STARVING - so when will it stop?
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beemerphile1 wrote: »I started following my calories about a week ago. I lost 6 and did not notice any real difficulty other than no eating out. This week I have felt like my stomach is eating itself. I am meeting or exceeding my carbs protein and fat;so why do I feel like I am starving? Is it my body thinking it is starving because it is not getting what it used to get daily? Will this stop soon? If it is happening to you did you find a way to make it stop?
I exercise almost daily so that I can eat more.
^And this0 -
Had a quick look at your food diary. It looks like you are eating a good amount of calories, however things like protein bars might be an issue. Yes they have protein in them and that is good. However you can have a big salad with chicken with only a few more calories and that will fill your stomach. You need to physically eat more food but not more calories.
In addition, I take a thermos with me full of tea to tide me over. A full cup of milk in the thermos is 160 calories but keeps me going all afternoon and stops me from snacking.0 -
I agree with what has been said about accurately tracking and making sure you are eating enough calories. Part of the hunger is normal though and its just one of those things that takes time to adjust to. We got fat by eating way too many calories and it will take some adjusting for our bodies to eat at a deficit. Some days are going to be better than others, but the hunger shouldn't be super unbearable for you hopefully. Coffee and/or walking help me when I'm feeling hungry but I know I don't need to eat anymore. And drinking a lot of water can help too. If you really are having trouble add in something small so that you can get by without getting to a breaking point and binging (like a piece of fruit or a yogurt)0
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1. First time I tried MFP I was super hungry but my husband pointed out it was because I wasn't exercising so that's what I do for extra calories per day.
2. Sometimes you can feel hungry when you're dehydrated. Have s glass of water and wait half an hour to see if you're still hungry.
3. Yesterday I was hungry in the day as I knew I was having a big tea. It's a pay off and it usually works as I lack control in the evenings!0 -
healthygreek wrote: »You may not be weighing your food and inadvertantly eating too little or you may have set your calorie goal too low.
Or, you may need to eat back some exercise calories.
I am not weighing my food. I am going to get a scale tomorrow.
How many calories were you assuming you were eating?
If I ate chicken breast I would just pick large to make sure that I guessed worse case scenario. But most things are packaged so I scanned the bar codes.
Bad idea, especially if you overestimate everything like me. I'd think I'm eating 200g of chicken when I'm actually eating 80 ...0 -
OP, when are you expecting your period? You've gotten a lot of great advice in this thread, but it could be hormonal and you're just going to have to ride this wave.0
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Agree with the above posts. Also wanted to mention that another reason could be hormones- time of the month or ovulation. Sometimes thats all it takes to get that extreme hunger feeling. But If im just starting to feel a little hungry, ill first have a hot cup of coffee or a few cups of ice water. If im legit HANGRY, ill just eat and figure out a way to make it stay under my weekly calorie goals. Goal for me- to never be that hungry. If i eat the wrong foods, ill notice increased hunger for a couple days. Veggies and protein help me stay fuller.0
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How much fiber are you eating? I am ravenous if I neglect my fiber intake. Protein is filling, but then I get hungry again in a few hours. Fiber curbs my hunger throughout the day.0
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Thank you all for the suggestions. I will do some checking. I will add some more salads because I do love them.
I am unclear on hormone cycles because I had a complete radical hysterectomy and my ovaries were removed. I do have emotional days of the month but no cycle.
So am I supposed to eat 1380 calories only and then work out? Or should I be at 1380 at the end of the day after work out calories burned are entered into the equation?0 -
I have my calories set to 1350 calories per day. That is "net" calories - I do add in exercise calories but very conservatively.
I try to exercise for at least 45 minutes a day, but I usually end up with more than that, esp. when I go to spin class and work out at the gym. Since I do not trust most of the calorie burn estimations, I am restricting my "eat back" exercise calories to about 200 per day. Less if I workout less strenuously.
So I may eat about 1500 calories per day, but net about 1200 or 1300 - and I am rarely if ever hungry to the point of ravenous, with the exception of the obvious "Hey I haven't eaten in several hours, I'm hungry"
Sometimes I have hunger pangs that I think are just my stomach saying "Hey, I'm bored, why not munch on some chips or something and give me something to do?" That's when I have a drink of water or coffee, or if it's night time and I don't want to eat anything more because I've already gotten to my calorie goal, I go to bed.
