Why do I feel empty?

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No matter how much I eat. no matter how much water I drink I just always feel like I am starving!😭

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  • 88olds
    88olds Posts: 4,467 Member
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    How much protein and dietary fat are you getting? Even with sufficient protein, if I go too far into no/low fat food land I feel hungry and cranky no matter how much other stuff I eat.
  • steveko89
    steveko89 Posts: 2,216 Member
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    Beyond the questions that 88olds asked, what do you have your calorie targets set to?

    Theoretically, I should be able to maintain up to a 875 cal/day deficit (requisite to lose 1% of body weight per week, the max suggested loss rate). However, if I stay at around half that I barely notice any hunger but beyond that and it's all I think about.
  • ketoqueen714
    ketoqueen714 Posts: 4 Member
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    Try keto.....
  • littlebabekitty
    littlebabekitty Posts: 385 Member
    edited April 2021
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    Include mono saturated fat with each meal. Like avocado, nuts, olive oil or dark chocolate
  • Mangoperson88
    Mangoperson88 Posts: 339 Member
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    AnnPT77 wrote: »
    I see that your diary is open, which is helpful.

    A lot of your foods have names I don't recognize (I'm guessing we live in different countries 😉), but as far as I can tell, you're eating quite a few good, basic foods (vegetables, fruits, grains), not lots of "highly processed" foods (which aren't IMO evil, but can be less filling for some people). That's good.

    Your protein and fat levels tend to run a bit below your target, though not hugely so, so it might be useful to try to increase those, maybe balance out with a bit less of the sweet things, rice or breads (. . . which I also don't think are evil, but again can be less filling for some, if the context is potentially good but slightly sub-ideal nutrition).

    This part is very individual, but I did notice that you often have breakfasts with relatively little protein. For me, that tends to result in my appetite being higher later in the day. If I get plenty of protein at breakfast, my whole day goes better. As a generality, it can be useful to experiment with eating timing and composition, in search of better satiation.

    Without knowing your current size (height/weight) age, and activity level, it's hard to evaluate your calorie goal. How fast have you been losing weight, or how fast are you *trying* to lose weight? It looks like you're shooting for 1500-1600-ish calories, and looks like you're eating back at least some of your exercise calories (which don't appear to be estimated crazy high). That ought to be OK for quite a range of women, but reasonableness really does depend on current characteristics. "Too fast" loss, or "too low" calories are different for an obese person vs. a relatively slim one with 10 pounds to lose, or for a bricklayer vs. an office worker.

    The last thing I'd mention is that I scrolled back in your diary a bit, and it looks like you may've started logging around the end of March, really only a few days ago. Is that when you started trying to lose weight, or had you been working at it longer, even before MFP?

    It's kind of normal for the first couple of weeks to a month of reduced calories to be more challenging, while the body adjusts to new habits. On top of that, for women who still have monthly cycles, there can be particular parts of the month where they feel extra-hungry for hormonal reasons. If starting a diet falls when the hormonal thing is happening, that can make it especially difficult. But those effects - the starting adjustment, and the hormonal blip - are temporary. The hormonal effect could repeat monthly for a day or few, but if you can stick with it, you'll be able to see that pattern, and plan for it. (Some women even eat more calories, up to maintenance level, on those days.)

    On the flip side, if you've been dieting for a long time pre-MFP, some people find they periodically need a break, eating to maintain weight for a couple of weeks, in order to reset hunger/appetite hormones.

