People claiming to be full in tiny calorie amounts

linmer64

Eating under 1200 calories a day could be why they are gaining weight. Your body puts it's self in starvation mode, then when your body receives any fat it stores it for future help when the body does not get enough calories. If you would eat more lean protein during the day it would keep you full and your sugar levels low, carbs keep you more hungry, if they are the wrong ones to eat. The South Beach Diet tells you all about this, it has made me more educated in dieting the right way!

sassyjae21

I'm not saying drugs and stuff can't reduce your metabolism significantly (although honestly I can't imagine it can reduce it to the extent that you gain weight on 500 calories a day - if we could get by on so little why didn't we evolve that trait given how advantageous it would be to be so metabolically efficient - I guess if your body literally refused to use energy from food it could store that energy as fat, but then where did it get its energy from? you need some to live).

Nor am I saying people with eating disorders aren't going to have issues consuming larger amounts of food.

But I don't think I am the only person who has come on these forums, read all the posts about how little people are eating and thought, "why can't I eat that little? am I doomed to be a bloated whale for life" or even tried to eat so little only to binge after a couple of months (and for a couple of months) and end up fatter than they were before.

I am fatter than the first time I came to this site precisely because I tried to compete with some of the calorie levels I was seeing and thinking I was being a pig eating more than that because "if they can do it I must be able to". That sets a lot of people up for failure, I can't believe I am the only one...

This is a personal problem. It's no one else's fault you considered yourself a "bloated whale for life".

If you're competing with other people and their calorie levels, you are doomed to fail, and this is also a personal issue. Yours alone, no one else's. Nice try playing the blame game, but I don't really think anyone's buying it. Sorry that you are fatter than before, but you're in charge of what you put in your mouth. If you base your own success off what others are doing who are different than you, it's really no surprise you failed.

It sounds like you are doing it the right way this time. Good.

BoxerBrawler

I am one of those people and I don't lie about it, I don't make stuff up and I was not always like this. The more weight I lost and the cleaner I ate the less I needed. I never had a "binge" scenario and I've always felt satisfied at the end of the day. You have find what works for you and stop calling yourself names. If you keep comparing yourself to others and if you keep being so mean to yourself you'll just set yourself up for failure. Maybe you should focus on your own nutrition and exercise plan and forget about reading the forums for a while until you figure out what makes you happy, healthy and satisfied. I won't say that everyone is different but I will say that yeah... we all have different history's medical or otherwise. We all have different nutritional requirements, we all have different routines, tastes, activities, shapes, sizes, cravings, etc.... If I read these forums and took them all seriously I'd be dead by now based on what some folks have stated. Some people do well on low carbs, others do well on high carbs, there are just too many variables to put it all into a neat little package. Weight loss is not rocket science... veggies and protein equal fat loss and the exercise gives you the bonus tone and metabolism. My opinion only here. Burn more calories than you consume and I really do believe the mind has a lot to do with it. If you feel like a failure than you will most likely fail. Be positive and get healthy, eat as much or as little as you have too to be fit, healthy and satisfied at the end of the day. Real progress is about baby steps. Good luck.

FYI I ate well over my current calorie target yesterday and only ended up with a net of 81 for the day. As ridiculous as it sounds I have no appetite at all... mainly because my allergies are killing me right now and it's ruining my appetite, plus everything tastes like cardboard yuk! So can I legitimately say that I've consumed practically no calories but am not hungry? Am I lying? Nope... but that was just for yesterday. Today might be different, tomorrow will be different, next week, next month, next year will be different.

sassyjae21

Eating under 1200 calories a day could be why they are gaining weight. Your body puts it's self in starvation mode, then when your body receives any fat it stores it for future help when the body does not get enough calories. If you would eat more lean protein during the day it would keep you full and your sugar levels low, carbs keep you more hungry, if they are the wrong ones to eat. The South Beach Diet tells you all about this, it has made me more educated in dieting the right way!

This has to be a troll. No, no and no!:explode:

DeguelloTex

Eating under 1200 calories a day could be why they are gaining weight. Your body puts it's self in starvation mode, then when your body receives any fat it stores it for future help when the body does not get enough calories.

No. Just no.

thebigcb

I bet they have room for a wafer thin mint... just a tiny little thin one.

Quote of the week

Goliath1357

Everyone is different and has different eating habits developed over time. I did not get fat from over-eating, I gained a lot of weight in my early teens from an illness and never lost it. My eating habits have been highly unhealthy my whole life, both of my parents worked so they didn't cook-we ate fast food, take-out, sandwiches, etc. everyday. I also usually ate 1 or 2 big meals each day. That combined with my low activity levels and severe insomnia led to my current weight. I am trying to eat 1200 calories a day and then raise it as I progress. I am now eating smaller meals throughout the day and drinking tons of water so I don't end up hungry at the end of the day. It's something that takes getting used to and is a complete lifestyle change so I can understand some people finding it difficult to consume 2000+ calories early on in their weight loss journey.

fit_gal

Eating under 1200 calories a day could be why they are gaining weight. Your body puts it's self in starvation mode, then when your body receives any fat it stores it for future help when the body does not get enough calories. If you would eat more lean protein during the day it would keep you full and your sugar levels low, carbs keep you more hungry, if they are the wrong ones to eat. The South Beach Diet tells you all about this, it has made me more educated in dieting the right way!

