Sooooo hungry

PartyPerson
PartyPerson Posts: 116 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I have been on my fitness plan for just under a week. At first it was fine, but then I was on holiday and so could laze about a bit. Now I'm back at work and I am ready to eat the furniture I'm so hungry and so tired...please tell me this will get better.

Replies

  • psuLemon
    psuLemon Posts: 38,426 MFP Moderator
    Sounds like you are not eating enough. How many calories are you eating, and do you exercise? With 40 lbs to lose, 1 lb per week is ideal. I would also suggest opening your food diary so we can look at it. It's possible you eat the wrong types of food for satiety reasons.
  • jfsears
    jfsears Posts: 47 Member
    Without being able to see your diary, I would say your likely not eating enough....having lots of protein helps keep me full.
  • lizziebeth1028
    lizziebeth1028 Posts: 3,602 Member
    I have been on my fitness plan for just under a week. At first it was fine, but then I was on holiday and so could laze about a bit. Now I'm back at work and I am ready to eat the furniture I'm so hungry and so tired...please tell me this will get better.


    Your diary is not public so I'm guessing here.....maybe you're not eating enough? Classic mistake made by serial 'dieters'....it tends to be feast or famine. When you find the balance in between the two..you find success!
  • centarix
    centarix Posts: 123 Member
    LOL this post makes me laugh because its 2:30pm where I live and I'm ALSO ready to eat the office phone and the cord it came with :) I think you should wait it out for 8-10 minutes to see if its not a "craving" for something. If you are really hungry, indulge yourself. No reason to suffer. Eat something light and chew it slowly. I have a pack of Lance Crackers I might eat soon. Its not the healthiest item but I've recently learned if I eat 1 or 2 crackers slowly and with TONS of water, I won't consume the whole pack.

    You are getting back into the healthy state of mind. Slipups are expected. Its all about control and moderation.

    Good luck!
  • bass2be1
    bass2be1 Posts: 17 Member
    Try more protein, maybe it will keep you full longer
  • Linkdapink
    Linkdapink Posts: 128 Member
    I'm in the same situation! I just started back at work after having 2 weeks off, and the change in routine (and also eating patterns) has not been kind to me. I have to be more careful and mindful of the times I eat. I used to have my evening meal at 7ish, but now I have to change that to 6 and start preparing it at half 5, or I will start to snack. Then I've decided that I 8pm I can have another snack.

    It's more about adjusting to the different times of the day for me though!
  • PartyPerson
    PartyPerson Posts: 116 Member
    Thanks guys - didn't know that diaries could be open or closed (dooooh). I am struggling to find healthy snacks instead of biscuits...I think that the exercise rating for my job might be a bit low too because although a teacher I am on the fifth floor of the building. I probably dash up and down those 10 flights of stairs at least 10 times on a good day. Perhaps I need to get a pedometer.

    Have just devoured some celery to try to fill up a bit.
  • bass2be1
    bass2be1 Posts: 17 Member
    Hi All,
    I to have just completed my first week and what an eye opener. Still working it. Got bummed when the scale went up even when my left over cals seem to be there. Now that I have a better grip, I anticipate a steady downward slope. Some days I am really hungry, then other days, I am not. I have issued a water challenge to some and that is fun,
  • Seraphemz
    Seraphemz Posts: 84 Member
    Add some peanut butter to that celery..that would help. Around 2 tablespoons is only about 190 calories, depending on the one that you get.
  • Ashshell
    Ashshell Posts: 185
    Find some snacks that are low calorie and you enjoy and pack them tomorrow. I keep yogurt and fruit at my office and plan for those snacks when I'm planning my day the night before. Sometimes I eat them, sometimes I don't. There is no need to go hungry when trying to lose weight. You will need to plan your day so that you are allowing calories for the times that you are hungry. You won't stick to your diet if you constantly feel unfulfilled. It takes time to get the hang of it, but stick with it and learn how to make healthier choices so that you can eat more.
  • Elicur
    Elicur Posts: 78 Member
    A tip I would suggest is no deprivation. Eat when you're hungry ( not bored ) and eat sensible amounts of whatever you want.
    Don't give yourself a calorie limit that is the same every day. Some days I'm much more hungry and eat 300-600 calories more. Mix it up, and listen deeply,your body knows what it needs.
  • kellymiller23
    kellymiller23 Posts: 16
    Instead of 2 slices of white bread for breakfast (no nutrition, and packed with sugar) try eating an egg with 1 slice of whole-grain bread, or eliminate the bread and eat an egg and fruit. A higher protein breakfast will keep you feeling fuller and more satisfied. Avoid sugar and artificial sweeteners, which will make you crave sweets more. Snack on whole cut-up fruits and vegetables, which contain lots of fiber and help fill you up. Hang in there, it gets better. Hope this was helpful.
  • pspetralia
    pspetralia Posts: 963 Member
    I looked at a couple days in your diary and it looks like you don't always eat up to your calories. I would suggest thinking about your calorie limit as a goal that you want to achieve. Try to hit your macros and calories daily.
    Good luck!
  • psuLemon
    psuLemon Posts: 38,426 MFP Moderator
    If your base goal is 1700 calories, then you should eat that much, not 1300 calories. Also, your calories are loaded with carbs. Try to substitute that and eat more protein and fats. Meats and egg's are good substitutes for many of the things you eat. Additionally, you can add in protein bars since you are struggling to get enough calories. Protein is critical, especially when you are above 40, as it will help prevent muscle loss. Now, if you can workout on top of your work, then you can add in more calories.
  • AUWgal
    AUWgal Posts: 7
    I completely agree. I am just starting week 2 of my attempt to lose nearly 200 pounds, and I will tell you that I am alternating between being completely ravenous and being completely exhausted and sleeping after I get home from work (I am also a teacher!).

