Why Am I So Hungry Today??

TwentyTen

Alright, I am unusually hungry this morning, I fear before lunch I will consume half of my daily calories.
I had two Kashi waffles and a hard boiled egg white for breakfast, a banana, and about 10 almonds. By the time I got to work, about an hour later, still hungry, so I had another 10 almonds , a couple strawberries and about a dozen blueberries. I waited, and still... hungry.. so I dug a granola bar out of my drawer and had one.. but , i am STILL hungry and thinking about eating the second one. Yikes!
I also am sipping green tea.

Is is possible, that my body is just hungry for the coffee and double shot of espresso with tons of sugar that it's been used to getting? I am on my fifthy day of quitting that nasty habit..

My appetite is skyrocketing. What's going on?

shanerylee

caffeine enhances my appetite big time. Pump the water and eat more protein.

karmasBFF

Sounds like that could be it. I know when I REALLY want something, I will eat everything else in sight until I eat that!

Give it time! Or give up gradually...caffeine is, after all, an addiction.

TCASMEY

I totally hate days like that. Hang in there you can do this! If you really need to eat more try to get in some extra exercise to burn it off!

courtney_love2001

Are you hungry in that your stomach is actually growling? If not, just drink a lot of water and power through it. You can do it!!! I find that caffeine actually has the opposite effect for me--suppresses the appetite if I have a lot of it. Could also be the acidity of the coffee though, so not sure on that one. Awesome for you for cutting down on the caffeine...I shouldn't drink so much but I must have it to function in school

TwentyTen

I have generally found caffeine to supress my appetite. Or maybe it was all the sugar I put in my coffee.

Maybe carbs for breakfast are just a bad idea for me.


It has to be cold turkey with the coffee. I have tried weaning, and always fail. I am 5 days in, there is no turning back, lol.

And yes, its real tummy hunger, not my head.,

1Sweets

Are you a Nervous Eater? :huh:

I was "unsettled" last week about personal & business issues & found myself stalling.....kept procrastinating and looking for food all day long to eat instead of doing the things I needed to get done. It took me several days to get back with the program. See....I've learned this about myself on MFP.

melbhall

Have you been working out too? I find that now that I work out everyday I feel a lot more hungry than normal. I end up having several snacks a day.

karmasBFF

I have generally found caffeine to supress my appetite. Or maybe it was all the sugar I put in my coffee.

Maybe carbs for breakfast are just a bad idea for me.


It has to be cold turkey with the coffee. I have tried weaning, and always fail. I am 5 days in, there is no turning back, lol.

And yes, its real tummy hunger, not my head.,

I so understand the coffee kick, I cant give it up either! and I use it as an appetite suppressant also.

From what Ive read, a large serving of calories (near 600), carbs and protein is a great way to keep hunger down all day. Its working for me. Maybe something to consider!

Either way good luck!

And that water comment is sooo true! That helps too!

karmasBFF

Also, if I eat late the night before...I am hungry all day the next day so I try to not eat after dinner....though that doesnt always happen!

TwentyTen

Yes I have been working out in the evenings, nothing too intense, 200-300 cals usually.

Not a nervous eater. This is truly tummy growling hunger... saying "FEEEEEED MEEEEEE"

At this rate I will definitely have some to work off later, MORE than usual! . After a 10 hour work shift, that's going to be difficult.

Thanks for piping in everyone. I am just not used to having such an appetite.

My exercise time is after dinner, and I am generally hungry for a snack after. I usually keep it to a modest bit of protien.

lkharris

Protein for breakfast, always for me. The old adage about eating breakfast is really true and I find that egg whites keep me from being absolutely starving. But I hear you on the caffiene - I cannot give up the two cups a day. Tried tea earlier this week and I was falling asleep at my desk at 2pm and then started eating sugar to stay awake. Bad!

thumper44

Have somre more protein with breakast, 4g protein for 1 boiled egg white is not enough.
Have some protein with your snack.

Make sure your breakfast is a bigger one like KarmasBFF said 400-500 calories.

karmasBFF

How many calories are you set to reach a day?

TwentyTen

How many calories are you set to reach a day?

I am set at 1280. Seems to be about right when I have calulated with my BMR to lose 1lb a week.

TwentyTen

Have somre more protein with breakast, 4g protein for 1 boiled egg white is not enough.
Have some protein with your snack.

Make sure your breakfast is a bigger one like KarmasBFF said 400-500 calories.

Oh boy, yeah. that is definitely a change from what I am used to. Big breakfasts.. I will have to work on that. Seems crazy to eat a whole 3rd or more of my daily total first thing, but I will try.. and give it a try.

karmasBFF

Well I can only speak from my experience and the many posts on my "controversial threads" (hehehe), but when I was eating more calories (around 1500-1600 NET! NET IS KEY!), I was dropping weight like flies! Now, I stick to 1200-1300 (sometimes less with excercise) and the weight loss stopped! I just changed mine back up to 1600 with a mindset of staying near 1400-1500. For many that experience this, their weight loss starts right up again.

To come full circle, having more calories has 2 pros: You wont be hungry so often because you are eating more. And your metabolism will be racing to the finish line!

godblessourhome

i hate days like that! my saturday was like that. i just could not get full. good luck!
dawn

Dom_m

I was hugely hungry yesterday, and ate my whole day worth of calories by lunch. Finally was satiated. The problem was I didn't eat dinner the night before.

It turned out ok, because after a bit of exercise I had enough calories to eat a small dinner, which is all I wanted by that stage, but what you eat one day can definitely effect your apatite the next day.

