Any vegans eating at least 30% protein?
oat_bran
Posts: 370 Member
My macros are currently about 45% carbs, 35% fat and 20% protein.
All in all, I feel good eating this way but I still struggle with hunger between meals a lot, which makes it hard not to snack which often leads to me going over my cals. So I was thinking about trying to raise my protein a bit to see if it helps.
I have no problem getting in 20-25% protein (which equals to about 85-120g which is exactly the 0.8-1g per lb of lean body bidy mass recommended), but getting in more is somewhat tricky. I feel like Ill need to rely heavenly on processed meat substitutes, which I am okay eating generally speaking but not for every meal of the day.
If you are vegan and are eating at least 30%, do you have tips? Can you give me an example of what you are eating in a day? Do you feel less hungry eating more protein?
All in all, I feel good eating this way but I still struggle with hunger between meals a lot, which makes it hard not to snack which often leads to me going over my cals. So I was thinking about trying to raise my protein a bit to see if it helps.
I have no problem getting in 20-25% protein (which equals to about 85-120g which is exactly the 0.8-1g per lb of lean body bidy mass recommended), but getting in more is somewhat tricky. I feel like Ill need to rely heavenly on processed meat substitutes, which I am okay eating generally speaking but not for every meal of the day.
If you are vegan and are eating at least 30%, do you have tips? Can you give me an example of what you are eating in a day? Do you feel less hungry eating more protein?
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Replies
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http://beyondmeat.com/
I'm not vegan, and I put these into tacos with lots of cheese which is also rich in protein. You could use their stuff without cheese, though.
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When I lived in vegetarian yoga communities I had lots of healthy and fit vegan friends. They did not count calories, and I do not know their macros. They ate a lot of bulky lower calorie food, and made legumes a staple. I rarely, if ever, saw them with vegan junk food like Oreos. They ate a moderate amount of nuts.1
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I do not often get 30% protein, but on days when I do, it's usually because I have either had seitan or a protein shake (I like Vega, but there are multiple vegan brands). Are you currently eating either of those? Also, do you eat beans regularly? They have carbohydrates too, but they're a good source of protein.
I'm assuming that you know that protein is the most satiating macronutrient for you and feel free to ignore this question if you're already considered it, but are you getting sufficient fiber? I find that it's fiber and fat that help me feel fuller, but people are different. Also, have you played around with meal timing? I used to get hungry between meals because I thought I had to have smaller meals, but when I cut out snacking and focused on three larger meals, it got better.3 -
janejellyroll wrote: »I do not often get 30% protein, but on days when I do, it's usually because I have either had seitan or a protein shake (I like Vega, but there are multiple vegan brands). Are you currently eating either of those? Also, do you eat beans regularly? They have carbohydrates too, but they're a good source of protein.
I'm assuming that you know that protein is the most satiating macronutrient for you and feel free to ignore this question if you're already considered it, but are you getting sufficient fiber? I find that it's fiber and fat that help me feel fuller, but people are different. Also, have you played around with meal timing? I used to get hungry between meals because I thought I had to have smaller meals, but when I cut out snacking and focused on three larger meals, it got better.
I add soy protein powder to my porridge, plant yoghurts, chia seed pudding I make and to muffins when I bake. I also make my own "protein balls". I don't have a problem with soy per se, but I feel like getting all your protein from the same source is not very healthy.
Do you like the taste of Vega protein powder? I've never tried vegan protein powder other than soy (which tasted ok-ish but not good as I remember the whey protein tasted). I've heard many people saying that plant protein powders like rice or pea proteins taste bad... But if I find plant protein powder that tastes good, it might become a reliable way to get more protein in my diet.
I eat beans a lot, yes. I sometimes replace the "starch" part of my meals with beans or lentils and it helps to up my protein a bit. But I think that making beans the main source of protein in my meal won't get me to 30%, because they don't have enough.
As for fiber, I'd say I get more than enough. 45-55g most days. Fat isn't a problem also. I eat plenty of nuts, seeds and avocados. I make sure to have some fat with every meal. It's much easier getting in more fat that it is with protein on a plant based diet. But I don't notice eating more fat than I already do helps me to feel fuller.1 -
Bumping up your protein and fat macros might help you out - personally I feel very hungry when I eat high-carb.
