What to do when you're STARVING?

melindasuefritz

eat
exercise

hfox9707

and avocados...my personal trainer told me if you want to lose fat, eat more, but eat the good stuff (real food). Not processed ones. If you exercise, you need to eat more.

hungryhobbit1

Also, eat a bigger (or any) breakfast. At least 200 calories, including some protein. Whenever I don't eat breakfast or I just eat carbs for breakfast I feel hungry all day.

amandapye78

eat something, if you are at that much of a deficit you are not doing yourself any favors. If I have been 400 calories or more under for one day the next day if I am hungry I eat a little more that day

ILiftHeavyAcrylics

I just posted this on another forum but here is why I am confused at what to do:

I want to lose two pounds a week. That's a 7000 calories a week deficit.
My BMR + daily exercise is about 2400.
So, I only eat 1300-1400 a day to create this deficit.
How will increasing how much I eat not hinder my weight loss?

Also thanks to everyone for the replies! I definitely want to try quinoa and yams!



Created by MyFitnessPal.com - Free Calorie Counter

Your deficit is already built in. You're effectively doubling it with what you're doing now, and that's not good for the long run. Your calorie goal is just that, your GOAL. You're meant to eat right up to it.

onwarddownward

I found just a simple 5 calorie piece of gum helps curb a appetite

Me, too. Plus it makes me thirsty and I down about 24 oz of water easily.

SanteMulberry

Given you have many days where you have 700-1000 calories left over, and are only set to 1300 to begin, common sense would suggest that maybe you should eat if you are hungry ? It is counterproductive to be having such huge deficits and will most likely set you up for either a massive binge eventually, or a point where you will find yourself too weak to keep up such workouts.
Your deficit is already built in, at 1300, you do not need to leave your exercise calories uneaten.

^^^THIS^^^

Erikalynne18

I just posted this on another forum but here is why I am confused at what to do:

I want to lose two pounds a week. That's a 7000 calories a week deficit.
My BMR + daily exercise is about 2400.
So, I only eat 1300-1400 a day to create this deficit.
How will increasing how much I eat not hinder my weight loss?

Also thanks to everyone for the replies! I definitely want to try quinoa and yams!

Maybe you have underestimated just how many calories you burn during the day

I started @ 1200 calories and then increased it in January up till just over 1700 NET calories... and I have still been loosing!! I am way more likely to be able to stick to 1700 calories than the 1200 calories. Yes it kind of worked, for the few months I did the 1200 thing but WOW was I hungry and I was much more likely to justify treat days (not meals, days lol). Now since I am netting 1700 I don't find I "need" treat days and instead I can enjoy those special occasions I go over Plus @ 1200 I was so hungry that I knew I couldn't keep it up. It was either up my calories, or slowly give up. But guess who's 5 lbs from my goal? THIS GIRL!

Don't be afraid to eat!!

NightmareValo

I find that hot liquids make you feel full for quite some time. I was drinking about 4 cups (literally just 8oz each) of decaf green tea with my meals or inbetween and I was staying so full that I could barely stand to eat at my next meal time. I ended up having to restrict myself to only one cup of green tea a day so that I dont get so full. I also heard that green tea is some kind of appetite curber as well, but I just drink it cuz I like it, I switched to just drinking it at night a few hours after my last meal to relax me and help detox me a little while I sleep. It really works wonders for your skin and to help keep you full.

gabrielle_eliza

In answer to your question about losing 2lbs a week as a goal, are you reaching that with what you are currently doing (not sure how long you have been going) I have been on a 1200 cal a day limit since January 4th 2013, am just under 30lbs gone now and can't do much exercise due to chronic pain from a severe back injury. I have an app that has averaged out my weight loss at 1.4lbs a week which I am pretty happy with. I was originally aiming for 2lbs a week loss but as some weeks I would lose that but others not, it has balanced out as less. I guess my question is whether you are achieving that and if it's a realistic goal (not wanting to put you off) Maybe try upping your calories and see what happens say over a 2 week period. The weeks where I have eaten more than I normally do (I sometimes don't even use my 1200 a day as not hungry) I seem to actually lose more. Good luck with your weight loss!

It has been working so far! I had my 1 month weigh-in on Sunday and it was like 8.2 pounds or something like that. I suppose my goal is not all that realistic, maybe? This was the first time I was ever REALLY hungry though, it's not a common thing!

BeachIron

Eat. You know what happens when you eat those extra 800 calories on a bad day when you just have to eat? Nothing. That's right. Absolutely nothing. If you eat at maintenance you neither lose nor gain. Enjoy those days when you need them.