I don't know about starvation mode and gaining fat. I've never seen a fat anorexic.

BABetter1

This happens to a lot of people when they first begin tracking calories, and there are a number of different reasons for it:

1. They don't track accurately. They are way underestimating the calories they're eating, and are astonished that the feel full on so little, when really it's not so little at all.

2. They're suddenly eating all low calorie/high bulk foods like salad and veggies and super lean meats so they're getting far fewer calories for the same volume that they're used to eating when it was all burgers and pizza, and they're astonished at how full they feel after eating so few calories when the reason is that they've just eaten 5 large salads and a chicken breast.

3. By eating these healthy foods, they aren't sending their blood sugar on a roller coaster, so they aren't spending half the day crashing, and they're astonished at how little it takes to stay on an even keel when it's all more nutritious, lower-GI foods.

4. They're paying attention to the point that they're hyper-aware of their body's signals, including satiety, and they're not mindlessly shoveling food in their mouths like they usually do, and they're astonished at how few calories it actually takes to not feel like they're starving when they pay attention and eat proper foods and only when they're hungry.

But regardless of the reasons, I agree it's super annoying. The only thing I find more annoying is the "We're all different" crowd. Apparently each of us is a unique snowflake with our very own unique set of laws for thermodynamics, chemistry and biology. Our bodies work in such wildly divergent ways that it's pointless to even look at things like studies, or give advice which has worked for large populations of humans. Because we're all different. What works for you cannot possibly work for me. Harrumph!

That last bit, yes. I have a friend who 6 months ago kept saying "I can't lose weight and I hardly eat ANYTHING." I asked if she actually tracks the calories, and she said "No, but I just hardly eat ANYTHING, I MEAN ANYTHING. I know I'm not eating too much." Flash forward 6 months, she has cut back on certain types of food and has lost several pounds. I mention to her that after a solid week of tough workouts and careful calorie counting, I hadn't lost a single pound and was very frustrated. She dryly and without hesitation says "you must be eating more than you think you are or you're not burning off as much as you eat, that's all it could be". So, apparently some people think they are unique little snowflakes, but everyone else is exactly the same, ha, ha. It was a little annoying, but as it turns out, I miscalculated my weight loss. I actually dropped 2 pounds this week. :-)

sassyjae21

Everyone is different and has different eating habits developed over time. I did not get fat from over-eating, I gained a lot of weight in my early teens from an illness and never lost it. My eating habits have been highly unhealthy my whole life, both of my parents worked so they didn't cook-we ate fast food, take-out, sandwiches, etc. everyday. I also usually ate 1 or 2 big meals each day. That combined with my low activity levels and severe insomnia led to my current weight. I am trying to eat 1200 calories a day and then raise it as I progress. I am now eating smaller meals throughout the day and drinking tons of water so I don't end up hungry at the end of the day. It's something that takes getting used to and is a complete lifestyle change so I can understand some people finding it difficult to consume 2000+ calories early on in their weight loss journey.

I'm not trying to severely pick at you or anything, but you claim you didn't get fat from over-eating, you got fat from illness. Then you say your eating habits have been unhealthy your whole life because you ate fast food, take out, etc.

How else do you think you gained the fat? i'm not really picking up what you're trying to say here.

kk_140

I think it would surprise you how easy it is to be satisfied on that few calories, especially if the person is a "grazer" and doesn't split their eating into meal segments. I know the timing of your food doesn't matter for weight loss, but it will matter for satiety.

That being said, most of the time, yes, it is a load of carp and the person is lying to everyone including themselves and trying to force themselves to eat less because they think it's an insta-cure for being overweight.

ETA: Don't ever feel insecure or guilty about what you eat. Eat what fuels you, what works for you, and what makes you happy. Eat for results, not because you have anything to show.

Proud grazer here! I don't know how people can do meal segments lol, but I never have been able to. I eat about 8 "meals" a day and then I eat dinner. I eat about once an hour until 6 pm most days. It makes 1,200 calories look like a lot of food.

kk_140

Eating under 1200 calories a day could be why they are gaining weight. Your body puts it's self in starvation mode, then when your body receives any fat it stores it for future help when the body does not get enough calories.

This is not true. If someone consistently eats well below maintenance level, they will continue to lose weight. Period.

lanskies

Holy crap this chick must be the biggest troll on the site.

