Always feeling hungry and rapid weight gain
UVAPhan
Posts: 21 Member
I started myfitnesspal at the end of July and since that time I have lost 43 pounds! I started at 280 pounds, was allowed around 2000 calories a day to lose an average of 2 pounds a week. I decided I would try to keep my calories below 1,500 a day in order to carry a deficit, and that has seemed to work great. However, I have noticed that in the past month my weight loss has stalled. I haven't really gained anything, but I haven't really lost anything. I pretty much stay right around the 238-243 pound range. I am always hungry, no matter what I eat, even if it's protein. I drink tons of water to help offset it, but it doesn't seem to matter.
I also seem to notice my weight sometimes balloons up rapidly. For instance yesterday we had a "thanksgiving" gathering with my family. I had ham, turkey, dressing, potatoes, and green beans. I ate a larger amount than I normally do now, but far less than I did before I was on my fitnesspal. Prior to going there on Saturday I weighed myself and I was at my all time lowest, 237.2. Just now I weighed myself after eating that yesterday and then my meals today (which was about 1,500 calories) and I am up to 244. Could that just be water weight from sodium? I've noticed my weight does that often in the last month, especially on weekends.
Any ideas?
I also seem to notice my weight sometimes balloons up rapidly. For instance yesterday we had a "thanksgiving" gathering with my family. I had ham, turkey, dressing, potatoes, and green beans. I ate a larger amount than I normally do now, but far less than I did before I was on my fitnesspal. Prior to going there on Saturday I weighed myself and I was at my all time lowest, 237.2. Just now I weighed myself after eating that yesterday and then my meals today (which was about 1,500 calories) and I am up to 244. Could that just be water weight from sodium? I've noticed my weight does that often in the last month, especially on weekends.
Any ideas?
4
Replies
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hobbitses333 wrote: »I have found the same thing stall and around 5 lbs fluctuation..here is an article about normal fluctuations and their causes.
https://www.verywellfit.com/why-does-weight-change-day-to-day-4100012
I wonder if you have adjusted your calories lower now that you have lost? The less you weigh the less you burn ...
I have kept everything the same because myfitnesspal has not changed my calories required. It started with around 2,000 and it has stayed the same throughout, even though it's showing I've lost 43 pounds.1 -
I don't know whether to ecstatically celebrate with you, congratulate you on reaching out, or bang my head in frustration
Easy stuff first. Your weight fluctuates. I am sure people will post links. You had a large meal. It was not made out of the same stuff you usually eat. Other people seasoned it. The scale weight you gained is not fat. It will go away soon. You're not using a weight trend app which you probably should start using. Enough said!
The harder stuff.
Do you really believe deep down inside that you CAN win by forcing yourself to be as hungry as you can stand, for as long as you can stand, so that you lose weight fast? What's going to happen when you try your hand at maintenance?
Are you currently developing skills and coping techniques and experimenting with foods that fill you up so that you can have a collection of go-to options when the time comes for you to maintain?
You don't state your height. But you're male, so you're probably somewhere between 33% and 50% of your way towards the "healthy" weight range for your height. Which means you have some time ahead of you.
And time will not stop you from getting there.
What WILL stop you from getting there is if you make things too hard for yourself and you quit.
You should NOT be trying to eat less than MFP told you to.
You should NOT be targeting a weight loss of 2lbs+ a week.
You should PROBABLY be considering targeting a much lower average weight loss.
In any case, my suggestion would be to increase to 2K calories and after six weeks at the new intake disregard the information from the first three to four weeks and evaluate the changes to your weight trend during the last two weeks so as to make decision in terms of how to proceed.
You may also want to make sure that you re-evaluate the foods you eat. Prioritizing protein, fiber, healthy fats, and satiating carbs and ensuring an adequate intake of fruits and vegetables before splurging on other foods. No hint in your post that you're not doing this already. But it is worth repeating since it is harder to include "everything" when in a deficit (frankly at all times; but hey!)
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hobbitses333 wrote: »I wonder if you have adjusted your calories lower now that you have lost? The less you weigh the less you burn ...
He has already stated that NOT ONLY is he eating LESS Calories than MFP suggests; but, he is actually aiming to eat below the 1500 Calories minimum for a male.
