Need advice - medical problems, feeling hungry & not losing weight

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B1nkles
B1nkles Posts: 5 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Hi all!

Am currently 12st 4lb, my current goal weight is 11st. The app has put me at 1680 calories per day if I want to lose 0.5lb a week, I'd like to lose more towards 1lb a week but I think half is more attainable.

I have a couple of medical issues (M.E, Hypoparathyroidism and a squashed disc in my lower spine) which I take medication for and does impact how much and what exercise I'm able to do. I can't do any impact exercises, I have been advised to only do walking, pilates, stretches and gentle swimming, anything more rigorous can cause me to be out for days and damage my back so I need to be careful about what I do. I do about 70-90 mins of brisk walking in total a day along with stretches throughout the day, up and down stairs and I have a 'Malibu Pilates' chair at home which I do exercises on for about 20-30 mins each evening.

I was previously off work for about 4 months a year and a half ago where I was barely able to move because of my back and in that time my muscles became quite weak and my core strength kinda disappeared along with it whilst off work and in the recovery period afterwards.

For 5 days a week (work days basically), I've been generally having porridge pots (the ones you put hot water in and have fruit in) for breakfast (<250cal), a spicy chicken, veggies, beans, rice/grains salad (<250cal), dinner is usually a meat & some veg with stir-fry, rice noodles, pasta or something like burger or sausages. My snacks are largely fruit or vegetables, maybe a small chocolate bar <110cal to perk me up in the afternoon.

My issue is that I am ALWAYS feeling hungry at about 11am and after 3pm and I feel a bit stuck. Weekends are the same so it doesn't matter if I'm at home or at work.

I've usually been coming in under my calorie count each day (usually between 1200-1550 cal) apart from the odd treat day at a weekend where we've gone out for food or ordered in but I have lost nothing for about a month of doing this so I'm wondering if I'm just eating the wrong foods or if it's possible that my medication (Omeprazole, Naproxen and Alfacalcidol) may be affecting it in some way.

Any help or advice would be appreciated ^^ thanks!

Replies

  • Jthanmyfitnesspal
    Jthanmyfitnesspal Posts: 3,522 Member
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    If you are always hungry at 11 and 3, eat at that time. Eat a smaller breakfast or experiment with delaying eating until 11. Then delay some or all of your lunch until 3.

    In the end, you need to take time for your body to adjust. It can take up to two weeks! (No one said dieting is easy.)
  • jemhh
    jemhh Posts: 14,261 Member
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    For many people, protein helps you feel full longer. Fat may have the same affect as well. Consider adding some protein to your breakfast. A boiled egg or a bit of protein powder in your oats, perhaps. Likewise, instead of snacking on just carbs or carbs/fat, try getting in some protein at that point as well.
  • everher
    everher Posts: 909 Member
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    jemhh wrote: »
    For many people, protein helps you feel full longer. Fat may have the same affect as well. Consider adding some protein to your breakfast. A boiled egg or a bit of protein powder in your oats, perhaps. Likewise, instead of snacking on just carbs or carbs/fat, try getting in some protein at that point as well.

    This essentially. I would be hungry after breakfast if I didn't have protein. I also find carbs keep me fuller longer. I would experiment with macros.

    Alternatively, have snacks at these times if you are hungry or try different meal times.
  • 4legsRbetterthan2
    4legsRbetterthan2 Posts: 19,590 MFP Moderator
    edited June 2017
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    agree with increasing protein, seems to help me.

    also play with meal timing, I have found that if I wait until later in the morning to eat breakfast (I wake up at 5 and eat breakfast btwn 8-9:30 at work) I am much happier. When I eat first thing in the morning I tend to just be hungry all morning.

    Also, try to stay busy. The busier I am the less I think about food :)
  • DebLaBounty
    DebLaBounty Posts: 1,169 Member
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    Looks like you could snack on a protein bar of some sort, or an ounce of cheese and an apple, to get you over the hump.
  • B1nkles
    B1nkles Posts: 5 Member
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    The 11 & 3 hunger pangs are usually the times I end up snacking but I'm trying to have things which don't impact my calories and other meals too heavily as I usually have morning and evening meals pre-planned and lunch is one of a few things from places nearby.

    I generally eat breakfast at my desk when I get into work which is 9am, I get up at 6:30am so I'm hungry by the time I get to work, If I eat too early I feel a bit sick and I also have to leave 1 hour between having my Omeprazole and then eating.

    I've tried a few different granola yoghurts/greek yoghurts and Bircher Mueslis and I've found that I feel hungry sooner when I have those.

    Sad to say I don't like the taste of egg and avocados even in dieting I can't force myself to eat something I don't like, I'd be so miserable! Does anyone have some suggestions for things which are easy and quick to prepare to bring to work?

