Why am I so freaking hungry?

I'm right there with you, 15% cut from TDEE, starving all. the. time. I'm trying to teach myself to just be okay with the hunger. It won't kill me, eventually my body will accept that we aren't eating at TDEE anymore although when I ate at TDEE I was STILL starving. Its like the more I eat, the hungrier I get over time. So it must work in reverse, right? lol....sigh....I have no idea.

If you do not get enough sleep, your body will increase your hunger. I know if I don't get enough sleep, I am hungry throughout the day. Definitely work on getting however many hours you need a day of sleep. Best way to find out is to not set your alarm, and just go to bed and wake up, and note the time difference.

You will also benefit from eating foods that will help satiate you. Since you are getting plenty of protein, I would suggest making more of your carb choices as fibers. Celery and broccoli are good sources.

Lack of sleep will increase cortisol production, which will increase hunger and promote fat storage. Also, you mentioned at least 7 hours of "formal" exercise, if I understood correctly, in addition to housework and other daily activities. It sounds as though you may fall into the strenuous category. How is your body responding to your intake, in addition to being hungry? Losing weight/inches?

Are you eating enough fiber? Also, how do you distribute your calories? I find that if I eat more in the morning (which ihas been a big change to how I used to eat), a decent lunch, and smaller dinner, then I'm not starving all night long. Also eating every three hours helps.

If you're exercising that much, MOAR FOOD.

ETA: I think I may have read your OP wrong, but even then I still suggest eating more. If you're hungry, EAT, EAT, EAT. Your body knows what it's doing, knows what it wants.

I just saw this and I think I kinda understand what the issue is, I have it too. In my case I can have some really intense workouts and and have been known to burn 2000 calories in a single session. After the workout I am insatiably hungry. There have been some cases where I eat off all of the benefits of the workout. In my case I had to learn that moderation is the key. When I have 30 - 40 minute workouts I am not as hungry after. I think my body was just trying to refuel from the extreme calorie burn. The other thing that I found is that I have to eat about 300 calories before I workout so that I am not STAAAARRRRVVVIINNNGG post workout. My last tip is that I drink a measured cup of Chocolate Almond Milk right after the workout and for some reason it curbs my hunger.

I figure you have a heart Rate Monitor but if you don't find that Ideal burn that does not make you want to eat a Brontosaurus burger after and you'll be fine. Remember the goal is to be under you caloric goal everyday so if you are only looking at 300 calories over you should only be looking to workout at least 300 cals. That's my thought and its enabled me to Lose 100 pounds lol

I think I have the opposite problem. I am never hungry. I eat lots of fiber and protein. My usual drinks are water and mint green tea. Fresh vegetables and fruit are a must too. When I do get hungry I will eat a handful of almonds. I barely get to 1200 calories of food. When I exercise I cannot eat the calories back. I wish you luck.

Your problem could be stomach acid. A build up of stomach acid causes that gnawing feeling in your stomach plus it triggers chemical signals to the brain to eat and balance out the acid.


I have no medical research to back this up. This is my own theory that I’ve been testing out on myself. I take an acid reducer and avoid most acidic foods such as tomatoes, citrus fruits, sodas and drink mixes such as Crystal Light. This had done wonders for my physical hunger…still working on the emotional hunger.

I can relate. I am 27, 284 pounds and 5 foot 10. I went to the doctor who was obviously worried about my weight. I would say that I used to average about 2800 to 3000 calories a day (WOW, I know). I didn't really think about it I guess. Long story short, she said that if I stick to a 1500 calorie diet I would lose weight without even trying. Just making small steps such as walking to do errands when possible, and taking stairs instead of elevator. My plan is to stick to the diet till I reach 240-250 and then incorporate strength training into my daily life. I have seen this work because I have done it. I am not sure what happened when I fell off the wagon, but I am back on and I'm taking it a day at a time. If I look at the bigger picture than it's harder to do.
Three weeks ago I broke my foot. I am limited on my mobility right now, and that increases my bordom which is making the calorie restriction harder, but I am trying my best. But I agree that as long as you restrict your calories exercise isn't necessary, but I also intend to incorporate it when I am closer to my goal (I'm thinking 220 pounds).