Protein powders, nuts, nut butters, olive oil, beans, lentils, quinoa, edamame...1 -
longstocking wrote: »janejellyroll wrote: »I do not often get 30% protein, but on days when I do, it's usually because I have either had seitan or a protein shake (I like Vega, but there are multiple vegan brands). Are you currently eating either of those? Also, do you eat beans regularly? They have carbohydrates too, but they're a good source of protein.
I'm assuming that you know that protein is the most satiating macronutrient for you and feel free to ignore this question if you're already considered it, but are you getting sufficient fiber? I find that it's fiber and fat that help me feel fuller, but people are different. Also, have you played around with meal timing? I used to get hungry between meals because I thought I had to have smaller meals, but when I cut out snacking and focused on three larger meals, it got better.
I add soy protein powder to my porridge, plant yoghurts, chia seed pudding I make and to muffins when I bake. I also make my own "protein balls". I don't have a problem with soy per se, but I feel like getting all your protein from the same source is not very healthy.
Do you like the taste of Vega protein powder? I've never tried vegan protein powder other than soy (which tasted ok-ish but not good as I remember the whey protein tasted). I've heard many people saying that plant protein powders like rice or pea proteins taste bad... But if I find plant protein powder that tastes good, it might become a reliable way to get more protein in my diet.
I eat beans a lot, yes. I sometimes replace the "starch" part of my meals with beans or lentils and it helps to up my protein a bit. But I think that making beans the main source of protein in my meal won't get me to 30%, because they don't have enough.
As for fiber, I'd say I get more than enough. 45-55g most days. Fat isn't a problem also. I eat plenty of nuts, seeds and avocados. I make sure to have some fat with every meal. It's much easier getting in more fat that it is with protein on a plant based diet. But I don't notice eating more fat than I already do helps me to feel fuller.
I like the taste of Vega, although some people say it tastes chalky to them. Have you tried hemp protein powder? I find it has a fairly neutral taste -- I've added it to chia seed pudding and smoothies. Hemp seeds are also available and they're high in protein. They're softer, so they blend into things well. If you are in the US and have a Whole Foods available, you can get a sample pack of the different Vegas there to see if you like them (without having to buy a whole container).
What's your calorie goal and how many pounds are you losing per week? Your diet sounds well balanced, it's possible you're hungry because you have a deficit that is larger than it needs to be.1 -
janejellyroll wrote: »longstocking wrote: »janejellyroll wrote: »I do not often get 30% protein, but on days when I do, it's usually because I have either had seitan or a protein shake (I like Vega, but there are multiple vegan brands). Are you currently eating either of those? Also, do you eat beans regularly? They have carbohydrates too, but they're a good source of protein.
I'm assuming that you know that protein is the most satiating macronutrient for you and feel free to ignore this question if you're already considered it, but are you getting sufficient fiber? I find that it's fiber and fat that help me feel fuller, but people are different. Also, have you played around with meal timing? I used to get hungry between meals because I thought I had to have smaller meals, but when I cut out snacking and focused on three larger meals, it got better.
I add soy protein powder to my porridge, plant yoghurts, chia seed pudding I make and to muffins when I bake. I also make my own "protein balls". I don't have a problem with soy per se, but I feel like getting all your protein from the same source is not very healthy.
Do you like the taste of Vega protein powder? I've never tried vegan protein powder other than soy (which tasted ok-ish but not good as I remember the whey protein tasted). I've heard many people saying that plant protein powders like rice or pea proteins taste bad... But if I find plant protein powder that tastes good, it might become a reliable way to get more protein in my diet.
I eat beans a lot, yes. I sometimes replace the "starch" part of my meals with beans or lentils and it helps to up my protein a bit. But I think that making beans the main source of protein in my meal won't get me to 30%, because they don't have enough.
As for fiber, I'd say I get more than enough. 45-55g most days. Fat isn't a problem also. I eat plenty of nuts, seeds and avocados. I make sure to have some fat with every meal. It's much easier getting in more fat that it is with protein on a plant based diet. But I don't notice eating more fat than I already do helps me to feel fuller.
