does anyone feel hungry sticking to their daily calories?

BrodiesMom2008

since i have started watching what i eat and counting calories my diet has changed drastically. i used to eat anything without ever thinking about what was in it or how many calories there were. i considered myself active so i figured i'd just burn it off...and when i was younger that seemed to work but after having a child it wasn't the same anymore and i can't get away with that anymore.

anyways, my diet has changed drastically, i am not just eating the same foods but less, i am eating better, healthier foods, lower calories meals, and still having a couple snacks. i usually stay pretty close to my daily calories, sometimes go over, sometimes a little under but usually pretty close. but i have noticed i am feeling a lot hungrier. i eat thing like hardboiled eggs, scrambled eggs, peanut butter and apples, sandwiches, soups, fruits and veggies, cheese, nuts....i guess i'm wondering if i'm missing something to stay within the calories allowed and still feel full?

bethrs

Are you getting enough dietary fiber? Fiber tends to fill me up- things like oatmeal, leafy greens...carrots, etc..?

knighty

i started to feel that way also, so i split up my calories into 200s each meal same calories a day but i get to eat more often im much better now

BrodiesMom2008

i have oatmeal for breakfast a lot and carrots for snacks....i can have oatmeal every day for breakfast instead of just some days a week and see if that helps, thanks

KickassYas

fiber is good i use protein. i find nothing fills me the way meat does. (ummm hahaha) but really. when i eat meat, i feel extremely full versus anything else that might make me feel somewhat full immediately.

MettleForger

I feel like im constantly staving to death. I felt like I was constantly hungry (even when I ate whatever i wanted all the time), but now that im watching what im eating I feel like im dying all day long. Its pretty awful, but surprisingly, im getting used to it.

KATE509

I have found that picking foods with alot of protein and fiber keep me filled up better...but when you first make the change, yes, its normal to feel hungry

NoAdditives

If you open up your food diary I can take a look at what you've been eating and can offer some suggestions.

natskedat

Fiber! Steel cut oatmeal is my fave, especially with a scoop of peanut butter. Sticking with healthful, unprocessed foods is the way to go. If you're active (and chasing a baby/toddler), you may need more calories per day than someone who's sedentary (I've got a toddler and a 4-year old). You definitely don't want to starve your body out of what it needs, or you'll keep yourself in starvation mode and lose your ability to burn fat efficiently.

Hope this helps. Friend me if you'd like!

adcoffman

I have had this problem off an on. Almost every time I've had this problem, it has been solved with drinking more water. Also like the person before me said, lots of fiber and make sure there are no food groups you are leaving out completely. Good luck!

Tzavush

I find that the days when I eat more salads and greens I feel full and don't have a desire to eat more, but those are the days I tend to be lower on my calorie intake and should be eating more. On days that I get less fibre I feel more hungry.

mamma321

The odd time i do so then i sit down and look at what i am eating....and the cause is usually empty cal....so try and fill yourself with foods that are filling, eg: Fiber, veggies, fruit. things that dont count for alot of cal. that way you can have more of them to make yourself feel better, also try and have protein with every meal and snack... I find that really helps! good luck to you!

SheilaSisco

I don't feel hungry. I keep my cals between 1200 and 1300 daily. There were a few times I was under because I worked my bum off and just couldn't eat enough of those cals back. The trick is to eat things that will stick with you for a long time. Like oatmeal... things with whole grains (they tend to stick with me longer than things like plain white bread, dunno why), nuts are really good for this too. I have a bottle of blue diamond dark choc dusted almonds and they are one of my fave snacks. They're very filling with very few, plus is a MUCH healthier way to give in to my choc cravings than a Hershey bar...

JPod279

My three keys are fiber, protien and water. Exercise can also curb appetite for a while. I try to stay ahead of my appetite by planning my snacks and eating them even if I am not hungry. You will just have to experiment and see what works best for you. Good luck.

malx21989

I agree having more fiber in your diet will help you stay full, you could go buy some Metamucil and you put it your water or drink so you don't have to add a bunch of calories buy eating foods with a lot of fiber in it. Its tasteless.

ladyhawk00

Do you have your settings correct? Too high of a loss/week goal is a common mistake and can lead to feelings of deprivation and hunger. Might help to read these threads that discuss healthy, realistic cal goals/deficits.

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/186814-some-mfp-basics

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/61706-guide-to-calorie-deficits

JJtexasgirl

I have felt this way often since I started on my journey. However, prior to that, I never felt hungry but ate everything. Now, I embrace my growling stomach because it makes me remember that I'm doing a good thing.

catcrazy

If I make bad choices definitely...yesterday I had a snickers bar :blushing: so left myself with fewer calories for food, I was hungry but it was worth it, first one in about a year!...but generally lots of veggies and lean meat, chicken breast, lean pork steaks...high protein definitely fills me up better and for longer, porridge for some reason leaves me famished later, painfully and noisily hungry...everyone in the room will hear my stomach growling for food a couple of hours after porridge. Very strange!

taiyola

Some nights I'm hungry and debating whether to do a quick 10 or 20 mins on the elliptical in my house so I can eat! If I was to not exercise and just eat 1200, I'd be constantly hungry! I usually burn 300-400 a day, and some times then I'm STILL hungry at night if I've wasted cals.

BrodiesMom2008

how do i open my food diary?

ladyhawk00

how do i open my food diary?

Go to Settings, Diary Settings and make it public.

taiyola

If I make bad choices definitely...yesterday I had a snickers bar :blushing: so left myself with fewer calories for food, I was hungry but it was worth it, first one in about a year!...but generally lots of veggies and lean meat, chicken breast, lean pork steaks...high protein definitely fills me up better and for longer, porridge for some reason leaves me famished later, painfully and noisily hungry...everyone in the room will hear my stomach growling for food a couple of hours after porridge. Very strange!

