Always hungry

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mbro254
mbro254 Posts: 4 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Hey y’all,
I’ve been on here for a while, but I just recently got serious into losing some weight/ fat for nfl cheer tryouts. I was wondering if anyone had any advice on how to conquer that constant nagging hunger? I’m not overweight but on the higher end of the range and definitely should lose about 15 or 20 pounds by tryouts. My main problem thus far (I’ve only been doing this for about a month and 5 pounds down) is just constant hunger. I definitely could be eating less sugar etc but I still want to enjoy the foods I like to eat and not feel crazy deprived. What do y’all do to combat chronic hunger? Also for reference I’m eating 1590 calories plus exercise on days I do cardio. I’m 5’6.5 and 144 pounds as of this morning. Kind of a picky eater as for years I got away with eating purely candy and fast food and being skinny.

Replies

  • Pricklypineapple422
    Pricklypineapple422 Posts: 52 Member
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    What do you have your weight loss goal per week? It should be set to 0.5 lbs/week or slower. If it is set to lose weight faster I would start by adjusting that. Do you do other exercises? You mention eating back exercise calories on days you do cardio. If you do other exercises, is there a reason you aren't eating those exercise calories back?

    When are tryouts? To lose 15 lbs you should realistically give yourseld 30 weeks. If your goal is to lose 15 to 20 lbs in a short period of time, you are setting yourself up for either unhealthy eating patterns or for failure. Losing it quickly could also harm your athletic performance, which I would think needs to be your priority over weight loss.

    Are there days you feel hungrier? Days you feel more satisfied? I would pay attention and see if you can find a trend with your macros - it is different foe for everyone. Maybe you feel more satisfies with high protein and low carbs, or high fat and low protein. Take a look and compare your diary to how you felt day to day.

    Good luck!
  • HoneyBadger302
    HoneyBadger302 Posts: 1,999 Member
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    Guessing the sugar might be the culprit. I enjoy some sweets, but in very limited quantities, and I keep it to things I really "value" - in my case, a tiny bit of chocolate, the occasional slush, or ice cream. I don't have those things daily, either - couple times a week at most.

    My stats are similar although I'm a bit heavier (currently about 152, but my lowest possible goal would be ~128). Eating a slightly lower calorie range (more like 1300+exercise/activity) but I have a desk job so sit on my tush all day at work.

    I find that protein helps me stay full and feel full longer, veggies provide a fair bit of volume (so I can feel full right after eating), and potato or rice are carbs where I feel like I get more bulk for my calories than, say, pasta.
  • lbride
    lbride Posts: 248 Member
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    Agree, the sugary foods are generally high calorie but don't fill you up, so you will be hungry. If you can eat more protein, and a bit of fat, you will probably feel less hungry -but if you fill up your 1600 with sugary foods, you will def be hungry. It doesn't have to be all salads, just look for food you like that is higher in protein and/ or fiber. (coscto's chicken tenders, for instance, super high in protein and yummy!)
  • robingmurphy
    robingmurphy Posts: 349 Member
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    I've found increasing my protein intake significantly (from 60ish grams a day to 115g a day) has really reduced my hunger.
  • ilove3g
    ilove3g Posts: 11 Member
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    My secret weapons are clementines and almonds. If I get hungry in between meals/snackcs, I'll have a clementine or 8-10 almonds to tide me over.
  • NovusDies
    NovusDies Posts: 8,940 Member
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    Like others it is hard to direct you without more information. I don't know what you are eating and what you would avoid since you are picky.

    If you are heavy into sweets and not into meat or other protein sources I would suggest a dessert flavored protein shake like chocolate. You may have to experiment a little to find one you like. I also suggest replacing some of your sweets with fruits (if you like them).

