PLEASE HELP. I'M ALWAYS HUNGRY

TheHuff_
TheHuff_ Posts: 39 Member
Hi guys, please help me. No matter how many vegetables I eat, no matter how small my plate is, no matter how much water I drink, no matter how much I try fasting to curb my appetite, no matter how much protein I eat, no matter what I do I am ALWAYS HUNGRY. Please help. It's making me miserable. Am I doomed to this insatiable hunger forever? I'm never satisfied unless I overeat. If I eat 'normally' I don't maintain my weight. I only gain. Hence why I MUST be in a deficit. But my hunger never fades away. I'm so sick of it
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Replies

  • apullum
    apullum Posts: 4,838 Member
    edited December 2019
    First, what is your weight goal--loss or maintenance? How long have you been working at that goal? How long have you been feeling this way?

    Second, what is your current weight and goal weight, and what pace of weight loss did you select in MFP if you are trying to lose? An overly aggressive deficit is a common cause of hunger.

    Third, are you getting enough protein, fat, and fiber? These things help most people feel full.

    Fourth, what do you mean by "fasting," and is there a non-weight reason for you to do that? Fasting does nothing special for weight loss and can cause some people to overeat when they do eat.

    Fifth, are you exercising, and if so, how are you calculating your exercise calories? What proportion of them are you eating back?
  • TheHuff_
    TheHuff_ Posts: 39 Member
    edited December 2019
    @apullum thanks so much for replying!

    My goal is weight loss
    I've been working on it for years but keep yo-yoing. I've been in a consistent deficit for 2 weeks as of right now.
    I feel this way all the time. But the hunger is getting worse and is accompanied by nausea which I try so hard not to give into.
    Current weight is 192lbs/87kg
    Goal weight 125lbs/56kg
    Pace of loss is 1.5lbs a week
    apullum wrote: »
    'An overly aggressive deficit is a common cause of hunger.'

    Third, are you getting enough protein, fat, and fiber? These things help most people feel full.

    Fourth, what do you mean by "fasting," and is there a non-weight reason for you to do that? Fasting does nothing special for weight loss and can cause some people to overeat when they do eat.

    Fifth, are you exercising, and if so, how are you calculating your exercise calories? What proportion of them are you eating back?

    That's the problem. Even when I'm maintaining my heavy weight I am not satisfied ever. I can only get full by overeating which sounds and feels ridiculous.

    Yes I believe I'm getting enough of everything.

    By fasting I mean one to two meals a day in a smaller eating window (to try to balance out my sugar levels and also to try to have bigger meals to satiate me)

    Not exercising much in terms of cardio due to injured ankle. So I can't walk much at the moment. So I'm doing bodyweight exercises and resistance training most days of the week (something I haven't done in a very long time until now)
  • brenn24179
    brenn24179 Posts: 2,144 Member
    you may be emotional eating but if you feel really hungry you may want to try low carb or keto. I do low carb, eat under 100 carbs a day and I can stay in my calorie range and dont get hungry. Night time use to get me but no more thank goodness.
  • TheHuff_
    TheHuff_ Posts: 39 Member
    brenn24179 wrote: »
    you may be emotional eating but if you feel really hungry you may want to try low carb or keto. I do low carb, eat under 100 carbs a day and I can stay in my calorie range and dont get hungry. Night time use to get me but no more thank goodness.

    I am an emotional eater, indeed. But when I'm on a deficit, I'm forever hungry. Tummy rumbling. Nausea. Headaches. Everything. Idk how to stop it

    Keto just wouldn't work with my lifestyle unfortunately. I try not to eat too much meat and most plant based protein sources are also high in carb. Furthermore, a keto diet is expensive to maintain. Also I don't want to cut out any food groups as I want to maintain a balanced, healthy diet for the rest of my life

    I'm happy to hear keto worked for you though and that night time hunger has gone for you!
  • apullum
    apullum Posts: 4,838 Member
    You don't have to set MFP to 1.5 lb/week. That might be reasonable for some folks with your stats, but if you can't sustain it, then it's not reasonable for you. I would suggest going for 1 lb/week, losing more slowly, being less miserable.

