Whhhhyyy am I SO hungry?

UrsSarcastically
UrsSarcastically Posts: 16
in Health and Weight Loss
I've done it all. Low calorie, low carb, adipex, hard core exercise. I lose weight and gain it back, lose weight and gain some back.

Back in November I put myself in a program for an alcohol addiction I had. Having almost 9 months clean, I am much happier. However I've managed to put on 16 pounds in the process. Actually, I gained then lost the same 12 pound but now have put back on 12 plus 4! In the past my issue has been thinking I've "got it" and falling off.

This time around, it feels almost impossible to lose weight. So far I've managed to go over my calorie goal (1200 is just NOT enough) but I have stuck to no caffeine diet drinks and drinking only water.

Why is it so hard this time ? Why am I so hungry? I do really well throughout the day but in the evening I feel ravenous and don't have many calories to work with.

Anyone feel my pain? Have any advice ? Help !!

Replies

  • RodaRose
    RodaRose Posts: 9,562 Member
    Please eat more.
  • UrsSarcastically
    UrsSarcastically Posts: 16
    I'm eating plenty. A good at least 1800 calories or more!
  • absurd581
    absurd581 Posts: 5 Member
    I'm not sure how much weight you want to lose. It sounds like you are trying to lose about 15-20 lbs if that's the case you should set your goals on mfp to 1 lb a week or even .5 lb a week. It will be a little slower to lose that way, but you will probably feel better and definitely be less hungry.
  • absurd581
    absurd581 Posts: 5 Member
    From your original post I assumed your calorie goal was lower. I definitely feel your pain somedays I struggle keeping to my goals. There's not necessarily any rhyme or reason to it for me, but some days I'm just hungry.
    You could try having a snack, even if it means going over a little, and trying to even it out over the rest of the week.
  • CagedBirdSings
    CagedBirdSings Posts: 34 Member
    From my own experience with food, I have always felt like I ate OK during the day and then would binge at night. I couldn't figure it out. But here's what has helped me: I have to cut out the processed carbs or I will definitely overeat. I eliminate white bread, white rice, etc.... When I eat these foods, I tend to start craving junk food, or just wanting to binge. For bread I eat Alvarado St. Bakery or Ezekiel. They are not as yummy as other bread, but they never make me feel yucky. Restaurant foods ALWAYS make me want to eat junk later.
    I also don't keep foods in the house that encourage me to binge. For me that's chocolate anything. I'm not saying I don't eat chocolate at all, cuz that doesn't work, but I don't keep it in the house.
    I've also started making sure I eat produce with dinner - not soaked in sauces and butter - but a salad with 1 tbl of dressing rather than 2. Or steam or microwave some that you like with a little bit of butter and some herbs/spices. For some reason I feel satisfied most of the evening when I do this.
    Lately I've been eating popcorn at night for a snack. Put some in a paper lunch bag and microwave it. I add butter but I measure it and count it.
    I'm just now starting to get serious about losing weight, but I had to stop the horrible bingeing at night first.
    Maybe you could cut out processed foods one day and see if you feel the same way at night?
    Also, I have 2 siblings and 2 close cousins that were all alcoholic. They all gained weight when they quit. So I don't know if that's a chemical reaction or an emotional one. But congratulations on being sober for that long! Life can be tough, as I know firsthand. And oh, helping others less fortunate is ALWAYS a wonderful thing to help with sobriety.
    OK, enough from me. I'm a 54 year old mom and start getting all motherly on people! haha!
  • 2013sk
    2013sk Posts: 1,318 Member
    Your hungry because your not eating enough!

    You need to work out your BMR & TDEE, eat between these numbers.

    Ie Mine is I think BMR 1450 TDEE 2000+ so to eat between these numbers. Work out yours by entering your height, weight, exercise activity etc.

    Your gonna burn yourself out eating so little.

    Eat lots of protein, veggies, fruit etc
  • UrsSarcastically
    UrsSarcastically Posts: 16
    How do I find out this Bmr and TDEE ?
  • WBB55
    WBB55 Posts: 4,131 Member
    How do I find out this Bmr and TDEE ?

    I like this one as a starting point http://scoobysworkshop.com/accurate-calorie-calculator/
  • itsbasschick
    itsbasschick Posts: 1,584 Member
    why not adjust what you're eating so you have calories for a late evening snack? that's what i do, and it really helps.

    btw, if you're not eating enough, you'll also be losing weight too fast. are you?
  • Serenitynow29
    Serenitynow29 Posts: 119 Member
    I know folks don't like to hear this, but have you considered eating more vegetables and fruits?
    I find it hard to be hungry after eating 10 oz of roasted broccoli. Don't get me wrong, I understand. But whenever I switch my food choices to a 50% increase in fruit and vegetable consumption, I am not hungry. In fact, I find my appetite blunted. :smile: --Pax
  • BlueBombers
    BlueBombers Posts: 4,064 Member
    Eat more
  • Liftng4Lis
    Liftng4Lis Posts: 15,151 Member
    Remember, when you quit drinking, your body craves sugar; its use to the alcohol that turns into sugar. The first year of my sobriety, If someone offered me steak and lobster, or a cheesecake, I'd choose the cheesecake!
    It DOES get better! You've got this!
  • sljohnson1207
    sljohnson1207 Posts: 818 Member
    Sounds like you are insulin sensitive and are having major blood sugar spikes and drops. Can't see your diary, so don't know for sure what you are eating, but definitely check it out.
  • blueboxgeek
    blueboxgeek Posts: 574 Member
    Just play around with your numbers and find something that works for you. Eat somewhere between your BMR and your TDEE, don't really recommend eating below your BMR.

    Look at patterns, is there anything that triggers the eating in the evening? Are you actually hungry or eating through boredom or emotional eating? Some people find that cardio makes them hungry and some find strength training makes them hungry.

    Saving a few extra calories for an evening isn't a bad idea if you still have enough for through the day. It doesn't really matter when you are eating. Just be careful you don't give yourself heartburn eating just before bed :)

    Try and get a good serving of protein and fats with your evening meal with lots of veggies. This will help you feel full. If you crave sweet things, a favourite of mine is greek yoghurt with some sweetener and vanilla essence over a handful of strawberries. The protein and the fat in the yoghurt help me feel full and satiated.
  • W31RD0
    W31RD0 Posts: 173 Member
    Sometimes you need to eat more good things to fill you up so you don't binge on junk. Take a drained can of tuna, add some chopped celery, a tbsp or two of mayo and mix it, add spices (avoid the salt). Tuna bowls like that are maybe 300 calories tops, but can be very filling.

    A second idea is to snack on sunflower seeds, it takes so long to deseed those things that after a half hour of snacking you probably won't have gone through too many and it's mostly good fats and protein (once again avoid the salt, get a reduced sodium variety)

    Although my goal is forever about gaining weight, I help a friend deal with cravings in the past.
  • UrsSarcastically
    UrsSarcastically Posts: 16
    All great ideas. Thank you!

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