Hungry All the Time!

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tomorrowperfume
tomorrowperfume Posts: 67 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I started lifting weights with a personal trainer about a month ago. I've noticed a lot of positive changes to my health, strength, and endurance (yay for taking the stairs two at a time again!) but I've also noticed a negative - I am hungry ALL THE TIME. I used to naturally eat 1400-1600 calories a day, but my body is starting to crave 2000+. I'm only 137 lbs! I can't eat that much!

What am I supposed to do when my choices are between eating five meals a day and being hangry? My friends, family, and coworkers can tell when I don't eat :blush:
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Replies

  • queenliz99
    queenliz99 Posts: 15,317 Member
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    Maybe you need to eat a little more, no sense in being hungry all the time.
  • SezxyStef
    SezxyStef Posts: 15,268 Member
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    I eat that much and I am a lifter...I do weight more but eh.

    perhaps it is what you are and aren't eating.

    What are your protein and fat macros set at?
  • kommodevaran
    kommodevaran Posts: 17,890 Member
    edited August 2016
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    If you are hungry and don't gain weight (or your goal IS to gain weight), you can eat that much. Maybe I just don't understand the problem?
  • Francl27
    Francl27 Posts: 26,371 Member
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    Less refined carbs, more protein, fat, and fiber.

    Also my TDEE is 2200+ at 136 pounds so I'm not sure that 2000 calories is necessarily too much.
  • tomorrowperfume
    tomorrowperfume Posts: 67 Member
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    My nutrition goals are currently set at:

    1200 calories
    carbs - 150g
    fat - 40g
    protein - 60g

    My goal isn't to lose or gain weight; it's to maintain weight and build muscle. I guess I'm just unsure on exactly how much I should be eating, and what, exactly, to eat. I'm a terrible cook, so eating out (expensive) and processed foods (unhealthy) are the best tasting things I eat all day.

    I have toyed with the idea of supplementing my morning smoothies with whey protein, but I'm already easily hitting my daily protein goal. I've heard that overeating protein can lead to kidney damage and dehydration.
  • queenliz99
    queenliz99 Posts: 15,317 Member
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    1200 is not a maintaining amount.
  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member
    edited August 2016
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    Eat more calories. I doubt you need so few to lose weight. Definitely increase fat and protein.

    ETA if you don't want to lose weight why are you only eating 1200 cals?????
  • vespiquenn
    vespiquenn Posts: 1,455 Member
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    tomorrowperfume wrote: »
    My nutrition goals are currently set at:

    1200 calories
    carbs - 150g
    fat - 40g
    protein - 60g

    My goal isn't to lose or gain weight; it's to maintain weight and build muscle. I guess I'm just unsure on exactly how much I should be eating, and what, exactly, to eat. I'm a terrible cook, so eating out (expensive) and processed foods (unhealthy) are the best tasting things I eat all day.

    I have toyed with the idea of supplementing my morning smoothies with whey protein, but I'm already easily hitting my daily protein goal. I've heard that overeating protein can lead to kidney damage and dehydration.

    Then you are eating way too little. You will not build muscle on a deficit. It requires a calorie surplus. Protein is essential in building muscle, and your body discards any extra. So unless you have a medical condition, it will not harm you. Protein should be about .85g-1g per pound of lean body mass to build muscle. Not knowing that, I cannot tell you what your protein levels should be at.
  • cee134
    cee134 Posts: 33,711 Member
    edited August 2016
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    tomorrowperfume wrote: »
    I've heard that overeating protein can lead to kidney damage and dehydration.

    Only by constantly going over 30% protein from total calories which for 1200 kcal is 90g (math may be wrong).

    Yes, you are probably eating alot of processed refined carbs and sugars. That will make you feel hungry. Also, you may need to up your total kcal because I think it's hard to build muscle without gaining some weight (when done in a healthy way).

    Just guessing, but it sounds like your under eating for what you do in a week.
  • Bxqtie116
    Bxqtie116 Posts: 552 Member
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    You definitely need to increase your calories and your protein. For lifting weights, you should consume more protein for muscle build and repair. Adjust your macros to 40% protein, 30% carbs and 30% fat. You can add simple snacks to help increase your calories such as Greek yogurt, nuts, peanut butter, and add some whey protein to your shakes every morning.
  • tomorrowperfume
    tomorrowperfume Posts: 67 Member
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    All right, I'm bumping it up.

    1500 cal a day
    169 g carbs
    58 g fat
    75 g protein

    I was having a lot of trouble consistently eating 1200 calories, even net of exercise per my Fitbit heart rate tracker (which seems a bit generous.) I would turn into a hungry shark that attacked anything that approached me. My home life has... suffered.

    Thanks guys.
  • SezxyStef
    SezxyStef Posts: 15,268 Member
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    eat more food.

    as a lifter your protein should be calculated at 0.8 grams per each lb you weight and fats should be 0.35 grams per lb of body weight.

    protein is fine as long as you don't have a pre-existing condition.

