1,700 Calories and hungry?!
Reinventi0n
Posts: 71 Member
I am a 22 year old male at 5'10 and 205 pounds. I have lost close to 20 pounds already by following the Weight Watchers program, but due to various reasons I have decided to switch to calorie counting on MFP. Currently I have my weight loss goal set to lose 2 pounds a week and at a lightly active activity level because of my job. Currently this gives me a daily calorie goal of 1,710.
1,700 calories should be an adequate amount but I tend to find myself feeling hungry throughout the day. I have been making the effort to make food choices that are higher in protein and just more wholesome overall but I have not had much improvement in feeling less hungry. I have been hearing a lot of different pieces of advice lately such as needing to eat at my BMR or TDEE. However, doing either of these would increase my calorie goal by several hundred calories and I fear that would ultimately slow down my progress. Also part of the reason why I like the idea of a lower number is that it allows for a margin or error (ex. incorrect NI at a restaurant or underestimating a portion) but if I am at a higher calorie goal I will have less room for mistakes.
I do own a FitBit and have tried to use the calorie adjustment in the past. I tend to be more active earlier in the day so the extra calories I am allotted tend to decrease as it gets later in the day. There have been several times when I use these extra calories earlier in the day to only be over my goal at the end of the day due to my decrease in activity. I get nervous with the stability of the number I am given for the calorie adjustment.
I would appreciate any suggestions you have for me. I would really like to keep my weight loss at around 2 pounds a week but I also want to feel more satisfied and less hungry. Should I stick with the calorie goal MFP gives me and just rely on the FitBit calorie adjustment? Should I up my calorie goal and eat at my BMR? Is there another option that you have found to be effective?
Thanks!
1,700 calories should be an adequate amount but I tend to find myself feeling hungry throughout the day. I have been making the effort to make food choices that are higher in protein and just more wholesome overall but I have not had much improvement in feeling less hungry. I have been hearing a lot of different pieces of advice lately such as needing to eat at my BMR or TDEE. However, doing either of these would increase my calorie goal by several hundred calories and I fear that would ultimately slow down my progress. Also part of the reason why I like the idea of a lower number is that it allows for a margin or error (ex. incorrect NI at a restaurant or underestimating a portion) but if I am at a higher calorie goal I will have less room for mistakes.
I do own a FitBit and have tried to use the calorie adjustment in the past. I tend to be more active earlier in the day so the extra calories I am allotted tend to decrease as it gets later in the day. There have been several times when I use these extra calories earlier in the day to only be over my goal at the end of the day due to my decrease in activity. I get nervous with the stability of the number I am given for the calorie adjustment.
I would appreciate any suggestions you have for me. I would really like to keep my weight loss at around 2 pounds a week but I also want to feel more satisfied and less hungry. Should I stick with the calorie goal MFP gives me and just rely on the FitBit calorie adjustment? Should I up my calorie goal and eat at my BMR? Is there another option that you have found to be effective?
Thanks!
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Replies
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I'm a similar height and 1700 is enough for me, not that I am obsessive about measuring etc so it's ballpark. If I were you and I was hungry on 1700 then I'd change my goal to 1lb per week and eat more food.0
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You're getting to the point where 2 lbs. a week is too much of a deficit. As you get closer to goal, the weight will not come off as easily, and it will be much less stress on your mind and body to lose slower rather than eat less. Weight loss should not have deadlines.0
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How long has it taken you to lose that 20lb? If you've done it in less than 10 weeks then that would indicate that you are eating at more of a deficit than you think you are, which could explain the hunger.
How much weight do you have left to lose? Your BMI is currently around 29 correct? You might find that you are coming to the point where you need to reduce your deficit to 1.5lb per week weight loss, then down to 1lb. I can understand that you want to lose fat as quickly as possible but once you hit a certain point with your weight loss it's better to go slow and steady so you are losing maximum fat and minimum muscle and not just "weight".
On a more practical note, are you combining your protein with lots of fibre? Vegetables are your best friend here, they are very filling for the calories they offer because of the fibre content.0 -
Are you drinking enough water?
How many glasses do you drink a day?
Try and get some good filling protein snacks in0 -
Just some things to consider:
- Meal composition / macros : You said you are eating more protein, which in general is good. However it is hard to know what you mean by "more". Everyone is a little different in this area and you might need to experiment to find what works for you. At 1700 calories it would be reasonable, IMHO, to just target an equal macro split (33 / 33 / 34) as a baseline. Eat that way for a week or so and see what you think. I personally dislike the default MFP macros if that is what you are using.
- Meal timing : Are you eating when you are actually hungry or eating out of habit? A common strategy here is to skip a meal, such as breakfast. I personally don't get very hungry in the morning so it is very easy for me to just have coffee and not eat until lunch. It is commonly suggested to have several small meals a day but some people do not need that many snacks. Again, self experimentation is needed to find what works for you.
