Sooooo hungry - what can I do?

jpbgrad98CHANGED

This is day 3 of my diet and running program. MFP has allotted me 1450 calories per day. I'm not tired or anything... Just the hunger pains are soooo bad. How long did it take for the cravings to go away for you? On my way name from work, I drive by about 11 fast food places and as I drive I can name something I want from each place. I want it more now than ever... What can I do? How can I get these hunger pa ins to subside quickly?

LovePBandJ

They should go away soon! Usually the first three days are the hardest! Every day is easier from there. Maybe you'd benefit from having 6 small meals a day. You will have to play around with your diet to find out what works for you. Being hungry isn't right.

sunnyshine1313

Oh boy, that struggle, does it end?

Just eat every few hours so that you never get to the point of starving, and if you feel hungrier towards the end of the day, save some calories for that time of day. Buy some low calorie snacks to keep with you and lots of water. I just bought some raspberries and light whip cream to curb my hunger pains. Just fight the urge, you will be proud tomorrow!

MB_Positif

That sounds like a low number of calories for a man. On the days that you run, are you eating back the calories you burned from running? I personally would suggest eating more! Are you set to lose one or two pounds per week?

Wingwoman21

Make sure you aren't actually thirsty. I get extra hungry when I'm not drinking enough.

beckyinma

Keep fresh veggies in your car or in a cooler with you at all times so you always have something sensible to munch on when you need it.

ettezus

Oh I totally know what you mean. The first week was agony for me. I just couldn't focus. I did up my meals to about 5 smaller ones a day, except for breakfast. I made sure my breakfasts were heavier, e.g. whole grains, protein. Tends to make me less hungry throughout the morning, which sets the pace for most of the afternoon. And then yes, water and veg tends to work when I'm starving. I avoid gum and carrots, for some reason, they just make make me hungrier?

monicalord

Drink a TON of water!

LifestyleChange33

go to a grocery store an buy some raw nuts. My favorite is a trail mix type deal called Simplicity Medly- found it in the organic section of Fred Meyer. Have a SMALL handful and drink a large amount of water. Breathe slowly for 2 minutes (yes, seriously) and see how you feel after that. All the best to you!!

Capt_Apollo

1450?? dude, unless you are really really short, i don't think you should be eating that little.

arock1000

Drink lots of water, make sure you eat bulky foods with lots of protein and fiber (chicken and broccorri) - these will keep you fuller longer. Eventually your stomach will shrink and you'll get fuller faster as well.

saragato

What are you eating? If you're hungry all the time then you're not eating the right things to fill you. Proteins are usually a good way to fill up and it's good for you, fiber too. Keep something like string cheese or granola bars on hand, stuff that's low-cal but will fill you up between meals. And drink lots of water, it can help too.

Pebble321

That's a very low number of calories for a man - I suspect you are hungry because you aren't eating enough!
I'm a 5'4" woman and I get seriously grumpy on 1400 NET calories a day (ie eating 1400 plus what I burn from exercise) so if you are a busy person (you must be with all those kids) plus you are running, and only eating 1450 - no wonder you're hungry.
Eat more!

tlynnweb

Yes, your calorie goal sounds way too low for a man. I mean, I'm a woman 5'5" and 159 lbs and i get 1567 a day! I am also following a running plan. You should go to runnersworld.com and look at their section on calories to determine what you should set yours at!

twake14812

I am the same as you. I feel hungry a lot! I have been playing around with my meals to figure out what is going to work best for me. I am still tweaking it to get it right. My problem is I am never hungry in the morning, but at night I am soooo hungry. I try to eat every 2-4 hours so I am not so hungry. Hopefully you find what works for you, and I hope I find what works for me soon too Best of luck!

susan2396

I would try to eat some almonds or some type of protein before leaving work. This will tie you over until you get home and get you past those crazy fast food places. I always try to have apples or bananas at work so if I need to eat one in the car I'm all set. Always important to be prepared and no your trigger spots.

jndijohnson

distract yourself! Eat a small, healthy snack. Keep something in your car to have during the drive. Nuts. Dried fruits. Anything. Chew gum!

smhammons

brake it down to 6 small meals and always plenty of water.... take a look at the way my diary it is set up and if you would like go ahead and friend me mine is an open book and I would be glad to help encourage you I am on here everyday.

tlynnweb

Also, if you are going to eat that low of calories, you need to eat back your exercise calories!!! What are you netting each day?

