Always hungry?!! Help!

hbunting86
hbunting86 Posts: 952 Member
edited November 15 in Food and Nutrition
Hi all

I don't know what's wrong with me today - but I seem to be absolutely ravenous! Like literally hoovering up anything in front of me. Luckily I've kept it healthy... but I'm concerned this will hinder my weight loss. Yesterday I did a pretty intensive workout at the gym, do you think my body is catching up from that? It just seems a bit counterproductive if I exercise and then eat loads to compensate. Maybe I'm thinking about this wrong?

Any ideas would be great... I'm seriously considering a second serving of dinner as we speak... *argh*

Replies

  • kikicooks
    kikicooks Posts: 1,079 Member
    How much are you eating and how long/intense are your workouts usually? You might just not be eating enough.
  • leanjogreen18
    leanjogreen18 Posts: 2,492 Member
    Intense workouts can make some hungrier, as does lack of sleep (7-8hr).
  • cathipa
    cathipa Posts: 2,991 Member
    edited January 2017
    Are you eating back at least 1/2 of your exercise calories? If you had an intense workout then yes you need to eat to fuel the workout. Exercise is about cardiovascular and musculoskeletal well being. Weight loss comes from calorie deficits. You don't need to eat loads to compensate if you are trying to lose weight, but you should eat some of the calories burned back. Consider eating more healthy fats (seeds, nuts, avocado) or protein to keep you from feeling ravenous. Make sure you are drinking at least 64oz water. Dehydration can make you feel hungry so before you eat drink a glass or 2 of water.
  • hbunting86
    hbunting86 Posts: 952 Member
    Well yesterday I did an hour body pump class, followed by pilates for an hour, then 20 mins on the treadmill. So pretty long.
  • Ready2Rock206
    Ready2Rock206 Posts: 9,487 Member
    hbunting86 wrote: »
    Well yesterday I did an hour body pump class, followed by pilates for an hour, then 20 mins on the treadmill. So pretty long.

    And did you eat any of those calories back?
  • Alyssa_Is_LosingIt
    Alyssa_Is_LosingIt Posts: 4,696 Member
    How many calories are you eating?
  • hbunting86
    hbunting86 Posts: 952 Member
    Just looked back to yesterday and it says I had just over 600 calories left - I ate some back, but not all. Didn't physically have the time by the end of the day. I just don't want things to hinder my weight loss if I eat more today... I still can't fathom exercise calories and where they fit in!
  • Alyssa_Is_LosingIt
    Alyssa_Is_LosingIt Posts: 4,696 Member
    hbunting86 wrote: »
    Just looked back to yesterday and it says I had just over 600 calories left - I ate some back, but not all. Didn't physically have the time by the end of the day. I just don't want things to hinder my weight loss if I eat more today... I still can't fathom exercise calories and where they fit in!

    MFP uses the NEAT method, which factors in normal every day activities, but not exercise. If you're following MFP's recommendations, you should be eating at least part of the exercise calories back.

    That said, how large of a deficit are you running? How much do you need to lose, and how much does MFP tell you to eat?
  • Lanet27
    Lanet27 Posts: 127 Member
    I also used be so hungry all the time, and I occasionally I still feel ravenous particularly at night. What seems to help is less intense interval workouts, and eating a bit more of healthy fats and protein, while decreasing a bit consumption of simple carbs.
  • deksgrl
    deksgrl Posts: 7,237 Member
    MFP sets your beginning calorie goal to not include exercise. You would lose weight at that amount of calories if you did no exercise. When you exercise, you log it, and it gives you more calories to eat. It should be about the same amount of calories if you figured out your total calorie need including exercise, then deducted for weight loss.
  • Jthanmyfitnesspal
    Jthanmyfitnesspal Posts: 3,522 Member
    Yes: I'm always hungry the day after a major workout day, which you certainly had. I agree that you should eat back a good fraction of your exercise calories. I add that I believe some substantial fraction should be as complex carbs. I won't feel full if I eat them all back as protein and/or fat. (Complex means starches not sugar. Fiber helps as well. Example: oatmeal.)

