Suddenly, I'm hungry a LOT....

Options
kspeach
kspeach Posts: 179 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Almost 6 months in to this (5.5 actually), lately, I've been hungrier than EVER.

There haven't been any dramatic changes of late. I'm working out about the same, doing the same amount during the day, eating about the same amounts and types of foods.

I'm at 1200 calories (before exercise) with the doctor's okay. (She even okayed 1000, but rarely happens, so I'm good with 1200). My HRM appears to be working just as well as before, when I compare workouts previously.

Perhaps my resting metabolism is higher. How do I measure that? Is that a VO2Max thing? A "fitpoint"? or what? If my metabolism is higher, then I'm burning more calories at rest.

I also started drinking green tea earlier this week for the first time ever. I had a fairly short 'monthly visitor' at the end of the week. That has never affected me like this before.

I'm thinking of bumping up my calories to 1400 and see if my weight loss stays the same or gets better. The weight loss seems to have slowed down a bit at the moment. Maybe that's it? I'm not eating enough and am burning more calories than I realized.....?

Any thoughts? Thanks!

Replies

  • bigc2293
    bigc2293 Posts: 1
    Options
    poop
  • RaeN81
    RaeN81 Posts: 534 Member
    Options
    I found that the closer I get to my goal, the more important it becomes to eat all my available calories and decrease my weight loss goals. This is due to the fact that I simply do not have enough fat stores to compensate! Our bodies are smart machines and if we keep doing the same things, they learn to develop an equilibrium. Keep it guessing by changing up your exercise and even upping your calories for a while and just see how it goes! Hoping for your continued success :)
  • surlydave
    surlydave Posts: 512 Member
    Options
    I think your instincts are correct. I think your metabolism is jacked up and the fire needs fuel. Great success so far!
  • isadoc
    isadoc Posts: 19
    Options
    It is never a good idea to remain hungry, it can lead to binges... I would decrease your weight loss goals, eat more calories and then maybe change your exercise routine to rev up your metabolism...

    also... any chance you could be pregnant?
  • Rynatat
    Rynatat Posts: 807 Member
    Options
    Change things up - variety is the spice of life for a reason: we need it! I very rarely am under calorie goal, I am usually over: but I'm being realistic - can I keep this way of eating up in 5 years? The way I am now, yes, definitely! So, if I'm hungry, I eat - sometimes it seems I'm eating all day non-stop! But I make healthier choices. Do I fall off the wagon and eat junk sometimes? YES! I'm human. But I exercise at least 6 days per week and do really good workouts that I mix up so my body doesn't get stagnant. I've been losing weight 8slowly, but this is permanent changes & I am happy with it (last nite, I fit into a size 9 skirt, comfortably!).

    I would recommend, mix up you foods more, increase & decrease calories each day (eat more some days less others but do not EVER go below 1200 cals!!), mix up your exercise routines as well :flowerforyou:

    You are doing AWESOME - just think of the leaps & bounds you've made already: if you think you're slowing down, mix it up, change things: it works, it takes time, but it works!!!
  • kspeach
    kspeach Posts: 179 Member
    Options
    There is no way I'm pregnant! LOL Plus I mentioned just having the 'time of the month'. :)

    I think I'll bump it to 1400 for a week or so and see what happens. Of course, there are some days I struggle to get ENOUGH calories if I exercise too hard, but I always make sure I do.

    I have been changing things up lately...hmmmm, maybe that kick started my metabolism or something. I have been able to walk and run (C25K) outside lately, since the weather is perfect.

    "You are doing AWESOME - just think of the leaps & bounds you've made already..."
    "Great success so far! "
    "Hoping for your continued success :) "

    Thank you thank you thank you. I'm going to paste those words to my blog, because we all get down on ourselves....thank you very much! :)
  • husker_gal
    husker_gal Posts: 462 Member
    Options
    ...I had a fairly short 'monthly visitor' at the end of the week. That has never affected me like this before...

    PG test? That can very well be a symptom as can the excessive hunger. A shorter than normal "monthly visitor" or lighter than normal can be a big sign. That's where I would start along with bumping calories up maybe another 200-300
  • kspeach
    kspeach Posts: 179 Member
    Options
    ...I had a fairly short 'monthly visitor' at the end of the week. That has never affected me like this before...

    PG test? That can very well be a symptom as can the excessive hunger. A shorter than normal "monthly visitor" or lighter than normal can be a big sign. That's where I would start along with bumping calories up maybe another 200-300

    Absolutely 100% not pregnant. :)
  • funnygirl0940
    funnygirl0940 Posts: 260
    Options
    Congratulations on a job well done so far!!!

    I would cut back your green tea to just one glass a day. It may be acting like a caffeine drink to your system. Caffeine will make some people feel hungry...like myself. So that may be making you more hungry. Pacing your meals and snacks through out the day can help even out your blood sugar levels. The drop in level makes you hungry. Protein stays around longer and can also help.

    Have you given yourself one day a week to increase to 1800 calories? This helps not to plateau. Then dropping back down to 1200-1400 calories. I'm guilty of sticking to the calories allotted. So my goal is 1200-1400 and if I burn more in exercise, I typically don't increase the amount of calories. Unless it's way over the normal amount of exercise I normally do.

    I've often had to fight the urge to splurge right before or during my period. But this last period I was shocked. I have cut out the processed cereals that I'd snack on and found that other than wanting to stay home instead of attending an event, I didn't have any pms. It was wonderful!

    You can also snack on negative calorie foods like carrots etc. google negative calorie foods and you'll find a list that may also help during this time.
  • edorice
    edorice Posts: 4,519 Member
    Options
    Your metabolism may be amped up. Eat more protein and less carbs.
  • leanmass24
    leanmass24 Posts: 304 Member
    Options
    Dont know what is going on, but try to eat more frequently and smaller meals if you arent already... it may be wat you need to stop the hunger pains.
  • Mirabilis
    Mirabilis Posts: 312 Member
    Options
    Where do you live?

    Assuming northern hemisphere, we -do- have a seasonal appetite of sorts, and our bodies are looking to get ready for winter. What do we and housecats and bears have in common? It's getting colder and we're slowing down activity-wise. And we want comfort food because it's getting dark earlier at night and later in the morning. And the comfort food (starches/sugars) boost appetite, particularly for more comfort food.

    All that said, carry on doing what you're doing and don't give in to those winter cravings! If you think with your brain rather than your stomach, you'll be absolutely fine.

Categories