Uneaten allowable calories

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  • JoyeII
    JoyeII Posts: 240 Member
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    I'll share a different experience... I have been doing this since Jan. 1, 2014 (with about 6 weeks off in late April-May due to health issues).

    I still feel hungry every single day. I eat back all of my exercise calories, and target 0.5 lbs./week (this doesn't happen every week, but over a long period of time, it is not far off).

    Some people will tell me I'm "not dieting right." I've tried different tactics within a deficit to feel more full - lots of water, lots of low-density foods (lettuce and spinach), LCHF, Paleo (which turns out to be practically LCHF). It doesn't matter what I do, I will be hungry.

    In order to not be hungry, I find that I need to eat 3,000-5,000 calories per day (more if I exercise, as that tends to make me hungrier). Is it sustainable to continue to be hungry? Yes in the mid-term, no in the long-term. Everyone tells me that as I continue to lose weight and eat less, I'll eventually become less hungry. I restarted June 1 and it is now Dec. 1... how much longer will it take? The answer is: While it may work for some people to just lose weight and automatically become less hungry, that is not how it works for all of us. Rather than try to keep telling myself that I will someday be able to lose or maintain weight without being hungry, I feel it is better to acknowledge and accept the reality that I must choose between being obese or being uncomfortable. As far as being unsustainable in the long-term, I intend to hold my weight down as long as I can stand... hopefully that will be a few years at least.

    I'm sure I'm going to get a lot of responses telling me that I am wrong and that I'm not really hungry or that I am not doing something right. Just know that I have heard it all before and know it doesn't work so well for everyone.

    What are your macro ratios?
  • vanillacoffee
    vanillacoffee Posts: 1,024 Member
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    I don't eat them. Some days I go over, I figure it balances out. Unless there's a huge deficit, I let them go uneaten!
  • mymodernbabylon
    mymodernbabylon Posts: 1,038 Member
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    I use the TDEE method. I like it better as I eat more and I have one goal to reach every day. Right now I'm at maintenance so I'm eating TDEE, but when I was trying to lose (which I'll do again in Jan), I was eating TDEE-15%. It worked for me and took the guesswork out of it all.
  • Lounmoun
    Lounmoun Posts: 8,426 Member
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    If I am hungry and I still have calories left then I will definitely eat something. I wouldn't eat if I were not hungry just because I still have a few more calories allowed that day.
    When I exercise and the galorie goal goes up I generally don't eat all of those... just eat maybe half of those calories and I am not hungry at that point.
  • T1DCarnivoreRunner
    T1DCarnivoreRunner Posts: 11,502 Member
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    ana3067 wrote: »
    I'll share a different experience... I have been doing this since Jan. 1, 2014 (with about 6 weeks off in late April-May due to health issues).

    I still feel hungry every single day. I eat back all of my exercise calories, and target 0.5 lbs./week (this doesn't happen every week, but over a long period of time, it is not far off).

    Some people will tell me I'm "not dieting right." I've tried different tactics within a deficit to feel more full - lots of water, lots of low-density foods (lettuce and spinach), LCHF, Paleo (which turns out to be practically LCHF). It doesn't matter what I do, I will be hungry.

    In order to not be hungry, I find that I need to eat 3,000-5,000 calories per day (more if I exercise, as that tends to make me hungrier). Is it sustainable to continue to be hungry? Yes in the mid-term, no in the long-term. Everyone tells me that as I continue to lose weight and eat less, I'll eventually become less hungry. I restarted June 1 and it is now Dec. 1... how much longer will it take? The answer is: While it may work for some people to just lose weight and automatically become less hungry, that is not how it works for all of us. Rather than try to keep telling myself that I will someday be able to lose or maintain weight without being hungry, I feel it is better to acknowledge and accept the reality that I must choose between being obese or being uncomfortable. As far as being unsustainable in the long-term, I intend to hold my weight down as long as I can stand... hopefully that will be a few years at least.

    I'm sure I'm going to get a lot of responses telling me that I am wrong and that I'm not really hungry or that I am not doing something right. Just know that I have heard it all before and know it doesn't work so well for everyone.

    You look like a classic case that may benefit from intermittent fasting. Since you are hungry anyway, why not be hungry on just some days while enjoying your 3000 calories on others? You may want to look into "the every other day diet". I do it when I happen to go through hungry phases and it works alright for me.