    Are you diabetic or pre diabetic, and did your doctor specifically tell you to fast in order to treat this?
  • TheHuff_
    TheHuff_ Posts: 39 Member
    edited December 2019
    apullum wrote: »
    You don't have to set MFP to 1.5 lb/week. That might be reasonable for some folks with your stats, but if you can't sustain it, then it's not reasonable for you. I would suggest going for 1 lb/week, losing more slowly, being less miserable.

    Are you diabetic or pre diabetic, and did your doctor specifically tell you to fast in order to treat this?

    Losing weight slower than 1.5 just seems so slow for someone of my weight. I feel like I should get the ball rolling and then ease down to 1lbs a week once I've lost 14lbs or so.

    But maybe I should cave in and lower it to 1lbs as of tomorrow.

    I'm not diabetic or prediabetic as far as I know and no, it wasn't on the doctor's recommendation
  • psychod787
    psychod787 Posts: 4,099 Member
    I would add my 2 cents, but there are better minds than mine here. Several people who have helped me are @fernt21 @cmriverside , @lemurcat2 and @PAV8888 . I hope by tagging there here they will respond. Best wishes..
  • TheHuff_
    TheHuff_ Posts: 39 Member
    Thank you @apullum and thank you @psychod787

    Much appreciated
  • cmriverside
    cmriverside Posts: 34,455 Member
    *yawn* :lol: Too early, @psychod787. I've interacted with the OP before.

    TheHuff, I agree that 1.5 pounds per week is too high for you if you can't get this under control. Go to "lose 1 pound."

    Are you getting any exercise? It will help with giving you more calories, and it will help you modulate your emotions.

    I know you live in a culture where lower carb is problematic, However, for some people it can make a deficit much easier. When I was in weight-loss mode I cut out most wheat products because they are fairly high calorie and they are trigger foods for me. Right after I eat them I have an urge to eat more, i.e. "I'm always hungry!!" It was true in a deficit, and it's true now. In weight loss I stopped buying so much bread, I just bought one loaf of whole wheat to have around. I stopped buying wheat based cereals, crackers, of course sweet treats, pretzels, anything made with wheat. I didn't go low carb, but this one change helped me a lot. I limited my wheat products to one or two per day. Not saying it is so for everyone, but worth a try. I still am careful about my wheat intake, it still can trigger me. Not a real popular strategy, but I found it helpful. Of course it goes without saying that for me - I don't have treat foods in the house unless I accept that I will eat them all. Still.

    It is a battle that can be won, but you do have to look at it as an experiment. I had to try all kinds of different things.

  • Safari_Gal_
    Safari_Gal_ Posts: 1,461 Member
    Is it true “hunger” or cravings? So long as you are getting your minimum calories per day - perhaps think of ways to subdue cravings. Have water, tea - make low calorie broth.

    I could eat alll day long. So I swapped to foods that are lower calorie - mostly vegetables and I drink more water.

    I’m blessed to have enough food on my table - and hope you are too.

  • littlegreenparrot1
    littlegreenparrot1 Posts: 702 Member
    It might be worth trying more whole grain foods. The fibre can help to feel full.

    For example I can easily put away half a loaf of white bread and still feel hungry, a couple of slices of wholemeal though and I'm happy.
  • psychod787
    psychod787 Posts: 4,099 Member
    RachellaJ wrote: »
    I had the same problem when I first started. I was always hungry! I was so used to being able to eat all day every day, that the feeling of hunger was alarming. What I had to learn was that it is ok to feel hungry sometimes. You aren’t going to starve. It’s actually ok to feel hungry for a while before eating your next meal. It took a lot of mental reminders and self talk to learn not to panic about the hungry feeling.

