i upped my cal. after a month, because i was starving

gettingfitter777
gettingfitter777 Posts: 11 Member
in Food and Nutrition
Hi everybody,

Im relatively new here. Im 26, 5'6 and i weigh 176. Im looking to lose alot of weight, but currently just trying to lose at least some, and get used to weighing a little less.
I have logged for just a little over a month and i've set my counter to lose 1 lb per week, i was alright staying within the recomended intake of 1460 for a month, but then i found myself so hungry, usually in the evenings and even a little slow sometimes, so i upped my calories and set the counter to only 0.5 lb to lose per week and even then i still feel like im hungry and it's not enough food.
Has this happened to anyone. Any advice?

I read someone wrote that it's better to go down in calories gradually and sort of build up tollerance to lower calorie intake.
Any help appreciated, ppl.

THANKS!

Replies

  • blu_meanie_ca
    blu_meanie_ca Posts: 352 Member
    Open up your diary. If we can see what you're eating, we may be able to give you suggestions on where to get more food for your caloric level.
  • karabff
    karabff Posts: 98
    It does depend on the kind of cas youl intake..an I know I have had days of being hungry even though I am within my cal intake ( I upped mine to 1700 an started losing again) I also eat 6 times a day -not huge meals between 2/300 cals for snacks an 300/500 for main meals..also do you drink enough water? an what kind of work outs are you doing? it kind of all works together
  • mockchoc
    mockchoc Posts: 6,573 Member
    It's fine to lose slowly because you are more likely to stick with it long term. I've even seen people eat at maintenance to lose and I love that idea! It will take a long time but it's got to be more pleasant than being hungry. Make sure your protein is higher than what is recommended on MFP and be sure to eat lots of veggies and some healthy fats. All will keep you satisfied longer than processed foods. Lots of water too.
  • kbam17
    kbam17 Posts: 14 Member
    I think it's all about finding what works for you in particular. I find that I need to save almost half my daily calories for after work/the evening otherwise I'm ravenous. I also agree with the commenter above me that said more protein will likely keep you satiated for longer on less calories.

    On a side note, would you like to be friends on here? We have very similar stats (age, height, weight, progress). For what it's worth, I got allotted 1560 calories and I find that I'm not hungry most of the time. I wonder why we got such different numbers? Regardless, I hope you start feeling better soon!
  • nafester
    nafester Posts: 1 Member
    It took me a good few weeks (possibly even up to a month or two) before I adapted to the new diet. I remember those first weeks I always had to have carrots ready to snack on and it was pretty tough. I'm 6'3, started at 284, down at 203 now and I'm eating about 1200-1400 calories a day. It's rare that I feel hungry.

    It does get much, much easier as time goes on - you'll find your stomach shrinks too, you won't be able to eat nearly as much as you used to. I never need carrots to get me through the day any more, 3 meals and I'm set.

    As the others have said - make sure you're drinking plenty too. Stupid as it sounds, the body frequently mistakes thirst for hunger.
  • Ed98043
    Ed98043 Posts: 1,333 Member
    I've never found a way to lose weight without being hungry. It doesn't matter if I stuff myself with lettuce, if I'm running a calorie deficit then my body is sending out hunger signals. It wants very badly to maintain the status quo, or better yet keep on adding to the fat storage. lol It's just something I'm trying to accept. I'm working on changing the term "hungry" in my mind to "losing weight". Like in "Man, I could eat my left arm! I'm losing weight!".
  • terijoestoes
    terijoestoes Posts: 205 Member
    I agree it took awhile to not be so hungry and to do decide when I was hungry and when I was thirsty. Fiber protein añd water are the keys. Hang in there
  • MarcPower
    MarcPower Posts: 67 Member
    Protein is crucial. I've always been focused on the number of calories but less focused on what type of calories. As such, I ended up eating a lot of fruit and a fair amount of vegetables but they never seemed to fill me up for the long haul. Now that I've mandated eating more protein (I try to eat 140-150g of protein), I feel so much more full.
  • gettingfitter777
    gettingfitter777 Posts: 11 Member
    Thank you very much everybody!!

    Very helpful advice! :))

    I opened up my diary, one note though, i never log any vegetable i eat, they are so low in calories and i usually eat them raw with no dressing, so i don't put them in, but always try to eat a little bit under my daily set intake, sometimes i go over though.

    Thanks again for all the advice!
  • allforthethrill
    allforthethrill Posts: 108 Member
    I saw your intake from yesterday, you took in a lot of calories from butter, maybe cut down on the butter and eat other things that'll keep you fuller with those calories.
  • mockchoc
    mockchoc Posts: 6,573 Member
    Your protein should be around double what you are getting each day. I aim for around 120 gr. Your fibre looks pretty good especially since your veggies aren't included in there so it must be even better. I'd honestly cut back on the bread a bit and get more protein. Cottage cheese, greek yogurt, whole eggs, lean meats, oily fish like salmon and sardines etc.., protein shakes etc.. will help keep you fuller longer.
  • Ed98043
    Ed98043 Posts: 1,333 Member
    You should really weigh and log your veggies unless you're just literally having a bite or two. Yesterday I ate 4 oz of baby carrots = 47 calories. 15 cherry tomatoes = 135 calories. They really can add up.
  • mockchoc
    mockchoc Posts: 6,573 Member
    You should really weigh and log your veggies unless you're just literally having a bite or two. Yesterday I ate 4 oz of baby carrots = 47 calories. 15 cherry tomatoes = 135 calories. They really can add up.