Good luck!0 -
That is enough for a woman with your stats, but men need to eat more. Seriously. I'm a woman, smaller than you, no cardio & a desk job, and I eat more than you. Come on! Eat like a man!0
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I'm a similar height and 1700 is enough for me, not that I am obsessive about measuring etc so it's ballpark. If I were you and I was hungry on 1700 then I'd change my goal to 1lb per week and eat more food.
^^ I'll bet you are closer to 2000 than to 1700.
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Dude, you're 22 not 42. Bump up the calories. 1,700 is tiny morsels for a 22 y/o man.0
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I'm a similar height and 1700 is enough for me, not that I am obsessive about measuring etc so it's ballpark. If I were you and I was hungry on 1700 then I'd change my goal to 1lb per week and eat more food.
^^ I'll bet you are closer to 2000 than to 1700.
I don't doubt it, but if I was estimating and aiming for 2000 then I'd be closer to 2500. :drinker:
Basically I work on a ballpark basis and it works fine for me. It's not like I have a tonne of weight to shift, it's more about just being broadly aware and fitter for me. I'd have looked for a My Weightloss Pal app if I was only bothered about calorie counting.0 -
Switch to a smaller deficit. 2 lbs a week is too much for a lot of people.0
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A quick calculation puts your TDEE at about 2325 if you were completely sedentary (desk job/no exercise). Your BMR is around 1940. If you up your calories to 1950, you could maintain a 1 lb. a week loss and not be as hungry, especially if you include a decent amount of protein in your meals. 1lb a week is not a bad rate of loss at all.
If you are worried about error, invest in a food scale and weigh/measure everything (if you don't already).
ETA: if your job makes you lightly active, you can increase your calories even more, but the calculator I used was based on planned exercise not daily activity levels.0 -
I'm a similar height and 1700 is enough for me, not that I am obsessive about measuring etc so it's ballpark. If I were you and I was hungry on 1700 then I'd change my goal to 1lb per week and eat more food.
^^ I'll bet you are closer to 2000 than to 1700.
Ya guys quite the BS
Everyone is different aswel
And I can confidently say that 1700 calories for a 5'10 205lb guy is far too much of a deficit . U probably need more than 2000 like the above poster said .
Work it out and use the trial and error method to calculate your TRUE TDEE0 -
Dude, you're 22 not 42. Bump up the calories. 1,700 is tiny morsels for a 22 y/o man.
Let's assume MFP knows what it's talking about. We're all different.
I do agree though that dropping to one pound a week at this point makes more sense.
I also know that more protein and lower carbs makes me much less hungry. Easy-to-process carbs like sugar, white flour, white rice give you fast energy that can cause insulin spikes that make you hungry. This is why eating oatmeal or waffles with maple syrup are really filling and you're starving 2 hours later.
More protein, slower to digest carbs (less processed grains, etc.) and keeping your carbs to maybe 40% (not hard to do) and you can eat the same calories and be much less hungry.
I also highly recommend EATING when you feel hungry. Just not a lot. Have nuts with you and when you get hungry eat 5 of them. Good food, staves the hungers off, and you can work it into your calorie plan.0 -
Are you drinking enough water?
How many glasses do you drink a day?
Try and get some good filling protein snacks in0 -
this! Make sure you get in a ton of water it will help you feel full
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If what you say is accurate and you are eating below your BMR, you are severely undereating. If you know what your TDEE is, you should set your daily calorie intake approx. 500 below that.0
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I'm a similar height and 1700 is enough for me, not that I am obsessive about measuring etc so it's ballpark. If I were you and I was hungry on 1700 then I'd change my goal to 1lb per week and eat more food.
^^ I'll bet you are closer to 2000 than to 1700.
I don't doubt it, but if I was estimating and aiming for 2000 then I'd be closer to 2500. :drinker:
Basically I work on a ballpark basis and it works fine for me. It's not like I have a tonne of weight to shift, it's more about just being broadly aware and fitter for me. I'd have looked for a My Weightloss Pal app if I was only bothered about calorie counting.
I shoot for 2500 at maintenance, so I know what you mean. I don't log except when I am trying to lose.0 -
I agree with many of the above responses. Lower your goal to 1-1.5 lbs/weeks and eat more.
High protein is good - it is much more filling than carbs. I also recommend lots of fruit and veggies. You can eat a lot of volume for very few calories.0 -
That is enough for a woman with your stats, but men need to eat more. Seriously. I'm a woman, smaller than you, no cardio & a desk job, and I eat more than you. Come on! Eat like a man!
As of right now I have just been following what MFP recommends.
I know I have to accept that I should probably have a slower rate of weight loss, but at the same time I would love to have most of this weight off by the summer so I am not completely miserable this year. If I am for a loss of 1 pound per week I would not reach goal until close to the end of this year.
If I do chose to bump up my calories, should I just eat close to my BMR? Or would be better to just use the MFP recommendation and rely on the FitBit calorie adjustment for how many extra calories to eat?0 -
Are you drinking enough water?
How many glasses do you drink a day?
