Hungry all the time, what am I doing wrong?

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bd0001
bd0001 Posts: 10 Member
in Food and Nutrition
Hello,

Looking for some advice, I am currently on 1500ish calories
a day and I am constantly eating because I am hungry all the time.
I set my exercise level to light and have not started any exercising as of yet.
I have an 8 month old at home and I am constantly chasing her etc. I am for the
most part eating a lot better, who knows how many calories I was eating before.
My diary is open for viewing, please dont judge on my coffee intake.
Last night was perfectly fine as far as eating until I hit 11pm and made another veg wrap,
thats the quick added calories in snacks, similar to ingredients from lunch. I didnt stop
there and also had some popcorn.
My question is, can I eat more? Could i possibly be burning more calories then I think I am and am not
eating enough?
Thank you in advance.
«1

Replies

  • Junctionbox
    Junctionbox Posts: 47 Member
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    You're not logging any water at all. If that isn't an oversight I suggest you get some down your neck :). The relatively high sodium intake and lots of coffee could be dehydrating you. Water fills you up and cleanses.
  • fanuch
    fanuch Posts: 18 Member
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    I was going to mention that too. Coffee is a diuretic, so you might have to drink more water in compensation. Let's not forget that we can misinterpret hunger for thirst. In regards to feeling hungry all the time, I personally eat 4 meals a day (sometimes 5) which keeps me sated all day. Finally I find that increasing the protein I have per meal makes me feel fuller for longer. When I have breakfast with only cereal and milk, I feel hungry not long after, but when I add half a scoop of my whey protein I don't feel hungry till the next meal time.
  • christmre
    christmre Posts: 109 Member
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    I notice that when I eat higher amounts of added sugar and carbs, I am always hungry, maybe you are having the same problem? Also I would agree with the others, drinking more water would probably help as well.
  • lindsaymarcin
    lindsaymarcin Posts: 81 Member
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    Agree with the others.....water, water, and more water! :)
  • KinoM
    KinoM Posts: 359 Member
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    Firstly, moderate coffee drinking doesn't dehydrate: http://www.runnersworld.com/drinks-hydration/study-moderate-caffeine-intake-doesnt-lead-to-dehydration

    In terms of advice OP, your diary looks pretty decent, but it's impossible to know whether your calories are set properly without more detail. Height, weight, age and expected calorie loss would be the most important.

    But drinking plenty of fluids over the course of the day is important, always try to have a bottle of water or similar to hand. I'd also try to drop the sugar from your coffee if you can, your appetite would be better served by eating something rather than drinking those calories.
  • amcsouth
    amcsouth Posts: 283 Member
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    We can't really give you advice on calorie intake as you never supplied any stats (weight, height etc) and you never mentioned your goals :) So post that here and people can help you out!

    I do agree drink more water (if you aren't already drinking enough) and possibly eat more protein and healthy fats? They both help to keep me fuller (is that a word?) for longer. Carbs don't do it for me!:smile:
  • Poods71
    Poods71 Posts: 502 Member
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    You could maybe try splitting your meals and having 5 smaller ones instead of 3 bigger ones. It might help with the hunger pangs. Oh and like everyone else said, water. I am not a big water drinker myself but I try and force myself as it keeps you hydrated and keeps hunger under control too :smile:
  • amy1612
    amy1612 Posts: 1,356 Member
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    Your protein intake is quite low, I personally find eating more protein keeps me fuller. I eat 5 meals a day and have protein at each one (just had meal 2, which was 2 turkey burgers and some sweet potato).

    Id be careful about upping your calories whilst logging the way you do (i.e. quick added calories for wrap which was 'similar to lunch', but lunch was 600 cals). You wont get an accurate log and could be eating over 1500 calories anyway unless youre weighing and logging each amount properly.
  • issieGC
    issieGC Posts: 4 Member
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    All of the above is correct, aim for 5-6 smaller meals a day with a higher protein proportion- and throw in some complex carbs, youre eating loads of veg- which is great but your muscles need energy from somewhere to run after that 8 year old, sweet potatos, brown rice etc are ideal- complex, high fibre and low gi, all of these things equal sustainable energy and keep you fuller for longer.
  • svsl0928
    svsl0928 Posts: 205 Member
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    Sometimes your body is thirsty but you think you are hungry. Water is a must. When you feel hungry instead of eating drink some water. If the hunger feeling comes back, then what you initially felt was hunger. If it doesn't, your body needed water.
  • edwardnr17
    edwardnr17 Posts: 1
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    Consider eating a little slower. Take more time between bites and put the fork down to take a few breaths. If we eat at the computer or tv, we don't really focus on our food and scarf it all down without really knowing how fast we are eating. This way you eat more, but don't feel fuller. If you eat slower, the brain gets time to notice all the food it's eating and will tell you earlier that you're full. :) It works for me but I feel a little silly just sitting at the table doing nothing when everyone else is going to town on their meals.
  • CEHayes73
    CEHayes73 Posts: 221 Member
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    I would say more protein.
  • 9chimera11
    9chimera11 Posts: 40 Member
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    You're not logging any water at all. If that isn't an oversight I suggest you get some down your neck :). The relatively high sodium intake and lots of coffee could be dehydrating you. Water fills you up and cleanses.

