Starving to loose weight??

autumn334
autumn334 Posts: 8
in Health and Weight Loss
I truly feel like I need to starve to loose weight. I exercise everyday (7 days a week) I haven't taken a day off since last X-mas. Through colds, flu you name it I don't take a day off. I do 75-85 minutes of cardio and then some weights daily. I truly want to give up so bad some days. With that being said I don't eat bad.. I do graze from time to time but it's on healthly things like apples, brocolli, califlower etc..My worst vices are gum, (lots) and coffee with non-dairy creamer a few cups daily?? Could this be the culprit because I need some help. Here's a basic day of food for me . Any suggestions would be helpful.

1/2 apple before gym or a few grapes.
workout

Breakfast
egg
1 cup cereal with 1/4 to 1/2 cup skim milk
coffee and non dairy creamer ( I do use quite a bit of creamer)
sometime some brocolli if stlll hungry
chew alot of gum till I finally feel satisfied

Lunch
chicken burger NO BUN just plain or with some mustard / ketchup
1 cup skinnypop corn
broccolli veggies till full
gum 1/2 pack

dinner
breaded chicken breast or eggs or turkey burger Plain
sweet potatoe fries 6-8 of them
brocolli or califlower
1/2 apple
gum

snacks
broccoli or califlower or I chew alot of gum till the hunger feeling goes away.

I don't feel this is alot of food for my workouts daily and somehow my jeans have gotton tight on me??? Im soo frustrated. I have one night a week as a cheat night when I will have a bad desert or eat out . Any suggestions on what I'm not doing???

Replies

  • lady_jessi
    lady_jessi Posts: 77 Member
    You didn't really mention fluids, but you could try drinking more water to fill up your belly. Sometimes that works for me. Also, you seem to be eating a lot of cruciferous veggies. Maybe gastro upset is tricking you into thinking your hungry. I've heard of that somewhere. Those are the two things that popped right up in my head. I hope someone else can be more helpful.
  • bbmkt11
    bbmkt11 Posts: 3 Member
    If you are working out 75 - 85 minutes every day and eating what you posted, your body probably thinks its starving itself and is telling you need more food. I think you should have at least 1 day of rest a week from the exercise.

    I would also eat a little more.

    Finally, are you really tracking everything you're eating. If you aren't, you could be eating more than you think you are.

    Secondly, chewing gum always makes me feel hungry.
  • azzurri03
    azzurri03 Posts: 3
    this was happening to me a lot too in the summer. all the effort made me give up for such a long time.

    i think maybe you should go to the doctor just to make sure your body is fully supplied with all the Iron and vitamins it needs, and that your thyroid and adrenals are in check. sometimes it can be these pesky things that slow things down.
  • mjrn1221
    mjrn1221 Posts: 11
    I agree, if you are working out that much, you are starving your body. When i increased the amount of time I was working out, I stopped loosing weight. I emailed my intake to my fitness coach and he had me add 300 more calories/day (even on my rest day) and the weight started flying off. I added in low fat, lean protein and whole grain carbs. I also make sure all of my carb intake is before 3 in the afternoon. My evening meal is only protein and veggie.
  • axialmeow
    axialmeow Posts: 382 Member
    Just how many packs of gum are you going through a day? I would cut way back. Artificial sweeteners can be problematic for some.
  • Dream4itnow
    Dream4itnow Posts: 1
    I agree, it sounds like you're body thinks it's starving itself. Do you know how many calories you should be eating? If not, that's the first thing I'd look into.... The idea of seeing a doctor is a good one, especially if you didn't get checked out before your started an aggressive weight loss plan.

    Good luck!! can't wait to hear when the scales have started moving in the right direction!!
  • ndj1979
    ndj1979 Posts: 29,136 Member
    what does your work out regimen look like? You might want to check out this linkhttp://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/654536-in-place-of-a-road-map-2-0-revised-7-2-12 i found it helpful on setting up my cal intake...

    You should probably work out max 5-6 days a week and have one day of rest, there is such a thing as over training.

