Im starving!!!

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Hi everyone, I started dieting 4 days ago. Everything has been fine so far but today I am extremely hungry! I made out my meal plan for the day and I will be within my calorie count but I feel like I can just eat everything in site! Is there a way to suppress the hunger? I really want to loose weight..
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Replies

  • BombshellPhoenix
    BombshellPhoenix Posts: 1,693 Member
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    What's your calorie goal set to? You can most definitely lose weight without suffering through hunger ;) also, this is a great read to get you started

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1080242-a-guide-to-get-you-started-on-your-path-to-sexypants
  • diannethegeek
    diannethegeek Posts: 14,776 Member
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    Without knowing anything about what you're eating or what your workout routine looks like, here are my 5 generic tips to hunger.

    1. Make sure that your calorie goal is set appropriately. Way too many people skip this step and could be eating more. Your body may want more food for a reason: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/819055-setting-your-calorie-and-macro-targets

    2. Look for foods that are higher in protein, fat, and fiber. These help us stay fuller and more satisfied for longer.

    3. Drink plenty of fluids. Some people really do confuse thirst and hunger (of course, some people don't).

    4. Play around with your meal times. Some people do really well on 6 small meals a day and others feel like gnawing their own arms off with that kind of meal schedule. When you eat won't affect your weight loss, but it may affect your mood and hunger levels throughout the day. It's okay to try things out to see what works for you.

    5. Wait it out. If you know you're eating enough, getting enough protein & fat and enough water, etc. then you may just have to wait. Your body sends out hunger cues partially out of habit. It will catch on to the idea that you need to be hungry less often, but it could take some time for your body to catch up with the new routine.
  • CindyMarcuzAdams
    CindyMarcuzAdams Posts: 4,006 Member
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    How many calories are you eating. Have you read this?

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

    There is good info there. Open your diary so people can see how you are doing.

    You need some protein at every meal and try for some fiber. They keep you fuller longer.

    Hope this helps.

    Add me if you like.
  • GauchoMark
    GauchoMark Posts: 1,804 Member
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    best way is to make good food choices. I don't know what you are eating, but my experience is that the "cleaner" I eat, the easier it is for me to stay on track because I stay more satisfied and I feel better.

    Understand that I am not saying clean eating is better at weight loss, rather, it is just easier for me to stay satisfied if I am eating a lot of lean meats, fresh veggies, and "good" dairy items like greek yogurt.
  • itsishi
    itsishi Posts: 8
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    I am at a 1200 calorie limit. i am unable to exercise as much because of my back but i do stretches and walk... The past 3 days I was good and happy, but today I am really hungry. Should I eat more then work the extra calories off. I am just to tired to walk today. :( .
  • dopeysmelly
    dopeysmelly Posts: 1,390 Member
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    Without knowing anything about what you're eating or what your workout routine looks like, here are my 5 generic tips to hunger.

    1. Make sure that your calorie goal is set appropriately. Way too many people skip this step and could be eating more. Your body may want more food for a reason: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/819055-setting-your-calorie-and-macro-targets

    2. Look for foods that are higher in protein, fat, and fiber. These help us stay fuller and more satisfied for longer.

    3. Drink plenty of fluids. Some people really do confuse thirst and hunger (of course, some people don't).

    4. Play around with your meal times. Some people do really well on 6 small meals a day and others feel like gnawing their own arms off with that kind of meal schedule. When you eat won't affect your weight loss, but it may affect your mood and hunger levels throughout the day. It's okay to try things out to see what works for you.

    5. Wait it out. If you know you're eating enough, getting enough protein & fat and enough water, etc. then you may just have to wait. Your body sends out hunger cues partially out of habit. It will catch on to the idea that you need to be hungry less often, but it could take some time for your body to catch up with the new routine.

