Struggling to maintain

Makoce

Now that I have upped my calories ( I upped them very slowly, too ), I find myself always hungry!
When I ate very low calories, it was enough for me, and I didnt find myself wanting to snack/thinking about food.

Now, all I want to do is eat. I always feel hungry.
Why is this? Will it go away? Im afraid I will re-gain weight due to it.
I posted a topic similar to this a few weeks ago, but Im still having this issue.

( Please bear in mind I still have another 100 calories to up before I am at what MFP says is my maintenance, Im still in the process of upping. )

auddii

I forgot the source, so nothing to post to back this up, but I believe one of the responses to the body being hungry and getting less food than it's used to is to actually cut hunger pangs. I don't remember exactly why this is, but it's related to an evolutionary response to long period of having less food available (like in winter when hunter/gatherers just don't have as much to eat). Then, when food is plentiful, the hunger starts up again, and you eat to compensate. Back when it was a cyclical process, you eat more than you need to gain weight, to store for fuel during winter times when food was scarce.

Try and stay within your calorie goal, and make sure you calculated your maintenance calories correctly (another possibility is you aren't eating enough yet, and you're just hungry). My suggestion is follow your plan until you reach your expected maintenance level. Eat at that for a month and see how you feel and what your weight does. If you're still losing, up your calories. If you maintain, but you're still hungry, you could try upping by 100 and waiting a few weeks and see what happens. Basically, use trial and error to find your true maintenance level and try and use your hunger as a guide, but give yourself time to adjust to the new levels.

ETA: Also, hopefully some other people will comment, but I believe several people have said MFP gives a rather low maintenance level.

emAZn

I'm not at maintenance yet but I upped my calories to a vlcd to a tdee-20 ish range and holy cow am I way more hungry now and I'm eating double what I used to! The only thing that really helps me with hunger is drinking a lot of water (at least a gallon a day) and making sure I hit my protein goal which is 1 lb for each lb of lean body mass (103 g) for me. Also if you're still eating a lot of "diet foods" and "low-fat" stuff to fill up on you might want to start integrating some of the full fat version. The portions are a little smaller to be able to fit into your calorie goal but I notice I stay fuller much longer with 2% yogurt than the fat free version.

Makoce

Makes sense!
It's just driving me craaaaazy.

And yeah, about MFP giving low maintenance levels.
It gives me 1463, but other sites say anywhere from 1500 - 1590 and I'm like woah now, I dont know what to believe.

I dont eat any diet foods, Ive always just eaten the same foods I always have in lower quantities.

nxd10

I had that problem when I upped my calories because of WHAT I ate. What I wound up eating more of were carbs. When I dropped them back to where they had been before (<40%) and upped my fat and protein instead, I stopped being hungry.

Besides - are you in a place in the country where it is really cold? EVERYONE is hungry right now! :laugh:

kluvit

Are you eating more often? For me, my first meal starts the hunger cycle. When I was in weight loss mode, I typically skipped breakfast and ate a low calorie frozen meal for lunch in order to save my calories to have dinner with my family (small portions of whatever we were having...even fried chicken or pizza) followed by a small portion of dessert.

Once I moved to maintenance, I thought I could add back my favorite breakfast foods, but I found that if I ate breakfast, I actually felt more hungry a few hours later and was "starving" by lunch and tended to eat more than I did when I skipped breakfast altogether. Now, I delay my first meal until I'm really hungry (sometimes lunch, sometimes dinner, but rarely breakfast), and I generally have fewer hunger pangs than if I eat more often.

Just another idea in addition to the others offered here. It may just be a matter of experimenting until you figure out what works best for you.

Makoce

I eat every 3 hours.

laineybz

Are you eating more often? For me, my first meal starts the hunger cycle. When I was in weight loss mode, I typically skipped breakfast and ate a low calorie frozen meal for lunch in order to save my calories to have dinner with my family (small portions of whatever we were having...even fried chicken or pizza) followed by a small portion of dessert.

Once I moved to maintenance, I thought I could add back my favorite breakfast foods, but I found that if I ate breakfast, I actually felt more hungry a few hours later and was "starving" by lunch and tended to eat more than I did when I skipped breakfast altogether. Now, I delay my first meal until I'm really hungry (sometimes lunch, sometimes dinner, but rarely breakfast), and I generally have fewer hunger pangs than if I eat more often.