    Some things that help: A really good filling breakfast with plenty of fat, protein and carbs.
    Staying busy! Walk, work, find an absorbing hobby, an exercise you truly like, errands to run, etc.
    Don’t beat yourself up. And make sure your food is satisfying. As long as it fits your calories for the day, and you love it, eat it. I eat pizza every week and make it fit. I haven’t given up a single food that I love.

    Take it slow. I started at a rate of losing 1 pound a week and it was too little food for me, so I have had my goal set for 1/2 pound a week for at least a year and a half. It’s not a race, it’s your life. You’ve got to be patient with the ebbs and flows and plateaus.

    It does get better. Please stick with it. So much of it is mental retraining and being kind to yourself. It’s been 2 years for me and I’ve gone from 226 lbs to 146 currently.

    You are in the right place. This is a great community and has helped me immensely in difficult times.

    How am I supposed to know who you have interacted with? Its not like I stalk you or anything...🤥 I swear, that's not me in your hedges! 😟
  • wilson10102018
    wilson10102018 Posts: 1,306 Member
    Go with the hunger. It is not actually conveying good information to you in that you are apparently eating enough to nourish and move you around. Go with it.

    Suppose it was jelosy. You confirmed with detectives, friends and a polygraph that your partner is not cheating. But, you are still jealous. What to do? Certainly not to act on the jealousy.

    Try the same analysis with fear. Confirm there is nothing to be afraid of. Should you hide, strike out, What to do?

    Same with the hunger. You have the feelings but they do not send you a correct message. Accept them and learn that they do not require you to eat more.
  • TheHuff_
    TheHuff_ Posts: 39 Member
    *yawn* :lol: Too early, @psychod787. I've interacted with the OP before.

    TheHuff, I agree that 1.5 pounds per week is too high for you if you can't get this under control. Go to "lose 1 pound."

    Are you getting any exercise? It will help with giving you more calories, and it will help you modulate your emotions.

    I know you live in a culture where lower carb is problematic, However, for some people it can make a deficit much easier. When I was in weight-loss mode I cut out most wheat products because they are fairly high calorie and they are trigger foods for me. Right after I eat them I have an urge to eat more, i.e. "I'm always hungry!!" It was true in a deficit, and it's true now. In weight loss I stopped buying so much bread, I just bought one loaf of whole wheat to have around. I stopped buying wheat based cereals, crackers, of course sweet treats, pretzels, anything made with wheat. I didn't go low carb, but this one change helped me a lot. I limited my wheat products to one or two per day. Not saying it is so for everyone, but worth a try. I still am careful about my wheat intake, it still can trigger me. Not a real popular strategy, but I found it helpful. Of course it goes without saying that for me - I don't have treat foods in the house unless I accept that I will eat them all. Still.

    It is a battle that can be won, but you do have to look at it as an experiment. I had to try all kinds of different things.

    Thanks so much for your advice! Unfortunately I fell down the stairs and have done my ankle in so I can't really walk at all (except using crutches) until I heal. I have been trying to do some resistance training though.

    When I'm properly dieting I can control my calories very well so I don't tend to eat out of boredom unless I'm eating 'normally'. I just can't shake the hungry feeling. I'll deffo try reducing wheat intake though. Maybe I'll swap it for rice or bulgur?

    Yes I think I'll move it to 1lb a week haha

    Thanks again
  • TheHuff_
    TheHuff_ Posts: 39 Member
    RachellaJ wrote: »
    I had the same problem when I first started. I was always hungry! I was so used to being able to eat all day every day, that the feeling of hunger was alarming. What I had to learn was that it is ok to feel hungry sometimes. You aren’t going to starve. It’s actually ok to feel hungry for a while before eating your next meal. It took a lot of mental reminders and self talk to learn not to panic about the hungry feeling.

    Some things that help: A really good filling breakfast with plenty of fat, protein and carbs.
    Staying busy! Walk, work, find an absorbing hobby, an exercise you truly like, errands to run, etc.
    Don’t beat yourself up. And make sure your food is satisfying. As long as it fits your calories for the day, and you love it, eat it. I eat pizza every week and make it fit. I haven’t given up a single food that I love.