    Could be lots going on, hard to say without more info . . . bodies are weird! 😉

    Hi Ann yes I'm from India that's why you don't recognise some of the foods I eat but let me assure you I'm eating clean and sufficient but vegetarian sources of protein. I even started supplementing my diet with protein powder but I think it's not adding up besides that I eat dal everyday almost twice a day. I rejoined MFP after almost two years I was here in 2015 when I hit 90 kgs. I lost 10 kgs in a year but then I plateaued really hard and lost patience but I still continues with eating clean food and working out.
  • Mangoperson88
    Mangoperson88 Posts: 339 Member
    edited April 2021
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    Btw I live with my parents and my dad's a diabetic who was put on a high protein diet by a doctor last year Feb 2020 and my dad lost 20 kgs in a year following that diet!!!! I wasn't eating like I just started couple of months ago eating like that. It's just that no matter how much I exercise and control my food intake my scale doesn't budge 😢

    P. S I eat gluten free roti (indian bread) with gravy. I just eat rice too much🤤
  • AnnPT77
    AnnPT77 Posts: 32,178 Member
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    AnnPT77 wrote: »
    I see that your diary is open, which is helpful.

    A lot of your foods have names I don't recognize (I'm guessing we live in different countries 😉), but as far as I can tell, you're eating quite a few good, basic foods (vegetables, fruits, grains), not lots of "highly processed" foods (which aren't IMO evil, but can be less filling for some people). That's good.

    Your protein and fat levels tend to run a bit below your target, though not hugely so, so it might be useful to try to increase those, maybe balance out with a bit less of the sweet things, rice or breads (. . . which I also don't think are evil, but again can be less filling for some, if the context is potentially good but slightly sub-ideal nutrition).

    This part is very individual, but I did notice that you often have breakfasts with relatively little protein. For me, that tends to result in my appetite being higher later in the day. If I get plenty of protein at breakfast, my whole day goes better. As a generality, it can be useful to experiment with eating timing and composition, in search of better satiation.

    Without knowing your current size (height/weight) age, and activity level, it's hard to evaluate your calorie goal. How fast have you been losing weight, or how fast are you *trying* to lose weight? It looks like you're shooting for 1500-1600-ish calories, and looks like you're eating back at least some of your exercise calories (which don't appear to be estimated crazy high). That ought to be OK for quite a range of women, but reasonableness really does depend on current characteristics. "Too fast" loss, or "too low" calories are different for an obese person vs. a relatively slim one with 10 pounds to lose, or for a bricklayer vs. an office worker.

    The last thing I'd mention is that I scrolled back in your diary a bit, and it looks like you may've started logging around the end of March, really only a few days ago. Is that when you started trying to lose weight, or had you been working at it longer, even before MFP?

    It's kind of normal for the first couple of weeks to a month of reduced calories to be more challenging, while the body adjusts to new habits. On top of that, for women who still have monthly cycles, there can be particular parts of the month where they feel extra-hungry for hormonal reasons. If starting a diet falls when the hormonal thing is happening, that can make it especially difficult. But those effects - the starting adjustment, and the hormonal blip - are temporary. The hormonal effect could repeat monthly for a day or few, but if you can stick with it, you'll be able to see that pattern, and plan for it. (Some women even eat more calories, up to maintenance level, on those days.)

    On the flip side, if you've been dieting for a long time pre-MFP, some people find they periodically need a break, eating to maintain weight for a couple of weeks, in order to reset hunger/appetite hormones.

    Could be lots going on, hard to say without more info . . . bodies are weird! 😉

    Hi Ann yes I'm from India that's why you don't recognise some of the foods I eat but let me assure you I'm eating clean and sufficient but vegetarian sources of protein. I even started supplementing my diet with protein powder but I think it's not adding up besides that I eat dal everyday almost twice a day. I rejoined MFP after almost two years I was here in 2015 when I hit 90 kgs. I lost 10 kgs in a year but then I plateaued really hard and lost patience but I still continues with eating clean food and working out.

    Personally, I would want more protein (and fat) than you're averaging. (I'm also vegetarian BTW.) I shoot for 100g protein minimum daily, and 50g minimum fat (preferring MUFA/PUFA fats when I have a choice). My goals were a little lower than that when I was losing weight, with fewer calories to work with, but protein was still routinely 80s-90s grams, and fat close to 50. (I never use protein powder: It's not that I think there's anything wrong with it, it can be a great help for some, but I simply don't find it tasty or satisfying so I don't eat it. Same for protein bars, most fake meats - just not my preference, but can be helpful.)

