If i don't exercise, then I don't get to eat. :(

piRsquare
piRsquare Posts: 4
in Getting Started
Hi all, new here, started a couple of weeks ago. A horrifying thought has occurred to me. Like the title says - if I don't kill a couple of hundred or more calories, somewhere, anywhere, then basically I am insanely hungry and usually run out of calory allowance near the end of the day

I can't make do on a 200- 300 calories dinner (supper - evening meal), sorry. I'd rather put in an 45-60 minutes of exercise and have a half decent dinner than eat a salad and expect that to hold me until morning. Needless to say I eat all or most of my exercise calories back

Wimpy? Not getting it? Greedy, Glutenous?

Is this normal?


Facts:
Need to lose about 15-20 pounds,
On the 1 pound a week loss program
Pretty active but not super athletic.
Usually gym (weights) or run (20-30 minutes) or ski almost everyday.
Fairly active job.
Hungry all the time
Scale not really moving much, but feel great for some reason.

Replies

  • ChaplainHeavin
    ChaplainHeavin Posts: 426 Member
    Losing weight has more to do with controlling your calorie intake than the work out. Last night because of the bad weather and heavy traffic I didn't get home in time to workout. However, I just made sure I stayed within my amount of calories (1790 in order to lose a pound a week). The work out should be to keep your body fit.
  • bettyp55
    bettyp55 Posts: 5 Member
    In my experience...you can't out exercise a bad diet. I tend to lose my weight while staying within my caloric intake for the day. The exercise is what makes me see reults...flatter tummy, shaply arms, etc.
  • ChaplainHeavin
    ChaplainHeavin Posts: 426 Member
    In my experience...you can't out exercise a bad diet. I tend to lose my weight while staying within my caloric intake for the day. The exercise is what makes me see reults...flatter tummy, shaply arms, etc.

    Exactly
  • DirrtyH
    DirrtyH Posts: 664 Member
    What are you eating for breakfast? Lunch? Are there other places you can cut calories to save for dinner?
    Are you sure calculated your calories correctly? If you have a pretty active job, maybe you need more calories than MFP is giving you. It's hard to say when we can't see your diary.
  • bcattoes
    bcattoes Posts: 17,299 Member
    I am pretty much the same way. I am not happy eating the amount I can eat and not gain without exercise. I actually think this is a good thing, though, since exercise is so important to health.
  • TR0berts
    TR0berts Posts: 7,739 Member

    Facts:
    Need to lose about 15-20 pounds,
    On the 1 pound a week loss program


    Change to 1/2 lb per week loss. Problem solved.
  • sfbaumgarten
    sfbaumgarten Posts: 912 Member

    Facts:
    Need to lose about 15-20 pounds,
    On the 1 pound a week loss program


    Change to 1/2 lb per week loss. Problem solved.

    +1

    Even then, these "goals" are just guidelines. I eat over the maintenance goal that MFP gave me and I'm still slowly losing weight. Find what works for you.
  • auddii
    auddii Posts: 15,357 Member
    How many calories are you eating a day? If you have an active job, then you should list yourself as moderately active. And half a pound a week might be appropriate if you don't have much to lose. That should give you a fair amount of calories since you're male. If you still end up with 200 calories for dinner I'd try preplanning your days and spreading your calories throughout the day.
  • Psysix
    Psysix Posts: 53 Member
    Your stomach will adjust to lower amounts of food and you will not be hungry if you just bear with it for a while. I am not hungry on 8 to 9 ounce liquid meals, four times a day, but my first week doing it I was hungry almost all the time. The body adjusts. If you can soldier through a few days of being hungry between meals, you can decrease your intake and be comfortable later. Also, drinking a lot of water between meals helps the hunger stay away. If you can't handle lowering the amount of food intake, consider fluffing your meals with very low calorie options such as celery, cabbage, lettuce, and for a sweet tooth, grapes.
  • knra_grl
    knra_grl Posts: 1,566 Member

    Facts:
    Need to lose about 15-20 pounds,
    On the 1 pound a week loss program


    Change to 1/2 lb per week loss. Problem solved.

    +1

    Even then, these "goals" are just guidelines. I eat over the maintenance goal that MFP gave me and I'm still slowly losing weight. Find what works for you.