    Take it slow. I started at a rate of losing 1 pound a week and it was too little food for me, so I have had my goal set for 1/2 pound a week for at least a year and a half. It’s not a race, it’s your life. You’ve got to be patient with the ebbs and flows and plateaus.

    It does get better. Please stick with it. So much of it is mental retraining and being kind to yourself. It’s been 2 years for me and I’ve gone from 226 lbs to 146 currently.

    You are in the right place. This is a great community and has helped me immensely in difficult times.

    Wow that was such a great message to read. Thanks so much commenting! Congratulations on your weight loss. You must be so proud of yourself.

    Yes, I've been trying to keep as busy as possible. I can't walk much until my ankle heals though unfortunately so I can't keep 'active' in that sense

    I'm trying to be balanced about this all but today I actually increased my calories and I don't feel better at all. I guess I just have to keep forcing myself to stick to it until my body gets used to eating in this way
  • TheHuff_
    TheHuff_ Posts: 39 Member
    It might be worth trying more whole grain foods. The fibre can help to feel full.

    For example I can easily put away half a loaf of white bread and still feel hungry, a couple of slices of wholemeal though and I'm happy.

    Thank you!! I tend to only ever eat whole-wheat breads and pittas. I do eat white rice though and I mix it in with vegetables alongside whatever it is that I'm eating.

    Thanks for the tip!
  • TheHuff_
    TheHuff_ Posts: 39 Member
    Is it true “hunger” or cravings? So long as you are getting your minimum calories per day - perhaps think of ways to subdue cravings. Have water, tea - make low calorie broth.

    I could eat alll day long. So I swapped to foods that are lower calorie - mostly vegetables and I drink more water.

    I’m blessed to have enough food on my table - and hope you are too.

    I think it's true hunger to be honest. I feel completely awful, recently accompanied by nausea and dizziness. I'm not even eating thaaat little. I was eating on average around 1100-1350 calories and not moving much (as I'm unable to walk at the moment) for the last 2 weeks. Today I ate much more though to try to 'reset' my hunger hormones and tomorrow I plan to drop back down to around 1400?

    I don't know. I know it sounds crazy but it's genuine hunger. I can stick to this diet. It's just so mentally and physically uncomfortable. I find it hard to sleep at night due to hunger. In the morning I feel so sick that even water makes me want to puke. And these feelings only started in the last 7-10 days or so.

    Hopefully it'll all improve. I'll stick with it and keep up a healthy diet with plenty of vegetables and will see what happens!
  • TheHuff_
    TheHuff_ Posts: 39 Member
    Go with the hunger. It is not actually conveying good information to you in that you are apparently eating enough to nourish and move you around. Go with it.

    Suppose it was jelosy. You confirmed with detectives, friends and a polygraph that your partner is not cheating. But, you are still jealous. What to do? Certainly not to act on the jealousy.

    Try the same analysis with fear. Confirm there is nothing to be afraid of. Should you hide, strike out, What to do?

    Same with the hunger. You have the feelings but they do not send you a correct message. Accept them and learn that they do not require you to eat more.

    Hiya there, I like the analogy. Thanks so much sharing!

    I can accept the hunger in and of itself but the symptoms that come with it (nausea, dizziness, inability to sleep, constantly thinking about food) are quite difficult to bear haha
  • PAV8888
    PAV8888 Posts: 14,304 Member
    edited December 2019
    Isn't bulgur wheet?

    If you have an orthopedic break, do note that bone healing requires extra calories and could be placing you in a larger than expected deficit

    Also healing and recovery are accomplished faster closer to maintenance than in a deficit.

    How is your protein consumption? While meat and dairy may be used by many of us, fish and legumes can also be used effectively.

    In the past two weeks my next door neighbours have delivered: lentil, barley and chick pea soup; a falafel shawarma with loads of fresh onions, parsley, tomato, and garlic, and very small amount of yogurt sauce; lentils and chick peas mixed with rice (to which I added 0% Greek yogurt); cabbage dolma that were heavy on the cabbage and had rice, parsley, onion and meat in tomato sauce (this one has a bit of oil too); chicken breast shawarma with the meat shredded and mixed with onions and tomatoes and light yogurt sauce.

