Anyone else not losing unless hungry?
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olyabe
Posts: 36
This is more of a vent than a question.. wondering if I am alone in this or others are experiencing similar results.
Basically, I am not losing weight/fat unless I am consistently hungry - to the extent of thinking about the next meal/snack (when can I have it/how much/what can I eat this time) every 15 min or so, starting from about an hour after each meal, and occasionally waking up hungry in the middle of the night.
No matter how much exercise I put in (or I don't put in), what calorie range I set for the day (my doctor recommended about 1300 without exercise, 1500-1600 with exercise, I've done anything from 1200 to 2000 (net and gross) - for about 2-3 weeks at a time. If I don't exercise, and eat only 'good for you/homemade' stuff - anything below 1500 and I'm constantly hungry. If I throw in anything like a glass of wine or a processed snack/something for 200 cal - 1700 is the hunger threshold. When I do exercise, the hunger limit goes up proportionately.. If I eat at 2000, with moderate exercise, I start gaining immediately (and no, it's not muscle.. I wish!). I can eat 2000-2500 and not gain only during hiking and skiing vacations, when I burn 3000 cal according to my HRM in 6-7 hrs of activity per day.
The bottom line is - the scale (or pant size) barely moves down if I am not constantly hungry. The times when I lost over 4 lb in a month (month... not week!) are the months when, looking back at the calendar, I refused most of the social appointments and stayed home hungry with my dear husband. The rest - 13 lb lost since January - is mostly through starving in February and March, and losing about 1.5 lb per month in January, April and May...
I am very jealous of people that are not hungry and losing weight anyways.. it seems like so many are like that... anyone more similar to me?
Basically, I am not losing weight/fat unless I am consistently hungry - to the extent of thinking about the next meal/snack (when can I have it/how much/what can I eat this time) every 15 min or so, starting from about an hour after each meal, and occasionally waking up hungry in the middle of the night.
No matter how much exercise I put in (or I don't put in), what calorie range I set for the day (my doctor recommended about 1300 without exercise, 1500-1600 with exercise, I've done anything from 1200 to 2000 (net and gross) - for about 2-3 weeks at a time. If I don't exercise, and eat only 'good for you/homemade' stuff - anything below 1500 and I'm constantly hungry. If I throw in anything like a glass of wine or a processed snack/something for 200 cal - 1700 is the hunger threshold. When I do exercise, the hunger limit goes up proportionately.. If I eat at 2000, with moderate exercise, I start gaining immediately (and no, it's not muscle.. I wish!). I can eat 2000-2500 and not gain only during hiking and skiing vacations, when I burn 3000 cal according to my HRM in 6-7 hrs of activity per day.
The bottom line is - the scale (or pant size) barely moves down if I am not constantly hungry. The times when I lost over 4 lb in a month (month... not week!) are the months when, looking back at the calendar, I refused most of the social appointments and stayed home hungry with my dear husband. The rest - 13 lb lost since January - is mostly through starving in February and March, and losing about 1.5 lb per month in January, April and May...
I am very jealous of people that are not hungry and losing weight anyways.. it seems like so many are like that... anyone more similar to me?
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Replies
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I started eating more fiber rich foods and upped my protein and it really helped. I also cut out high fructose corn syrup and anything with MSG. I also found I am more "hungry" when I am bored so I try to do things to keep me busy and occupied. (Gardening, going on walks, ect.)0
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2 things....
You need to stick to a calorie deficit/exercise programme for longer than 2 weeks before you say it doesn't work
You need to stop thinking that 4lbs in a month is bad, that is a GREAT rate of weight loss!0 -
I agree with you....I am the same...when I was eating 2100 cals a day i was losing weight weekly..but I was hungry all day...then according to TDEE calculations I could eat 2400 and lose...I did for a mth and didnt lose a pound, infact i gained 2...now I'm back to 2100...I think once you start increasing cals you tend to eat over the increased amount..
I'm not perfect with counting cals so if I give myself a lower limit it makes up for the days I go over...this way by the end of the week i'm still at a deficit0 -
Hungry is a relative term.....what you feel as hunger may not be what others feel....your body adjusts. I am not sure how overweight you are or how many calories your body is used to taking in and for how long...but typically if you are on this site is because you have been eating too many calories.
That being said...hunger is normal...your body is saying "comeon....you used to feed me more...what gives?!?!"....after a while....it adjusts and says "Fine...I guess we are only eating this much now" and no longer asks for food.
THAT being said...you shouldent feel like you are starving...meaning weakness...lathargic and sleepy. If you get those symptoms, then you truly are underfeeding your body.
Find out your TDEE, subtract 20% from that and go by that number for a while....you should be good to go.
PS: 4 pounds in a month is 1 pound a week...which is the IDEAL......unless you have alot to lose, in which case 2 pounds a week is probably closer to reality.0 -
How is your sodium intake? I never tracked this as my blood pressure is good, but now I do b/c if I go over I put on weight, it might be water weight but still, it sucks. I also have PCOS and not to make excuses, but it seems I have to try twice as hard to lose a pound as my friends that don't have it. I try to stay away from carbs for this reason and have adjusted my fat carb protein ratios manually and get the majority of carbs from veggies instead of fruit. I have found that on days I eat lots of protein I am not hungry, which a year ago I would have never believed would have been possible.0
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How is your sodium intake? I never tracked this as my blood pressure is good, but now I do b/c if I go over I put on weight, it might be water weight but still, it sucks. I also have PCOS and not to make excuses, but it seems I have to try twice as hard to lose a pound as my friends that don't have it. I try to stay away from carbs for this reason and have adjusted my fat carb protein ratios manually and get the majority of carbs from veggies instead of fruit. I have found that on days I eat lots of protein I am not hungry, which a year ago I would have never believed would have been possible.
