Feeling hungry...is this NORMAL??

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proverbs31chick
proverbs31chick Posts: 485 Member
in Food and Nutrition
After eating what I wanted for 30 years, now that I am down to 1200 calories, I feel so hungry at times. I read that I was going to feel hungry like this, but GEEZ.

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  • NoAdditives
    NoAdditives Posts: 4,251 Member
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    If you're just starting out you may not want to have your calorie goal set so low. Until you adjust to eating less you might want to set your goal to lose 1 pound, or even half a pound per week. Once you're used to eating less you can lower your goal.
  • tessb84
    tessb84 Posts: 98 Member
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    Drink a glass or two of water about 15 mins before you eat and you will fill up way faster. and drink lots of water during the day to keep yourself feeling full. Or if you really want a snack eat some veggies. Most are extremely low in calories and good for you.
  • elid
    elid Posts: 209 Member
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    If you've just cut your calories, you may have made way too drastic a cut. Agreed with the above poster--try for .5 or 1lb a week (or even less). After a few months of that, try going lower. It's much better for your health to go slowly, plus you're MUCH more likely to stick with it (let's face it, if you're super hungry every day you're not likely to want to keep going!).
  • szieres
    szieres Posts: 97 Member
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    If you're just starting out you may not want to have your calorie goal set so low. Until you adjust to eating less you might want to set your goal to lose 1 pound, or even half a pound per week. Once you're used to eating less you can lower your goal.

    Ditto to what you said! When I started out, I left it at "default" for 1 lb a week, which gave me about 2400 calories.. The first week, I was very close, and I REALLY had to be careful what I was eating, and when. This is only week two, and I'm averaging about 900 calories less a day than my goal.. and I feel good. You might want to set your calories a bit higher, and ease yourself into a 1200 calorie diet. You definetly don't want to "starve" or feel hungry, as this is a sure fire way to go into a binge. Good LUCK!
  • Raquelw1970
    Raquelw1970 Posts: 2
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    I agree with all these guys, I was hungry all the time when I first started and even though I still get times when i am hungry its getting less and less, stick with it
  • proverbs31chick
    proverbs31chick Posts: 485 Member
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    Thanks so much guys, such good advice. Never thought of that, by the time I get to dinner I have like 200 calories left and I've been eating healthy all day. I will change my settings to 1lb per week, if more comes of great. The point is to eat healthy and stay active and I hit the gym at least 4 times a week.
  • Coyla
    Coyla Posts: 444 Member
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    Twelve-hundred calories a day is pretty drastic. Going from eating what you want to 1200 calories a day is not a good idea. It's much better to ease your way into--like many have said here. You don't want your body to think, "Oh, crap! It's a famine!" because then it'll be poised for fat storage when you find yourself unable to maintain the diet. (Which means weight gain.)

    You're more likely to succeed if you think long-term. Take it slow and easy. It doesn't have to be painful. Eating healthy can actually feel great if you're doing it right. :) Good luck!
  • proverbs31chick
    proverbs31chick Posts: 485 Member
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    Thank you, I reallly appreciate all the support. You guys have made my day, I am going to change my settings and gradually work down to 1200 calories.
  • bjshields
    bjshields Posts: 677 Member
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    You may never want to be at 1,200 calories; I can't tell from your name if you are a guy or a girl, but Jonny Bowden (excellent nutritionist with a ton of great books out) says 1300-1500 a day for women losing weight; more like 1600-1800 for guys.

    Remember, too, it's not just about what you DON'T want, it's what you DO want -- nutrients, lots of veggies & fruits, phytochemicals, water (which is like oil for the body), etc. Good luck to you!
  • Cytherea
    Cytherea Posts: 515 Member
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    I'm just going to confirm what everybody else said. I tell this to everyone I meet on here that is just starting out. If you've just started wanting to lose weight, eat normally for the first few days of being on this site, and log everything. That way, you can see just how much you are eating and how much all of your normal foods are worth in cals/fat/etc., and see just what that is doing to your body. Then, you can start to reduce your calorie intake. Jumping from 2000+ cals a day to 1200 is not going to work, because you are going to be overwhelmed and starving and set yourself up for failure. Reduce it by a 100 cals every day (or every few days, if that is too much), and you'll eventually get down to the 1200 cals a day and be much more ready for it.
  • proverbs31chick
    proverbs31chick Posts: 485 Member
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    Thanks guys, I just changed my goals to 1lb per week from 2lbs per week, that gives me 1600 calories, I am a female and that makes since. I was thinking man if I eat 1400 calories a day, am continue working out the weight will come off. I like to use the food diary as a good base of what I am eating, if i am a couple of hundred calories over because of an yogurt or healthy snack, its ok. AGAIN THANKS...YOU GUYS ROCK!! I have to remember this a lifestyle change.
  • shushka136
    shushka136 Posts: 11 Member
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    I had the same issue and then someone told me that I may just be eating the wrong foods. Just because they are healthy doesn't mean they will fill you up. So now, I try to eat things like hard-boiled eggs for breakfast, chicken breast for lunch, and a piece of steak for dinner and intertwine that with veggies when I get a bit hungry, and I don't feel like I'm starving all day :) There is lots of good advice here. Good luck!
  • proverbs31chick
    proverbs31chick Posts: 485 Member
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    Thanks, yes there is a lot of good advice. I try to eat fruits throughout the day, its only been a couple of weeks so I predict by the middle of March by body will be more accustomed to the new lifestyle change. It's all worth it, thanks for the advice.:wink:
  • spicyruse
    spicyruse Posts: 5
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    I'm the same way. I have to snack on something every two hours to keep me from getting crazy hungry and eating too much during my meal. I try to stick to snacking on raw veggies mostly.

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