Guesses on this phenomenon?

Squirrel698
Squirrel698 Posts: 127 Member
edited November 30 in Health and Weight Loss
Hi there!

Okay, I'm a 36-year-old male, 5'10" about 165 lbs right now. I want to lose about 15 more pounds or so. Then I might try to gain muscle. First things first, however.

For about six weeks I ate 1250 or so with a cheat day once a week. I lost 20+ lbs doing that. However I was starving, so I decided to up my calories per day. I also didn't want to lose too quickly because I heard the rebound was high plus I want to minimize muscle loss.

I went to 1450 or so and gained and stalled for a bit but then the weight started to fall off again. I lost 5lbs in about a week. So I upped my calories again a few days ago to 1600, and there I am now. I might go up to 1800 if I keep on losing at too fast a pace.

I do work out; I use exercise videos make sure to underestimate my calories, and I walk for now and planning on running again when spring rolls around again. I don't usually eat my calories back.

The mystery is this; I'm eating 350 more than my lowest calorie days, but I'm at least twice as hungry. I thought for sure when I upped my calories I would be less starving. Unfortunately, that's not the case. It's strange and not what I expected. I have great willpower and can resist, but it's just odd.

Any clue what's going on? Is it just my body adjusting? Does my plan seem sound?

Thanks for your response.

Replies

  • AJ_G
    AJ_G Posts: 4,158 Member
    If you're that hungry, try changing up your macros, maybe throw in more protein and more fat. Make sure your carbs are coming from sources that are more filling. You can also try eating the same calorie intake, but eating fewer, larger meals to help keep you full.
  • LushFix
    LushFix Posts: 303 Member
    edited February 2016
    From my understanding men should not eat below 1600 calories? Did my fitness pal tell you to only eat that amount?

    I'm not sure if it s phenomenon or your body is pissed off and wants you to stop starving it.
  • LBuehrle8
    LBuehrle8 Posts: 4,044 Member
    I think he's asking why he's more hungry eating more now than when he was eating less.
  • LBuehrle8
    LBuehrle8 Posts: 4,044 Member
    You're probably more hungry because you deprived yourself for 6+ weeks.
  • Sued0nim
    Sued0nim Posts: 17,456 Member
    You underate ...it's easier to do at the beginning because of willpower

    You are still under eating but are more aware of your hunger signals

    You need to fix your calorie intake

    In addition you do not wait until goal weight to start weight training you start a good progressive programme as soon as you start losing weight to preserve as much muscle as possible and you fuel your body appropriately with the right macros and calories

    You've kind of approached this the wrong way I'm afraid ...but you can fix it
  • Need2Exerc1se
    Need2Exerc1se Posts: 13,575 Member
    LBuehrle8 wrote: »
    You're probably more hungry because you deprived yourself for 6+ weeks.

    This ^^

    I think it's a very common phenomenon for those who go on a very low calorie diet and why so many regain weight after losing it. Once you start to eat more your body craves even more to build back up what was lost.
  • rybo
    rybo Posts: 5,424 Member
    Just an aside, you should be strength training now to hold on to what little muscle you have before trying to lose another 15 lbs.
  • Squirrel698
    Squirrel698 Posts: 127 Member
    Interesting. Thanks for the advice. I guess it makes sense that my body is trying to regain what it lost, but I have miserable being overweight.

    How can I fix this now? I put in sedentary with 1 lbs lost into MFP, and it gave me 1600 a day. So that's where I'm eating now. I do walk almost 10,000 steps a day so I'm not really sedentary, but I thought if it came to that I could eat back some of my exercise calories.

    I don't belong to a gym right now. The contracts they make you sign were killing my budget. I do exercise videos and focus on upper body. I doubt it's as good as free weights, but I feel it afterwards. Arm circles, arm presses, push ups, for upper body, lunges, squats and so on for lower, that sort of body weight strength training.
  • Squirrel698
    Squirrel698 Posts: 127 Member
    LBuehrle8 wrote: »
    I think he's asking why he's more hungry eating more now than when he was eating less.

    Yes, that's exactly what I'm asking.
  • Yi5hedr3
    Yi5hedr3 Posts: 2,696 Member
    Squirrel698 wrote: »
    Hi there!

