Frustrated. So hungry. Please help

Options
ekta827
ekta827 Posts: 5 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Good morning everyone! So today I’ll be going to either the track or the mall to get my cardio in! I find the treadmill so boring and it hurts my shoulders for some reason and when I don’t do treadmill and just do laps downstairs it’s also so boring and such a small space! The track or the mall goes by way faster! anyway I’m having an issue today that I’m pretty glum over. It seems the more activity I do the hungrier I get! I thought my body would get used to it but it never does, and what ends up happening is I essentially don’t have a calorie deficit because I’m starving and eat back the calories I burned. Yesterday I had a calorie deficit, I ate 1750 calories and burned 2100 calories, during the day I wasn’t that hungry, my food yesterday consisted of salmon, Greek yogurt, and other filling foods. Before I went to bed I even had eggs, toast, and fruit. My day is essentially flipped in that I have breakfast before going to bed instead of in the morning because I sleep in in the morning but also because I absolutely need to eat before bed because then If I don’t I get really low sugar in my sleep and it’s a bad situation, especially if I exercised that day. Also, I can’t eat a breakfast in the morning and a breakfast in the evening because my calorie count goes way over, I’ve tried having both and the calorie count becomes too high and I can’t out exercise the calories I take in. So yesterday night I ate my eggs and everything and then about a couple hours into my sleep I just got so hungry and I don’t just mean hungry I mean starving to the point where you’re brain isn’t working properly like you can’t think properly you’re out of it because you need to eat so badly, my sugar dropped hard, it is still dropped because I refuse to eat because I need a deficit. If I ate I’d end up with 2000 calories in my day and having burned 2100 calories meaning that I would’ve lost zero weight or even gained weight since calories in and out cannot be measured completely accurately. So right now I’m still just starving I am so hungry, it’s frustrating because I didn’t even go super hard yesterday with the exercise. It’s just super frustrating. 1800 calories is a lot for a woman, that’s a lot of food and yet I’m so hungry and my body’s not adjusting to exercise. Ideally I don’t want to go over 1600 calories a day and be burning 2100 calories a day. I know there’s nothing anyone can do but it just sucks to still feel so starving on 1800 calories where you’ve eaten all the right things and everything. It’s like what’s the point of exercise then? Of course there’s a point to exercise for good health and because currently I’m sedentary without a job but in my specific case I’m trying to lose weight and it’s backfiring. Just wanted to share my frustrations. Thanks ❤️. We all know if you’re hungry day after day doing diet and exercise that you’ll end up binging or won’t be able to stick to it. I just want to be able to lose weight and I understand a little hunger is normal but to being hungry to the point of not being able to think properly sucks.
«1

Replies

  • manderson27
    manderson27 Posts: 3,510 Member
    Options
    I would also like to see your stats as requested by @apullum

    No one can advise you without that information, also people could probably help a lot if you let them view your diary.
  • emmamcgarity
    emmamcgarity Posts: 1,594 Member
    Options
    I’m also interested to see if you are hitting your protein goal consistently and drinking enough water to stay well hydrated. Plus your current stats.
  • OooohToast
    OooohToast Posts: 257 Member
    Options
    Hello OP - same requests as everyone else for stats and data.

    Also, are you monitoring your blood glucose ?
  • kshama2001
    kshama2001 Posts: 27,966 Member
    Options
    Assuming you have a menstrual cycle, if you are premenstrual, you may wish to just eat at maintenance for a few days. For many of us, we are hungrier at this time because our metabolism is a little revved up in preparation. Often, increased hunger is the first and only symptom that my period is imminent.
  • ekta827
    ekta827 Posts: 5 Member
    Options
    Hey everyone thanks for all your answers. I am 5’6 and a 180 pounds, I’d like to be atleast 155 pounds. I average only 500 steps a day, so even though my MFP is set to losing a pound a week and sedentary, I’m not sure how many steps sedentary is.
  • DaintyWhisper
    DaintyWhisper Posts: 221 Member
    Options
    Your post is a little confusing. Are you eating 1750 calories a day, but burning 2100 calories from exercising? When you put your stats and goal into MFP, it gives you a certain amount of calories to eat to reach your weight loss goal. The calories given to you already has the deficit built in. You don't need to exercise to create any deficit. Even if you didn't exercise and ate all of the calories given to you by MFP, you would lose weight (assuming you were accurately logging, etc.). Any calories you earn from your exercises should be eaten back. If you really burned 2100 calories by exercising but only ate 1750, it's no wonder you woke up starving! You need to eat those calories, or at least a portion of them.
  • Maxxitt
    Maxxitt Posts: 1,281 Member
    Options
    I have occasionally woken up really hungry a couple of hours into my sleep to the point where I have gotten up, gone downstairs and had a snack. Tends to happen when I've been in a modest (like 250-300 calories/day) deficit and have also been to the gym that day, plus taken my usual walks with the dog which amounts to maybe a couple of hours spread out over the whole day. All of that activity is theoretically accounted for, but I think that sometimes my body just needs more fuel. If it were to happen MOST nights I would say something is wonky either on the calories-in or calories-out equation. But it doesn't, and so I just log the snack and move on.

