I have been hangry/hungry as kitten lately.

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2

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  • kimny72
    kimny72 Posts: 16,013 Member
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    OP I'm female 5'5 130 lbs, lightly active, and I eat 1500 cals to lose a half lb per week and I get hungry sometimes. My personal opinion for what it's worth is that you are male, 50 lbs heavier, and more active and 1500 cals is just not appropriate for you. Losing so fast when you don't have much left to lose usually means you are losing muscle along with the fat. Muscle is easy to lose and tough to build back up.

    Just my two cents :wink:
  • aylajane
    aylajane Posts: 979 Member
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    You mentioned you want to get to a "healthier" BMI. but BMI is *terrible* indicator of health. It does not take into account fat distribution, muscle to fat ratio, etc. It absolutely has nothing at all to do with health - it is a math computation using weight, height and gender. Look at the images on this page (http://coach.nine.com.au/2015/07/20/11/49/this-is-why-you-probably-shouldnt-rely-on-bmi) all 18 images are someone who is the same height and weight and therefore has the same BMI. BUt look at the range of possibilities in "looks"! Clearly some of those look "healthier" than others!

    For a more clear view, look at these two men - same height and weight and BMI... which is "healthier" ? http://angrytrainerfitness.com/2011/06/bmi-flaws-why-my-son-is-not-overweight/

    If you are truly that concerned with "health" (1) get a DEXA scan to get your true Fat %. (2) dont lose muscle by trying to lose too fast and (3) feul your body. Your goals right now contradict each other - you want to be a "healthier" BMI but are doing something unhealthy to get it.

    Keep this in mind - you can lose 1 pound per week by eating 1500 and burning 2000 calories per day... or you can lose 1 pound per week by eating 2500 and burning 3000 calories per day... Both represent a 500 calorie deficit, both result in roughly 1 pound a week lost... but your mind and health will be far happier eating 2500 (not to mention skin, hair and nails will look much better!). Your body is not static - just because you "used to gain on 2500 per day" does not mean you will now. More muscle means you can eat more and maintain your same weight than you could before. Someone at a 10% body fat can eat more than a person at 25% body fat (all other things being the same - activity, height, weight, exercise) and not gain weight. Maybe start inching your calories up - say 50-100 more every day for a week. I bet you everything would say the same... You would lose at the same rate. (after a possible water bump). Just be sure you are truly accurately calculating your calories....

    Good luck - great job!
  • heiliskrimsli
    heiliskrimsli Posts: 735 Member
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    PAV8888 wrote: »
    My friend, you're trying for fast.
    You are no longer obesse or even overweight.

    He's 6' tall and 187lbs. That's objectively overweight.
  • fitoverfortymom
    fitoverfortymom Posts: 3,452 Member
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    Just popping in here to say I am rooting for you. You're almost there. You got some sound advice. You'll figure it out and make it happen.
  • jludwick78
    jludwick78 Posts: 34 Member
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    For what it's worth, in relation to the exercise calories burned, I wear a heart rate monitor and find that it is a significantly higher not lower calorie burn than what MFP is saying I burned. Not sure if others have the same issue.
  • WakkoW
    WakkoW Posts: 567 Member
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    I agree with everyone here. You are eating too little and need to slow down the weight loss. Take a maintenance break, it will do wonders for you.

    I'm a 5'4, 45 year old woman and have so far eaten 2,861 calories today. Right now I'm averaging 2,500 calories a day.

    Im not hungry.
  • jenscolinharris
    jenscolinharris Posts: 19 Member
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    Geocitiesuser wrote: »
    - Drink more water
    - Eat more greens/fibrous veggies
    - Avoid artificial sweeteners
    - Eat smaller more frequent meals

    All pretty sound advice that has always worked for me. After losing a little less than 130lbs it's not like I don't know what I'm doing. It's not like I don't have self control or will power. But holy heck am I hungry lately. My last MFP goals gives me 1500 cals a day + exercise cals. I log around 300 cals worth of exercise a day and eat pretty much 1750-1800 on the dot most days.

    But holy, kitten, am, I, HUNGRY.

    I know exactly how you feel! I want to loose another couple of kilograms in the next 5 weeks but I am probably quite close to the limit of my weight loss (5'11" and 81kg). Following the current weight loss program I am eating LOADS but always feel like I want more. I still have plenty of energy for the day and exercise though.

    Perhaps it is more want over need for me.
  • heiliskrimsli
    heiliskrimsli Posts: 735 Member
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    PAV8888 wrote: »
    heiliskrimsli wrote: »
    PAV8888 wrote: »
    My friend, you're trying for fast.
    You are no longer obesse or even overweight.