    You are young so you can get away with things that some of us old fogies cannot but now is a good time to work towards balanced nutrition. It doesn't need to be an overnight change it can just be small changes over time.
  • mbro254
    mbro254 Posts: 4 Member
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    Thank y’all so much for the responses!! I think I know deep down a lot of the sugary crap has to go I just don’t want to admit it lol. I did stock up on some Atkins shakes because I like those and some fruit to hopefully snack on instead of candy goldfish and stuff. I do eat a good amount of protein but I eat almost no healthy fats (don’t like nuts or avocados) so that’s something I am definitely going to work on I think! I’m just gonna try and stick with it for a few months and be accountable to myself!! Again I appreciate the responses!!
  • lgfrie
    lgfrie Posts: 1,449 Member
    edited July 2019
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    You need something that is:
    • filling and dense and will take the edge off the hunger for a couple/few hours
    • not a ton of calories
    • has some sweetness, so you don't feel like you're giving up candy for sour pickles or borscht
    May I recommend the modest, understated, and rarely discussed ... Banana.

    I eat one or several every day. I've only recently discovered them as a diet tactic, in the last 2 months. They're 90-120 calories and fit into any calorie deficit effort. They're very filling - certainly as a snack, but in a pinch they can even sub in for a breakfast if needed. They're not a chocolate bar but they are sweet. They're natural and healthy and inexpensive. There is literally nothing bad about them, unless one is doing one of those dumb carb-is-the-enemy diets. And bananas will most definitely take the edge off the hunger, because they are bulky and starchy and big.

    They are immeasurably, incomprehensibly healthier than drinking Atkins shakes, and more filling. Sometimes low-tech and basic is better.

  • amy19355
    amy19355 Posts: 805 Member
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    mbro254 wrote: »
    Thank y’all so much for the responses!! I think I know deep down a lot of the sugary crap has to go I just don’t want to admit it lol. I did stock up on some Atkins shakes because I like those and some fruit to hopefully snack on instead of candy goldfish and stuff. I do eat a good amount of protein but I eat almost no healthy fats (don’t like nuts or avocados) so that’s something I am definitely going to work on I think! I’m just gonna try and stick with it for a few months and be accountable to myself!! Again I appreciate the responses!!

    Try this:
    Log the foods you eat, using this app. Look at the Macro information and try to choose foods in portions that line up with the suggestion from MFP.

    Sugary sweet things will show up as carbs, and they aren’t the good carbs; all those veggies are the good carbs. Protein and Fat are essential. THere is a lot to read in the sticky notes about how all that works together and help make good choices.

    I’m a big advocate of logging data and looking for patterns that connect to behavior. Weight and calories are what I log. I can watch the results on the graphs in the app, and not have to guess about what’s going on.

    Good luck to you!
  • PAV8888
    PAV8888 Posts: 13,930 Member
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    lgfrie wrote: »
    You need something that is:
    • filling and dense and will take the edge off the hunger for a couple/few hours
    • not a ton of calories
    • has some sweetness, so you don't feel like you're giving up candy for sour pickles or borscht
    May I recommend the modest, understated, and rarely discussed ... Banana.

    I eat one or several every day. I've only recently discovered them as a diet tactic, in the last 2 months. They're 90-120 calories and fit into any calorie deficit effort. They're very filling - certainly as a snack, but in a pinch they can even sub in for a breakfast if needed. They're not a chocolate bar but they are sweet. They're natural and healthy and inexpensive. There is literally nothing bad about them, unless one is doing one of those dumb carb-is-the-enemy diets. And bananas will most definitely take the edge off the hunger, because they are bulky and starchy and big.

    They are immeasurably, incomprehensibly healthier than drinking Atkins shakes, and more filling. Sometimes low-tech and basic is better.

    May I submit the humble apple? I always found bananas to be calorically expensive myself!!!
  • alexandravictoria88
    alexandravictoria88 Posts: 138 Member
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    robingmurphy wrote: »
    I've found increasing my protein intake significantly (from 60ish grams a day to 115g a day) has really reduced my hunger.

    What do you eat to increase protein intake. I struggle! Even with a protein shake in the morning and protein both lunch time and dinner i still cant reach goal of 130g. Think i just need to either have an extra shake or eat more chicken. Lol

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