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Today I woke up early for some reason and did not want to eat breakfast at 5:30 a.m. If I did, I would then be eating all. day. long. So I placated my growly grumpy tummy with a cup of coffee and distraction on MFP this a.m. ha ha0
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Greetings! Took a quick look at your diary- there is no fiber in your diet. Add some vegetables and whole grains. (Not just salad- a bowl of lettuce isn't as satiating as a bowl of quinoa or broccoli.)0
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Two very important things to learn for weight loss/control:
1. The difference between being HUNGRY and WANTING TO EAT -
That was a very difficult thing to admit to myself. I would eat a reasonable meal and feel like I was starving. I wasn't starving. I couldn't possibly be, I just ate 700 calories! I wanted to eat more, and that's up to you to control. There are different ways to do it (drink more water, take a walk after you eat, etc.) but you have to realize the difference between actually needing to ingest calories and just wanting to.
2. Experiencing the difference between a 500 calories of foods that fill you up and 1000 calories of foods that don't. - This took me a while to realize, and it really changed the way I look at meals. When I first started losing, after a few weeks of strict dieting I just had to have a burger and fries. Missed them badly. So I got a fast food burger, fries and coke. Normal meal right? It clocks in at about 1000 calories unless you get a kids meal and diet soda. I ate the meal and two thing occurred to me. First was that I really didn't miss fries like I thought I would. They were good, but they weren't THAT good. Second was that right after eating, I didn't feel any more full than the 500 calorie meal I had been eating chicken and veggies. In fact, I wanted to eat another hamburger! Even though I had already doubled the calories.
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Is your period coming soon? Not joking.
My first week of dieting, I was hungry because I was adjusting to eating at a calorie deficit. But that went away by week 2. YMMV.
I've been at this for almost a year and the only time I'm noticeably hungry anymore is the week before my period. Hunger is a symptom of PMS for many women.
Make sure you're eating enough calories, proteins, and fats, but sometimes its really just the hormones.
ETA: I just noticed that you said you've had a hysterectomy. I doubt that PMS is your issue then.
I'm going to iterate what others have said, weigh your food and track accurately. It can make a huge difference. Most people who ask for help are underestimating their calories by not weighing, but I would wager that some are overestimating too. You want to be sure that you are eating the right amount.
Second, make sure you're eating enough protein, fat, and fiber. Those three are what keep you feeling full.
Third, sometimes it takes the body a while to adjust to eating at a deficit. You may just have to wait it out a little longer.0 -
healthygreek wrote: »You may not be weighing your food and inadvertantly eating too little or you may have set your calorie goal too low.
Or, you may need to eat back some exercise calories.
I am not weighing my food. I am going to get a scale tomorrow.
How many calories were you assuming you were eating?
If I ate chicken breast I would just pick large to make sure that I guessed worse case scenario. But most things are packaged so I scanned the bar codes.
Well to be honest you really have no idea why you are starving and in reality you could be starving because you are under eating and you really are hungry.
I second this, and I'd like to ask how tall are you?
Here's why - I am 5'9, weigh in at ~260lbs and eat 2,000 calories/day and I lose. If you have 100 lbs to lose, it is very possible that at this point in your weight loss you need more calories to live. I'm not saying it will always be like that, but in reality the bigger the person the more energy it's going to take to move them right? I started at 340lbs and lost on just over 2,300 calories/day. It's dropped as my weight has dropped. If you have over 100lbs to lose, I'm thinking that 1,590 calories may be a little too aggressive for what you're used to. If you can tough it out, do it but why not enjoy a little bigger margin of error right now while you can?
If you're used to eating a lot more - which you can't say you're not, how else would someone get to be 100lbs over weight? - you may need to taper and gradually reduce your caloric intake.0 -
Thank you all for the suggestions. I will do some checking. I will add some more salads because I do love them.
I am unclear on hormone cycles because I had a complete radical hysterectomy and my ovaries were removed. I do have emotional days of the month but no cycle.
So am I supposed to eat 1380 calories only and then work out? Or should I be at 1380 at the end of the day after work out calories burned are entered into the equation?
The 1380 will be your final number of calories for the day after exercise and eating some of them back.0 -
eat good saturated fats... stop eating grains & sugars. ..works for me ...
EDITED:
i looked at your diary ..your total Sugar is way too high..that will put on a insulin/gulcose roller coaster..you will always be hunger until you get below 35 grams a day.. IMHO0 -
aaroncirilo wrote: »eat good saturated fats... stop eating grains & sugars. ..works for me ...
EDITED:
i looked at your diary ..your total Sugar is way too high..that will put on a insulin/gulcose roller coaster..you will always be hunger until you get below 35 grams a day.. IMHO
Good advise...lost 22 lbs in 8 weeks eating this way along with light exercise (walking/bike riding). Nice not to deal with feeling hungry. Watch "Fat Head" on YouTube
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