Always hungry

Options
rita27ny
rita27ny Posts: 820 Member
in Food and Nutrition
Hi

I am trying to do a 1200 calorie diet. It's very tough. I am always hungry. How do you over come this?

I tried organic apple cider vinger. I'm hungry next 20 min. Drinking teas, chewing gum. I'm fine during the day but when night comes I'M HUNGRY!!
«1

Replies

  • SergeantSunshine_reused
    SergeantSunshine_reused Posts: 5,382 Member
    Options
    Try to save more of your calories for the night time :]
    Try snacking on celery and frozen cranberries. Instant appetite killer for me
  • rita27ny
    rita27ny Posts: 820 Member
    Options
    Try to save more of your calories for the night time :]
    Try snacking on celery and frozen cranberries. Instant appetite killer for me

    Hi Sushine thanks for the suggestion. Its very difficult for me to save some calories to eat at night too.

    This is too hard.
  • taso42
    taso42 Posts: 8,980 Member
    Options
    Perhaps 1200 is too few calories.
  • chevy88grl
    chevy88grl Posts: 3,937 Member
    Options
    If you're THAT hungry - your body is trying to tell you something. It is telling you that 1200 calories simply isn't enough for it to live on. Slowly up your calories. Your body will thank you.
  • rita27ny
    rita27ny Posts: 820 Member
    Options
    If you're THAT hungry - your body is trying to tell you something. It is telling you that 1200 calories simply isn't enough for it to live on. Slowly up your calories. Your body will thank you.

    I am not active during the day at all that's why I'm on 1200 calories.
  • kouzzzz
    kouzzzz Posts: 540 Member
    Options
    Eat more protein and get your EFA's, vitamins, minerals and at least 8 cups of water. Your body is looking for nutrients.
  • rita27ny
    rita27ny Posts: 820 Member
    Options
    Eat more protein and get your EFA's, vitamins, minerals and at least 8 cups of water. Your body is looking for nutrients.

    hi,

    what is efa's?
  • chevy88grl
    chevy88grl Posts: 3,937 Member
    Options
    If you're THAT hungry - your body is trying to tell you something. It is telling you that 1200 calories simply isn't enough for it to live on. Slowly up your calories. Your body will thank you.

    I am not active during the day at all that's why I'm on 1200 calories.

    It is still possible that 1200 calories simply isn't enough to give your body all the nutrients it needs to function properly.

    Do you know your BMR? How about your TDEE? If not, those are good places to start to get an idea if you're eating enough or not. I suspect that you aren't - even with a low activity level. Some people simply need more food.

    The body uses hunger as a signal to tell you it isn't receiving what it needs. Ignoring it isn't going to do your body or your weight loss journey any good.

    You've tried all the tricks people use to deal with hunger and they aren't helping. So, it is true hunger. Listen to your body.
  • kouzzzz
    kouzzzz Posts: 540 Member
    Options
    Eat more protein and get your EFA's, vitamins, minerals and at least 8 cups of water. Your body is looking for nutrients.

    hi,

    what is efa's?

    Essential Fatty Acids - Omega 3 and 6

    Flaxseed oil (flaxseed oil has the highest linolenic content of any food), flaxseeds, flaxseed meal, hempseed oil, hempseeds, walnuts, pumpkin seeds, Brazil nuts, sesame seeds, avocados, some dark leafy green vegetables (kale, spinach, purslane, mustard greens, collards, etc.), wheat germ oil, salmon, mackerel, sardines, anchovies, albacore tuna, and others.
  • carmencar11
    carmencar11 Posts: 19
    Options
    its better to eat a little more than less otherwise your body will go into starvation mode and store fat. Read Green for Life. I was like you. all day good, night could eat the kitchen clean. Now I never snack at night nor do I crave it or miss it. give it a read. It was a life changer for me. Good Luck
  • chrissyKar
    chrissyKar Posts: 98 Member
    Options
    what carmencar said ^^
    :smile:
  • ackeebee
    ackeebee Posts: 1,042 Member
    Options
    i had this problem too when i was on 1200 calories a day trying to lose 2lb a week. not to mention i was losing and gaining the same weight over and over so i wasnt heading anywhere. i am currently set on 1550 calories a day (to lose 1lb a week) and i am far more satisfied plus i am losing weight. as i do eat my exercise calories, on the days that i work out i end up eating closer to 2000 or more .
  • fionarama
    fionarama Posts: 788 Member
    Options
    I looked at your diary, as I am on 1200 calories and never particularly/uncontrollably hungry.