    What you're getting is not extremely low: It's usually in the realm that US nutrition authorities would recommend for average women to avoid malnutrition. I just prefer to get more, and find it filling. What's filling is very individual, though.

    Good nutrition is useful, and figuring out what to eat to feel full is very important.

    You may still be in the "habits transition" phase, where hunger/appetite is more of a problem. If it doesn't subside within 2-3 more weeks at this intake, another option you could consider is to figure your maintenance calories for your current weight, eat that for a week or two, then knock off a hundred calories daily, eat that for a week, knock off another hundred . . . see if you can find an intake that creates some weight loss (not necessarily fast) but that is more manageable from a hunger standpoint.

    I'd underline that you could also experiment with changing which things you eat when, to see if hunger improves. We're all different, but some of your breakfasts would create an all-day problem, for me, because of the low protein profile.

    I'm sorry, but those are about the only ideas I have for you. I hope you find something that works!
  • chocolate_owl
    chocolate_owl Posts: 1,695 Member
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    Looking at your diary you've only been tracking for nine days. If that's the amount of time you've been trying to hit this particular calorie number, you might just have to tough out the hunger for another week or two and let your body adjust. I'm usually pretty uncomfortable the first two weeks of a calorie cut, and then I get used to it. If you're still starving a month in, play around with increasing protein and fiber. I'd recommend tracking fiber instead of sugar since your sugar consumption seems pretty low.
  • Mangoperson88
    Mangoperson88 Posts: 339 Member
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    AnnPT77 wrote: »
    AnnPT77 wrote: »
    I see that your diary is open, which is helpful.

    A lot of your foods have names I don't recognize (I'm guessing we live in different countries 😉), but as far as I can tell, you're eating quite a few good, basic foods (vegetables, fruits, grains), not lots of "highly processed" foods (which aren't IMO evil, but can be less filling for some people). That's good.

    Your protein and fat levels tend to run a bit below your target, though not hugely so, so it might be useful to try to increase those, maybe balance out with a bit less of the sweet things, rice or breads (. . . which I also don't think are evil, but again can be less filling for some, if the context is potentially good but slightly sub-ideal nutrition).

    This part is very individual, but I did notice that you often have breakfasts with relatively little protein. For me, that tends to result in my appetite being higher later in the day. If I get plenty of protein at breakfast, my whole day goes better. As a generality, it can be useful to experiment with eating timing and composition, in search of better satiation.

    Without knowing your current size (height/weight) age, and activity level, it's hard to evaluate your calorie goal. How fast have you been losing weight, or how fast are you *trying* to lose weight? It looks like you're shooting for 1500-1600-ish calories, and looks like you're eating back at least some of your exercise calories (which don't appear to be estimated crazy high). That ought to be OK for quite a range of women, but reasonableness really does depend on current characteristics. "Too fast" loss, or "too low" calories are different for an obese person vs. a relatively slim one with 10 pounds to lose, or for a bricklayer vs. an office worker.

    The last thing I'd mention is that I scrolled back in your diary a bit, and it looks like you may've started logging around the end of March, really only a few days ago. Is that when you started trying to lose weight, or had you been working at it longer, even before MFP?

    It's kind of normal for the first couple of weeks to a month of reduced calories to be more challenging, while the body adjusts to new habits. On top of that, for women who still have monthly cycles, there can be particular parts of the month where they feel extra-hungry for hormonal reasons. If starting a diet falls when the hormonal thing is happening, that can make it especially difficult. But those effects - the starting adjustment, and the hormonal blip - are temporary. The hormonal effect could repeat monthly for a day or few, but if you can stick with it, you'll be able to see that pattern, and plan for it. (Some women even eat more calories, up to maintenance level, on those days.)

    On the flip side, if you've been dieting for a long time pre-MFP, some people find they periodically need a break, eating to maintain weight for a couple of weeks, in order to reset hunger/appetite hormones.

