Just not that hungry

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Angiebug1969
Angiebug1969 Posts: 152
in Food and Nutrition
Well, nearly every day... I'm doing my best to stay within the daily calorie budget here. Sometimes I take into consideration the calories burned during a workout, sometimes I don't - because like this morning, I finished entering my data from last night. Even if I had known that I was THAT FAR under my recommended daily caloric intake, I still wouldn't have eaten that much before bedtime to make up those calories.

So, I'm getting this little red warning when I submit my daily info, that says I am not eating enough and that I could be sending my body into starvation mode. But the bottom line is, I'm really not that hungry. I eat balanced and healthy choices for the most part... because believe me, I've guilted myself into making FAR better choices dietarily than I did in my teens, twenties and early thirties! But at mealtime, I have to force myself to finish what I've taken on my plate. Believe me, I'm not whithering away here... I'm still 160lbs (give or take a lb or two)!!! I should be far thinner than I am.

I'm not going to rant or complain... It's all so confusing, that's all!!

Replies

  • sccamero
    sccamero Posts: 164 Member
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    I felt the same way just last night. But I ate to make up for it since I was 700 under goal and I lost weight even with eating right before bed. Sometimes you just have to make yourself eat otherwise like it says you wont lose any weight by being too under, even if it is a weird concept to eat more to lose weight but it works.
  • sccamero
    sccamero Posts: 164 Member
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    I felt the same way just last night. But I ate to make up for it since I was 700 under goal and I lost weight even with eating right before bed. Sometimes you just have to make yourself eat otherwise like it says you wont lose any weight by being too under, even if it is a weird concept to eat more to lose weight but it works.
  • sccamero
    sccamero Posts: 164 Member
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    I felt the same way just last night. But I ate to make up for it since I was 700 under goal and I lost weight even with eating right before bed. Sometimes you just have to make yourself eat otherwise like it says you wont lose any weight by being too under, even if it is a weird concept to eat more to lose weight but it works.
  • dawnhite7778
    dawnhite7778 Posts: 35
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    bump
  • lisapisa1
    lisapisa1 Posts: 115
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    I know a lot of people who are overweight and eat like birds. Not because they are starving themselves, but they just aren't that hungry. I actually have more overweight friends that eat like that then who gorge themselves.

    Try finding things like nuts that are a good snack but also put a nice little bump in your caloric intake for the day. They have protein and healthy fats.

    I can eat 3 healthy meals a day and be under my calorie goal and full but it also doesn't mean I'm getting all the nutrients I need in a day.
  • 00trayn
    00trayn Posts: 1,849 Member
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    The lack of an appetite is the sign that your metabolism is dying a slow painful death. I was like that when i was eating under 1200 calories. I thought to myself "well, I'm not hungry so it's OK". Nope, it means your metabolism is slowing down and so will your weight loss. Eating more will actually kick start your metabolism and you'll feel hungry. I eat every 2 hours now, averaging 1600 calories a day. And I'm losing weight. More specifically, I'm losing fat and my body fat % is going down. If you're not getting enough fuel, you'll start to eat away at your muscles... not good!
  • erickirb
    erickirb Posts: 12,293 Member
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    Well, nearly every day... I'm doing my best to stay within the daily calorie budget here. Sometimes I take into consideration the calories burned during a workout, sometimes I don't - because like this morning, I finished entering my data from last night. Even if I had known that I was THAT FAR under my recommended daily caloric intake, I still wouldn't have eaten that much before bedtime to make up those calories.

    So, I'm getting this little red warning when I submit my daily info, that says I am not eating enough and that I could be sending my body into starvation mode. But the bottom line is, I'm really not that hungry. I eat balanced and healthy choices for the most part... because believe me, I've guilted myself into making FAR better choices dietarily than I did in my teens, twenties and early thirties! But at mealtime, I have to force myself to finish what I've taken on my plate. Believe me, I'm not whithering away here... I'm still 160lbs (give or take a lb or two)!!! I should be far thinner than I am.

