Help! The more I exercise the hungrier I get!

tabarrett0261

I'm about 12 weeks into my weight loss. I joined the Y 12 weeks ago and go to their Fit Club and also am using My Fitness Pal for as much help as I can get, most recently joining the SuperHero Challenge. I've lost 10 lbs so far and have been working out about 4-5 days a week, but I'm having a REALLY hard time adjusting my calorie in take. I set my goal to 1500 calories and at least 3-4 days a week I've going over that. I'm making bad choices. I live alone (only in the last 14 months) and it is really hard for me to cook my own meals. I'm having most of my problems in portion control. I start out the day good, but by mid day I'm just eating too much or wrong choices. I don't skip meals and I try to eat healthy snacks, but it just isn't working very well for me. I also drink a lot of water. I think the added exercise is really making my more hungry than ever and I can't seem to curb this appetite of mine. Can someone please shake me up a bit and help me out with this? It's driving me crazy. The workouts are going really well and if I could stay on track with my calories I'd be doing really great. I know I need to do both, but it's just not coming together for me. HELP! I need motivation and good ideas for what to eat and how to get back on track.

tegla

oops double clicked

tegla

Can we see your food journal please? Congrats on your 10 lbs. that's 3/month... almost 1 / week : ) It sounds like you know what you need to do, cut more of that crap out of your day. It seems like living alone should make it easier, since you are only grocery shopping for yourself, so you should Only buy stuff you can eat. Don't bring it in the house, period. There are other healthier choices that can be just as yummy.

And great job keeping up with your exercise, that's the hardest and most important part. You can do this!! If you'd like to friend me, I'd love to to be "shake me up and motivate me, slap some sense into me, rip that chip bag out of my hand" friend, it's so much easier to tell someone else what to do, and thinking, sheez I need to say this to myself (big time) : )

UponThisRock

Hunger is part of dieting. Suck it up.

MattGetsMad

Hunger is part of dieting. Suck it up.

lol.

Just switch your mid-day snacks to something with less calories. Carrots, celery, broccoli, grape tomatos, NO DRESSING!!!

You'll find yourself with more calories left over at the end of the day.

LorinaLynn

Are you eating your exercise calories? The more you exercise, the more you eat. Hunger doesn't have to be, shouldn't be, a part of dieting. You should be hungry at meal and snack times, and feel satisfied after eating. As long as you're eating less than it would take to maintain your weight, you're going to lose.

rjt1000

you need to balance your blood sugar to avoid the high and lows. Eat 5 or 6 smaller meals. Have protein and fiber as part of each meal. Fiber fills you up so you don't feel hungry now. Protein keeps you from feeling hungry an hour from now. Keep meals between 150 and 300 calories each. And keep the carbs for each meal at 25g or less. Carbs spike your blood sugar and then your body throws a bunch of insulin in and drags it back down. You need to eliminate the ups and downs and that will help balance your appetite. Grilled chicken, tuna, are good with some veggies. Stay away from all potatoes, no matter how cook. Chili is good, regular or white chili. Has fiber and protein and low on carbs and fat. be wary of protein bars or shakes, make sure you check the nutrition info on them. Many are no better than eating candy bars. And keep in mind- you've lost 10 pounds so far! That's impressive even if you do feel that you're hungry and not eating as well as you could.

durhamity

I have this trouble too.

hottottie11

you need to balance your blood sugar to avoid the high and lows. Eat 5 or 6 smaller meals. Have protein and fiber as part of each meal. Fiber fills you up so you don't feel hungry now. Protein keeps you from feeling hungry an hour from now. Keep meals between 150 and 300 calories each. And keep the carbs for each meal at 25g or less. Carbs spike your blood sugar and then your body throws a bunch of insulin in and drags it back down. You need to eliminate the ups and downs and that will help balance your appetite. Grilled chicken, tuna, are good with some veggies. Stay away from all potatoes, no matter how cook. Chili is good, regular or white chili. Has fiber and protein and low on carbs and fat. be wary of protein bars or shakes, make sure you check the nutrition info on them. Many are no better than eating candy bars. And keep in mind- you've lost 10 pounds so far! That's impressive even if you do feel that you're hungry and not eating as well as you could.

Brology.

It's not necessary to eat 5-6 meals a day. If it helps you stay satisfied, go for it. Otherwise it offers not addition benefits.

Potatoes aren't bad, carbs aren't bad. Protein spikes your blood sugar too. Should they stop eating that as well?

OP: If you have problems staying full within your calorie budget, try a little more fat, protein and fiber in your diet. Unless you have issues with insulin (diabetes, PCOS), no need to "cut carbs" or "eliminate potatoes".

Also if you are not eating your exercise calories, I suggest you do. If you are using MFP numbers for calories burn, eat about 50%-75% of them.

MrsCon40

Hunger is part of dieting. Suck it up.

WRONG

Exercise will raise your metabolism and your body needs FUEL.

Make sure you are feeding it high quality food with plenty of protein, fat and fiber.

bens_momma

Brology.