    1200 is too little for a lifter...I can maintain on 2x that...and that was when I weighed 143.
  • Trish1c
    Trish1c Posts: 549 Member
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    tomorrowperfume wrote: »
    What am I supposed to do when my choices are between eating five meals a day and being hangry?

    Grazing throughout the day as long as it's on healthier stuff is actually better for you. Stick to your meals if you like but have a mid-morning & mid-afternoon snack of some cheese, some fruit, a yogurt, some fresh veggies etc. It really helps reduce the hungry all the time feeling.

  • Rachel0778
    Rachel0778 Posts: 1,701 Member
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    Even at 1500 you are eating at a fairly high caloric deficit for your height, weight, and age. Your body is trying to tell you that which is why it's sending you hunger signals. I recommend calculating your TDEE (Total Daily Energy Expenditure-calculators can be found through a quick google search). That way you have an idea of what your body needs to maintain.
  • kommodevaran
    kommodevaran Posts: 17,890 Member
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    I didn't understand this

    my choices are between eating five meals a day and being hangry

    Why is that? Why can't you eat five meals a day? Why would you have to eat five meals a day - you could eat more at the meals you're already eating, or have snacks? If you are hungry, it means that you need more food and can eat more food.
  • meshashesha2012
    meshashesha2012 Posts: 8,326 Member
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    Hunger isn't necessarily a good measure of how much you should or shouldn't be eating because it's controlled by hormones that can easily be affected by other things that have nothing to do with how much we put in our cake holes.

    maybe you need to adjust what you are eating. also you havent really told us what your goals are? weight loss? boy recomp?
  • tomorrowperfume
    tomorrowperfume Posts: 67 Member
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    Sorry for the lack of information.

    I'm 30 years old, 137.1 pounds heavy, 5'4.5" tall, with a body fat of 24.1% as of 8/4/16 according to my fancy bioelectric impedance reader/scale. In order to get the most accurate reading on that, I weigh myself about once a week in the morning, always at least 24 hours after a workout and at least 12 hours after I've had anything to drink.

    The internet (at www.mytdee.com) thinks my TDEE is 1666.

    I wasn't familiar with the term body recomposition until you used it, but yeah, that's what I want. I want to stay at roughly the same weight, but I'd like for my fat to go away and to be replaced by muscle. Or really, I just want to be a very strong version of myself. The only reason I'm worried about eating too much is that I don't want to become a stronger, fatter version of myself.

    I am not used to my increased hunger, so I tend to fix myself meals at what I think a correct portion is. After I finish, I realize that I'm still hungry, so I'll eat a little more. And then an hour and a half later, I'm hungry again. I do try to snack throughout the day on semi-healthy stuff (usually fruit, coffee, or oatmeal, which is easy and handy), but you're right - a handful of some protein-rich snack like unsalted nuts, cheese, or yogurt would probably be much more satisfying.
  • SezxyStef
    SezxyStef Posts: 15,268 Member
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    tomorrowperfume wrote: »
    Sorry for the lack of information.

    I'm 30 years old, 137.1 pounds heavy, 5'4.5" tall, with a body fat of 24.1% as of 8/4/16 according to my fancy bioelectric impedance reader/scale. In order to get the most accurate reading on that, I weigh myself about once a week in the morning, always at least 24 hours after a workout and at least 12 hours after I've had anything to drink.

    The internet (at www.mytdee.com) thinks my TDEE is 1666.

    I wasn't familiar with the term body recomposition until you used it, but yeah, that's what I want. I want to stay at roughly the same weight, but I'd like for my fat to go away and to be replaced by muscle. Or really, I just want to be a very strong version of myself. The only reason I'm worried about eating too much is that I don't want to become a stronger, fatter version of myself.

    I am not used to my increased hunger, so I tend to fix myself meals at what I think a correct portion is. After I finish, I realize that I'm still hungry, so I'll eat a little more. And then an hour and a half later, I'm hungry again. I do try to snack throughout the day on semi-healthy stuff (usually fruit, coffee, or oatmeal, which is easy and handy), but you're right - a handful of some protein-rich snack like unsalted nuts, cheese, or yogurt would probably be much more satisfying.

    I doubt your tdee is 1666....sounds like your neat number (non exercise included living number bmr+regular day movement)
    https://tdeecalculator.net/result.php?s=imperial&g=female&age=30&lbs=137&in=64&act=1.55&f=1 calculated it at 2k with 3-5 hours of light exercise.

    it's the amount of food you are eating as well that is causing the hunger...based on a TDEE of 2k you are at a 800 a day deficit...wowsers and for someone who doesn't want to lose that's huge.
  • queenliz99
    queenliz99 Posts: 15,317 Member
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    http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/1080242/a-guide-to-get-you-started-on-your-path-to-sexypants/p1
  • Maxematics
    Maxematics Posts: 2,287 Member
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    Yeah, if you want to maintain your weight and/or build muscle, eating 1200 or 1500 calories isn't going to make that happen. I'm 5'3.5" and 108 pounds and I'm maintaining at 2000+ calories. You're hungry all the time because you need to eat more food.

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