TinaBasinger

Sounds low to me, too. Good rule of thumb is to take your weight x 10. So, if you're 180 pounds, you'd eat about 1800 calories a day to lose weight. Don't go over 2000 or under 1200. Not hard and fast rule, but a good guideline.

beckyinma

Ps, looking at your diary you are NOT eating enough! You should always hit your allotted calories if you can, eat a breakfast with more protein, even by adding just a yogurt or cheese. PROTEIN is the primary building block of life. It also metabolizes slower and will keep you feeling full longer. You also arent getting enough water. Look at Tuesday, you ended the day with 1000+ cLories left. No wonder you are hungry.

Mistila

I just read someone's advice the other day focus on what you can have, not on what you can't! I've also learned it doesn't help to compare yourself with those who can eat more....so my Dr put me on a 900 calorie diet today :glasses:

McBully4

have a single m&m

kms1104

I "phone a friend" when I leave work around my highest hunger time. I talk until I pass all the fast food places, and until I'm close enough to home that I know I can "get there" without the temptation. I can actually now do it without the phone call most days! Because of this:

Plan on having a high protein snack when you leave work. I personally opt for peanut butter on a 100 calorie sandwich roll, keeps me satisfied.

Someone on here told me to break up into smaller meals and it really does help keep hunger at bay. Choose wisely and there's still enough calories for a decent dinner. Best of luck! :flowerforyou:

faithchange

I was going to say that sound REALLY low calories for a man for sure! I'm a female and do 1700 a day. I do workout a lot, but still require more. I know I was pretty hungry before I came to MFP. Make sure your eating ever 2-3 hours if you are hungry. No more than 350 calories or around that. Plenty of protein and "good carb". In evening I have greek yogurt (no fat) and that is when I get my single servings of dark m/ms....have veggies or water. It is hardest the first week or two. If you go into the fast food, get a smarter choice. We eat Taco Bell and I have two Fresco beef tacos and then a side of refried beans. Not great, but the best choice there.

spammyanna

Eat more.

You are hungry because you aren't eating enough.

You should be netting at least your 1450 goal, but probably more than that.

Spanaval

MFP sets your protein numbers low. Try to eat 1 gram of protein per lb of lean body mass. Then fill in the rest of the numbers. It's okay to go over or under by a little, but try to hit your calorie goal for the day. Do not undereat. Faster isn't necessarily better or more sustainable, when it comes to weight loss.

postrockandcats

I'm not going to proclaim myself an expert, but I'm going to suggest a couple of things based on experience.

1) Try eating back at least some of your workout cals. Remember that MFP is already factoring in a deficit from your TDEE with your goal calories.

2) I looked at today's food diary and I saw donuts. I don't know how often you eat them, but you might want to look at different food options for snacking if that's a common one for you. Donuts are empty calories. Pure sugar. You feel full for .03 seconds, then you're hungry again. For that same 240 calories, you could have had some cheese and a bit of fruit that would have lasted longer. That's not to say you can't have donuts at all, but if you're hungry all the time, changing out some foods might be in order.

Just remember that this isn't about depriving yourself for the sake of being thing, it's about changing your life by adopting healthier habits. If you're that hungry, that's not healthy and you might want to reevaluate your weight loss goals here. Are you wanting to loose a pound a week or do you have a more aggressive goal? Changing to a slower plan will not only allow you more food, but it will make it less likely that you'll regain the weight back.

realme56

Try adding some smaller snack and stay away from the red bull stuff, very bad for you and probably contributing to the hunger feelings.

jpbgrad98CHANGED

1450?? dude, unless you are really really short, i don't think you should be eating that little.

I am only 5'2".... So yea, I am pretty short. LOL

Nerdy_Rose

For the love of whatever deity you choose, EAT! Your diary shows you are not eating your exercise calories on an already extremely low-calorie regimen. Eat something good. Protein bar, lean meats, peanut butter on a spoon....