Help! The more I exercise the hungrier I get!

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  • tangosheryl
    tangosheryl Posts: 1
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    Tell yourself that it's the time that you are hungry when you are losing the weight. So when you feel hungry, think, now is the time I'm lsing the weight. Eat lots of protein too!
  • psuLemon
    psuLemon Posts: 38,411 MFP Moderator
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    If you are hungry, it's your bodies mechanism of saying feed me. And ElExGordo has it right, food is fuel so if you burn more, you need to eat more.
  • tabarrett0261
    tabarrett0261 Posts: 77 Member
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    Well I think I will start planning my days better so I'm more prepared for the hungry times, like after work and before I get to the Y. I can also portion out some snacks, like almonds, and put in little single servings. I might have to dig out my weight watchers recipes and start cooking more but on 1 day of the week and freezing everything for the rest of the week. All good ideas! Thanks everyone! (except the "suck it up" dude!) :laugh:
  • psuLemon
    psuLemon Posts: 38,411 MFP Moderator
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    Are you eating back your exercise calories?
  • tabarrett0261
    tabarrett0261 Posts: 77 Member
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    yes, my problem is that I over eat on the days I get extra hungry. Usually the next day after a workout. I will work out that day too. I think I just need to plan better. maybe better choices and leave alone all the little extras at work!
  • Nos150
    Nos150 Posts: 150
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    Eat before you get to the point of eating anything in site. this does take a little planing and some listening to your body.

    if you know that you are busy during the day or are going to be away then take a snack with you.

    make your meals closer together (but no different in size/amount)

    one thing that i have found is having left overs in the fridge/freezer helps. that way if you are hungry but dont feel like making 'good' food there is no reason not to eat the 'healthy' left overs.

    if you are 'hungry' but its not time to eat yet, drink some water.
  • trigin2
    trigin2 Posts: 1
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    high energy, low calorie snacks some options:
    2T peanut butter with an apple
    12 almonds
    Bowl of soup (not the creamy kind) or bouillon cube
    Celery sticks with hummus
  • sheshe32
    sheshe32 Posts: 195 Member
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    I find it also I get hungrier. I add more protien into my diet and its helping. Also I find funny enough, apples help too (and of couse water) Good luck. You dont have to suck it up. Find something that works, eat back some cals, you will get there. You are doing so well!
  • ILiftHeavyAcrylics
    ILiftHeavyAcrylics Posts: 27,732 Member
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    Lots of good suggestions (and some bad ones) here, so I'll just add: pick one thing to change at a time. It's easier to change your lifestyle permanently (at least for me) if I take just one thing and work on that until it's habit, then move on to the next thing. Eventually it will add up to a lot of progress. I would also say eat something calorie dense (nuts, protein) as soon as you start to feel hungry and just eat a small portion. Then give yourself 20 minutes or so before you eat anything else because it can take a bit to feel full. Also you can try a hot beverage like tea when you are just craving something (not actually hungry).
  • BobbyClerici
    BobbyClerici Posts: 813 Member
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    Hunger is part of dieting. Suck it up.
    It's simple but hard.
    I struggled for weeks before it got easy. My cravings would drive me mad.
    You must work through that pain.

    How bad do you want it?
  • Twins2007
    Twins2007 Posts: 236 Member
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    Hunger is part of dieting. Suck it up.

    THIS is exactly WHY some people give up...Because of such useless advice...

    If you are hungry, look at what you are eating and try to make better choices as far as filling foods...

    10 pounds in 3 weeks is great and GREAT JOB on the working out :)

    E
  • BobbyClerici
    BobbyClerici Posts: 813 Member
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    Hunger is part of dieting. Suck it up.

    THIS is exactly WHY some people give up...Because of such useless advice...

    If you are hungry, look at what you are eating and try to make better choices as far as filling foods...

    10 pounds in 3 weeks is great and GREAT JOB on the working out :)

    E
    No, people give up, because they are weak.
    We all need to take ownership of our health and stop sniveling about the pain or making endless excuses.

    It's going to be hard. You are going to be hungry - period!
    You must work through it and stay motivated and strong.

    If I fail this, I die fat.
    The good news is that the hunger cravings diminish in time. I would not wish what I went through on any of you, but it made me even more determined. I lost 65 lbs this way, so I know.

    Losing weight is simple - yes, very simple but also very hard.
  • LJGmom
    LJGmom Posts: 249 Member
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    Hunger is part of dieting. Suck it up.

    I'm actually never hungry. It's about filling up with the right food. I always make sure I save calories for a good snack at night. That helps me not over eat during the day. I need something to look forward to. One thing that helps me is low calorie bread. I love toast and sandwiches. Sara lee whole grain light bread is only 45 calories a slice. You can do it! Don't give up!
  • Pebble321
    Pebble321 Posts: 6,554 Member
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    I dont agree that you have to be hungry all the time, to me it means that you either aren't eating enough, or you aren't making good food choices.

    Have a look at your diary on the days when you feel really hungry - see if you can notice a pattern (for example, I find that I get hungrier if I don't have good breakfast, then I'm more tempted to snack later in they day. I also get hungry if I have a high calorie, low nutrition lunch, a bit of extra protein does seem to fill me up). And there are times during the month when I'm more hungry too, now I know to expect that, I plan my meals and snacks accordingly.

    And remember, that if you are exercising then you can eat more, as long as you stick to your recommended net calorie goal you will almost certainly lose weight.
  • Just_Dot
    Just_Dot Posts: 2,289 Member
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    You might also have your daily calories set too low. When I first started here, I had my cals set at the standard 1200 per day and I was miserable. I adjusted my calories to 1460 (so with exercise, I was eating between 1700-2000 cals per day) and I didn't feel like I was going to chew off my arm, but I lost weight as well.
  • Twins2007
    Twins2007 Posts: 236 Member
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    Hunger is part of dieting. Suck it up.

