Not Feeling Hungry But Way Under Calorie Goal

nikkilw1987
nikkilw1987 Posts: 5
in Food and Nutrition
My Daily calorie goal is 1690 but I've been eating around 1200-1300 over the past week.
Today though I have only had 876 and I'm really not hungry (full actually) and although I don't want my body to go into "starvation mode" I don't like the idea of eating just to use up my calorie allowance.
Anyone else like this?
Should I use up my calories or just leave it as it is?

Replies

  • Phoenix_Warrior
    Phoenix_Warrior Posts: 1,633 Member
    Calories are still fuel and your body needs them to sustain organ function, etc. Starvation mode is a myth. You can cause metabolic damage over a long sustained period of vlcd but it doesn't happen quick. Your diary is closed, so it's hard to get a picture of what you eat. Not being hungry doesn't mean you don't need to eat. Long periods of vlcd actually cause your hormones to not trigger a hunger response, to my understanding.
  • nikkilw1987
    nikkilw1987 Posts: 5
    I haven't cut out anything from my diet, I'm just having smaller portions of what I usually eat.

    I'm at work for another 1 1/2 hours so will make myself eat something when I get home, maybe it's just that I've been so busy today that I've been distracted so haven't felt hungry, I'm not sure.
  • JessMahoney1
    JessMahoney1 Posts: 86 Member
    I just make sure I have eaten 1200 cals then if I don't want to eat anymore I'm not to bothered about it, I have weeks like that!
  • FoxyLifter
    FoxyLifter Posts: 965 Member
    Sometimes, if you go hungry for too long, your brain can stop sending out the "feed me" signal. Why send the signal if you're just going to ignore it?

    Eat more calorie dense foods: Peanut butter, avocados, nuts, or a treat if all of your macro requirements have been met... Although meeting macros is tough on a low calorie plan.
  • geekyjock76
    geekyjock76 Posts: 2,720 Member
    Do not ever use hunger cues as a means to determine whether you are actually meeting energy needs in a calorie deficit since serum leptin levels decrease.
  • CorlissaEats
    CorlissaEats Posts: 493 Member
    Look into magnesium and potassium deficiency and then talk to your doc. On my current diet I am only eating half the recommended amount or magnesium I need and it has been causing me to lose my appetite. Im taking a multivitamin now and it has made a difference. Eating enough is important!!!

    PS. I added a serving of cashews to boost my calories days. Calorie dense foods is the way to go when your "hunger" doesnt kick in. Hunger is not a good indicator...
  • krokador
    krokador Posts: 1,794 Member
    I have an idea! Tell your body to burn MY extra calories. I'm always hungry and more often than not over what I want my daily goal to be (1500, not eating back exercise calories right now).

    In all seriousness, I have a hard time understanding people that are never hungry (like I said, I'm the opposite. I could always eat), but I'd say eat some carbs with your meals (potatoes, pasta, rice). These pile up calories real friggin quick, and for most people they tend to go down a bit too easy. Fruits is also easy to eat without really noticing. Try to keep it least processed as possible, add some fats in there too if you can.

    Don't overstress it though, it's not meant to be a flat line on the graph, you'll have weeks where you go over. Hormones can play crazy tricks on a body. As long as you get decent nutrition in (balanced macros, good amount of fruits and veggies) there's nothing to worry about.
  • Mr_Knight
    Mr_Knight Posts: 9,532 Member
    Short term variations aren't anything to worry about. If you're not hungry, you're not hungry.

    But if you're not hungry after 2 weeks of eating 800 calories a day, there's probably something else going on...
  • Silver14
    Silver14 Posts: 141
    I try not to under eat a lot as it makes me super hungry the next day and not care about what I'm putting in my mouth. Not good.
  • Rocbola
    Rocbola Posts: 1,998 Member
    Your body knows best. Listen to your hunger drive. Some days, you will eat more than the magical number MFP gives you, and some days you will eat less.
  • mmapags
    mmapags Posts: 8,934 Member
    Definitely this.
    Do not ever use hunger cues as a means to determine whether you are actually meeting energy needs in a calorie deficit since serum leptin levels decrease.

    Definitely not this.
    Your body knows best. Listen to your hunger drive.
  • beachlover317
    beachlover317 Posts: 2,848 Member
    Definitely this.
    Do not ever use hunger cues as a means to determine whether you are actually meeting energy needs in a calorie deficit since serum leptin levels decrease.

    Definitely not this.
    Your body knows best. Listen to your hunger drive.

