How long to get used to the calorie restriction?

meganld

I've been a member for quite a while but recently I fell off for a couple weeks. Now I'm back, and I really want to commit myself this time! The problem I'm having is that I am literally hungry all day. It makes it really hard to have any kind of self control when all I can think about is food. I know that it will probably take some time for my body to get used to being on a calorie restriction, so I want to know, how long did it take you before you didn't feel hungry all day?

Today is the first day since I restarted tracking that I've been under my calorie goal, and I'm proud of that. My diary is open if anyone has any suggestions about things I can do to help get over this part of the process. Just please don't be too harsh! Thanks.

tigersmama34

for me it really comes down to two things: volume (fruits and lots of non starchy veggies) and protein. Of course that's just me - but the more protein and veggies i eat the better I seem to do. Otherwise I seem hungry ALL DAY long even with a very high fiber day.

For example: a bowl of cheerios with banana and skim milk --- 1 hour later I'm so hungry I feel sick, stomach is growling, headache, no energy. about 300 calories

2 eggs (I know cholesterol - but for me it's worth it and some say eggs are good, same say they aren't), spinach, tomato, mushrooms, salsa, cooked in a bit of olive oil, wrapped in a whole wheat tortilla. I'm full for a few hours. about 300 calories

Doesn't mean I always do it this way lol but when I do it works!

LabRat529

If you are hungry all day, you're restricting your calories way too much. You should probably up your calorie intake. You can also focus on foods that are more satiating for longer- high protein, high fiber, and even high fat.

Good luck!

davidpm

My personal journey was about replacing my high calorie staples, which I couldn't eat as much of, with lower calorie alternatives.

For example, if I had a side of potatoes, I couldn't have too much because it's a little higher in calories then other veggies, but I could literally eat 5 or 6 cups of steamed broccoli and be so full that I wouldn't eat anything else.

You have to find low calorie per serving alternatives so you're full but still staying within your calorie budget.

tigersmama34

did read your diary too (sorry read it AFTER my post - doh) but it does look like a good day to me!!! I'm curious as to what others say but it looked yummy and balanced to me

soccerchey1

Your food intake looks good except he sodium. I would try to cut back on the packaged food or go for the reduced sodium version of soup. You may also try drinking more water because sometimes your body mistakes hunger for just being thirsty. Good luck!

shellimus

The only thing that keeps me from being too hungry is to plump up everything with fruits and vegetables. Plan in some healthy snacks. Drink half your weight in ounces of water.

ashnm88

It looks like a good day besides the sodium.

SunshineKisses_2012

When I joined in July, it took me a full month to not feel like I was starving all the time. It sucked, and every time I recalculate my goals, the lowering of the calorie intake always puts my brain into a "OMG I'M GOING TO STARVE!!!!" mode, but the adjustment time has become a week or two at the most.

I have started to eat less (from 1840 to 1400-1500 calories) of my own accord to see what my body would do. It's not exactly freaking out and I think I may stick to a lower calorie diet (when possible) so that as MFP lowers my calorie intake goal, I'm less apt to freak my body out. That's the hope anyway.

LabRat529

P.S. I also chew gum. Crazy, I know, but for me half of 'hungry' is really just that I want something in my mouth.

meganld

Sodium has definitely been a killer, and I've been having a hard time drinking the water that I need. When it's cold out it's hard to drink a cold beverage! But I know how important that is. Definitely fruits and veggies, and I have been trying to find low cal versions of things I already eat. It's kind of fun going to the grocery store and doing that. Thanks everyone for the advice!

Gum, what a good idea!

liveinthemix

It took me about 2 weeks to get totally used to it.. once I figured out how to "pace" my meals and snacks throughout the day I feel played a bigger role than the amount of calories each food had (not saying that if you eat lettuce 10 times a day you won't be hungry), but I wasn't overly concerned with protein and fiber intake as a means to keep me feeling full..

goodasgoldilox165

Hi there
-it did take me a week or so but now I find that high-fibre/high protein helps a lot.
-Drinking (especially something warm) is good too
-going out and getting exercise sometimes helps suppress appitite AND wins you more calories.

santini1975

Took me a few weeks. The whole weight problem for me was portion control, so just the idea of a small serving of food made me think I hadn't had enough when I actually did. We are just so used to seeing such a huge pile of food on our plates in restaurants that it becomes what we expect at home too.
Try to keep yourself busy so you aren't always thinking about your next meal. Before long, your body will learn not to expect huge portions and constant snacking. Good Luck! You can do it!