    While generally light in meat compared to something I would have prepared, all their meals seem to have a good mix of proteins, and ones that also complement each other too--not a requirement, but interesting to see from people who are preparing their food without explicitly examining their macros and calories (they don't).

    They do tend to add more oil than i would too, but that's something you can experiment with seeing whether it is more satiating to you.

    If struggling I would not attempt a high deficit. Even 500 Cal is a high deficit for a tdee of 2000-2500 (20-25%, best tolerated by someone who is obese by body fat %)

    If fasting has proven a help to you in controlling your Calories, then by all means use it beyond the scope of religious, or spiritual, reasons. If it hasn't proven to be helpful, continue your experimentation till you find something that does. I have a friend on mfp who eats most of her calories in the morning. I do the opposite, but do not fast.
  • TheHuff_
    TheHuff_ Posts: 39 Member
    PAV8888 wrote: »
    Isn't bulgur wheet?

    If you have an orthopedic break, do note that bone healing requires extra calories and could be placing you in a larger than expected deficit

    Also healing and recovery are accomplished faster closer to maintenance than in a deficit.

    How is your protein consumption? While meat and dairy may be used by many of us, fish and legumes can also be used effectively.

    In the past two weeks my next door neighbours have delivered: lentil, barley and chick pea soup; a falafel shawarma with loads of fresh onions, parsley, tomato, and garlic, and very small amount of yogurt sauce; lentils and chick peas mixed with rice (to which I added 0% Greek yogurt); cabbage dolma that were heavy on the cabbage and had rice, parsley, onion and meat in tomato sauce (this one has a bit of oil too); chicken breast shawarma with the meat shredded and mixed with onions and tomatoes and light yogurt sauce.

    While generally light in meat compared to something I would have prepared, all their meals seem to have a good mix of proteins, and ones that also complement each other too--not a requirement, but interesting to see from people who are preparing their food without explicitly examining their macros and calories (they don't).

    They do tend to add more oil than i would too, but that's something you can experiment with seeing whether it is more satiating to you.

    If struggling I would not attempt a high deficit. Even 500 Cal is a high deficit for a tdee of 2000-2500 (20-25%, best tolerated by someone who is obese by body fat %)

    If fasting has proven a help to you in controlling your Calories, then by all means use it beyond the scope of religious, or spiritual, reasons. If it hasn't proven to be helpful, continue your experimentation till you find something that does. I have a friend on mfp who eats most of her calories in the morning. I do the opposite, but do not fast.

    OH MY GOSH YOU ARE A LEGEND! I can't believe I didn't consider the importance of nutrition and enough calories in healing!! I've injured multiple ligaments in my ankle (2 months ago) but I still cannot walk and I still have swelling (so it's pretty bad). This must explain why I'm finding it harder to stick to 1200 calories this time around. My body must literally need more food. It ALSO explains why I've lost more weight than I expected. I lost 5 pounds in one week!! I was only supposed to lose 2lbs maximum.

    Ahhh.

    Genius.

    Wow you have lovely neighbours!! Haha that all sounds delicious. I love eating lentils and chickpeas etc. I try to get most of my protein from vegetable sources as well as tinned tuna and mackerel etc. I eat chicken maybe once every 7-10 days and I eat red meat about once a month on average

    I try not to add much oil to my cooking in order to maximise food volume and nutrients.

    I do enjoy fasting for religious reasons however these 'fasts' I've been doing recently are just water fasts where I eat 1-2 meals a day towards the late afternoon/early evening time. I could never just eat in the morning haha. My favourite meal is dinner!