    For me, when all else fails, I go do some aerobic exercise. That's the only thing that reliably kills hunger. It eventually comes back in an hour or two, but you've burnt more calories. Another recommendation is to try a low-calorie or fasting day.
  • hbunting86
    hbunting86 Posts: 952 Member
    I don't need to lose loads - around 10lb. It's more muscle that I'm wanting to build and decrease my body fat % so it's hard to judge how much I should be eating. MFP has me at 1290cal per day - but my BMR is 1367. Typically per workout I'll burn between 400-600 calories depending what I'm doing (although I'm dubious MFP overestimates...) so it's a bit of a conundrum. I don't really eat processed carbs. If I have rice it's brown rice - more often than not I have quinoa or amaranth. You'll get a better idea from my diary. It's just confusing!
  • deksgrl
    deksgrl Posts: 7,237 Member
    If you want to build muscle and reduce body fat, and only 10 pounds to lose, you should be eating at a small calorie deficit, like 250 less than your TDEE. If you are taking too much of a deficit, you will be reducing too much muscle.
  • hbunting86
    hbunting86 Posts: 952 Member
    Ah right - so if I aimed for 250 below TDEE and eat back my exercise calories that should still keep me on track?
  • deksgrl
    deksgrl Posts: 7,237 Member
    No, TDEE includes your exercise calories. In that case you should figure out your typical TDEE and set your calorie goal to TDEE - your desired deficit, and do not log your exercise.
  • almostsuperpowered
    almostsuperpowered Posts: 135 Member
    Hello! It's normal to be hungry after a workout. Maybe look into how much protein and fat you're eating, they can help you feel satiated. It's amazing what some meat and an avocado or clementine and some nuts can do. Definitely try eating back what you burn. Also, ensure you are sleeping well and are hydrated. Good luck --
  • hbunting86
    hbunting86 Posts: 952 Member
    Hi - thanks everyone. Yes I'll look at my TDEE and go from there... and if I'm still hungry from yesterday I don't suppose it can hurt having something else.
  • cathipa
    cathipa Posts: 2,991 Member
    edited January 2017
    hbunting86 wrote: »
    I don't need to lose loads - around 10lb. It's more muscle that I'm wanting to build and decrease my body fat % so it's hard to judge how much I should be eating. MFP has me at 1290cal per day - but my BMR is 1367. Typically per workout I'll burn between 400-600 calories depending what I'm doing (although I'm dubious MFP overestimates...) so it's a bit of a conundrum. I don't really eat processed carbs. If I have rice it's brown rice - more often than not I have quinoa or amaranth. You'll get a better idea from my diary. It's just confusing!

    If you are that close to goal change to 0.5-1 pound loss per week. You can't build muscle in a deficit so you need to decide what you want to do (i.e, cut or bulk) Consider doing more resistance/weight training over cardio to help with fat loss as well as building muscle. If you want to build muscle you will need to eat more protein than your current diary is set to.
  • hbunting86
    hbunting86 Posts: 952 Member
    According to TDEE calculator I should be eating 1826 per day for maintenance... that's way off what MFP said! The plot thickens...
  • Alyssa_Is_LosingIt
    Alyssa_Is_LosingIt Posts: 4,696 Member
    That means you would aim to eat 1576 calories per day to lose 1/2 lb per week. That sounds a lot more reasonable than 1290 calories :smile:

    I would try that for a while and see how it goes.
  • Jthanmyfitnesspal
    Jthanmyfitnesspal Posts: 3,522 Member
    hbunting86 wrote: »
    According to TDEE calculator I should be eating 1826 per day for maintenance... that's way off what MFP said! The plot thickens...

    I found MFP to agree closely with the BMR estimates of various formulae.

    If you have an active job or lifestyle, you need more calories. You can measure how active you are using various fitness monitors, including your phone. (I use Samsung S Health now. I had a fitbit in the past, but it eventually broke.) Set the BMR calc for "sedentary" and add in the calories from the activity monitor app (I recommend doing this by hand, linking apps seems to be buggy). I mostly (sometimes?) eat 100-200 under the exercise calories to be sure of a deficit, but I always eat all of the BMR calories less target deficit, which is typically 500kcals per day (to lose a pound a week).
  • deksgrl
    deksgrl Posts: 7,237 Member
    edited January 2017
    hbunting86 wrote: »
    According to TDEE calculator I should be eating 1826 per day for maintenance... that's way off what MFP said! The plot thickens...

    MFP is a NEAT calculator, not a BMR or TDEE calculator (though it bases your BMR on the Mifflin St. Jeor formula). NEAT means Non-exercise activity thermogenesis, it is the energy expended for everything we do that is not sleeping, eating or sports-like exercise. So, getting up, doing housework, going to work or school, normal daily activity.

    BMR means basal metabolic rate. This is the number of calories you need just for your organs to function if you were not moving at all during the day, the number of calories they would feed you in a coma based on your size.

    MFP then asks you what is your level of activity for normal daily activities (not including exercise). Then, you choose how many pounds per week you want to lose, and it subtracts a flat number of calories. 1000 cals for 2 pounds per week, 750 for 1.5 pounds per week, 500 for 1 pound a week, or 250 for half a pound per week.

    So, your calorie goal is based on what you input as your lifestyle, and how many pounds you want to lose. If you set this inaccurately, you will have an inaccurate result.