Try and get some good filling protein snacks in
I probably could stand to drink more water during the day. I would probably say that I have on average about 5-7 glasses of water daily.0 -
For me I find that when I eat lots of small "meals" throughout the day (which alot of people recommend), I feel the most hungry. I feel fuller and more satisfied if I eat three larger meals and two tiny snacks if I get hungry in between. The fuller meals keep me going to the next meal. I do think you definitely need the right balance of protein and carbs to feel satisfied too. I was trying to eat "low carb" and that didn't work -- adding in good carbs (sweet potato, quinoa, rice, etc) helped me feel fuller. Also, drinking alot more water (even when I didn't want to drink it or felt thirsty) helped.
Lastly, I had to change my weight loss goal because trying to lose 2lbs per week @ 1200 calories just wasn't enough for me. I changed it to 1.5lb weekly @ 1470 calories and that has helped tremendously. So maybe try adjusting your weight loss goal (though I understand you don't want to slow down your progress).
Good luck! Hopefully this is just a phase of your body trying to find it's right balance 0 -
I'm a similar height and 1700 is enough for me, not that I am obsessive about measuring etc so it's ballpark. If I were you and I was hungry on 1700 then I'd change my goal to 1lb per week and eat more food.
^^ I'll bet you are closer to 2000 than to 1700.
Ya guys quite the BS
Everyone is different aswel
And I can confidently say that 1700 calories for a 5'10 205lb guy is far too much of a deficit . U probably need more than 2000 like the above poster said .
Work it out and use the trial and error method to calculate your TRUE TDEE
^^^^^^
EAT buddy! That is way to high of a deficit for you. I am at 5'11, 155 lbs female and I AM HUNGRY at 1700 calories most days) 0 -
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I am 5'5", 198 lbs, and female and I eat 1700 plus exercise and still lose. Most days I am around 1900 calories.
More protein helps keep me fuller. I am also a snacker so I tend to eat lower calorie meals with lots of snacks during the day. This helps keep me from getting that starving feeling ever.
If you are concerned about bumping up your calories all at once or too much add and extra 100 calories a day and see how that makes you feel. It doesn't have to be done all at once
I definitely think you could add more and still lose. You don't want to end up binging because you are always hungry. Good luck0 -
Suppose you are eating 1,700 calories and losing 2 pounds a week exactly. If you up your calories to 1900, your weight loss might slow to 1.8 pounds a week. Is that really that big of a difference?
Besides, I know you, and I know that your TDEE is probably more than what MFP estimates it is. You probably will be able to stick to a 1,000 calorie deficit and still eat at your BMR or higher.
Try setting your goal to eat your BMR and then wear your FitBit. See if you are burning enough calories there. I definitely understand wanting to have some fast weight loss to hit a goal by summer (I'm in the same situation), but you may need to find some middle ground. If you are hungry all the time, you won't be able to stick to your plan. Maybe you need to accept a slightly slower rate of weight loss... Not necessarily 1 pound a week, but maybe 2 pounds is just too much.
And here's another thing to consider. I've read on here that there are people who lost weight fairly quickly, but basically just looked like smaller versions of their fat selves. However, those who have lost more slowly by eating a bit more and exercising have seen better results physically. So, you might not be at goal by July, but maybe you will look more like you are at goal.0 -
Great advice0
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2 pounds a week is a lot for someone your height and weight to lose, perhaps slow it down to 1.5 or even 1 pound per week, then you can eat more. Also, be sure to drink your water and get enough protein.0
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Peanuts and almonds...I'm on the 2lbs per week with 1700 calories deficit. Initially, I found it a bit difficult. However, now I'm feeling good and pretty full even before I reach my 1700. I eat a lot of fruit and vegetables. I've found that peanuts and almonds really help me. If I'm feeling like I need more calories, I pop a few of those guys and it fills me up for a while. Just can't eat too many because they are higher in calories than some things. I also drink a lot of water. Most days now, I feel energetic and good. I seriously don't know if I'll be able to eat all the calories I need when it's time to maintain my weight.
I am "starving" at 2200kcal a day.0 -
Hey OP,
Im on 1700 and I am not hungry but I get sugar cravings in the evenings. 1700 is plenty if spread out properly and with the right macros.
But I plan to keep bumping it up fortnightly till I get to 2100-2200 (my TDEE is 2450 when active, 2100 when not) and stick there for a good 6 months to help ease my body into maintenance.
If you are hungry just up it a little and you'll still lose just not as fast. This ain't a race, only reason I am at this is because I am comfortable with this, not a huge eater, and I was previously even lower so 1700 is okay for the moment.
One word: strategize. If you are on 1700 figure out what that will mean for you over the coming months and years. You need to keep the pounds off and maintain all the good work. This has to all be part of a long term plan.
Use this simulator, it takes into consideration body changes as you go through caloric deficit (TDEE is not an exact science - bodies are different):
http://www.niddk.nih.gov/research-funding/at-niddk/labs-branches/LBM/integrative-physiology-section/body-weight-simulator/Pages/body-weight-simulator.aspx0 -
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