    Thanks for your message!!
  • Amb3rlyrose
    Amb3rlyrose Posts: 2 Member
    I’m in the same boat girl, I’m literally always hungry and always thinking about food even just after a meal and just like u I am trying to somehow over come it, what I find works for the most part is trying to keep busy which is harder then it sounds especially on days where I just wanna do nothing. I’m supporting u boo lmk how ur doing!!!!
  • TheHuff_
    TheHuff_ Posts: 39 Member
    I’m in the same boat girl, I’m literally always hungry and always thinking about food even just after a meal and just like u I am trying to somehow over come it, what I find works for the most part is trying to keep busy which is harder then it sounds especially on days where I just wanna do nothing. I’m supporting u boo lmk how ur doing!!!!

    Bless your heart, thank you so much for the supportive message! It's reassuring to know I'm not alone in this haha. We can do it!
  • PAV8888
    PAV8888 Posts: 14,304 Member
    edited December 2019
    Ok, so you do realize that you've answered your own question as to why you're hungry all the time.

    Effectively it doesn't even have to do with heeling, other than as a tangent, but everything to do with the effective size of your deficit.
    which, based on your apparent rate of loss, may be too large in relation to your TDEE.

    Things to consider and to explore.

    *If you have swelling you have water retention and currently show a higher scale weight.

    *Weight level may best be determined using a combination of weight trend app, scale weight, and common sense (weight trend app and common sense help you not panic with scale results that are unexpected; and scale results and common sense are useful if the weight trend app is lagging, as it sometimes does, either on the way down or the way up)

    *1200 may be necessary for SOME ladies but it is not necessary for all. It is more likely to be necessary if you're shorter, lighter, and less active; much more unlikely to be necessary to see results if the above three conditions don't apply.

    Your results don't seem to indicate that you need to be applying such a large deficit to see results over time.

    Results over time such as a decreasing weight trend in the 0.5% - 1% of body weight per week range when looked at from a 4-6 week perspective are absolutely fabulous and effective... are you pushing for more? See my above about limiting deficit to 25% of total calories to minimize potential side effects.

    From another discussion today, @psychod787 pointed to a paper that compared 15% to 20% calories from protein during weight loss with 20% showing slightly better results.

    And yes, my neighbours are wonderful people who don't seem to be able to grasp that I am perfectly happy eating my yogurt with cereal and that for more than 40 years have managed to cook perfectly edible-ish food whenever I've wanted to!

    To protect the guilty I did not mention zat'aar pizza, backlava, or the unknown coconut, condensed milk, flour, oil? syrup drenched baked cake squares that have also arrived in the same time frame! We are down to delivering using disposable plates to discourage tit for tat exchanges! I am losing badly and cannot keep up! Only thing (barely) saving me is that I deliver for six while they are only trying to over feed one!!!
  • paniologal
    paniologal Posts: 53 Member
    I have always had this problem, especially when I try to lose weight (I’ve fluctuated 15 pounds over the past 10ish years, but when I make myself lose weight I struggle). Like I literally ate an entire bag of Birdseye broccoli with rice and fish and was STARVING afterwards. When we go out to eat my friends gawk at how much I can put away (more than most of the men)

    It’s even more frustrating when stuff that is supposed to fill you up.. doesn’t.

    Anywho.

    I’ve started back on my weight loss to get under 130 before vacation. I’m at like 137 but hitting it pretty hard so I’m between 1000-1200 calories a day. I can’t attest to the healthiness of everything I do so it take it with a grain of salt. Keep in mind what works for me may not work for you.

    • Bananas are oddly filling, of all the 100 calorie snacks out there this one tops any of them for fill factor

    • Cereal and milk. Sometimes if I still feel hungry after a meal I eat Cinnamon Toast Crunch or peanut butter Cheerios (sooo healthy) but it works. Usually takes two small bowls but recently I’ve just ate cereal as a meal replacement.

    • Protein shakes combined with banana and berries. So delicious. Very filling. I usually make fairly large ones and do it as meal replacement

    • Water doesn’t fill me up either, but coffee and carbonated water does. I can feel ravenous and have a drink and feel much better. I drink coke zeros (again, not healthy) but I think there are naturally sweetened, low calorie options too? Like La Croix maybe?

