnsng
    soinbnsng Posts: 65 Member
    Also I would LOVE to get more sleep and I'm sure that would help but unfortunately having to work 60+ hours a week plus full time school does not make that possible. But thanks to everyone for all the feedback
  • bcc112986
    bcc112986 Posts: 362 Member
    Yea just be reading your post it seems you're calories are too low to start with. Also try adding low cal protein/meal replacement shakes with meals or in between. Granola, yogurt, cottage cheese, apples, big salads. All great to fill you up and keep your cals low.

    Brittany
  • Dragonwolf
    Dragonwolf Posts: 5,600 Member
    I googled tdee and calculated it. If I stay 20% under I'm still at a little over 2,000 calories. That seems like an awful lot considering I'm trying to lose 30 pounds

    You only have 30lbs to lose, and you lead a rather active life. 2000 calories seems about spot on, if not still a little on the low side. TDEE-20% might be too aggressive for you at this point (someone might be able to verify the per-week weight loss rate with TDEE-20% for me) and you might even be better off bumping it to TDEE-15% or so. It probably seems like a lot, because you're used to eating quite a bit less, and because it's not uncommon for people to think that insane deficits mean insane losses (technically, they can, but at a pretty high cost, especially with those without much to lose).
  • Francl27
    Francl27 Posts: 26,371 Member
    Use scooby http://scoobysworkshop.com/calorie-calculator/

    Seriously, I'm 35, 5'5", 142 lbs now and I've been losing at 1600. You can probably eat way more.

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