I am CONSTANTLY hungry

kellybean14

I've been doing the mfp calorie-counting for about a week and a half now, and for the first week or so I was totally fine. The last couple days, though, I have been RAVenous. Constantly. It's gotten to the point where I have to work out several times a day in order to burn all the calories I need to keep myself from eating plastic or clay.

Is this something that you experienced when you were starting out? My weight loss goal is set to just 1.5 pounds a week.

Any advice would be appreciated.

Microfiber_wechange

It could be your totm. I get very hungry around that time

Tonnina

Protein. Water. Chewing gum. All these things fix my issues of needing to eat everything in sight!!

kellybean14

To TOM suggestion:

I wish it were that simple.

Not the case, however.

jsapninz

It took me 3-4 weeks to get used to my daily cal goal. Now I feel content with my calories.

Glad to hear you are eating your cals back.

What sort of defecit are you set at (500 cals from your TDEE)? Perhaps you are trying to lose to quickly; you don't have that much to lose (24 lbs on your profile), so you shouldn't be attempting to lose like 2 lbs a week or anthing.

ahubacek

What are your calories at? Your body could be telling you you're not eating enough. If you don't have much to lose, you should be aiming at .5 pounds a week.

It could also be what you're eating... More protein and complex carbs would fuel your body better and make you feel full longer.

kellybean14

It took me 3-4 weeks to get used to my daily cal goal. Now I feel content with my calories.

Glad to hear you are eating your cals back.

What sort of defecit are you set at (500 cals from your TDEE)? Perhaps you are trying to lose to quickly; you don't have that much to lose (24 lbs on your profile), so you shouldn't be attempting to lose like 2 lbs a week or anthing.

I'm set to eat 670 fewer calories a day than my TDEE, so mfp has me at 1200 a day. I thought 1.5 pounds/week wasn't too fast of a loss... but maybe it is?

PeaceCorpsKat

You said something odd there... clay.

From my experience living in developing countries I know that a lot of women will eat dirt and clay when they are anemic. When you are anemic, or don’t have enough red blood cells, you feel very tired all the time.

Typically it means your body needs more iron. It is really common in menstruating women. Iron supplements can be really harsh on you, they can cause serious constipation, so I would suggest upping your intake of leafy greens. And make sure to pair your spinach with some type of Vitamin C source – like lemon juice, because it aids in the absorption of iron.

If you aren’t opposed, dark meats, including red meats are a good source.

You should go see a doctor and have it checked out. It is a pretty simple blood test, and it might really help with the cravings.

Elzecat

Maybe you're not taking in enough calories? It's possible MFP's recommendation is not appropriate for your individual needs. Just because MFP says to eat 1200 calories (or whatever) does not mean it works for everybody. Try changing your goal to 1 pound per week and see if that helps. Without seeing your diary or knowing how many calories you're taking or what kind of exercise you're doing...hard to provide any more help. It could be related to your metabolism, or the types of foods you're eating.

But honestly, I don't think you should be ravenous all the time...it seems like that would make it really hard to stay within your calories and not binge! When I started on MFP a year ago I was eating 1500 calories a day and losing steadily and didn't get "ravenous" like you're describing...I'm now up to 1850 and maintaining or losing small amounts, which is where I want to be...
I had to tweak my numbers and activities a lot over this past year to find a balance of nutrition and exercise that works for me. I love MFP's tracking system, but I don't think the calorie recommendations work for everyone without some adjustment.

Good luck

Edited to add: Sorry if I repeated what others already wrote, there weren't any other postings when I first started writing my response...I guess I write too slow!

cmriverside

Recalculate your Goals. If you are hungry, you probably have your Goals set too aggressively.

Your ticker says you have a little over 20 pounds to lose. You should be set at 1/2 to 1 pound loss per week. If you set your goals reasonably you will be given enough food. Don't choose "Sedentary" just because it is a choice. If you have a job or go to school or care for children, you are not Sedentary. Choosing a more active setting gives you more food.

If you have 75+ lbs to lose 2 lbs/week is ideal,
If you have 40-75 lbs to lose 1.5 lbs/week is ideal,
If you have 25-40 lbs to lose 1 lbs/week is ideal,
If you have 15 -25 lbs to lose 0.5 to 1.0 lbs/week is ideal, and
If you have less than 15 lbs to lose 0.5 lbs/week is ideal.

infamousmk

You look like you're pretty healthy now... and 1200 calories is pretty low for basically everyone anyway. If you're starving, and constantly hungry, you should eat. Many women on MFP are losing weight steadily on 15-1700 calories a day.

mbts08

What are you eating? Can you open your diary?

I find when I add healthy fats and protein it satisfies me more and I am not as hungry.