I like the taste of Vega, although some people say it tastes chalky to them. Have you tried hemp protein powder? I find it has a fairly neutral taste -- I've added it to chia seed pudding and smoothies. Hemp seeds are also available and they're high in protein. They're softer, so they blend into things well. If you are in the US and have a Whole Foods available, you can get a sample pack of the different Vegas there to see if you like them (without having to buy a whole container).
What's your calorie goal and how many pounds are you losing per week? Your diet sounds well balanced, it's possible you're hungry because you have a deficit that is larger than it needs to be.
I live in France so no whole foods unfortunately. But I think I'll still order a container of it to try some time soon. Thanks for the idea about hemp protein! I've never tried hemp protein powder, but I use hemp flour in my porridge and it's already high in protein (it has almost 60% protein or 30g per 100g). I find that it has a pretty strong taste actually, but I like it, so while I'm not sure it will work in all recipes as well as more neutral tasting powders, I could try making shakes with it. I will see if hemp protein powder has even more protein.
I'm trying to lose 1lb per week. I am very active most days so I can eat a lot (1600-1900 cals some days). Some days it's very easy to maintain like this and don't feel hungry at all otr I feel hungry but it's tolerable and feel like I could go on forever. But other days I feel ravenous and constantly thinking about food. I think that my struggles with hunger are a lot to do with my ED history (i'm recovering bulimic) and my hunger cues are still messed up from before. I'm hoping it will get better with time. But meanwhile I'm trying to experiment with different things tonsee if anything helps. Thank you for all the tips!0 -
Hope you don't mind if I ask... why would you want 30% protein?0
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Hope you don't mind if I ask... why would you want 30% protein?
Like I said in my original post, I want to try adding more protein to see if it will help me to feel full for longer after meal. I struggle with hunger between meals which often leads to overeating. A lot of people say, upping their fat or protein helps them with that. I tried upping fat and it didn't really help, so I'm trying to up my protein.2 -
You have some good suggestions. I keep some Vega around, but I'm not a huge fan because of the stevia taste. I do like the Vanilla SunWarrior protein powder. I know you said you eat beans, but have you also tried several different types of beans? Their protein content can vary. As already mentioned, seitan is also a really good source as well.
I have found that I'm similar to janejellyroll. I kept trying to up my protein, trying to stave off some of the hunger and it just didn't work for me. Then I figured out that fat and fiber help. I'm also trying to experiment more with larger meals and fewer snacks. I haven't been quite as disciplined about it as I should be, but so far I think that if I have a larger, balanced meal (not just more calories, but balanced), that may help more with hunger than having smaller meals and snacks. Satiety is such an individual thing! You just have to try out different things until you find what works for you.2 -
You have some good suggestions. I keep some Vega around, but I'm not a huge fan because of the stevia taste. I do like the Vanilla SunWarrior protein powder. I know you said you eat beans, but have you also tried several different types of beans? Their protein content can vary. As already mentioned, seitan is also a really good source as well.
I have found that I'm similar to janejellyroll. I kept trying to up my protein, trying to stave off some of the hunger and it just didn't work for me. Then I figured out that fat and fiber help. I'm also trying to experiment more with larger meals and fewer snacks. I haven't been quite as disciplined about it as I should be, but so far I think that if I have a larger, balanced meal (not just more calories, but balanced), that may help more with hunger than having smaller meals and snacks. Satiety is such an individual thing! You just have to try out different things until you find what works for you.
I'm trying to do the same thing at the moment, eliminate snacking or lower the number of snacks at least, and have larger meals. I am having gard time with this at the moment as I'm usually starting to feel hungry 2-3 after meals. But I hope that after a while my body will adjust.
I may try experimenting with fat again. Thanks for the advice!0 -
Protein will definitely help with hunger, but I've found that fat helps too!
I eat a low carb, high fat vegetarian diet. I'm moving more towards vegan, which is part of my goal.
