How do I stop feeling so hungry I want to gnaw up my bed sheets?

antinomiancelestial · March 2017

I'm 5 foot 6, I weigh 189.4 pounds, my goal weight is 150 (for now), and I had the system set to lose 1 pound a week. That was working just fine until two days ago. After 3-4 days of feeling very satisfied eating high-protein foods on a low-calorie diet. Two days ago, my period tracker told me I was 3 days away from my period. I know correlation doesn't equal causation, but I wonder if that is affecting things.

I am so hungry that I'm weepy all the time, paranoid, etc. This is from eating 1520 a day. I don't get it! From what I've read, 1520 calories for a sedentary person is a fine place to start, so why am I struggling so much? Why do I feel /worse/ than I felt with an eating disorder in 2008, back when I was restricting to 800 a day? This makes no freaking sense.

Yesterday, I ate beyond meat (a protein substitute for vegans) and bell pepper fajitas for breakfast, tortilla soup for lunch, and very filling tacos for dinner. I didn't end the day satisfied, and I didn't really have much room for snacks (aside from a couple of low-calorie peanut butter/applesauce/chocolate chip cookies I baked the other day). (Note: I am vegan, so if you want to suggest food, I won't get anything from suggestions like yogurt and meat).

I know this hunger is "below the neck." It's not an emotional hunger. I feel absolutely starved. I've considered reducing my goal to 0.5 calories a week, but I'm concerned because in trying to make up for how starved I've been the past few days, I've already eaten 506 calories between breakfast and desperate, desperate snacks. I don't think I can make it on 1720 calories today. I already had a bit of a refeeding day two days ago, so I'm worried another one today will just be a drop in the bucket.

To be clear, again, I am not talking about emotional hunger. I'm not just sitting around craving candy and ice cream bars. I want full-sized, non-portion-controlled meals that leave me feeling full enough that I don't wake up from hunger pain at four a.m.

Does anyone have any thoughts on what might be going on? Here are my two guesses.

1. Maybe getting close to my period is affecting things.

2. I'm going off a medication that a very unsupportive, underwhelming doctor put me on. I'm not sure if going off the med is making my appetite go wacky. Unfortunately, I can't really afford to see anyone else for a professional opinion right now (and yes, I've thought through insurance, sliding scales, all that).

I'm tempted to do another refeeding day today and hope that in another day or two, my body will handle the diet again. It's difficult to hold out much hope, though.

Sabine_Stroehm · March 2017

Sounds like PMS to me!
Let yourself have a few treats. When your period starts, back off and don't force yourself to eat.

Know that it will happen again next month, and plan for it.

Good luck!

deannalfisher · March 2017

are you working out? are you eating back exercise calories?

if you are coming off a medicine - I would give your body some time to normalize before you adjust to reducing your calories - before you started tracking - how much were you eating?

kshama2001 · March 2017

Sure, for many women their metabolism and hunger rises premenstrually. Many of us eat at maintenance for a few days around that time.

I think I said this to you on another thread - I'm about your height and weight and could not get by without also exercising and eating those exercise calories.

I had knee issues when I began on MFP so started with just a 15-20 minute walk, which I gradually lengthened and now am up to over an hour, plus hills.

kshama2001 · March 2017

Regarding filling vegan foods - I used to live in vegetarian yoga communities with lots of vegans and they would have a meal based around beans or lentils at least once per day. I'm an omnivore, but find rice & beans very filling.

Here are some vegan recipes with legumes as the main ingredient: http://www.wholefoodsmarket.com/recipe/search/ ?f[0]=field_special_diet:158786&f[1]=field_recipe_main_ingredient:789

antinomiancelestial · March 2017

@Sabine_Stroehm - My body doesn't want treats right now; it wants its normal amount of regular breakfast, lunch, and dinner food. I'm not sure what to do because eating that amount will put me too high.

@deannalfisher - Huh. I just calculated, and I was eating about 1,663 on an average day.

I realize one of the major changes I've made is that I've made breakfast really big and then started having very small (400-600 calorie) lunches and dinners to compensate. Could that be part of the problem? I used to not make a very big deal out of breakfast.

I think you're right that I should probably drop the dieting efforts until the Abilify is out of my system.

Thanks, both!

VintageFeline · March 2017

There are quite a few women on the forums who report this kind of hunger with PMS. Most of them allow themselves to eat at maintenance for two or three days and accept this will make a small dent in progress. And it has unfortunately coincided with you just starting to restrict your intake which in itself can take the body a little time to down regulate appetite to match.

As for diet, I'm not vegan but do eat vegetarian meals pretty regularly (and was a veggie for 10 years) and as above, beans and legumes are a life saver. Depending on variety they can be low calorie but very filling, especially so if I can make room for a couple of rotis or parathas.

deannalfisher · March 2017

both increased hunger and loss of hunger are side-effects of abilify (according to WebMD) - so it could hypothetically be, that you were on the loss of hunger side and now that you are coming off it - your appetite has kicked back in (not a doctor, this is not medical advice)

dreawest · March 2017

antinomiancelestial wrote: »

I realize one of the major changes I've made is that I've made breakfast really big and then started having very small (400-600 calorie) lunches and dinners to compensate. Could that be part of the problem? I used to not make a very big deal out of breakfast.

