Day 4 and Hungry!!!

KSawyer17

Hello - This is my first week counting calories and using this site. I found it on my iphone the other night and I love it. I have been doing good this week but today is the first day I am starving! I am drinking lots of water and trying to keep busy, but I had a question for the group. Does everyone use their exercise calories? I have been trying not to and I don't know i that is a good or a bad thing.

Thank You!

JLervold86

If I am hungry, I eat them. If I can live without them, I try not to.

soccermom004

You are already at a calorie deficit so yes you want to eat at least some of your exercise calories. if you make your food diary public I could make better suggestions. Good luck!

dls06

I don't exercise but everyone say's you have to eat your exercise calories. So go for it.

dml219

I think it is important to up your calories accordingly if you do exercise, otherwise you will no doubt feel those pangs of hunger. Your body need fuel. I think in the long run, to avoid binging, go ahead and eat the extra 200-300 calories allotted to you. I try not to eat all those calories I burn, but even if you stick to half you may find it works well.

LaurieBLouise

eat lots of raw veggies and fruits. low in calories, good for you, and they fill you up quickly! hummus is also a good option along with the veggies. lots of protein and yummy. my favorite is roasted red pepper.

lesliefoste

Welcome!

You should eat all or most of your exercise calories. Every body is different, but keep in mind that if you don't give your body enough food, it thinks it's starving. When that happens, it automatically will hold on to every last bit of fat that it can; it's called "survival mode". So you should eat your recommended calories (and that includes your exercise calories) to avoid that.

ginagn73

Hello - This is my first week counting calories and using this site. I found it on my iphone the other night and I love it. I have been doing good this week but today is the first day I am starving! I am drinking lots of water and trying to keep busy, but I had a question for the group. Does everyone use their exercise calories? I have been trying not to and I don't know i that is a good or a bad thing.


I would use your exercise calories...I have been using mine and adding a couple hundred more. The amount of calories they give us is not enough. Its still been working for me. Start off by using your exercise calories first and see how you feel.
Thank You!

tsmom1128

If I am hungry, I eat them. If I can live without them, I try not to.

I agree!!!

jamielise2

Definitely eat your exercise calories. I try to keep my NET calories between 1150 and 1400, depending on the day. Also, Greek Yogurt like Chobani will keep you full longer.

run_momma_run

If I am hungry, I eat them. If I can live without them, I try not to.

Exactly! Some days your body will require more to stay satiated, and that's okay.

You could try adding more protein to stay full longer; and perhaps you're not getting enough fat. Believe it or not, a little fat goes a long way. (one time I went for a few weeks on a very strict low fat diet and I was draggin' my butt - then I had an egg salad sandwich for lunch and felt like I was bouncing off the walls for the rest of the day!)

registers

Hello - This is my first week counting calories and using this site. I found it on my iphone the other night and I love it. I have been doing good this week but today is the first day I am starving! I am drinking lots of water and trying to keep busy, but I had a question for the group. Does everyone use their exercise calories? I have been trying not to and I don't know i that is a good or a bad thing.

Thank You!

This is a controversial subject. The greater the caloric deficit, the greater the weight loss. If you're hungry it's more likely you'll falll off the wagon, and offset your progress. If you're hungry you should ea them,. The best method for weight loss is slow gradual progress, like that, more likely you'll keep it off in the long run. If you starve yourself too long with out exercise, you will slow down your metabolism which will cause you to gain more weight.

So in summary, eat your food if you're hungry.

ginagn73

Hello - This is my first week counting calories and using this site. I found it on my iphone the other night and I love it. I have been doing good this week but today is the first day I am starving! I am drinking lots of water and trying to keep busy, but I had a question for the group. Does everyone use their exercise calories? I have been trying not to and I don't know i that is a good or a bad thing.

Thank You!

This is a controversial subject. The greater the caloric deficit, the greater the weight loss. If you're hungry it's more likely you'll falll off the wagon, and offset your progress. If you're hungry you should ea them,. The best method for weight loss is slow gradual progress, like that, more likely you'll keep it off in the long run. If you starve yourself too long with out exercise, you will slow down your metabolism which will cause you to gain more weight.

So in summary, eat your food if you're hungry.

I agree

Carbonmade0915

Sometimes I do use my exercise calories and sometimes I don't. If I get exercise calories from say, cleaning the house. No, I don't use them. At the end of the day, it takes very little exertion to clean a house.

However, if I hit a Zumba class or cycling or the gym. Yes, I use a portion of my calories. I need the extra fuel for those activities. I remember, that if my body is not getting enough calories, it will start holding onto them instead of burning them.

If I find one day a week where I am extra hungry, I add an extra (healthy) snack. Sometimes it puts me over my calories, but if my body is truly hungry and it is not a psychological thing (i.e...eating out of boredom, emotionally, etc...) then our bodies are signaling that they really need to be fed and it is actually doing us a little better to give it that extra fuel. (I always consider it dipping into my unused exercise calories.)

If you find you are extra hungry most days, instead of just a day here or there, examine your food choices and make alterations. There are days when I feel like I will pop if I eat anymore and I still have calories to spare. Then, there are days (when I indulge in a small french fry or have one fatty, more calorie intense meal and have to make up for it the rest of the day) that I feel extra hungry. It is usually the days where I am getting the calories I need, but not the fuel that I need.

Hope this helps.

KSawyer17

Thanks, didn't realize I could do that!

ChantalGG

Dont forget to get the water in you. that helps fill you up between meals.

jrlenig

If I am hungry, I eat them. If I can live without them, I try not to.

I agree!!!

Disagree you need your exercise calories if you want to change your life and not just be on a diet, 1200 calories is next to impossible to satisfy those cravings we all have, and every now and again those things should be allowed, plus you need fuel to build muscle. Good luck MFP has been great for me, in the last year and half I have dropped 8 sizes and lost 50plus pounds..it has saved me from myself, so welcome!

auntiebabs

Watch your sugar intake.
Sugars and artificial sweeteners increase your appetite.
If I have a DIET COKE, no way I can keep at 1200 cal.
More foods now than ever before have hidden sugars in them and are sold as "real foods"
If I'm going to eat the sugar I want a cookie, gosh darn it!

I've also read about folks "zig - zagging" their calories. This I seemed to do naturally and worked out fine for me.
I would do 2-3 days at 1200 cal then a day at 1400-1500 cal (on my high days I just made sure I stayed under the maintenance calories for my GOAL Weight)

Even if I am not hitting every goal dead on I'm still doing much than I was before MFP.
which, for me, is reason enough to stick with it.

Remember, it's not about being perfect it's about doing better.