    A properly set MFP + exercise calories goal should be around the same ballpark as a properly set TDEE - % calorie goal. The only difference is with the TDEE - % method you would eat about the same amount every day, exercise is included and averaged over the week.

    Example:
    MFP Method:
    1300 (amount MFP says to eat)
    -300 (amount you exercised)
    +300 (amount more you ate to fuel the exercise)
    = 1300 NET / 1600 TOTAL calories

    TDEE Method:
    TDEE of 2000 cals x 20% = 400
    2000-400 = 1600 calories.

    Does this clear things up for you?
  • kikicooks
    kikicooks Posts: 1,079 Member
    hbunting86 wrote: »
    Well yesterday I did an hour body pump class, followed by pilates for an hour, then 20 mins on the treadmill. So pretty long.

    This is a lot of exercise. If this is a typical day then you probably just aren't eating enough.
  • J72FIT
    J72FIT Posts: 6,002 Member
    hbunting86 wrote: »
    Hi all

    I don't know what's wrong with me today - but I seem to be absolutely ravenous! Like literally hoovering up anything in front of me. Luckily I've kept it healthy... but I'm concerned this will hinder my weight loss. Yesterday I did a pretty intensive workout at the gym, do you think my body is catching up from that? It just seems a bit counterproductive if I exercise and then eat loads to compensate. Maybe I'm thinking about this wrong?

    Any ideas would be great... I'm seriously considering a second serving of dinner as we speak... *argh*

    IMO you are if exercise merely as a way to burn calories. It is so much more.

    Get plenty of exercise and eat to properly fuel your activity with a slight deficit to encourage fat loss.

    Don't neglect sleep, that can deep six the whole thing...
  • hbunting86
    hbunting86 Posts: 952 Member
    deksgrl wrote: »
    hbunting86 wrote: »
    According to TDEE calculator I should be eating 1826 per day for maintenance... that's way off what MFP said! The plot thickens...

    MFP is a NEAT calculator, not a BMR or TDEE calculator (though it bases your BMR on the Mifflin St. Jeor formula). NEAT means Non-exercise activity thermogenesis, it is the energy expended for everything we do that is not sleeping, eating or sports-like exercise. So, getting up, doing housework, going to work or school, normal daily activity.

    BMR means basal metabolic rate. This is the number of calories you need just for your organs to function if you were not moving at all during the day, the number of calories they would feed you in a coma based on your size.

    MFP then asks you what is your level of activity for normal daily activities (not including exercise). Then, you choose how many pounds per week you want to lose, and it subtracts a flat number of calories. 1000 cals for 2 pounds per week, 750 for 1.5 pounds per week, 500 for 1 pound a week, or 250 for half a pound per week.

    So, your calorie goal is based on what you input as your lifestyle, and how many pounds you want to lose. If you set this inaccurately, you will have an inaccurate result.

    A properly set MFP + exercise calories goal should be around the same ballpark as a properly set TDEE - % calorie goal. The only difference is with the TDEE - % method you would eat about the same amount every day, exercise is included and averaged over the week.

    Example:
    MFP Method:
    1300 (amount MFP says to eat)
    -300 (amount you exercised)
    +300 (amount more you ate to fuel the exercise)
    = 1300 NET / 1600 TOTAL calories

    TDEE Method:
    TDEE of 2000 cals x 20% = 400
    2000-400 = 1600 calories.

    Does this clear things up for you?

    Thanks that's really helpful - definitely clears things up! :D
  • hbunting86
    hbunting86 Posts: 952 Member
    J72FIT wrote: »
    hbunting86 wrote: »
    Hi all

    I don't know what's wrong with me today - but I seem to be absolutely ravenous! Like literally hoovering up anything in front of me. Luckily I've kept it healthy... but I'm concerned this will hinder my weight loss. Yesterday I did a pretty intensive workout at the gym, do you think my body is catching up from that? It just seems a bit counterproductive if I exercise and then eat loads to compensate. Maybe I'm thinking about this wrong?

    Any ideas would be great... I'm seriously considering a second serving of dinner as we speak... *argh*

    IMO you are if exercise merely as a way to burn calories. It is so much more.

    Get plenty of exercise and eat to properly fuel your activity with a slight deficit to encourage fat loss.

    Don't neglect sleep, that can deep six the whole thing...

    Thanks - I'm exercising to get fit and because I enjoy it, not for aesthetic purposes alone. I hope to eventually do my personal training qualification so that I can have a career in health and fitness, so I just want to make sure I'm doing the right thing. Not cutting too much, not concentrating on just one area, etc etc. I'm not so fussed about numbers on the scale, but I do want to reduce body fat % and build muscle if that makes sense. Thanks for the help and yes, definitely need to up my sleep quota although that's pretty difficult with a 2 1/2 year old toddler haha!
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