Is hunger on deficit like this for you?

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Jleigh225
Jleigh225 Posts: 49 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I've tried cutting my calories to around 1400 to 1500. I'm only 5'3 with sedentary Job so I didn't think this would be too intense. I've been eating high protein high fiber whole foods and after a day of eating 1400-1500 calories I'm woken up in the early morning by severe hunger pangs. Those of you who've eaten lower calories for a longer period of time, is it like this every day for you? Could there be something wrong with me that I feel this hungry after eating that amount of calories?
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Replies

  • CMNVA
    CMNVA Posts: 733 Member
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    This was normal for me for the first month, I would say. I don't have it anymore and I am eating about 1380 calories per day. It was pretty bad at first especially if you are used to eating a lot more than that.
  • liftorgohome
    liftorgohome Posts: 25,455 Member
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    What is your normal calorie intake? Is this a dramatic reduction for you? If so maybe try nonfat yogurt or fruit to hold you over.
  • seska422
    seska422 Posts: 3,217 Member
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    Do you stop eating a long time before you go to bed? Do you eat most of your calories early in the day?

    You may want a snack right before you go to bed or to eat dinner late.
  • rainbowbow
    rainbowbow Posts: 7,490 Member
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    seska422 wrote: »
    Do you stop eating a long time before you go to bed? Do you eat most of your calories early in the day?

    You may want a snack right before you go to bed or to eat dinner late.

    ah, this as well. I personally can't go to bed hungry, but i can easily last throughout the morning without a heavy meal. I eat about 70% of my calories for dinner and this always ensures i have a great nights rest!
  • kommodevaran
    kommodevaran Posts: 17,890 Member
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    Jleigh225 wrote: »
    I've tried cutting my calories to around 1400 to 1500. I'm only 5'3 with sedentary Job so I didn't think this would be too intense. I've been eating high protein high fiber whole foods and after a day of eating 1400-1500 calories I'm woken up in the early morning by severe hunger pangs. Those of you who've eaten lower calories for a longer period of time, is it like this every day for you? Could there be something wrong with me that I feel this hungry after eating that amount of calories?

    I'm the same height as you :) and sedentary too :# I lost weight just fine with no adverse reactions, on 1400-1500 calories. I aimed for relatively high fat, though, and just moderate protein (switched it up but 45F, 25P, 30C is one split that was easy for me).

    What's early moring? Long before your alarm clock goes off? What is severe hunger pangs? It's normal to be hungry when you haven't eaten for a while, and it's time for breakfast after a good night's sleep. I'm nin maintenance and still feel hungry before meals - in fact, I wait until I'm hungry to eat, that makes the food taste so much better. Having a goal to never feel hungry is good for the food manufactureres, but not for the people.
  • kellysmith410
    kellysmith410 Posts: 58 Member
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    This happened to me too when I first drastically reduced my calories. I would try to space it out better so you're having a snack before bed (nothing too heavy though). I would eat pickles & cucumbers or carrots before bed with a lot of water to help fill my stomach up to deal with the hunger pangs. Or even 50 calorie string cheese would hold me over too! Once your body gets used to the deficit the hunger pangs will subside.
  • Ming1951
    Ming1951 Posts: 514 Member
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    The first week or two of cutting my calories I felt headache, tired and hungry but after I am fine. I do get hungry now but its just before meal time and though my portions are much smaller these days I am satisfied and full after meal. I think before I was never really hungry because I was always nibbling on something. Its funny when I had relatives come over from EU they would always be ready to eat at mealtime though I wasn't necessarily, I never could understand how someone had to sit and have a meal just because it was breakfast lunch or dinner time. LOL Now I can and I guess that is the way it is suppose to be.
  • Running_and_Coffee
    Running_and_Coffee Posts: 811 Member
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    I think the key is evenly spacing your calories throughout the day. My dinner is only 100 calories or so more than my lunch, my lunch is only 100 calories more than breakfast, and my snacks combined are the same # of calories as lunch or breakfast. Also, I don't eat a lot of carbs after noon and I do eat fairly high protein/"good" fat in the second half of the day. And WATER WATER WATER!
  • trigden1991
    trigden1991 Posts: 4,658 Member
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    Tips for hunger;

    - Drink more water
    - Increase your protein intake
    - Use caffeine to suppress your appetite
    - Eat more voluminous foods

