Why am I so hungry??

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mkalinski333
mkalinski333 Posts: 17
in Health and Weight Loss
So I started eating really healthily yesterday and have been sticking with it. I've also worked out for about 45 minutes both days. I'm trying to eat really healthy but I am very hungry. Why is this?? Can anyone help me? I don't want to unnecessarily snack but is it ok if I'm hungry? What should I eat to feel fuller?

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  • Sara1978
    Sara1978 Posts: 213 Member
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    There's a few things that might help...

    Bump your calorie goal up to whatever your BMR is. You can find your BMR using the "tools" up top. You should still lose weight eating your BMR worth of calories even if it is higher than the number that MFP gave you, and you will likely feel better.

    Eat things that have a lot fiber.

    Eat things that have a lot of protein.

    Fiber and protein will help you stay full for longer. :)
  • xraychick77
    xraychick77 Posts: 1,775 Member
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    it could be what they call rebound hunger. you are used to eating a certain way, and your hormones are telling you that you are still hungry when you are actually full. Its like your brain is saying i'm hungry, but your stomach says i'm full. it has something to do with insulin and eating sugars.
  • hmschultz
    hmschultz Posts: 32
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    The above is very good advice... But, don't forget to drink water!!! It is SUPER good for you and has the added benefit of making you feel full!!
  • roni79
    roni79 Posts: 12 Member
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    Try fiber! Think apples, pears, oatmeal. And drink tons of water. May help to drink a glass of water before you eat, too. The extra exercise can be making you dehydrated and you can mistake that for hunger, too. The longer you eat well the less you will crave bad foods. Plus if you are excersing more you need to eat a bit more, too!
  • MB_Positif
    MB_Positif Posts: 8,897 Member
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    Agree with the above comment :) Protein is my best friend! I have also read that we often mistake dehydration for hunger. If you feel hungry try downing a glass of water to see if that satisfies you before grabbing a snack :) You can add me if you'd like!
  • aflane
    aflane Posts: 625 Member
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    You're hungry because you're not eating enough. If yesterday and today are any indication of how you plan on eating, you're eating WAY too little. 900 calories is not enough to sustain an adult. You should never go below 1200 cals. Eat something.
  • Losing2Live69
    Losing2Live69 Posts: 743 Member
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    Here is a link I found today. I don't know if you are a gum chewer, but if you aren't you might reconsider after reading this. I was pretty shocked! It is supposed to really help with cravings. I know I chew it when I get the munchies.
  • NoExcuseTina
    NoExcuseTina Posts: 506 Member
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    I looked at your food journal for yesterday (940) and today (809)...you are not eating enough! You need to eat a minimum of 1200 plus the calories lost during working out!

    Click on the link at the bottom of my signature...it will help you understand why you should eat more and why strength training is so important!
  • LaurenRoseMD
    LaurenRoseMD Posts: 39
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    So I started eating really healthily yesterday and have been sticking with it. I've also worked out for about 45 minutes both days. I'm trying to eat really healthy but I am very hungry. Why is this?? Can anyone help me? I don't want to unnecessarily snack but is it ok if I'm hungry? What should I eat to feel fuller?

    Here's why you're hungry:

    1. On 7 March you consumed only 258 net calories;
    2. On 8 March you consumed only 73 net calories;
    3. You've consumed 331 net calories in the last 48 hours which is well below the starvation threshold;
    4. You should have consumed at the very least 2,250 calories in the past 48 hours (approximately 45% of your metabolic need);
    5. Your body is beginning to adjust for starvation by first yelling at you to eat. If you don't eat then it will slow certain body processes and decrease certain organ function.

    TURN THIS AROUND NOW!!! Continuing on this path is extremely dangerous to your health. Schedule an appointment with your doctor to discuss your nutrition needs, or to be referred to a dietitian.
  • jesseBYAH
    jesseBYAH Posts: 446 Member
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    I looked at your past 2 diary days and you definitely need to eat more! 1,200 is the minimum that you should be eating each day. Try the above suggestions for things to eat that will fill you up, and eat at least 1,200 calories a day! You have made really good choices the last few days though. But you definitely need to eat more or else you will have no energy and you could end up really hurting yourself! Good luck chica and keep going with the healthy foods!
  • Losing2Live69
    Losing2Live69 Posts: 743 Member
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    Wow!! I just looked at your food diary!! You cannot eat that little and exercise that much! Do you realize you only ate a net of just over 100 calories in a day?? That can cause serious damage to your body. You are hungry because your body is telling you, "stop, you are starving me"! I can't tell you enough how dangerous eating such low amount calories can be. When you exercise and burn that many calories (over 700) and only take in a little over 800....your body gets depleted of potassium, sodium, and other vital electrolytes that you aren't replacing. Eating that few calories is not the way to go if you want to lose weight. It will put your body into starvation mode and in turn your body holds on to every morsel you feed it to survive. You will stop losing. You are eating healthy foods, just not near enough. You should follow the calorie number MFP suggests. Don't go under 1500. You are only 19. You are still growing. Please be careful.
  • shappy22
    shappy22 Posts: 3
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    Try drinking a cup of non fat milk with your meals. You will be surprised at how much longer it will take you to feel hungry.
  • xtina11179
    xtina11179 Posts: 352
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    I looked at your food journal for yesterday (940) and today (809)...you are not eating enough! You need to eat a minimum of 1200 plus the calories lost during working out!