WifeMomDVM

It took me about a week to adjust. You're doing great on fiber. Two things you can do to help you feel more satiated though after peeking at your diary from today:

1) Drink more water - aim for 10-12 glasses instead of 8

2) Eat more protein (1 gm per pound of body weight). MFP's default setting for protein (IMHO) is too low. Your body has to work harder to digest protein, so it will keep you feeling fuller, longer.

:flowerforyou:

sarglava

did read your diary too (sorry read it AFTER my post - doh) but it does look like a good day to me!!! I'm curious as to what others say but it looked yummy and balanced to me

I read your diary and I would consider getting rid of that bagel/cream cheese for breakfast. The egg breakfast you had this morning should be the type of thing to eat. Breakfasts high in protein keep me full for a much longer time than lots of carbs. Also (like what has been said previously) eat lots of vegetables. You don't have to stop eating the yummy things (like pizza), but to keep full you could eat a big salad and some pizza instead of just pizza.

beckywilkeherbst

Agree with tigersmama. I was eating a serving and a half of fiber one 80 calories and a cup of milk and was hungry right away. I eat 1/4 cup of "liquid eggs" and 4 pieces of healthy life wheat toast with "i cant believe it's not butter" spray and I am good to go till lunch time.
I eat lots of protein and that seems to keep me full. I allow myself a snack right around a hundred calories if i need it between breakfast and lunch and between lunch and dinner. i drink lots and lots of water. I try to drink some between each bite of food. I drink two cups every time i am working out.
It took me about 2 weeks to stop feeling hungry all the time. Occasionally I still have days and those are the days I make sure to let myself have a snack. The most important thing is to not let yourself feel hungry too often because then this shuts down your metabolism. Snack in between so you always have something.
Good luck to you!

Rompa_87

One good strategy would be to look at the food diary of members who are lighter than your current weight or at your goal weight to see what they do differently.

One of the biggest mistakes lots of people make is restricting their diet too much. They get hungry quicker and fall off the bandwagon. Try eating another 200 calories a day and you should find it more managable and will still move towards your 130lb goal.

meganld

Took me a few weeks. The whole weight problem for me was portion control, so just the idea of a small serving of food made me think I hadn't had enough when I actually did. We are just so used to seeing such a huge pile of food on our plates in restaurants that it becomes what we expect at home too.
Try to keep yourself busy so you aren't always thinking about your next meal. Before long, your body will learn not to expect huge portions and constant snacking. Good Luck! You can do it!

Yes, I've been wondering how much of my hunger has been because my brain thinks that my portions don't look big enough.

Lisa_222

About a couple of weeks for me. Still have a little trouble, but its much better than in the beginning.

shivaslives

It's not so much that I felt hungry, I just wanted to eat. Most of my cravings were when I was bored or upset or just when I was used to grabbing something. It wasn't so much my body telling me I needed more food but my head telling me. I'm not sure if those cravings are harder to get past or easier but once I had about of month of new habits, it seemed to help.

jakejacobsen

1) Drink your water
2) Whole grains
3) Protein
4) avoid empty calories that give you nothing

meganld

did read your diary too (sorry read it AFTER my post - doh) but it does look like a good day to me!!! I'm curious as to what others say but it looked yummy and balanced to me

I read your diary and I would consider getting rid of that bagel/cream cheese for breakfast. The egg breakfast you had this morning should be the type of thing to eat. Breakfasts high in protein keep me full for a much longer time than lots of carbs. Also (like what has been said previously) eat lots of vegetables. You don't have to stop eating the yummy things (like pizza), but to keep full you could eat a big salad and some pizza instead of just pizza.