It's not necessary to eat 5-6 meals a day. If it helps you stay satisfied, go for it. Otherwise it offers not addition benefits.

Potatoes aren't bad, carbs aren't bad. Protein spikes your blood sugar too. Should they stop eating that as well?

OP: If you have problems staying full within your calorie budget, try a little more fat, protein and fiber in your diet. Unless you have issues with insulin (diabetes, PCOS), no need to "cut carbs" or "eliminate potatoes".

Also if you are not eating your exercise calories, I suggest you do. If you are using MFP numbers for calories burn, eat about 50%-75% of them.

This! ^

debussyschild

I've had the SAME problem, and it's very frustrating. What I've found that helps is planning my meals for the WEEK. That's right, the whole week. I pre-cook all my meals--the one that require cooking--on Sunday and put them in tupperware to eat over the week. The menu can get boring and tedious, but I only have to cook a lot once a week and very little throughout.

On days when I workout, I up my net calorie goal just a little bit. If the day before, I wasn't as hungry because I had a rest day and only ate 1300, I'll bump the extra 200 calories over to my training day. It works just fine and it keeps me from waking up in the middle of the night from hunger pains... Also, I've increased my protein intake a lot. 40% of my total calories come from protein (then 40% from carbs, 20% from fat) and that tends to help with keeping me fuller longer. You also can invest in a Thermogenic with CLA. It acts as an appetite suppressor as well as a fat burner.

Edit to add: Other people have said it, so listen to them: make sure you eat back your exercise calories. Not doing so might cause your weight gain to slow or even stop.

jecka31

You stated that cooking just for yourself is hard and I have a suggestion. I often cook meals that feed 4-8 people when its just 2 in my household. I will freeze the left-overs and eat them for lunch later in the week. This not only makes recipes easier (as they are usually for 4+ and not 1 or 2) but makes eating health easier as you can knock out 2 (or more if you are cooking for yourself) meals at once!

I also agree with other posters about eating your exercise calories back. If you net goal is 1500 and you burn 300 in calories, you should eat 1800 to get the net 1500. As for carbs, I am a carb addict and eat roughly 55% from carbs. I try to pick better carbs like whole grains and vegetables but I still eat starchy vegetables like potatoes, corn and peas. I eat 4-6 meals a day (depending on my schedule), aiming for every 3 hours. This is more because I'm borderline hypoglycemic than to keep me full. Eating this often keeps my sugar levels where they need to be. Your meal timing will be something you need to figure out individually (My husband eats 2 maybe 3 meals and has never had a weight issue).

I hope this helps! Congrats on your 10lbs so far and good luck with the rest of your journey.

LeanMeanFitnessMachine

I would increase your protien intake to curb appetite (double what MFP has set for you). I had this same problem. I originally increased my protien to build more muscle, but found I was less hungry and could go longer periods of time without craving food. This is because protien takes the body longer to digest than other macronutrients. Also, fiber helps keep you fuller longer - so up your intake of WHOLE grains, such as wheat bread/pasta and multi grain bagels/rolls.

Here's a list of high protien foods that require little to no cooking skills:
Unsalted Nuts (I suggest almonds, walnuts, and pistachios) - no cooking needed.
Eggs (I would use the Egg Beaters because it is 0 fat & 0 cholesterol) - scrambled or omlet style takes less than 20 minutes.
Lean meat (chicken, turkey, & fish) - throw it in the oven or on the grill with a little bit of seasoning & BAM, you've got dinner.
Nonfat yogurt or Greek yogurt - no cooking needed.

As for portion control - buy smaller plates & bowls! That way when you load up your dish, its still half the amount you usually do.

DaddyofMEA

Same trouble because unfortunately you're training your body to to work more than it has in the past on a leaner fuel source. What I have found that helps me are raw nuts (not peanuts) i.e. Walnuts, Almonds, Pecans and the like and then whole grains instead of white breads. Then what I do is absolutely pig out on vegetables and salads (no dressing just some spices and fresh herbs) I'll steam a bag of broccoli or brussell sprouts and snack on that at night if I can't control it. I can get tired of eating actually by doing this. Because of the way I ate in the past I find that I'm not actually hungry hungry but I want something to chew on.

Keep in mind this isn't conventional at all but its working for me slowly but surely. If I have to take a day off either by accident or by choice I don't beat myself up over it I just consider it a bump in the road and try to do better next meal. I may or may not but If I take one less bite or get steamed vegies instead of potato's of any sort then I consider it a win.