    I don’t like the term boredom hunger but I do believe a lot of it is mental and over time you can start eating less and feeling fuller.

    I also eat very little during the day. Talking less than 400 calories. Then at night (5:30/6) I’ll eat more. This is probably the single thing that helps me the most because at night when I go to bed I feel full which is the most important time of day for me. I can deal with hunger throughout the day but I can’t go to bed hungry.
  • svel713
    svel713 Posts: 141 Member
    Try a high protein diet.

    Get dry TVP, rehydrate in water and spices, then fry at med-high heat. Add canola oil, fry at high heat until little bits are burnt. If you can't find it locally, Amazon has it. Brand name Hoosier Hill. While you're on Amazon, get some MSG for chicken flavor, or Totole Mushroom Bouillon for beef flavoring (both vegan flavorings). Dry TVP to oil ratio is 100g : 1oz for cooking.

    If you have a Walmart, look for Great Value Peanut Butter Powder. There are other brands, but this one is the cheapest per gram of protein. You get 426g per $9.98 container. Slowly add water unt it's a dry paste, then eat. Making it too watery makes it a bit bitter.

    Roasted soy nuts are also a great snack, if you can find them. They would likely be in a bulk aisle rather than packed as a brand name item.
  • TheHuff_
    TheHuff_ Posts: 39 Member
    PAV8888 wrote: »
    Ok, so you do realize that you've answered your own question as to why you're hungry all the time.

    Effectively it doesn't even have to do with heeling, other than as a tangent, but everything to do with the effective size of your deficit.
    which, based on your apparent rate of loss, may be too large in relation to your TDEE.

    Things to consider and to explore.

    *If you have swelling you have water retention and currently show a higher scale weight.

    *Weight level may best be determined using a combination of weight trend app, scale weight, and common sense (weight trend app and common sense help you not panic with scale results that are unexpected; and scale results and common sense are useful if the weight trend app is lagging, as it sometimes does, either on the way down or the way up)

    *1200 may be necessary for SOME ladies but it is not necessary for all. It is more likely to be necessary if you're shorter, lighter, and less active; much more unlikely to be necessary to see results if the above three conditions don't apply.

    Your results don't seem to indicate that you need to be applying such a large deficit to see results over time.

    Results over time such as a decreasing weight trend in the 0.5% - 1% of body weight per week range when looked at from a 4-6 week perspective are absolutely fabulous and effective... are you pushing for more? See my above about limiting deficit to 25% of total calories to minimize potential side effects.

    From another discussion today, @psychod787 pointed to a paper that compared 15% to 20% calories from protein during weight loss with 20% showing slightly better results.

    And yes, my neighbours are wonderful people who don't seem to be able to grasp that I am perfectly happy eating my yogurt with cereal and that for more than 40 years have managed to cook perfectly edible-ish food whenever I've wanted to!

    To protect the guilty I did not mention zat'aar pizza, backlava, or the unknown coconut, condensed milk, flour, oil? syrup drenched baked cake squares that have also arrived in the same time frame! We are down to delivering using disposable plates to discourage tit for tat exchanges! I am losing badly and cannot keep up! Only thing (barely) saving me is that I deliver for six while they are only trying to over feed one!!!

    Hey again! I don't know tbh. The whole TDEE thing is confusing me at the moment because it's coming up to around 1745 which is so low- in which case eating at 1200 doesn't feel like an extreme deficit? I calculated it at sedentary as I can't walk or do much until my ankle heals. Also I'm around 42% body fat so that lowered it too.

    I have swelling in my ankle so I suppose maybe I'm retaining some water but I've also lost more weight than I was supposed to so I don't really know to be honest. I'm scared that I'm losing a lot of muscle because I can't exercise much? I use Samsung Health and MyFitnessPal to track my weight usually. I'll deffo try to increase my protein, thanks for that.

    Haha bless you! Those treats sound lovely. I wish I had a relationship like that with my neighbours! You've inspired me to put more effort into cultivating it. Baklava is delicious but so easy to overeat haha. Which is why I try to resist it entirely.