    Over time you will get used to the lower calories so stick with it.
  • courtneyfabulous
    courtneyfabulous Posts: 1,863 Member
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    I never had that issue, but I had already been limiting my calories and eating around maintenance for a while before going into a deficit.
  • Jleigh225
    Jleigh225 Posts: 49 Member
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    I guess it's just a get used to it issue. I drink 96 oz of water daily, always sure to get 3 full camelbak water bottles in a day. I recently cut my calories from about 1700-1800 to 1400-1500 and the hunger felt like a punch in my stomach. I eat lower carb, higher fat and protein and lots of fiber with lower sugar fruits vegetables and meat. So I assume I'll get used it it soon, thanks!
  • Francl27
    Francl27 Posts: 26,371 Member
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    Depends a lot on the 'high fiber' foods that you eat too. If it's high fiber cereal or even bread, you'd be much better off with fruit or veggies, for example.
  • LAWoman72
    LAWoman72 Posts: 2,846 Member
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    I was really, really, really hungry in the beginning. Then things began to settle down and my portions just began to feel "normal."

    Now when I get that wolf-type hunger it is specific to something - for example, a lot of carbs in one sitting. Sorry, folks, but for me that's true. It is not true for everyone. I am not low carb by any means, it is just that all at one time thing that gets me.

    Otherwise I feel pretty normal.
  • Francl27
    Francl27 Posts: 26,371 Member
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    LAWoman72 wrote: »
    I was really, really, really hungry in the beginning. Then things began to settle down and my portions just began to feel "normal."

    Now when I get that wolf-type hunger it is specific to something - for example, a lot of carbs in one sitting. Sorry, folks, but for me that's true. It is not true for everyone. I am not low carb by any means, it is just that all at one time thing that gets me.

    Otherwise I feel pretty normal.

    I have the same problem sadly.
  • tomteboda
    tomteboda Posts: 2,171 Member
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    I was really hungry the first couple of months when I cut my intake from about 2500/day to 1500/day. Then I upped my fiber and protein and got used to it. Over time I increased my activity.

    Now I am getting pretty lean. Hunger on the deficit is an issue again, and the primary reason I've only been losing 2 lbs a month for the last six months.
  • kenyonhaff
    kenyonhaff Posts: 1,377 Member
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    It takes some time for your body to adjust to a reduced calorie intake! For me, coffee, tea, water and so on were key in helping curb some of that. Your body will adjust to the "new normal" but it may take a week or two.

    Be sure to also think positively about your hunger. I try to see it as a way to know that I'm burning fat.
  • Neanbean13
    Neanbean13 Posts: 211 Member
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    Im always waking up starving. I divide breakfast up into 2 smaller meals. After a coffee i have somerhing small first then wait hour n half or so n have next meal. I try have stuff that i wont finish in two bites n try eat it over an hour period like oats, greek yoghurt n fruit
  • leanjogreen18
    leanjogreen18 Posts: 2,492 Member
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    When I first started on 1250 average I upped my protein and I was the opposite. Stuffed to where I didn't want to eat dinner. So I played around with my macros and found a sweet spot.

    If I eat a carb, protein and fat with every meal I seem to be totally satisfied. I also stopped having a really big dinner which for some reason made me hungrier in the am.

    Most of my meals are even when it comes to calories between 300-400 calories, meaning I don't eat less for breakfast and lunch to have a bigger dinner. The only exception is several times a week I do not want breakfast then my lunch and dinner go to 400 - 500 calories each, leaving room for snacks.

    Only making that change I end up eating about 40% carbs 30% protein, 30% fat. This seems to keep me pretty satisfied on an average of 1250 calories.

    As a side note I do zig zag (some call it banking) calories so that 1 day a week I eat near maintenance.

    This is what works for me.
    Hope this helps some.
  • GottaBurnEmAll
    GottaBurnEmAll Posts: 7,722 Member
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    I was hungry in the beginning of dieting. I had spells during the bulk of my weight loss where fiddling with my macro balance helped settle things. At one point, fat was satiating... then it wasn't. Starch was. Protein has always been constant.

    Now I get hungry if I don't exercise. I also get hungry if I up my exercise intensity. Conversely, when I first started exercising, or when I started a new form of exercise, I was ravenous.

    I'm down now 94 pounds and am fiddling around with vanity weight. I tend to lose weight in whooshes, every 5 weeks or so. Around those whooshes, I'm famished. Otherwise, I'm just fine.

    The point of all these rambles? It varies. You can play with your macros. You can play around with the amount and intensity of your exercise. Some of us do find that exercise helps to blunt appetite. And you can wait it out.

    On the other hand, if you've been dieting a very long time and find yourself hungry all the time, it's time for a diet break.

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