Hungry at maintenance!
49DegreesNorth
Posts: 31 Member
Hello to all
I have finally pretty much reached my desired goals. I weigh now 178lbs with about 8% bf (or close), at 5'9" am happy with the way I look for a 50 year old. Yes I am not a 200 pounder but more lean mass for my height would make me look too stocky, so I would like to maintain my leanness and overall weight.
I am eating at just about maintenance, between 2,400 and 2,600 calories.
While I used to have a 6 day split, I decided to reduce to 3 days of intense full body and 2 days of HIIT and low intensity cardio, mainly to keep in shape for upcoming Spartan races.
My nutrition is broken into 3 meals. Breakfast about 730 calories, lunch 780, dinner 1,100 all around 40%P/20%F/40%C
So here comes the question: I am STARVING all the time! I wake up at night with hunger cramps. Can't wait for morning to get up and have my breakfast.
My weight is stable, fluctuating minimally, so calories should be correct. I am addicted to caffeine and probably drink way too many coffees, 12-14 cups a day... [IMG]
I also drink between 1-1/2 and 2 gallons of water a day, of which almost 3/4 of a gallon around dinner time to fill me up or else I would just keep on eating!
What is going on? Could it be the caffeine?
I have finally pretty much reached my desired goals. I weigh now 178lbs with about 8% bf (or close), at 5'9" am happy with the way I look for a 50 year old. Yes I am not a 200 pounder but more lean mass for my height would make me look too stocky, so I would like to maintain my leanness and overall weight.
I am eating at just about maintenance, between 2,400 and 2,600 calories.
While I used to have a 6 day split, I decided to reduce to 3 days of intense full body and 2 days of HIIT and low intensity cardio, mainly to keep in shape for upcoming Spartan races.
My nutrition is broken into 3 meals. Breakfast about 730 calories, lunch 780, dinner 1,100 all around 40%P/20%F/40%C
So here comes the question: I am STARVING all the time! I wake up at night with hunger cramps. Can't wait for morning to get up and have my breakfast.
My weight is stable, fluctuating minimally, so calories should be correct. I am addicted to caffeine and probably drink way too many coffees, 12-14 cups a day... [IMG]
I also drink between 1-1/2 and 2 gallons of water a day, of which almost 3/4 of a gallon around dinner time to fill me up or else I would just keep on eating!
What is going on? Could it be the caffeine?
0
Replies
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Try adding a bit more fat?2
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I was going to say the same thing. Maybe look at your macros and increase your proteins and fats. Try adding some type of snacks in between your three meals. Congrats on reaching your goals.2
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I concur with the others about fats/protein. I might also try spreading the food around throughout the day. Maybe try 5 or 6 meals. I'm the same height as you, 170lbs and I don't have near the lean muscle mass you do, and even at just lightly active I get 2350 calories a day. On cardio days I get another 600 and weight lifting days I eat another couple hundred.
How is your weight training going, are you making steady progress, did you hit a plateau? With your stats the body isn't going to give up more fat stores easily, so it is possible you could eat more and not gain weight....1 -
More fat, more fiber.
I have to restrict more now at maintenance than when I was losing. It sucks!3 -
49DegreesNorth wrote: »Hello to all
I have finally pretty much reached my desired goals. I weigh now 178lbs with about 8% bf (or close), at 5'9" am happy with the way I look for a 50 year old. Yes I am not a 200 pounder but more lean mass for my height would make me look too stocky, so I would like to maintain my leanness and overall weight.
I am eating at just about maintenance, between 2,400 and 2,600 calories.
While I used to have a 6 day split, I decided to reduce to 3 days of intense full body and 2 days of HIIT and low intensity cardio, mainly to keep in shape for upcoming Spartan races.
My nutrition is broken into 3 meals. Breakfast about 730 calories, lunch 780, dinner 1,100 all around 40%P/20%F/40%C
So here comes the question: I am STARVING all the time! I wake up at night with hunger cramps. Can't wait for morning to get up and have my breakfast.
My weight is stable, fluctuating minimally, so calories should be correct. I am addicted to caffeine and probably drink way too many coffees, 12-14 cups a day... [IMG]
I also drink between 1-1/2 and 2 gallons of water a day, of which almost 3/4 of a gallon around dinner time to fill me up or else I would just keep on eating!
What is going on? Could it be the caffeine?