    Okay, I'm a 36-year-old male, 5'10" about 165 lbs right now. I want to lose about 15 more pounds or so. Then I might try to gain muscle. First things first, however.

    For about six weeks I ate 1250 or so with a cheat day once a week. I lost 20+ lbs doing that. However I was starving, so I decided to up my calories per day. I also didn't want to lose too quickly because I heard the rebound was high plus I want to minimize muscle loss.

    I went to 1450 or so and gained and stalled for a bit but then the weight started to fall off again. I lost 5lbs in about a week. So I upped my calories again a few days ago to 1600, and there I am now. I might go up to 1800 if I keep on losing at too fast a pace.

    I do work out; I use exercise videos make sure to underestimate my calories, and I walk for now and planning on running again when spring rolls around again. I don't usually eat my calories back.

    The mystery is this; I'm eating 350 more than my lowest calorie days, but I'm at least twice as hungry. I thought for sure when I upped my calories I would be less starving. Unfortunately, that's not the case. It's strange and not what I expected. I have great willpower and can resist, but it's just odd.

    Any clue what's going on? Is it just my body adjusting? Does my plan seem sound?

    Thanks for your response.

    Too many carbs.
  • ladipoet
    ladipoet Posts: 4,180 Member
    Your body is telling you that it needs more healthy fats which helps greatly with satiety.
  • samanthachen
    samanthachen Posts: 360 Member
    Need2Exerc1se wrote: »

    This ^^

    I think it's a very common phenomenon for those who go on a very low calorie diet and why so many regain weight after losing it. Once you start to eat more your body craves even more to build back up what was lost.

    This.

    When I first joined MFP a few years ago, I went crazy and set my goal to the greatest loss. I was all set with 1200 calories. I thought that it was fine because I wasn't that hungry. Once I started feeling like crap and having zero energy, I went through the community and quickly learned how to set everything. Updated my macros, picked my own calories based on my TDEE, and I WAS STARVING! I was hungry all day for so many days. It will balance out once your body gets whatever it was missing, or once it gets used to the new number?! :) It will adjust and slowly go away. I hope this helps!
  • Squirrel698
    Squirrel698 Posts: 127 Member
    samanthachen wrote: »
    Need2Exerc1se wrote: »

    This ^^

    I think it's a very common phenomenon for those who go on a very low calorie diet and why so many regain weight after losing it. Once you start to eat more your body craves even more to build back up what was lost.

    This.

    When I first joined MFP a few years ago, I went crazy and set my goal to the greatest loss. I was all set with 1200 calories. I thought that it was fine because I wasn't that hungry. Once I started feeling like crap and having zero energy, I went through the community and quickly learned how to set everything. Updated my macros, picked my own calories based on my TDEE, and I WAS STARVING! I was hungry all day for so many days. It will balance out once your body gets whatever it was missing, or once it gets used to the new number?! :) It will adjust and slowly go away. I hope this helps!

    It does help quite a bit! Thank you for posting. It's a bit better today, just crazy sometimes how the body works.

    Thank you to everyone who answered. I think I'm going to keep on raising my calories over the next couple of weeks until I get to 2000 or so. I'm not in that much of a hurry to lose these last couple of pounds.
  • fvtfan
    fvtfan Posts: 126 Member
    Squirrel698 wrote: »
    Interesting. Thanks for the advice. I guess it makes sense that my body is trying to regain what it lost, but I have miserable being overweight.

    How can I fix this now? I put in sedentary with 1 lbs lost into MFP, and it gave me 1600 a day. So that's where I'm eating now. I do walk almost 10,000 steps a day so I'm not really sedentary, but I thought if it came to that I could eat back some of my exercise calories.

    I don't belong to a gym right now. The contracts they make you sign were killing my budget. I do exercise videos and focus on upper body. I doubt it's as good as free weights, but I feel it afterwards. Arm circles, arm presses, push ups, for upper body, lunges, squats and so on for lower, that sort of body weight strength training.

    Well the problem with this is that MFP already has your deficit in the 1,600 - so you SHOULD be eating back the calories from your walking....or change your setting the right one (active if you are doing 10,000 steps a day) and eat what MFP gives you.
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