1700 calories, sedentary female, 5'5, 213lb and still hungry

judywoody
judywoody Posts: 49 Member
edited August 2015 in Motivation and Support

So I eat just over 1700 calories I am a sedentary female, 5'5 ft and weigh 213lb

I set my goal for 0.25 kg a week, I didn't want to starve or lose weight too quickly. I want to take my time this time. I lost 60lb in the past and plateaud at 150lb because I think I ate way too little during my first weightloss regime. I am sedentary at the moment, going on the treadmill maybe once to twice a week for 40 minutes.. that's an ectra 600 cals burned (uphill walking). But other than that I occasionally run for the tram to work but that's it, I have a desk job.

So why on earth am I still hungry? I know I still eat the odd biscuit every now and then but I eat afair bit of veggies and fruit, I am vegetarian and according to mfp I always reach my protein and carb goals.

In the beginning I was fine but my stomach got emptier and emptier and now I'm in a constant state of slight hunger. I drink nearly 3 litres of water a day, too.

Any ideas?
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Replies

  • skbrodie
    skbrodie Posts: 81 Member
    Maybe spread out your eating more. I found that small meals more frequently helps me a lot
  • heathengirl
    heathengirl Posts: 8 Member
    I agree with spread out your eating more, and maybe add some additional protein. I know the more protein I eat the fuller I feel. I'm about 1500 cals a day and don't feel that hungry (I regularly go over MFP's protein goal).
  • TeaBea
    TeaBea Posts: 14,517 Member
    edited August 2015
    Protein, fat, and fiber are all filling. Sometimes it just takes time to make the adjustments and figure out what combination keeps you full. Some people stay full on low-fat + fiber. Other people stay full on high protein + low fat. It won't be one-size fits all. I find I need fat with every meal.

    Meal timing. Are you allowing for snacks. I bring breakfast and lunch to work. With lunch I typically have a fruit & veggie side. I generally save the fruit for late afternoon.

    If you are exercising you are earning more calories. there is no reason you can't distribute those calories evenly throughout the week. There is a method TDEE less a percent that includes exercise up front and then gives you the average.
  • boogiewookie
    boogiewookie Posts: 206 Member
    I'm sorry, it's not a fun feeling. just try to do the best you can to minimize calorie dense food, but as a vegetarian you're probably ok. I agree spreading it out is a great idea but other than that you're probably going to be hungry sometimes. its hard but it will get better. I struggled with that so much in the beginning but after a while I got used to the feeling. your body and mind will adjust, just remind yourself why you are doing this.:-)
  • enterdanger
    enterdanger Posts: 2,447 Member
    Are you hungry all the time or is there a period of the day/night that is worse? I struggle at night so I save about half of my calories for dinner and later. I also try to stay busy at night rather than watching tv because that is when I really want to snack.
  • AliceDark
    AliceDark Posts: 3,886 Member
    Would you be willing to open your diary so we can take a look and make specific suggestions? If not, you're going to get a lot of generic advice that may or may not apply to you.
  • nesman89
    nesman89 Posts: 10 Member
    How long have you been restricting calories? When I start restricting it takes my brain about 3 weeks to convince my stomach it doesn't need food all the time. Most of my dieting is mental.
  • megantischner
    megantischner Posts: 85 Member
    How long have you been eating at ~1700 cal/day? If you've only been doing this for like a week, you may just need to give yourself time to adjust, especially if you're used to eating much more each day. If you've been doing this for a while, then I agree that going with smaller meals so you can have snacks during the day may help. You'll probably have to try a few different things to find out what works for you.
  • Ashtoretet
    Ashtoretet Posts: 378 Member
    Are you on any medications?

    I think you may also need to double check the calories burned on the treadmill, 600 seems like an awful lot. By comparison, I basically "run" on an elliptical for 33 minutes (I go about 2.5 miles) and only burn 350.
  • GiveMeCoffee
    GiveMeCoffee Posts: 3,556 Member
    Play with your meal timing. For myself if I eat breakfast I'm hungry all day long, so I prefer to eat 1-2 meals a day starting in early afternoon or just a big dinner.