    For those of you who have been at this a bit longer, I set my calorie goal to 1800, but I weigh, well, enough for me to need to lose 200 pounds (a little less) and I am now wondering if I have been a bit too ambitious in my calorie deficit. It is just frustrating because for the last two days I have wanted to go for a walk, but then I ended up napping for almost three hours. This is not characteristic of me (I maybe napped 1-3 days during the week. I have a lot of trouble sleeping at night, so I can generally be tired) but I am hoping that I can get over this hump soon!
  • melindasuefritz
    melindasuefritz Posts: 3,509 Member
    drnk lots of ice water ,coffee, water w ith lemon wedges, iced tea, get pre packaged 100 calorie snacks. fruit, pretzel sticks , yogurts, raisins, gogurt
  • herblackwings39
    herblackwings39 Posts: 3,930 Member
    I completely agree. I am just starting week 2 of my attempt to lose nearly 200 pounds, and I will tell you that I am alternating between being completely ravenous and being completely exhausted and sleeping after I get home from work (I am also a teacher!).

    For those of you who have been at this a bit longer, I set my calorie goal to 1800, but I weigh, well, enough for me to need to lose 200 pounds (a little less) and I am now wondering if I have been a bit too ambitious in my calorie deficit. It is just frustrating because for the last two days I have wanted to go for a walk, but then I ended up napping for almost three hours. This is not characteristic of me (I maybe napped 1-3 days during the week. I have a lot of trouble sleeping at night, so I can generally be tired) but I am hoping that I can get over this hump soon!

    IMO 1800 is probably a bit low if you're on your feet and moving about all day and need to lose 200-ish pounds. Did you figure out your BMR and TDEE? There are a couple really good threads on here to help.
  • PartyPerson
    PartyPerson Posts: 116 Member
    Thanks for all of your replies - in the end I had a long hot bath and a pamper session instead of biscuits (they sat in the cupboard crying, but I ignored them).

    So the action points I'm going to take
    - rethink breakfast (eating breakfast at all is new for me so I do struggle to force anything down) and experiment with getting some protein in my breakfast.
    - only look at the calorie column in my food diary for the moment (I stop eating when I can't think of anything to eat that has no sugar or fat etc)
    - try to find some snacks which are practical for work but include healthier calories

    I was planning to start exercising next week - there is never time or energy in the first week of a new term because of the number of after school meetings. The planning is swimming twice a week to start off with, once the weather improves (please, please improve), I'll walk into work everyday that I don't have a late meeting. As I really don't enjoy any sport this seems like a compromise.

    Thanks again guys.
  • Xiaolongbao
    Xiaolongbao Posts: 854 Member
    I completely agree. I am just starting week 2 of my attempt to lose nearly 200 pounds, and I will tell you that I am alternating between being completely ravenous and being completely exhausted and sleeping after I get home from work (I am also a teacher!).

