unable to maintain any deficit because of overpowering persistent hunger
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oat_bran
Posts: 370 Member
(I apologize in advance that this post is rather long, but I wanted to give you the most information.)
I'm in my late twenties and I recently came back to MFP after years of not logging to be able to better track my deficit. I have a FitBit Charge HR now, so I can track my TDEE pretty accurately. So I wanted to start tracking my intake again, too.
But even though I've lost quite a lot of weight - I really just need to lose 10-15 pounds more - I have the hardest time losing any more recently because of overpowering persistent hunger. It seems like my body is resisting even the smallest deficit. I was ambitious and impatient at first an wanted to have a deficit of 500-700, but now I'm happy if I can manage even a 100-200. Mind you I'm very active - I'm a full time student, have an active job and make sure to have light cardio and strength training several times a week now - so even though my BMR is just 1300, I manage to burn at least 2000 calories daily, most days 2300-2700. So that means I get to eat A LOT, even with a bigger deficit. I try to eat really healthy, too: few processed foods, lots of veggies and fruits, a decent amount of fat and protein from different sources with every meal.
But despite all this, I feel almost constantly hungry. I noticed that any time during the day when my caloric expenditure becomes 200-300 over my intake I get hungry. I it's not just superficial or psychological hunger from boredom. It's that kind of overpowering hunger that I can't distract myself from. And it's that "I have to eat NOW" kind of hunger. I'm a student, so I really need to be able to concentrate and constant hunger isn't helping. So I eat. Sometimes a small light snack at first, get hungry again thirty minutes later, have another snack and so on. Sometimes I have something more substantial, a protein and fat rich foods like nuts or chicken and keeps me full a bit longer, but not long enough. So by the end of the day, I end up consuming what I burn or sometimes even more. Or if I can manage to distract myself during the day and eat a bigger meal just before bed, so that I'm not hungry at bed time, I would often wake up starving in the middle of the night, unable to fall asleep before I eat something. Or, if I sometimes manage to have a deficit one day, I would be two times hungrier the next day and would eat back all of it. It's super frustrating. I feel like I'm spending so much energy trying to eat less every day, but it's all useless because I end up eating all the deficit back one way or another.
I have to clarify that sometimes, I have streaks of several days or even weeks where I suddenly don't feel as hungry and I can manage to maintain a daily deficit of several hundred calories quite easily. Then the hunger hits and I usually eat all of it back. So I've been stuck on the same weight for months.
On the one hand it seems logical that my body is trying to resist deficit - it's only expected from the evolutionary point of view. Plus, I'm almost in a normal BMI range. But the overpowering persistent character of the hunger I'm experiencing, makes me thing that there's something more to it. Maybe it's hormonal? Or there's some other physical reason behind it? Is there anyone on here who've experienced the same problem?
I'm in my late twenties and I recently came back to MFP after years of not logging to be able to better track my deficit. I have a FitBit Charge HR now, so I can track my TDEE pretty accurately. So I wanted to start tracking my intake again, too.
But even though I've lost quite a lot of weight - I really just need to lose 10-15 pounds more - I have the hardest time losing any more recently because of overpowering persistent hunger. It seems like my body is resisting even the smallest deficit. I was ambitious and impatient at first an wanted to have a deficit of 500-700, but now I'm happy if I can manage even a 100-200. Mind you I'm very active - I'm a full time student, have an active job and make sure to have light cardio and strength training several times a week now - so even though my BMR is just 1300, I manage to burn at least 2000 calories daily, most days 2300-2700. So that means I get to eat A LOT, even with a bigger deficit. I try to eat really healthy, too: few processed foods, lots of veggies and fruits, a decent amount of fat and protein from different sources with every meal.