That said, I also think that you are eating too low overall and that is what is going on. I think that you need to take things slower. So you add back a couple of hundred calories a day. You're more satisfied and therefore more likely to stick with it over the long run.

ILiftHeavyAcrylics

Eat. You know what happens when you eat those extra 800 calories on a bad day when you just have to eat? Nothing. That's right. Absolutely nothing. If you eat at maintenance you neither lose nor gain. Enjoy those days when you need them.

That said, I also think that you are eating too low overall and that is what is going on. I think that you need to take things slower. So you add back a couple of hundred calories a day. You're more satisfied and therefore more likely to stick with it over the long run.

This is true.

But she wouldn't be at maintenance if she ate another 800 cals, she'd be at her goal and still in a deficit.

Mlkmaid

My fall back is an apple and low-fat string cheese or a Baby Bell Lite. Protein and fiber. As a matter of fact, that's my dinner if I've had a big lunch.

gabrielle_eliza

I just posted this on another forum but here is why I am confused at what to do:

I want to lose two pounds a week. That's a 7000 calories a week deficit.
My BMR + daily exercise is about 2400.
So, I only eat 1300-1400 a day to create this deficit.
How will increasing how much I eat not hinder my weight loss?

Also thanks to everyone for the replies! I definitely want to try quinoa and yams!

Maybe you have underestimated just how many calories you burn during the day

I started @ 1200 calories and then increased it in January up till just over 1700 NET calories... and I have still been loosing!! I am way more likely to be able to stick to 1700 calories than the 1200 calories. Yes it kind of worked, for the few months I did the 1200 thing but WOW was I hungry and I was much more likely to justify treat days (not meals, days lol). Now since I am netting 1700 I don't find I "need" treat days and instead I can enjoy those special occasions I go over Plus @ 1200 I was so hungry that I knew I couldn't keep it up. It was either up my calories, or slowly give up. But guess who's 5 lbs from my goal? THIS GIRL!

Don't be afraid to eat!!

That's awesome, thanks for telling me! MFP originally started me at 1100...which was horrid....I've just been afraid to go up because I thought it would not help. But if everyone says to eat....I guess I will!





*Thanks to everyone else as well. Also as another side note, I haven't reached a point where I have been too weak to work out or anything. This has been the first time where I was really hungry, but today was also the first day I did all of my working out at once instead of breaking it up into two sessions, if that has an effect.

BeachIron

Eat. You know what happens when you eat those extra 800 calories on a bad day when you just have to eat? Nothing. That's right. Absolutely nothing. If you eat at maintenance you neither lose nor gain. Enjoy those days when you need them.

That said, I also think that you are eating too low overall and that is what is going on. I think that you need to take things slower. So you add back a couple of hundred calories a day. You're more satisfied and therefore more likely to stick with it over the long run.

This is true.

But she wouldn't be at maintenance if she ate another 800 cals, she'd be at her goal and still in a deficit.

I didn't dig into her diary. If this is the case, then she definitely needs to eat more.

GnomeQueen84

I chug a glass of water, wait a little bit, and if I am still starving I make a healthy choice. If your stomach is growling and you feel weak, you need to eat.

Rloft

You need to eat, your body isn't going to make positive changes (i.e. build muscle, lose fat) if you are "starving" yourself - even if you've been surviving on 1300 calories up until now, if your exercise has increased, you need to also increase your intake to fuel your body and allow it to build muscle. Keep your food choices balanced - do some research on where your %s should be (proteins vs fat vs carbs) and strive for meals that keep these percentages intact. Example, 45% protein, 35% carbs, 25% fats. For some suggestions, I eat 0% or 1% plain Greek yogurt with almonds and a little bit of honey (or agave, whatever floats your boat - you only need a little bit!), or rice cakes with tuna and some mayo (they may seem like old-school diet food, but they are so crunchy!!), or make some protein pancakes at the beginning of each week (search the internet, there are TONS of great recipes using everything from Greek yogurt to cottage cheese) and warm some up with an egg when you are feeling snack-y.

aeg176

you def need to eat and not just because you are hungry today. You must consider you "net calories" just looking at today and considering how many you are burning you definitely need to eat back at least some of your excercise calories. You have them there for a guide it a calorie goal not a limbo stick.

Momjogger

I think it is hard to eat less than 1500 calories a day when you work out. You can eat 1500 calories a day and lose and with the exercise, your body will do fabulous things!