The Hunger Games

LazyButHealthy
LazyButHealthy Posts: 257 Member
edited November 8 in Health and Weight Loss
When I started on MFP properly a month ago, along with starting C25K, I found the allocated 1250 calls/day adequate. I ate similar foods but substituted types - ensuring I always purchased the lowest cal variations - and of course monitoring portions considerably. I didn't want to makes sudden, drastic changes as I know myself enough that I wouldn't stick to it. Incremental changes work so far (I'm down 17lbs over the last few months).

Over the weeks I only ate back some of my 'earned' calories from exercise, but now I'm hitting a wall.

I'm hungry almost all the time.

Following advice on here, I have 2 ways to monitor the calories burned in exercise, and I go for the lowest. When estimating foods I'm unsure of, I always estimate up.

But now I find I'm eating back all my exercise calories. Today, I went 12 calories over, and I'm still flipping starving.

Sometimes I listen to my body but I'm also afraid that if i do that too much I won't train my body to adjust to the new lifestyle - I'm only 5 weeks in.

I'm just a bit concerned - anyone else in the same boat?

Replies

  • fearlessleader104
    fearlessleader104 Posts: 723 Member
    Height/weight?
  • RodaRose
    RodaRose Posts: 9,562 Member
    Open your diary if you want specific advice. B)
  • Ninkyou
    Ninkyou Posts: 6,666 Member
    Perhaps your calorie goal is too aggressive? Have you tried lowering your settings (for example, setting it to 1 lbs/week rather than say 1.5 lbs/week)?
  • jrose1982
    jrose1982 Posts: 366 Member
    edited December 2014
    The problem I've seen with the "lowest calorie" versions of things is that manufacturers often remove the fat to reduce calories, and add sugar to improve the flavor (fat has 2x the calories of sugar). Which looks good on the numbers, but fat is far more filling.

    Review your macro-nutrient goals and consider whether you should be eating more fat. If you raise your fat percentage, take the difference out of carbohydrates.

    If you open your diary, people will find specific things you can change (the most common I've seen is to eat less empty calories). If you don't want to open your diary to the community, just open it to friends and ask your friends to comment.
  • amf0324
    amf0324 Posts: 46 Member
    I agree with turning to macros first -- increasing your ratio of fat and protein could solve your problem, and then you wouldn't need to increase your calories.

    I pretty much judge every food based on its protein content these days.
  • melbmeg
    melbmeg Posts: 32 Member
    That's a pretty brutal calorie goal unless you're very short and fairly light. I am 5'6", 175lbs and average around 1700 a day (often more), am sedentary, and still lose a pound a week. Agree with previous poster that you should look at your selected weight loss rate. One pound a week - even half a pound - may make for a much more pleasant weight loss experience.
  • LazyButHealthy
    LazyButHealthy Posts: 257 Member
    Aiming for 1.5lbs loss/week and was allocated 1250.
    I'm 5'4" and CW is 194 (SW was 212).

    To be honest, I'm really new to all this, so talk of macros freaks me out a little.
    The nutrient goals I have were automatically allocated, and I really don't know enough to adjust them.
  • segacs
    segacs Posts: 4,599 Member
    LazyButHealthy wrote: »
    Aiming for 1.5lbs loss/week and was allocated 1250.
    I'm 5'4" and CW is 194 (SW was 212).

    That would put your estimated sedentary TDEE at somewhere around 1900, plus exercise calories, so say around 2100. So yeah, 1250 could be right for a 1.5-2lb/week loss target, but it's WAY more than 20-25% of your TDEE, which is the biggest deficit that is recommended for a safe, sustainable rate of weight loss. IMHO I'd try dropping your goal to 1lb/week at most, since being hungry all the time is just counterproductive to your goals.

    To be honest, I'm really new to all this, so talk of macros freaks me out a little.
    The nutrient goals I have were automatically allocated, and I really don't know enough to adjust them.

    I'd suggest not worrying too much about macros at first. Just concentrate on staying at or under your calorie goal, and log what you eat. You may find yourself naturally adjusting macros and making adjustments later on, as you get further into this process and see what works for you via trial and error. But at first, it's not the most important thing to worry about.

  • chele402
    chele402 Posts: 128 Member
    1250 seems really low for your age, weight & height. I'm 33 and shoot for a 1300 net calorie average. I'm 5'6" and 156 lbs.
  • segacs
    segacs Posts: 4,599 Member
    I'm 34, 5'1" and ~140lbs, and I shoot for 1325 calories. Trying to get down to 115, but doing it slowly, at a target rate of 0.7lbs/week.

    At your size I'd aim for at least 1600, maybe more with exercise calories.
  • LazyButHealthy
    LazyButHealthy Posts: 257 Member
    edited December 2014
    segacs wrote: »
    LazyButHealthy wrote: »
    Aiming for 1.5lbs loss/week and was allocated 1250.
    I'm 5'4" and CW is 194 (SW was 212).

