Question: Increased Appetite

keshiabug1
keshiabug1 Posts: 150
in Food and Nutrition
Someting is seriously going on with me. I stay hungry ALL THE TIME. I have started exercising pretty regularly over the past two months... and I have also just recently came off a birth control pill over the past month.

I would tell you to look at my diary but I haven't logged regularly the past week or two. Anyhow, my question is... is it normal to be hungry like this? Is it the birth control or the exercise causing it? & also... Should I eat when I think I am hungry or could it possibly just be horomones playing tricks on me? lol

I mean, its like "my stomach is growling so hard its shaking the building" kind of hungry. Embarrassing!

Replies

  • lacurandera1
    lacurandera1 Posts: 8,083 Member
    Do you have any idea how many calories you've been taking in? What's your height/weight? How much are you exercising?
  • keshiabug1
    keshiabug1 Posts: 150
    I am 5'4, 150.4 lbs, I have been exercising between 3-5 times a week an estimated 35-90 mins a day. I also take in around 1400-1500 calories depending on how much I exercise that day. Might I add I have lost a steady pound/week for the last month doing so.
  • carrieous
    carrieous Posts: 1,024 Member
    you pregnant by chance?
  • susiemeri
    susiemeri Posts: 38 Member
    How's the nutrition in your food? I've found that if I don't really keep up the protein and fiber I am hungry all the time.
  • keshiabug1
    keshiabug1 Posts: 150
    Not pregnant.

    And I get a lot of protein... a supple amount of fiber too. I have even been eating stuff such as peanuts for snacks hoping that maybe it will keep me full longer.
  • goldfinger88
    goldfinger88 Posts: 686 Member
    I don't know how long your workouts are, of course. But, if they're over 30 minutes, you're probably doing yourself no favor because you're making yourself hungry. Recent studies show that short workout (intense) are best and do more for your fitness and health than long ones. And, people who do longer workouts tend to put on weight or simply lose no weight at all.

    Also, if you're eating a lot of carbs like the government and mfp tells you to, you'll get hungry. Empty carbs and even good carbs are not filling.
  • kwilliams386
    kwilliams386 Posts: 156 Member
    Coming off of birth control wont make you hungry. 1400 calories a day might. I work out 1-2 hours a day and my HRM says I burn 400-800 calories. If I only ate 1400 a day, I would be starving! I usualy eat about 1600-1800 calories a day, so I still maintain a deficit of 500-700 calories a day normally. I also have a sit down job, so I think I am hungry all fo the time because I am bored out of my mind.
  • crystalflame
    crystalflame Posts: 1,049 Member
    Are you lifting in your workouts? Lifting makes me freaking ravenous and the only thing that seems to keep it under control is getting ~100g of protein a day.
  • dancerom
    dancerom Posts: 174 Member
    I know those days too. And I don't always know what it is.
    Sometimes it's the day before TOM starts (this IS hormonal).
    Sometimes it's more related to my Insulin Resistance after having eaten something that gives me a high blood sugar.
    Sometimes it's days when I just teach (dance) more (= more exercising = I need more calories)
    Sometimes it's on days when I had a lot of emotional/nervous system work (I work as a Somatic Experience Practitioner).
    Sometimes it is when I slept too little.

    And sometimes it just is... and I can't find a reason. I can eat whatever I want and I still feel hungry...

    If there's a reason/solution for that - I would love to learn it!
  • love4fitnesslove4food_wechange
    love4fitnesslove4food_wechange Posts: 6,897 Member
    I am 5'4, 150.4 lbs, I have been exercising between 3-5 times a week an estimated 35-90 mins a day. I also take in around 1400-1500 calories depending on how much I exercise that day. Might I add I have lost a steady pound a week doing so.

    I'd be hungry too. I think 90 minutes of exercise on that intake would be completely unfeasibly for me.
  • flhedinger
    flhedinger Posts: 35
    Coming off of birth control wont make you hungry. 1400 calories a day might. I work out 1-2 hours a day and my HRM says I burn 400-800 calories. If I only ate 1400 a day, I would be starving! I usualy eat about 1600-1800 calories a day, so I still maintain a deficit of 500-700 calories a day normally. I also have a sit down job, so I think I am hungry all fo the time because I am bored out of my mind.