    That or you need more protein, which is the only "diet" you didn't mention. Protein helps a great deal with satiety. Or your macro balance was not good for you - e.g. I need to eat low in carbs for my first 2 meals (out of 3 or 4 depending on the calorie allotment) otherwise I'm hungry all day. Unfortunately I might be too high carb for lunch but I was rushing and just grabbed bar things.

    Paleo and LCHF are also heavy on protein, and I'm aware of the textbook understanding of the link between digestion and satiety (fats take the longest to digest, proteins are second longest, and carbs are fastest), but that doesn't seem to hold true for me. Let's say I eat 1,800 calories of protein and maybe even some fat (no carbs) and I'm satisfied (that is what it would take at a minimum to be completely satisfied at a typical meal). I'll still be hungry in 2-3 hours.
  • njmark72
    njmark72 Posts: 99 Member
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    When I was working hard to lose my weight I wouldn't eat them and I would stay under my allowable calories a day. Using that method helped me lose 80lbs in 5 months. On maintenance now and I do whatever I want.... When I gain a few pounds I will exercise and carefully watch my calories until I get back down and then repeat... Been in the 180s now for almost 4 months now and feeling great.

    Good Luck!
    Mark
  • brianpperkins
    brianpperkins Posts: 6,124 Member
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    TDEE factors in exercise calories during initial calculations and sets an average calorie total to reach every day. NEAT factors in exercise calories only when the activity is performed and expects people to eat those exercise calories back.

    Attention to detail reveals that both systems involve a net caloric deficit that includes exercise calories.
  • fyrfytrca
    fyrfytrca Posts: 10
    edited December 2014
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    I ignore the calories in MFP and my fitness watch and other programs. I went to a Paleo way of eating and have dropped 64 lbs so far. I'm never hungry, cause when I am I eat something healthy. I don't eat processed foods, sugars etc. I find these foods make me hungry - and are bad for me, so I don't eat them. My only cheats are liquor and occasionally bacon. I exercise each and every day mostly walking for now until I get down to a weight that will support more aggressive work. When it's crappy out I use the elliptical instead of walking outdoors. Walking further each time and it's getting easier You don't need to count calories, use spreadsheets, buy food - just eat better (Paleo) and exercise more. I've tried all the other diets and formulas and found what works for me - change your life and you will reap the benefits. 100+ more lbs to go . . . .

    I guess in answer to the OP I always come in under what MFP says I should have eaten, but not being hungry I don't eat those extra. I just use MFP as a log of food eaten.
  • T1DCarnivoreRunner
    T1DCarnivoreRunner Posts: 11,502 Member
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    ana3067 wrote: »
    I'll share a different experience... I have been doing this since Jan. 1, 2014 (with about 6 weeks off in late April-May due to health issues).

    I still feel hungry every single day. I eat back all of my exercise calories, and target 0.5 lbs./week (this doesn't happen every week, but over a long period of time, it is not far off).

    Some people will tell me I'm "not dieting right." I've tried different tactics within a deficit to feel more full - lots of water, lots of low-density foods (lettuce and spinach), LCHF, Paleo (which turns out to be practically LCHF). It doesn't matter what I do, I will be hungry.

    In order to not be hungry, I find that I need to eat 3,000-5,000 calories per day (more if I exercise, as that tends to make me hungrier). Is it sustainable to continue to be hungry? Yes in the mid-term, no in the long-term. Everyone tells me that as I continue to lose weight and eat less, I'll eventually become less hungry. I restarted June 1 and it is now Dec. 1... how much longer will it take? The answer is: While it may work for some people to just lose weight and automatically become less hungry, that is not how it works for all of us. Rather than try to keep telling myself that I will someday be able to lose or maintain weight without being hungry, I feel it is better to acknowledge and accept the reality that I must choose between being obese or being uncomfortable. As far as being unsustainable in the long-term, I intend to hold my weight down as long as I can stand... hopefully that will be a few years at least.

    I'm sure I'm going to get a lot of responses telling me that I am wrong and that I'm not really hungry or that I am not doing something right. Just know that I have heard it all before and know it doesn't work so well for everyone.

    You look like a classic case that may benefit from intermittent fasting. Since you are hungry anyway, why not be hungry on just some days while enjoying your 3000 calories on others? You may want to look into "the every other day diet". I do it when I happen to go through hungry phases and it works alright for me.