    For those of you who have been at this a bit longer, I set my calorie goal to 1800, but I weigh, well, enough for me to need to lose 200 pounds (a little less) and I am now wondering if I have been a bit too ambitious in my calorie deficit. It is just frustrating because for the last two days I have wanted to go for a walk, but then I ended up napping for almost three hours. This is not characteristic of me (I maybe napped 1-3 days during the week. I have a lot of trouble sleeping at night, so I can generally be tired) but I am hoping that I can get over this hump soon!

    I generally eat around 1800 calories (or more) a day and I've only got a few kgs left to lose. I suspect given your weight you need to eat a bit more if you are finding yourself hungry. (I'm also a teacher).

    I've been losing weight (slowly) for over a year now (over 20kg in total) and sadly I'm still hungry a lot of the time. People will give you all sorts of advice (much of it very good) but the sad fact is that for some of us being hungry is something we have to put up with. I kept hoping my stomach would shrink but sadly that doesn't seem to have happened at all.
  • aronao
    aronao Posts: 112 Member
    Keep unhealthy snacks out of the house or work. Leave them in the supermarket :) Have lots of healthy things at hand like raw carrots, apples, nuts (although not too many), bananas, sugarfree chocolate, mini protein bars, boiled eggs.

    Ditch the white toast for brekkie and get a low-GI or whole-grain bread instead. Or trade the bread altogether and try some oatmeal with fruit and cinnamon and yoghurt.

    Try more protein - eggs, fish, chicken - for lunch and/or dinner and cut down the potatoes and white rice.

    I also think that you might not be eating enough in general - two tangerines or a single potato isn't a meal - and you're not meeting your calorie target. I found this tool helpful in calculating how much to eat each day http://www.freedieting.com/tools/calorie_calculator.htm

    Hope this helps.
  • gaiagal3
    gaiagal3 Posts: 39 Member
    Protein, protein, and more protein! It will keep you much fuller than carbs (not to mention way healthier).
  • tharlan
    tharlan Posts: 1
    I eat whole 30 /paleo style. My first two weeks I was hungry and soooo tired. I added in a protein powder and I've felt amazing ever since. I've lost 18 pounds in 6 weeks and I eat whenever I'm hungry. I also workout 60 minutes a day 6 days a week. That give you more room to eat as well. Good luck finding your balance.

    Terri
  • Requiembell
    Requiembell Posts: 106 Member
    Thanks guys - didn't know that diaries could be open or closed (dooooh). I am struggling to find healthy snacks instead of biscuits...I think that the exercise rating for my job might be a bit low too because although a teacher I am on the fifth floor of the building. I probably dash up and down those 10 flights of stairs at least 10 times on a good day. Perhaps I need to get a pedometer.

    Have just devoured some celery to try to fill up a bit.

    This counts as exercise. you need food.
  • psuLemon
    psuLemon Posts: 38,426 MFP Moderator
    Thanks for all of your replies - in the end I had a long hot bath and a pamper session instead of biscuits (they sat in the cupboard crying, but I ignored them).

    So the action points I'm going to take
    - rethink breakfast (eating breakfast at all is new for me so I do struggle to force anything down) and experiment with getting some protein in my breakfast.
    - only look at the calorie column in my food diary for the moment (I stop eating when I can't think of anything to eat that has no sugar or fat etc)
    - try to find some snacks which are practical for work but include healthier calories

    I was planning to start exercising next week - there is never time or energy in the first week of a new term because of the number of after school meetings. The planning is swimming twice a week to start off with, once the weather improves (please, please improve), I'll walk into work everyday that I don't have a late meeting. As I really don't enjoy any sport this seems like a compromise.

    Thanks again guys.

    If you don't like breakfast, do not eat it. Save the calories for later in the day. There is no reason to actually eat breakfast. Many of our successful member do interim fasting where you fast for 16 hours and eat all your calories in an 8 hour window. What matters though is hitting your calorie goal. But it doesn't matter if you get 1700 calories from 1 meal or 8 meals, weight loss will be the same. So if you don't like breakfast, skip it and eat a large lunch and dinner or add snack later on.
  • bluebear_74
    bluebear_74 Posts: 179
    I find Green Tea helps sometimes, plus zero calories!
  • bass2be1
    bass2be1 Posts: 17 Member
    When I joined and thought I was doing okay, the scale went up. Talk about despair.
    made the commitment to stick with it and now it has gone down. So I am excited about the
    1 pound.
    Stick with it. It will get better.

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