I'm Hungy!!! :(

LoveLife8888

Ive only been on MFP for a few days now, but have been working on my diet and excersize for a few weeks. Ive been eating less calories and doing as MFP says but I'm still so hungry all the time! Why is this? And will this feeling go away after some time? (I kinda want to give up and eat what I want haha)

tntlamb

me too....tomarrow Im going to get some celery, carrots, and anything else good to nibble on. I found drinking my water has really helped me.

sleepytexan

Eat no less than your BMR plus exercise calories for the most effective way to lose weight. You will not be hungry, and the weight will come off and stay off.

Here's more:

Here's one of my old posts from a similar topic:

OK. I'm gonna give this a shot. I am an avid lifelong athlete. I have never been overweight, however, I used to eat too few calories (without knowing it), and a couple years ago, I actually GAINED weight bc of having slowed my metabolism to the point that every little extra treat I ate caused a weight gain, even though overall my calories were too low. THIS DOES HAPPEN.

It is also the reason so many fat people stay fat. They restrict their calories so low, slow their metabolisms, binge (even a little), gain weight, restrict more . . . . and so on and so on. But they are still fat.

It is also the reason most people can't lose that last 10-20 lbs. For real.

1. MFP has a deficit built in. Let's say you're trying to lose 1 lb/ week. That is a 500/day deficit from your BMR (the amount of calories your body needs to complete basic functions.

2. You exercise and burn 500 calories. Now you are at a 1000 deficit. If you eat back those 500 exercise calories, you refuel your body and you still have a 500 deficit for that 1 lb loss. If you DON'T eat back those calories, you have too little fuel. This is bad. This is too much of a deficit for basic functions. If you do this for a long time, you will STOP LOSING WEIGHT. Why? bc your metabolism will slow down -- it's like a brownout--not quite enough electricity to make the whole city (your body) run, so it has to slow down some things. You will probably start being tired a lot, your skin and hair might start to look worse, and you might even gain weight. But you might NOT be hungry -- your body is getting used to fewer calories. That's bad.


That's when you start to gain weight. Let's say you're running along, eating 1200 calories a day, and exercising 400 calories a day, so net is 800. You're losing, you think this is great. You keep doing it, but after a while you stop losing. hmmmmm. One weekend you go out to a special event and have a slice of pizza and a beer. 1 slice of pizza and 1 beer. So you ate maybe 2000 calories that day and exercised off 400, so net 1600. BOOM! You gain 3 lbs! What?!

Next, you freak out and restrict yourself down to 1000 calories a day and work out extra hard, burning 500 calories. Great, netting 500 now. You don't lose any weight, but you sure feel tired. Better get some red bull.

Are you getting the picture?

EDIT: When you work out, you need fuel. Food is fuel. If you don't eat back those exercise calories, you will not only have a big calorie deficit, you will have an ENERGY deficit. Remember, the calorie deficit for weight loss is built in when you use MFP. Exercising basically earns you more calories because you must refuel.
--

There are many people who will tell you not to eat exercise calories. Before you take their advice, you might want to see whether they are at goal, have EVER been at goal, or have ever been able to maintain at goal. If anyone says to you 'THE LAST TIME I LOST WEIGHT", just stop listening right there.

Ask some athletes whether or not they replenish their bodies with food equal to the calories they burn. Ask people who are fit and have achieved and maintained a healthy weight for some years. Don't ask people who count walking across a parking lot as exercise.

Here's an interesting case study about how to stay fat while consuming only 700 calories a day. Take a moment, you'll be glad you did:

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/3047-700-calories-a-day-and-not-losing

blessings.

Smokey19

It does get better. I fill up with lots of veggies and water.

livelongmama

I felt kind of deprived the first week or so, but now I feel like I eat enough to feel satiated. The key is to exercise because you "earn" calories back, so essentially, you can eat more if you exercise. On days that I do not exercise, I feel a little limited. On days that I exercise, I feel like I can eat exactly how I always have. Good luck and don't give up!! It gets easier!

LoveLife8888

ya, my water bottle and carrots are my best friends but like at work (and now) im super hungry and only have like 88 calories left and am over in fat...

myfitnessnmhoy

Ive only been on MFP for a few days now, but have been working on my diet and excersize for a few weeks. Ive been eating less calories and doing as MFP says but I'm still so hungry all the time! Why is this? And will this feeling go away after some time? (I kinda want to give up and eat what I want haha)

"This" is because your body is used to a certain calorie level and you're trying to change it. It could also be the composition of your calories - try to get the recommended number of fats and proteins in addition to keeping your calories at about the recommended levels. Fats and proteins are good sustaining energy foods, not "high then hungry" foods.

The feeling will go away, or at least it should. The first week or two, I was constantly hungry, so I upped my exercise so I could fit some more calories in my day. Over the course of a week to a week and a half, my body slowly adjusted to the new "now" and I rarely get terribly hungry any more (and when I do, I'm tending to eat things that will fill me up and keep me full, and it's not hard to stick to my calorie limits when I do that).

In the meantime, stick with it. And, if I might make a suggestion - "cinnamon gum" (or any strong-flavored gum). I like cinnamon for two reasons - first, I love the flavor of cinnamon and it makes me feel less hungry. Second, because it's a strongly-scented gum and I can't smell the great food the people in cubicles around me are eating.

Give it another week. If it's still not working for you, and especially if you are starting to feel fatigued in addition to hungry, add an extra 500 calories a day to your "budget" and see if that works. As long as you're losing weight at a reasonable pace, you're good.

Oh, and water. Lots of water. Thirst and hunger are interrelated, and can easily be mistaken for each other.

LoveLife8888

Thanks!! I'm so greatful to hear that it does get easier!