I'm starving!
elena99
Posts: 14 Member
So... I'm reading here about people who have troubles consuming enough calories for the day. I have the opposite problem - I'm starving... Am I just going through the withdrawal and it will pass when my body will get used to 1200 cal a day? Should I wait out? Or should I just suck it up and get used to it because I am doomed to be starving for the rest of my life?
I have been maintaining my current weight for several years now - no significant ups or downs. For the last few days I have been tracking of what I actually eat on the regular basis just to get an idea of how many calories a day support my current weight. It turned out that I eat almost twice as much as I am supposed to according to mfp. I cook all my meals myself and keep them healthy, except for the recent discovery that I use too much oil that adds a lot of calories to the meals and I eat huge, humongous, enormous portions - twice as big as they should have been which explains the double amount of calories...
How do I train myself to eating less? Is it even possible? Aren't you, guys, starving? What do you do about it? Do you suppress your hunger or do you give in and then burn the calories by extra workouts?
I have been maintaining my current weight for several years now - no significant ups or downs. For the last few days I have been tracking of what I actually eat on the regular basis just to get an idea of how many calories a day support my current weight. It turned out that I eat almost twice as much as I am supposed to according to mfp. I cook all my meals myself and keep them healthy, except for the recent discovery that I use too much oil that adds a lot of calories to the meals and I eat huge, humongous, enormous portions - twice as big as they should have been which explains the double amount of calories...
How do I train myself to eating less? Is it even possible? Aren't you, guys, starving? What do you do about it? Do you suppress your hunger or do you give in and then burn the calories by extra workouts?
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Replies
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Are you trying to loose weight or just maintain? I beleive you said that you normally eat twice as much as you should according to Myfitnesspal, and that you maintained your weight. If so then you could probably increase your calories to 1500. I set mine to 1200, knowing that I may slip up and hit 1500. Better to aim lower and go over a bit.
You could try finding some healthy, low=fat snacks to keep you satisfied. I love: Thomas Bagel Thins with Weight Watchers cream cheese in the individual cups (they have waay more fiber than the block of cream cheese, plus its already portioned for you). I also love Chobani low-fat greek yogurt, fresh oranges and pears. Ohh, Quaker makes a terrific vanilla creme brule rice cake. Yum!0 -
Sometimes its just about WHAT you are eating, not how much. There are foods you can eat to curb your hunger, like anything with lots of fiber and protein. It also helps me to drink at least a glass of water with anything I eat. Add more veggies to meals to help fill you up too
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Elena, I'm starving too. Actually, I'm new to all this too. I have the same problem... I eat WAY too big of portions. I don't neccessarily eat really bad, just a lot. I think that you will eventually get used to the lower caloric intake. It's just going to take some time to even itself out. In the meantime, you should snack on healthy proteins... they make you feel fuller longer. Like I said, I'm new to this too so... I'm not really sure what else... Guess I could use some help to! Lol. Hang in there girl. You can do it!! 0
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Nope! Not starving at all...I make sure of that by my food choices. I actually eat twice as much doing MFP or WW then when I am not (quantity wise) If you open up your diary for a few days, we may be able to help you make better choices. If I AM hungry, I simply exercise to earn myself more calories so I can eat more!0
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Yes fiber and protein rich foods are the ticket.0
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I drink one glass of water before meals and that helps me feel fuller. Also, eat foods high in fiber, lots of veggies, fruits, oats, protein, beans, lentils, salads.0
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A few suggestions:
1) Drink tons of water. If you're hungry, drink a glass of water before you eat. Sometimes your body can mistake hunger or cravings for thirst. I'm aiming for 10-12 glasses per day.
2) Eat foods that cause you to chew a lot. Apples, carrots, etc.
