Under my calories, but not hungry

chelle1a
chelle1a Posts: 143 Member
edited September 23 in Health and Weight Loss
I'm way under my calories, but I'm not really hungry. Do I still try to eat my calories?

Replies

  • Frappuzzino
    Frappuzzino Posts: 342 Member
    Since you earned 400 cals in exercise, you have 600 more cals to eat. As long as it's not an every day thing, I wouldn't worry about it. :)
  • pinktreehands
    pinktreehands Posts: 18
    I'm interested to see the comments. I deal with this a lot.
  • formytwins
    formytwins Posts: 106
    I was told yes but not really sure. I am under mine by 131 and that is after dinner. I could have the hubby take me to Dairy Queen but NOT....I am really full.
  • jennlee80
    jennlee80 Posts: 142
    I wouldn't load up on bad foods to get to your goal. Especially since you aren't hungry! A serving for nuts would increase your calories and add some extra protein to your day.
  • hannahncakes
    hannahncakes Posts: 97
    EAT. Eat eat eat.. Have a minimum of 1200 keeps your body healthy & not in "starvation mode". I'm not saying eat junk but try to have bigger meals or snack on nuts, dried fruit etc- good stuff that bumps up your cals.
    (Obviously if it's only a few it doesn't matter too much just 100s under when you have to worry)
  • ladyhawk00
    ladyhawk00 Posts: 2,457 Member
    Part of retraining yourself to eat healthy is retraining your body to give you cues based on healthy portions and healthy amounts of total cals. While you may not feel "hungry", that doesn't mean your body can subsist on that little cals. One day is not a big deal, but if this happens often, you risk slowing your metabolism down and plateauing.

    Here are some good threads that explain metabolism and why it's important to try to meet cal goals and eat at least some exercise cals:

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/61706-guide-to-calorie-deficits

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/3047-700-calories-a-day-and-not-losing

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/10589-for-those-confused-or-questioning-eating-your-exercise-calo

    Good luck to you!
  • calvarado
    calvarado Posts: 72
    my tip would be nuts or peanut butter.... a dab will do ya!
  • owlwomyn
    owlwomyn Posts: 50 Member
    That happens now and then, especially when you have excercise calories available. I don't think it's necessary to "eat them" just because you have them. As long as it's not consistent I wouldn't fret about it. I find that when I leave calories uneaten (within reason) I loose more weight that week. Keep up the good work!
  • harleygirl1717
    harleygirl1717 Posts: 5 Member
    I agree, don't go under the calorie goal. You can be working against yourself if your body goes into starvation mode.
  • BrandNewMia
    BrandNewMia Posts: 461
    my tip would be nuts or peanut butter.... a dab will do ya!

    Ditto! If I feel like I haven't eaten enough calories but I am not hungry, a tbsp or two of peanut butter or a handful of raw almonds does the trick.
  • IreneAdler
    IreneAdler Posts: 69
    I actually try to be about 200 calories under my goal, but I don't stress it. I feel that as long as I'm over 1250 (starvation mode), if I'm not hungry, I don't worry about it.
  • helenbeee
    helenbeee Posts: 130 Member
    I have this problem too Im usually between 1000 - 1150 cals most days. Iam just NOT hungry Im not starving myself. I have 3 good meals a day and mid morning and mid afternoon snacks. After tea Iam full if I ate anything else I would feel uncomfortable. I cant have nuts or cheese for health reasons. Im losing weight, have lots of energy, sleep well and my skin and hair is in amazing condition. I cant believe that we all have the same needs. There must be some variation on the norm. there is variation in other aspects of the human body I dont see why this is any different.
  • nicole217
    nicole217 Posts: 1 Member
    i'm having the same problem. after i got home from the gym i wasn't hungry, but i made myself eat 2 slices of wheat bread with peanut butter on them and im still almost 300 cals under because of the exercise..what should i do?
  • readytoshredlbs
    readytoshredlbs Posts: 16
    IF you do not eat to your calories then your body will go into starvation mode and start eating at your muscles for energy rather then your body fat...This is bad...I have to set my watch to go off every 3 hours to remind me to eat, like most people I have been trained not to eat of you are not hungry...Your body will adjust to more eating (the right foods) and you will start getting hungry when you do not eat...

    Good luck!
  • ladyhawk00
    ladyhawk00 Posts: 2,457 Member
    I have this problem too Im usually between 1000 - 1150 cals most days. Iam just NOT hungry Im not starving myself. I have 3 good meals a day and mid morning and mid afternoon snacks. After tea Iam full if I ate anything else I would feel uncomfortable. I cant have nuts or cheese for health reasons. Im losing weight, have lots of energy, sleep well and my skin and hair is in amazing condition. I cant believe that we all have the same needs. There must be some variation on the norm. there is variation in other aspects of the human body I dont see why this is any different.