I eat A LOT of nuts and seeds, tofu or protein powder at 2 meals
I like natural peanut butter, almonds, Brazil nuts, walnuts, chia seeds, and add flax powder to "pancakes" made with soft tofu and a non-flavored vegan protein powder (I have a friend who is a Shaklee representative).
I was vegan while I lived in France, and spent a lot of time shopping at tiny"bio" stores.0 -
I cannot stand the taste of Vega, though it'd been about five years since I last tried it. I detest the taste of stevia, though, and you can really taste it.
I use Nature's Way Alive Ultra Shake in vanilla. It comes in both pea and soy protein. I've never tried the pea. I use it because I'm not very good at eating during the day, and it is full of vitamins and minerals and other good things. At least then if I don't eat, I get something healthier than coffee in me. Blended with frozen fruit and milk or pineapple juice concentrate and some water, it's pretty tasty. I added a scoop to my overnight oats, and it was delicious. It's a matter of taste, though.
Do they carry Silk there in France (I'm guessing not)? They now have a protein nut milk which is 4g higher in protein than the regular soy. Maybe one of the brands there has a similar product.
If you've never had stevia, I would recommend seeing if you can find something less expensive with it to try, like a soda, just in case. I was annoyed at getting rid of an expensive container of Vega. To me it has an aspertame aftertaste.0 -
longstocking wrote: »janejellyroll wrote: »longstocking wrote: »janejellyroll wrote: »I do not often get 30% protein, but on days when I do, it's usually because I have either had seitan or a protein shake (I like Vega, but there are multiple vegan brands). Are you currently eating either of those? Also, do you eat beans regularly? They have carbohydrates too, but they're a good source of protein.
I'm assuming that you know that protein is the most satiating macronutrient for you and feel free to ignore this question if you're already considered it, but are you getting sufficient fiber? I find that it's fiber and fat that help me feel fuller, but people are different. Also, have you played around with meal timing? I used to get hungry between meals because I thought I had to have smaller meals, but when I cut out snacking and focused on three larger meals, it got better.
I add soy protein powder to my porridge, plant yoghurts, chia seed pudding I make and to muffins when I bake. I also make my own "protein balls". I don't have a problem with soy per se, but I feel like getting all your protein from the same source is not very healthy.
Do you like the taste of Vega protein powder? I've never tried vegan protein powder other than soy (which tasted ok-ish but not good as I remember the whey protein tasted). I've heard many people saying that plant protein powders like rice or pea proteins taste bad... But if I find plant protein powder that tastes good, it might become a reliable way to get more protein in my diet.
I eat beans a lot, yes. I sometimes replace the "starch" part of my meals with beans or lentils and it helps to up my protein a bit. But I think that making beans the main source of protein in my meal won't get me to 30%, because they don't have enough.
As for fiber, I'd say I get more than enough. 45-55g most days. Fat isn't a problem also. I eat plenty of nuts, seeds and avocados. I make sure to have some fat with every meal. It's much easier getting in more fat that it is with protein on a plant based diet. But I don't notice eating more fat than I already do helps me to feel fuller.
I like the taste of Vega, although some people say it tastes chalky to them. Have you tried hemp protein powder? I find it has a fairly neutral taste -- I've added it to chia seed pudding and smoothies. Hemp seeds are also available and they're high in protein. They're softer, so they blend into things well. If you are in the US and have a Whole Foods available, you can get a sample pack of the different Vegas there to see if you like them (without having to buy a whole container).
What's your calorie goal and how many pounds are you losing per week? Your diet sounds well balanced, it's possible you're hungry because you have a deficit that is larger than it needs to be.
I live in France so no whole foods unfortunately. But I think I'll still order a container of it to try some time soon. Thanks for the idea about hemp protein! I've never tried hemp protein powder, but I use hemp flour in my porridge and it's already high in protein (it has almost 60% protein or 30g per 100g). I find that it has a pretty strong taste actually, but I like it, so while I'm not sure it will work in all recipes as well as more neutral tasting powders, I could try making shakes with it. I will see if hemp protein powder has even more protein.
