Not Hungry but I have not reached 1,200 cal. Now What?

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TapouTFTW
TapouTFTW Posts: 72
in Health and Weight Loss
This is really a funny thing to post about. I am consuming about 1,000 calories a day and I have to push myself to eat another 250 or so to break 1,200 (my limit before exercise is 1,350). This is a relatively new trend (about the last week or so) so I am a bit taken aback. Before I learned about your body going into starvation mode I would have been happy with this occurrence. Now, not so much.

Example, last night we ordered Chinese takeout, and I have a 1 cup of rice noodles w/ shrimp, pork and chicken hot enough to make my eyes water :) They messed up the order of our steamed dumplings (they pan fried them), so I ate one. I was just at 1,000 cal for the day. It was late and I was not hungry. The oil on the Chinese take out upset my stomach. Guess not having this sort of food is a good thing ;) Anyway, I ate 2 cups of corn flakes with with light almond milk (260 cal), broke 1,200. Might not have been the best choice, but it was the best one I could think of at 8:00 PM.

Another example, this morning I had laid out my breakfast which included a banana. I have the rest of my day charted out, and I should hit about 1,300 with room to add a post workout shake if I really burn it up on the C25K. I ate my main item and half the banana and I am full. Not stuffed, just full. I am worried if this trend continues through other meals through the day, I will be in the same boat I was in last night.

I am trying to be more sensitive in what I eat, when I eat and how I eat. Eating slower and taking a break between serving. IF I have the calories to spare AND I am hungry, I will eat more. I am so use to becoming "Food Drunk" that just being satisfied with being full is kinda new.

Any advice?

Replies

  • bigbootycutey
    bigbootycutey Posts: 20 Member
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    This happens to everyone who doesnt know how to eat healthy because at first you think you have to eat small portions of raw vegetables and tiny bits of lean meat. Its a learning curve. Eventually you will figure out that it's ok to eat food that contains healthy fats, which is probably what you have sliced out of your diet.

    Beans
    Avocadoes
    Nuts, nut butter (peanuts)
    Fish
    More meat, anyone eating less than 1200 calories is not getting enough meat
    Cheese, it's good for you
    Food cooked with oils is ok, try olive oil
  • seltzermint555
    seltzermint555 Posts: 10,741 Member
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    This happens to everyone who doesnt know how to eat healthy because at first you think you have to eat small portions of raw vegetables and tiny bits of lean meat. Its a learning curve. Eventually you will figure out that it's ok to eat food that contains healthy fats, which is probably what you have sliced out of your diet.

    Beans
    Avocadoes
    Nuts, nut butter (peanuts)
    Fish
    More meat, anyone eating less than 1200 calories is not getting enough meat
    Cheese, it's good for you
    Food cooked with oils is ok, try olive oil

    Completely agree.

    When I get to the end of a day and have not reached 1,200 (which is rare as I'm at 1,320 with no exercise) I eat nuts, boiled egg and/or 1 oz of cheese
  • parkscs
    parkscs Posts: 1,639 Member
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    If you're confident in your caloric intake being accurate, then you almost certainly should be eating more. 1200 for a male is a pittance and is unlikely to be sustainable. You're eating a tiny breakfast and lunch, so the easy way to up your calories is to ditch the lean cuisine and eat a sizable lunch. To give you an idea, my average lunch salad is around 600-800 calories, but you're averaging around 250 calories with a lean cuisine. Your protein macro also looks pretty low, so you may want to recalculate that (think something between 0.6 and 1.0 g / lb of LBM).

    Eating a very aggressive deficit without getting enough protein and without doing any resistance training is a recipe for weight loss, sure, but the weight lost will include the loss of lean body mass in addition to fat. Generally, you should aim to preserve as much lean body mass as you possibly can, which comes from getting enough protein, preferably doing resistance training and getting a sufficient amount of calories.
  • jkwolly
    jkwolly Posts: 3,049 Member
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    Eating a very aggressive deficit without getting enough protein and without doing any resistance training is a recipe for weight loss, sure, but the weight lost will include the loss of lean body mass in addition to fat. Generally, you should aim to preserve as much lean body mass as you possibly can, which comes from getting enough protein, preferably doing resistance training and getting a sufficient amount of calories.
    This.
  • deksgrl
    deksgrl Posts: 7,237 Member
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    You are a man. You should be eating at least 1800 calories, unless recommended by a doctor. It does not look like you are extremely obese to the point where a doctor would recommend you eat a very low calorie diet. Eat more. Eat regular food (not low fat/low cal diet foods). Stop with the Lean Cuisine meals and have a burger and fries.
  • AliceDark
    AliceDark Posts: 3,886 Member
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    You can try adding little snacks in between your meals -- an ounce of cheese or a handful of nuts won't make you feel stuffed by any means, but they'll add calories, a little protein and some fat. If you plan out your meals ahead of time, you'll avoid getting to 8pm and realizing you have a ton of calories left to eat. Eat 1200-1300 consistently for a week and your appetite will adjust.

