Always hungry!!!
yumi1
Posts: 26 Member
I am having a hard time sticking to my 1200 calorie goal! This is not my first rodeo. I have done this before, and lost 65lbs doing it. This time though, 4 years later, i am struggling to stick to the 1200 calorie limit. I go over about 100 to 200 over my calorie goal. I eat healthy when I do get hungry, I stopped sodas and fatty foods and just bad food altogether. So when I start getting hungry Im snacking on hummus and wheat crackers instead of going to mcdonalds. But why am I so hungry?!? I work out everyday! Its especially the evening time when i start to feel this way
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Replies
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How much weight do you have to lose? 1200 is the bottom floor for women, and generally only applies to women who are very short, sedentary, or are close to goal. Be sure you haven't chosen an overly aggressive weight loss goal (2 lbs/week is only for those with more than 75 lbs to lose). Eating healthy doesn't prevent a person from getting hungry. You need to find the particular foods (which for most people would include protein & healthy fats) that keep you satiated. But look at your calorie goal first, and be sure to log & eat back some of the calories burned from exercise.5
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If you are working out every day then you are spending more calories so it makes sense that you're hungrier! 100-200 kcal over your budget is not an issue as you are spending those calories for your workout, so overall you should still be within your budget. Do you log your workouts on MFP as well?1
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gentledreams wrote: »If you are working out every day then you are spending more calories so it makes sense that you're hungrier! 100-200 kcal over your budget is not an issue as you are spending those calories for your workout, so overall you should still be within your budget. Do you log your workouts on MFP as well?
Hello! Yes I log everything down0 -
How much weight do you have to lose? 1200 is the bottom floor for women, and generally only applies to women who are very short, sedentary, or are close to goal. Be sure you haven't chosen an overly aggressive weight loss goal (2 lbs/week is only for those with more than 75 lbs to lose). Eating healthy doesn't prevent a person from getting hungry. You need to find the particular foods (which for most people would include protein & healthy fats) that keep you satiated. But look at your calorie goal first, and be sure to log & eat back some of the calories burned from exercise.
Hello! My goal is to lose atleast 65lbs! I work at a desk job and since i started this journey again, I work out everyday. I started with half hour sessions and working my way up from there0 -
gentledreams wrote: »If you are working out every day then you are spending more calories so it makes sense that you're hungrier! 100-200 kcal over your budget is not an issue as you are spending those calories for your workout, so overall you should still be within your budget. Do you log your workouts on MFP as well?
Hello! Yes I log everything down
And do you eat back at least half those calories?1 -
I am also 5'2 so i am pretty short lol1
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Also, a sudden drop to 1200 after (likely) eating above maintenance for an extended time will make anyone feel hungry. Some prefer to drop their calories gradually.2
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Water. More water. Plain water, flavored water, bubbly water, hot water, cold water, fruit- or herbal tea-infused water. Log it to get 8 glasses at least each day and have a big serving when you have hunger pangs. The pangs may be signaling that you are getting dehydrated rather than that you are truly hungry.4
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I am having a hard time sticking to my 1200 calorie goal! This is not my first rodeo. I have done this before, and lost 65lbs doing it. This time though, 4 years later, i am struggling to stick to the 1200 calorie limit. I go over about 100 to 200 over my calorie goal. I eat healthy when I do get hungry, I stopped sodas and fatty foods and just bad food altogether. So when I start getting hungry Im snacking on hummus and wheat crackers instead of going to mcdonalds. But why am I so hungry?!? I work out everyday! Its especially the evening time when i start to feel this way
I would simply go for a slower rate of loss...going 200 calories more per day might be the entire difference between being miserable and being comfortable.
ALSO>>>The biggest "newbie mistake" I see again and again on the boards is going for the 1,200 bare minimum. That's really only a good choice for an inactive, petite, probably elderly woman. For a healthy, young, active woman, that's likely TOO LITTLE. Just trust me, while it seems like a quick way to get results time after time we see the situation NOT get results.
And...you can always adjust downwards if things are going well.
Don't try to compare your body or your results from 4 years ago. Aging is a thing, even in your 20s. Your life situation may also be different than 4 years ago, or whatever. Try to stay in the here and now!
Be careful in getting into a black/white "I'm eating healthy foods" mentality. Healthy doesn't mean that a food doesn't have calories, and I know crackers and hummus can be over-eaten just as much as brownies.