I'm trying to lose 1lb per week. I am very active most days so I can eat a lot (1600-1900 cals some days). Some days it's very easy to maintain like this and don't feel hungry at all otr I feel hungry but it's tolerable and feel like I could go on forever. But other days I feel ravenous and constantly thinking about food. I think that my struggles with hunger are a lot to do with my ED history (i'm recovering bulimic) and my hunger cues are still messed up from before. I'm hoping it will get better with time. But meanwhile I'm trying to experiment with different things tonsee if anything helps. Thank you for all the tips!
You can also try switching to a 0.5 lb per week weight loss goal.
Better a low goal you can stick to, than a goal that makes you crash and burn.0 -
I've tried to figure out your calorie goal - around 1600-1700? This "should" be enough for a woman your size (that I also just can assume), as long as you eat a balanced and varied and nutritious diet.
So maybe you just have to adjust your expectations? It's normal to be hungry between meals. Snacking is mostly a habit, and habits can be changed if you want to. Maybe it isn't even hunger? What does it feel like? Are you feeling weak, unfocused, irritable, stomach growling, thinking "food, just about anything, I need that now", or is it more like an urge that never lets go, wanting something tasty, but also easy, maybe comforting, or just a break?
I can tell you that at I'm at a normal weight, and I am starting to feel hungry just now, around 2 hours after breakfast. I'm not going to eat for another hour. And that is fine. I could resent it, but it is the way it is. Instead, I go on as usual, and look forward to lunch.
I'm eating according to MFP's default, 50C, 30F, 20P; I'm not a vegan, but I don't think that makes any difference, most of what I eat is plants.1 -
I'm a low carb vegan and get around 60 fat, 60 carb and 100 gr of protein on a full day.
I have garden of life Vanilla chai protein powder and actually like the taste of it through my spinach and berry smoothie. Red lentils have a relatively low amount of carbs to the amount of protein they have, so you might want to look into those.0 -
SheDevilBrunetti wrote: »I cannot stand the taste of Vega, though it'd been about five years since I last tried it. I detest the taste of stevia, though, and you can really taste it.
I use Nature's Way Alive Ultra Shake in vanilla. It comes in both pea and soy protein. I've never tried the pea. I use it because I'm not very good at eating during the day, and it is full of vitamins and minerals and other good things. At least then if I don't eat, I get something healthier than coffee in me. Blended with frozen fruit and milk or pineapple juice concentrate and some water, it's pretty tasty. I added a scoop to my overnight oats, and it was delicious. It's a matter of taste, though.
Do they carry Silk there in France (I'm guessing not)? They now have a protein nut milk which is 4g higher in protein than the regular soy. Maybe one of the brands there has a similar product.
If you've never had stevia, I would recommend seeing if you can find something less expensive with it to try, like a soda, just in case. I was annoyed at getting rid of an expensive container of Vega. To me it has an aspertame aftertaste.
We don't have Silk here, but we've got plenty of other brands of soy milk, which I drink a lot. I also eat a lot of unsweetened soy yogurt. I really don't mind soy, despite how it's villinized, but I guess it's better to have a variety of protein sources in the diet. It seems to give me a lot of gas, sometimes, too.
I'm not too picky in terms of taste, so I might like Vega, I should try it0 -
kommodevaran wrote: »I've tried to figure out your calorie goal - around 1600-1700? This "should" be enough for a woman your size (that I also just can assume), as long as you eat a balanced and varied and nutritious diet.
So maybe you just have to adjust your expectations? It's normal to be hungry between meals. Snacking is mostly a habit, and habits can be changed if you want to. Maybe it isn't even hunger? What does it feel like? Are you feeling weak, unfocused, irritable, stomach growling, thinking "food, just about anything, I need that now", or is it more like an urge that never lets go, wanting something tasty, but also easy, maybe comforting, or just a break?
I can tell you that at I'm at a normal weight, and I am starting to feel hungry just now, around 2 hours after breakfast. I'm not going to eat for another hour. And that is fine. I could resent it, but it is the way it is. Instead, I go on as usual, and look forward to lunch.
I'm eating according to MFP's default, 50C, 30F, 20P; I'm not a vegan, but I don't think that makes any difference, most of what I eat is plants.