    Thanks for the message!
  • TheHuff_
    TheHuff_ Posts: 39 Member
    edited December 2019
    paniologal wrote: »
    I have always had this problem, especially when I try to lose weight (I’ve fluctuated 15 pounds over the past 10ish years, but when I make myself lose weight I struggle). Like I literally ate an entire bag of Birdseye broccoli with rice and fish and was STARVING afterwards. When we go out to eat my friends gawk at how much I can put away (more than most of the men)

    It’s even more frustrating when stuff that is supposed to fill you up.. doesn’t.

    Anywho.

    I’ve started back on my weight loss to get under 130 before vacation. I’m at like 137 but hitting it pretty hard so I’m between 1000-1200 calories a day. I can’t attest to the healthiness of everything I do so it take it with a grain of salt. Keep in mind what works for me may not work for you.

    • Bananas are oddly filling, of all the 100 calorie snacks out there this one tops any of them for fill factor

    • Cereal and milk. Sometimes if I still feel hungry after a meal I eat Cinnamon Toast Crunch or peanut butter Cheerios (sooo healthy) but it works. Usually takes two small bowls but recently I’ve just ate cereal as a meal replacement.

    • Protein shakes combined with banana and berries. So delicious. Very filling. I usually make fairly large ones and do it as meal replacement

    • Water doesn’t fill me up either, but coffee and carbonated water does. I can feel ravenous and have a drink and feel much better. I drink coke zeros (again, not healthy) but I think there are naturally sweetened, low calorie options too? Like La Croix maybe?

    I don’t like the term boredom hunger but I do believe a lot of it is mental and over time you can start eating less and feeling fuller.

    I also eat very little during the day. Talking less than 400 calories. Then at night (5:30/6) I’ll eat more. This is probably the single thing that helps me the most because at night when I go to bed I feel full which is the most important time of day for me. I can deal with hunger throughout the day but I can’t go to bed hungry.

    Bless you! I can't even imagine eating that much broccoli in one sitting haha. And same here- I can honestly eat so much food in one sitting if I allowed myself to. 'Tis astonishing! Good luck with your weight loss

    I love bananas too. They're definitely more filling. I also like overcooked rice with vegetables mixed in as it is super fluffy so gives the illusion of a bigger portion haha.

    I like protein shakes but they never fill me up. My body just treats it like a normal drink. I must say though, the only drink that has ever filled me up is Mango Lasso which is made from mango pulp and yoghurt. That was VERY filling. And yes, I just realised yesterday that drinking herbal tea helps much more than water! Heck, even drinking hot water is better than cold water.

    I'm a night eater. I can't end the day on empty stomach. Idk how people do it.

    Thank you for the message!
  • TheHuff_
    TheHuff_ Posts: 39 Member
    svel713 wrote: »
    Try a high protein diet.

    Get dry TVP, rehydrate in water and spices, then fry at med-high heat. Add canola oil, fry at high heat until little bits are burnt. If you can't find it locally, Amazon has it. Brand name Hoosier Hill. While you're on Amazon, get some MSG for chicken flavor, or Totole Mushroom Bouillon for beef flavoring (both vegan flavorings). Dry TVP to oil ratio is 100g : 1oz for cooking.

    If you have a Walmart, look for Great Value Peanut Butter Powder. There are other brands, but this one is the cheapest per gram of protein. You get 426g per $9.98 container. Slowly add water unt it's a dry paste, then eat. Making it too watery makes it a bit bitter.

    Roasted soy nuts are also a great snack, if you can find them. They would likely be in a bulk aisle rather than packed as a brand name item.

    Very informative. Thanks so much for this. I live in the UK so I might have to find alternative products but I'll definitely look into these. Thank you! I love peanut butter so dry peanut butter sounds interesting. Thanks for the texture tip haha. Also I thought MSG was flavourless? I didn't realise it gave off a chicken flavour haha
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