    THIS is exactly WHY some people give up...Because of such useless advice...

    If you are hungry, look at what you are eating and try to make better choices as far as filling foods...

    10 pounds in 3 weeks is great and GREAT JOB on the working out :)

    E
    No, people give up, because they are weak.
    We all need to take ownership of our health and stop sniveling about the pain or making endless excuses.

    It's going to be hard. You are going to be hungry - period!
    You must work through it and stay motivated and strong.

    If I fail this, I die fat.
    The good news is that the hunger cravings diminish in time. I would not wish what I went through on any of you, but it made me even more determined. I lost 65 lbs this way, so I know.

    Losing weight is simple - yes, very simple but also very hard.

    DISAGREE, DISAGREE, DISAGREE...

    Being hungry has NOTHING to do with being weak and has NOTHING to with wanting to die fat.
    Great work on your 65 lbs loss..And happy what YOU are doing is working for YOU but everybody is different and one is HUNGRY (Which is NOT craving, just so you know!) then something in your body is telling you to...eat.

    Losing weight is actually easy...keeping it OFF is the hard part...Unless of course you think 95% of all dieters (which I suspect is a lot of people on MFP) gain all their weight back...PLUS.

    Do you know what the best predictor of weight gain is? Having lost and gained from a diet...

    Lots of research out there...
  • anaranjo39
    anaranjo39 Posts: 8
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    my suggestion, added to the ton of good and some "iffy" advice: hang in there. The weight will come off and you will see a big difference in your clothes. Stressing over your goal will also cause you to over eat so don't stress. I find that a small apple followed by a glass of water before I eat really helps curve the appetite. Also, be aware of when you feel extra hungry, our monthly cycles also play tricks on our eating behavior. Rememer, if you fail, get up and get back on the horse. Good luck!!
  • TXchris
    TXchris Posts: 54 Member
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    Everyone is different, but I exercise EVERY day because it works for me. I like to eat more food than my calorie budget would allow if I did not. Initially I felt hungrier and got the munchies every time I had a hard workout because I was not eating enough throughout the day before I worked out. Now, I know in advance about how many calories my evening workout will burn and go ahead and eat a little extra through the day so my body is fueled up and ready to go before I work out. If I wait until after I exercise and try to catch up, I am absolutely miserable and predisposed to overeating.

    Two specific foods that I have found particularly helpful in curbing hunger are Laughing Cow Light Mini Baybel cheese (50 calories per piece) and long grain brown rice (108 calories for a half cup). Brown rice takes quite a while to cook properly, so I cook what I need for the week on the weekend. I have some days that I burn up 700 calories in exercise. I try to have the brown rice at lunch on those days and a piece of cheese right before I work out. They seem to stick with me and I am not miserable afterwards.

    Another thing I've found is that some days I just have the munchies. It isn't hunger so much as just wanting to eat. I have found that pomegranate is great for me those days. It takes FOREVER to eat an entire pomegranate. I can pick on it all day long if I'm having one of those days and it keeps me away from sweets.

    I ate none of these foods before but have found that they are healthy foods that I actually enjoy. You may find different foods that work for you, but the bottom line is it may be helpful to explore new options. Really look at the nutrition profile of foods and plug them in where your body needs them (slow burning whole grains in the hours before a work out, very low calorie foods that you can munch on in quantity when you just need to chew, etc.). It is amazing how much it helps.

    Good luck and keep up the hard work! You are doing great!
  • leoS8190
    leoS8190 Posts: 36 Member
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    Here is my opinion! When you are eating, especially since you are cooking for yourself, USE A SMALLER PLATE!! They say these stories ALL the time! You will trick your brain into thinking you have more food on your plate if you have a smaller plate that is full! And obviously, you will have less food! You should have LOTS of colors!! I think its 75% of your plate should be colors? Don't quote me on that because i'm not positive!

    When I have salads, I don't use dressing. What I use instead is the seasoning called Perfect Pinch Salad Supreme Seasoning, by McCormick. I love it! Don't put to much on because it is a little salty, but it makes the salad SOO GOOD without dressing!! I also like to put it on celery too.

    I know you mentioned drinking water. Im very very bad when it comes to drinking water! For some reason, I just cant drink as much water as I need! I could go all day without drinking any water. Its horrible. So I have been using the Raspberry Lemonade Crystal Lights. Very Good!:)

    Hmm, I cant think of anything else! I know one lady said to eat your calories you burn when you exercise, but I try not to! EX: I burned 968 calories today, and I think I only ate about 200 of those. Whatever works for you! But I understand about the calorie count! I am having a hard time with that too! I biked 14 miles today and added DOUBLE my allowed calories!! I was shocked!

    Good Luck!!:)
  • tabarrett0261
    tabarrett0261 Posts: 77 Member
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    Well today is a new day and I'm feeling very positive. I packed enough food for the entire day and also brought something for after work before I go to the Y. I have my snacks as well and I already filled up my water cup. After reading all the replies I feel I have a lot of support and that really helps my attitude. I'm going to try to increase my fiber and protein and see if that helps me through the tough times. Usually after 2pm is when I start getting weak so my plans are to save some healthy snacks for the afternoon. I have a banana and apple and I'm going out to buy a small package of raw almonds. at around 6:30pm I'm going to have some multigrain bread and cheese. That should help me out this afternoon.

    Have a great day everyone!

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