    Basically this. I started out at 1200 calories too (don't most people?..) and it was fine for me because I'm short (5'2"), was essentially sedentary (basically I sat on my *kitten* during winter), and not in my 20s anymore (ahem). Then I got my head screwed on, figured out a calorie limit which was good for me, figured out macros (focusing on protein, fiber and fat primarily) and have stuck with that, gradually adding calories as I get closer to my weight loss milestone and added exercise.

    It takes a bit of math up-front (the links others have provided are excellent), but it gives you a solid, realistic plan, and having a plan which fits your life is everything.

    Also, I felt hungry intermittently for the first 2 weeks, but it went away as my body adapted. I ignored it. I spent the last 20-25 years listening to hunger pangs and it left me obese.
  • kensteven
    kensteven Posts: 9
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    When you are eating be "mindful " of what you are eating. DO NOT be distracted by watching TV or even reading a book or anything. This "mindful eating" routine helps you appreciate what you are eating now.
  • itsishi
    itsishi Posts: 8
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    Thank you every one. :) I am going to ignore the hunger pains for now as I have a good meal plan for today. So I really should not be as hungry as I am. If it continues I will adjust the calories.
  • _Zardoz_
    _Zardoz_ Posts: 3,987 Member
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    When you are eating be "mindful " of what you are eating. DO NOT be distracted by watching TV or even reading a book or anything. This "mindful eating" routine helps you appreciate what you are eating now.
    Or she could just set a more reasonable calorie limit
  • BombshellPhoenix
    BombshellPhoenix Posts: 1,693 Member
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    I am at a 1200 calorie limit. i am unable to exercise as much because of my back but i do stretches and walk... The past 3 days I was good and happy, but today I am really hungry. Should I eat more then work the extra calories off. I am just to tired to walk today. :( .

    Hun, you could probably eat more without exercising more. I started at 170 lbs and lost my weight eating 1650 net. You're much more likely to succeed and stick to it by making yourself less miserable in the process. This is hard enough without the addition of feeling blah and weak with constant hunger pangs. I started out on the 1200 calories. Did it for 2 months. I had brain fog, was miserable. I found the forums and read that sexy pants link and the rest of my weight loss went much better. Dont get me wrong, it's still tough but there's no sense in making it harder ♡
  • patb987
    patb987 Posts: 44 Member
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    Its hard at first... Make sure to burn additional calories, then you get to eat more ;-) I am on 1500 at 6ft, and seriously have to burn 400 calories a day just to have enough for dinner.

    Just make sure you dont start to hate the program because you set the bar to high, lower the bar, a pound a week is great, than up it later once you get use to it.
  • patb987
    patb987 Posts: 44 Member
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    I am at a 1200 calorie limit. i am unable to exercise as much because of my back but i do stretches and walk... The past 3 days I was good and happy, but today I am really hungry. Should I eat more then work the extra calories off. I am just to tired to walk today. :( .

    Hun, you could probably eat more without exercising more. I started at 170 lbs and lost my weight eating 1650 net. You're much more likely to succeed and stick to it by making yourself less miserable in the process. This is hard enough without the addition of feeling blah and weak with constant hunger pangs. I started out on the 1200 calories. Did it for 2 months. I had brain fog, was miserable. I found the forums and read that sexy pants link and the rest of my weight loss went much better. Dont get me wrong, it's still tough but there's no sense in making it harder ♡

    ^Exactly^
  • F00LofaT00K
    F00LofaT00K Posts: 688 Member
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    So eat!! There's no point losing a lot of weight while starving and then eventually giving in/giving up and eating ALL the food. Just eat a bit less than your current body weight needs and lose slowly, but steadily. You won't be hungry and miserable AND you'll learn a sustainable way to eat for the rest of your life once you reach your goal. Look around at the stickied threads on this site. They have a LOT of helpful information.
  • vismal
    vismal Posts: 2,463 Member
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    1200 is an unrealistic for a long term plan unless you are rather petite. What is your height and weight? I can almost guarantee you could up calories some.
  • Ready2Rock206
    Ready2Rock206 Posts: 9,488 Member
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    I am at a 1200 calorie limit. i am unable to exercise as much because of my back but i do stretches and walk... The past 3 days I was good and happy, but today I am really hungry. Should I eat more then work the extra calories off. I am just to tired to walk today. :( .