    Don't believe any of the garbage on here about "starvation mode" that typically occurs if you under feed yourself for three days with extremely low calories..

    you might find www.leangains.com interesting...

    you could always try skipping breakfast but still make sure you get in right amount of calories/macros during the day....

    Oh and skip the gum and go to water...

    I anxiously await the "you can't skip breakfast posts" lol...
  • songhan0714
    songhan0714 Posts: 3
    You may want try to take easy for a while, take a break from your diet, because stress can cause plateau. If you need more information about this, I suggest you google stress hormone cortisol and weight loss. Hope that helps.
  • Crochetluvr
    Crochetluvr Posts: 3,330 Member
    I chew alot of gum till the hunger feeling goes away.

    If you feel hungry, EAT. That's your body telling you its not getting enough food. I used to do the same thing....ignore hunger thinking my body would just grab some fat and use that. Dont work that way.
  • ndj1979
    ndj1979 Posts: 29,136 Member
    I chew alot of gum till the hunger feeling goes away.

    If you feel hungry, EAT. That's your body telling you its not getting enough food. I used to do the same thing....ignore hunger thinking my body would just grab some fat and use that. Dont work that way.

    .....sometimes when you are hungry you really are not. Example - I skip breakfast and about ten I start to feel hungry, I drink a glass of water not hungry anymore until about 12:30ish when I have "breakfast" ...feeling of hunger are sometimes mental its true...just because you think you are hungry,you may not be.
  • petstorekitty
    petstorekitty Posts: 592 Member

    Secondly, chewing gum always makes me feel hungry.

    Quick glance it does seem like you are not eating enough.
    Any artificial sweetner of any kind makes me more hungry. I just deal with calories if I want somethine sweetened, like coffee or jam or whatever other items you can think of that come "sugar-free'

    Drinking cold water really helps me deal with the hunger feelings and when I have the urge to eat *just because*
  • courtleemens
    courtleemens Posts: 14
    I saw a comment on here to skip breakfast and I would have to totally DISAGREE with that. Its been proven that a good breakfast is needed to help loose weight especially for woman!

    The air you are swallowing during gum chewing all the broccoli can cause you to have some air on your tummy maybe causing you to bloat and make your pants tight. Also depending on the gum you are chewing they are sometimes 5 cals a stick so that could add up fast over the weeks too.

    I think that you need a day off from working out as well and I read on here that you need to switch up your exercise from time to time to achive weight loss because your body gets adjusted to the routine of things.

    I hope this helps some. Hang in there. I am trying to get back into shape and really utilize MFP and the support on here to help me succeed this time!
  • ndj1979
    ndj1979 Posts: 29,136 Member
    I saw a comment on here to skip breakfast and I would have to totally DISAGREE with that. Its been proven that a good breakfast is needed to help loose weight especially for woman!

    The air you are swallowing during gum chewing all the broccoli can cause you to have some air on your tummy maybe causing you to bloat and make your pants tight. Also depending on the gum you are chewing they are sometimes 5 cals a stick so that could add up fast over the weeks too.

    I think that you need a day off from working out as well and I read on here that you need to switch up your exercise from time to time to achive weight loss because your body gets adjusted to the routine of things.

    I hope this helps some. Hang in there. I am trying to get back into shape and really utilize MFP and the support on here to help me succeed this time!

    I must be a prophet for something...

    If breakfast is so important to weight loss how is it that about 85% of the country eats breakfast but about 40% of the country is obese? There is no correlation between eating breakfast and weight loss....

    I haven't had breakfast in five weeks and I lost one body and one percent body fat...
  • LordBear
    LordBear Posts: 239 Member
    you dont have a log so we can not see what your really getting. from what u posted..sounds like ur barely hitting 1000 cals. so u got room there for some extra food...but in any case since there is no info or pics..i would say you have been eating way to much for a long time..so yes you are going to feel like your starving yourself for a long time tell your body gets use to the new routine...
  • Crochetluvr
    Crochetluvr Posts: 3,330 Member
    I chew alot of gum till the hunger feeling goes away.

