Hunger holding me back!

Options
2»

Replies

  • kturpin1
    kturpin1 Posts: 1
    Options
    I chew lots of gum! If I think I am hungry, I pop a piece of gum in my mouth and give myself into the flavor goes away. Then I reevaluate if I am actually hungry or not. When I need a snack, I go to a Fiber One bar. You can get either a salty or sweet taste if you have a specific craving. Also, low cal, and the fiber makes you feel more full. I also recently discovered turkey jerky...low cal and great protein. Try to switch things up from your norm. See what works for you. If you fall back on the same things every time, you will never change up the results.
  • Earguy
    Earguy Posts: 35
    Options
    I too get that 8:00pm hungries. For me, I'd always go for a bowl of ice cream...a BIG bowl of ice cream. In other words, carbs.

    When I was doing Weight Watchers online, and fruit was zero points, I switched to melons. I found I love melons. Watermelon not so much, but cantaloupes and honeydews. And especially some of the "they look weird I dunno about that" melons like casabas, canaries, and others that my farmers' market just label as "orange flesh" even though they look like honeydews. You just have to wait until they're really ripe, sometimes a melon may sit on my counter for a week.

    However if you're a protein packer, others here have great advice. Or to keep it simple, budget in a 175-calorie protein bar in the evening.

    And some of it is about breaking habits. Once I made the switch from icecream to melons, I've tapered off the evening melons and now it's only 2-3 nights a week.
  • Lleldiranne
    Lleldiranne Posts: 5,516 Member
    Options
    It looks like you've stayed under calories the last few days, so you're doing okay, as far as that goes. (Unless you didn't log that last cereal/brownies).

    It is possible that your calories are set too low. I keep hearing "but I'm a short woman" from people (don't know if that applies to you) … but I'm all of 5 feet tall and only have about 10 pounds to go and I would not consider dropping my calories below 1500 total, so I'm not sure where the idea that a short woman can only eat 1200 calories comes from.

    I agree that you can snack on HEALTHY options that will fill you up. Celery and carrots, not so satisfying. But a handful of raw almonds with a slice of 100% whole wheat bread, or some tuna (no mayo) with wheat crackers often hit the spot for me. Get rid of the brownies if they're a weakness. I allow myself a treat each day, but I have to keep it to just one! (OKay, I'm off the wagon and climbing back on, so I've been really bad lately, hence the stall out and gain of a few pounds … :grumble: )

    And EXERCISE!. You will feel better all over, plus it will "allow" you more calories!
  • hedwardsb
    hedwardsb Posts: 201 Member
    Options
    This happens to me especially if I've exercised. I've learned that I need to have a decent snack wih protein when the hunger begins. Graham crackers with peanut butter & chocolate milk made with Ovaltine stops it for me. The times I've tried to wait it out & go to bed have found me at midnight ransacking he kitchen as you describe. I've decided it's better to go over my calories with controlled snacking early on than to wait 3 or 4 hours & have a total ice cream breakdown.
  • amiscci
    amiscci Posts: 64 Member
    Options
    When I'm really hungry at night, I usually try to drink water and wait a while to see if it will go away first. If not, my go-to anytime of day snack is a big bottle of cold water and a Greek yogurt. I like plain but even the fruit varieties are packed with protien and <150-200 calories. I down that (love yogurt so its kind of like dessert) and force myself to wait a bit... Within 15 minutes I am totally satisfied and the hungries are gone. Even if I know it will send me a bit over my target calories, it works and its ot empty calories. Good luck. I also found that being hungry all the time was hardest in the first few weeks, but then it got better (or, I got better at being ok with being hungry?)

    This happens to me especially if I've exercised. I've learned that I need to have a decent snack wih protein when the hunger begins. Graham crackers with peanut butter & chocolate milk made with Ovaltine stops it for me. The times I've tried to wait it out & go to bed have found me at midnight ransacking he kitchen as you describe. I've decided it's better to go over my calories with controlled snacking early on than to wait 3 or 4 hours & have a total ice cream breakdown.
  • 2hobbit1
    2hobbit1 Posts: 820 Member
    Options
    You have not mentioned your personal stats so I can't see if you 1300 calorie target is realistic but it is low to be sustainable for life. check out this link to see how to set yourself up with a target you can maintain for life. You mention that you can lose but not maintain - too low a a target can be a big part of this.

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/654536-in-place-of-a-road-map-2-0-revised-7-2-12

    Also set your macros to at least 30-40% protein, aim for at least 25 gm of fiber a day and let the rest sort itself out. No need to go low fat/no fat as fat is also part of what keeps you feeling full. These simple cahnges will go a long way to feeling full and staying that way.

    As for the craving urge - a few things to try

    Brew a cup of tea - the time it take to boil the water, brew the tea, then let it cool enough to drink is often long enough for the craving to pass.
    Take a 10 minute walk.
    Put in a workout dvd and do a 15 minute quickie.
    Put on soothing music.
    do a stretching routine
    play a round of Angry birds
    Brush your teeth
    10-15 minutes is usually enough for a craving to pass if you can find something else to occupy your mind and hands.
  • Fitstephy
    Fitstephy Posts: 66
    Options
    stats:

    age: 20
    weight: 160 lbs
    height: 5'3
    female

    I updated my goals thank you. what are some good sources of protein?
  • Firefox7275
    Firefox7275 Posts: 2,040 Member
    Options
    stats:

    age: 20
    weight: 160 lbs
    height: 5'3
    female

    I updated my goals thank you. what are some good sources of protein?