    I'll try bringing some cheese in with me to nibble on and see if that helps. I usually have apples, satsumas/clementines, bananas, peppers or carrots to snack on. Would things like peanut butter or other nut butters work as a decent snack?
  • Julie055
    Julie055 Posts: 2 Member
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    How about peanut butter and crudités? Can alternate with humus or tzatziki
  • Tried30UserNames
    Tried30UserNames Posts: 561 Member
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    Everyone is going to find that their body is a little bit different, so this may not apply to you. Porridge for breakfast makes me hungry. Rice makes me hungry. Fruit makes me hungry. Therefore, while I do sometimes eat those things, I don't make them the staple of my meals or diet. You may find those things satiating, but it seems like maybe you don't, either.

    However, a combination of plenty of fat, with some protein and carbs does fill me up. If it's porridge, I'd better have added a big pat of butter or some heavy cream plus a dose of protein to it. Fruit..it doesn't matter what I eat it with...it makes me hungry and kind of sick.

    You don't have to eat breakfast foods for breakfast if they aren't filling you up and keeping you satiated. You can have leftovers from dinner or a turkey sandwich or some tuna salad. And I'm less hungry later in the day if I have a big breakfast. I like about 400-600 calories for breakfast or I'm starving at night.

    You do sound like you manage quite a bit of activity despite your health issues. And you're eating significantly below your calories allowed by MFP and getting activity, but there's probably no reason to do that. Plan out a reasonable, filling breakfast, morning snack, lunch, afternoon snack and dinner. Aim to eat close to your calorie goal and not significantly under it. Weigh out your food portions (even those in packaged foods such as the porridge pots) to ensure accuracy. The foods and macros you are currently eating are not satiating to you so eat different foods and change up the amount of fat, carbs and protein you are eating. It sounds like you eat a significant amount of carbs with very limited fat. Try switching that around while eating plenty of protein. Experiment.
  • StaciMarie1974
    StaciMarie1974 Posts: 4,138 Member
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    B1nkles wrote: »

    For 5 days a week (work days basically), I've been generally having porridge pots (the ones you put hot water in and have fruit in) for breakfast (<250cal), a spicy chicken, veggies, beans, rice/grains salad (<250cal), dinner is usually a meat & some veg with stir-fry, rice noodles, pasta or something like burger or sausages. My snacks are largely fruit or vegetables, maybe a small chocolate bar <110cal to perk me up in the afternoon.
    !

    Are you using a food scale? I ask because a chicken/veggie/bean/rice/grains salad for 250 calories would limit you to a small amount of food considering rice/grains are more calorie dense. And if you're not using a food scale then you are likely taking in more food than you think for your other meals, snacks.

    To aim for .5 pounds per week weight loss you need to aim for accuracy. Even though you indicated you come in lower in your food logs, if your logs are not accurate then you don't know how much you are eating.

    Other thought is you indicate this is how you eat for 5 days of the week. Are you logging the other 2 days? How many calories do you consume then?
  • StaciMarie1974
    StaciMarie1974 Posts: 4,138 Member
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    Ps-for snacks, it may help to mix your macros. Such as having some peanut butter w/ your carrots or apple slices. Personally if I eat carrots or apples my hunger is not satiated. But adding something with fat/protein, even in a small quantity, changes that.
  • B1nkles
    B1nkles Posts: 5 Member
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    Thanks @Tried30UserNames that's really helpful. I'll try breakfasting with some cheese and light meat in a sandwich or something and see how I feel around the same time (if I notice the time! If I don't it's probably doing the job!). I'll try adding more protein into my meals whilst I'm working and see if it changes how I feel.

    It probably sounds like a lot of exercise but it doesn't really feel like I'm doing a lot. The walking mainly comes from walking to and from the station at each end and going for a wander on my lunch break for an hour. As I can't go to the gym or do anything too strenuous I just make do with what I can which is a little frustrating, I'd love to be able to do more.sc
  • B1nkles
    B1nkles Posts: 5 Member
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    StaciMarie1974 wrote: »

    Are you using a food scale? I ask because a chicken/veggie/bean/rice/grains salad for 250 calories would limit you to a small amount of food considering rice/grains are more calorie dense. And if you're not using a food scale then you are likely taking in more food than you think for your other meals, snacks.

    To aim for .5 pounds per week weight loss you need to aim for accuracy. Even though you indicated you come in lower in your food logs, if your logs are not accurate then you don't know how much you are eating.

    Other thought is you indicate this is how you eat for 5 days of the week. Are you logging the other 2 days? How many calories do you consume then?

    The things i have at work are all pre-packaged lunches with the weights on, all the details of them are registered on MFP so I don't think the weights and nutritional details would be wrong.

    I log on the other 2 days as well, breakfast is usually toast & peanut butter + fruit, lunch is usually cheese/ham/veg sandwich and dinner is the same as other days and snacks are similar, maybe the odd chocolate biscuit! I rarely go over my allowance on the weekend. The 5 day thing is mainly the issue as that's when I'm at my desk at work and get more hunger pangs during the day.

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