Starving at 1500 kcal

HM2206 · January 2015

I'm trying to lose a few and have my goal set to 1500 calories a day, which is supposed to be a good target.
I'm looking to lose about 12-17 lbs. I am not technically overweight, but chubbier than I used to be. I put my lifestyle to 'inactive' as I am looking for work and am not running around much these days.
My TDEE was calculated to 1900 a day.

I am not addicted to sugar and never eat candy nor junk food, so that's good. According to advice given on here, you should not eliminate things you like to eat entirely, so I work in some small portions of pasta, cheese, red wine and bread. I try to go wholewheat on the carbs also when I do eat them.

Thing is, I am hungry after 1500 calories. Even if I eat mostly things that fill me up - eggs, chicken, salmon, pork.
I know that I need to make sacrifices to lose weight but going to bed hungry can't be good. I'm also afraid I'll explode one night and order two pizzas (which has happened in the past).

Is it possible I'm underestimating my TDEE? I do walk a bit throughout the day and do a lot of housework, maybe I burn slightly over 1900? Or is the only way to suffer through the hunger?
I'm 5"9 and 24 years old.

shadowofender · January 2015

That's a fairly large deficit, and since you have so little to lose, why not consider making your deficit smaller? I had to decrease my deficit because I was so hungry and honeslty adding 150 calories a day, while it sounds like a small amount, has made a large difference.

HeySwoleSister · January 2015

Henny2206 wrote: »

I'm trying to lose a few and have my goal set to 1500 calories a day, which is supposed to be a good target.
I'm looking to lose about 12-17 lbs. I am not technically overweight, but chubbier than I used to be. I put my lifestyle to 'inactive' as I am looking for work and am not running around much these days.
My TDEE was calculated to 1900 a day.

I am not addicted to sugar and never eat candy nor junk food, so that's good. According to advice given on here, you should not eliminate things you like to eat entirely, so I work in some small portions of pasta, cheese, red wine and bread. I try to go wholewheat on the carbs also when I do eat them.

Thing is, I am hungry after 1500 calories. Even if I eat mostly things that fill me up - eggs, chicken, salmon, pork.
I know that I need to make sacrifices to lose weight but going to bed hungry can't be good. I'm also afraid I'll explode one night and order two pizzas (which has happened in the past).

Is it possible I'm underestimating my TDEE? I do walk a bit throughout the day and do a lot of housework, maybe I burn slightly over 1900? Or is the only way to suffer through the hunger?
I'm 5"9 and 24 years old.

Why are you eating so little if you only have a small amount of weight to lose? If your TDEE is really 1900, you probably shouldn't eat less than 1700 to reach your goals sensibly.

If you choose a high target loss per week when you are so close to your goal weight, you will be hungry. The whole point of maintenance is that it should be the point of equilibrium for you for the rest of your life. You are close to maintenance, so you should be eating only slightly under that.

thedarkwombat · January 2015

cut the carbs, and your hunger will drop.

juggernaut1974 · January 2015

How did you calculate TDEE? Yes it's quite possible the calculation was inaccurate, especially so if you used an online calculator. They use population averages, and can be inaccurate for any specific individual. (Not that I'm discounting their usefulness - they can be a good starting point if nothing else).

Best method is trial and error. If you're ravenous on 1500, up it to 1600 or 1700 for a few weeks and see if it affects your weight loss. If you're still losing, then all is well.

belinda_b · January 2015

This is the story of my life right now. I also would like to know. I have been trying to suffer through the hunger. I thought it was just my age, but you're young.

williams969 · January 2015

Henny2206 wrote: »

I'm trying to lose a few and have my goal set to 1500 calories a day, which is supposed to be a good target.
I'm looking to lose about 12-17 lbs. I am not technically overweight, but chubbier than I used to be. I put my lifestyle to 'inactive' as I am looking for work and am not running around much these days.
My TDEE was calculated to 1900 a day.

I am not addicted to sugar and never eat candy nor junk food, so that's good. According to advice given on here, you should not eliminate things you like to eat entirely, so I work in some small portions of pasta, cheese, red wine and bread. I try to go wholewheat on the carbs also when I do eat them.

Thing is, I am hungry after 1500 calories. Even if I eat mostly things that fill me up - eggs, chicken, salmon, pork.
I know that I need to make sacrifices to lose weight but going to bed hungry can't be good. I'm also afraid I'll explode one night and order two pizzas (which has happened in the past).

Is it possible I'm underestimating my TDEE? I do walk a bit throughout the day and do a lot of housework, maybe I burn slightly over 1900? Or is the only way to suffer through the hunger?
I'm 5"9 and 24 years old.

I find this calculator a good starting place to get a TDEE estimate: http://scoobysworkshop.com/accurate-calorie-calculator/#results

And by your description, you're not "inactive/sedentary." More likely "lightly active." That, plus you're uncomfortably hungry cues indicate you could probably eat a bit more and still lose. Recalculate, eat at a slightly higher level for a solid 4 weeks, and reassess and tweak if necessary.

lindsayk324 · January 2015

I've had trouble with hunger in the past. Here's a few tricks that've helped me!

1. Water and Waiting. First thing I do when I'm feeling hungry, especially if it's right after I've eaten, is drink a big glass of water (300-500mL) and wait about 20 minutes. 50% of the time, this helps me realize that I'm actually satisfied and the "you're full" signal just hasn't reached my brain.

2. High Volume. I find a way to sneak vegetables into every meal, because I've found that one of my "things" is just having a lot to eat. I put onions in my scrambled eggs, carrots and bell peppers in my chili, have tons of salad with my 'taco salad', etc. Having the volume (and fiber!) helps me fill up and keeps me full.

3. Familiarity with hunger/cravings. Sometimes that when I'm hungry, if I take a minute and think about what it is I'm hungry FOR, I can usually quiet the sensation with a taste of whatever it is. Chocolate/sweets are a big thing for me, so I keep a bar of dark chocolate and if that's what I'm hungry for, I'll have a square or two. Sometimes I've realized that I'm craving fat, and having a 0.5-1oz of cheese satisfies the hunger. It took me years to figure out my body, but there's definitely some trends. I always crave sugary fruity things like Skittles when I'm thirsty, for example. My body is weird.

4. Caffeine. Yeah, this one's cheating. Caffeine can have a lot of negative side effects but it DOES suppress your appetite. If you're desperate and don't resort to it TOO often, it might be enough to help you push through a low energy slump. For me, around 2-4pm I'll have a second/third cup of coffee or tea.

Hope this helps

Good luck!!

Bukawww · January 2015

I find I am much more able to 'suffer' during the day than at night...so I save most of my calories for the evening. Once I feel full, I don't think about food anymore.

Starving at 1500 kcal

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