Should I eat if I'm hungry even if it goes over the count?

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  • BlueSkyShoal
    BlueSkyShoal Posts: 325 Member
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    Depends if it's a little hunger or really bad, gnawing hunger. If it's gnawing hunger, I'd do two things:

    1. Try to move your meals around into a configuration that keeps you satisfied and not hungry.
    2. If that doesn't work, reassess your calorie goals.

    Caveat: Have you just started losing weight? When I first started, I was ravenous for about the first two weeks. It wasn't because I physically NEEDED more food, it was just because my body was used to getting more food and was freaking out over its absence. If you are starting out: stay strong and power through the hunger. It WILL go away and you will become full on lower quantities of food/calories.
  • bigmuneymfp
    bigmuneymfp Posts: 2,235 Member
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    zyxst wrote: »
    bigmuneymfp wrote: »
    No

    OP should be in pain because she'll go over her calories?

    If she wants to lose weight

  • bigmuneymfp
    bigmuneymfp Posts: 2,235 Member
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    fitmom4lifemfp wrote: »
    If you are that hungry when you go to bed, you are doing something wrong.

    That's how I know I'm doing it right! Lol
  • gem1804
    gem1804 Posts: 9 Member
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    Sometimes your body can confuse hunger with thirst. So are you drinking enough water throughout the day?

    Try eating some more filling healthy foods such as pulses, snack on nuts or have lean dried meats as a snack for a protein hit perhaps?
  • janejellyroll
    janejellyroll Posts: 25,763 Member
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    bigmuneymfp wrote: »
    zyxst wrote: »
    bigmuneymfp wrote: »
    No

    OP should be in pain because she'll go over her calories?

    If she wants to lose weight

    Hunger to the point of pain isn't necessary for weight loss.
  • bigmuneymfp
    bigmuneymfp Posts: 2,235 Member
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    janejellyroll wrote: »
    bigmuneymfp wrote: »
    zyxst wrote: »
    bigmuneymfp wrote: »
    No

    OP should be in pain because she'll go over her calories?

    If she wants to lose weight

    Hunger to the point of pain isn't necessary for weight loss.

    Probably not but it sure isn't comfortable
  • Spartan_Gingi
    Spartan_Gingi Posts: 194 Member
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    If I'm hungry, I have a glass of water. If I'm still hungry 20 mins later, I have a string cheese, or some fruit.
  • planetcadillac
    planetcadillac Posts: 137 Member
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    If you feel hungry at night late when you are ready to sleep you can try a couple of things. One, make sure you don't eat your last meal too early. I don't eat after 7 but I am not going to eat dinner at 4 and nothing after that. Second, perhaps you should try to eat some fiber, and/or protein as the last thing you eat as that will help satiate you into the evening. Carbs are the worst to eat last because they burn off the quickest and the crash is most noticeable. Others have said that your calorie count maybe too low, that is very true. If you had been used to eating 2,500 calories for years and suddenly go on a 1,200 calorie diet cold turkey that can be difficult for the body to adjust to. I often suggest people drop in 1/4 increments. Good luck!
  • Sunna_W
    Sunna_W Posts: 744 Member
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    The eating plan that does this for me is Paleo / Keto (low, low sugar/carbs and high protein/fat/fiber); my ratios are: (45% protein, 40% fat and 15% carbs/sugar).

    I knew from my own past experience that carbs and sugar are the devil. If I eat one sweet thing, then, I can't stop. I know that if I eat simple carbs (like bagels / white potatoes) my heart will race. If I eat complex carbs (like canned white beans) then I feel okay, but I don't really lose weight. I have restricted sugar and carbs before and knew that by restricting them, I am not craving them and I feel better.

    See this website for a list of paleo websites:
    http://paleoiq.com/best-paleo-diet-blogs/

    I started by making incremental changes last November (one meal at a time), with the end goal being that I would hover around 1400 calories because as an older woman my skin doesn't bounce back as it did when I was younger. By losing the weight slowly, I have minimized the sagging skin.

    It took several months of tweaking before I finally found my "sweet spot" in terms of balance between carbs and protein and (since January I have lost about 23 pounds). And... I am only complaint calorie wise about 75% - 80% of the time. I have some health issues and can't really exercise. Despite this and being tied to a desk all day, I have lost and continue to lose weight.

    For me, eating low carb and low sugar all of the time some amazing things happened:

    I don't crave sugar (I have an entire box of Charms Wild Berry Blow Pops in my file drawer that I haven't touched since November because I don't crave sugar; I once measured my stress level by how many of them I consumed in one day);

    My moods are more even and I don't have blood sugar spikes and crashes;
    By consuming more healthy fats my joints don't hurt as much and I am more or less satiated on 1400 calories.

    I used Paleo Leap and Paleo Tribe for the recipe ideas (they have some great low calorie recipe options) but this isn't necessary. I do think preparing and eating food that I make as opposed to boxes or eating out has helped me a lot. Boxes say they are low carb (but they have lots of other additives in them to make them taste good.)
  • diannethegeek
    diannethegeek Posts: 14,776 Member
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    These are my really generic tips for hunger. I think they've all been covered up above, but I have a cold and there's not enough cold medicine in the world for me today.