I love having eggs for breakfast, I just usually don't have the time except on weekends. Maybe I'll buy some and hard boil them in advance so I have the extra protein in the morning!

beckywilkeherbst

Oh and one more thing...I add MIO to my water to give it some flavor. 0 calories and no extras like some flavored additives.

beckywilkeherbst

Oh and one more thing...I add MIO to my water to give it some flavor. 0 calories and no extras like some flavored additives.

meganld

It's not so much that I felt hungry, I just wanted to eat. Most of my cravings were when I was bored or upset or just when I was used to grabbing something. It wasn't so much my body telling me I needed more food but my head telling me. I'm not sure if those cravings are harder to get past or easier but once I had about of month of new habits, it seemed to help.

It's been harder lately now that it's darker earlier and cold. It's like my body is trying to put on its winter weight!

fteale

I never got used to 1200 cals. I was on that for about 3 months and miserable for every minutes of it. I am on 1500 now and it's ok on exercise days, but I struggle on rest days, even so. And the idea that this is forever. That is just so depressing.

a_stronger_steph

I don't know how tall you are, but if your goal weight is 130 lbs, I imagine you might be around my height (I'm 5'4"). When I first signed up for MFP, I picked the "2 lbs per week" loss rate, because who doesn't want to lose 2 lbs per week, right? When I saw that that option gave me only 1200 calories, I balked. Personally, I knew that wasn't something I could manage. I know lots and lots of people eat 1200 calories a day here, and do so with much success, but I would be ravenous if I only ate that much. I bumped mine up to 1430 calories and have lost (more or less steadily) about 0.8-0.9 pounds per week for the past 41 weeks. In the past few weeks I've bumped it up to 1490, and it hasn't seemed to affect my loss negatively.

Just letting you know that there is an option to simply eat a bit more (and I agree with the others who have said that protein is great - it keeps me feeling fuller for longer). Good luck!

gp79

For about a year or more I ate 5 to 6 times per day and after each one of those little meals throughout the day I'd still be hungry which led to covert trips to the pantry before bed. I stumbled across Intermittent Fasting back in October and since then haven't had this problem. IF 16/8 as it's sometimes referred too, is the idea that you are in a fasted state for 16 hours per day and in a fed state for 8 hours per day. You choose when your 8 hour fed state begins. Start at noon, then end at 8pm etc.

As where before I'd be spreading my daily calories over the course of 14 hours, I'm now spreading them over 8. Despite my initial concern of being hungry in the mornings (my window opens at noon) I never felt hungry despite thinking of food in the mornings. This is still the case 2 months into it but I'm not hungry. Come noon time, I have a big meal followed by another big meal in the evening. You should do some reading on it. It's not for everyone but it works great with my schedule and my brain.

My diary is open too if you're curious as to how my meals are.

Just an idea.

http://www.leangains.com/2010/04/leangains-guide.html (corrected link)


Before anyone says something about meal frequency and metabolism, here are a few links. Good reading

http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/research-review/meal-frequency-and-energy-balance-research-review.html

http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/muscle-gain/the-baseline-diet-part-1.html

http://www.leangains.com/2011/04/critique-of-issn-position-stand-on-meal.html

http://alanaragon.com/an-objective-look-at-intermittent-fasting.html

jakejacobsen

did read your diary too (sorry read it AFTER my post - doh) but it does look like a good day to me!!! I'm curious as to what others say but it looked yummy and balanced to me

I read your diary and I would consider getting rid of that bagel/cream cheese for breakfast. The egg breakfast you had this morning should be the type of thing to eat. Breakfasts high in protein keep me full for a much longer time than lots of carbs. Also (like what has been said previously) eat lots of vegetables. You don't have to stop eating the yummy things (like pizza), but to keep full you could eat a big salad and some pizza instead of just pizza.

I love having eggs for breakfast, I just usually don't have the time except on weekends. Maybe I'll buy some and hard boil them in advance so I have the extra protein in the morning!

you can scramble them in the micro, melt a little butter add beat eggs nuke for 30 sec, stir, nuke for 20 sec and stir repeat till they are the way that you like them, eggs in the time it takes to make toast.

kjannan

I started out eating a small snack every hour in the mornings & now I have one big snack at 10.30am. I found I felt hungry all the time, even though I was eating more that I did when I was overweight!

Fortunately I was lucky to work where I could just grab food when I wanted it in those early days. My co workers couldn't believe how much I was eating to make the weight fall off.

My body is used to it now & some days I struggle to eat all of my calories. I find it even harder to eat my exercise calories back so most days I don't.