    are you trying to do a meal replacement type diet? Flag the diet drink and eat real food. You aren't eating breakfast! eat a good breakfast with wholegrain cereal and protein, try something like an egg on toast . Eat more wholegrains and cut the junk, you are eating a lot of empty calories which raise your blood sugar level quickly but then you get a corresponding drop which causes you to be hungry.
    1200 calories isn't a lot, so you need to be very careful with your choices and make sure you eat good healthy whole foods. You will lose weight more quickly and feel better as well. So a small handful of lean protein, a small handful of wholegrain carbs such as wholegrain pasta or brown rice, or sweet potato, and as much as you like green vegesi. Normally that will keep you in the calorie range but give you a good satisfying meal.
    feel free to look at my diary, its pretty simple and I never have a problem . oh, tip, boil up a whole heap of brown rice and keep it in the fridge in a plastic container, then you have the basis for a healthy lunch or dinner without having to wait for it to cook.
    Jamie Eason has good tips, I've just tried her carrot protein bars, and turkey muffins, they are really easy to make and satisfying, and you can cook them in the weekend and have some convenient food avail all week.
  • stephanie1187
    stephanie1187 Posts: 34
    Options
    before you started dieting did you snack at night alot? you may have to teach your brain to overcome the need for snacking at night. Dieting is alot of behavior/emotional/mental as well. If you are use to snacking at night prior to dieting, your brain might have learned this as a hobby.
  • Rilke
    Rilke Posts: 1,201 Member
    Options
    I am willing to bet you are suffering from multiple vitamin / nutrient deficiencies.

    Looking at the last week or so of your diary, almost all of your most highly calorific items are junk:

    chocolate truffles
    taco shells
    cookies
    chocolate milk
    crisco cooking oil
    pizza
    fritos
    spinach dip
    cheese roll (whatever that is)
    tortilla chips
    potato chips

    and . . . weight loss shakes.

    You need a diet overhaul or your body is going to keep demanding more food because it is not getting the nutrition it needs.

    I can't type any more right now because I'm running short on time. Be back later.
  • BobbyClerici
    BobbyClerici Posts: 813 Member
    Options
    I do 3000, and guess what?
    I deal with getting hungry as well...lol

    That's just part of the game, and there is no getting around it. We allowed ourselves to bloat up catering to our gluttony, so now I see this as the price I must pay, but guess what?

    It's worth it, and it's not as bad as it was early on. I am told it actually goes away! I've lost over 60 lbs, and I can recall going to bed miserable with hunger. No so today, but I still find myself craving, hungry and having to deny myself all day.

    Eating right helps, and as people have pointed out, your diet is in need of work. Just change some things and learn from those here who are doing so well.

    Thanks for bringing this up, and remember, you can do this!
  • boopsydaisy
    boopsydaisy Posts: 1
    Options
    Are you eating every two hours? If you are then your appetite should be controlled, also keep drinking that water between meals and snacks it will help curb the appetitie. Also make sure your eating within an hour of waking up. Also change your eating habits trade the frito's for whole wheat pita bread with hummus, cereal bars, granola bars, and remove all the junk food from your home and stock it with fresh and healthy foods. As Rilke states your food choices are not the right ones, they serve no value or have the ingredients to keep you feeling full and also get off the shakes they will do more harm then good.
  • dad106
    dad106 Posts: 4,868 Member
    Options
    I'd personally re-haul your diet.. it looks ok, but you need to get more fruits and veggies in there.. plus lean meats.

    I'm a big fan of organic valley chocolate milk too, but do you really need two cups at a time? No.. stick with one, and you'll be better off.
  • castadiva
    castadiva Posts: 2,016 Member
    Options
    Hi,

    I'm set on 1230, so not much more than you, and I find I'm rarely unbearably hungry. The key for me is eating protein with every meal, and basing most of the rest of my foods around wholegrains, fruits, vegetables, nuts etc. The protein keeps you feeling fuller longer, and the rest balances out your nutritional needs. I'm a bit of a sugar freak, so I usually have something sweet in my day, but as long as I keep it reasonable, and factor in some kind of exercise - usually walking - I almost always come in within my net goal. It doesn't have to be 'all or nothing', but you do need to make the sweet things and processed foods a minor part of an overall healthy diet.

    I notice others saying that you're skipping breakfast and using diet shakes as meal replacements. Neither of these things will be helping with the hunger you're experiencing - try evening out your intake through the day, and you'll almost certainly feel less hungry. The other thing I find helps is drinking carbonated water (no flavours added, just plain). For me, it fills up some of the 'empty' space and makes me feel fuller.

    Good luck!
  • Jen788134
    Jen788134 Posts: 36 Member
    Options
    Drink lots of water and do some walking during the day to give you some extra calories to consume. As soon as you get to your goal weight and change your settings to maintain, you'll be allowed more calories.. so it's not forever.

    Also, I found it's like giving up smoking.. the craving for food does start to go once you stop the habit of snacking. Try to keep busy during the evenings too, doing house work or getting out.
    Good luck

Categories