3) Eat foods with more fiber. This should cause you to feel fuller longer
4) Break down your meals into smaller meals throughout the day
Eventually your body will get used to having smaller portions. Your stomach will "shrink up" as my husband likes to say. Have you ever noticed how if you don't eat all day for some reason, and you feel famished, and you finally get to eat...but can't fit as much as you thought you would into your belly? Your stomach can stretch and shrink. If you're eating huge portions, it will stretch to accomodate those portions. If you eat smaller portions, it will shrink and you will feel fuller once it gets used to your new lifestyle.0 -
If your body is telling you its starving there are two factors to look at in my opinion.
The first is
How much processed sugary high carb foods are you eating?
If you are eating an excess of processed foods that are high in sugar this could be why your body is hungry... when you eat processed foods it makes your body crave such foods... the more you eat of them the more your body will want to eat.. so make sure your diet is clean, if you see area for improvement start making those changes ONE AT A TIME... its not a race.... there are foods that will curb your hunger too... avacados, almonds, lean sources of protein matched with a whole grain. I like eggs and toast.. etc.
The second is this
If your diet is clean, Then you probably aren't eating enough.
I know for me, 1200 just wasn't enough. I was lifting weights so my body was needing more fuel than I was giving it... the more muscle I built the more my body told me it was starving... I bumped my calories up to my BMR of 1480 and I am doing great now. I am never hungry.. sometimes munchy but never hungry.0 -
I wouldn't say I'm starving, but I would say I now know what it feels like to have an empty stomach. It's not uncomfortable, but when it does growl, I know to eat a little something. This way, I don't feel like I'm starving. I too have reduced my portions and realized that I am perfectly fine on less. 1/4 cup of my home made granola with some greek yogurt is a great breafast. I used to eat about a cup of granola with skim milk. Huge calorie difference! I can have a snack of Cheetos for 160 calories, or I can have a stalk of celery with yummy Laughing Cow cheese for about 40 calories. The celery is actually more satisfying and leaves a nice after taste in my mouth for far less calories. Again, huge difference. That doesn't mean I don't sneak in some Cheetos every now and then, but it does mean that on average, I am consuming far less calories than used to and am certainly more aware of what I put in my mouth.
Snack often, snack wisely. That will help with the feeling that you're starving. Stick with it for at least a month, so you can re-train your body and yourself in regards as to how you eat. Also, feel free to check my food diary. You'll see I'm not a saint when it comes to eating, but it's working okay. This week is an off week, as I'm on spring break, so a lot of going out and snacking on different things, so go back a couple weeks for a true reflection of what I eat.
Good luck and stick with it! You can do it!0 -
make sure that you are eating through out the day too. About 5 times per day. Not huge meals of course but good healthy snacks in between your normal meals. This helps get your insulin level and also helps to keep metabolism boosted, so you do not crash and have those "I'm starving" moments. Also make sure they are balanced between good carbs and protein. I do not agree with the ratios that MFP automatically sets up. Its better to determine what you BMR is and activity level and then base your ratios of carbs/protein/fat accordingly.0
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Hiya I am not a person that struggles to eat 1200 cals a day and dont ever really want to be lol! It does get easier, it really does, tips that I recommend are to drink lots of water, try to obsess about water keep telling yourself about the magical filling properties of water.......
exercise best you can, work for extra cals to eat on top of your 1200 it is a great motivator knowing you are going to get more to eat :blushing: this is still me!!!! lol!
then I recommend, shaking it up completely change to 5 or 6 small meals per day instead of 3 small meals per day, this helped me move over from huge portions to smaller portions...... the next meal is never far away
then I recommend for the first few weeks to try and eat fresh low cal foods veggies etc and aim to have your 5 or 6 meals a day as big as poss thanks to high quantity low cal foods.
when you have started to break down old habits then you can start to feel and eat like a normal person on a healthy diet who is reducing in size coz they are eating well and like a slim person
good luck you can do this, you will have slip ups n crappy days but it is so worth doing!0 -
If you're halving your typical calories eaten (going from 2400 to 1200), you're definitely going to be hungry. That's a pretty drastic cut! It'll be easier on you to cut back MUCH more gradually. Try eating 300 calories less than your typical daily allotment for a week. Then the next week, try 300 less. So this week, go for 2100 cals a day. Then next week, 1800 a day. The week after that, 1500. Then you can try going all the way down to 1200, but honestly I'd stick with 1500 for a while if you're still losing weight.