I'm a short very active female (28yo) and I burn 2200-2200 on average so yes my goal is 1600-1700. But until now, I've been using the TDEE method where I adjust my intake every day depending on the TDEE my fitbit tells me (my fitbit's estimates seem to be spot on judging by my losses and gains). So I eat more on active days and less on sedentary days. Th hunger is a problem especially on sedentary days so I'm going to try averaging out my intake and eat the same amount every day. Hopefully it will help.
As for if it's "actual" hunger I'm feeling, it's hard to say. It feels very real and physical, I don't always feel weak or dizzy, but I get very unfocused, irritatable and my stomach is often growling, like you said, or I get an uncomfortable hollow gnawing feeling in my stomach. Sometimes when it builds up over several days I start to sort of feel it everywhere in my body, and become fixated on food, having a hard time thinking about other things, and say, would notice everything to do with food when I go down the street. It's rather annoying. And makes it really hard to concentrate on my daily tasks. And no it's not a desire to eat something tasty or junk food.I often crave crave apples or almonds or rye crisps etc. I don't eat any junk food. And more often than not I overeat on whole healthy foods.
But I'm more and more inclined to believe that this hunger has a lot to do with my ED history (I'm recovering bulimic), so I think my body is still learning hunger cues etc. I know that it's normal to feel hungry during weight loss, but when it interferes with my responsibilities or leads to overeating it becomes a problem.GoldenEye_ wrote: »I'm a low carb vegan and get around 60 fat, 60 carb and 100 gr of protein on a full day.
I have garden of life Vanilla chai protein powder and actually like the taste of it through my spinach and berry smoothie. Red lentils have a relatively low amount of carbs to the amount of protein they have, so you might want to look into those.
I didn't know that about red lentils! Thanks for the tip!0 -
kommodevaran wrote: »I've tried to figure out your calorie goal - around 1600-1700? This "should" be enough for a woman your size (that I also just can assume), as long as you eat a balanced and varied and nutritious diet.
So maybe you just have to adjust your expectations? It's normal to be hungry between meals. Snacking is mostly a habit, and habits can be changed if you want to. Maybe it isn't even hunger? What does it feel like? Are you feeling weak, unfocused, irritable, stomach growling, thinking "food, just about anything, I need that now", or is it more like an urge that never lets go, wanting something tasty, but also easy, maybe comforting, or just a break?
I can tell you that at I'm at a normal weight, and I am starting to feel hungry just now, around 2 hours after breakfast. I'm not going to eat for another hour. And that is fine. I could resent it, but it is the way it is. Instead, I go on as usual, and look forward to lunch.
I'm eating according to MFP's default, 50C, 30F, 20P; I'm not a vegan, but I don't think that makes any difference, most of what I eat is plants.
These are great points. I am maintaining now and I am virtually always hungry before meals, usually an hour or two before I eat. Part of this, I know, is that I would naturally just eat more than many other people. It's why I had excess weight to begin with. A physical sensation of hunger in the stomach, what I experience, is very different from the light-headed, weak feeling I get when I actually truly miss a meal. I have come to accept that some hunger between meals is normal and okay. I actually should not be going into a meal feeling satisfied, it's good to be hungry before a meal.1 -
longstocking wrote: »kommodevaran wrote: »I've tried to figure out your calorie goal - around 1600-1700? This "should" be enough for a woman your size (that I also just can assume), as long as you eat a balanced and varied and nutritious diet.
So maybe you just have to adjust your expectations? It's normal to be hungry between meals. Snacking is mostly a habit, and habits can be changed if you want to. Maybe it isn't even hunger? What does it feel like? Are you feeling weak, unfocused, irritable, stomach growling, thinking "food, just about anything, I need that now", or is it more like an urge that never lets go, wanting something tasty, but also easy, maybe comforting, or just a break?
I can tell you that at I'm at a normal weight, and I am starting to feel hungry just now, around 2 hours after breakfast. I'm not going to eat for another hour. And that is fine. I could resent it, but it is the way it is. Instead, I go on as usual, and look forward to lunch.
I'm eating according to MFP's default, 50C, 30F, 20P; I'm not a vegan, but I don't think that makes any difference, most of what I eat is plants.