    1. Make sure that your calorie goals are actually set appropriately. Don't skip this step. A lot of people set goals that are too aggressive and then wonder why they're having a hard time. http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/819055/setting-your-calorie-and-macro-targets

    2. Play around with your macro splits. Some people find foods higher in protein, fat, and fiber help them stay full and more satisfied longer. If you're using MFP's default settings, try to consider protein, fat, and fiber as minimums to reach every day rather than maximums to stay below. Others do really well with volume eating and higher amounts of carby vegetables. You may need to try different things to see what works best for you.

    3. Drink plenty of fluids. Some people really do confuse thirst and hunger.

    4. Get plenty of rest. This includes sleeping enough and taking rest days from the exercise. Sometimes our bodies look for food when they're exhausted.

    5. Play around with your meal timings. Some people do really well on 5-6 small meals a day and others feel like they want to gnaw their own arm off eating like that. Skipping breakfast, eating breakfast, 16:8 fasting, 6 small meals, 3 larger meals, snacks, no snacks, meal timing won't make a big difference to your weight loss, but it may help your hunger levels, mood, concentration, gym performance, etc. throughout the day. Don't be afraid to try a different way and see if it helps.

    6. Wait it out. If you know you're eating enough and the other steps above aren't helping, you may just have to wait it out. Our bodies send out hunger signals partially out of habit. If you eat at a certain time every day your body will start to get hungry at that time. The good news is that these signals can be retrained to stop telling you to be hungry all the time. The bad news is that you may just have to be hungry for a little bit while that happens.

    7. I also think it's important to remember that there's a habitual component to hunger. This goes along with point #6, but if you eat because you're bored or you're used to eating in front of the TV or in the car or whatever it is, then you can replace those habits with others that are better for you. Things like keeping water on hand to sip instead of snacking or picking up hobbies that keep your hands busy or that get you out of the house more can help out a little while you're retraining your hunger cues. You might need to pay attention to why you're eating/hungry or what you're feeling when you eat and try to replace food with other things, but it can be really beneficial over time.
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,868 Member
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    It's normal to be hungry at meal times...it's not normal to be hungry to the point of pain and it keeping you up or feeling sick...personally, I'd re-evaluate my calorie targets. Losing weight was pretty easy and painless...
  • irxproductions
    irxproductions Posts: 28 Member
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    I know hunger pangs suck, but my suggestion is to try to get used to feeling hungry. Society has taught us that the instant we feel hungry, we should eat. It sucks, but I've trained myself that feeling hungry is NOT a bad thing.

    I often feel a little hungry, but I've had to get used to it. For me, the hardest part of losing weight was using the self-control to say, "It's okay that I feel hungry. My next meal is just a few hours away."

    Also, the tip to get low-calorie snacks like carrot sticks is right-on. Another one that works for me? Having a great conversation with a friend or coworker. If you keep your mind busy with other activities (not watching TV - that doesn't work), you'll trick yourself into forgetting you're hungry.
  • janejellyroll
    janejellyroll Posts: 25,763 Member
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    bigmuneymfp wrote: »
    janejellyroll wrote: »
    bigmuneymfp wrote: »
    zyxst wrote: »
    bigmuneymfp wrote: »
    No

    OP should be in pain because she'll go over her calories?

    If she wants to lose weight

    Hunger to the point of pain isn't necessary for weight loss.

    Probably not but it sure isn't comfortable

    There's a difference between discomfort due to hunger and actual pain. The specific question you answered referenced pain, so if that wasn't what you meant maybe reconsider your answer?
  • bigmuneymfp
    bigmuneymfp Posts: 2,235 Member
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    fitmom4lifemfp wrote: »
    bigmuneymfp wrote: »
    fitmom4lifemfp wrote: »
    If you are that hungry when you go to bed, you are doing something wrong.

    That's how I know I'm doing it right! Lol

    No, really you aren't. Serious hunger to the point of being sick/nauseous is NOT "doing it right". Not even close.

    No really I am
  • Jriggs46615
    Jriggs46615 Posts: 50 Member
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    Eat a small amount of almond butter, maybe a teaspoon to a tablespoon. It works for me every. single. time. I have the kind that you have to grind yourself at either Whole Foods or Fresh Thyme.
  • apullum
    apullum Posts: 4,838 Member
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    If you're in pain, then eat, and reassess what you're eating during the day. Are you spending a lot of your calories on calorie-dense foods, like oils or carbs? I tend to get hungry if I use up all of my calories on things like a big bowl of pasta. Try for more veggies, fiber, and protein, which many people here find to be more filling.
  • T0M_K
    T0M_K Posts: 7,526 Member
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    i'd have a 6 pak
  • inertiastrength
    inertiastrength Posts: 2,343 Member
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    For a 1lb/week loss the average woman has to cut 25% of her calories. It's natural to feel hunger, but perhaps you chose to lose 2/week... and mfp is starving you to do it. Look at your deficit and start the way you intend and are able to continue. Slow progress is better than no progress.
  • midlomel1971
    midlomel1971 Posts: 1,283 Member
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    I say eat. I eat 1500 calories a day and it's all filling food. I work out late at night and when I come home around 10:30 or 11, I'm starving.

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