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Thank you!0
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I'm betting you chose a weight loss target of 2 lbs a week. Change that to 1 lb a week, and eat at least half of the calories you earn from exercise.7
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Eat back the calories you're expending! You're probably earning at least an additional 200 calories a day because of your exercise, so eat what MyFitnessPal says to eat. You may well be within your allotted calories that way. You'll still lose weight. And definitely slow down!! I lost much of my weight at 1200 a day which was a BIG MISTAKE. Even though I added weight listing exercise, I lost muscle tone and my hair started falling out. And I was eating lots of vegetables and protein and carbs... it wasn't bad nutrition, it was losing weight too fast. Best of luck to you!!2
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You know the drill...drink more water:))0
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I just wanted to point out that I suspect the "disagrees" on the posts that mention pushing water are not because drinking more water is a bad thing, but because it suggests the idea of "pushing through" what may be a legitimate need for more calories. No need to white-knuckle it. Stay hydrated, sure, but also make sure your goals are reasonable.
If I'm wrong, I apologize for the misrepresentation. "Disagree" is always more helpful when accompanied by an explanation.
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I am also short and doing 1200 per day. It hasn’t been too hard, but I’m definitely a bit hungry. I’ve done this before and it takes me a week or two to adjust. On the plus side it is making me more creative to find filling ways to stay in this calorie range so I’m definitely eating better. And I eat my exercise calories earned and drink a ton of water- really helping!2
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The difference between me being comfortable with my change in diet and being hungry and miserable is about 250 calories a day. 1200, I'm miserable. 1450, I'm okay as long as I don't stay up so long that I run out of dinner before I go to bed. (grin)
If I don't drink about a half a gallon a day I'm miserable. I always have a water glass at hand filled with either black tea or flavored water, and that's in addition to the large mug of hot tea that I have of a morning.5 -
I just wanted to point out that I suspect the "disagrees" on the posts that mention pushing water are not because drinking more water is a bad thing, but because it suggests the idea of "pushing through" what may be a legitimate need for more calories. No need to white-knuckle it. Stay hydrated, sure, but also make sure your goals are reasonable.
If I'm wrong, I apologize for the misrepresentation. "Disagree" is always more helpful when accompanied by an explanation.
Yes, thank you Try2,
I did not mean to imply that water should be used to substitute for legitimately needed calories. I don't at all believe in "white-knuckling" it to meet too-restrictive calorie or exercise goals -- at least, that has never worked well for me. I thought it might be helpful to pass on the hydration reminder because it is something I tend to forget, to my own detriment. Thanks again for clarifying my original point.1 -
I did drink alot more water than usual yesterday and I did not seem as hungry as usual. I also had a fiber filled breakfast andnI believe that helped as well.1
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OP, don’t discount everyone’s good ideas about reevaluating your calorie target, which is too low for most people.4
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Maybe your not hungry maybe it's cravings. And I don't mean craving a specific food I just mean craving the need to eat in general. I swear im addicted to eating. I love the act if eating food and it makes me feel good. I try to keep busy to keep my mind off eating cuz I tend to eat when I'm bored. I mostly eat little amounts all day long instead of big meals 3 times a day.0
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IF you set your goal to lose 2 pounds per week, and
IF MFP told you to eat 1200 calories per day, and
IF it works perfectly for you when you do, and
IF you eat 1450 calories all one week with no intentional exercise,
You should lose 1.5 pounds that week.
So why not set your calories to 1400 calories per day and try to exercise an average of 200 calories a day. That will allow you to eat a more comfortable amount while still losing 2 pounds a week.
Also, hummus and crackers is healthy, but protein might help keep you full better. Just a thought. You decide.4 -
Ditto on the notes about perhaps increasing your calorie target since 1200 is quite low. You're not really leaving yourself anywhere to go as you lose weight, too. What I mean by this is that MFP will slowly lower your calorie target as you drop pounds in order to keep up with the same rate of loss (though as you get close to goal you should change your MFP to reduce the rate of loss further).
What I would suggest at any calorie target when you find yourself very hungry is to take a look at your macros. I know I feel hungry when I don't get the right balance of protein, carbs, and fat, regardless of how many calories I eat.4 -
Hello Yumi, I agree more protein, Hard boiled eggs are great and fast, I love my eggs and beef sticks with a string cheese or an apple with peanut butter fill me big time. just a few suggestion.
good luck..
also I would change out the crakers for veggies in the hummus 3 -
For what it’s worth, I tend to be a lot less hungry eating protein than with the same number of calories in carbs0
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