I'm a short very active female (28yo) and I burn 2200-2200 on average so yes my goal is 1600-1700. But until now, I've been using the TDEE method where I adjust my intake every day depending on the TDEE my fitbit tells me (my fitbit's estimates seem to be spot on judging by my losses and gains). So I eat more on active days and less on sedentary days. Th hunger is a problem especially on sedentary days so I'm going to try averaging out my intake and eat the same amount every day. Hopefully it will help.
As for if it's "actual" hunger I'm feeling, it's hard to say. It feels very real and physical, I don't always feel weak or dizzy, but I get very unfocused, irritatable and my stomach is often growling, like you said, or I get an uncomfortable hollow gnawing feeling in my stomach. Sometimes when it builds up over several days I start to sort of feel it everywhere in my body, and become fixated on food, having a hard time thinking about other things, and say, would notice everything to do with food when I go down the street. It's rather annoying. And makes it really hard to concentrate on my daily tasks. And no it's not a desire to eat something tasty or junk food.I often crave crave apples or almonds or rye crisps etc. I don't eat any junk food. And more often than not I overeat on whole healthy foods.
But I'm more and more inclined to believe that this hunger has a lot to do with my ED history (I'm recovering bulimic), so I think my body is still learning hunger cues etc. I know that it's normal to feel hungry during weight loss, but when it interferes with my responsibilities or leads to overeating it becomes a problem.
You should definitely not risk a flareup of your ED or any accidents just to lose weight. I don't remember if you've stated your height/weight in another thread, but if you are in the normal weight area, maybe 1 pound per week just is too aggressive, and especially with your history. I think it's better to just take it slow.
I also don't remember if we have talked about "the hunger scale" - but it does seem like you're paying attention to your "symptoms" and you describe them very well. Unfortunately those feelings aren't always very clear and unambigous, and they tend to come and go a bit, in waves. But that can also be a good thing - they remind us to eat, but eating can be postponed. If you haven't already, you could think of the important role hunger/appetite has had in our history as a species. It's literally vital that we eat, and when food is scarce, we should never miss an opportunity to eat. Extreme dieting and eating disorders is inflicting extreme food scarcity on oneself. After a period of starvation, we will make up for it as soon as possible. We can use our advanced brains to mitigate that "refeed", but just to some extent. You have to eat, and you have to feel safe to not overeat. It can be helpful to keep in mind that the reminder to eat is supposed to feel so unpleasant that we have no choice but to look for food, even fight for it, if necessary. The intensity of those cues to eat are thus "overkill" for our current easy life of plenty, a world with no real and immenent threats of predators, natural disasters or famine. This means that we have to "calibrate" that appetite "thermostat" to our actual needs. But we can't spend all our resources on probing for hunger. This is where our conscious minds come in... and MFP. MFP can take pressure off you. Go easy on yourself.
I would suggest reducing the calorie deficit. Cut it in half. Don't focus on certain foods or nutrients, but try to eat in a way that feels as natural as possible for you. It's a huge job, I know that. But I also know that you are capable of more than any of us can imagine.1 -
I tried every plant-based protein powder out there and Vega didn't even come close to the top of the list. This one was my favorite. You can get sample packs at Whole Foods or on Amazon. I use 1/2 packet in a shake with spinach, almond milk, 50g banana, water & ice. Delicious. https://plantfusion.net/products/lean0
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kommodevaran wrote: »longstocking wrote: »kommodevaran wrote: »I've tried to figure out your calorie goal - around 1600-1700? This "should" be enough for a woman your size (that I also just can assume), as long as you eat a balanced and varied and nutritious diet.
So maybe you just have to adjust your expectations? It's normal to be hungry between meals. Snacking is mostly a habit, and habits can be changed if you want to. Maybe it isn't even hunger? What does it feel like? Are you feeling weak, unfocused, irritable, stomach growling, thinking "food, just about anything, I need that now", or is it more like an urge that never lets go, wanting something tasty, but also easy, maybe comforting, or just a break?