    I'm not going to rant or complain... It's all so confusing, that's all!!

    Hunger is not the best indication of nutrition requirements. Instead of eating more quantity, try eating calorie dense foods in place of what you are eating (nuts seeds, nut butter) have a glass of juice in place of 1 glass of water etc. you don't have to eat more to ingest more caloires, just make more informed choices to fit your dietary requirements.
  • wiggleroom
    wiggleroom Posts: 322 Member
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    People are going to tell you to make sure you're eating back your exercise calories -- but every body is so, so different. If you were hungry and still under, then I'd tell you to eat. But if you're getting nutrition, protein, fiber, water, and taking in at least 1200 calories, pay attention to your body. If you stop losing, then start eating more. But for now, just follow your body's lead.

    (I burn between 600 and 700 calories a day, but I only eat back between 200 and 400 -- and when I'm consistent with that, and avoiding silly choices, I ALWAYS lose weight.)
  • ShrinkingNinja
    ShrinkingNinja Posts: 460 Member
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    I have this problem too all the time. I eat to be satisfied and then I get the ole starvation mode warning. I am starting to come around to maybe that is true.... because what I eat when I don't workout makes me lose weight. However, I workout a lot and I am gaining again now.

    Course, my clothes still fit the same and I don't look bigger. Ugh. I just don't know.

    I am so scared to just intake more calories for the heck of it when I am just not hungry.
  • ladyhawk00
    ladyhawk00 Posts: 2,457 Member
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    Unfortunately, hunger is not a reliable judge of when and how much to eat, especially when you're just starting out with healthy habits. Here are a couple of threads about why you simply can't trust hunger cues in the beginning.

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

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/231636-the-eating-when-you-re-not-hungry-dilemma

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/175241-a-personal-view-on-exercise-cals-and-underfeeding
  • 4theking
    4theking Posts: 1,196 Member
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    Losing weight is all about metabolism and metabolism is all about hormones. Undereating and lots of exercise will destroy your hormones. If you really want to lose the weight you must find a way to eat more.
  • bwyne03
    bwyne03 Posts: 137 Member
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    I have mixed feelings on this subject. I'm far from and expert, but have found in the past that as long as I work out and cut back on my intake I personally lose weight, maybe not super fast, but at a decent pace. I recently started eating healthier and more often and honestly the first 2 weeks were great, then I was at a standstill for 3 weeks. Now this week I decided to eat the same foods I typically do in moderation and continue the exercise and I have dropped 2 lbs this week. Also, I spoke with a personal trainer friend of mine and she said, eat when you are hungry, listen to your body, if you're not hungry, don't eat. She said to make sure that what I do eat is healthy, but not to force myself to eat if I'm not hungry. Everyone is different, I think you just need to know your body and what works best for you!!
  • erickirb
    erickirb Posts: 12,293 Member
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    I have mixed feelings on this subject. I'm far from and expert, but have found in the past that as long as I work out and cut back on my intake I personally lose weight, maybe not super fast, but at a decent pace. I recently started eating healthier and more often and honestly the first 2 weeks were great, then I was at a standstill for 3 weeks. Now this week I decided to eat the same foods I typically do in moderation and continue the exercise and I have dropped 2 lbs this week. Also, I spoke with a personal trainer friend of mine and she said, eat when you are hungry, listen to your body, if you're not hungry, don't eat. She said to make sure that what I do eat is healthy, but not to force myself to eat if I'm not hungry. Everyone is different, I think you just need to know your body and what works best for you!!

