1500 calorie goal>still hungry>HELP!

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milkbears
milkbears Posts: 1
in Health and Weight Loss
So I have a problem...originally when I made my profile, myfitnesspal set me on 1400 calories, which was simply not enough for me. I have been trying not to eat much (save for my weekend days which were just horrible), and eat more fruits (veggies are hard to find for me, but I try to include them when I can), however 1400 was not enough for me, so I raised it to 1500. Still not enough. I feel hungry no matter what I eat. It feels like everything in my house is too high calorie and not filling at all and I feel that at this rate I am only going to find myself raising my caloric intake even more, thus not losing weight with my sedentary lifestyle (I am a student and going to the gym to work out just doesn't fit into my schedule most days). 1500 calories is already pretty hight as it is in my opinion :-( anyone else that has had a similar problem? Any suggestions for quick fixes and filler-uppers?

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  • lizzardsm
    lizzardsm Posts: 271 Member
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    Hard to say when your diary isn't open.

    But generally, try to stick to unprocessed foods. Also get adequate protein - chicken breast, fish, lean beef etc - and fat. Protein, fats, and carbs all play a role in satiety.

    Take a look at the food guidelines here. This should help you a great deal.

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1080242-a-guide-to-get-you-started-on-your-path-to-sexypants

    Are you weighing your food? It can be really easy to over/under estimate without an accurate measurement.
  • lizwizCYLS
    lizwizCYLS Posts: 39 Member
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    So I have a problem...originally when I made my profile, myfitnesspal set me on 1400 calories, which was simply not enough for me. I have been trying not to eat much (save for my weekend days which were just horrible), and eat more fruits (veggies are hard to find for me, but I try to include them when I can), however 1400 was not enough for me, so I raised it to 1500. Still not enough. I feel hungry no matter what I eat. It feels like everything in my house is too high calorie and not filling at all and I feel that at this rate I am only going to find myself raising my caloric intake even more, thus not losing weight with my sedentary lifestyle (I am a student and going to the gym to work out just doesn't fit into my schedule most days). 1500 calories is already pretty hight as it is in my opinion :-( anyone else that has had a similar problem? Any suggestions for quick fixes and filler-uppers?

    I go with the "20 minute rule" or fall back on my toothpaste diet
    the toothpaste diet work by whenever I feel hungry without cause I go brush my teeth or use mouthwash so that everything will taste disgusting for at least 1/2 an hour (except chocolate which just tastes like chocolate-mint anything)
    the "20 minute rule" works because most 1st world North Americans can't tell the difference between being hungry & being thirsty....drink 250ml aka 1 cup of water....set a timer for 20 minutes....assess if you're still feeling hungry then if so have a combo high fibre & protein single serving....if you're still hungry when you finish reset the timer for another 20 minutes then reassess if your still hungry or thirsty....some days I have to do this for over an hour before my body finally decides I've had enough to suffice
    the only other thing that seems to work is using PGX capsules which fill me up with fibre & water so my body knows I mean it there'll be no more food....I try to do that when I'm feeling hungry between my 2nd & 3rd meals after sleeping
    good luck & stick to it....
  • LoveInnocent
    LoveInnocent Posts: 44 Member
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    First things first, no matter how busy you are, you can always find time to work out, try doing squats while you brush your teeth. Walk around to your classes or go on walks in between classes. Shake your leg while in class to keep it moving. While in bed do a couple exercises and stretches when you wake up like bicycle crunches and leg lifts. I an give you other suggestions too, tons of little things you can do through out your day that count as exercise.

    Now as far as not feeling full, drink tea. Green tea a half hour before a meal with honey and lemon, eat smaller meals periodically through out the day, eat them slowly and with water or a drink. Eat more fruits and veggies, what are you eating exactly maybe I can give you suggestions. I know exactly how you feel though but now I struggle to even get over 1200 I gotta add things to what I eat just to make sure XD
  • lseed87
    lseed87 Posts: 1,105 Member
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    Yes!! I started around 1350 or something like that and felt the same way. I kept upping it by 50-100 calories. Right now I'm at 1700 and i feel fine with it. I usually eat a bit under that but as long as i feel full then it isn't a problem.