I can tell you that at I'm at a normal weight, and I am starting to feel hungry just now, around 2 hours after breakfast. I'm not going to eat for another hour. And that is fine. I could resent it, but it is the way it is. Instead, I go on as usual, and look forward to lunch.
I'm eating according to MFP's default, 50C, 30F, 20P; I'm not a vegan, but I don't think that makes any difference, most of what I eat is plants.
I'm a short very active female (28yo) and I burn 2200-2200 on average so yes my goal is 1600-1700. But until now, I've been using the TDEE method where I adjust my intake every day depending on the TDEE my fitbit tells me (my fitbit's estimates seem to be spot on judging by my losses and gains). So I eat more on active days and less on sedentary days. Th hunger is a problem especially on sedentary days so I'm going to try averaging out my intake and eat the same amount every day. Hopefully it will help.
As for if it's "actual" hunger I'm feeling, it's hard to say. It feels very real and physical, I don't always feel weak or dizzy, but I get very unfocused, irritatable and my stomach is often growling, like you said, or I get an uncomfortable hollow gnawing feeling in my stomach. Sometimes when it builds up over several days I start to sort of feel it everywhere in my body, and become fixated on food, having a hard time thinking about other things, and say, would notice everything to do with food when I go down the street. It's rather annoying. And makes it really hard to concentrate on my daily tasks. And no it's not a desire to eat something tasty or junk food.I often crave crave apples or almonds or rye crisps etc. I don't eat any junk food. And more often than not I overeat on whole healthy foods.
But I'm more and more inclined to believe that this hunger has a lot to do with my ED history (I'm recovering bulimic), so I think my body is still learning hunger cues etc. I know that it's normal to feel hungry during weight loss, but when it interferes with my responsibilities or leads to overeating it becomes a problem.
You should definitely not risk a flareup of your ED or any accidents just to lose weight. I don't remember if you've stated your height/weight in another thread, but if you are in the normal weight area, maybe 1 pound per week just is too aggressive, and especially with your history. I think it's better to just take it slow.
I also don't remember if we have talked about "the hunger scale" - but it does seem like you're paying attention to your "symptoms" and you describe them very well. Unfortunately those feelings aren't always very clear and unambigous, and they tend to come and go a bit, in waves. But that can also be a good thing - they remind us to eat, but eating can be postponed. If you haven't already, you could think of the important role hunger/appetite has had in our history as a species. It's literally vital that we eat, and when food is scarce, we should never miss an opportunity to eat. Extreme dieting and eating disorders is inflicting extreme food scarcity on oneself. After a period of starvation, we will make up for it as soon as possible. We can use our advanced brains to mitigate that "refeed", but just to some extent. You have to eat, and you have to feel safe to not overeat. It can be helpful to keep in mind that the reminder to eat is supposed to feel so unpleasant that we have no choice but to look for food, even fight for it, if necessary. The intensity of those cues to eat are thus "overkill" for our current easy life of plenty, a world with no real and immenent threats of predators, natural disasters or famine. This means that we have to "calibrate" that appetite "thermostat" to our actual needs. But we can't spend all our resources on probing for hunger. This is where our conscious minds come in... and MFP. MFP can take pressure off you. Go easy on yourself.
I would suggest reducing the calorie deficit. Cut it in half. Don't focus on certain foods or nutrients, but try to eat in a way that feels as natural as possible for you. It's a huge job, I know that. But I also know that you are capable of more than any of us can imagine.
Thank you for your support! What you wrote about hunger being natural makes total sense to me.
I am considering reducing my deficit. 500 seemed like a small deficit already, but it's better to move slowly than too not move at all due to constant going off track.1 -
Honestly, it depends on 30% of what. I get around 90-120g of protein on average. I eat tofu, seitan, tempeh, whole grains, mock meats like Gardein and Beyond meat, quinoa, lentils, beans, Fitquick pancakes, No Cow bars, and vegan protein powder with my oatmeal every morning. Chocolate flavored, of course.
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I recommend TrueNutrition.com for protein powder. If you do either 70% pea/30% rice or 50% soy, 35% pea, 15% rice it has a similar amino acid profile and hence benefits as whey protein.1
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