Should I Still Feel Hungry?

cglouie

Hi...I've been doing the MFP method for about 6 months, then took a break the past 3 months. Now that I'm starting up again, I'm doing TDEE - 20% because with MFP, I was constantly hungry at 1200 calories and was depriving myself to stay within the 1200 limit. Based on the various calculators I've used, these are my numbers (I'm 38, 5'8", 200lbs, 47% body fat.)...

BMR = 1381
TDEE at current weight (light activity) = 1899
Minus 20% = 1519

Since I've upped my calories, I'm feeling a bit better but I'm still constantly hungry. Should I be feeling this way? Perhaps my numbers above are incorrect? Or maybe I need to try different foods to fill me up? Any thoughts and advice would be great.

heybales

Strange, Katch BMR for those stats is 1409, which uses the BF%, wondering how you got down to 1381.
Because Katch BMR is already going to be deflated when carrying more fat.

Truly lightly active, only 1-3 hrs of exercise on top of a sedentary desk job/commute of 45 hrs weekly?

If those are correct, you may just be experiencing the hormones finally getting reset. The same way most can easily undereat after a while and not feel hungry.
Terrible sign to try to read, the body can fool both directions.

Do you have any sensitivity to carbs, like if you ate a bagel, would you feel tired pretty quickly, and then hungry soon after?
Could be insulin spikes, which when it drops, usually leaves low blood sugar and feeling hungry, though you just ate.

If that is the case, always eat the fat and protein with and prior to carbs in every snack or meal. Slows down the insulin response.

Can't comment on TDEE choice since no comment on exercise routine and time.