    Could be lots going on, hard to say without more info . . . bodies are weird! 😉

    Hi Ann yes I'm from India that's why you don't recognise some of the foods I eat but let me assure you I'm eating clean and sufficient but vegetarian sources of protein. I even started supplementing my diet with protein powder but I think it's not adding up besides that I eat dal everyday almost twice a day. I rejoined MFP after almost two years I was here in 2015 when I hit 90 kgs. I lost 10 kgs in a year but then I plateaued really hard and lost patience but I still continues with eating clean food and working out.

    Personally, I would want more protein (and fat) than you're averaging. (I'm also vegetarian BTW.) I shoot for 100g protein minimum daily, and 50g minimum fat (preferring MUFA/PUFA fats when I have a choice). My goals were a little lower than that when I was losing weight, with fewer calories to work with, but protein was still routinely 80s-90s grams, and fat close to 50. (I never use protein powder: It's not that I think there's anything wrong with it, it can be a great help for some, but I simply don't find it tasty or satisfying so I don't eat it. Same for protein bars, most fake meats - just not my preference, but can be helpful.)

    What you're getting is not extremely low: It's usually in the realm that US nutrition authorities would recommend for average women to avoid malnutrition. I just prefer to get more, and find it filling. What's filling is very individual, though.

    Good nutrition is useful, and figuring out what to eat to feel full is very important.

    You may still be in the "habits transition" phase, where hunger/appetite is more of a problem. If it doesn't subside within 2-3 more weeks at this intake, another option you could consider is to figure your maintenance calories for your current weight, eat that for a week or two, then knock off a hundred calories daily, eat that for a week, knock off another hundred . . . see if you can find an intake that creates some weight loss (not necessarily fast) but that is more manageable from a hunger standpoint.

    I'd underline that you could also experiment with changing which things you eat when, to see if hunger improves. We're all different, but some of your breakfasts would create an all-day problem, for me, because of the low protein profile.

    I'm sorry, but those are about the only ideas I have for you. I hope you find something that works!

    I would appreciate it if you could share how are you hitting 100 GM's of protein because that's only so much dal and beans I can eat lol😛 even I don't like the taste of protein powder but I had no other option. My breakfast which you're stressing on is high protein- I eat boiled sprouts and pancakes made of gram and moon dal flour.
    The hunger/appetite problem has been going for a long time and my mom's like oh it's psychological you're not hungry it's just your mind is fooling you coz you overeat😢 is it advisable to have more than 2 scoops of protein powder a day?? And also yesterday out of desperation I drank 3 -4 glasses of water as I was slightly hungry after snacking on fox nuts in the evening so I had almost 16 glasses of water but I could hold on till dinner. Is that ok?
  • Mangoperson88
    Mangoperson88 Posts: 339 Member
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    Looking at your diary you've only been tracking for nine days. If that's the amount of time you've been trying to hit this particular calorie number, you might just have to tough out the hunger for another week or two and let your body adjust. I'm usually pretty uncomfortable the first two weeks of a calorie cut, and then I get used to it. If you're still starving a month in, play around with increasing protein and fiber. I'd recommend tracking fiber instead of sugar since your sugar consumption seems pretty low.

    Yes, I just started tracking after a long time( I quit coz I got obsessed with it) but I was still eating clean without results. I am concentrating on getting more protein coz apparently acc to MFP I am just not getting enough.
  • AnnPT77
    AnnPT77 Posts: 32,178 Member
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    AnnPT77 wrote: »
    AnnPT77 wrote: »
    I see that your diary is open, which is helpful.

    A lot of your foods have names I don't recognize (I'm guessing we live in different countries 😉), but as far as I can tell, you're eating quite a few good, basic foods (vegetables, fruits, grains), not lots of "highly processed" foods (which aren't IMO evil, but can be less filling for some people). That's good.

    Your protein and fat levels tend to run a bit below your target, though not hugely so, so it might be useful to try to increase those, maybe balance out with a bit less of the sweet things, rice or breads (. . . which I also don't think are evil, but again can be less filling for some, if the context is potentially good but slightly sub-ideal nutrition).