    You don't have that much to lose, you'd be in the healthy weight range at 150 pounds, maybe aim for half a pound a week?

    Lean, meat, fish, seafood, reduced fat dairy, eggs/ whites, nuts, seeds.
  • jzammetti
    jzammetti Posts: 1,956 Member
    Options
    My initial thoguht when I looked at your diary is you are not eating enough. I guessed at your goal weight (125) and put your info into fat2fitradio's BMR/RDEE calculator. This is what I got:

    Entered information: 20 year old female, 63 inches tall, weighing 160 pounds.

    From the information that you entered, you'd like to weigh 125 lbs.


    Harris-Benedict Formula


    There are a few different methods to calculating yourbasal metabolic rate (BMR). One of the most popular, developed in the early 1900's is called the Harris-Benedict formula. Based on this formula, your current BMR is 1553 calories.


    How Many Calories Should I Eat?


    Based on your goal weight, the following chart was generated. The chart shows the number of calories that you should eat on a daily basis to reach your goal weight. At Fat 2 Fit Radio we advocate eating like the thin, healthy person that you want to become. The calorie levels you see in the chart are not extreme, but they do create that all important caloric deficit that is required to get you to your goal weight in a safe manner. Once you reach your goal weight, you will continue eating the same number of calories for the rest of your life to maintain that weight. You'll never be on a diet again.

    Based on how much activity you do on an average day, the calories in the right column will be the number of calories that you will be able to eat at your goal weight. If you start eating those calories right now (eating like the thinner you), you will eventually become that thinner person. As you get closer to your goal weight, your weight loss will start to slow down. It is OK to eat a few hundred calories less per day (200-300) to speed up your weight loss at this point.



    Activity Level

    Daily Calories



    Sedentary (little or no exercise, desk job)

    1681



    Lightly Active (light exercise/sports 1-3 days/wk)

    1926



    Moderately Active (moderate exercise/sports 3-5 days/wk)

    2172



    Very Active (hard exercise/sports 6-7 days/wk)

    2417



    Extremely Active (hard daily exercise/sports & physical job or 2X day training, i.e marathon, contest etc.)

    2662


    NOTE: Please remember that this calculation is just a guideline. Your metabolism may be higher or lower based on the amount of lean muscle you have. Use these numbers a a starting point and tweak them up or down based on your weight loss or gain. It may take a couple weeks to get your exact calorie level.


    So, this means you should always eat above the 1550 BMR number and based on your activity level you can set your daily calorie amounts. If 125 is your goal, you can eat this way until you get there and forever, as these numbers are the TDEE for the goal weight of 125.
  • axialmeow
    axialmeow Posts: 382 Member
    Options
    Eat something with some healthy fat and protein!!
  • WendyTerry420
    WendyTerry420 Posts: 13,274 Member
    Options
    Well you have only logged two days, but I see your protein was less than 50 grams both times. More protein will help. Also, I see that you are only 20 years old with less than 40 pounds to lose. You might want to double check your calories. 1300 seems awfully low for such a young person.
  • Ready2Rock206
    Ready2Rock206 Posts: 9,488 Member
    Options
    Eat filling foods. Cheerios & brownies aren't very filling and just a waste of calories. Protein will fill you up better. Think nuts, peanutbutter, eggs, avacado, even oatmeal is more filling than cheerios. Also you can have a ton of veggies for the same calories as one of those brownies.
  • michellekicks
    michellekicks Posts: 3,624 Member
    Options
    Oh if you like cereal, there's one called Quaker Corn Bran Squares that is about 120 calories/cup and has about 3-4g fiber in it. It's also a little sweet and nice to snack on while watching a movie or on a road trip or whatever.
  • WendyTerry420
    WendyTerry420 Posts: 13,274 Member
    Options
    stats:

    age: 20
    weight: 160 lbs
    height: 5'3
    female

    I updated my goals thank you. what are some good sources of protein?

    You should not be eating less than 1550 calories. Check the "Road Map" link above for a better calorie goal. Even if you do nothing at all but sit and watch TV all day, you can still lose weight eating 1600 calories a day. The more you do (other than watch TV/surf the web), the more you should eat while still losing weight.

    Good sources of protein: meat (Especially fowl) is the best. Also, dairy and nuts/seeds provide some decent protein numbers.
  • TastesLikeChicken
    TastesLikeChicken Posts: 32 Member
    Options
    Great idea thanks for posting. I am sitting here reading all this talk of food, getting hungry ready to eat dinner with the blue haired peeps and I'll bet this could get me through to dinner.
  • onyxgirl17
    onyxgirl17 Posts: 1,721 Member
    Options
    Do some exercise. It keeps your mind busy and burns your calories. House chores is a good start.

    Exercise personally makes me more hungry...

Categories