    If you feel hungry, EAT. That's your body telling you its not getting enough food. I used to do the same thing....ignore hunger thinking my body would just grab some fat and use that. Dont work that way.

    .....sometimes when you are hungry you really are not. Example - I skip breakfast and about ten I start to feel hungry, I drink a glass of water not hungry anymore until about 12:30ish when I have "breakfast" ...feeling of hunger are sometimes mental its true...just because you think you are hungry,you may not be.

    There is definitely a difference between actually being hungry and wanting to eat. When I am hungry, I feel real hunger pains, my stomach growls...perhaps some nausea. I know that's not in my head....because I have also felt the desire to eat and its not the same.
  • ILiftHeavyAcrylics
    ILiftHeavyAcrylics Posts: 27,732 Member
    I think your biggest problem is that you're not logging accurately. Coffee creamer is huge for me-- I realized the other day that I was using twice as much as I thought. You say a few cups a day-- that could be a significant number of calories.

    Your food intake seems low, but again it's not possible to tell without an accurate log.

    Exercise is important but diet is the main thing for weight loss. As they say, abs are made in the kitchen. It also appears you don't have much to lose. Make sure your goal is set to .5 lbs/week.
  • samanthawarren
    samanthawarren Posts: 120

    I must be a prophet for something...

    If breakfast is so important to weight loss how is it that about 85% of the country eats breakfast but about 40% of the country is obese? There is no correlation between eating breakfast and weight loss....

    I haven't had breakfast in five weeks and I lost one body and one percent body fat...

    Sorry, but this is the biggest bunch of hogwash I have seen. The 40% is obese, not because they eat breakfast, but because the eat too much all day. You are going to need better facts than these to try and make a correlation. Anyway, I am sure people can lose weight without breakfast. There are other reasons why breakfast is important as any doctor will tell you. And just for full disclosure, I just started eating breakfast after years of not eating it and being obese. I am typically not hungry in the morning. But I have noticed one thing after a couple of weeks at this. When I eat breakfast I find it easier to stick with my calorie goals and to get in a workout. That is just me. I am sure everyone is different.
  • mccbabe1
    mccbabe1 Posts: 737 Member
    I truly feel like I need to starve to loose weight. I exercise everyday (7 days a week) I haven't taken a day off since last X-mas. Through colds, flu you name it I don't take a day off. I do 75-85 minutes of cardio and then some weights daily. I truly want to give up so bad some days. With that being said I don't eat bad.. I do graze from time to time but it's on healthly things like apples, brocolli, califlower etc..My worst vices are gum, (lots) and coffee with non-dairy creamer a few cups daily?? Could this be the culprit because I need some help. Here's a basic day of food for me . Any suggestions would be helpful.

    1/2 apple before gym or a few grapes.
    workout

    Breakfast
    egg
    1 cup cereal with 1/4 to 1/2 cup skim milk
    coffee and non dairy creamer ( I do use quite a bit of creamer)
    sometime some brocolli if stlll hungry
    chew alot of gum till I finally feel satisfied

    Lunch
    chicken burger NO BUN just plain or with some mustard / ketchup
    1 cup skinnypop corn
    broccolli veggies till full
    gum 1/2 pack

    dinner
    breaded chicken breast or eggs or turkey burger Plain
    sweet potatoe fries 6-8 of them
    brocolli or califlower
    1/2 apple
    gum

    snacks
    broccoli or califlower or I chew alot of gum till the hunger feeling goes away.

    I don't feel this is alot of food for my workouts daily and somehow my jeans have gotton tight on me??? Im soo frustrated. I have one night a week as a cheat night when I will have a bad desert or eat out . Any suggestions on what I'm not doing???

    wow! sounds like your starving!!!!!!!!!!! wth with half a pack of gum for lunch?!??!!?
    wow I think you need to 'listen' to your body and eat more FOOD vs chewing gum.. your body might literally be starving.. doesnt sound like much calories yet a ton of cardio/exercise .. your body might be holding onto what it has for fear that gum is its next 'bite' !!!??
  • autumn334
    autumn334 Posts: 8
    Thank you everyone for your input.
  • samhigh
    samhigh Posts: 86 Member
    Stop doing cardio and starving yourself.
  • Coming4U
    Coming4U Posts: 93 Member

    I must be a prophet for something...