This is the same as me! Porridge eaves me hungry an hour or so later, but a plate full of protein and salad or whatever keeps me stuffed and I'm not hungry for hourrrs later. I'm often hungry a couple of hours after breakfast though, even though I have a high protein breakfast.

jkleman79

I eat pretty much all healthy with no processed foods at all. What helps me and I have been on this for sometime now is many small meals daily. I literally am eating something every two hours on the dot. Since I have been doing that it does not bother me much at all, but when your two hours is up you feel like you have not eaten anything in a week.

NoAdditives

Having looked over your food diary I suggest you make sure your calorie goal is realistic. Most of the time, if a calorie goal is near 1200 it's because a person is trying to lose more than 1 pound per week. If this is true for you, change it. Losing 1 pound per week is both realistic and healthy. Once you've adjusted to eat fewer calories you can decide to increase your loss, but being so restrictive at first can be very difficult. You should also be logging your exercise and eating the calories you "earn" from it.

I also recommend you track your sugar and sodium in addition to fat, carbs and protein. You should also eat less processed foods as they are high in sodium, sugar and refined carbs and don't have much in the way of nutrition. Eating foods in their natural state (or as close to it as possible) is best. You should be eating lots of fresh vegetables and fruits, whole grains, lean protein and a little low fat dairy. You also need to make sure you're drinking at least 8 glasses of plain water every single day and more is better.

You should probably limit your carbs as well. MFP's recommendations are high for carbs and low for protein. Carbs and fats are used for energy and brain and heart function respectively. If you eat more of either than your body needs at that time the excess will be stored in your fat cells. You don't want to do a low-carb diet, but you don't want to be eating more carbs than you need. Try keeping your carbs intake to about 100-125 grams per day. Don't eat refined sugar and don't eat carbs within 3 hours of bedtime. Try not to have any carbs at dinner. Carbs and sugars make your body release insulin which stops the fat burning.

BrodiesMom2008

thank you! that helps a lot, actually my goal for weight loss was 1 lb a week though, so i am not sure what i can change to get more calories allowed???

ladyhawk00

thank you! that helps a lot, actually my goal for weight loss was 1 lb a week though, so i am not sure what i can change to get more calories allowed???

I would say that's probably too high for what you have to lose. I'd set it to 1/2 lb per week. That adds about another 250 cals to your goal. When you're already relatively lean, it's much more difficult to lose fat. The body (especially for women) prefers to have a cushion of fat - so you have to coax those last few lbs off. The way to do that is to let it KNOW there will be enough fuel coming in by having a conservative deficit.

Also, you might want to rethink your daily activity level setting. A lot of women I've seen who have young kids tend to underestimate their activity level. But, I would just change one thing at a time, give it time to work and then go from there. If it was me, I'd go to 1/2 lb per week and see how it goes.

NoAdditives

thank you! that helps a lot, actually my goal for weight loss was 1 lb a week though, so i am not sure what i can change to get more calories allowed???

Make sure your activity level is set correctly and log your exercise so you can eat those exercise calories.

NoAdditives

thank you! that helps a lot, actually my goal for weight loss was 1 lb a week though, so i am not sure what i can change to get more calories allowed???

I would say that's probably too high for what you have to lose. I'd set it to 1/2 lb per week. That adds about another 250 cals to your goal. When you're already relatively lean, it's much more difficult to lose fat. The body (especially for women) prefers to have a cushion of fat - so you have to coax those last few lbs off. The way to do that is to let it KNOW there will be enough fuel coming in by having a conservative deficit.

Also, you might want to rethink your daily activity level setting. A lot of women I've seen who have young kids tend to underestimate their activity level. But, I would just change one thing at a time, give it time to work and then go from there. If it was me, I'd go to 1/2 lb per week and see how it goes.

When you have less than 20 pounds to lose you do need to eat a little more and you can also spot reduce. The body will use either fat or muscle for energy depending on what is closest to the area that needs the energy. This is why you need to eat a little more and why you can spot reduce. So if you have specific problem areas work those more instead of doing just cardio. And of course, do lots of strength training!

MissKMN

Ahhh...feeling hungry can be a good thing! It means your metabolism is working, at the very least.

When I get hungry, I always eat...but I'm always well under my calorie goal. I eat 5-6 small meals a day - I'm practically ALWAYS eating, and they always include a LOT of protein and fiber. I also chug water like it's my business and that helps to fill me up as well. I cut out basically all processed foods however, and no white flour or starchy anything. Whole grains, fruits, veggies, lean proteins.

I'm full for HOURS after ezekiel bread or some quinoa.

Maybe give your body some time to adjust as well

lodro

From what I've seen of your diary, you might want to look into reducing your carb intake to 30% and upping protein to 40% and 30% fats. And drink water a little more. There are a lot of empty calorie high carb items, especially in your breakfast. Even your yoghurt is high carb, but if for instance you took 0% fat greek yoghurt with fresh strawberries, or blueberries, you would have a breakfast that would see you through a substantial part of the day without too much hunger. 175 g carbs is a lot, I think. I try to keep between 70G and 90G carbs a day, and try to make the carbohydrates I eat come from vegetables, whole grain bread, whole grain rice. Part of your hunger may be caused by the insulin response after a spike in glucose after eating carbohydrates.

cjnorman

You should track sugar as well. So you can see how many of your calories are sugar. Sugar calories don't fill you up and if you are insulin resistant as mentioned above, sugar will make you fill more hungry.