Increased appetite

hj1119

A little background - I'm 32 yo female, 5'10 started at 207 and currently 168. I lost the first 25 pounds on a pretty strict and boring schedule - protein shake for breakfast, mid morning snack, protein shake for lunch, mid afternoon snack, home cooked dinner - usually a side salad, a vegetable, and a lean protein. My mid morning snacks were between 100-200 cals - typically hard boiled eggs, string cheese, almonds, etc. For the first few weeks, I chose not to drink alcohol. I'm breastfeeding so I tried to stay around 1500 calories, never dipping below 1200, and always drinking about 128 oz of water a day.

For the next 15 pounds lost, I stayed on the same schedule - occasionally having a sub for lunch instead of a protein shake and having a few beers here and there.

6 weeks ago I decided I wanted to be more active so I started using a C25K app. I've been consistently going for runs 3 times a week. Also at the beginning of July, my husband and I started doing a 30 day dip and plank challenge.

The past week or two, I've just felt a serious increase in appetite. I'm still slowly losing .75-1 lb per week but I want to eat all the time. My morning and afternoon snacks aren't satisfying anymore and I tend to have them much earlier in the day than I used to. I would like to continue to lose weight and also feel satisfied during the day. I admit I've decreased my water intake (just not as conscious about drinking it all.the.time but I still get at least 64 oz a day) and didn't hard boil any eggs for snacks this week - could that be it? Or has increasing my activity level somehow made me hangry, even on my rest days?

Alyssa_Is_LosingIt

Are you still breastfeeding? Generally, you want to eat more while breastfeeding. If your baby is growing and gaining weight properly, he/she may be in a growth spurt and may be nursing more. If your body is trying to make more breast milk for your little one, this could be why you've had a sudden increase in appetite. Definitely eat more than 1200-1500 calories - especially considering you're 5'10 and closer to your goal. I would up my calories considerably (try using Scooby's workshop calorie calculator and eat at maintenance).

.75 - 1 lb of weight loss a week for your height and weight is perfect if you only have ~30 lbs to go. You should not lose more than this considering your stats, especially while breastfeeding.

hj1119

Are you still breastfeeding? Generally, you want to eat more while breastfeeding. If your baby is growing and gaining weight properly, he/she may be in a growth spurt and may be nursing more. If your body is trying to make more breast milk for your little one, this could be why you've had a sudden increase in appetite. Definitely eat more than 1200-1500 calories - especially considering you're 5'10 and closer to your goal. I would up my calories considerably (try using Scooby's workshop calorie calculator and eat at maintenance).

.75 - 1 lb of weight loss a week for your height and weight is perfect if you only have ~30 lbs to go. You should not lose more than this considering your stats, especially while breastfeeding.

I am still nursing - the baby is 11 months old and nursing less frequently now. I have been aiming for more lately... I actually raised my "goal" to 2250 but I aim for around 1750-1900... or around a 3500 a week deficit from my "goal". I have a hard time figuring out my TDEE even using the calculators.

Slow and steady He could be having a growth spurt though and that could be triggering my appetite. I hadn't thought of that, thanks

Alyssa_Is_LosingIt

1750-1900 definitely seems more sustainable. Congrats on your progress so far! My littlest one is 6 months old, is no longer breastfeeding, and I'm just now getting around to logging and losing the weight, so I know the struggle is real.

Best of luck! :flowerforyou:

scraver2003

You are BFing and you increased your exercise - that will do it. You may need to think about adding in another 100 calories of healthy protein & fat to help? Do you drink enough water? Every time I ramp up my exercise, I want to eat the whole kitchen. Once you get more used to it, your hunger will calm down a bit. Make sure you are eating some fats, too, they will help satiate you.