Cardio makes me hungry too.

rachemn

You may need to raise your calorie intake. Also the more I work out the hungrier I am so I try and have some solid protein within an hour of working out...otherwise I want to eat ALL the food!

Also could be the type of food you're eating. I've found that I do much better with solid protein keeping me filled up as opposed to salads, etc. Chicken breast, Salmon, steak.

If you open your diary, we'll be able to give you better advice, but be prepared for some harsh critical advice.

bcattoes

If that is you in your profice pic you have your weight loss set too agressive. You don't have a lot to lose so 1/2 lb per week would be more sensible. I realize that losing fast is desirable but it's just realistic if you don't have much to lose. Switch it to 1/2 or 1 lb per week and eat at that level.

EllieTheLondoner

Up your protein intake with each meal. They may seam calorie-laden but they do give you the 'full' feeling. Eggs, chicken, turkey, tuna, all easy protein fixes, should help I'm between 1000 & 1200 a day and hardly feel hungry.

psuLemon

Recalculate your Goals. If you are hungry, you probably have your Goals set too aggressively.

Your ticker says you have a little over 20 pounds to lose. You should be set at 1/2 to 1 pound loss per week. If you set your goals reasonably you will be given enough food. Don't choose "Sedentary" just because it is a choice. If you have a job or go to school or care for children, you are not Sedentary. Choosing a more active setting gives you more food.

If you have 75+ lbs to lose 2 lbs/week is ideal,
If you have 40-75 lbs to lose 1.5 lbs/week is ideal,
If you have 25-40 lbs to lose 1 lbs/week is ideal,
If you have 15 -25 lbs to lose 0.5 to 1.0 lbs/week is ideal, and
If you have less than 15 lbs to lose 0.5 lbs/week is ideal.

This and if you are exercising you need more calories. Generally eating 50-75% of them back.

brenjm48

I know how you feel. I'm sitting here and i'm starving even though i've eaten well today. I hope that as i get fitter and the weight starts to come off that my body's metabolism will adjust and the hunger pangs will get less. Right now i'm like you and squeezing a bit more exercise in to compensate. I'm having 2 glasses of wine and some peanuts tonight watching telly - does that make me bad : (

jamie78

Upping your fiber and protein intake will help you not feel so hungry, ALso if your eating alot of carbs you are going to feel more hungry.

jsapninz

It took me 3-4 weeks to get used to my daily cal goal. Now I feel content with my calories.

Glad to hear you are eating your cals back.

What sort of defecit are you set at (500 cals from your TDEE)? Perhaps you are trying to lose to quickly; you don't have that much to lose (24 lbs on your profile), so you shouldn't be attempting to lose like 2 lbs a week or anthing.

I'm set to eat 670 fewer calories a day than my TDEE, so mfp has me at 1200 a day. I thought 1.5 pounds/week wasn't too fast of a loss... but maybe it is?

670 is a pound every five days, or 1 1/3 lbs a week.Healthy weight loss is 1-2 lbs a week. But the more you have to lose, the quicker they come off. 24 lbs to lose isn't a whole lot, but it's not barely any either.....

If your goal is too difficult to stick with, I would up it to 1 lb a week. This is still a pretty good clip. It's all about what you can stick with and do long term, keep your goal attainable on an EVERY DAY basis. If you are going to try to do 1.3 lbs a week but once a week you can't take it any more and go out and eat waaaaay over your goal, than there is no point in sticking to that goal because you are just undoing your work. Be honest with yourself and figure out what you can handle. It may be 1.3 a week, it may not.

You are retraining your body about what it should eat, and when you are eating at a defecit after a long time of eating at your maintenance, YEAH you are GOING to be hungry. Your body is not stupid, it knows it's not getting as much as it is used to and it is alerting you. But you have the ability to override it and tell it you are in charge. Eventually it will get used to the new goal and be happy with your intake.

Good luck! :flowerforyou:

kellybean14

Okay, I've made my diary public so you guys can take a looksie.

It seems like the general consensus is that I am trying to lose too quickly. I of course want to reach my ideal weight sooner rather than later, but I think changing the goal to .5 - 1 lb a week is sound advice. (Just not what I wanted to hear.)

mtaylor1980

I'm the same way..and I mean I eat CONSTANTLY ALL DAY!! I am always hungry, and always thinking about food or my next meal :-/
I just signed up for MFP , and I have started watching my calories this week for the first time ever, and not to be TMI, but I also have PMS. I have been eating a lot of protein, like hard boiled eggs, bananas, Greek yogurt, and I have not felt hungry!For the first time ever, I am not stealing from my co-workers candy jar! Granted, I have not weighed myself yet (due to the PMS) and it has only been one week, so I will check back in! I know you said that protein deficiency wasn't the issue, but maybe eating foods that fill you up might help?
Or it could be your workouts, when I run, and lift weights, I could eat a cow! (and I'm veg)

yepitsjen

You said something odd there... clay.