If you ease into it, your chances of success go up even though you may not see results right away. Remember: losing weight slower means you're more likely to keep it off in the long run. Good luck!0 -
I had the same problem when I first started a couple of weeks ago. What I do is exercise first, then eat the calories later, if I'm hungry. I found that exercise is absolutely the best (legal) appetite suppressant - for me, anyway. I never eat the calories first then exercise later; that's just asking for trouble.
I drink as much water as I can remember to drink. I take cinammon supplements and chew cinammon sugar-free gum (Stride is the only one I've found that I like). For me, at least, it's more about the mouth craving than the hunger.
There are days when you're going to go over. Big deal. Just try not to go over by a ridiculous amount, and balance it out with exercise. Even ten minutes of walking at a brisk pace can burn around 50 calories, depending on your current weight.
You can do this. It will take some adjustment, but your body will get used to it. The fact that you're here says a lot, and that you're looking at portion sizes - which is often an enormous eye-opener.
Eventually, what may happen is that you'll get used to eating smaller sizes more often throughout the day. That way, when you sit down to a well-earned splurge at your favorite restaurant, you actually will feel full faster. That's when you stop. Get the take-out box ready before you even start, or be prepared to dump a bunch of salt on the food you don't want to eat. (Hot sauce worked great for me last night).
Best of luck to you. Friend me if you'd like - I think we may have a lot in common!
~Andi0 -
Well, if you've been eating twice as many calories as you are now, that's a big change. Maybe try taking it in stages. Instead of starting right off with 1200, maybe try 1800 for a week or two to let your body get used to fewer calories. That would still be 600 calories less a day and should give you at least a pound loss per week.
Also, if you have time to exercise that can give you more calories too. If you add in 300 calories of exercise then you'd have those to eat as well.
As others have mentioned, what you eat makes a big difference. Things with protein and fiber stick around better than things with just simple carbs.0 -
Wow, someone else that experiences the same things I do. I've found that eating the correct things works out better than eating only a little bit of the wrong things. For example: oatmeal (if you like it) in the morning is filling and extremely light on calories. I've also found: salads (without the bad toppings), brown rice with almost any meal, almost any fruits or vegetables and nuts and for snacks during the day Clif bars (90 calories and gets me through the hungry). You're full and your body is digesting but you are not going over your calorie goals.
Hope that helps...0 -
Why do you have your calories set at 1200?
Try backing off to a goal of losing 1lb per week. That will give you another 100 calories or more to work with throughout the day.
Staying satiated is usually a matter of getting protein at each meal (including breakfast and snacks), not going too long without eating (3-4 hours is a good range) and adding foods with a lot of fiber.
MFP has very low targets for protein and fiber. For protein, you want .5g-1g per pound of bodyweight per day to be your goal. Shoot for 25-30g of fiber per day.
Don't forget, MFP does not assume that you exercise at all. Your target calories are to create a 500 calorie daily deficit if you did nothing but go to work. You log your exercise and MFP adds those calories back to your calorie goal for the day.0 -
So... I'm reading here about people who have troubles consuming enough calories for the day. I have the opposite problem - I'm starving... Am I just going through the withdrawal and it will pass when my body will get used to 1200 cal a day? Should I wait out? Or should I just suck it up and get used to it because I am doomed to be starving for the rest of my life?
I have been maintaining my current weight for several years now - no significant ups or downs. For the last few days I have been tracking of what I actually eat on the regular basis just to get an idea of how many calories a day support my current weight. It turned out that I eat almost twice as much as I am supposed to according to mfp. I cook all my meals myself and keep them healthy, except for the recent discovery that I use too much oil that adds a lot of calories to the meals and I eat huge, humongous, enormous portions - twice as big as they should have been which explains the double amount of calories...