    That would put your estimated sedentary TDEE at somewhere around 1900, plus exercise calories, so say around 2100. So yeah, 1250 could be right for a 1.5-2lb/week loss target, but it's WAY more than 20-25% of your TDEE, which is the biggest deficit that is recommended for a safe, sustainable rate of weight loss. IMHO I'd try dropping your goal to 1lb/week at most, since being hungry all the time is just counterproductive to your goals.

    Thanks to you and others for info/guidance.

    ok, I just looked up a TDEE calculator. I hadn't really thought about it - I just put in info to MFP and accepted the 1250 allocated.

    With conservative estimates, the calculator puts mine at 2260 roughly, of which 20% is 452.
    So that would be a daily goal of 1808.
    25% reduction would be a daily goal of 1695.

    So should I adjust my targets to one of those, then?
  • segacs
    segacs Posts: 4,599 Member
    Yes, you could do that as your custom goal, but remember, if you use the TDEE method, don't log and eat back your exercise calories because they're already accounted for in your daily goals.

    Alternately, you could just adjust MFP to make your goal 1lb/week, and keep logging and eating back a portion of your exercise, which will come out to roughly the same thing.

    The important part is, you don't need to feel like you're hungry all the time in order to lose weight!
  • ana3067
    ana3067 Posts: 5,623 Member
    LazyButHealthy wrote: »
    Aiming for 1.5lbs loss/week and was allocated 1250.
    I'm 5'4" and CW is 194 (SW was 212).

    To be honest, I'm really new to all this, so talk of macros freaks me out a little.
    The nutrient goals I have were automatically allocated, and I really don't know enough to adjust them.

    You're not eating enough. I'm 162lbs, even with a goal of 1.5lbs/week (too aggressive for me) I'd be eating about 1660 calories. This is with exercise included. Considering I am lighter than you I'm guessing you've miscalculated your maintennace needs.

    You can calculate maintenance needs without adding in exercise by using websites like exrx.net or health-calc.com, which is one reason I recommend these way more than standard drop-down websites.
  • Liftng4Lis
    Liftng4Lis Posts: 15,151 Member
    LazyButHealthy wrote: »
    Aiming for 1.5lbs loss/week and was allocated 1250.
    I'm 5'4" and CW is 194 (SW was 212).

    To be honest, I'm really new to all this, so talk of macros freaks me out a little.
    The nutrient goals I have were automatically allocated, and I really don't know enough to adjust them.

    Okay way too aggressive, lower your goal and eat more.
  • LazyButHealthy
    LazyButHealthy Posts: 257 Member
    OK, but it's a bit annoying that MFP allocates a level that i followed for 5 weeks only to find out it's way below safe level! Anyone who's new is going to trust the site in the first instance, I'd say.

    Thanks for the constructive advice!

    I adjusted to 1lb/week loss, and I'm now on 1470.
    That already sounds and feels more manageable.
  • LazyButHealthy
    LazyButHealthy Posts: 257 Member
    ana3067 wrote: »
    You're not eating enough. I'm 162lbs, even with a goal of 1.5lbs/week (too aggressive for me) I'd be eating about 1660 calories. This is with exercise included. Considering I am lighter than you I'm guessing you've miscalculated your maintennace needs.

    Ok, well I didn't (I wouldn't know how to!).

    I've adjusted it based on people's advice.

  • Liftng4Lis
    Liftng4Lis Posts: 15,151 Member

    LazyButHealthy wrote: »
    OK, but it's a bit annoying that MFP allocates a level that i followed for 5 weeks only to find out it's way below safe level! Anyone who's new is going to trust the site in the first instance, I'd say.

    Thanks for the constructive advice!

    I adjusted to 1lb/week loss, and I'm now on 1470.
    That already sounds and feels more manageable.

    Actually, while you had more to lose, that worked for you. Now, with less to lose, its just time to adjust. This isn't a race and the winner here, gets to eat the most and still lose.
  • segacs
    segacs Posts: 4,599 Member
    LazyButHealthy wrote: »
    OK, but it's a bit annoying that MFP allocates a level that i followed for 5 weeks only to find out it's way below safe level! Anyone who's new is going to trust the site in the first instance, I'd say.

    I'm also not a huge fan of how MFP allows everyone to specify any weight loss target they want between 0.5lbs and 2lbs per week at the outset. The truth is, when most people are new to the process, they're more likely to put in the more aggressive goal of 2lbs/week because hey, who wouldn't want to lose the weight faster, all else being equal? I think it doesn't do a very good job of guiding that process, though it does build in some failsafes like not dropping recommended calories below 1200 regardless of inputs.

    Anyway, you haven't done yourself any harm or damage up until now, so don't stress about it. Just start upping your calories a bit until you feel more satisfied from your food, and track your weight loss as you go.
  • LazyButHealthy
    LazyButHealthy Posts: 257 Member
    Thanks segacs.

    Duly adjusted... helpful going in to week 5 of C25K!
    I'll be grateful, I'm sure ;)
  • segacs
    segacs Posts: 4,599 Member
    LazyButHealthy wrote: »
    Thanks segacs.

    Duly adjusted... helpful going in to week 5 of C25K!
    I'll be grateful, I'm sure ;)

    Yeah for sure! And way to go on the C25K!
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