help - daily calorie intake and hunger?

camzhastings
camzhastings Posts: 8 Member
edited December 22 in Food and Nutrition
Hi, I need some advice and I hope somebody will be able to help me. During the last few months I’ve almost lost 13 pounds and now I’m trying to maintain my weight. To do that, I should be eating 1400 calories per day, but the problem is i’m not hungry! I don’t mind eating even when I’m not hungry, but Im scared that by doing that I’ll gain weight. In fact, I usually eat 1000 - 1200 calories daily and 99% i eat i’m not hungry. So my question is: should I eat even if i don’t feel like i need to, in order to hit my calorie goal? or will that make me gain weight?
ps: during my weight loss journey i had some issues with myself and i used to eat not more than 600 calories per day.

Replies

  • cmriverside
    cmriverside Posts: 34,458 Member
    Sounds like you're teetering on Eating Disorder ledge.

    Tell us more...how tall are you? What is your weight? You're female?

    If you know that 1400 is what you need to eat to maintain your weight, then yeah - eat when you're not hungry.

    Here are some calorie dense (but low volume) food ideas:

    https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10142490/a-list-of-calorie-dense-foods/p1
  • xaosai
    xaosai Posts: 3 Member
    Hunger is your body's way of telling you need food. The problem is sometimes we eat too much or too little food in response to hunger. The types of food you eat can also effect your satiety, like protein. I wouldn't go below 1000 calories. That is what doctors put bariatric patients on. The problem with a super low calorie diet is that your body will lower it's metabolism if it thinks that it's starving.
  • kshama2001
    kshama2001 Posts: 28,052 Member
    xaosai wrote: »
    Hunger is your body's way of telling you need food. The problem is sometimes we eat too much or too little food in response to hunger. The types of food you eat can also effect your satiety, like protein. I wouldn't go below 1000 calories. That is what doctors put bariatric patients on. The problem with a super low calorie diet is that your body will lower it's metabolism if it thinks that it's starving.

    1200 is the lowest a woman trying to lose weight should eat. At this point she is trying to maintain her weight, so needs more calories.

    @camzhastings many of us are here because our hunger cues didn't work properly, so yes, eat even when you are not hungry.

    High fat foods like peanut butter, nuts, and cheese are low volume/high calories so often a good choice in this situation.

    Plan on your maintenance being a range, not a fixed weight, and don't freak out if you go up a few pounds - I went up four pounds when I ovulated this month despite being in a calorie deficit. After a little over a week I was back down to a new low.
  • FireyChimera
    FireyChimera Posts: 155 Member
    My advice is to stop thinking about calories and eat whole nutritious foods when your body is telling you that you're hungry. As someone said in the comments, it sounds like eating disorder territory. Satiating foods like peanut butter and bread are good if you are worried about eating too little. Real foods like beans, potatoes, oats, rice, and other nutritious foods are best for optimal health :)
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