How do I train myself to eating less? Is it even possible? Aren't you, guys, starving? What do you do about it? Do you suppress your hunger or do you give in and then burn the calories by extra workouts?
I was told this piece of information and its true, YOU are going to be hungry in the beginning. In my case I have been overweight my whole life and was eating whatever I wanted and how much I wanted, so of course if your going from for example 3000 calories and jump to 1200 hungry, you will be hungry. I have been doing this for almost 3 months and its gotten much better. But your body was use to eating what it wanted, it will change as your body gets use to smaller portions.0 -
I have two suggestions. First you take a look at your goals and if you have it set too low, bump it up a bit. You cant go straight from 2400 calories a day to 1200 a day and not be starving. Its ok to slowly work your way down...I honestly think its better for you too.
Second, I would look at what you're eating. Our bodies are each different. Some of us need more protein, some need other nutrients more. Listen to your body. Figure out when you are the hungriest and adjust what you're eating for the meal before that. I used to be FAMISHED in the a.m. before lunch. I figured out that I needed a larger more substantial breakfast that included a lean protien. When I switched to oatmeal with walnuts and yogurt, I'm fine from breakfast until lunch.
Its important to begin listening to your body and figuring out what works for you. It may take some time and effort on your part, trying different things for a week or so at a time, but these two things together should really help.0 -
Why do you have your calories set at 1200?
Try backing off to a goal of losing 1lb per week. that will give you another 100 calories or more to work with throughout the day.
Staying satiated is usually a matter of getting protein at each meal (including breakfast and snacks), not going to long without eating (3-4 hours is a good range) and adding foods with a lot of fiber.
MFP has very low targets for protein and fiber. For protein, you want .5g-1g per pound of bodyweight per day to be your goal. Shoot for 25-30g of fiber per day.
Don't forget, MFP does not assume that you exercise at all. Your target calories are to create a 500 calorie daily deficit if you did nothing but go to work. You log your exercise and MFP adds those calories back to your calorie goal for the day.
Great advice. I was going to post just about the same thing. Btw, I started with my cal. goal at 1200, and was RAVENOUS all day long. Couldn't handle it. It just wasn't enough for my body/exercise. I bumped it up to 1460 (which was going from 1 lb/wk to .5 lb/wk loss), and that makes all the difference in the world to me. And when I exercise, I get 1700-2000 cal for the day, which is generally more than I can eat (that is, if you're eating nutritionally soundly).0 -
- read up on what 'clean eating' is
++ THe cleaner it is the harder it is to eat all your calories
- eating 'processed' carbs makes you hungrier.
+ as in Oatmeal feels you up but speghetti noodles just make you want to eat more
- confirm that you're on the right calorie count.
Hope this helps,
scott0 -
I have my goals set at 1 lb a week and that gives me 1570 calories per day, and then I add in exercise of around 500 calories a day. This gives me over 2000 a day, and honestly, I can't usually eat all that, but I try. I eat as healthy as possible and am losing weight quite steadily. Re-check your goals, I personally cannot imagine trying to live on 1200 cals a day
As someone else said, the food choices you make are all he difference. 1/3 cup of oatmeal with fruit and yogurt in the morning can be so filling, it will keep you going for hours! Don't forget to snack throughout the day, this is essential to keep from binging later because you allow yourself to get too hungry. And you MUST work exercise into your daily routine, not only does it give you extra calories, it also helps increase your energy level.
Good luck!0 -
Check your carbs (breads, cereals, rice, potatoes)...too many will put you into a hunger pang cycle. Eat more lean protein, high fiber green veggies, & lowfat/light dairy (yogurt, cottage cheese), or try sipping a warm cup of vegetable or chicken broth to help curb your hunger (watch the sodium if that's a diet issue for you). Be sure that you're drinking enough water...keeping hydrated can help. Have a cup/glass of hot or ice tea...brew some flavored lemon, peach, or raspberry tea to sip between meals as a treat. You can brew these with green, black, or white teas as well for added benefits. I used to substitute an activity like taking a walk or doing some tasks to see if a hunger pang will pass...and it often does.
