Starving at set calorie income

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elinkamo4811
elinkamo4811 Posts: 2 Member
in Food and Nutrition
So I am a 24 yo female, 5'1, 135lb, 30% body fat. Obviously I am very dissatisfied with they way I look especially basically all my body fat is stored in my stomach so my body looks quite asymmetrical (huge upper part, small lower part). I talked to couple nutrition specialists and I was told that considering the fact I work out for about an hour 5-6 days a week (3 days resistance and 3 cardio) in order to lose a pound a week I need to eat 1500kcal a day. So I have been trying but food had become a pain I only eat what I can fit in the calorie count, not what I feel like that day, I am constantly hungry, generally very unhappy and stressed. Do you have any tips on what and how much to eat so you're not hungry? Thanks a lot!

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  • elinkamo4811
    elinkamo4811 Posts: 2 Member
    edited October 2017
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    kommodevaran wrote: »
    1500 calories sounds about right for someone your size. You may want to eat back some of your exercise calories too,

    You mean eat a little more calories because I workout? That's something I actually didn't understand when I was talking to that nutritionist that he took my 1375 BMR and multiplied it by activity level, subtracted something and got to those 1500. Now if it is multiplied by activity level does it mean that workout is included or shall I eat more by what I burn during my workout sessions.
    Anyway thanks a lot, I guess I'm in that beginner struggle and things will settle.
  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member
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    elinkamo4811 wrote: »

    You mean eat a little more calories because I workout? That's something I actually didn't understand when I was talking to that nutritionist that he took my 1375 BMR and multiplied it by activity level, subtracted something and got to those 1500. Now if it is multiplied by activity level does it mean that workout is included or shall I eat more by what I burn during my workout sessions.
    Anyway thanks a lot, I guess I'm in that beginner struggle and things will settle.

    the nutritionist used a TDEE calculation which should include exercise in it.

    or you can use MFP's NEAT calculation which means you eat more calories to account for more activity on days you exercise.

    both should work out as roughly the same number over a week, it just depends which method you prefer.
  • JJS1979
    JJS1979 Posts: 177 Member
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    usually for me, during the day is not that bad, it is when i am home at night or before bed when i am the hungriest. I will usually save most of my carbs for night time so that I am not starving when I go to bed, this seems to help the cravings a lot.
  • KarenSmith2018
    KarenSmith2018 Posts: 302 Member
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    Lots of water to help curb hunger pangs. I also love volume foods - especially cauliflower rice. You can eat a huge volume for about 100 cals. I add bolaganse sauce or chilli and instead of rice of pasta I use cauliflower. I bulk everything out with vegetables. Zoodles are another good option instead of pasta (note carbs aren't the enemy BUT I can't eat much pasta so don't feel satisfied compared with lots of zoodles)
    Protein and fats should keep you feeling fuller for longer so experiment with how much of these you are eating at meal times.
    A little hunger to start with is inevitable. You are eating less than you are used too. But it does get easier with time.
  • jondspen
    jondspen Posts: 253 Member
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    Like other have said:

    #1 - Up your water intake; it helps curb hunger.

    #2 - Not sure what your macro ratio is, but maybe adjust that for more protein, little more fat, and less carbs. I'm trying to build a little muscle as I drop fat/weight, so mine is 30%protein/30%fat/40%carbs.

    #3 - Eat more low cal bulk foods to fill you up but not add many calories. I like raw broccoli, cauliflower, carrots with some hummus.

    #4 - Raise your daily calories up till you get use to that, then lower down to 1500 in a few weeks or month(s). My BMR is 1800, but with just regular daily sedentary lifestyle, is around 2000 maintenance. So I started out at 1800 and added small workouts in (2 miles ~ 200 calories). As I got healthier, I bumped up my workout (Triathlon Sprint Training now), and decreased my NET calories for the day to 1500. I would guess it takes a 2-4 months to get use to the lower calories.
  • Sunnybrooke99
    Sunnybrooke99 Posts: 369 Member
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    I eat low calorie bulk food. If you can develop a taste for cooked greens, dieting is pretty easy, and you can eat them with topped with all sorts of things. Also, eat a lot of whatever frozen veggie you like best. I will sometimes eat two bags of cooked green beans for a meal, or a whole bag of stir fry veggies with just a little jarred sauce.
  • lorrpb
    lorrpb Posts: 11,464 Member
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    Are you weighing all your food on a digital scale? Be sure your calorie count is accurate so you aren't undereating.
  • shaumom
    shaumom Posts: 1,003 Member
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    Aside from what else has been said...
    - I would log your food for a couple days and go look at your nutrient intake for those days (as opposed to calories). Sometimes, the body will make you feel very hungry if you need nutrients, not just if you need calories. So if you are low in something, that can affect your hunger impulse.
    - related, if you are getting enough nutrients, you might want to consider potentially getting tested for celiac disease, especially if anyone in your family has this disease or any other auto-immune disorder. One result of this disorder can be feeling hungry all the time, because you won't absorb all that you should. But you can be overweight anyway, for a few weird reasons. Doctors, however, are sometimes unaware of this and won't consider celiac disease unless you are underweight (even though at least 1/3 of celiacs are overweight when diagnosed).

    Also, the disease can end up causing a lot of bloating in the gut area, so it can get much larger than expected.

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