    There is variation - based on body size and activity level. However, BMR (which is what MFP uses for cal goal calculations) is not especially "unique", if all other factors are the same. There is still a minimum amount of fuel the body needs to maintain its systems and function at an optimum (or even acceptable) level. Based on your body size and activity level, you MAY not need that many calories. Doesn't mean someone else of a different size doesn't. And unless you're 5', 100 lbs or in a coma, you're still likely consuming too few cals - there is not THAT much variation in the amount of energy required from person to person, if equal height/weight and activity level are accounted for.
  • solid09
    solid09 Posts: 12
    Instead of having 3 big meals a day break them down into smaller meals. I've heard anywhere from 7-12 small meals a day. This way is probably better because between meals your body will go into starvation mode after a few hours and the break between lunch and dinner is a long one. This will also increase your metabolism because it is continuously working.
  • helenbeee
    helenbeee Posts: 130 Member
    I have this problem too Im usually between 1000 - 1150 cals most days. Iam just NOT hungry Im not starving myself. I have 3 good meals a day and mid morning and mid afternoon snacks. After tea Iam full if I ate anything else I would feel uncomfortable. I cant have nuts or cheese for health reasons. Im losing weight, have lots of energy, sleep well and my skin and hair is in amazing condition. I cant believe that we all have the same needs. There must be some variation on the norm. there is variation in other aspects of the human body I dont see why this is any different.

    There is variation - based on body size and activity level. However, BMR (which is what MFP uses for cal goal calculations) is not especially "unique", if all other factors are the same. There is still a minimum amount of fuel the body needs to maintain its systems and function at an optimum (or even acceptable) level. Based on your body size and activity level, you MAY not need that many calories. Doesn't mean someone else of a different size doesn't. And unless you're 5', 100 lbs or in a coma, you're still likely consuming too few cals - there is not THAT much variation in the amount of energy required from person to person, if equal height/weight and activity level are accounted for.

    I sit behind a computer for 9 hours a day 6 days a week I think that is almost on par with being in a coma :) I was actually talking about myself not painting everyone with the same brush.
    If and when this doesnt work for me anymore then Ill reassess the situation and change accordingly but for the time being its working and Im happy with the results.
  • ladyhawk00
    ladyhawk00 Posts: 2,457 Member
    i'm having the same problem. after i got home from the gym i wasn't hungry, but i made myself eat 2 slices of wheat bread with peanut butter on them and im still almost 300 cals under because of the exercise..what should i do?

    Work on adding just a little more to each meal/snack throughout the day, on days you know you'll exercise. Just 25 cals more per meal and snack adds at least 100 more cals to the day. Just a handful of nuts is about 100 cals and is easy to work in as a snack, without feeling like you're stuffing yourself.
  • Shyewright
    Shyewright Posts: 11
    I was attempting to make my stomach hold less food and now I am having the same problem and have not been losing weight because of it according to my doctor. I am constantly under and I eat generally 6 times a day. My Doc suggested I eat a small bowl of nuts, fruits, and pretzels to make up those calories.
  • AussieFirebird
    AussieFirebird Posts: 76 Member
    I have this problem too Im usually between 1000 - 1150 cals most days. Iam just NOT hungry Im not starving myself. I have 3 good meals a day and mid morning and mid afternoon snacks. After tea Iam full if I ate anything else I would feel uncomfortable. I cant have nuts or cheese for health reasons. Im losing weight, have lots of energy, sleep well and my skin and hair is in amazing condition. I cant believe that we all have the same needs. There must be some variation on the norm. there is variation in other aspects of the human body I dont see why this is any different.


    I agree with the quote above - I am 158cm tall and work an office job which has me seated behind a computer 7.5 hours of the day. I consume around the same number of calories as above, and am satisfied after that amount. I've incorporated treadmill exercise into my daily routine also. My daily limit set out by MFP is 1200 so I'm not missing out on too much, and like Helenbeee mentioned, my skin, hair, nails etc have never been better. I think it has a lot to do with your size, and also what you do during the day. For example - I don't believe a 6 foot man who does carpentry for a living should eat the same amount I do and vice versa - however I think I would be more concerned if MFP had told me to eat 1500 and I was only intaking 1100 - that I think would be sabotaging myself.
  • lodro
    lodro Posts: 982 Member
    As a general remark: calories from food are often underestimated and calories from exercise are often overestimated. MFP calorie counts for exercise are too high, I think, while most people eat more calories than they report through MFP (through underreporting in serving size for instance). So a margin of error of about 200 calories on the deficit side will probably land you on target, generally.
This discussion has been closed.

Categories