Body adjusting to new lower calories

KWeb125
KWeb125 Posts: 5 Member
edited November 19 in Health and Weight Loss
Hi all. First day back at this in years & as I expected, I've been starving all day. Going from eating whatever I want to cutting calories has me sooooo hungry. I'm 5'4", 145 & even though I still had 1,600 plus a few hundred from exercise, right now my body isn't sensing it as enough. For all you who have started out, how long did it take your body to adjust? I want to devour everything in sight :neutral:

Replies

  • Opalprincess99
    Opalprincess99 Posts: 88 Member
    Well ; I like to think of it the same way that any habit is broken...and they say it only takes 21 days for that. So I'm looking forward to these 21 days to be up ...mostly my binge eating is the problem! Really hoping I don't feel starving the whole time like today!
  • Katagara
    Katagara Posts: 183 Member
    Protein helps me stay full longer, protein shakes and bars. I try to save most of my calories for dinner
  • KWeb125
    KWeb125 Posts: 5 Member
    Thanks for the replies! Yesterday was the first day so obviously it's going to take time. I did have a lot of protein actually, I guess I just need to give it time, keep following my plan & hope for the best lol
  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member
    make sure you're eating enough fat, fibre and protein and keep you full.
  • Poisonedpawn78
    Poisonedpawn78 Posts: 1,145 Member
    Explore playing around with your macros and see how that effects your hunger. Many people will try some fad diet that will cut out all carbs or all fats down to almost nothing. Your body needs these things to function on top of that, some people feel more full when eating certain combinations. See if eating a certain amount of each macro within your daily calorie goals helps with the hunger.
  • wizzybeth
    wizzybeth Posts: 3,578 Member
    edited June 2017
    Drinking something with zero calories such as water, black coffee, hot unsweetened tea, or diet soda helps when I feel "hungry." Higher protein and higher fat meals tend to stick to my ribs longer. Also having low calorie munchies around like celery, carrots, cucumber, zucchini, and other veggie slices helps when I need to munch without using too many calories.

    Planning the day out, pre-logging, and having lots of water & "calorie cheap" snacks handy really helps me.
  • displaced1
    displaced1 Posts: 73 Member
    For me, a ton of veggies in my meals helps with fullness, as well as broth soups and/or salads before meals. I'm into my second week and my calorie count has been coming down.

    I'm a little different in that when I first start tracking to lose weight I eat healthier foods but as much as I want, but track. Over time I try to consciously cut portion sizes without feeling deprived. So now I'm feeling okay with portioning and also have a healthier diet and my calorie count has dropped a lot.

    I also drink 12+ cups of water a day. If I don't drink a bunch my hunger really ramps up drastically.
  • inertiastrength
    inertiastrength Posts: 2,343 Member
    edited June 2017
    I took a diet break over the winter (aka yolo) and going back to 1600 from what I would guess was 2500+ daily was miserable for about 3 weeks. In hindsight I should have tapered down but 3 weeks plus increasing protein (cause my yolo was allllll carbs lol)

    ETA: I made sure to get 60g fat afterwards as I was only really getting about 40 at the beginning and that was way too low. 60g fat and at least 130P was my sweet spot.
  • ladyhusker39
    ladyhusker39 Posts: 1,406 Member
    Sound like you've made a rather large calorie cut all at once. If you continue to struggle with hunger maybe try something different. Figure out how many calories you've been eating before you cut. Eat normally for a week or so and see what your average intake is. Then cut a little from that every few days or a week until you get to the deficit you want. Sure it'll take a few weeks longer, but you'll feel much better and it will be a lot easier to sustain.

    Think of it like this, the way you're going now is a lot more likely to cause you to get discouraged and give up. Taking a little extra time up front to ease into it will significantly increase your odds of succeeding.
  • TxTiffani
    TxTiffani Posts: 799 Member
    For me it helps to eat calorie dilute foods like carrots or cucumbers with some lite zesty Italian or apples sliced really thin so I can get some bulk in my belly for not a lot of calories. I also find that a hot drink like hot tea will help stave off hunger way better than a glass of water. I bet your stomach and brain more importantly will get used to your calorie intake sooner than you think.
  • kommodevaran
    kommodevaran Posts: 17,890 Member
    I think you feel starving because that's what you expected. 1600 calories is sufficient for someone your height. Your mind might resent the idea of limiting food intake. Make peace with your mind. Be strict, but don't cut out everything you like. In fact, I suggest you find ways to make room for everytihng you like. Losing weight takes an effort, but it's not supposed to be torture. If it's torture, it's not going to last.
  • wadekernan
    wadekernan Posts: 1 Member
    It takes me about 3-4 weeks of craving control until my body adjusts. Stick with it but don't starve yourself- that will just end up making you binge eventually. You can only hold out for so long until your will power gives out. Listen to your body; it will tell you what it wants. Crave sweets? Try fruit or sweet potatoes. Your body just wants sugar. If you're hungry...eat. Just be smart about it and don't overindulge. It took me awhile to realize I wasn't eating because I was hungry. I was just addicted to food and ate out of habit. Also, buy yourself some calories by increasing your cardio workouts. I cut weight like a madman because I do 2 hours of cardio on the elliptical every day in 3 sessions(45 min in the morning before work, 30 at lunch, and 45 again at night). I know this isn't for everyone but it works for me and I don't have to freak out if I cave in and reach for some chips. Just an extra 15 minutes of HIIT on the elliptical can buy you 250-300 calories. Bottom line: your body WILL adjust. It will just take some time and perserverence.
  • rheddmobile
    rheddmobile Posts: 6,840 Member
    edited June 2017
    It took me a couple of weeks, but I minimized the difficultly by eating many small meals so I could reach for something whenever I felt hungry. I also ate a lot of nuts during the transition period - they are calorie dense but just a few will up your feelings of satiety.

    My main "today for some reason I could chew my own arm off I'm so hungry" tricks are latte made with cinnamon and unsweetened almond milk (15 calories), roasted seaweed (10 calories), salted radishes (varies but pretty low).

    In general though I try to eat enough that I don't feel hungry, and up my activity level to compensate.
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