    He's 6' tall and 187lbs. That's objectively overweight.

    I stand corrected in that BMI of 25.3 / 25.4 is overweight using the generally accepted WHO BMI classification.

    My belief that 2lbs a week is an inappropriate goal for someone at the bottom edge of the overweight range continues unabated.

    My belief that 25.4 may or may not be overweight in reality depending on body type, age, and muscular development also remains in place; however, objectively, my statement that he was not overweight is incorrect using generally accepted WHO BMI classifications.

    Lot of people want to believe they're the exception and most of them are wrong.

    If someone is BMI overweight but not over-fat it will be very apparent just looking at them that they have undertaken considerable effort to build that kind of lean mass. Being that kind of outlier doesn't happen by accident.
  • ijsantos2005
    ijsantos2005 Posts: 306 Member
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    Definitely slow down the rate of loss, brother. Stay strong!
  • veganbaum
    veganbaum Posts: 1,865 Member
    edited April 2017
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    I'm a 5'8" female, 163.5 as of yesterday and today, and eat between 1700-1900 calories a day, except Saturdays when I eat around 3,000 and lose an average of .5 lb/week.

    My current goal is 155, though I am likely to reassess and maybe take that to 150. Anyway, I slowed to .5 lb/week goal when I had about 20 more pounds to go. I weigh every day and use trendweight.com. I do not lose .5 lb/week on the scale. For example, most recently I fluctuated between 166 and 168 for several weeks, then dropped to 165 I think, then 163.5 a couple of days after that. Because I have little left to lose, natural fluctuations will usually mask the losses. It's going to be a while before I see 155. But, that's the way I want it. I still have a higher percentage of fat than I'd like (don't know the percentage, just know I'm not lean). I don't need to lose more muscle than I have already.

    My point being, you may be able to eat more than you do and that would help with being hangry. I echo those who have suggested a diet break. Do that for at least two weeks, then get back to your deficit. However, I would definitely make that deficit smaller and be prepared for the fluctuations and be patient.
  • ccsernica
    ccsernica Posts: 1,040 Member
    edited April 2017
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    MFP is telling you to eat the minimum it will allocate for a man. That most likely means it computed a lower value given your information, but it's not allowing you to eat that little. If you're on 2lbs/week, that's too aggressive with only 15 lbs to go. I don't think you even need a maintenance break. Cut back to 1 or 0.5 lbs/week.

    Record all your exercise. If you're doing cardio and TKD, 300 calories/day from exercise sounds kind of low.

    I have to wonder if your goal weight isn't just plum too low for your build. I get the impression you're aiming for 170 or so. I'm an inch taller than you, but at 166 I have a much less muscular build.
  • Christine_72
    Christine_72 Posts: 16,049 Member
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    OP check out this video by our very own @vismal re diet breaks, i think you need and deserve one! Awesome job on your weight loss so far :smiley:

    https://youtu.be/r0jqAXpjCV0

  • tomteboda
    tomteboda Posts: 2,171 Member
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    OP, I don't think you're overfat, even if you're "overweight" (barely). You're a highly active tall man who strength trains. Your goal of a -2 lb/week loss is what's creating the hanger, because you are pushing your body to the limit. In this case, you should start listening to what your body is telling you . EAT MORE. Adjust your weight loss goals to -1 or better yet -0.5 lb/week. You'll find the whole experience much more tolerable and sustainable.

  • ahoy_m8
    ahoy_m8 Posts: 3,052 Member
    edited April 2017
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    Agree with all the comments that suggest moderating your rate of loss. I can understand the "sprint to the finish line" mentality, but do you plan to go from a 1000 kcal daily deficit right to 0 deficit when you hit GW? Dial it back, gradually lessen your daily deficit. It makes for an easier maintenance transition.

    Or as Christine suggests, full diet break. I totally agree you deserve one after your fantastic progress. More on that: http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/fat-loss/the-full-diet-break.html/

    Another smart approach is what Christine did, I believe, which is to eat at maintenance and lose the last 15 at a slower pace. Correct me, Christine, if I misspoke!!

    Many people feel hungrier as their BF% decreases. It takes a little experimentation with cardio & macros to find the balance most satisfying to you. A smaller deficit will definitely help. Fwiw, I'm a 52 y.o. woman, and I average 1500 to lose 1/2 lb/week, which is the fastest I can sustain at my BF%. Even when eating at maintenance, most days I would like to eat (or drink) a bit more, but I know it all adds up.

    Congrats and good luck! I hope you find what works for you.

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