In the past when I tried to lose weight I attempted the healthy breakfast start but I have discovered that forcing myself to eat breakfast just kicks up my appetite and uses a good portion of my daily calories. Now I tend to eat very little before lunch and get to have a huge and filling dinner so I don't feel like I'm restricting that much. I've laid my meals out by times (its open if you want to see) and I'm much happier. At work there are three of us and one person does a big breakfast and smaller lunch and dinner, the other tends to have a third of allotted calories at each meal and uses exercise for snacks, and then there is me - no breakfast but bigger meals and snacks.

All this to say, maybe just try different things to find what works for you. If you are hungry at night try and budget your calories so you have enough to have a big evening meal.

lazyprincesss · March 2017

How much water are you drinking? Thirst is often confused for hunger, and, if nothing else, water will help to fill up your stomach im between meals. It may also help to eat more, smaller meals rather than a few larger meals.

jessicapk · March 2017

antinomiancelestial wrote: »

I realize one of the major changes I've made is that I've made breakfast really big and then started having very small (400-600 calorie) lunches and dinners to compensate. Could that be part of the problem? I used to not make a very big deal out of breakfast.

I think you're right that I should probably drop the dieting efforts until the Abilify is out of my system.

Definitely drop the dieting until the Abilify is out of your system. Too many things to worry about at once! I would start by counting calories with maintenance numbers or slightly below (allows for a margin of error from nutrition labels). This will get you into the groove so that, when the meds are out of your system, you'll be ready to go full force.

Second, go back to what worked for you in the past and just cut down in amounts. If you never made a big deal out of breakfast, obviously you didn't really need it. I've always favored a larger dinner so I usually make sure I have enough calories left at the end of the day for a bigger meal. It will not affect your weight loss at all except it might make it easier for you because it works within routines that you already have. Trying to change too much at once can be difficult and lead to failure.

Good luck!

Sunna_W · March 2017

It could be yeast overgrowth. http://www.herbshopcincy.com/pages/candida_yeast.aspx (I like Global Heath Trax Five-Lac). The powder is very stable and easy to use and it made / makes a huge difference. If you are restricting sugar / carbs - your yeastie beasties may be hungry! Also, you could try adding things that fill you up that are low calories / low carb like Konjac Shirataki noodles that are gluten free and easy to make at home. Konjac powder can also be added to other things like your protein shake and help you feel fuller. That's all I've got!

antinomiancelestial · March 2017

@dreawest - That does seem to be what's happening to me. The biggest problem I run into is getting hungry at 4 a.m., and being able to have a large, satisfying dinner would probably make a huge difference in that problem.

@lazyprincesss - I'm not doing well enough with water; I've only made it up to about 3 cups a day. That's probably part of the problem, but I can't imagine feeling /this/ ravenous would go away from just water.

@jessicapk - I was on some kind of health website that said a huge breakfast and a small dinner would be much healthier than a small breakfast and a large dinner. Apparently that advice wasn't written for dieters! It's definitly just jump-starting my appetite early in the day.

@Sunna_W - Would I need to be tested for yeast overgrowth somehow?

janejellyroll · March 2017

Have you tried volume eating? When I was in a deficit, I would often buy a big bag of broccoli or cauliflower, roast the whole thing, and then add it to my dinner. It's a lot of food for not very many calories. Another thing I'll do when I'm feeling hungrier is add shredded cabbage to my meals -- it works really well with soups and stews or saucier dishes.

Are you on a low fat diet, by any chance? I'm vegan and I find that when I don't get enough fat it makes me very hungry. It varies by person, but it's something to consider.

phill_143 · March 2017

A certain level of hunger would be normal/acceptable when getting used to a deficit... but the level you describe sounds like something you shouldn't ignore or try to put up with.
Some thoughts:
1) is it possible you're doing the opposite of what many people do and overestimating what you are eating? Might be worth checking for any suspiciously large calorie entries that could be based on something incorrect in the database
2) are you eating back exercise calories? Could you add in activity to 'buy' more calories? (I know some people find cardio makes them hungrier - I guess this is an individual thing. Personally, I find it helps)

antinomiancelestial · March 2017

@janejellyroll - I'm not specifically trying to eat low-fat, but it's possible that I am anyway. I should look into that.

@phill_143 - I don't exercise much, so there are no exercise calories to eat back. I could definitely be overestimating what I'm eating; that's true.