    This and your diary is private so not sure what you are eating? In general I think men need more protein and not sure how much you are eating but if you are as active as you say that could be part of the problem.
  • bcf7683
    bcf7683 Posts: 1,653 Member
    Your stomach will adjust to lower amounts of food and you will not be hungry if you just bear with it for a while. I am not hungry on 8 to 9 ounce liquid meals, four times a day, but my first week doing it I was hungry almost all the time. The body adjusts. If you can soldier through a few days of being hungry between meals, you can decrease your intake and be comfortable later. Also, drinking a lot of water between meals helps the hunger stay away. If you can't handle lowering the amount of food intake, consider fluffing your meals with very low calorie options such as celery, cabbage, lettuce, and for a sweet tooth, grapes.

    ^^^Not too sure about that... I'd rather eat my food than drink it.

    But if you're constantly hungry, that usually means your body wants food (and water). Without seeing your diary and not knowing how many calories you're on (hopefully not just 1200) and what types of foods you're eating (hopefully lean proteins, complex carbs and fruits/vegs), I would suggest that you get a heart rate monitor and wear it around for a couple full days to see how many calories you're REALLY burning throughout the day- how many you burn just living (working, going about your day) and how many you're burning when you go to the gym. Wearing it for a *full* day to see how many calories you're burning by doing things other than the gym might really help you out. You might be really surprised by those numbers.

    If you don't have a strong baseline to go from it's hard to figure things out exactly.
  • ottermotorcycle
    ottermotorcycle Posts: 654 Member
    Yeah, if you only have a little to lose then it may benefit you to simply lose more slowly, at a 1/2 pound a week. But changing your diet around is really the key to staying satisfied and not being hungry. Eat fiber and protein at every meal. Make certain you're getting enough water!!! A lot of people don't log water but hunger and thirst are very similar feelings plus water has a host of other benefits. I just had a meal and thought I was still hungry, then realized I only had 2 cups of water today... duh, I'm thirsty!
  • phitnphat712
    phitnphat712 Posts: 1 Member
    I'm a trainer and I've lost 100lbs. I agree with the above that you are undereating. I would change to a .5lb loss per week and you should get more calories. Keep up with your vegetables, too. They are filling and a lot of people who feel hungry often don't get in vegetables more than lunch and dinner. But, as someone who is active and lifts weights, too, you will stall if you are undereating and I coach my clients to override the MFP settings about 95% of the time. They chronically are too low for most people.
  • Greytfish
    Greytfish Posts: 810

    Facts:
    Need to lose about 15-20 pounds,
    On the 1 pound a week loss program


    Change to 1/2 lb per week loss. Problem solved.

    This.

    It's really unrealistic to expect to lose more than 1/2 lb. per week when the amount to lose is small.
  • pjb58
    pjb58 Posts: 100 Member
    I know exactly what you are saying! I needed to lose 35 lbs. Went to see a nutritionist who helped me set up MFP. Only allowed 1200 calories per day w/o exercise. I can easily eat 700 calories for breakfast alone! I have really had to adjust my mind-set and eating habits. Many times I have jokingly said "I have to exercise so I can eat".
    I have found that after I exercise, even if I go over the calories allotted (up to 200 calories), I still lose weight.
    So far this seems to be working for me.
    Hang in there! The weight will come off.
  • iamallpink
    iamallpink Posts: 3 Member
    This is my first time posting on here. But here are a few things that I noticed so far.

    In order for me to lose weight and still eat - I start looking at the ingredients that I am consuming. And I check my pie chart/graph that is showing me what I am allowed daily vs what I have consumed. My biggest problem was sugar. By watching how many grams of sugar each thing is that I eat or how much i eat during the day, it actually helps. It makes me make better choices for snack foods or meals. And when I exercise, i know that the harder I work out that day, the more benefits i will get and the extra calories for either dinner or snacks.. depending on when I work out.

    I haven't noticed the scale move alot either -- maybe 3-4 lbs over the last 2 weeks but thats fine. My job during the day is pretty much at a desk. So I get my other exercise from my 2nd job and the gym. You also burn calories from doing simple household chores or fun activities so even if you dont go to the gym everyday - you are still buring calories by cleaning or shoveling or playing at the park with your kids or a pet.

    For me, my most hungry time of the day is around lunch time. I have never been a big breakfast eater, which i hear is a bad thing as that is supposed to be your best / biggest meal of the day but I just can't do it. So i consume most of my calories at lunch. I know not to eat a whole lot for dinner as that is when I go to the gym (at night).