Thus, adjusting MFP goals lower will address his hunger and risk of non-compliance in which way?14 -
hobbitses333 wrote: »I wonder if you have adjusted your calories lower now that you have lost? The less you weigh the less you burn ...
He has already stated that he is NOT ONLY eating below the calories MFP suggests but is trying to eat below the 1500 Calories minimum for a male. Adjusting MFP goals lower will accomplish?!?!?
I was under the impression the minimum for a male was 1,200, that's why I assumed 1,500 would be sufficient to sustain me and still give me an additional amount toward my deficit.1 -
hobbitses333 wrote: »hobbitses333 wrote: »I have found the same thing stall and around 5 lbs fluctuation..here is an article about normal fluctuations and their causes.
https://www.verywellfit.com/why-does-weight-change-day-to-day-4100012
I wonder if you have adjusted your calories lower now that you have lost? The less you weigh the less you burn ...
I have kept everything the same because myfitnesspal has not changed my calories required. It started with around 2,000 and it has stayed the same throughout, even though it's showing I've lost 43 pounds.
Okay, that might be it. Go in to Goals on the app menu and reset your goals for the app by updating your current weight..you should see a change in your calorie amounts after.
I just did this and you are right, it dropped to 1,800.....that's a pretty big difference.4 -
I don't know whether to ecstatically celebrate with you, congratulate you on reaching out, or bang my head in frustration
Easy stuff first. Your weight fluctuates. I am sure people will post links. You had a large meal. It was not made out of the same stuff you usually eat. Other people seasoned it. The scale weight you gained is not fat. It will go away soon. You're not using a weight trend app which you probably should start using. Enough said!
I kind of assumed that, so thanks for confirming that. I'll wait a few days and I'm guessing it will even itself out.
The harder stuff.
Do you really believe deep down inside that you CAN win by forcing yourself to be as hungry as you can stand, for as long as you can stand, so that you lose weight fast? What's going to happen when you try your hand at maintenance?
Yeah, I pretty much assumed that since my previous daily intake was far higher than 2,000 when I started that I would just probably have to deal with hunger for a long time. What do you mean as far as maintenance?
Are you currently developing skills and coping techniques and experimenting with foods that fill you up so that you can have a collection of go-to options when the time comes for you to maintain?
Yes, I am trying to find foods that fill me up, but I've noticed that even proteins don't seem to work too well.
You don't state your height. But you're male, so you're probably somewhere between 33% and 50% of your way towards the "healthy" weight range for your height. Which means you have some time ahead of you.
I am 5'10. My doctor suggested I lose 100 pounds to get to 180 due to the fact that I suffer from high blood pressure (I'm on medication) and sleep apnea.
And time will not stop you from getting there.
What WILL stop you from getting there is if you make things too hard for yourself and you quit.
You should NOT be trying to eat less than MFP told you to.
You should NOT be targeting a weight loss of 2lbs+ a week.
You should PROBABLY be considering targeting a much lower average weight loss.
I updated my goals and it went to 1,800. So should I be eating all 1,800 calories? And when I go to the gym and say burn 400 calories doing cardio, do I need to eat back all 400 of those calories as well?
In any case, my suggestion would be to increase to 2K calories and after six weeks at the new intake disregard the information from the first three to four weeks and evaluate the changes to your weight trend during the last two weeks so as to make decision in terms of how to proceed.
You may also want to make sure that you re-evaluate the foods you eat. Prioritizing protein, fiber, healthy fats, and satiating carbs and ensuring an adequate intake of fruits and vegetables before splurging on other foods. No hint in your post that you're not doing this already. But it is worth repeating since it is harder to include "everything" when in a deficit (frankly at all times; but hey!)
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I was under the impression the minimum for a male was 1,200, that's why I assumed 1,500 would be sufficient to sustain me and still give me an additional amount toward my deficit.
Various sources list different minimums for men. Some 1500, some 1800, some 1200. MFP used to be 1500 for many years. They may or may not have changed it. I would have to log out and mess with my numbers, or create another account to check... which I will leave for you to do if you're that interested in pursuing minimums.
It doesn't matter what the minimum is! You don't win a prize for eating the least you can get away with. At best, you might save on your grocery bill. A TINY bit.