PICA is a nutritional deficiency that can be caused by more than anemia. Celiac disease (gluten intolerance) etc. If you really want to eat clay, you should ask your doctor for a blood screen http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pica_(disorder)

You might also be eating something that is upsetting your stomach. Oddly, when I eat stuff that doesn't agree with me, I feel hungry and keep eating. It's an internal urge to settle my stomach- sort of like how some people with ulcers drink milk.

vara123

I'm fairly new to this (3 months in) but it sounds to me like your calories might be a bit low. I don't know what your start weight was or how quickly/aggressively you are trying to lose weight but it might be worth upping them. MFP recommended - on the basis of my stats and desired weight loss - that I consume 1300 per day. I simply couldn't go that low, and I think there is pretty good evidence to suggest regularly eating below 1500 (net) per day is a bad idea in the long run. I changed my goal to 1600 per day and it's really worked for me. Good luck!

AeolianHarp

How many meals are you eating? If you're eating around 5-6 then you can skip that and just eat 3-4. Sometimes I eat two meals and this helps stave off a bit of hunger since my meals are around 1k. In the end, you're trying to lose weight. You're going to be hungry and there's no way around it

There are some things you can do:
(1) Increase chicken consumption - I prefer beef but, let's be real, it's calorically dense. Chicken is lean as heck and you can eat a lot of it since it's mostly protein. Protein is more satiating, so more chicken = more filling.
(2) Increase fat - If you're eating really low amounts of fat then this would make you hungry. The recommended minimum intake is 0.25-0.35g per pound of body weight.
(3) Increase low calorie vegetables - I know some people that eat 500g-1kg of broccoli a day because they're so hungry.

kellybean14

You said something odd there... clay.

PICA is a nutritional deficiency that can be caused by more than anemia. Celiac disease (gluten intolerance) etc. If you really want to eat clay, you should ask your doctor for a blood screen http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pica_(disorder)

You might also be eating something that is upsetting your stomach. Oddly, when I eat stuff that doesn't agree with me, I feel hungry and keep eating. It's an internal urge to settle my stomach- sort of like how some people with ulcers drink milk.

Sorry, not literally. Though I am vegetarian so maybe there's a grain of sand...

jsapninz

Okay, I've made my diary public so you guys can take a looksie.

It seems like the general consensus is that I am trying to lose too quickly. I of course want to reach my ideal weight sooner rather than later, but I think changing the goal to .5 - 1 lb a week is sound advice. (Just not what I wanted to hear.)

I personally would not be happy with 1/2 lbs a week but it may work for you. Remember if you go too slow you are going to get discouraged with "not losing anything" easily too. Keep that in mind: how hungry I want to be vs. how quickly do i need to see it come off so I don't get discouraged. It's a balancing act.

Everyone is different and it's all in what's attainable.

The weight took a long time to go on, don't expect it to come off by tomorrow.

Lena1967

I agree with the advice to not let yourself go hungry. If you do, your primal urge to keep yourself alive will override your willpower eventually and you will end up disenchanted with MFP and ready to inhale everything in sight. Well, that's what has and would happen to me, anyway. :laugh:

Like you, I have less to lose and had to bump up my calories after the first couple of weeks so I didn't feel hungry all the time. (I looked up one of the sites on calculating TDEE that someone on here cited). I have still lost steadily, although not 2 lbs a week!

kellybean14

Thank you everyone! I really appreciate your insight.

JLLemons

More water...maybe your body is not hungry, but dehydrated...or you're not getting enough sleep...or both

barbiecat

:drinker: :flowerforyou: if you are logging everything you eat, you can look over your food diary and see which of your calories come from things that aren't giving you any nutrition (alcohol, salad dressing, condiments, candy, etc.) and which of your foods have a lot of calories and don't provide as much to eat (cereal, bread, pasta) and re-adjust so you have more food to eat with the same calories.

Alifall414

I changed my goal from the advised 1200 to 1450 and wasn't hungry at all and lost 2 lbs in a week, so I changed it to 1350 and I have days where I'm ravenous and days when it's harder to eat the full amount cause I'm just not hungry. I've lost 19 lbs so far, and have 40 more to go. Been losing about 2 lbs a week so far even with higher calories built in. I also eat all my exercise points back. I also eat a lot of fiber and try to make sure I get enough protein too. And chewing gum helps me too. Good luck!