    Yes this too!
  • rmarshalla
    rmarshalla Posts: 103 Member
    P R O T E I N
  • rmarshalla
    rmarshalla Posts: 103 Member
    Your protein should be around double what you are getting each day. I aim for around 120 gr. Your fibre looks pretty good especially since your veggies aren't included in there so it must be even better. I'd honestly cut back on the bread a bit and get more protein. Cottage cheese, greek yogurt, whole eggs, lean meats, oily fish like salmon and sardines etc.., protein shakes etc.. will help keep you fuller longer.

    ^^^
    Yes! This!
    I find that the more protein I eat the less often I get hungry.

    Maybe try to incorporate more greek yogurt, beans (boiled no/low salt; kidney beans, garbanzos, black beans, etc), eggs, hummus, lean meats, fish, nuts and seeds. Or try a protein powder - make shakes.

    These are all yummy and healthy lower calorie options that will help to keep you full.
    :)
    Good luck.
  • MarcPower
    MarcPower Posts: 67 Member
    I've checked out a few days in your diary and it looks like you eat a lot of calorie dense foods (butter, cheese, etc). Try to eat more lean proteins (I love, love, love ground turkey). One of my tips is: check the calorie label and try to get a low calorie per gram (calorie sparse) for your foods. I try to aim for less than 2 calories per gram of food. You can eat more volume without busting your diet.
  • blu_meanie_ca
    blu_meanie_ca Posts: 352 Member
    Given that you are close to your calorie goal to begin with, the calories from veggies could be (are) pushing you over 1800. They are not calorie free. Or, you might not be eating as many as you think you are, and are losing on a way to fill up without going over. (subing veggies for something).
    It would seem that you are taking a lot of calories in from bread. Try diversifying your grains. Whole grains (rice, wheat kernels or berries, barley) are lower in calories for the volume of servings.
    Sub eggs for breakfast over oatmeal. I eat 2 eggs and 100ml of fat/sugar free yogurt for just over 250 cals in the morning. It gives me protein, and frees up calories for the day.
    Things like 1 apple and 4tbs of peanut butter are also not going to keep you full for long (an apple w/ 1 tbs of pb is great bedtime snack).
    On your average day I eat less calories than you, but, I don't have an issue with volume of food. Peek at my diary if you want... though, I do eat a lot of salads and soups, so if that's not your thing I probably won't be of any use for lunches.
  • Reecebullet
    Reecebullet Posts: 141 Member
    I'd say that it's your protein mostly. Needs to be a lot more than that. You need to find what is right for you as far as different foods go, and at what times is best to eat for you.

    I found that pasta really helps me out (different people, different foods). I'll eat that (low in calories) and not be hungry for 5+ hours. I eat most of my goal within 6 hours of being awake. Then during the day I don't eat much as I'm normally busy, then when I get home I have a dinner that will really fill me up. Just keep trying different foods that work for you. Upping calories is needed sometimes. If you feel later on you don't need it anymore, you can come back down again. :)
  • trickycoolj
    trickycoolj Posts: 37 Member
    I also have similar stats to you and it put me around 1300 since I sit at a desk all day so I have to use the sedentary setting (got a fitbit to track if I have more activity than sedentary but its unusual without a workout). Anyway I went over a lot until a good friend of mine that's been very successful at this for a year now told me to check out the "In Place of a Roadmap 2.0" post. It helped me understand the minimum my body needs to be alive for the day and how much it needs maximum for my inactive day. I started to go 20% less than the maximum needed for my activity level but still more than The bare minimum to live. Got me around 1500 and on a good day I can earn a few more from my fitbit. I'm so much more satisfied in the evenings now and have been steadily losing! I even stopped doing my Weight Watchers points tracking since they didn't allow me enough per day at my weight either.

    I'm on a phone so I haven't had a chance to scope out your diary, but think about what products you can swap for low/non-fat versions to save a few cals for a more hearty meal. I was surprised how many I was able to cut out by finding a light butter product I liked and fat free half and half in my coffee. I won't use fake sugar though the real stuff is worth it for me. I also found out from a friend this week that 1oz of beef jerky is a decent amount and under 100 cal so it's a great protein packed snack. I'm hoping to grab some and add it to my snack stash this week. Salty and chewy to satisfy the snack attack!
  • Robin_Bin
    Robin_Bin Posts: 1,046 Member
    Your plan to go slowly makes lots of sense. It's also good to have small, interim goals. And you'll need to play around with things to see what works for you long-term.

    I haven't looked at your food diary, but some things that can help are
    * drink enough - preferably water, no or low-cal drinks, but things like soup can also help
    * eat enough fiber (both soluble and insoluble - increase it slowly as a rapid change in fiber can be uncomfortable)
    * make sure you are getting enough protein - especially in the morning and for late night snacking, this helped me
    * eat food that supplies a lot of bulk and is nutritionally dense - vegetables, which you say you're eating are good for this
    * consider what nutrients you may be missing - when your body needs something, it can cause cravings
    * sometimes "diet" foods can cause hunger by triggering a sweet tooth or because they are unbalanced and missing something -- like not enough fat or carbohydrates -- if you're low on fats, try the "healthy ones" found in things like nuts, avocados, olives or fish; if low on carbohydrates, try the "complex" ones, like whole grains rather than simple ones like sugar

    While in general, I think the MyFitnessPal guidelines are good starting points, their fiber and protein recommendations are low for many. For some people it helps to spread out what they eat over the day; while others find it more satisfying to eat more and limit when they eat. Try the things that you haven't done before and then see what works for you... you're probably already doing somethings correctly for your body, so figure out which things they are and what you need to change. It may be slow at first, but it's better than giving up and letting things get worse. So far you've already learned some things. Congratulations and good luck!

    ETA: After a quick look at your food diary... yes, increase fiber, protein, and while multi-grain sour dough bread is yummy and better than many other bread choices, try one or two slices instead of two to five a day. Similarly, butter and honey are yummy and have some other good properties, but could you eat a little less of each and still enjoy?

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