A least side effects size of deficit is probably closer to 20% of TDEE when normal weight or overweight and up to 25% of TDEE when obese.
Since a sedentary activity level is generally 1.2 to 1.25x RMR, and since TDEE will usually equal at least a TDEE level of activity, it fairly unlikely for most males to fall below 1500 Cal if they are not pushing for potentially counterproductive deficits.9 -
hobbitses333 wrote: »hobbitses333 wrote: »I wonder if you have adjusted your calories lower now that you have lost? The less you weigh the less you burn ...
He has already stated that he is NOT ONLY eating below the calories MFP suggests but is trying to eat below the 1500 Calories minimum for a male. Adjusting MFP goals lower will accomplish?!?!?
Did not clue in as to the sex of the OP. It was not stated? I assumed I was replying to a woman..1500 calories is certainly within my calorie range for healthy weight loss as a woman around the same weight.
Thank you MFP police! As far as telling someone that they make you want to bang your head off the keyboard.. maybe you should. [/quote
Yes, I'm sorry I didn't state it in the original post but I am a male. I am 5'10 and started at 280. Yeah that response of banging their head against the wall is an interesting form of support......shrugs. I appreciate your help by the way!2 -
I updated my goals and it went to 1,800. So should I be eating all 1,800 calories? And when I go to the gym and say burn 400 calories doing cardio, do I need to eat back all 400 of those calories as well?
These sound like excellent ideas. If you're using MFP to log, and you're setup as sedentary on MFP, you may want to start with eating back a bit less than 100%.
In any case, you may want to try your hand at this for 4 to 6 weeks. While plugging your daily weight into a weight trend application. And then evaluating your actual and expected rate of loss during the last two weeks of the time period and adjusting based on that (because there is some expectation that you might have a slight up-tick initially when you start eating a bit more).
However, I will again, say that SUSTAINABILITY is where you will win.
Expecting to not feel hungry at all is probably a forlorn hope. But if you choose the right rate of loss for you it should NOT be a constant and continuous mega battle with hunger. Anecdotally many people who complain about being too hungry are then discovered to be applying large deficits. It looks likely that you are part of that category.
You asked about maintenance. If all you learn while losing weight is to be hungry and grin and bear it so as to lose real fast... what tool-set are you building for maintenance?5 -
Since a sedentary activity level is generally 1.2 to 1.25x RMR, and since TDEE will usually equal at least a TDEE SEDENTARY level of activity (plus, probably, a few extras), it fairly unlikely for most males to fall below 1500 Cal if they are not pushing for potentially counterproductive deficits <greater than the 20 to 25% previously mentioned>.
Fixed it for me!
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hobbitses333 wrote: »I wonder if you have adjusted your calories lower now that you have lost? The less you weigh the less you burn ...
He has already stated that he is NOT ONLY eating below the calories MFP suggests but is trying to eat below the 1500 Calories minimum for a male. Adjusting MFP goals lower will accomplish?!?!?
I was under the impression the minimum for a male was 1,200, that's why I assumed 1,500 would be sufficient to sustain me and still give me an additional amount toward my deficit.
As other posters have said, the minimum for males on MFP is 1500 - and that is only for very very short & sedentary males. You're not short.
Have a read of this, and substitute 'man' for 'woman' and '1500' for '1200': https://www.aworkoutroutine.com/1200-calorie-diet/5 -
If MFP gives you 2000 to reach your goal, then eat 2000 plus half your exercise calories.10
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kshama2001 wrote: »hobbitses333 wrote: »I wonder if you have adjusted your calories lower now that you have lost? The less you weigh the less you burn ...
He has already stated that he is NOT ONLY eating below the calories MFP suggests but is trying to eat below the 1500 Calories minimum for a male. Adjusting MFP goals lower will accomplish?!?!?
I was under the impression the minimum for a male was 1,200, that's why I assumed 1,500 would be sufficient to sustain me and still give me an additional amount toward my deficit.
As other posters have said, the minimum for males on MFP is 1500 - and that is only for very very short & sedentary males. You're not short.
