STARVING...how to avoid eating over my calorie amount

SanteMulberry

I my experience two things seem to trigger the starving feeling you describe. One is there may be too large of a calorie deficit.
Secondly, I think the quality of the calories you are taking in makes a difference. By that I mean the micro nutirents in the
Foods you eat. Vitamins, minerals, isoflavones and other phytochemicals. In my opinion, if these things are missing from
Your dietary intake your body will try to get them by signaling that it is hungry.

^^^^THIS^^^ Your body wants to be fed what makes it happy. Sugar and simple carbs are mostly non-nutritive. Your body does not like non-nutritive "foods" and restlessly seeks what it needs, even if it pushes you to eat more calories than you need. That is why we are a nation of over-fed, under-nourished people. :frown:

Renise01

When I'm hungry at night - and I'm usually hungry at night, even when I've eaten good foods throughout the day. So what I do now is I save my gummy vitamin for last (I tend to want something sweet) , veggies or I have a handful of peanuts with a few chocolate chips and a full 8oz glass of water. No matter what I have i keep it small and accompany it with a glass of water! Then brush my teeth and go to bed. Once my teeth are brushed, I don't generally want to eat anything else. And I go with a general rule of if I'm not willing to eat fruit of veggies I'm not really hungry. If its a matter of my sweet tooth getting the best of me then a few chocolate chips and peanuts won't hurt my week so long as I don't go crazy.

amihalik88

I don't know your diet but just some general tips. Sorry if you already know all this but just in case. Certain foods can actually make you hungrier after eating. A fast burning high sugar fruit or eating too few vegetables always makes me really hungry just an hour or two later. Slower burning, complex fruits with a lower glycemic index are best, and it's best to load on a lot of veggies rather than just have a few since they are so low in calories. Obviously any type of white flour product (including white bread or noodles) needs to be off the menu. They are fast burning with very high amounts of empty calories that leave you hungry just an hour or two later. Avoid white rice, any white flour product, pop and juice. These are all empty calories that add to your total calories. They have very little or no nutrients and your body burns right through them, causing your sugar levels to sky rocket then plummet, making you feel hungrier sooner after eating. Complex carbs (100% whole grains, low gi fruits and nearly all veggies) along with proteins and healthy fats will give you sustained energy, even your blood sugar levels, and keep you full through out the day

Jojo1859

Spring salads with a light dressing: super low cal and super filing

walkdmc

Shiratake noodles!!!! Haha I just bought these and now I swear by them. 20 cal for a large serving and only 2 carbs. Make a nice stir-fry with lots of "noodles" veggies and maybe some chicken with some teriyaki sauce and voila!! Full for a few hours on less than 100 calories.

Hijack with silly question. When I search my Wegmans app for Shiratake noodles I get fettuccini style, spaghetti syle and some others. Is there one type you prefer for stir fry? Thanks!

acm130

From your description you're eating well (whole REAL foods) so if you're starving you must be underestimating your TDEE. I started to have success only after I changed my wt loss goal to 1/2 lb per week. Also incorporating good fats as others have suggested and focusing on your macros, but in looking @ your summary you seem right on just not ENOUGH. Try to increase your kcal for a couple weeks I bet you'll have success and feel more energetic.

wmoomoo

What's your age, height and weight? Lets see if 1200 calories are enough for you.

smwildmon

I fill my meals with LOTS of veggies, especially those that contain a lot of fiber. Veggies have low calories, but also are filling. For example, I make myself a tuna salad wrap, but instead of fries or chips I eat a banana or an apple. Also, popcorn is another very filling snack that you can eat quite a bit of. I buy the Jolly Time 100 calorie bags, and I can chow on that when I get hungry in between meals. I also learned that if you slow down while you are eating (chewing carefully and drinking water along with your meal) that you feel full with less food. This is because your stomach has time to tell your body that it is filled. Also, Special K cracker chips are awesome, and you can have 30 of them with only 110 calories.

Cp731

Huasnagirl7

Struggling with the same issue...I wake up at night with huge salt and sugar cravings. Not too sure how to attack this but know going to the kitchen and giving in to these cravings is not the answer. Good luck.

28DebRena

I am trying to stick under my calorie count for the day, including the exercise calories, but find myself failing daily because I am starving by the evening. This leads to me pigging out right before I go to bed. I do great all day long, but then by dinner I am so hungry my mind wont stop, even when my body is fed. Any suggestions on how to avoid the aching, burning, hungry, starving sensations and blow my calories to binging?

Oh gosh, I feel the same way you do. It seems like I always get hungry at night time. Some person suggested cucumbers sprinkled with powdery ranch mix. I am sooo gonna try it, and you should too.

HartJames

I plan my day so I'm nearly eating constantly and I go for high volume in the evening when I'm most hungry. For instance yesterday: overnight peanut butter bannans oats, large Greek omelette, Greek yogurt with blueberries, chicken walnut grape salad sandwhich, M&M's (20) and 2 huge Santa fe style fajitas all for about 1400 cals. Also, lots of water. If I'm starved in between I have a dill pickle or a few frozen grapes for almost no cals and both kill cravings.

PrincessT82

I totally know the feeling! I find you have to look at what you're eating during the day, not just how many calories. Avoid foods that cause a spike in blood sugar, and make sure you have lean protein with every meal. Eat a lot of low calorie foods, like green vegetables. They fill you up without adding many calories.

The other thing is to accept that there will be a bit of hunger at the beginning when you are reducing your calorie intake. It's your body trying to avoid having to use up its stored energy supply. A little bit of hunger is ok - it tends to pass pretty quickly as you get used to eating less.

cecep5248

When I'm hungry at night - and I'm usually hungry at night, even when I've eaten good foods throughout the day. So what I do now is I save my gummy vitamin for last (I tend to want something sweet) , veggies or I have a handful of peanuts with a few chocolate chips and a full 8oz glass of water. No matter what I have i keep it small and accompany it with a glass of water! Then brush my teeth and go to bed. Once my teeth are brushed, I don't generally want to eat anything else. And I go with a general rule of if I'm not willing to eat fruit of veggies I'm not really hungry. If its a matter of my sweet tooth getting the best of me then a few chocolate chips and peanuts won't hurt my week so long as I don't go crazy.

Great ideas....I am going to try some of these...thanks for sharing them. Celia

joneslnb

Make sure you have a protein with your carb. Add a protein to your apple snack. I like plain Greek yogurt with a touch of crystal light in it for flavor and some blueberries. You seem to eat a good amount of vegetables. Don't see many complex starchy carbs though. If you add oatmeal to your breakfast that will help keep you full. Add brown rice to your lunch. Eat a huge handful of celery and a big glass of water 30 minutes before your usual craving time.

Drink lots and lots of water! Eat lots and lots of veggies particularly broccoli, asparagus, cabbage, green beans, and celery.

I don't think any adult should really eat as few as 1,200 calories. Eat "clean" food and it will be a lot of food.

charliesgold

You are eating tons of veggies and fruit and that's great but make sure that you are getting proteins, whole grains and fats too from plenty of nuts/seeds and whole grains (I think you're vegetarian/vegan?) Proteins, whole grains and fats are equally important to your body even when you are dieting