    There is also the eat back calories from exercise or not to eat them... i generally leave them alone. I might have like 150 of them but try to leave it alone

    I agree with the drinking tea. I really want to do the exercises in bed but i always need to pee when i wake up so it hasn't been going well with that lol.. tmi? sorry!
  • LoveInnocent
    LoveInnocent Posts: 44 Member
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    Yes!! I started around 1350 or something like that and felt the same way. I kept upping it by 50-100 calories. Right now I'm at 1700 and i feel fine with it. I usually eat a bit under that but as long as i feel full then it isn't a problem.


    There is also the eat back calories from exercise or not to eat them... i generally leave them alone. I might have like 150 of them but try to leave it alone

    I agree with the drinking tea. I really want to do the exercises in bed but i always need to pee when i wake up so it hasn't been going well with that lol.. tmi? sorry!
    try stretching when you go to bed too or doing a light work out. I find that actually helps me sleep. and if you are ever standing around try balance on leg and switch off or pace, i am a big pacer, everytime I'm on the phone I pace the entire phone call
  • sally884
    sally884 Posts: 51
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    This was me when I joined. I was beyond starving I couldn't take it. I realized my goal of 1550 may be realistic but when my body was used to eating well over 2300 (hence weight gain) I realized I needed to eat to that goal slowly. Over 5 weeks I was able to get to 1550 and my body adjusted.
    Take
    A few weeks at a higher calorie goal and each week drop 100 from the goal until you are at right amount.

    Also when you go to eat something see what you could replace it with that's lower cal and more nutritious . I used to always eat a 170 cal granola bar everyday until I realized how much "real" food i could have instead.
  • Aaron_K123
    Aaron_K123 Posts: 7,122 Member
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    I'd recommend eating a lot of your calories from protein. Protein is the most satiating of the macros (at least in my personal experience and the experience of those I have discussed this with). At 4 calories a gram you will struggle to eat even 150g of protein a day and it is filling, very very filling. Try eating 12 oz (3/4 of a pound) of tuna and see how full you are. How much was that? Oh 250 calories.

    Also in my experience when someone complains of hunger while eating something like 1500 calories a day if you look at what they are eating it is heavy into carbohydrates. Carbs aren't bad for you, but they aren't very filling for the calories and the simple carbs tend to be digested quite quickly and will only give you a short spike of energy that wears off quickly.

    If I was to guess it would be that you are eating high on carbs low on protein but without knowing what you are eating I cannot say.
  • midwestspitfire
    midwestspitfire Posts: 46 Member
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    OP have you calculated your TDEE or BMR at all?
    It may help you find a workable intake level.
  • Lilanivd
    Lilanivd Posts: 6 Member
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    You could also try to use other methods to calculate your daily calorie intake. When I first tried MFP they placed me on 1200 calories, within a day or so I quickly realized that it just wasn't enough. I upped my calories a few times, and then I finally did some research on the subject. I used a variety of different websites, and formulas to calculate my BMR and TDEE, I combined these to an average. And according to all of this information, I could actually eat between 1900-2200 calories and still be on 30% to 20% weight loss deficit. MFP just give my way to few calories. Try to do more research.
  • lizwizCYLS
    lizwizCYLS Posts: 39 Member
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    You could also try to use other methods to calculate your daily calorie intake. When I first tried MFP they placed me on 1200 calories, within a day or so I quickly realized that it just wasn't enough. I upped my calories a few times, and then I finally did some research on the subject. I used a variety of different websites, and formulas to calculate my BMR and TDEE, I combined these to an average. And according to all of this information, I could actually eat between 1900-2200 calories and still be on 30% to 20% weight loss deficit. MFP just give my way to few calories. Try to do more research.

    Me too....I was starving & also sought other sources for daily caloric reccommendations (why doesn't MFP have a spellchecker eh!) & found MFP was the lowest so I split the difference until I was well underway....research is alway good....especially with so much bogus diet advice everywhere...BTW there's a ton of really good research being done in the PROBIOTICs for weight loss & gut health....I accidently lost an surprise 8 pounds when I started using a multistrain including 'infantis'
  • LKArgh
    LKArgh Posts: 5,179 Member
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    Open your diary

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