    (1200 is way too low for a guy, btw!)
  • licorice_tea
    licorice_tea Posts: 59 Member
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    You are correct, this is a sign of malnutrition and starvation. Rescue workers have to force patients with these conditions to consume enough food until their hunger returns. So in the short term force yourself to eat more, and in the long term, eat way more than 1200 -- everyone else is spot on with their observation that this is not enough.
  • pichu_318
    pichu_318 Posts: 36 Member
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    I've been having this problem too, but the last few days I've been doing better. Just looking through your diary, and it looks like you could always use more protein (I know you're close to the amount they say on this site, but myfitnesspal always lowballs the estimate) you could afford to put meat, nuts, or something else that has protein. You also never make your amount of carbs, and just so you know those are the first to burn (first carbs, then lipids (fat), then protein). My point is don't be afraid of putting more carbs into your diet (trust me when I say you would rather be burning carbs then protein).
  • bcattoes
    bcattoes Posts: 17,299 Member
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    Either you are not logging correctly or this has to be a mental thing, or a sign of some medical problem, because you are eating way too little.

    If you are sure of your claorie intake and truly don't feel hunger, I would suggest making and appointment with your doctor as lack of hunger can be a sign of disease. If you check out okay, then discuss your caloric needs with your doctor or ask for a referal to a dietician.

    In the meantime, have a glass of chocolate milk or something to get some more calories.
  • morcal36
    morcal36 Posts: 34 Member
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    I have been exactly the same for the past week or so. I am glad you posted this, as now I can see the advice that you are getting and try to apply it to my diet as well.

    Good luck, hope it gets better for you xx

    PS. sent you a friend request xx
  • TapouTFTW
    TapouTFTW Posts: 72
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    My real problem is gout. I have to limit meat to 5oz a day. I have a purine count I try to stay under, which is damn hard to do. Doc recommended 150 milligram limit. This is not something they put on the side of a box and is a pain to research. Everything is generalized. There is also a lot of conflicting reports on what you can take: mayo clinic says coffee and juice is ok. The main gout database says caffeine, being a diuretic, is bad as it allow more crystal formation to occur. Juice is bad because if spikes the sugar level in the blood, leading to a host of other issues. I could drink decaf coffee, but why ;) And juice is just sugar water, I would rather just have the fruit. I am already taking ACV once a day and baking soda once a day to help balance my pH, along with a host of supplements that I have verified are ok.

    I found a lot of the supplements I was taking before are now off limits because the purine count is so high. Purine's can only be removed at a pharmaceutical level facility. I found out after taking some Fish Oil pills that were loaded with purine's (two pills were the equivalent to a 6 pack of beer) and caused a flare up at week two of my diet change. I have been calling companies at lunch on and off for the past month to see if they are purine free. Most say no. I will give a two thumbs up to Nordic Naturals, not only did the rep say they removed the purine's but they emailed me all the stuff they filtered out. Which was also independently verified.

    Also, due to my repeated foot injuries, I have been told to lay off resistance training until I get down to 205. (sigh - about 15 lbs to go) Getting that 30 pounds off will lessen what my joints are having to contend with just living day to day. I did get permission to do C25K as long as I "walked more than I ran." I was in the Army for 5 years and my feet/ankles are pretty damaged. Jumping out of helicopters, rappelling down buildings and jumping off hummers cradling a .50 cal can really scar you up. I have been looking into deep tissue massages to help break down the scar tissue, but VA is really no help and insurance wont pay. I would love to say I had the cash to spare on it, but I don't.

    The last nail in the coffin, I am moderately lactose intolerant. Straight milk or heavy milk products kill me. Even 2%. Thank the maker for Soy and Almond milk. Some processed milk products I am ok with (hard cheeses and some yogurts).

    That said, I will have to look back at low fat Greek yogurt. I love that stuff :) Also, I love nuts but was staying away due to the calories. Nuts also help pH balancing, so its a two for one. Fish is hard for me. I was stuck on an island for a YEAR while in the Army and they served fish at every meal. The smell was everywhere. Which is kinda sad, as we live in on the coast... and I just don't like fishy seafood. I may just have to get over that :)

    Foods to limit (very high in purines) -- These are off limits
    Organ meats, such as liver, kidneys, sweetbreads, and brains
    Meats, including bacon, beef, pork, and lamb
    Game meats
    Any other meats in large amounts
    Anchovies, sardines, herring, mackerel, fish roes, muscles, and scallops
    Meat extracts, consomme, gravies
    Yeast and products made from yeast (ie Beer)
    Mushrooms, spinach, asparagus, cauliflower
    Legumes (dried beans, peas)

    Foods to eat occasionally (moderately high in purines, but may not raise your risk of gout):
    Fish and seafood (other than high purine seafood)
    Oatmeal, wheat bran, and wheat germ

    Foods that are safe to eat (low in purines):
    Green vegetables and tomatoes
    Fruits
    Breads and cereals that are not whole-grain
    Butter, buttermilk, cheese, and eggs
    Chocolate and cocoa
    Peanut butter and nuts

    Dairy products that may lower your risk of gout:
    Low-fat or nonfat milk
    Low-fat yogurt

    Here is a good link if you want the dirt on a lot of foods:
    http://www.acumedico.com/purine.htm

    According to the American Medical Association, a balanced diet for people with gout include foods:

    High in complex carbohydrates (whole grains, fruits, vegetables)
    Low in protein (15% of calories and sources should be soy, lean meats, poultry)
    No more than 30% of calories from fat (10% animal fat)
  • marylograno
    marylograno Posts: 6
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    don't stress it too much

    http://www.aworkoutroutine.com/starvation-mode/
  • AliceDark
    AliceDark Posts: 3,886 Member
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    I'm wondering if you could do a vegan protein powder. I don't have any experience with these so I don't know if they'd be helpful or not, but you might try researching hemp, soy or egg-based powders.
  • sk_pirate
    sk_pirate Posts: 282 Member
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    Beer and bacon!

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