Does anyone else feel like this?

I just noticed this week (and I'm getting near my goal, too) that I have been hungrier these past few days than I was in the beginning of the diet. Interesting. Maybe we're healthier all around and that's more normal? Or maybe we are learning to listen to our appetites instead of just eating whatever/whenever (certainly MY problem before!), and the appetites are now coming alive?

I fully intend to reach my goal. I'm saving some calories to eat after dinner (I was avoiding that because of metabolism concerns - was trying to front-load calories into the day) and also thinking about pushing more water.

100% agree with this. It has been harder and harder to stay within my calories the closer to goal I get. Switching from logging my burns on MFP to getting a Fitbit has helped as it has let me eat more, even though I still only eat back 75-85% of the exercise calories it gives me.

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I go back and forth. Some days (or even weeks) I feel like I want to eat everything I see, others I'm fine. People say that weight loss is not linear, and I don't think hunger is either. Maybe you're just going through a hungrier time now and it will pass.

This can be pretty normal. If you are eating properly there is an effect known as reverse dieting where your metabolism can actually speed up (check out the videos by bio-layne for more infomation). The result is you can eat more and still lose.

sunparakeet wrote: »

jshay295 wrote: »

Maybe it's because when we are heavier, our body uses up our fat stores for fuel, but as we lose weight and our fat stores, our body needs to be fueled more regularly as it can't rely on our stored energy for fuel. I'm not sure how to properly word that, I'm sure someone will come along who can say it better.

I think this is correct. Your body knows when it needs more food. It's only been the past couple hundred years of our millions-years-long evolutionary history where food has been constantly and readily available. Before then, it was eat everything you see or die. Your lizard-brain doesn't know that we have grocery stores now. It simply knows that your body is running low on stored energy, a.k.a fat! However being "low on stored energy" is how we all strive to be, so it's a constant battle with ourselves.

Interesting!

I think taking a break can help. I had a couple of weeks where I ate a bit more than I have been. You are eating less than your body requires in order to force it to use up stored fat and lose weight. But I feel like that can take its toll mentally and physically if you do it for extended periods. I am finding it easier to stay within goal having taken a break but I can see me needing to take a "proper" break at some point soon and just eat at maintenance for a week or two.

Over time even a small calorie deficit can leave you hungry. For me I've found that what I eat helps keep me less hungry, and in my case making sure I'm always in line with protein, then fat, seems to work. Carbs just sort of exist as filler even though I enjoy eating them, but I can eat high carbs and be hungry again sooner.

I think for some people (including me) making sure you eat things you enjoy also plays into the picture. If you never satisfy a craving it still lingers until you do. But done right you can eat your favorite foods in appropriate amounts as they fit into your diet. I often use heavier exercise days to fill these urges, since the extra calories allowed gives me room to eat things that I normally wouldn't include.

A couple days back I was not really hungry but had exercised and needed to eat quite a few calories after a real light day and lean dinner. And some milk chocolate, peanut butter, a cookie... and then a protein bar finished the day off nice. And really I needed the fat in the peanut butter and chocolate, so they were good choices at the time.

Lower your rate of loss and make sure you're getting enough fats and protein for satiety.