Oh and a very important tip is drink lots of water. I try to atleast double the rda by drinking 16 cups a day. Not only to feel more full but my skin is incredible!

tabarrett0261

Geez thanks dude.

tabarrett0261

you need to balance your blood sugar to avoid the high and lows. Eat 5 or 6 smaller meals. Have protein and fiber as part of each meal. Fiber fills you up so you don't feel hungry now. Protein keeps you from feeling hungry an hour from now. Keep meals between 150 and 300 calories each. And keep the carbs for each meal at 25g or less. Carbs spike your blood sugar and then your body throws a bunch of insulin in and drags it back down. You need to eliminate the ups and downs and that will help balance your appetite. Grilled chicken, tuna, are good with some veggies. Stay away from all potatoes, no matter how cook. Chili is good, regular or white chili. Has fiber and protein and low on carbs and fat. be wary of protein bars or shakes, make sure you check the nutrition info on them. Many are no better than eating candy bars. And keep in mind- you've lost 10 pounds so far! That's impressive even if you do feel that you're hungry and not eating as well as you could.

tabarrett0261

Thanks for the great advice. I never thought about blood sugar balance. I like that idea. Makes a lot of sense.

tabarrett0261

you need to balance your blood sugar to avoid the high and lows. Eat 5 or 6 smaller meals. Have protein and fiber as part of each meal. Fiber fills you up so you don't feel hungry now. Protein keeps you from feeling hungry an hour from now. Keep meals between 150 and 300 calories each. And keep the carbs for each meal at 25g or less. Carbs spike your blood sugar and then your body throws a bunch of insulin in and drags it back down. You need to eliminate the ups and downs and that will help balance your appetite. Grilled chicken, tuna, are good with some veggies. Stay away from all potatoes, no matter how cook. Chili is good, regular or white chili. Has fiber and protein and low on carbs and fat. be wary of protein bars or shakes, make sure you check the nutrition info on them. Many are no better than eating candy bars. And keep in mind- you've lost 10 pounds so far! That's impressive even if you do feel that you're hungry and not eating as well as you could.

Brology.

It's not necessary to eat 5-6 meals a day. If it helps you stay satisfied, go for it. Otherwise it offers not addition benefits.

Potatoes aren't bad, carbs aren't bad. Protein spikes your blood sugar too. Should they stop eating that as well?

OP: If you have problems staying full within your calorie budget, try a little more fat, protein and fiber in your diet. Unless you have issues with insulin (diabetes, PCOS), no need to "cut carbs" or "eliminate potatoes".

Also if you are not eating your exercise calories, I suggest you do. If you are using MFP numbers for calories burn, eat about 50%-75% of them.

Thanks! Good info from everyone! I love it!

ElizabethRoad

Hunger is part of dieting. Suck it up.

When does it kick in? I'm on week 11 and losing steadily, and have not encountered this yet.

CaptainGordo

Weird. My car needs more gasoline when I drive more.

tangosheryl

Tell yourself that it's the time that you are hungry when you are losing the weight. So when you feel hungry, think, now is the time I'm lsing the weight. Eat lots of protein too!

psuLemon

If you are hungry, it's your bodies mechanism of saying feed me. And ElExGordo has it right, food is fuel so if you burn more, you need to eat more.

tabarrett0261

Well I think I will start planning my days better so I'm more prepared for the hungry times, like after work and before I get to the Y. I can also portion out some snacks, like almonds, and put in little single servings. I might have to dig out my weight watchers recipes and start cooking more but on 1 day of the week and freezing everything for the rest of the week. All good ideas! Thanks everyone! (except the "suck it up" dude!) :laugh:

psuLemon

Are you eating back your exercise calories?

tabarrett0261

yes, my problem is that I over eat on the days I get extra hungry. Usually the next day after a workout. I will work out that day too. I think I just need to plan better. maybe better choices and leave alone all the little extras at work!

Nos150

Eat before you get to the point of eating anything in site. this does take a little planing and some listening to your body.

if you know that you are busy during the day or are going to be away then take a snack with you.

make your meals closer together (but no different in size/amount)

one thing that i have found is having left overs in the fridge/freezer helps. that way if you are hungry but dont feel like making 'good' food there is no reason not to eat the 'healthy' left overs.

if you are 'hungry' but its not time to eat yet, drink some water.

trigin2

high energy, low calorie snacks some options:
2T peanut butter with an apple
12 almonds
Bowl of soup (not the creamy kind) or bouillon cube
Celery sticks with hummus

sheshe32

I find it also I get hungrier. I add more protien into my diet and its helping. Also I find funny enough, apples help too (and of couse water) Good luck. You dont have to suck it up. Find something that works, eat back some cals, you will get there. You are doing so well!

ILiftHeavyAcrylics

Lots of good suggestions (and some bad ones) here, so I'll just add: pick one thing to change at a time. It's easier to change your lifestyle permanently (at least for me) if I take just one thing and work on that until it's habit, then move on to the next thing. Eventually it will add up to a lot of progress. I would also say eat something calorie dense (nuts, protein) as soon as you start to feel hungry and just eat a small portion. Then give yourself 20 minutes or so before you eat anything else because it can take a bit to feel full. Also you can try a hot beverage like tea when you are just craving something (not actually hungry).

BobbyClerici

Hunger is part of dieting. Suck it up.

It's simple but hard.
I struggled for weeks before it got easy. My cravings would drive me mad.
You must work through that pain.

How bad do you want it?