Just another idea in addition to the others offered here. It may just be a matter of experimenting until you figure out what works best for you.

This for me too. If i eat breakfast I get hungrier so I tend to not have it on the days i'm at work. I eat breakfast on my days off though.

laineybz

Makes sense!
It's just driving me craaaaazy.

And yeah, about MFP giving low maintenance levels.
It gives me 1463, but other sites say anywhere from 1500 - 1590 and I'm like woah now, I dont know what to believe.

I dont eat any diet foods, Ive always just eaten the same foods I always have in lower quantities.

MFP has me around 1460 cals for maintenance too. I've put mine as 1520 according to other online calculators. Hasn't harmed me tbf.

cwolfman13

as you increase your caloric intake, your leptin levels increase. leptin is the hormone that regulates your feelings of hunger...increased leptin means increased hunger cues. It will level off as your body balances out the hormone to normal levels.

It is the same reason people diet and after a few days they're like, "hey...I can eat 2 calories and I'm not even hungry." They're leptin levels are in the tank and thus not properly sending hunger cues. This is why it's ill-advisable to go off of hunger cues alone when you're dieting or when you're overweight...overweight/obese individuals have high leptin levels and can eat and eat and eat without feeling "full".

deksgrl

As someone already suggested, look at your percentage of carbs/fat/protein and compare to the percentages you were eating before.

The reason you don't feel hungry when eating less is because of the hormones that regulate hunger. In times of famine, the hormones signaled "not hungry" so you could get by a long time without food. In times of plenty, the hormones signaled "eat all you can before famine strikes again". This should level off after awhile as your body adjusts to the new level of food, assuming your ratios are satisfactory.

heybales

Makes sense!
It's just driving me craaaaazy.

And yeah, about MFP giving low maintenance levels.
It gives me 1463, but other sites say anywhere from 1500 - 1590 and I'm like woah now, I dont know what to believe.

I dont eat any diet foods, Ive always just eaten the same foods I always have in lower quantities.

Is it because MFP is giving maintenance that includes NO exercise until you log it, but other sites you are selecting a weekly amount of exercise you plan on doing?

When you eat back those exercise calories as MFP was designed, you'll usually find that on a weekly basis, the daily average is the same.

Makoce

Yes, I have my stuff set to sedentary and add back exercise because my exercise is very unpredictable in terms of a schedule.

BUT, I set those other sites to sedentary as well! So, that doesn't quite explain it.

cwolfman13

It gives me 1463, but other sites say anywhere from 1500 - 1590 and I'm like woah now, I dont know what to believe.

It's all an estimate...all of these calculators simply provide good starting points. Nobody has whatever exact calorie requirement these calculators spit out...you have to use some trial and error. Some calculators estimate higher and some lower...but really, there is not a huge difference between 1463 and 1500 - 1590...at most that is about 127 calories...pretty insignificant really.

heybales

Yes, I have my stuff set to sedentary and add back exercise because my exercise is very unpredictable in terms of a schedule.

BUT, I set those other sites to sedentary as well! So, that doesn't quite explain it.

The Mifflin BMR that MFP uses as foundation to the math is considered about 5% more accurate than the Harris BMR those other sites are probably using.

And as Cwolfman mentions, merely estimates to get you close if honest with activity levels, results trump estimates. Sadly as a woman, your BMR literally will change through the month, so it takes a month to really nail a result.

Makoce

Aww I know, but that's 127 calories I could eat :B

I guess everyone hit the main answer Im looking for is to simply ignore the cravings to the best of my ability, and to play with numbers until I get it right.

sarafischbach9

When maintaining, you were doing the right thing by slowly and gradually increasing your calories. I think you being hungry is a result of your metabolism increasing. When I was in recovery for an eating disorder back in high school, I upped my calories from 700 to 1600 ( 1800 was maintenance, believe it or not, according to the dietitian ), and then finally up to 1800. At 1800, I had actually started to lose some weight until I finally plateaued. And I was hungry even at 1600-1800 calories. Obviously I had to gain weight and eat over 2000 calories a day, but at that point I was not ready for that. The 2000 or more calories came later on.