But to everyone agreeing, if you feel hungry on 1500 calories--some tips:

1. You must be starting out, give it a month... your body's probably adjusting to the lower calories.
2. Eat protein & veggies instead of french fries and ho ho's
3. Exercise everyday. you'll be able to eat 2000 calories without gaining
4. Eat in small portions throughout the day. (200-300 calorie bursts throughout the day) your stomach expands when you eat large meals. (This is why you feel hungry faster after eating at a buffet)

5. If you feel ravenous while trying to lose weight on a 1500 calorie diet, and all you can think about is food, eating it, playing with it, chewing it, taking long walks on the beach with it.... you're probably not ready to lose weight. I know this because it happened to me. All my "diets" crashed and burned when I still had this mentality. When you stop the constant obsession with food, you won't feel that anymore and the lbs just come off when you stick with a plan. And when you're a man(or woman) with a plan, nothing gets in your way. 1500 calories seems like a lot when you're heading toward a goal that you want to finish at a faster pace.

6. Quit being so negative. Take back charge of your life and punch your stomach in the face for craving foods that are bad for you. Attitude makes a huge difference.

tjsims8

I'm taking this personal. I am one of those people that post about eating under 1000 calories and not being hungry. I've now increased to 1200, but when I was eating low 800-1000, I honestly was satisfied. I wasn't full, but I wasn't hungry either. I spaced out my meals, eating lots of low calorie fruits and veggies and I was ok.

Anonycatgirl

But I don't think I am the only person who has come on these forums, read all the posts about how little people are eating and thought, "why can't I eat that little? am I doomed to be a bloated whale for life" or even tried to eat so little only to binge after a couple of months (and for a couple of months) and end up fatter than they were before.

I am fatter than the first time I came to this site precisely because I tried to compete with some of the calorie levels I was seeing and thinking I was being a pig eating more than that because "if they can do it I must be able to". That sets a lot of people up for failure, I can't believe I am the only one...

ShellF415

Holy crap this chick must be the biggest troll on the site.

But to everyone agreeing, if you feel hungry on 1500 calories--some tips:

1. You must be starting out, give it a month... your body's probably adjusting to the lower calories.
2. Eat protein & veggies instead of french fries and ho ho's
3. Exercise everyday. you'll be able to eat 2000 calories without gaining
4. Eat in small portions throughout the day. (200-300 calorie bursts throughout the day) your stomach expands when you eat large meals. (This is why you feel hungry faster after eating at a buffet)

5. If you feel ravenous while trying to lose weight on a 1500 calorie diet, and all you can think about is food, eating it, playing with it, chewing it, taking long walks on the beach with it.... you're probably not ready to lose weight. I know this because it happened to me. All my "diets" crashed and burned when I still had this mentality. When you stop the constant obsession with food, you won't feel that anymore and the lbs just come off when you stick with a plan. And when you're a man(or woman) with a plan, nothing gets in your way. 1500 calories seems like a lot when you're heading toward a goal that you want to finish at a faster pace.

6. Quit being so negative. Take back charge of your life and punch your stomach in the face for craving foods that are bad for you. Attitude makes a huge difference.

I'm dying at "taking long walks on the beach with it" :laugh: :laugh: :laugh: :laugh:

hookilau

5. If you feel ravenous while trying to lose weight on a 1500 calorie diet, and all you can think about is food, eating it, playing with it, chewing it, taking long walks on the beach with it.... you're probably not ready to lose weight.

this comment caught me off guard & made me laugh entirely too hard.

SoDamnHungry

I feel the same way. I think they literally accept the fact that their stomach feels full. Sure, my stomach feels full, but it feels sloshy and my body still knows after digesting that it didn't get as much as it really wants and needs. Full stomach, yet hungry.

rml_16

When people post things on here saying they only eat 1200/1000/800 etc calories a day and they are soooooo full and they just can't seem to find ways to eat more than that while at the same time claiming to be fat (how did they get fat eating so little?) are they just lying. When I eat 1500 calories a day, even if I eat masses of bulk through non starchy vegetables, I am utterly ravenous, obsessed with food until I've eaten at least 1800-2000 calories. I'll feel lightheaded, unable to think properly, tired, demotivated and obsessive. But there's people claiming to regularly eat way below that and to feel like they've eaten TOO much, while being fat... It's really discouraging, it makes me feel like if I eat a normal day's worth of food (1800 calories to 2000) I am a disgusting un womanly pig because clearly I seem to be unable to eat less. But I kind if suspect it's just one of those internet lies, I think those people are either eating more or are not fat and have not been fat recently.

What I was eating when I gained weight is far different from what I eat now. A 300 calorie salad (including cheese, an egg and oil-based dressing) fills me up because it's a high volume of food. Before, I ate small amounts (by volume) of more calorie-dense foods, but I was hungrier through the day, so I could eat more calories overall. I also have no appetite until about noon most days.

Yes, I often feel full on 1,000-1,200 calories a day. 1,500 is like a feast for me.

rml_16

I feel the same way. I think they literally accept the fact that their stomach feels full. Sure, my stomach feels full, but it feels sloshy and my body still knows after digesting that it didn't get as much as it really wants and needs. Full stomach, yet hungry.

My stomach doesn't feel sloshy and the very thought of eating more actually makes me want to throw up, actually. I'm full on very little food.