But despite all this, I feel almost constantly hungry. I noticed that any time during the day when my caloric expenditure becomes 200-300 over my intake I get hungry. I it's not just superficial or psychological hunger from boredom. It's that kind of overpowering hunger that I can't distract myself from. And it's that "I have to eat NOW" kind of hunger. I'm a student, so I really need to be able to concentrate and constant hunger isn't helping. So I eat. Sometimes a small light snack at first, get hungry again thirty minutes later, have another snack and so on. Sometimes I have something more substantial, a protein and fat rich foods like nuts or chicken and keeps me full a bit longer, but not long enough. So by the end of the day, I end up consuming what I burn or sometimes even more. Or if I can manage to distract myself during the day and eat a bigger meal just before bed, so that I'm not hungry at bed time, I would often wake up starving in the middle of the night, unable to fall asleep before I eat something. Or, if I sometimes manage to have a deficit one day, I would be two times hungrier the next day and would eat back all of it. It's super frustrating. I feel like I'm spending so much energy trying to eat less every day, but it's all useless because I end up eating all the deficit back one way or another.
I have to clarify that sometimes, I have streaks of several days or even weeks where I suddenly don't feel as hungry and I can manage to maintain a daily deficit of several hundred calories quite easily. Then the hunger hits and I usually eat all of it back. So I've been stuck on the same weight for months.
On the one hand it seems logical that my body is trying to resist deficit - it's only expected from the evolutionary point of view. Plus, I'm almost in a normal BMI range. But the overpowering persistent character of the hunger I'm experiencing, makes me thing that there's something more to it. Maybe it's hormonal? Or there's some other physical reason behind it? Is there anyone on here who've experienced the same problem?
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Replies
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Ugh! Real hunger while trying to add in a deficit sucks so bad. I've noticed this happens to me mostly during two circumstances #1 when i'm trying to cut a few kilos to make weight while still keeping my training volume the same and #2 when i'm seriously dehydrated. What I find helps with circumstance one is just eating lighter during the day dealing with the hunger (as bad as it sucks) and then after a large dinner meal (right before bed) drinking a casein protein shake. It's a slow digesting protein shake so it solves that middle of the night hunger thing for me and even gives me a couple of hours in the morning before I really NEED to eat.
More often than not I find it's circumstance #2, dehydration. I'm not talking about "oh I forgot to drink my 10th glass of water today" dehydration, i'm talking about having not consumed enough fluid for a couple of weeks. Usually if I start tracking my hydration after about a week I find most of the hunger issue resolves itself.
I wish I had better advice for you but those are the things that seem to work for me. Good Luck!7 -
I've lost over 100 pounds and kept it off a year, but I still have about 10 pounds I would like to lose to get me in an ideal place. I have this raging hunger thing too, especially when hormones are wacky (I'm peri menopausal) or when I have had a recent period of success. It is so frustrating when I do well for a month, drop a few pounds, and then I suddenly turn into hunger monster and blow my progress. I have found that keeping a really small deficit helps, plus some other stuff below...
--Are you getting enough sleep? Sleep deprivation can trigger release of appetite related hormones and make you abnormally hungry
--Are you resting from all that exercise (days off to recover). When I'm training for something intense (like a triathlon or half marathon) my appetite goes haywire.
--Are you well hydrated? Thirst cues can mask as hunger cues. And a big glass or two of water when you are hungry can sometimes help you feel fuller with less food. Blood sugar related hormones are connected to hunger, but the fullness/emptiness of your stomach affects those feelings too. So fill it with something sparse in calories.
--Are you getting good nutrition? If you are not, you might feel hungry even though your calories are ok. Filling calories with alcohol and foods high in added sugar and salty snacks like potato chips will cause me to not feel full and to get hungry sooner
--are you eating plenty of bulky foods with lots of fiber in them? You can fill up on non starchy veggies all day long and not have many calories. Including some fat and protein too is good, but I am never able to stop raging hunger without a big pile of food and you just aren't going to eat a big pile of protein/fat without spending a lot of calories
--can you tinker with meal timing? It doesn't matter for calories in/calories out, but some people seem to control hunger better with intermittent fasting...or eating a few big meals per day, or (in my case) eating smaller meals throughout the day. Play around and see what work. More frequent, smaller meals helps me because it keeps me with a more steady hunger level, ranging from not hungry to slightly hungry, though I rarely get that stuffed or starved end of the spectrum. I do it because once I get to starved, I just need food and need it now and crave calorie rich foods, will grab the closest convenient food regardless of quality, and have a hard time shutting off that starved-hungry feeling once it starts. So, keeping myself on an even keel helps minimize the foolishness!