I think the best thing for you to do is stick to your maintenance goals and exercise routine. If you find you are gaining weight, then see if you are retaining water. To see if this is the case, weigh yourself a few days after and see if its gone. If its gone, then it was just rebound water weight gain. If you gradually and slowly gain weight ( a few pounds ) over the course of a month, then you could reduce your calories.

Water weight gain is always going to happen when you increase your calories, but then it should go away and you will see a maintenance. That's been my experience, anyway.

nxd10

Aww I know, but that's 127 calories I could eat :B

I guess everyone hit the main answer Im looking for is to simply ignore the cravings to the best of my ability, and to play with numbers until I get it right.

And really, add protein and fat - even a little staves off hunger. Easy to digest carbs can spike it. Nuts are wonderful things.

twixlepennie

Makes sense!
It's just driving me craaaaazy.

And yeah, about MFP giving low maintenance levels.
It gives me 1463, but other sites say anywhere from 1500 - 1590 and I'm like woah now, I dont know what to believe.

I dont eat any diet foods, Ive always just eaten the same foods I always have in lower quantities.

I kept losing with MFP's maintenance calories. I had to up mine a LOT, to get my weight to stabilize (went with the TDEE method to figure out my maintenance calories now). I'm 35 yrs old, 5ft, 6in and am now eating around 2,500 calories a day to maintain at 117-120lbs :noway: I'm still struggling to get over the mental hurdles of eating that many calories

Makoce

Makes sense!
It's just driving me craaaaazy.

And yeah, about MFP giving low maintenance levels.
It gives me 1463, but other sites say anywhere from 1500 - 1590 and I'm like woah now, I dont know what to believe.

I dont eat any diet foods, Ive always just eaten the same foods I always have in lower quantities.

I kept losing with MFP's maintenance calories. I had to up mine a LOT, to get my weight to stabilize (went with the TDEE method to figure out my maintenance calories now). I'm 35 yrs old, 5ft, 6in and am now eating around 2,500 calories a day to maintain at 117-120lbs :noway: I'm still struggling to get over the mental hurdles of eating that many calories

I'm a shorty though, Im barely 5'2 and Im at 109 - 110lbs.
So I knew it was going to unfortunately be on the lower side to maintain.

Kadje

as you increase your caloric intake, your leptin levels increase. leptin is the hormone that regulates your feelings of hunger...increased leptin means increased hunger cues. It will level off as your body balances out the hormone to normal levels.

It is the same reason people diet and after a few days they're like, "hey...I can eat 2 calories and I'm not even hungry." They're leptin levels are in the tank and thus not properly sending hunger cues. This is why it's ill-advisable to go off of hunger cues alone when you're dieting or when you're overweight...overweight/obese individuals have high leptin levels and can eat and eat and eat without feeling "full".

This helps me a lot. Thankyou!

fourfiftythree

as you increase your caloric intake, your leptin levels increase. leptin is the hormone that regulates your feelings of hunger...increased leptin means increased hunger cues. It will level off as your body balances out the hormone to normal levels.

It is the same reason people diet and after a few days they're like, "hey...I can eat 2 calories and I'm not even hungry." They're leptin levels are in the tank and thus not properly sending hunger cues. This is why it's ill-advisable to go off of hunger cues alone when you're dieting or when you're overweight...overweight/obese individuals have high leptin levels and can eat and eat and eat without feeling "full".

Do these hunger cues from increased leptin come as a just mental desire to eat, or as the growling pit of your stomach desire to eat? I am going through same thing as OP after upping cals and my stomach growls all day long. Trying to increase calories slowly but feeling this ravenous is very hard to overcome.

MLunaSprint

Here is what you must do:
Stop. Stop counting calories.

Do you know know what a calorie is? It's a unit. Just like inches, or ounces.
So how can a unit make you fat exactly?

So just stop and look at what you're eating.
Are you eating chocolate flavored protein shakes and romaine lettuce salads with light dressing?
OR
Are you eating FRESH ORGANIC Kale salads sprinkled chia seeds with a side of brown rice and fresh broccoli with lime juice?
Do you eat this meal with lots of good water and for dessert do you eat fresh blended bananas instead of 100 calorie "brownies" junk.