I don't feel strong enough to do cardio right now; I can barely do my sedentary job because of how hungry I am at the moment. I really, really need more to eat, but I hate this because it feels like I have to either cheat on my diet until I come up with a new plan or just struggle with getting no sleep and no work done because of how hungry I am.

beachlivinob · March 2017

I HATE being hungry. I find cucumber slices in Rice Wine Vinegar with a few pepper flakes or with a little red pepper humus satisfying. I also think drinking a lot helps; green tea sweetened with something other than sugar (honey) or artificial sweetener if you are not afraid of it helps. Adding a nice walk is an easy way to get calories back. It helps if you have a walking buddy or walk the dog or listen to your favorite music. Good luck! I'm very sympathetic. Cravings are killer!

MelanieCN77 · March 2017

I get more hungry around ovulation myself, not noticed a difference during PMS. Sometimes if I know I've eaten enough but am still foraging I'll take a look at my macros/nutritional breakdown for the day and usually I am light on fat. A cheese stick or something really helps in those situations - regular, not a light one

lightenup2016 · March 2017

antinomiancelestial wrote: »

I'm 5 foot 6, I weigh 189.4 pounds, my goal weight is 150 (for now), and I had the system set to lose 1 pound a week. That was working just fine until two days ago. After 3-4 days of feeling very satisfied eating high-protein foods on a low-calorie diet. Two days ago, my period tracker told me I was 3 days away from my period. I know correlation doesn't equal causation, but I wonder if that is affecting things.

I am so hungry that I'm weepy all the time, paranoid, etc. This is from eating 1520 a day. I don't get it! From what I've read, 1520 calories for a sedentary person is a fine place to start, so why am I struggling so much? Why do I feel /worse/ than I felt with an eating disorder in 2008, back when I was restricting to 800 a day? This makes no freaking sense.

Yesterday, I ate beyond meat (a protein substitute for vegans) and bell pepper fajitas for breakfast, tortilla soup for lunch, and very filling tacos for dinner. I didn't end the day satisfied, and I didn't really have much room for snacks (aside from a couple of low-calorie peanut butter/applesauce/chocolate chip cookies I baked the other day). (Note: I am vegan, so if you want to suggest food, I won't get anything from suggestions like yogurt and meat).

I know this hunger is "below the neck." It's not an emotional hunger. I feel absolutely starved. I've considered reducing my goal to 0.5 calories a week, but I'm concerned because in trying to make up for how starved I've been the past few days, I've already eaten 506 calories between breakfast and desperate, desperate snacks. I don't think I can make it on 1720 calories today. I already had a bit of a refeeding day two days ago, so I'm worried another one today will just be a drop in the bucket.

To be clear, again, I am not talking about emotional hunger. I'm not just sitting around craving candy and ice cream bars. I want full-sized, non-portion-controlled meals that leave me feeling full enough that I don't wake up from hunger pain at four a.m.

Does anyone have any thoughts on what might be going on? Here are my two guesses.

1. Maybe getting close to my period is affecting things.

2. I'm going off a medication that a very unsupportive, underwhelming doctor put me on. I'm not sure if going off the med is making my appetite go wacky. Unfortunately, I can't really afford to see anyone else for a professional opinion right now (and yes, I've thought through insurance, sliding scales, all that).

I'm tempted to do another refeeding day today and hope that in another day or two, my body will handle the diet again. It's difficult to hold out much hope, though.

It would totally be the PMS for me! And I've noticed that it seems to be worse if I've recently been eating at a decent deficit. Just this week I upped my calories by about 250 per day, and the PMS monster appetite seems to be better so far. I get this at ovulation, too--ugh! I used to "give" myself an extra 300 calories for PMS days (apparently you burn more calories then), then I went to 300 over maintenance. Sometimes that still was not enough. I don't know, I haven't quite figured it out yet!

ETA: Sorry, I just read all of the posts. I also have an increased appetite if I eat breakfast. I stopped eating breakfast about three years ago, and never looked back! It's not very difficult for me to drink coffee in the morning and not eat until 1pm (except during PMS!!)

DKG28 · March 2017

I hate that feeling...stomach actually rumbling/body feeling weak type hunger. I even get nauseous if I get too physically hungry - probably digestive juices anticipating food, but not getting any irritating my stomach. The eat 5 small meals a day approach makes me starving and miserable. Now I do 2 large meals, no snacks. Looking forward to a full plate of food really helps. Looking forward to a snack or a small meal just seems to tell me i'll never be satisfied. I think bodies adjust to eating patterns, whatever you choose. I get seriously hungry most often when I'm knocked off my pattern. And yes, PMS hunger is a thing for me.

Francl27 · March 2017

PMS is DEFINITELY affecting things. Just eat a bit more if you need to. It's totally fine if you eat at maintenance for a few days (for me it's a VERY good day if I can stay under that before my period).

Otherwise, I'm not vegan, but tortillas are high calorie and not very filling - especially if you had more than one in a day - you'd be better off with a taco salad loaded with beans and veggies or something.

How do I stop feeling so hungry I want to gnaw up my bed sheets?

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