    LOL - sitting at a desk all day is my problem too! Nothing like boredom to spur thoughts of food!
  • Rachaelluvszipped
    Rachaelluvszipped Posts: 768 Member
    Your metabolism is probably starting to kick in..if your consistently working out..I haven't eaten that low for awhile..do u workout with weights as well or all cardio?
  • Rachaelluvszipped
    Rachaelluvszipped Posts: 768 Member
    And one more thing, need to start logging on your food diary for a better understanding of what your really taking in for the day..a guess of your calories could do you in...whether it be too low or too high
  • keshiabug1
    keshiabug1 Posts: 150
    I am 5'4, 150.4 lbs, I have been exercising between 3-5 times a week an estimated 35-90 mins a day. I also take in around 1400-1500 calories depending on how much I exercise that day. Might I add I have lost a steady pound a week doing so.

    I'd be hungry too. I think 90 minutes of exercise on that intake would be completely unfeasibly for me.

    Normally when I do 90 minutes of exercise it is low-intensity. My shorter days are the high intensity workouts. I try to eat more or less according to my expected time/amount of exercise that day.
  • keshiabug1
    keshiabug1 Posts: 150
    And one more thing, need to start logging on your food diary for a better understanding of what your really taking in for the day..a guess of your calories could do you in...whether it be too low or too high

    I was logging religiously but sometimes life gets in the way of things. I have been pushed for time at work and at home. Think I am back on track today though.

    I am doing mostly cardio, and weight 'machines' on occasion. Still haven't quite gotten the motivation to keep at weights. lol
  • lacurandera1
    lacurandera1 Posts: 8,083 Member
    I'd say you're probably netting a little too low. I know it's hard to be consistent with it, but you should try for a week or so to really crack down on logging your food and exercise just to see where you stand. (very likely you're not overeating, as you said you lost a pound (Congrats!) but, if you're netting something super low like 800 calories, then you, quite simply, need to eat more.)

    Your stats tell me you have a BMR (Basal Metabolic Rate) of about 1432 calories a day. That's what it takes for you to lay around. Live, breathe, not get out of bed. You should never net below your BMR. So if you're eating 1500 on a day when you're burning 400 calories, you're 300 calories below your BMR. And you're gonna be HOOONGRY.

    Your TDEE (Total Daily Energy Expenditure) is 1718. Ideally, you should be netting between your BMR and TDEE. (note, there are quite a few different calculators for these numbers. I used the first one I found, and there ARE slight discrepancies between them as they use different equations. But the numbers should be close).

    As someone above said, if you're lifting, you will be hungry. There are days when I lift that I feel like I could eat another 500 calories on top of the 2500 I already ate. If you're lifting, idt there's anything wrong with eating a little extra that day (within reason). We don't really know what kind of calories lifting burns but I expect it's quite a bit between the actual act and the afterburn effect.
  • keshiabug1
    keshiabug1 Posts: 150
    I'd say you're probably netting a little too low. I know it's hard to be consistent with it, but you should try for a week or so to really crack down on logging your food and exercise just to see where you stand. (very likely you're not overeating, as you said you lost a pound (Congrats!) but, if you're netting something super low like 800 calories, then you, quite simply, need to eat more.)

    Your stats tell me you have a BMR (Basal Metabolic Rate) of about 1432 calories a day. That's what it takes for you to lay around. Live, breathe, not get out of bed. You should never net below your BMR. So if you're eating 1500 on a day when you're burning 400 calories, you're 300 calories below your BMR. And you're gonna be HOOONGRY.

    Your TDEE (Total Daily Energy Expenditure) is 1718. Ideally, you should be netting between your BMR and TDEE. (note, there are quite a few different calculators for these numbers. I used the first one I found, and there ARE slight discrepancies between them as they use different equations. But the numbers should be close).

    As someone above said, if you're lifting, you will be hungry. There are days when I lift that I feel like I could eat another 500 calories on top of the 2500 I already ate. If you're lifting, idt there's anything wrong with eating a little extra that day (within reason). We don't really know what kind of calories lifting burns but I expect it's quite a bit between the actual act and the afterburn effect.


    Maybe as you said, its the BMR. I never knew what the meaning of all of these things were or what to do with them... lol... So THANK YOU! This helps a lot!
  • jzammetti
    jzammetti Posts: 1,956 Member
    I am 5'4, 150.4 lbs, I have been exercising between 3-5 times a week an estimated 35-90 mins a day. I also take in around 1400-1500 calories depending on how much I exercise that day. Might I add I have lost a steady pound/week for the last month doing so.

    My guess is you need more food to fuel all your activity

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