    This part is very individual, but I did notice that you often have breakfasts with relatively little protein. For me, that tends to result in my appetite being higher later in the day. If I get plenty of protein at breakfast, my whole day goes better. As a generality, it can be useful to experiment with eating timing and composition, in search of better satiation.

    Without knowing your current size (height/weight) age, and activity level, it's hard to evaluate your calorie goal. How fast have you been losing weight, or how fast are you *trying* to lose weight? It looks like you're shooting for 1500-1600-ish calories, and looks like you're eating back at least some of your exercise calories (which don't appear to be estimated crazy high). That ought to be OK for quite a range of women, but reasonableness really does depend on current characteristics. "Too fast" loss, or "too low" calories are different for an obese person vs. a relatively slim one with 10 pounds to lose, or for a bricklayer vs. an office worker.

    The last thing I'd mention is that I scrolled back in your diary a bit, and it looks like you may've started logging around the end of March, really only a few days ago. Is that when you started trying to lose weight, or had you been working at it longer, even before MFP?

    It's kind of normal for the first couple of weeks to a month of reduced calories to be more challenging, while the body adjusts to new habits. On top of that, for women who still have monthly cycles, there can be particular parts of the month where they feel extra-hungry for hormonal reasons. If starting a diet falls when the hormonal thing is happening, that can make it especially difficult. But those effects - the starting adjustment, and the hormonal blip - are temporary. The hormonal effect could repeat monthly for a day or few, but if you can stick with it, you'll be able to see that pattern, and plan for it. (Some women even eat more calories, up to maintenance level, on those days.)

    On the flip side, if you've been dieting for a long time pre-MFP, some people find they periodically need a break, eating to maintain weight for a couple of weeks, in order to reset hunger/appetite hormones.

    Could be lots going on, hard to say without more info . . . bodies are weird! 😉

    Hi Ann yes I'm from India that's why you don't recognise some of the foods I eat but let me assure you I'm eating clean and sufficient but vegetarian sources of protein. I even started supplementing my diet with protein powder but I think it's not adding up besides that I eat dal everyday almost twice a day. I rejoined MFP after almost two years I was here in 2015 when I hit 90 kgs. I lost 10 kgs in a year but then I plateaued really hard and lost patience but I still continues with eating clean food and working out.

    Personally, I would want more protein (and fat) than you're averaging. (I'm also vegetarian BTW.) I shoot for 100g protein minimum daily, and 50g minimum fat (preferring MUFA/PUFA fats when I have a choice). My goals were a little lower than that when I was losing weight, with fewer calories to work with, but protein was still routinely 80s-90s grams, and fat close to 50. (I never use protein powder: It's not that I think there's anything wrong with it, it can be a great help for some, but I simply don't find it tasty or satisfying so I don't eat it. Same for protein bars, most fake meats - just not my preference, but can be helpful.)

    What you're getting is not extremely low: It's usually in the realm that US nutrition authorities would recommend for average women to avoid malnutrition. I just prefer to get more, and find it filling. What's filling is very individual, though.

    Good nutrition is useful, and figuring out what to eat to feel full is very important.

    You may still be in the "habits transition" phase, where hunger/appetite is more of a problem. If it doesn't subside within 2-3 more weeks at this intake, another option you could consider is to figure your maintenance calories for your current weight, eat that for a week or two, then knock off a hundred calories daily, eat that for a week, knock off another hundred . . . see if you can find an intake that creates some weight loss (not necessarily fast) but that is more manageable from a hunger standpoint.

    I'd underline that you could also experiment with changing which things you eat when, to see if hunger improves. We're all different, but some of your breakfasts would create an all-day problem, for me, because of the low protein profile.

    I'm sorry, but those are about the only ideas I have for you. I hope you find something that works!