    One question for you, ekta827, is where you are in your menstrual cycle when you awaken feeling famished. Some women find they do better eating at maintenance the week just prior, or the week of menstruation. Just something to think about in addition to feedback above.
  • ekta827
    ekta827 Posts: 5 Member
    Options
    Hello I burn 2100 calories total a day, not 2100 calories through exercise. I will have to do some exercise it seems just to hit a healthy step goal for the at least because right now I only hit a 1000 steps a day. Thank you everyone. ❤️
  • lynn_glenmont
    lynn_glenmont Posts: 9,988 Member
    Options
    apullum wrote: »
    Tsbc1314 wrote: »
    To loose weight you must reduce your sugar intake. Myfitnesspal monitors this, so keep an eye on your daily intake. Eating late at night is a big NO in my book. I don't think our bodies digest food very well when we sleep. Fast weight loss is easy with a Keto diet. Try reading Leslie Kentons' book, The X factor Diet. This works well with Myfitnesspal.

    None of these things are true.

    Sugar intake is not relevant to weight loss unless it causes you to go over your calorie goal, and it is not necessary to monitor it unless your doctor has told you that you need to restrict sugar.

    Eating late at night is not relevant to weight loss unless it causes you to go over your calorie goal. The only reason to avoid eating late at night is if it causes you to have trouble sleeping.

    Keto is a personal preference and does not do anything special for weight loss. All people lose weight in a calorie deficit. You can achieve that calorie deficit without following any named diet. The only reasons to follow a keto diet are if you prefer to eat that way or if your doctor prescribed it to treat a medical condition.

    Well, technically, the main clause of the second sentence is true. MFP does track sugar. :smile:
  • snuff15ee
    snuff15ee Posts: 99 Member
    Options
    Is 1750 your TDEE? Have you ever calculated your BMR and TDEE? If not this video is a good place to start - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-bYEVIqBEW4. What are your macros? You mentioned your brain doesn't feel like it's working. How much fat are you eating? Fat is essential for brain function and keeping your endocrine system running efficiently. When I first started this journey back in Jan my macros were all wrong. I was eating high protein, low fat, mid carbs with mixed results and I always felt hungry. Additionally, I was counting my exercise calories and trying to eat them back. I can tell you what finally worked for me. First, I calculated my TDEE to be about 2796 calories (6'3, initially 212lbs, and about 25% body fat). I started with a conservative 500 calorie deficit (20%) and set my macros to: Protein 0.8g - 1.0g/lb of body weight; Fat 0.4g-0.5g/lb of body weight; remaining to carbs. I hit the gym six days a week for three days of strength training and two days of HIIT, and one day of cycling. I turned OFF the "count my exercise in MFP" because those burn rates could be off significantly; you may think you were in a deficit when you're actually not. It's now May and I'm at 181lbs and 14-15% body fat. I don't have empirical data, but I'm certain the catalyst for me was ramping my fat intake from 40 grams a day up to 80 to 90 grams a day, and trying to hit the daily values of potassium and fiber. I feel great every day (I eat 6 times a day in 2-3 hour intervals) and no longer have the constant hunger pangs. My favorite fats are avocados, coconut oil, 86% and higher cacao, and nut butters. I normally eat a couple squares of dark chocolate, PB, and a protein shake just before bed. Just realize that everyone is different and what works for me may not work for you. If you have some disposable income you may want to visit a nutritionist. Good luck!
  • PAV8888
    PAV8888 Posts: 13,739 Member
    edited May 2019
    Options
    ekta827 wrote: »
    Hello I burn 2100 calories total a day, not 2100 calories through exercise. I will have to do some exercise it seems just to hit a healthy step goal for the at least because right now I only hit a 1000 steps a day. Thank you everyone. ❤️

    How do you know that you burn 2100 Calories total a day? :smiley:

    <I am not actually disputing the figure; I am just trying to figure out what it is based on>

    A healthy step goal doesn't exist as a goal. The World Health Organization has the following minimum activity/exercise recommendation: https://www.who.int/dietphysicalactivity/factsheet_adults/en/

    Adults aged 18–64 should do at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic physical activity throughout the week or do at least 75 minutes of vigorous-intensity aerobic physical activity throughout the week or an equivalent combination of moderate- and vigorous-intensity activity.
    Aerobic activity should be performed in bouts of at least 10 minutes duration.
    For additional health benefits, adults should increase their moderate-intensity aerobic physical activity to 300 minutes per week, or engage in 150 minutes of vigorous-intensity aerobic physical activity per week, or an equivalent combination of moderate- and vigorous-intensity activity.
    Muscle-strengthening activities should be done involving major muscle groups on 2 or more days a week.

    A purposeful walk (which for most people ends up) averaging around 100 steps per minute usually qualifies as moderate intensity activity.

    In terms of CALORIES, MFPs sedentary setting is calibrated at an activity level of approximately 3500 steps a day. MFP envisions these steps as "incidental" during the day, not as a deliberate activity.

    An incidental day where 3500 steps are performed over 16 or what have you hours will be more active (burn more calories) than a day where a single bout of 3500 steps is taken.

    MFP envisions your activity level as separate from your deliberate exercise one.

    When I first started trying to increase my activity I started by forcing myself to try and get up and walk around (the house when I first started) for 1 minute every hour. Then 2. Then 3. Then any time I was on the phone :wink:

Categories