    If breakfast is so important to weight loss how is it that about 85% of the country eats breakfast but about 40% of the country is obese? There is no correlation between eating breakfast and weight loss....

    I haven't had breakfast in five weeks and I lost one body and one percent body fat...

    Sorry, but this is the biggest bunch of hogwash I have seen. The 40% is obese, not because they eat breakfast, but because the eat too much all day. You are going to need better facts than these to try and make a correlation. Anyway, I am sure people can lose weight without breakfast. There are other reasons why breakfast is important as any doctor will tell you. And just for full disclosure, I just started eating breakfast after years of not eating it and being obese. I am typically not hungry in the morning. But I have noticed one thing after a couple of weeks at this. When I eat breakfast I find it easier to stick with my calorie goals and to get in a workout. That is just me. I am sure everyone is different.

    DITTO - it is important to get your metabolism started for the day...any trained nutritionist or doctor will back this up. You dont have to do it of course and still can drop weight but if you can it is best to dol
  • dickrocketjones
    dickrocketjones Posts: 78 Member
    I agree. your body is defending itself by retaining calorie dense fat. most likely at the expense of muscle.
  • XjuliaXannX
    XjuliaXannX Posts: 67 Member

    I must be a prophet for something...

    If breakfast is so important to weight loss how is it that about 85% of the country eats breakfast but about 40% of the country is obese? There is no correlation between eating breakfast and weight loss....

    I haven't had breakfast in five weeks and I lost one body and one percent body fat...

    Sorry, but this is the biggest bunch of hogwash I have seen. The 40% is obese, not because they eat breakfast, but because the eat too much all day. You are going to need better facts than these to try and make a correlation. Anyway, I am sure people can lose weight without breakfast. There are other reasons why breakfast is important as any doctor will tell you. And just for full disclosure, I just started eating breakfast after years of not eating it and being obese. I am typically not hungry in the morning. But I have noticed one thing after a couple of weeks at this. When I eat breakfast I find it easier to stick with my calorie goals and to get in a workout. That is just me. I am sure everyone is different.

    amen. it's what you eat that has a lot to do with it.
  • LeisureRunner
    LeisureRunner Posts: 185
    If you are working out 75 - 85 minutes every day and eating what you posted, your body probably thinks its starving itself and is telling you need more food. I think you should have at least 1 day of rest a week from the exercise.

    I would also eat a little more.

    Finally, are you really tracking everything you're eating. If you aren't, you could be eating more than you think you are.

    Secondly, chewing gum always makes me feel hungry.


    Agreed!
  • ndj1979
    ndj1979 Posts: 29,136 Member

    I must be a prophet for something...

    If breakfast is so important to weight loss how is it that about 85% of the country eats breakfast but about 40% of the country is obese? There is no correlation between eating breakfast and weight loss....

    I haven't had breakfast in five weeks and I lost one body and one percent body fat...

    Sorry, but this is the biggest bunch of hogwash I have seen. The 40% is obese, not because they eat breakfast, but because the eat too much all day. You are going to need better facts than these to try and make a correlation. Anyway, I am sure people can lose weight without breakfast. There are other reasons why breakfast is important as any doctor will tell you. And just for full disclosure, I just started eating breakfast after years of not eating it and being obese. I am typically not hungry in the morning. But I have noticed one thing after a couple of weeks at this. When I eat breakfast I find it easier to stick with my calorie goals and to get in a workout. That is just me. I am sure everyone is different.

    DITTO - it is important to get your metabolism started for the day...any trained nutritionist or doctor will back this up. You dont have to do it of course and still can drop weight but if you can it is best to dol

    quote the DR...

    there is no evidence that eating breakfast "stokes your metabolism" www.leangains.com go read the study. Actually if you ate two to three large protein meals you would probably see more of a metabolic burn...

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