    I would appreciate it if you could share how are you hitting 100 GM's of protein because that's only so much dal and beans I can eat lol😛 even I don't like the taste of protein powder but I had no other option. My breakfast which you're stressing on is high protein- I eat boiled sprouts and pancakes made of gram and moon dal flour.
    The hunger/appetite problem has been going for a long time and my mom's like oh it's psychological you're not hungry it's just your mind is fooling you coz you overeat😢 is it advisable to have more than 2 scoops of protein powder a day?? And also yesterday out of desperation I drank 3 -4 glasses of water as I was slightly hungry after snacking on fox nuts in the evening so I had almost 16 glasses of water but I could hold on till dinner. Is that ok?

    I don't know that it would be helpful to say what I eat, because I do use products that may not be available where you are. Some of the protein sources I use frequently are:

    * plain nonfat Greek yogurt
    * cottage cheese
    * nonfat milk
    * tofu in various forms (firm, soft, smoked, noodles . . . )
    * chickpea, red lentil and edamame pasta and chickpea "rice" (really orzo-shaped pasta)
    * calorie/protein efficient cheeses
    * tempeh
    * beans, peas, legumes generally
    * seeds (hemp, flax, pumpkin - not as calorie efficient, but have other nutrition benefits besides protein)
    * higher-protein veggies in preference to lower-protein ones
    * technically, I do eat eggs, but not often enough for them to be a major protein source. I'm doubting that you eat those at all, though?

    I don't eat much seitan (wheat gluten), but that can also be a good source.

    If you want to see exactly what I eat, you can send me a friend request: My diary is open to MFP friends. (But I'm not very active on the MFP friend side of things, more of a Community forum gal. I do answer questions that MFP friends might send me via PM or put on my profile page.) It still might not be all that helpful, because I'm now in maintenance, with a much higher calorie goal (2000+ a lot of days), and the old data from when I lost weight (2015-16) isn't there anymore.

    This thread is helpful for identifying protein sources:

    http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10247171/carbs-and-fats-are-cheap-heres-a-guide-to-getting-your-proteins-worth-fiber-also

    It links to a big spreadsheet that lists many, many foods in order by protein efficiency, most protein for fewest calories. As a vegetarian, you'll need to scroll past the mostly meaty/fishy stuff near the top of that list, but you'll find dairy and plant sources further down.

    You can increase protein by reviewing your diary, looking for foods that bring relatively many calories, not much protein, and that are relatively less important to you for other nutritional or happiness reasons. Reduce or eliminate those, replace with other foods you enjoy that have more protein. Keep doing that, gradually remodeling what you eat, until you get the overall nutrition where you want it. But, like I said, I don't think your nutrition is terrible. Feeling full (satiation) seems to be the key problem.

    Water: It can be dangerous to drink a huge amount all at once, because it can cause problems with electrolyte balance. How much is too much? It's situational. 16 big glasses in a short time *could* be pushing the envelope, though. Healthy kidneys can handle around a liter per hour, reportedly. You can Google "water poisoning" or "water intoxication". Consuming extra electrolytes could help, but probably avoiding water overconsumption is a good idea.
  • Mangoperson88
    Mangoperson88 Posts: 339 Member
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    I didn't drink 16 glasses in one go. Sorry if I wasn't clear it was spread throughout the day. I had 3 glasses of water in one go though. The protein sources you mentioned, I get all of it here except the chickpeas rice- never heard of it . Thanks for linking the thread I shall definitely check it out 👍👍
  • queanmum
    queanmum Posts: 28 Member
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    I'm vegetarian, too. We call it a Vegan Mostly diet. Popcorn is my secret hunger weapon. I weigh about 28 grams of popcorn and put it in a brown paper lunch bag. I fold the top down 2 or 3 folds. Press the "popcorn button" twice on the microwave ( about 1 min 45 sec) This gives you about 2 cups of popcorn. I use potassium chloride (Nu Salt) and "I Can't Believe It's Not Butter Spray" to help it stick. Or maybe there is a low calorie microwave popcorn. We have something called "100 Calorie Pop" which I can't use because I'm on a salt restricted diet. I hope you find your secret hunger weapon,too.