    I'd be hungry and exhausted too if I was starving myself. Set a reasonable calorie goal - no need to be miserable to lose weight.
  • _KitKat_
    _KitKat_ Posts: 1,066 Member
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    When you are eating be "mindful " of what you are eating. DO NOT be distracted by watching TV or even reading a book or anything. This "mindful eating" routine helps you appreciate what you are eating now.
    Or she could just set a more reasonable calorie limit

    ^^^^This

    Eating to low causes a multitude of issues and can cause binging.....it is not sustainable.

    You also asked about eating more then working out. The way MFP is set up, you are suppose to eat your exercise calories back....goal is net. So if you had a goal of 1450 calories (my BMR at 154lbs and 5'4") and you walked and burned 300 calories you should consume 1750 calories for a net of 1450. MFP does over estimate burn so many only eat 50-75% of exercise calories back or log as half the time. TDEE is another method you may want to look up. Regardless you will continue to feel miserable and not be able to continue on 1200 calories a day. Find out your BMR, using MFP or www.iifym.com and at the least set that as your goal. Then just read and read a lot.
  • Serenitynow29
    Serenitynow29 Posts: 119 Member
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    I am at a 1200 calorie limit. i am unable to exercise as much because of my back but i do stretches and walk... The past 3 days I was good and happy, but today I am really hungry. Should I eat more then work the extra calories off. I am just to tired to walk today. :( .

    I have logged most days this year. I have a little over a 60 day streak. I also started at 1200 calories, but I noticed a distinct zig-zag when I ate way over the 1200 and a bit a day. Then I had a light bulb and just looked at MFP's maintenance calories for me. Lo' & behold it was over 1800 calories/day. Given that I decided to bump my calories up in hopes of avoiding wide caloric intake swings.
  • SomeNights246
    SomeNights246 Posts: 807 Member
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    I am at a 1200 calorie limit. i am unable to exercise as much because of my back but i do stretches and walk... The past 3 days I was good and happy, but today I am really hungry. Should I eat more then work the extra calories off. I am just to tired to walk today. :( .

    This is why you're hungry.

    Especially if you're going from eating twice that or more, to eating just that. Some people can successfully eat 1200 calories, lose weight, and not feel hungry all the time. That's not to say they should long term, nor is that to say that it is a good idea even short term.

    You don't need to eat 1200 to lose weight. Even 1500 or 1600 will often cause weight loss in an adult female, of any weight.

    My best advice is... up your calorie intake. Try eating 1600 or so calories. You will still lose weight, and your body and sanity will thank you.
  • LoupGarouTFTs
    LoupGarouTFTs Posts: 916 Member
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    MFP has my limit set at 1250 calories. I try to get some exercise calories every day and eat half of them (and sometimes more) back. I rarely feel hungry, unless I do as I did today and blow most of my calories on one meal. I find that as long as I eat about 1400 calories (total) and very close to my 1250 net, and also get a minimum of 60 grams of protein, I'm good for the day. I'm 5' 1", and 53 years old, so your results might be different from mine.
  • RosanaRosanaDana
    RosanaRosanaDana Posts: 93 Member
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    Drink a lot of water. I slice an orange up and put it in a jug of water at night. The next day I try to drink the entire jug. It tastes great, calms the sweet tooth and cravings gives you a little vitamin C and fill the void in your tummy.
    And remember, this too shall pass. Hunger pangs (not pains) don't last forever. It's really mind over matter. Two positive thoughts to keep you going: "Nothing tastes as good as skinny is gonna feel" and "Just keep going, every day is one more day you have succeeded in getting to where you want to go". It's really not that hard, just keep moving forward and don't look back. Use the success topic as a motivation. I love to see people who have stayed the course and dropped 100 pounds or better. They are real Champions. You can be one too :happy: