What do you eat when...

You've come really close to your calorie goal for the day, eating anything more will put you over and you're just super hungry? I've been really improving my diet, but at the end of the day I'm STARVING. Especially since I've started working out. (I use Fitness Blenders workouts.) This is especially true in the 24 hours or so after I do a HIIT workout.
Any tips or ideas?
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Replies

  • MegaMooseEsq
    MegaMooseEsq Posts: 3,118 Member
    I can't say I've experienced this so I can't answer the question directly, but indirectly: Are you eating more on the days you exercise (or the day after, if that's when the hunger hits)? If you're trying for a large deficit, have you thought about raising your calorie limit so that you're eating more and losing slower?

    PS. I've been using FB for about a month now and I'm a big fan. Good luck!
  • MichelleSilverleaf
    MichelleSilverleaf Posts: 2,028 Member
    Might be worth trying to pinpoint what helps you stay satisfied longer be it protein, carbs or fat, and plan your meals around that. Or some super low cal snacks that you can manage to squeeze in.
  • thegeans
    thegeans Posts: 42 Member
    My go-tos are Smartfood 35 calorie popcorn and Trader Joe's wasabi seaweed. Couldn't have lost these 30 lbs so far without them!
  • Need2Exerc1se
    Need2Exerc1se Posts: 13,576 Member
    If this happened often I'd eat more on a regular basis. If it's just once in a while I usually go for a handful of nuts or a spoonful of peanut butter, which I know are high calorie foods but it's what is filling for me.
  • Katerbels
    Katerbels Posts: 106 Member
    Drink at least 8 oz of water and wait a few minutes. If I feel that way, usually I'm not hungry as much as I'm just bored / thinking about something delicious that I know is in the kitchen. Usually this helps, as I'll get distracted and forget all about it. If I don't and I'm actually feeling hungry, I'll go for something low calorie like some carrot sticks or an apple (sometimes the crunch and chewing of these things helps), but I'm also a huge fan of the 35 calorie Smartfood! Also, if I notice that I'm getting hungry at night consistently I tend to move my meal plans around to allow more calories at night and cut something out of the morning / afternoon when I don't feel as hungry.
  • Fitnessmom82
    Fitnessmom82 Posts: 376 Member
    This happens to me sometimes. SkinnyPop popcorn is low in calories and you can eat a good bit of it. That usually fills me up and doesn't do too much damage on the calorie budget.
  • fitanastasia1
    fitanastasia1 Posts: 6 Member
    I am eating my workout calories. Those are really a rough estimate based on the Fitness Blender trackers because I don't have a personal tracker yet.
  • chispaza
    chispaza Posts: 153 Member
    I tend to go for lots of veggies when I don't have many calories left. I like a large bowl of zucchini noodles with hot sauce on them
  • gettinthere
    gettinthere Posts: 529 Member
    Jello
  • twinkles4
    twinkles4 Posts: 124 Member
    If I've already eaten my exercise calories back, I first make double sure that I am actually hungry. I've been known to binge, emotional and bored eat.

    If I'm sure I am actually hungry then I'll go for low sugar fruit, or celery with nut butter, small protein shake, etc.
  • jayemes
    jayemes Posts: 865 Member
    I find I'm always hungrier in the evening, especially after a workout. I never cared much for breakfast so I skip it now. That leaves me extra calories in the evening if I need them.
    Also, look for what helps you feel more full. I love carbs but they don't fill me up. A huge bowl of oatmeal and I'm hungry an hour later. I need protein to feel satiated longer.
  • sijomial
    sijomial Posts: 19,811 Member
    Is your calorie goal attempting to create a small or large deficit (primarily from the rate of loss selected)?

    Is this "STARVING" happening once in a while or frequently? (Once in a while then you might decide to have a maintenance day rather than a deficit day.)
    Especially if you are training hard in a deficit an odd day (or more) without a deficit can really help with energy levels and recovery.

    It's also worth trying to defer (OK - if I'm still hungry in 20 minutes then it's genuine and I'll have something), or distract (make yourself busy, get up and move around, occupy your mind and your hands).

    It's not compulsory to eat the same amount daily or have a deficit every day. Deficit over an extended period of time is the only necessity. Borrow some calories from another day, use some calories you may have "banked".

    Can you move your calorie/food allowance around? From a time when you are less hungry to the time you suspect you will be. I can easily skip breakfast without being anymore (or less!) hungry for example.

    Different types and intensities of exercise promote or suppress hunger but that response can be different from person to person. For me low to moderate intensity/long duration cardio gives me far higher burns that the resulting hunger, high intensity/short duration cardio or intense weight training gives me more hunger than the modest calorie burns.

    Experiment with different foods. Not all hunger is to do with calories or satiated by calories alone, macros, different foods within the same macro, taste, texture, enjoyment all play roles.

  • kristen8000
    kristen8000 Posts: 747 Member
    Pickles. Cucumber with Tajin Seasoning (Chili Lime, it's amazing). A big salad with salsa as dressing.
  • MegaMooseEsq
    MegaMooseEsq Posts: 3,118 Member
    I am eating my workout calories. Those are really a rough estimate based on the Fitness Blender trackers because I don't have a personal tracker yet.

    I have found that the calorie estimate on their newer workouts tend to be fairly accurate (I use an Apple Watch and am usually toward the lower end but not under their number) but the older ones can be off quite a bit. Just my experience so far, but if you use their lowest number for now you'll probably be okay.
  • kimny72
    kimny72 Posts: 16,023 Member
    Is it possible you're trying for too high a deficit? If you chose 2 lbs per week but you don't have more than at least 50 lbs to lose, that is really aggressive and that's why you're hungry.

    If not, I agree that you might want to play with your macro balance and meal times to see if different patterns will help.
  • speedingticket
    speedingticket Posts: 73 Member
    What time do you exercise, and what time do you get hungry?

    On Sundays I do my long run which is 2-3 hours. I tend to eat quite minimally all day, and save most of my calories for the evening. It seems to catch up with me then. If I ate a larger lunch after running (when I don't have much of an appetite anyway), it doesn't seem to make much difference to my beast appetite in the evening, so I just stick to a small lunch or a shake and plenty of fluids, and then enjoy my evening. If I am truly still hungry, I just aim for anything under maintenance. Something is better than nothing and as I am prone to binge-eating, it's better long term to avoid that as much as possible and lose more slowly, than to get back into a binge cycle. I think I'm going to stick to this routine from now on, eating at maintenance (or close) the day before and the day of my heaviest exercise days, and sticking to my deficit the other days. It seems the most sustainable way to go about it (for me, at least).
  • Chaagy
    Chaagy Posts: 109 Member
    You may need to reconsider your calorie intake if you are like Super Hangry at the end of the day. If you need a bit of a top off, I like a nice cup of broth:

    - 1/2 a cube of low sodium beef bouillion
    - A bit of dried onion flakes
    - A bit of dried mushrooms
    - Maybe a few green onions, or dried seaweed (if you're into that sorta thing)
    - Maybe some cayenne for spice or even a few dashes of Frank's Red Hot to add some sour spicy notes (you may not think it, but a little dash of sour/tangy kicks up the whole thing - this is a universal recipe truth)
    - Thyme, sage, or rosemary can work in it too

    Pretty satisfying, you need to drink it slowly because it's hot, so that let's your mind do a little catch up. Only about 20-40 calories. The liquid fools you into thinking you're fuller than you are. The savoury, umami-ness satisfies your hunger.

    Then quickly cry and go to bed to try to forget how hungry you are... that seems to work! :smiley:
  • me0231
    me0231 Posts: 218 Member
    edited January 2018
    If it's a one off, I'd have a small meal with a good amount of protein and deduct the calories off the next few days. I refuse to go to bed starving, so if I'm truly hungry I'll eat and average out the week to my calorie goal.
  • toxikon
    toxikon Posts: 2,384 Member
    edited January 2018
    I distribute my calories so that I have the most in the evening, so I never go to bed feeling hungry. A usual day for me is:

    Breakfast: 0-200 cals
    Lunch: 400-500 cals
    Dinner: 700-800 cals

    My dinner meal is around 500-600 cals, then I have some calories left over for a night-time snack.

    I don't mind feeling a bit hungry in the morning while I'm busy at work, but I absolutely hate feeling hungry in the evening and before sleep!