How long...

FunkBunny
FunkBunny Posts: 417 Member
edited September 21 in Food and Nutrition
until I don't feel wicked hungry at 1500 calories a day? Is it like quitting smoking where the first three days are hard, the next 5 are better then after a couple weeks it's even easier?
the body has to adjust, right? Anyone have anything theories on how long adjustment takes? In the mean time I'm chugging water and unsweatened herbal tea like there's no tomorrow. All that's getting me is more trips to the bathroom (too bad the extra walking didn't count for cardio! :noway: )

Any tips or advice...I'm all for it. My food diary is public (not much there though, just today!) I'm all ears though!

Replies

  • ritodcin03
    ritodcin03 Posts: 105 Member
    Once I switched to eating 5-6 small meals a day, I was never hungry. I also find it's good to have some distractions and to avoid places where I have food memories. Starbucks is the worst for me. I can just hear the coffee cake whispering to me the moment I walk in the door!
  • blkgrlwithdreams
    blkgrlwithdreams Posts: 12
    Once I switched to eating 5-6 small meals a day, I was never hungry. I also find it's good to have some distractions and to avoid places where I have food memories. Starbucks is the worst for me. I can just hear the coffee cake whispering to me the moment I walk in the door!

    mmmm COFFEE CAKE! :) lol

    But I agree with Funk4Life, you should try doing 5-6 meals during the day or 3 small meals with snacks throughout the day :) if you need ideas about what to eat, my diary is open too! Good luck!
  • FunkBunny
    FunkBunny Posts: 417 Member
    I was wondering...what should the small meals consist of? Should they break down with carbs, fat, and protein for each? I find that I need to have protein or I get all wonky, tired and just horrible to be around (I thought it used to be carbs, but through trial and error I've narrowed it down to protein). With that peing said, today I have my protein covered, but my mini meals have been scattered about and very small... a peice of fruit, a plate of veggies, a bit of dried fruit and nuts. My main meals were more balanced. Would balancing them all make the mini meals actually fill me up?
    I'm going to give that a try tomorrow and see how that goes.
  • xarrium
    xarrium Posts: 432 Member
    I find that eating a ton of lean protein helps keep me full (it's usually fine to go over on protein, and there are days when I'm close to 100g, but I don't feel the munchies on those days because the protein curbs my appetite). If I'm really hungry (in the physical sense, of course), I'll eat plain raw veggies like peppers or carrots that are sweet but also really good in terms of vitamins and fiber. I looked at your food diary and it looks good to me--frequent small meals and lots of veggies. Keep it up!
  • DrBorkBork
    DrBorkBork Posts: 4,099 Member
    You shouldn't be hungry. Make sure you're covering your basic food groups at each meal (www.mypyramid.gov to refresh your memory). Focus on protein & fiber, as they help you feel full. Also, eating every 2-3 hours should help keep you feeling full.
  • FunkBunny
    FunkBunny Posts: 417 Member
    I'm definitely hungry. Tomorrow I will balance out my mini meals a bit better and not worry about going over on protien. I'll see how that sits tomorrow and go from there. All about experimenting until I find the right balance.

    I hit all my food groups over the day, but didn't spread them out enough to keep my body satisfied through the day.

    Thanks to everyone!
  • CPBC
    CPBC Posts: 12
    The solution that works for me is 3 meals and 3 'snacks' per day.

    I include protein in my main meals (breakfast, lunch, dinner), example of my snacks...grapes mid morning, an apple mid afternoon, and 15 raw almonds for the evening munchies (mix it up however you feel inclined).

    Add exercise to your daily routine... It gives you a few more calories a day (the amount depends on how hard you work) and helps you to refocus and reset your attitude.

    Hope this helps....
  • FunkBunny
    FunkBunny Posts: 417 Member
    I know, the exercise is a must! I am working today (not very hard as you can tell since I've been on here all day! :laugh: ) And right now I'm too hungry to even think about working out. So tomorrow I'll be a bit better prepared with a satisfied and well fueled machine!
  • blackj91114
    blackj91114 Posts: 5
    I am confused on how to break up the small meals.... I work 12.5 hour shifts.. so I eat breakfast at 6am and I don't get home until 8... So I find it very hard to stay full all day and not go over my calories, carbs, fat etc. Help???!?
  • FunkBunny
    FunkBunny Posts: 417 Member
    I work 12s, too. I take my meals in with me. Find things that travel easy (like fruits and verggies) or pack a lunch box with all your needs in it. Best way to keep your metabolism steady over such a long time and help stop you from going over calories in the end by eating too much after work.

    i actually eat all my meals at work, then a snack when I get home (although in the past that snack was always unhealthy, now it'll be something wiser) I start work at 700, eat breakfast at about 8, then try to eat every three or four hours. Mostly grazed today on fruits and veggies.
  • meokk
    meokk Posts: 787 Member
    Hi Funk,
    It definitely does get better, my first few days I saw at 1200 and FAMISHED but you get used to it.
    I looked at your diary and would recommend more protein and more at every meal, at 1200 cals I try to get 80+ grams of protein per day and that works for me.
  • beutiful5678
    beutiful5678 Posts: 58 Member
    I just looked at your food diary and from that I assume today is your first day? Trust me, it gets easier. Your body is used to consuming more calories and so it is sending you cues that say, "I"m hungry!" If you feel so inclined eat a small snack to satiate it - it takes time for our bodies to adjust to fewer calories. Perhaps you should try decreasing your calorie intake little by little (100-calorie increments) day-by-day until you get to 1500. When I first started I thought my calorie goal was sooo small and now I have trouble getting there!
  • cbirdso
    cbirdso Posts: 465 Member
    Going from high to low levels of blood sugar is a major cause of hunger. That is why people are recommending smaller meals throughout the day. Also, eating low glycemic foods has helped me, because high glycemic foods cause blood sugar to spike, then plummet. For example, I now eat Quinoa in the morning instead of something like Cornflakes.
  • beckbeck
    beckbeck Posts: 31
    Not much more I would suggest that everyone else hasn't. I peeked at your diary and would definitely agree with adding more lean protein throughout the day. Also, I would suggest never going over THREE hours without eating. I go by something called The Good Mood Diet by Dr. Susan Kleiner. It's made a WORLD of difference in my life, diet and mood-wise! :)
  • dgroulx
    dgroulx Posts: 159 Member
    It takes about 3 days. I eat 800 to 100 calories per day. But, I'm a night pharmacist and never leave my desk for my 9.5 hour shift. My daily commute is 3 hours. I sleep for 8 hours. No time for exercise. Not much time for eating, either. LOL. In 3 days, I'll be off for 7 days and that will be tougher.

    I think that we tend to eat out of boredom. We also are used to feeling "full". The key is to eat only enough so that you don't feel hungry. There are tons of low calorie foods. You can eat an entire can of green beans for only 60 calories. That will keep you full, especially if you drink water. Fiber and water makes you feel full. You don't want to feel deprived. Ever. You just need to learn to make choices with foods. I tend to choose larger quantities of low cal foods.

    If you go to the American Diabetes Association web site, there is a food pyramid. It is not the same as the regular food pyramid. If you eat the minimum number of servings from each group, you will consume about 1600 calories per day. It's well balanced. We use the ADA requirements for meals at the hospital where I work.
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