I had that same issue too? I believe that your brain sends hunger signals as you reintroduce more calories. What was your calorie intake before?2 -
lol I just got into the macro balancing. I'm getting close to 2700 cals a day and I am always hungry an hour after I eat something. I feel like I'm eating more than ever but I am intentionally eating "cleaner" foods, but I am hungry yet full...its weird.1
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I was thinking more about this during my afternoon run. lol. Do you weigh your food? Maybe your under-estimating your calorie intake? It surprises me how much I can eat and still maintain. But, I am always busy. Either exercising, playing with the kids, cooking, cleaning, yard work, etc. I don't really sit down much other than in the evenings when we are watching TV together as a family. My activity level (even without exercise) is high, so I can eat more. Maybe you are under-estimating your calorie intake and under-estimating your calorie burn or activity level? Maybe try to up your calories and see how it goes. Hunger is not a bad thing, but nobody wants to be hungry all the time. I wake up too with my stomach growling, ready to eat again. I
food! 
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Try reverse dieting- slowly start adding calories. Add 100-200 a day for a week. If the scale stays relatively stable (you will have a slight rise due to both water weight and food being digested), add 100-200 the next week.
A small pre bed snack high in fat and protien may help you through the night.
Cheers, h.4 -
middlehaitch wrote: »Try reverse dieting- slowly start adding calories. Add 100-200 a day for a week. If the scale stays relatively stable (you will have a slight rise due to both water weight and food being digested), add 100-200 the next week.
A small pre bed snack high in fat and protien may help you through the night.
Cheers, h.
This.
Try adding more calories. I can maintain at 2350 when matching your activity level. I feel like you should be able to eat more.
ETA: If you are truly 8%, constant hunger may come with the territory, based on my reading.3 -
Add more fat and protein and work on upping your calories a little more as you probably can eat more and still maintain. Our bodies are generally good at letting us know when we need to fuel them more.
Maybe you are drinking too much water/coffee and its just making you feel hungrier with all its swishing around in yer belly
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try @middlehaitch's suggestion. You can probably go up in calories 100 at a time and still more or less maintain without serious gains.1
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Geeze, 12-14 coffees way too much maybe you need a little more sugar instead of the coffee. By the looks of your pic you look great and maybe your water consumption is causing the night time cramps....just thought.2
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Your maintenance calories are too high
At sedentary you should be at 2000 calories
Then figure out your exercise calories and eat them back
Eating 2400-2600 a day is probably not enough0 -
middlehaitch wrote: »Try reverse dieting- slowly start adding calories. Add 100-200 a day for a week. If the scale stays relatively stable (you will have a slight rise due to both water weight and food being digested), add 100-200 the next week.
A small pre bed snack high in fat and protien may help you through the night.
Cheers, h.
This.
Try adding more calories. I can maintain at 2350 when matching your activity level. I feel like you should be able to eat more.
ETA: If you are truly 8%, constant hunger may come with the territory, based on my reading.
That would have been my guess too. That is one of the reasons it is hard to maintain a low body fat.1 -
Update: thanks all for your contributions.
I decided to take a few steps: first of all I need to reduce my caffeine intake... I know it's way too much, I love coffee but you are right, this much cannot be healthy. SO i will try to limit to breakfast, mid morning and after morning. This should reduce by 50%.
My TDEE is 2,090 cals based on myfitnesspal and similar on scoobysworkshop. Adding 1 hour of exercise a day (about 550-600cals) I am close to 2,700 cals so I am upping my intake with a 35P/35C/30F which allows me to keep protein at 1.3gr/lb and almost 90gr fat
I will introduce this additional 200 cals mid morning snack, perhaps as a protein shake. After all I wake up at 5:15, have breakfast , work out at 6:30 until 8 and then lunch at noon....
I'll keep you updated.
This is pic from this summer. I am less lean than in my avi, but since July I've lost about 5 lbs of fat so i'll take the "risk" of adding calories
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wow!! what a bod! congrats on a job well done! 2
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49DegreesNorth wrote: »Update: thanks all for your contributions.
I decided to take a few steps: first of all I need to reduce my caffeine intake... I know it's way too much, I love coffee but you are right, this much cannot be healthy. SO i will try to limit to breakfast, mid morning and after morning. This should reduce by 50%.
My TDEE is 2,090 cals based on myfitnesspal and similar on scoobysworkshop. Adding 1 hour of exercise a day (about 550-600cals) I am close to 2,700 cals so I am upping my intake with a 35P/35C/30F which allows me to keep protein at 1.3gr/lb and almost 90gr fat
I will introduce this additional 200 cals mid morning snack, perhaps as a protein shake. After all I wake up at 5:15, have breakfast , work out at 6:30 until 8 and then lunch at noon....