    That or you need more protein, which is the only "diet" you didn't mention. Protein helps a great deal with satiety. Or your macro balance was not good for you - e.g. I need to eat low in carbs for my first 2 meals (out of 3 or 4 depending on the calorie allotment) otherwise I'm hungry all day. Unfortunately I might be too high carb for lunch but I was rushing and just grabbed bar things.

    Paleo and LCHF are also heavy on protein, and I'm aware of the textbook understanding of the link between digestion and satiety (fats take the longest to digest, proteins are second longest, and carbs are fastest), but that doesn't seem to hold true for me. Let's say I eat 1,800 calories of protein and maybe even some fat (no carbs) and I'm satisfied (that is what it would take at a minimum to be completely satisfied at a typical meal). I'll still be hungry in 2-3 hours.

    Example for today: I ate for lunch 640 calories. Of that, 44g carbs (14 of which are fiber), 46g protein, 34g fat. That satiated me for about 40-45 min. and I was hungry again.
  • newdaydawning79
    newdaydawning79 Posts: 1,503 Member
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    ana3067 wrote: »
    I'll share a different experience... I have been doing this since Jan. 1, 2014 (with about 6 weeks off in late April-May due to health issues).

    I still feel hungry every single day. I eat back all of my exercise calories, and target 0.5 lbs./week (this doesn't happen every week, but over a long period of time, it is not far off).

    Some people will tell me I'm "not dieting right." I've tried different tactics within a deficit to feel more full - lots of water, lots of low-density foods (lettuce and spinach), LCHF, Paleo (which turns out to be practically LCHF). It doesn't matter what I do, I will be hungry.

    In order to not be hungry, I find that I need to eat 3,000-5,000 calories per day (more if I exercise, as that tends to make me hungrier). Is it sustainable to continue to be hungry? Yes in the mid-term, no in the long-term. Everyone tells me that as I continue to lose weight and eat less, I'll eventually become less hungry. I restarted June 1 and it is now Dec. 1... how much longer will it take? The answer is: While it may work for some people to just lose weight and automatically become less hungry, that is not how it works for all of us. Rather than try to keep telling myself that I will someday be able to lose or maintain weight without being hungry, I feel it is better to acknowledge and accept the reality that I must choose between being obese or being uncomfortable. As far as being unsustainable in the long-term, I intend to hold my weight down as long as I can stand... hopefully that will be a few years at least.

    I'm sure I'm going to get a lot of responses telling me that I am wrong and that I'm not really hungry or that I am not doing something right. Just know that I have heard it all before and know it doesn't work so well for everyone.

    You look like a classic case that may benefit from intermittent fasting. Since you are hungry anyway, why not be hungry on just some days while enjoying your 3000 calories on others? You may want to look into "the every other day diet". I do it when I happen to go through hungry phases and it works alright for me.

    That or you need more protein, which is the only "diet" you didn't mention. Protein helps a great deal with satiety. Or your macro balance was not good for you - e.g. I need to eat low in carbs for my first 2 meals (out of 3 or 4 depending on the calorie allotment) otherwise I'm hungry all day. Unfortunately I might be too high carb for lunch but I was rushing and just grabbed bar things.

    Paleo and LCHF are also heavy on protein, and I'm aware of the textbook understanding of the link between digestion and satiety (fats take the longest to digest, proteins are second longest, and carbs are fastest), but that doesn't seem to hold true for me. Let's say I eat 1,800 calories of protein and maybe even some fat (no carbs) and I'm satisfied (that is what it would take at a minimum to be completely satisfied at a typical meal). I'll still be hungry in 2-3 hours.

    Example for today: I ate for lunch 640 calories. Of that, 44g carbs (14 of which are fiber), 46g protein, 34g fat. That satiated me for about 40-45 min. and I was hungry again.

    Have you checked with a doctor? It sounds like there may be a problem somewhere in your digestive system. My mother was having troubles post-gastric bypass with being constantly hungry. In her case the opening into the intestines was too large so food was passing right through so she was never full.
  • T1DCarnivoreRunner
    T1DCarnivoreRunner Posts: 11,502 Member
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    ana3067 wrote: »
    I'll share a different experience... I have been doing this since Jan. 1, 2014 (with about 6 weeks off in late April-May due to health issues).