    Please read this. If your body "knew best" no one would ever be overweight or anorexic. Do some reading on serum leptin levels and how they affect appetite.
  • Rocbola
    Rocbola Posts: 1,998 Member
    Definitely this.
    Do not ever use hunger cues as a means to determine whether you are actually meeting energy needs in a calorie deficit since serum leptin levels decrease.

    Definitely not this.
    Your body knows best. Listen to your hunger drive.

    Please read this. If your body "knew best" no one would ever be overweight or anorexic. Do some reading on serum leptin levels and how they affect appetite.
    No human who eats what a human is supposed to eat would ever be overweight or anorexic. Please do some reading on artificially concentrated foods, MSG, and satiety. Then, go eat some fruit.
  • emilyisbonkers
    emilyisbonkers Posts: 373 Member
    did you eat a lot of protein today?
  • QuietBloom
    QuietBloom Posts: 5,413 Member
    How accurate is your tracking? Are you weighing everything? You may be eating more than you think (one possibility). It's really impossible to know what is going on without being able to see your diary.
  • nikkilw1987
    nikkilw1987 Posts: 5
    How accurate is your tracking? Are you weighing everything? You may be eating more than you think (one possibility). It's really impossible to know what is going on without being able to see your diary.

    yes I've just recently started my weight loss and using MFP so I have been weighing and logging everything
  • beachlover317
    beachlover317 Posts: 2,848 Member
    Definitely this.
    Do not ever use hunger cues as a means to determine whether you are actually meeting energy needs in a calorie deficit since serum leptin levels decrease.

    Definitely not this.
    Your body knows best. Listen to your hunger drive.

    Please read this. If your body "knew best" no one would ever be overweight or anorexic. Do some reading on serum leptin levels and how they affect appetite.
    No human who eats what a human is supposed to eat would ever be overweight or anorexic. Please do some reading on artificially concentrated foods, MSG, and satiety. Then, go eat some fruit.

    Becoming overweight or anorexic has more to do with the whys than the whats. Once you are there, hormones play a major role in how your body responds to food and hunger signals. Things are not as they are supposed to be. So for a big portion of the people on MFP, telling them to listen to their bodies is not appropriate advice - at least until they have worked through their issues with food.

    It's about learning why you over or under eat. It's resolving those issues, while learning to eat the correct number of calories to fuel your body properly. One day is not that big a deal, but over time, this can lead an overweight person to undereat to the point of malnutrition.

    As far as your comment on artificially concentrated foods, MSG and satiety - I eat all foods in moderation.
  • MrsBingley
    MrsBingley Posts: 145
    My Daily calorie goal is 1690 but I've been eating around 1200-1300 over the past week.
    Today though I have only had 876 and I'm really not hungry (full actually) and although I don't want my body to go into "starvation mode" I don't like the idea of eating just to use up my calorie allowance.
    Anyone else like this?
    Should I use up my calories or just leave it as it is?

    Are you feeling ill? The only days in which I eat so little are when I am not well (few and far between). If that is the case, don't worry about it. One day won't hurt. If you are otherwise well, I'd probably make an effort to get above 1200 at least. This is assuming you measure food and don't just eyeball it.

    I've heard, from others here, that sustained undereating can result in chronic loss of appetite. That may seem nice when you have weight to lose, but it is very hard to get all your micronutrients and adequate protein on a VLCD, and it will catch up with you. (Usually by making you lethargic, tearing down muscle, etc.)

    ETA: I will not say that VLCDs are never appropriate for anyone, but you must have a LOT of weight to lose AND be under a doctor's care. In other words, the benefits must outweigh the risks.
  • MrsBingley
    MrsBingley Posts: 145
    Definitely this.
    Do not ever use hunger cues as a means to determine whether you are actually meeting energy needs in a calorie deficit since serum leptin levels decrease.

    Definitely not this.
    Your body knows best. Listen to your hunger drive.

    Please read this. If your body "knew best" no one would ever be overweight or anorexic. Do some reading on serum leptin levels and how they affect appetite.
    No human who eats what a human is supposed to eat would ever be overweight or anorexic. Please do some reading on artificially concentrated foods, MSG, and satiety. Then, go eat some fruit.

    Pop quiz: name one crop that we eat (including fruit) that hasn't been DRASTICALLY modified by humans via selective breeding in the past 10000 years?








    You can't

    Also: I know I am not the norm here, but I totally got fat on fruit. During my pregnancies, it was all I wanted to eat. My husband called me "fruit bat". I would routinely get through 5 bananas, half a bag of mandarins and 3 apples a day.
  • Rocbola
    Rocbola Posts: 1,998 Member
    Selective breeding is so not even on the same subject as artificially concentrating.

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