    PT's to the most part have limited nutrition training.
  • jlbunny78
    jlbunny78 Posts: 9
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    Try not to log all your exercise. In general, any "workout' that doesn't raise your heart rate to a certain level should not count. It should be part of your lifestyle, not a workout. I only log the time my heart rate go above 70%, which means I don't log warm-up, walking, house work, even biking around my neighborhood. You don't need a heart rate monitor to know that, just pay attention when you can maintain a minimum conservation during a workout. That's when your heart is really pumping (but not over working), and it should count as a work out. The workout that doesn't raise your heart rate significantly is still a good thing. It just doesn't qualify you for extra calorie intake. There is no damage for your health if you take 90 minutes yoga everyday and eat the same food everyday. If you run an hour with your 10k race speed several times a week, you do need to eat a little bit more.
  • christyjoyjr
    christyjoyjr Posts: 91
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    I'm having the same problem. I end up under my calorie goal with no desire to eat more and get the same warning. Maybe because I'm eating so healthy my body just doesn't have the cravings. I'm meeting my goal in the protien category but not the carb. That may have something to do with my lack of hunger. I've added a few snacks to my plan today to help add a few carbs.
  • Angiebug1969
    Angiebug1969 Posts: 152
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    The lack of an appetite is the sign that your metabolism is dying a slow painful death. I was like that when i was eating under 1200 calories. I thought to myself "well, I'm not hungry so it's OK". Nope, it means your metabolism is slowing down and so will your weight loss. Eating more will actually kick start your metabolism and you'll feel hungry. I eat every 2 hours now, averaging 1600 calories a day. And I'm losing weight. More specifically, I'm losing fat and my body fat % is going down. If you're not getting enough fuel, you'll start to eat away at your muscles... not good!

    I had my calorie budget set at 1250 from mid-January through April this year... and gained weight! So, after talking with my doc, he suggested upping my calories. And I have been aiming for 1600ish. I think marathon training has also stressed my body out, in addition to the lower calories... THANK YOU for all the info everyone... the threads & tips & suggestions!

    :smile: This is why I love MFP sooo much!!
  • 4theking
    4theking Posts: 1,196 Member
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    I would like to add if I ate 1200 calories of nothing but chicken breast, I wouldn't be hungry. In other words, hunger is not the best of signals to know how much to eat.
  • Angiebug1969
    Angiebug1969 Posts: 152
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    Try not to log all your exercise. In general, any "workout' that doesn't raise your heart rate to a certain level should not count. It should be part of your lifestyle, not a workout. I only log the time my heart rate go above 70%, which means I don't log warm-up, walking, house work, even biking around my neighborhood. You don't need a heart rate monitor to know that, just pay attention when you can maintain a minimum conservation during a workout. That's when your heart is really pumping (but not over working), and it should count as a work out.

    LoL... I giggled on this one! I don't log things like laundry & running the vacuum, doing the dishes etc. My "general gardening" workouts the past week... well, I was tossing around 80lb bags of concrete (27 bags to be exact, last Thursday night!) ... mixing the concrete, transporting it in the wheel barrow then shovelling it into the fence post holes. Each hole needed 2-3 bags of concrete. So, it wasn't like I was sitting in the grass pulling a few weeds. And this was only 4 days after I ran a marathon! :wink:
  • AngelaLVGJN
    AngelaLVGJN Posts: 39 Member
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    Yep - I think you should definitely log your "gardening"! I am sure you are building up some great muscles with that gardening. I just wanted to thank you for posting this as I get told this most days on MFP as well. I have been working hard to up my calories, but I am not doing it in the most healthy way. I usually pop a couple of pieces of chocolate at night just to get myself to 1,200 calories. I make very healthy choices throughout the day, but that usually causes me to be below. Good luck on your marathon training.
  • ShaeDetermined
    ShaeDetermined Posts: 1,525 Member
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    again, no expert here, but this is what i've found:

    i lost 40lbs in about a year, and then plateaued (with 15lbs to go). for the last 8 months i didnt lost a pound - fluctuated within a 5lb range, but didnt drop beyond that.
    in the end of april i joined MFP and discovered that I was eating between 800-900 calories a day and burning atleast 400 of them!
    i have since then added calorie dense foods to my day (avocado, nuts, eggs, etc) and built up my snacks to more of a mini-meal (yogurt and fruit/berries, crackers and tuna, etc)
    well, from 5-1--- I am down over 4 lbs.

    Keep your metabolism going and stay healthy !

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