    Keep trying different things... you will find something that will satisfy your eating habits. Foods that are higer in protein/fiber are a good filler.

    Good luck !!!
    Michelle
  • BL_Coleman
    BL_Coleman Posts: 324 Member
    I use this methodoligy with desserts...no treadmill=no cookie...
  • skinnyinnotime
    skinnyinnotime Posts: 4,078 Member
    Can't see your diary...do you eat enough protein? This wold make you feel full for a longer time and you also need it if you're doing alot of lifting.
  • psych101
    psych101 Posts: 1,842 Member
    how many calories are you eating?

    Exercising in order to be able to eat is a scary thought process and can lead to unhealthy habits. I'd say, watch your calories to lose weight, exercise to look awesome
  • wonderwoman234
    wonderwoman234 Posts: 551 Member
    I don't think you need to be hungry while losing weight. I think there are things you can do to help yourself:
    1) Eat protein at every meal
    2) Be choosy about what you eat...forgo crap and opt for nutritious foods and watch the carbs, which can be high in calories, and indulge in fruits and veggies
    3) Drink lots of herbal tea and water
    4) Allow yourself things you like - just in smaller quantities - and figure out what you can easily give up and what you can't live without. I found it was easy to switch to milk in my coffee instead of cream and drink herbal tea instead of tea with milk and sugar....but I have to have my Ghirardelli 60% cacao chocolate chips and a few Jax Cheese Puffs every once in a while.

    There is also a difference between physical hunger and mental/emotional hunger. You might feel "hungry" all the time because you are feeling deprived because of your calorie restrictions. You can differentiate between emotional and physical hunger this way:

    - emotional hunger comes on suddenly and usually involves a "craving" for a certain food
    - physical hunger comes on slowly and you can feel your stomach grumbling a bit, but it is not a sudden thing (unless you are hypoglycemic)
    - when you are physically hungry you will eat anything, like an apple or something else healthy. If you don't want an apple, you probably aren't truly hungry....
  • BoxerBrawler
    BoxerBrawler Posts: 2,032 Member
    I find that if I plan out my meals and snacks in advance I can almost always stay within my calorie range for the day. Keep in mind that I really restrict my calories and work out at least twice a day. I also tend to underestimate my calories burned so if i go over by 100 at the end of the day it's a wash. That's not truly good advise and I don't recommend restricting too much. It works for me, not everyone. It's very hard to lose such a small amount of weight, I've been trying to lose 10 for a couple of weeks. The others are right... Eat plenty of protein and fiber, veggies and even limited healthy carbs will help to keep you from feeling too hungry. My problem time seems to be around dinner time, I always feel like snacking... Old habits. Through will power, discipline and keeping myself busy I've managed to avoid snacking most nights. Limit sugars too like someone else mentioned. Fruit is yummy but sugar is sugar and it adds up. Good luck and hang in there.
  • nehushtan
    nehushtan Posts: 566 Member
    That's why I exercise! haha!

    In truth, that's why I *started* exercising... I dieted for a long time and lost a quite a bit without any exercise, but wanted to eat a bit more so started running and biking. I do exercise still for other reasons but that's still a big reason for sure.

    It's not a crime. I'm sure Michael Phelps gets all the five dollar foot-long Subway sammiches he can handle.
  • piRsquare
    piRsquare Posts: 4
    Thanks everyone, some great suggestions here! This place is super.:)
  • fast_eddie_72
    fast_eddie_72 Posts: 719 Member
    Like the title says - if I don't kill a couple of hundred or more calories, somewhere, anywhere, then basically I am insanely hungry and usually run out of calory allowance near the end of the day

    This is why we run.

    Runners. The good cult.
  • astartig
    astartig Posts: 549 Member

    Facts:
    Need to lose about 15-20 pounds,
    On the 1 pound a week loss program


    Change to 1/2 lb per week loss. Problem solved.

    ^this slow and steady wins the race and you don' thave a ton to lose.
  • RaggedyPond
    RaggedyPond Posts: 1,487 Member
    I am very lazy and would rather eat less than do 30 mins of cardio. I don't find the extra 200 calories worth it. But any who I also hate being hungry. So aim to eat a lot of low calorie high protein for every meal. Eggs, chicken breasts, pork loin.. they are all your friend.

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