    ^^ This. I started drinking 1.5 liters of water daily last month and I lost my need to eat all the time. I think that may be the reason because that is the only additional change I did.
  • wilsoje74
    wilsoje74 Posts: 1,720 Member
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    Hello,

    Looking for some advice, I am currently on 1500ish calories
    a day and I am constantly eating because I am hungry all the time.
    I set my exercise level to light and have not started any exercising as of yet.
    I have an 8 month old at home and I am constantly chasing her etc. I am for the
    most part eating a lot better, who knows how many calories I was eating before.
    My diary is open for viewing, please dont judge on my coffee intake.
    Last night was perfectly fine as far as eating until I hit 11pm and made another veg wrap,
    thats the quick added calories in snacks, similar to ingredients from lunch. I didnt stop
    there and also had some popcorn.
    My question is, can I eat more? Could i possibly be burning more calories then I think I am and am not
    eating enough?
    Thank you in advance.
    Don't eat at 11 pm
  • bd0001
    bd0001 Posts: 10 Member
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    Hello,

    Thank you all for the kind advice here is a bit more information;
    CW: 160 lbs
    GW: 140 lbs
    27 Years old, 5'6
    Had a baby in May and was at 185lbs +. Pre baby was between 135lb - 145lb.

    Currently drinking between 1500ml to 2500 ml of water a day, would
    probably help if I logged that.

    I currently dont have a scale to weigh my food so I usually enter a bit more
    when I am making something just to be sure I didnt enter in less then what I actually
    ate. Example: spinach 1 cup is lets say 50 calories, I will have used maybe not a full cup but
    I enter it in as a full cup. Maybe thats my problem.

    As for coffee, it keeps me very sane, Im just not ready emitionally to give that up, I have cut down from
    6-8 cups a day to 3-4.

    As for protein, I am not a big meat person and am trying to find other foods
    that can substitute meat and make me feel full longer.

    I dont know how to change my settings to display 5-6 meals a day , but I am eating basically every 2.5 hrs just
    entering in 2 meals per category.

    Thank you all for the kind advice , I will take notes and try to change a few things.
  • toddis
    toddis Posts: 941 Member
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    How long have you been doing it for, how much weight are you losing per week?

    Keys to feeling fuller long=more protein, fiber, bulk.

    It'll take some experimentation as to what works for you.

    Protein comes in many sources: dairy, beans, eggs, meat, powders, nuts, etc.
  • FindingMyPerfection
    FindingMyPerfection Posts: 702 Member
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    *This is only from personal experience and what has worked for me.*

    Your fats look ok, but you may want to bump them up a bit and drop a few carbs. (I try to keep my carbs under 125) the reason for this is not the lower carbs per say, but gives me more fats to have with every meal. I find I keep my fats at at least 15g per meal I am satisfied for longer.

    Your lunch had a good amount of fats but your dinner was quite low on fat. If you don't want to change your macros maybe try having the higher fat at dinner to stave off the late night cravings. Also try to go to sleep, when you are tired your body will ask for more cals to give you energy to push past the tired feeling.
  • bd0001
    bd0001 Posts: 10 Member
    Options
    I started logging 15 days ago, have gone from 165lbs to 160lbs, so I must be doing
    something right. I am not so concerned about the numbers, they will drop in time. I want
    to enjoy this process and new healthy lifestyle, I dont want
    to feel like I am starving all the time.
  • SezxyStef
    SezxyStef Posts: 15,268 Member
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    most of what I read was rubbish...doesn't matter when you eat, how many times you eat, your coffee etc.

    What I do see is a lot of quick add calories...who knows what those are.

    You need to weigh everything that isn't a liquid to be accurate. IE cottage cheese...if you weigh out 125g it's more than half a cup...

    Get lots of protien where you can, make sure you are getting enough fats and if you are hungry earn calories with exercise.

    We have similar stats...I eat 1600 a day and typically don't feel hungry. I lose about 1/2lb a week which is great.

    I eat lots of eggs and egg whites, greek yogurt (non fat) skim milk etc.

    As well it could be this new eating habit will take a while to get used to in the mean time just make sure your goal is about 1/2lb a week (since you only have 20lbs to go), exercise to earn calories and eat filling foods.
  • Rainyday816
    Rainyday816 Posts: 29 Member
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    I second the water thing, too. I drink around 4 cups of coffee a day, as well, and since I drink it black I find that it really does keep me full, but I usually chug a glass of water between each up to make sure I stay hydrated. Otherwise you might just have to try different things and see what fills you up and what doesn't. I eat a lot of soup and salad because those make me feel satisfied, whereas a lot of bread or rice-based meals make me hungry an hour later.

    Also, try to get more protein. A lot of people aim for 40-50% of their calories from protein, ideally. I'm a vegetarian, so if you don't like meat there's always dairy products like cheese or greek yogurt and meat substitutes like veggie burgers or tofu. Tofu is actually really easy to cook - cube it, throw it on a sheet of parchment paper and bake at around 375 for 30ish minutes, and bam, you have a salad/sandwich topping for the week. There are also some really tasty veggie burgers out there, and I usually eat two with a little cheese and no bread - same calories, way more satisfaction. Also, I rely a lot on protein bars and shakes for those moments when I'm at work, starving, and really can't do much about it. Look for ones that are low-carb, because some are packed with sugar. My favorite brands are around 30g of carbs or less. In a perfect world, I would subsist only on "whole foods," but one prepackaged protein bar here and there is definitely better than brownies in the break room.

    Lastly, I highly suggest you start exercising. I really feel like I need those extra 500 calories I get from exercise. If you find some room in your schedule for regular exercise, even a 15 minute zumba or cardio video on youtube, you'll definitely enjoy the extra wiggle room.

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