Generally, consuming more calories is necessary with the increase in activity levels. Otherwise, you're not eating enough to supply your body with the required fuel for exercise and still meet your daily calorie goals. If you run a continuous & significant calorie deficit daily due to increased calorie burn during exercise, your energy levels & metabolism will suffer. So, if you're exercise burns 500 calories per day (an ambitious goal), and your daily calorie goal is 1400 to loose a pound a week, then you need to be eating 1900 calories per day....and that' s where trying to eat more foods to meet the daily calorie requirements come in.0 -
Hey There,
I don't know you, your diet etc. I too have battled my weight in my life... and quite honestly it sucks. You see these bean poles out there who can eat anything and never gain weight. Hate em. But thats why we're here right? We all want to get healthy.
Quite often its not about how many calories you consume, but what type of calories you consume.
So the question is what are you eating? I could very easily hit my daily calorie limit by eating a box of girl guide cookies and be starving by noon... or I could be eating a low fat diet rich in fruits and vegetables and higher in fiber and never feel hungry.
I will be the first to admit that 1200 calories a day seems very low (but then I am 230 lbs.). But then like I said, I don't know you.
When I seriously started managing my weight (life before MyFitnessPal) I weighed in excess of 320 lbs., I committed myself to something called 5:30.
5/30 calls for a minimum of 5 servings of fruits and vegetables and 30 minutes of exercise a day.
There are fewer calories in fruits and vegetables but generally higher fiber than any processed foods. In fact, some experts consider certain fruits and vegetables as "negative calories" insofar as the energy expended consuming and processing them is equal or greater than their actual calorie count (case in point lettuce). The advantage of this is you can eat them all day long and still be low in calories.
Portion control is important as well. For meals... Take a 9 inch dinner plate. 1/2 of that dinner plate should be full of veggies (salad, beans, corn... whatever floats you boat). 1/3rd of the plate can be starches (potatoes, rice etc). The remainder is left over for meat. A portion of lean meat should be no bigger than a deck of cards.
The thirty minutes of exercise is to rev up your metabolism and as such is most effective when done early in the day.
I would be happy to share more insights if you want... maybe I can help you find a happy medium?0 -
There are many good posts here with excellent advice. I add my voice to those who recommend cutting down incrementally. Over a three month period I cut from 2200 to 2000, then 1800, now 1600 or so. I eat three meals of appx 400 calories each and snacks through the day that total 400, so I am never completely full but never starving. Exercise is critical; it buys you “free” calories to eat. Through cycling and running I can get 600 to 700 extra calories daily, though I don’t consume anything like that many additional calories. I also agree with those that point out that MFP does not allow enough protein, at least for serious exercisers. But the percentages can be adjusted in the preferences. One last thought, Special K Protein Snack Bars taste great, have only 110 calories, and keep me satisfied a long time. They are small and I want to eat three of them at a time, but I stop at one and in a few minutes I am satisfied and stay that way for a couple of hours, then its time for a meal. I also count out a precise number of almonds if I only have room for a few calories. I used to eat handfuls but now 10 almonds will hold me a while. Good luck!0
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Oh, so many replies and all so useful! I truly appreciate every effort each of you, guys, made to help me out here. I do.
So... it's gonna look more like a blog post then a message board post, sorry... But I have to sum it up to keep my head straight.
MFP set up a 1200 cal/day goal for me, I didn't have much saying except for wanting to lose 2 lb a week. If I lower my expectations and aim for 1 lb a week, the goal is 1320 cal/day. So, in order for me not to starve and keep the "net calorie intake" at this number, I can eat 1800 cal and burn out 500 cal working out. And... Since MFP showed me that I need 1800 cal/day to maintain my current weight, if I continue feeling starved, I can increase the calorie intake up to 2000 and it will still give me a net calorie intake of 1600 cal a day which is 200 lower then what my body needs - a room for loosing weight.