Not to take away anything from your struggle with PCOS because I truly do feel for anyone with a condition that makes weight loss harder but the sodium intake really is meaningless in the long run....if someone sticks to it...they will see that water retention fall off...hell sometimes its even fun...seeing the scale not move or go up a pound and then one day BOOM lose 4 pounds....makes you feel great as long as you are sticking with it and not getting frustrated....I hope everyone remembers counting calories isn't weight loss surgery...you aren't going to lose your weight in a day or two....it takes time to do it right.0 -
2 things....
You need to stick to a calorie deficit/exercise programme for longer than 2 weeks before you say it doesn't work
You need to stop thinking that 4lbs in a month is bad, that is a GREAT rate of weight loss!
Oh, 4 lb per month is GREAT, don't take it wrong.. my problem is I can only get 4 lb per month if I am hungry most days of the month, most hours of the day!
The months when I am tracking daily and eating good stuff 95% of the time, exercising 4-5 times per week and sticking to about 1700 - I'm lucky if I lose 1.5 lb...
My schedule does not always allow me to maintain the exact same regimen and diet for a long time, but unfortunately the trend that I am seeing is just that.... feeling hungry constantly = 1 lb loss per week, feeling hungry frequently = 0.5 lb per week, feeling hungry occasionally = maintain, not feeling hungry = gain..
I'm not looking for tips as much - I've pretty much resigned to my unfortunate pattern. I'm just wondering if there are many people out there who have a similar pattern! :ohwell:0 -
The "feeling hungry" or "not feeling hungry" is all due to hormonal balances and is not related to how much you gain or lose. It just seems that way.0
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this sounds psychological and not biological. I personally love the feeling of self control that I get from not eating when I think I'm hungry. For me it was giving in to my feelings that lead me to being overweight in the first place. Feeling hungry is not the same as starving, and over time you will adjust if you stick with it.0
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Things to try:
1. Eat more protein
2. Eat more fat
3. Eat less sugar
See if any of that helps.
Also, you mentioned that you lost weight when you refused social appointments. Maybe part of the problem is that you just need to figure out things you can healthfully eat out with others?0 -
It depends a lot on what you eat. I see a lot of people say they are hungry at 1500 calories but they eat a lot of processed or high calorie foods... If you eat more protein, lots of veggies and fruit, you'll be less hungry.0
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drink water0
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have you been to a doctor seeing if you have pcos or an underactive thyroid? I have both and before i went on medications i only lost like 2lbs a month on a 1400 cal diet. If everything is clear just stick with it use a food scale increase protein and you will feel full longer0
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1.Protien 2. Fat and 3. Fiber help keep you full ...........
That's not saying that a non-fat, low fiber, protien shake is going to keep me full for hours ..... it's not. I guess I need something to "bind" the protein to. Everyone is different.
You might have to experiment to find the right combination for you. All my meals include some protein, some fiber, and some fat. Snacks typically include 2 out of 3 ...... never 1 out of 3.
Also, some people find intense workouts make them hungrier than low intensity workouts. Yes - you have to do the lower intensity workouts longer (steady state cardio) ..... but it's something else to consider.0 -
drink water
That, and tea.
Tea makes me feel like I'm making food, plus it has flavor.0 -
Drink water is a good reminder, thank you D9123... I am guilty of drinking more tea than water on any given day.
And yes, hardone1979 - it is probably psychological... like someone said earlier, I probably need to start thinking about hungry feeling as a signal of losing weight, and treat it as a positive feeling.. that's where it breaks down for me - I really have trouble turning that into a positive!0 -
I find that if i focus on getting as much fiber as possible and protein then I'm good. But if I don't make that effort then I get hungry/grumpy.0
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This is more of a vent than a question.. wondering if I am alone in this or others are experiencing similar results.
Basically, I am not losing weight/fat unless I am consistently hungry - to the extent of thinking about the next meal/snack (when can I have it/how much/what can I eat this time) every 15 min or so, starting from about an hour after each meal, and occasionally waking up hungry in the middle of the night.
No matter how much exercise I put in (or I don't put in), what calorie range I set for the day (my doctor recommended about 1300 without exercise, 1500-1600 with exercise, I've done anything from 1200 to 2000 (net and gross) - for about 2-3 weeks at a time. If I don't exercise, and eat only 'good for you/homemade' stuff - anything below 1500 and I'm constantly hungry. If I throw in anything like a glass of wine or a processed snack/something for 200 cal - 1700 is the hunger threshold. When I do exercise, the hunger limit goes up proportionately.. If I eat at 2000, with moderate exercise, I start gaining immediately (and no, it's not muscle.. I wish!). I can eat 2000-2500 and not gain only during hiking and skiing vacations, when I burn 3000 cal according to my HRM in 6-7 hrs of activity per day.
The bottom line is - the scale (or pant size) barely moves down if I am not constantly hungry. The times when I lost over 4 lb in a month (month... not week!) are the months when, looking back at the calendar, I refused most of the social appointments and stayed home hungry with my dear husband. The rest - 13 lb lost since January - is mostly through starving in February and March, and losing about 1.5 lb per month in January, April and May...
I am very jealous of people that are not hungry and losing weight anyways.. it seems like so many are like that... anyone more similar to me?
Sounds like me, even two years later
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