I'll keep you updated.
This is pic from this summer. I am less lean than in my avi, but since July I've lost about 5 lbs of fat so i'll take the "risk" of adding calories
I almost licked my screen. Well done!6 -
8% is low man id be starving all day just to fuel up. I was as low as 8% at 182 lbs and I ate ALLLLL day and didnt track anything. I was also laid off at the time so all I had was the beach and the gym, but I was eating all nutrient rich foods also . Alas that was 10 years ago and times they have a changed1
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Could you have slightly less cals in your three meals and have three snacks during day instead? I have to snack I can't go hours and hours without eating I'd be starving too! Amazing bod by the way!1
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I have nothing to add but to say wow! You look great.. fantastic job1
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Quality of the food you are eating would be my first guess.....and maybe up the fat and less carbs.2
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I'm a female and no where near 8%, but I am getting close to maintenance and find the more I bump up calories to slow weight loss (1200 increased to 1800 over a few months) the hungrier I am all the time. I'm not sure if this is a common, but I hear ya!2
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I'm always hungry at maintenance too. Though, maintenance for me is only 1400 cals. Pretty measly if you ask me. I try to quiet the grumbly tummy with herbal tea and what not.... sigh, if I ever find an answer that doesn't make me fat I will def post it!2
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I did lick my screen! I think you should be telling us what do, I will listen, I promise!! LOL 5
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Ladies, he has on a ring. LOL! 4
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A random day of eating
Usually my breakfasts and lunches during the work week are consistent
Breakfast
1-1/2 cups of Dixie Carb Counters Smaps Cereal (240 cals, 45gr protein, 24g carbs 6gr fat)
1/2 cup oat meal (150cals, 5P / 27C / 3F)
1 cup non fat greek yoghurt (130cals, 23P / 7C / 0F)
1/2 cup 2% milk (120cals, 8P / 11C / 5F)
Breakfast Totals 652cals (82P, 69C, 14F)
Lunch
HUGE mixed salad, approx 5 cups if not more, coleslaw, kale, carrots, sweet corn, chick peas, cherry tomatoes with 4 cups of light tuna in water and waldemans no calorie dressing
Lunch Totals 704cals (87P, 72C, 16F)
Dinner varies, my wife is an amazing cook and we never eat same thing in a week...
usually if my calories or protein aren't enough I will eat later on a protein bar
Last night was a cold rice and seafood salad, bresaola (lean raw beef ham), fresh mozzarella and tomato, thin sliced smoked salmon and grilled vegetables
Dinner Totals 950cals (80P, 50C, 40F)
Total was 2,306cals (250P, 191C, 70F)
then I grabbed a Quest protein bar before bedtime 190cals, 21P, 20C, 9F
yes mommy, i did brush my teeth after...
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49DegreesNorth wrote: »A random day of eating
Usually my breakfasts and lunches during the work week are consistent
Breakfast
1-1/2 cups of Dixie Carb Counters Smaps Cereal (240 cals, 45gr protein, 24g carbs 6gr fat)
1/2 cup oat meal (150cals, 5P / 27C / 3F)
1 cup non fat greek yoghurt (130cals, 23P / 7C / 0F)
1/2 cup 2% milk (120cals, 8P / 11C / 5F)
Breakfast Totals 652cals (82P, 69C, 14F)
Lunch
HUGE mixed salad, approx 5 cups if not more, coleslaw, kale, carrots, sweet corn, chick peas, cherry tomatoes with 4 cups of light tuna in water and waldemans no calorie dressing
Lunch Totals 704cals (87P, 72C, 16F)
Dinner varies, my wife is an amazing cook and we never eat same thing in a week...
usually if my calories or protein aren't enough I will eat later on a protein bar
Last night was a cold rice and seafood salad, bresaola (lean raw beef ham), fresh mozzarella and tomato, thin sliced smoked salmon and grilled vegetables
Dinner Totals 950cals (80P, 50C, 40F)
Total was 2,306cals (250P, 191C, 70F)
then I grabbed a Quest protein bar before bedtime 190cals, 21P, 20C, 9F
yes mommy, i did brush my teeth after...
Kudos for mentioning the wife. 0 -
leejoyce31 wrote: »Kudos for mentioning the wife.
yeah, well the work "cooking" and I don't go together. So I am very lucky to have a quasi-chef that takes care of my voracious appetite! And we eat an extremely healthy mediterranean diet (we were both born and raised in Italy and moved here 10 years ago...)
Costs a fortune but worth every penny of it
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