    Find what works for you
  • becknomad
    becknomad Posts: 63 Member
    Maybe you are not really stomach hungry. More bored/stress/lonely etc. If you distract yourself for 10 minutes does the hunger go away. Are you denying yourself foods that you love? These are for sure my triggers!
  • judywoody
    judywoody Posts: 49 Member
    thanks for all the replies. Regarding the treadmill: I meant 600 cals for two sessions a week combined :-)

    I have only been doing this for 2 weeks. My stomach grumbles pretty much all day so it's not like I feel hungrier at certain times of the day. My stomach starts feeling hungry again an hour after I've eaten. Maybe it's really mind over matter but I could swear I didn't feel that hungry the first time round.. lol

    I think I should eat more protein. I like my tofu and eggs and trying to stay away from dairy because it gives me the trots..

    How would I open my diary?

    One of my problems is that my day starts really early. I'm trying to delay breakfast till I'm in the office so it's not too long till lunchtime. I get up at 5.30, start work at 7.30 and have lunch at 12. So I'm awake a lot longer than I used to be. Also, I make my own lunch but sometimes, when I still get hungry there aren't many options for me. So I resort to a biscuit or anything I can get hold of. Fruit makes me even hungrier.. lol
  • judywoody
    judywoody Posts: 49 Member
    becknomad wrote: »
    Maybe you are not really stomach hungry. More bored/stress/lonely etc. If you distract yourself for 10 minutes does the hunger go away. Are you denying yourself foods that you love? These are for sure my triggers!

    does a grumbling stomach mean I'm hungry? :D

  • amusedmonkey
    amusedmonkey Posts: 10,330 Member
    Here are a few tricks:
    - Sunflower seeds for snacking, in shell. Takes long to shell them and you feel like you've been eating for hours.
    - Soup and/or green salad before your main meal(s). Low calorie, filling.
    - More protein
    - Filling fiber like oatmeal or chia seeds
    - Play around with meal timing. Notice how your day goes. When do you get the hungriest? When are you not so hungry? Maybe when your hunger is "behaving" you could get away with a small snack or even skip the meal all together and allocate more calories to the time you're most hungry.
    - If all else fails you may want to look into intermittent fasting. The idea seems intimidating at first, but after a couple of weeks you get used to fast days/periods and get to have days/periods when you are pleasantly full without going over.
  • MrsMES10
    MrsMES10 Posts: 23 Member
    Could you need to add more fat? It's very satiating.
  • JustChristy79
    JustChristy79 Posts: 156 Member
    Make water your new best friend. Drink, drink, drink! It really helps with that empty feeling.
  • BJD56
    BJD56 Posts: 5 Member
    edited August 2015
    Have you had a chance to try any of the free guided imagery (aka hynosis) apps? I shared an experience on my recent post and find they help me feel better about myself. For me I needed to face the fact that I know what I need to do... it is just a matter of holding myself to the standards I know work.
    And no just because your stomach is grumbling doesn't mean your hungry.. Try to wait 20 minutes, and spend the time you would be munching doing something else healthy-- a short walk, jumping jacks... deep breaths... sharing concerns with friends.
  • kamack1215
    kamack1215 Posts: 109 Member
    I feel hungry all day while sitting at my desk and would eat all day everyday if it wasn't for my tea! I have all kinds, with and without caffeine. I find it helps to take my mind off of all the food I want to eat as they are quite delicous
  • jgnatca
    jgnatca Posts: 14,464 Member
    Here's some ideas to try.
    • A slightly larger breakfast with a little more protein as you are suspecting.
    • Pack a breakfast and eat it when you get to work.
    • Lighter lunch with greater volume; i.e. a salad.
    • Drink water throughout the day to keep down the grumbles. Perhaps start with tea or coffee in the morning.
    • Try cheese and crackers as a mid-morning or mid-afternoon snack, or edamame beans.
  • judywoody
    judywoody Posts: 49 Member
    i think i will definitely try and look into getting more protein, especially in the morning. will just need something to take to work...tea helps me too and I should defo try and drink more hot beverages. I like drinking caro 'coffee'.

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