    I still feel hungry every single day. I eat back all of my exercise calories, and target 0.5 lbs./week (this doesn't happen every week, but over a long period of time, it is not far off).

    Some people will tell me I'm "not dieting right." I've tried different tactics within a deficit to feel more full - lots of water, lots of low-density foods (lettuce and spinach), LCHF, Paleo (which turns out to be practically LCHF). It doesn't matter what I do, I will be hungry.

    In order to not be hungry, I find that I need to eat 3,000-5,000 calories per day (more if I exercise, as that tends to make me hungrier). Is it sustainable to continue to be hungry? Yes in the mid-term, no in the long-term. Everyone tells me that as I continue to lose weight and eat less, I'll eventually become less hungry. I restarted June 1 and it is now Dec. 1... how much longer will it take? The answer is: While it may work for some people to just lose weight and automatically become less hungry, that is not how it works for all of us. Rather than try to keep telling myself that I will someday be able to lose or maintain weight without being hungry, I feel it is better to acknowledge and accept the reality that I must choose between being obese or being uncomfortable. As far as being unsustainable in the long-term, I intend to hold my weight down as long as I can stand... hopefully that will be a few years at least.

    I'm sure I'm going to get a lot of responses telling me that I am wrong and that I'm not really hungry or that I am not doing something right. Just know that I have heard it all before and know it doesn't work so well for everyone.

    You look like a classic case that may benefit from intermittent fasting. Since you are hungry anyway, why not be hungry on just some days while enjoying your 3000 calories on others? You may want to look into "the every other day diet". I do it when I happen to go through hungry phases and it works alright for me.

    That or you need more protein, which is the only "diet" you didn't mention. Protein helps a great deal with satiety. Or your macro balance was not good for you - e.g. I need to eat low in carbs for my first 2 meals (out of 3 or 4 depending on the calorie allotment) otherwise I'm hungry all day. Unfortunately I might be too high carb for lunch but I was rushing and just grabbed bar things.

    Paleo and LCHF are also heavy on protein, and I'm aware of the textbook understanding of the link between digestion and satiety (fats take the longest to digest, proteins are second longest, and carbs are fastest), but that doesn't seem to hold true for me. Let's say I eat 1,800 calories of protein and maybe even some fat (no carbs) and I'm satisfied (that is what it would take at a minimum to be completely satisfied at a typical meal). I'll still be hungry in 2-3 hours.

    Example for today: I ate for lunch 640 calories. Of that, 44g carbs (14 of which are fiber), 46g protein, 34g fat. That satiated me for about 40-45 min. and I was hungry again.

    Have you checked with a doctor? It sounds like there may be a problem somewhere in your digestive system. My mother was having troubles post-gastric bypass with being constantly hungry. In her case the opening into the intestines was too large so food was passing right through so she was never full.

    I see doctors all the time for a number of health issues. The only one that makes sense with the symptom of hunger is that I have type 1 diabetes.
  • sheepotato
    sheepotato Posts: 600 Member
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    I am one of those people that only eat when they are hungry, even if they are under their calorie goals for the day. I know there have been and will be days when I want to eat more and days I want to eat less. It took me years to get to the place where I really understood what was hungry and what was not, I don't want to mess with that.

    I also stop when I feel sated, I just stick the rest of my food in the fridge if I'm home, and throw the rest away or get a to go box if I'm out somewhere. I was raised to 'finish my plate' which made no sense when my food was arbitrarily portioned. I can enjoy what I am eating without feeling the urge to eat every last morsel if I am already full.

  • Mediocrates55
    Mediocrates55 Posts: 326 Member
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    I don't eat them because I know I'll eat them later in the week. I get the nastygram from MFP about twice a week for undereating. But other days I go over my count, so in the end it all comes to balance. I don't want to stuff my foodhole if I'm not hungry - that's what got me into this mess to begin with. I'll wait and save them for when I want a cheeseburger and fries.
  • fnub
    fnub Posts: 34 Member
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    SLLRunner wrote: »
    fnub wrote: »
    If you want to lose weight, it seems simple enough. Calories in VS calories out. Some people are saying that I should those daily uneaten calories. But to me it just seems like extra calories that you'd eventually have to get rid of. I do feel hungry most of the time. But I just tell myself that's the feeling of losing weight. It seems to work.