1800 cal will give me breakfast/lunch/dinner at 400 cal each and 3 snacks at 200 each. That sounds all right. And if I choose foods high in fiber - I will feel satisfied longer. And if I drink a glass of water before each meal/snack - I will trick my stomach by increasing the volume with no calories. And if I drink a glass of water first whenever I think I feel hungry - I might be doing the right thing because indeed I might be just thirsty, not hungry. Hmm...
Clean eating, hmm... I like the idea that "if a man made it - don't eat it" I think first I was inspired by that a few years ago after reading Dr. Oz's "You on a diet" but gradually forgot all the good ideas And thank you so much for reminding me that pasta wants to eat more pasta - that is basically the revolutionary idea that has so much to offer to the mind seeking understanding of "how the hell did it happen to me and why can't I stop eating?" Anyways... I don't eat a lot of processed foods, just pasta maybe 4 times a week, my main problem is portion control... I think that portion control will be much more easier if I choose filling foods over empty ones. It's still going to be a struggle, but at least now I have a plan!
Thank you, guys, I truly appreciate it! :flowerforyou:0 -
You are going to get alot of different opinions from everyone so I am going to give you mine!!! ~LOL~ I have a significant amount of weight to lose. I looked at how much you want to lose and in my opinion your body is kind of going through withdrawls. That is because you probably are now trying to eat 1000 cal less a day. I can tell you for me so far, drinking water has helped a ton. Also cereal. Special K to be exact. I also know some people do not like the 100 cal snacks. But for me, I live by them because it is a portion control. You will get there. Try and find a special snack that gives you that "aaww" feeling. That has helped me too!!
IF you need help or encouragement, feel free to add me as a friend! Good luck!!! :happy:0 -
I had to learn a couple of facts
> It is OK to be hungry, I'm no starving
> If I want to be 100lb lighter I have to eat like I'm 100lb lighter
Water and raw veggies along with other quality low calories for a large volume of food helps
Taking vitamin and mineral supplements assure I'm not craving missing nutrients
Eat slow0 -
I find that I am only starving on days AFTER the days I cheated! I was bad on Monday and overate. Now I'm paying for it. But I'm just going to keep chomping on the veggies until my tummy gets readjusted. Hopefully by tomorrow things will be back to normal.0
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I too like the clean/whole foods approach. I just started eating this way in the last month --I'm not super strict, though--and it's the first time I haven't been scrounging the pantry for something that will quell my appetite. I also like trying to balance my foods each time I eat. So each meal contains a fruit or veggie, a whole grain, 3oz of lean protein and a plant based fat.
Ex. Breakfast might be a scrambled egg, a cup of raspberries, a slice of whole grain toast, and 2 TBSP almonds. (around 325 calories.)
Lunch might be 1/4 an avocado, about 100 calories worth of whole grain bread (half a whole wheat pita, for example), 3 oz. low sodium turkey breast, and a cup of fresh veggies. (Around 350 calories)
The plant-based fat (almonds, avocado, peanut butter etc) is the key, I think, to quieting my rumbling stomach. Just keep the portion quite small. I also feel really good. Not sure I can attribute that to the new diet, more exercise, or the gorgeous weather right now, but I'll take it.0 -
... I have the opposite problem - I'm starving... Am I just going through the withdrawal and it will pass when my body will get used to 1200 cal a day? Should I wait out? Or should I just suck it up and get used to it because I am doomed to be starving for the rest of my life?
I had exactly the same problem when I started but I didn't want to lose much and only had the loss set at 1/2lb per week. So I stuck it out. I'm now on maintenance and get 1450 calories, which together with exercise I can handle. So for me it did get a bit better. I hope it will for you too.0
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