Why am I starving all of a sudden?

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nxd10
nxd10 Posts: 4,570 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I would really like an answer from someone who knows something about the physiology of this - I can think of lots of reasons, but am just really curious about exactly what is happening.

I have lost 22 pounds and am in the middle of a good healthy weight for my height - and the same weight I was 20 years ago just after I graduated from college. I am hoping to lose another 12 pounds, which would put me at the thinnest part of my post-pubertal weight, but we'll see what happens. I'm on 1 pound a week, walk briskly an hour a day, am virtually always under my net calorie goals, and eat back most of my exercise calories. Weight loss is going fine.

But all of a sudden I am STARVING if I am even a bit late for a meal. If I eat when I'm supposed to or have a snack available, I am absolutely fine on 1310 net calories. But if dinner is an hour late or lunch is a little light I can feel my blood sugar go through the floor. It's like when I was pregnant and my body just NEEDED that food. It started when I hit my first goal weight and it got colder. It feels like my body no longer has reserves to draw on when it needs to up its blood sugar.

Trust me - I still have fat reserves. Are they harder to access now that I've gotten into the older and more stubborn ones?

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  • psuLemon
    psuLemon Posts: 38,395 MFP Moderator
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    With 12 lbs to go, adjust your goal to 1/2 lb per week. Also, it's the foods you are probably eating that are causing you to be hungry.. Can you open your diary. BTW, high protein, high fat foods are best for satiety reason.
  • nxd10
    nxd10 Posts: 4,570 Member
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    You're right about the high protein/fat food and saiety. That was the big change I made when I started MFP that made it simple to stay on track.

    The problem isn't that I'm hungry on 1310 net calories. I'm not. The problem is that I need to eat very regularly or my blood sugar seems to drop. I can go from noon to 5:00 or 5:30 between meals. But get me until 6 and I can feel how much my body wants calories.

    It used to be that I felt hungry when a meal was late, but not that deep physiological need for calories that I do now. Like I said, the only time I've had this experience before was when I was very thin and pregnant.
  • nxd10
    nxd10 Posts: 4,570 Member
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    Actually, I just went over my macros for the last few weeks (why is it so easy do this on the phone app and so hard on this site?)

    Too many carbs and I haven't been eating all my exercise calories back. Didn't matter when it was hot out, but it does now that it's cold.
  • psuLemon
    psuLemon Posts: 38,395 MFP Moderator
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    Actually, I just went over my macros for the last few weeks (why is it so easy do this on the phone app and so hard on this site?)

    Too many carbs and I haven't been eating all my exercise calories back. Didn't matter when it was hot out, but it does now that it's cold.

    When it starts to get cold, your appetite will increase.. it's rather natural. If you want, post your height, weight, age, job/lifestyle and workout routine and I can run your numbers.

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