    So which type are you? Do you eat only a portion of your calories or do you consume them all? And do you eat the red ones last ;-)

    I try to stay at my net calories for maintenance, which means I eat most of my exercise calories back.

    I don't understand what you mean by, "And do you eat the red ones last?" Can you please explain, because when my calorie count is red it means I've went over my daily allotment. :)

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mpW3-hafRN4
  • SLLRunner
    SLLRunner Posts: 12,942 Member
    edited December 2014
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    fnub wrote: »
    SLLRunner wrote: »
    fnub wrote: »
    If you want to lose weight, it seems simple enough. Calories in VS calories out. Some people are saying that I should those daily uneaten calories. But to me it just seems like extra calories that you'd eventually have to get rid of. I do feel hungry most of the time. But I just tell myself that's the feeling of losing weight. It seems to work.

    So which type are you? Do you eat only a portion of your calories or do you consume them all? And do you eat the red ones last ;-)

    I try to stay at my net calories for maintenance, which means I eat most of my exercise calories back.

    I don't understand what you mean by, "And do you eat the red ones last?" Can you please explain, because when my calorie count is red it means I've went over my daily allotment. :)

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mpW3-hafRN4

    Cute. :smiley:

    I don't ever save the red ones for last, because there are too many. :)

  • T1DCarnivoreRunner
    T1DCarnivoreRunner Posts: 11,502 Member
    Options
    I'll share a different experience... I have been doing this since Jan. 1, 2014 (with about 6 weeks off in late April-May due to health issues).

    I still feel hungry every single day. I eat back all of my exercise calories, and target 0.5 lbs./week (this doesn't happen every week, but over a long period of time, it is not far off).

    Some people will tell me I'm "not dieting right." I've tried different tactics within a deficit to feel more full - lots of water, lots of low-density foods (lettuce and spinach), LCHF, Paleo (which turns out to be practically LCHF). It doesn't matter what I do, I will be hungry.

    In order to not be hungry, I find that I need to eat 3,000-5,000 calories per day (more if I exercise, as that tends to make me hungrier). Is it sustainable to continue to be hungry? Yes in the mid-term, no in the long-term. Everyone tells me that as I continue to lose weight and eat less, I'll eventually become less hungry. I restarted June 1 and it is now Dec. 1... how much longer will it take? The answer is: While it may work for some people to just lose weight and automatically become less hungry, that is not how it works for all of us. Rather than try to keep telling myself that I will someday be able to lose or maintain weight without being hungry, I feel it is better to acknowledge and accept the reality that I must choose between being obese or being uncomfortable. As far as being unsustainable in the long-term, I intend to hold my weight down as long as I can stand... hopefully that will be a few years at least.

    I'm sure I'm going to get a lot of responses telling me that I am wrong and that I'm not really hungry or that I am not doing something right. Just know that I have heard it all before and know it doesn't work so well for everyone.

    You look like a classic case that may benefit from intermittent fasting. Since you are hungry anyway, why not be hungry on just some days while enjoying your 3000 calories on others? You may want to look into "the every other day diet". I do it when I happen to go through hungry phases and it works alright for me.

    OK, I did some quick looking on the every other day diet. I'm a little worried that I won't be able to lose because I would expect to have a calorie surplus overall. Meaning that if I eat 500 calories on a fast day and 4,000 calories on alternating days, then I'm at an average of 2,250 calories (except I may be at more or less than that, depending on what I actually eat on feed days).

    I've got plans for Dec. that would make it very difficult to start this now, but I'm thinking about trying in January. I figure that, if nothing else, I can see if I actually feel more satiated and can decrease appetite. Of course I expect to feel more satiated on feed days, but the real test will be if it helps with appetite reduction... I'm willing to try, though.
  • sofaking6
    sofaking6 Posts: 4,589 Member
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    fnub wrote: »
    If you want to lose weight, it seems simple enough. Calories in VS calories out. Some people are saying that I should those daily uneaten calories. But to me it just seems like extra calories that you'd eventually have to get rid of. I do feel hungry most of the time. But I just tell myself that's the feeling of losing weight. It seems to work.

    So which type are you? Do you eat only a portion of your calories or do you consume them all? And do you eat the red ones last ;-)

    What's your daily calorie allowance from MFP? Mine is 1200. Could you eat 1200 calories a day without being miserably hungry? I can't.