No need to eat a huge breakfast all at once though. I have about 200 calories per hour from 7.30am to 9.30am. I tend to ramp up to a bit over 2/3 my daily calories by the end of lunch, then slow down for afternoon tea, and depending on exercise in the evening, either have a post work out protein based recovery, or just keep winding down if the work out is really light.

1Sweets

Well I can only speak from my experience and the many posts on my "controversial threads" (hehehe), but when I was eating more calories (around 1500-1600 NET! NET IS KEY!), I was dropping weight like flies! Now, I stick to 1200-1300 (sometimes less with excercise) and the weight loss stopped! I just changed mine back up to 1600 with a mindset of staying near 1400-1500. For many that experience this, their weight loss starts right up again.

To come full circle, having more calories has 2 pros: You wont be hungry so often because you are eating more. And your metabolism will be racing to the finish line!

I wonder about that....Just for Fun I input different numbers into the MFP calories settings and my readings were:

1200 calories to Loose weight
1700 calories to Maintain weight
2200 calories to Gain weight

with that said I will stay at 1200 calories, work out & eat 1/2 my work out calories back.

TwentyTen

Well I can only speak from my experience and the many posts on my "controversial threads" (hehehe), but when I was eating more calories (around 1500-1600 NET! NET IS KEY!), I was dropping weight like flies! Now, I stick to 1200-1300 (sometimes less with excercise) and the weight loss stopped! I just changed mine back up to 1600 with a mindset of staying near 1400-1500. For many that experience this, their weight loss starts right up again.

To come full circle, having more calories has 2 pros: You wont be hungry so often because you are eating more. And your metabolism will be racing to the finish line!

Perhaps this is true after all. Need to eat more. I have always been an under -eater, and got heavy eating too little. It's the age-old debate here , but I do at least always eat back the exercise calories. I am a ittle wary to up the daily total too much because I have seen some downward motion begin on the scale. Slowly, but its something. Too early to tell I think.. It is confusing!

I have to believe my body is trying to tell me somethng. It is hungryy, I should eat.

get_fit2009

I was JUST going to post a topic that says the exact same thing! I am RAVENOUS! I ate a nice sized breakfast and snack, but I am having a hard time waiting until lunch. Think I'll go make a cup of tea to hold me over....hopefully. And go run errands to distract me.

TheMaidOfAstolat

Remember to keep a balanced diet. You need to eat carbs, fats, and protein at each meal. Carbs burn off first (ie why people have sugar crashes...because its a simple carb), fats will burn off next (yes...eat fats, good for you fats), proteins keep you the fullest longer. Also, drink your water.
How close are you to TOM?
Caffeine is an appitite supressant (since you've kicked the habit-you are finally seeing your 'real' appitite).
Good luck.

April0815

How much water are you drinking daily?

TwentyTen

Remember to keep a balanced diet. You need to eat carbs, fats, and protein at each meal. Carbs burn off first (ie why people have sugar crashes...because its a simple carb), fats will burn off next (yes...eat fats, good for you fats), proteins keep you the fullest longer. Also, drink your water.
How close are you to TOM?
Caffeine is an appitite supressant (since you've kicked the habit-you are finally seeing your 'real' appitite).
Good luck.

I cannot blame the TOM anymore. Had a total hysterectomy 5 months ago. Yes, I do believe the lack of coffee is playing it's part. My appetite cannot hide any longer.

I am not much of a meat eater, but tomorrow i will surely attempted a protein packed breakfast.

Luckily, it is almost lunch time!

April0815

Your protein doesn't have to come just from meat. Sometimes for lunch I will eat boiled eggs for my protein.

BrendaLee

I have days like that too, and then other days when I could care less if I eat or not. The fact that you gave up your coffee w/ sugar could be having something to do with it too. Your body is craving something, and it's not getting it, so it's going to keep asking for it...for a while anyway. Stay strong! It sounds like you've still eaten pretty well today despite it, but sugar induces cravings for more sugar, so you may want to keep an eye on that.

TwentyTen

How much water are you drinking daily?

I am doing ok with the water intake, 60 oz or more depending on the day.

pannellkat

Is it that time of the month? I usually get a little hungrier during my TOM. Just throwing it out there.
Are you stressed out about something in your personal or work life? Stress increases my appetite too sometimes.

TheMaidOfAstolat

Remember to keep a balanced diet. You need to eat carbs, fats, and protein at each meal. Carbs burn off first (ie why people have sugar crashes...because its a simple carb), fats will burn off next (yes...eat fats, good for you fats), proteins keep you the fullest longer. Also, drink your water.
How close are you to TOM?
Caffeine is an appitite supressant (since you've kicked the habit-you are finally seeing your 'real' appitite).
Good luck.

I cannot blame the TOM anymore. Had a total hysterectomy 5 months ago. Yes, I do believe the lack of coffee is playing it's part. My appetite cannot hide any longer.

I am not much of a meat eater, but tomorrow i will surely attempted a protein packed breakfast.

Luckily, it is almost lunch time!

Take a look at my food diary (I'm a vegetarian-lots of non-meat protein ideas). As for the hysterectomy (sorry to hear that-unless it was a good thing)-but could the hormone supplements (if you're taking any) also be causing the hunger?

TwentyTen

I have days like that too, and then other days when I could care less if I eat or not. The fact that you gave up your coffee w/ sugar could be having something to do with it too. Your body is craving something, and it's not getting it, so it's going to keep asking for it...for a while anyway. Stay strong! It sounds like you've still eaten pretty well today despite it, but sugar induces cravings for more sugar, so you may want to keep an eye on that.

Yes this is what I suspect could be it. My gut is rebelling and begging me for that fix! It is not going to get it, so it will just have to get used to it. Hopefully SOON, before I eat everyting in sight.