Have a read of this, and substitute 'man' for 'woman' and '1500' for '1200': https://www.aworkoutroutine.com/1200-calorie-diet/
So knowing that now, I've been doing this all wrong for 3.5 months. I lost a ton of my 43 pounds in the first 2.5 months and now my weight has stalled. Do you think eating too few calories could have had something to do with that?2 -
kshama2001 wrote: »hobbitses333 wrote: »I wonder if you have adjusted your calories lower now that you have lost? The less you weigh the less you burn ...
He has already stated that he is NOT ONLY eating below the calories MFP suggests but is trying to eat below the 1500 Calories minimum for a male. Adjusting MFP goals lower will accomplish?!?!?
I was under the impression the minimum for a male was 1,200, that's why I assumed 1,500 would be sufficient to sustain me and still give me an additional amount toward my deficit.
As other posters have said, the minimum for males on MFP is 1500 - and that is only for very very short & sedentary males. You're not short.
Have a read of this, and substitute 'man' for 'woman' and '1500' for '1200': https://www.aworkoutroutine.com/1200-calorie-diet/
So knowing that now, I've been doing this all wrong for 3.5 months. I lost a ton of my 43 pounds in the first 2.5 months and now my weight has stalled. Do you think eating too few calories could have had something to do with that?
Especially now, yes.
When you have a lot of weight to lose the body is much more forgiving PLUS you had a lot of body fat to use as fuel. Now you've stressed it quite hard and lowered your body fat for a few months and it's starting to shut down and/or slow down non-vital systems. You're getting to a weight that is causing the whole, "Whoa!!" thing to happen. Someone will be more technical I'm sure.
Eat.
I'd go up to 2000 if it were me.
Heck, I'd do a diet break:
https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10604863/of-refeeds-and-diet-breaks/p1
Here's a good thread on Adaptive Thermogenesis, which is likely what's happening:
https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/1077746/starvation-mode-adaptive-thermogenesis-and-weight-loss/p1
...and
https://www.aworkoutroutine.com/metabolic-damage/7 -
kshama2001 wrote: »hobbitses333 wrote: »I wonder if you have adjusted your calories lower now that you have lost? The less you weigh the less you burn ...
He has already stated that he is NOT ONLY eating below the calories MFP suggests but is trying to eat below the 1500 Calories minimum for a male. Adjusting MFP goals lower will accomplish?!?!?
I was under the impression the minimum for a male was 1,200, that's why I assumed 1,500 would be sufficient to sustain me and still give me an additional amount toward my deficit.
As other posters have said, the minimum for males on MFP is 1500 - and that is only for very very short & sedentary males. You're not short.
Have a read of this, and substitute 'man' for 'woman' and '1500' for '1200': https://www.aworkoutroutine.com/1200-calorie-diet/
So knowing that now, I've been doing this all wrong for 3.5 months. I lost a ton of my 43 pounds in the first 2.5 months and now my weight has stalled. Do you think eating too few calories could have had something to do with that?
If you are consistently undereating and the scale hasn't changed in a month, then you could be retaining water due to increased cortisol from the stress of undereating, in which case you are due for a weight loss "whoosh" any day now.
This is also common:
https://www.aworkoutroutine.com/1200-calorie-diet/10 -
Why do you guys count your calorie so meticulous? It"s not natural way to interact with food. In long thousands years of human history we never count calories and still we ( as a whole community) survived all kind of conditions: temperature decrease and increase, floods, lack of food, physical endurance. If you overeat one day, why not to abstain of food the next day?.... You always will be in balance with yourself and food caloric load. Don"t think that your body stupid. Your body is much smarter then any of smartest doctors or dietitians. It knows exactly how to regulate it's own nourishment.2
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Why do you guys count your calorie so meticulous? It"s not natural way to interact with food. In long thousands years of human history we never count calories and still we ( as a whole community) survived all kind of conditions: temperature decrease and increase, floods, lack of food, physical endurance. If you overeat one day, why not to abstain of food the next day?.... You always will be in balance with yourself and food caloric load. Don"t think that your body stupid. Your body is much smarter then any of smartest doctors or dietitians. It knows exactly how to regulate it's own nourishment.
Well you are on a calorie counting tool's website forum.
People here use the food diary and it counts calories.
You don't have to.
When I don't, I gain weight.
To thine own self be true.21
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