--How do you feel emotionally when those moments happen? Anxiety and stress makes me wanna to eat....a lot... so managing my stress level and trying to be aware of myself tensing up and staying in a knot is helpful. I try to reverse it in a healthy way (meditation, stretching breaks, exercise, etc) as soon as possible (hopefully before acquiring a pizza....)6 -
You're describing me exactly the couple weeks before my period. Then I do great for 2 weeks because I'm not that hungry at all, but I end up eating too much again the next time... so I've been maintaining for 2 years instead of losing my last pounds (I'd like 5, but 10 would be great). It only started happening once I got 15 pounds under the normal weight BMI. It totally sucks. Once in a while PMS doesn't affect me much and I can actually keep a deficit... but usually I end up 700-1500 calories over.. and it can last 2 weeks.
So what I do is keep a lower goal on purpose and try to stick to it as much as possible on the days when I'm not that hungry... then on hungry days try to delay breakfast as much as possible and avoid refined carbs (they seem to make the hunger worse, but at the same time seem to be the only thing that appease it, so it's tricky). It also means that I really can't afford many treats anymore, unfortunately.
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Make sure you are drinking enough water especially since you are so active. We can sometimes mistake thirst for hunger.2
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Is this last 10 pound loss worth it?
Overpowering persistent hunger sounds a little scary to me, moderate hunger I get, but this sounds almost painful... interested in what others will say about this..
eta: have you thought about getting blood work done? For example comprehensive metabolic panel, perhaps hormonal panel done and maybe a check up with your female doctor as well?6 -
Try eating lots of oats for breakfast and lots of fiber throughout the day. Drink plenty of water..... And my personal favorite chew lots and lots of gum. Fools the stomach.2
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Is this last 10 pound loss worth it?
Overpowering persistent hunger sounds a little scary to me, moderate hunger I get, but this sounds almost painful... interested in what others will say about this..
I find it interesting that you posted this as I had the same reaction before I wrote my response. The OP mentioned that she isn't quite in a normal BMI range which is the only reason why I didn't mention questioning if the 10 pounds was worth it. For me it wasn't. I was always hungry when I tried to maintain 10 pounds lighter than I am now but that was at the low end of my BMI range.
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Keladelphia wrote: »Is this last 10 pound loss worth it?
Overpowering persistent hunger sounds a little scary to me, moderate hunger I get, but this sounds almost painful... interested in what others will say about this..
I find it interesting that you posted this as I had the same reaction before I wrote my response. The OP mentioned that she isn't quite in a normal BMI range which is the only reason why I didn't mention questioning if the 10 pounds was worth it. For me it wasn't. I was always hungry when I tried to maintain 10 pounds lighter than I am now but that was at the low end of my BMI range.
Good point... I did not miss the BMI, but I mentioned it anyway and then added about talking to a doctor.
OP's diary and profile are marked private so I could not peak in an makes an assessment based on any thing personal about her in her profile or food diary related to her food consumption, number of cals, types foods etc.. and how much she is exercising, etc.
I have seen this extreme hunger in people that are leaner and already at a healthy weight, not those that are outside of the BMI and it being completely distracting to daily living per se.1 -
I would go to the doctor and see if you have some thyroid problem or something else that could cause lots of hunger.