You must eat. You must eat food that your cells will absorb effortlessly and thrive.
Because whats REALLY makes us fat is sugar. If you think about it, it kinda makes sense because sugar is really in everything. It's evaporated cane sugar, it's high maltose corn syrup, it's maltodextrin, and it's in everything.

So please revolutionize your diet please, because I'm tired of seeing people count calories.
So go out there and be healthy

billpriday

You need to eat,but what you eat is very important. To help fight the hunger pangs, stay away from carbs and sugars. Up your protein and fiber contents and drink water...lots of water. I find that the more protein and fiber I get, the less hungry I am. For snacks I usually go with almonds or pistachios or a Quest Nutrition Protein Bar. The Quest bars are little pricey but they taste good, have high fiber and protein content with low calories...approx. 190 cals per bar. Expect to pay around $2.25 to $2.60 per bar. Other good snack items are watermelon and celery...high water content and virtually no calories.

Danielle56321

It is so nice to see I'm not thee only one trying to gain and maintain a weight. With so many people working hard to loose sometimes I feel bad saying anything about wanting to gain a few pounds. Good luck

heybales

as you increase your caloric intake, your leptin levels increase. leptin is the hormone that regulates your feelings of hunger...increased leptin means increased hunger cues. It will level off as your body balances out the hormone to normal levels.

It is the same reason people diet and after a few days they're like, "hey...I can eat 2 calories and I'm not even hungry." They're leptin levels are in the tank and thus not properly sending hunger cues. This is why it's ill-advisable to go off of hunger cues alone when you're dieting or when you're overweight...overweight/obese individuals have high leptin levels and can eat and eat and eat without feeling "full".

Do these hunger cues from increased leptin come as a just mental desire to eat, or as the growling pit of your stomach desire to eat? I am going through same thing as OP after upping cals and my stomach growls all day long. Trying to increase calories slowly but feeling this ravenous is very hard to overcome.

Couple comments, one right below yours shares the reason why that can happen, it's not usually growling from the hormones.

It's the increased calories has more carbs now, perhaps not as balanced in the meal or snack as the dieting intake was, and now you have some sensitivity to too many carbs at once, or without protein and fat, or first in a meal or snack.
Overshoots the insulin response, drops the blood sugar too low - you feel hungry.
And the too many carbs in the stomach can lead to growling, though that can be separate issue.

You can eat more carbs, but try confirming by eating the fat and protein in a snack or meal prior to the carbs - same effect later of being hungry? Or eat slightly less carbs and more fat/protein.

Laura3BB

I don't have a solution for you - but I have to say I'm also a little hungry on maintenance (eating around 2000 cals per day though!)
I wonder if it isn't a psychological thing about counting calories and logging that gets us thinking way too much about FOOD!

husseycd

Are you eating more often? For me, my first meal starts the hunger cycle. When I was in weight loss mode, I typically skipped breakfast and ate a low calorie frozen meal for lunch in order to save my calories to have dinner with my family (small portions of whatever we were having...even fried chicken or pizza) followed by a small portion of dessert.

Once I moved to maintenance, I thought I could add back my favorite breakfast foods, but I found that if I ate breakfast, I actually felt more hungry a few hours later and was "starving" by lunch and tended to eat more than I did when I skipped breakfast altogether. Now, I delay my first meal until I'm really hungry (sometimes lunch, sometimes dinner, but rarely breakfast), and I generally have fewer hunger pangs than if I eat more often.

Just another idea in addition to the others offered here. It may just be a matter of experimenting until you figure out what works best for you.

This is true for me too.

heybales

HBO Health of the Nation, most if not all on youtube, shared one study that the setpoint theory had more to do with the hormone response.

At lighter weight than body was used to, you kept hormone levels of higher weight, meaning your body was trying to get back to prior weight. Hunger is one way to accomplish that.

The study only lasted 9 months I think, though they did followups on the folks later, so no comment on how long that might last.

But it was interesting how the leptin changed as weight changed, but didn't match prior levels or someone already at lighter weight not through losing it.

So indeed, anything you can do with diet to help get rid of that hunger will be useful.

L33TBl0nde

The simple answer is: Exercise more = eat more.

Makoce

The simple answer is: Exercise more = eat more.

I do this. Im at the gym for over an hour sometimes.