At calorie limit still hungry

Hunter2224
Hunter2224 Posts: 71 Member
edited January 2016 in Food and Nutrition
My calorie limit is set at 1550 I am 5'4 150lbs my goal is to get down to 120lbs. But even when I hit my calorie limit I'm still hungry and craving snacks. Any suggestions?

Replies

  • StacyChrz
    StacyChrz Posts: 865 Member
    If you're exercising you may want to eat back 1/3-1/2 of your calories and see how you feel. I also find that when I am particularly hungry I try to add large portions of cooked veggies to my meals so I can fill up with fewer calories.
  • SarcasmIsMyLoveLanguage
    SarcasmIsMyLoveLanguage Posts: 2,668 Member
    How long have you been at this? What is your timeframe to get to your goal?
    I find it helps to evaluate my calories for the week, rather than per day. If I'm at or slightly below for the week, I'm all good. That means I might eat a bit more one day, a bit less the next.
  • Hunter2224
    Hunter2224 Posts: 71 Member
    I've been at this about a week. I'm set to lose about. 1 lb a week
  • diannethegeek
    diannethegeek Posts: 14,776 Member
    These are my really general tips for hunger:

    1. Make sure that your calorie goals are actually set appropriately. Don't skip this step. A lot of people set goals that are too aggressive and then wonder why they're having a hard time. http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/819055/setting-your-calorie-and-macro-targets

    2. Look for foods higher in protein, fat, and fiber. These help us stay full and more satisfied longer. If you're using MFP's default settings, try to consider protein, fat, and fiber as minimums to reach every day rather than maximums to stay below.

    3. Drink plenty of fluids. Some people really do confuse thirst and hunger.

    4. Get plenty of rest. This includes sleeping enough and taking rest days from the exercise. Sometimes our bodies look for food when they're exhausted.

    5. Play around with your meal timings. Some people do really well on 5-6 small meals a day and others feel like they want to gnaw their own arm off eating like that. Skipping breakfast, eating breakfast, 16:8 fasting, 6 small meals, 3 larger meals, snacks, no snacks, meal timing won't make a big difference to your weight loss, but it may help your hunger levels, mood, concentration, gym performance, etc. throughout the day. Don't be afraid to try a different way and see if it helps.

    6. Wait it out. If you know you're eating enough and the other steps above aren't helping, you may just have to wait it out. Our bodies send out hunger signals partially out of habit. If you eat at a certain time every day your body will start to get hungry at that time. The good news is that these signals can be retrained to stop telling you to be hungry all the time. The bad news is that you may just have to be hungry for a little bit while that happens.

    7. I also think it's important to remember that there's a habitual component to hunger. This goes along with point #6, but if you eat because you're bored or you're used to eating in front of the TV or in the car or whatever it is, then you can replace those habits with others that are better for you. Things like keeping water on hand to sip instead of snacking or picking up hobbies that keep your hands busy or that get you out of the house more can help out a little while you're retraining your hunger cues. You might need to pay attention to why you're eating/hungry or what you're feeling when you eat and try to replace food with other things, but it can be really beneficial over time.
  • Jetamu96
    Jetamu96 Posts: 963 Member
    It all depends on what you're choosing to put into your body and the exercise you're doing. My limit is at 1200 and I can honestly say that I haven't felt hungry.
    Try having oatmeal in the mornings with fruit and nuts, it'll keep you fuller for longer.
    One of my go-to snacks is avocado on little pieces of toasted bread or just plain fruit.
    After dinner I have a little treat (usually chocolate) and then when I know I won't be eating anything else I have a big glass of green tea!
    Try checking out my food diary for ideas if you like :)
  • kdcomstock89
    kdcomstock89 Posts: 54 Member
    It might be helpful if you make your food diary public. I agree with pp vegetables really help me stay within my calorie goal.
  • nordlead2005
    nordlead2005 Posts: 1,303 Member
    Here are your solutions.

    1) Eat different foods. Some people find proteins more filling. Fiber can be filling, etc... I find a 100% carb meal leaves me hungry, but if I get a nice mix of macro nutrients it leaves me full for longer.

    2) Eat at different times. I find it easy to skip breakfast, but couldn't fathom going to bed hungry, so I eat 3x/day, lunch, dinner, snack. Others like eating 6x/day and find they aren't hungry.

    3) Eat more. You don't have to eat 1550 to lose weight. You could eat 1650, find you are full, and just lose ever so slightly slower. You could even eat 1450 one day and 1650 the next. My "week" starts on monday and my goal is to hit my weekly goal, so I typically eat slightly under on weekdays and slightly over on the weekend.

    Do any combination of the above 3 things and you should be able to find something that works for you.
  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member
    Make sure you're getting enough fat, protein and fibre
  • Hunter2224
    Hunter2224 Posts: 71 Member
    edited January 2016
    How do I view other people's diaries and how do I get mine public
  • Dday88
    Dday88 Posts: 2 Member
    Water, water, water, then veggies... I eat a ton of broccoli and green beans, makes your plate feel full and you feel full.
  • beatyfamily1
    beatyfamily1 Posts: 257 Member
    I eat between 1000-1300 in order to lose weight. I'm a stay-at-home mom and work from home so I can't have as many calories as others can. I eat twice a day and I don't get hungry. I walk for 3 miles and jog when the kids are asleep for 20 minutes on the treadmill. 3/4 of my plate are vegetables and will have a protein with it. I add flax seeds for fat. I only drink water. It could be what you are eating. It could be you require more calories to accommodate your exercise routine. Take a look at what you have logged in your diary. Maybe keep a note on your diary to show what days you are still hungry and which days you are not. Then you can determine what it is that's making you still hungry.
  • MelaniaTrump
    MelaniaTrump Posts: 2,694 Member
    edited January 2016
    Fast food and junk food will not fill me up. Amounts too small. Are you eating quality foods with high protein?
    To open your diary go to MyHome, Settings, Diary Settings and switch to public.
  • 890emma
    890emma Posts: 16 Member
    StacyChrz wrote: »
    If you're exercising you may want to eat back 1/3-1/2 of your calories and see how you feel. I also find that when I am particularly hungry I try to add large portions of cooked veggies to my meals so I can fill up with fewer calories.

Categories