    Click on the link at the bottom of my signature...it will help you understand why you should eat more and why strength training is so important!

    Thanks for the link!! SOOOO informative!!!
  • bella_baby
    bella_baby Posts: 22
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    In addition to eating more overall, I suggest you eat more for breakfast. It's the important meal of the day because it fuels your body for the rest of the day. Try eating some eggs and yogurt. I"m 20 and in college too, so you can add me as a friend if you want (:
  • mkalinski333
    mkalinski333 Posts: 17
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    I think that I am eating more than the calories it says. I have been eating balanced meals of carbs, proteins, veggies and fruits with drinking a lot of water. I don't want to eat too much more because I don't feel that I am starving and I snack too! Also, the amount that I burned when I worked out may not be accurate because the machines at the gym had different numbers. Hmm...this is weird. I don't know what to do because I don't want to over eat but I don' know a good middle ground!
  • LaurenRoseMD
    LaurenRoseMD Posts: 39
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    So, I made some quick calculations to try and help you better understand what you need to do. I estimated your height at 5' 6'' and your weight at 240...if you're far off these numbers then disregard this, but if you're close then pay attention:

    At this height and weight, and based on the physical activity I see in your diary I figure that you would need to eat approx. 2,525 calories to maintain your weight at your current activity level. That's 17,675 calories per week. To see a loss rate of 1lb. per week we cut 3,500 calories, and for 2lbs. we cut 7,000 calories from the week. So, let's shoot for the 2lb. loss rate for 10,675 calories per week and divide by 7 to find that to lose 2 lbs. per week you would need to eat 1,525 calories per day.

    Now, let's figure your safety zone (the lowest possible and highest possible amount you can eat while remaining healthy and losing weight.

    The danger zone begins around 40% of your metabolic need, which for you is about 1,010 net calories per day. So, you never want to drop below this number! 45% of your metabolic need is the absolute least amount you can eat while remaining healthy and losing weight which is 1,136 net calories per day for you. To find the upper end of your safety zone I take your metabolic need and calculate the deficit required to lose .50 lbs. per week. So, your high limit is 2,275 net calories per day.

    1,136 to 2,275 net calories per day is your safety zone. In this zone you can safely lose weight. At the 2,275 you are losing .50 lb per week, and at 1,136 you are losing about 2.7 lbs. per week. I suggest you start eating within this range immediately, and that you schedule an appointment with your doctor to discuss the changes you are making to your diet.
  • LaurenRoseMD
    LaurenRoseMD Posts: 39
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    I think that I am eating more than the calories it says. I have been eating balanced meals of carbs, proteins, veggies and fruits with drinking a lot of water. I don't want to eat too much more because I don't feel that I am starving and I snack too! Also, the amount that I burned when I worked out may not be accurate because the machines at the gym had different numbers. Hmm...this is weird. I don't know what to do because I don't want to over eat but I don' know a good middle ground!

    If you're logging your foods accurately then the dairy is probably right, and if it's wrong it's hard for me to imagine a variance that would put you even close to where you need to be. The simple facts here are that you are not eating enough. You are starving, and you do need to make immediate changes or you risk quick onset of health complications.
  • kao708
    kao708 Posts: 813 Member
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    You're hungry because you're not eating enough. If yesterday and today are any indication of how you plan on eating, you're eating WAY too little. 900 calories is not enough to sustain an adult. You should never go below 1200 cals. Eat something.
    Exactly, you need to follow the guidelines that MFP provides and don't just eat as little as possible. You ate 940 calories and burned 640+...that means you only actually fueled your body with 300 calories that day!

    Not nearly enough to function on. Eat your daily goal and some or all of your exercise calories.

    http://shouldieatmyexercisecalories.com/
    Found this on a veteran MFP users page...funny and provides some good links!
  • RILEYRED
    RILEYRED Posts: 647 Member
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    DO NOT STARVE YOURSELF TO LOSE WEIGHT. I MADE THIS MISTAKE SEVERAL YEARS AGO, I LOST THE WEIGHT, I ALSO LOST A HUGE AMOUNT OF MY HAIR, MUSCLE TURNED TO LOSE SKIN, I ENDED UP PASSING OUT ALOT, ENDED UP IN THE HOSPITAL BEING FED BY I.V. AFTER ALL THAT, I GAINED ALL THE WEIGHT BACK PLUS MORE. PLEASE, DON'T DO THIS TO YOUR BODY.
  • MissyBC
    MissyBC Posts: 10
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    eat more
    eat a big bowl of carrots or 35 cal yogurt etc
    I was hungry last night...made a huge plate of food = 200 cals was full
    was pickle, 35 cal yogurt ( source), carrots+small piece of toast
    just for example
    just stay away from foods that are high in calorie or eat small portions of them so you can eat more food in total

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