I will also note that I get very hungry when I don't have enough protein in my diet.1 -
I would look at the makeup of the foods that you eat...since you are getting closer to your goal weight, it's not a bad idea to dial in your macro intake. Personally: I shoot for 100g of protein/day and let my carbs and fat fall where they do...this seems to keep me very satisfied. Your macro intake needs may be WAY different than mine..but if I'm eating oatmeal/cereal/a bagel right away in the morning (higher carb), I find I am STARVING all day...so I stick to steak, eggs, and toast...string cheese, hard boiled eggs, yogurt, ect.3
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I would visit your doctor to see if there is something going on and maybe just eat at maintenance for a few months.
http://www.diabetes.co.uk/symptoms/polyphagia.html0 -
I have never been as aware of the body's mechanisms for defending a certain weight as I was when I was nursing my second kid. She was a big baby, she refused solids, and she grew from 10 pounds to nearly 30 on pretty much nothing but calories she got from me. I got down to not just my pre-preganancy weight, but near my high school weight. And every time my weight dropped below a certain point, I would find myself in front of the refrigerator eating meat, cheese, and eggs -- because my hormones were desperately trying to defend that bottom line.
Appetite, hunger, and weight are a complex thing....9 -
Have you messed around with your macros? Most days I need higher protein and fat than carbs. But every now and then I need a very high carb day or two. Usually I know when this going to occur based on how I'm feeling. If I have a mild headache that doesn't respond to an ibuprofen or feel lethargic, that day instead of trying to eat around 113g carbs, I double it. If I ignore those feels and aim to keep my carbs at 113, I will be insanely hungry by 6 pm.4
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More healthy fats, fiber, and protein!!1
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I have been feeling the same way for the last little bit. I am actually following this thread to get some of your advice. I am down almost 100 pounds. This is the smallest I have been since having my kids, the oldest is 15. After I had him I could never break past 185. I have bounced between 184-186 the last two weeks and nothing.
It's so frustrating because all I need is to get to 179 and I will no longer be obese. My goal is 150-160. I am beginning to wonder if I will make it.2 -
I'd definitely try checking out your macros. I'm eating at a rough deficit (1340ish calories a day, plus exercise), and if I don't hit the right marks I find myself ravenous until I grab a clif bar, steak, or something super dense in fat/protein/calories/carbs.
Stop with the deficit and try IIFYM for a little bit. See how you feel. It might give you a better idea of what you're eating, and how you can switch it up.1 -
There are a couple of things I'd do if I were you. 1) try a different method of tracking your calories/TDEE. Fitbit isn't all that accurate in my experience. I compared one against my phone and a HR strap, and against another tracker with HR support a while back and found it to over estimate calories burned by a LOT. I'm not saying they have not improved them over the last couple of years, but anything that monitors your heart rate at the wrist level probably isn't going to be all that accurate. 2) Try replacing some of the foods you eat with different stuff that has more volume but less calories. Vegetables, etc. Try also increasing protein. Foods with insoluble fiber and lots of protein take longer to digest and will help with hunger. You can also switch to eating every couple of hours but in smaller quantities. It sounds like your metabolism is pretty high, and switching to more frequent smaller meals has helped me with it. Every two hours I get very hungry because I've spent the last year and a half trying hard to increase my metabolism. Well.. it worked. The end result is faster digestion and hunger every two to three hours. I don't quite do six meals a day, but I do 5. Breakfast, Mid-Morning Snack, Lunch, Afternoon Snack, and Dinner. Sometimes I'll skip the afternoon snack and have a late snack after dinner but you get the point. Each meal, with the exception of dinner, is around 400-500 calories and high in protein and well balanced with fiber if at all possible.
Good luck!2 -
When you want something enough, you will overcome emotions or cravings to achieve it.
"Pain is temporary, Glory is eternal"1 -
The last ten pounds are very, very tough if you're at a lower BMI and trying to lean out.
I've found that it's a normal response for either hunger or binging urges to hit people because the body does mess with hormones to defend a certain level of body fat.
There are ways to get around that, though.
The most effective way I've found is to keep a very, very small deficit, schedule regular maintenance days (once every ten days or so), cut back on exercise just a smidge (about 10%), get plenty of sleep and drink plenty of water.
It's also crucial to find a macro balance that keeps you feeling full and don't mess with it. What keeps you full might vary from what keeps me full, so I'm not going to just tell you to "eat more xyz", because that might not necessarily help you.
For now? My best advice is to take a diet break. Seriously. Eat at maintenance for a month and give your system time to get on an even keel. Then get back into the game.5
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