how hungry should i feel?

nibbynoo
nibbynoo Posts: 250 Member
edited November 11 in Health and Weight Loss
how hungry should I be feeling on 1290 cals a day?
I have a slightly weak, light headed hunger all day but i don't mind it, no pain no gain, lets me know its working but is this bad??

I am having a lot less sugar and caffeine where I've replaced about 5 cappuccino's, with 2 sugars each a day with black coffee/ black tea and sweetener. Also used to eat a ridiculous amount of carbs at dinner time and I've cut it right back and filled it out with veggies, could this be it?

anyone else feeling similar (and even liking it?)

Replies

  • asyouseefit
    asyouseefit Posts: 1,265 Member
    You're not supposed to feel hungry at all (except maybe 30 minutes before mealtime)
  • missikay1970
    missikay1970 Posts: 588 Member
    That seems like too few calories in myopinion. I have lost 32 lbs since august and i have to say, about 99.9% of the time, i dont get hungry at all.
  • seekingstrengthX2
    seekingstrengthX2 Posts: 771
    You should NOT feel "slightly weak and light headed" all day. If this is the case, you are not eating properly. I am almost never hungry and I am on 1200 calories/day. Sometimes a slight rumble in my tummy right before bed, but that's it. Look at WHAT you are eating. If someone eats1290 calories of junk food they will be starving. If you eat 1290 calories of good, healthy, high fiber and high protein food, you should feel comfortable at all times.
  • sausagelegs
    sausagelegs Posts: 9 Member
    BAD Carbs/ sugars etc are ADDICTIVE meaning when you so suddenly remove them from diet you are bound to crave and feel the emptiness of what these foods once gave you - give it a couple of weeks and you'll be fine make sure you are correctly logging everything you are eating im 5'3 weigh 60kg and never eat over 1,200 calories a day if you are eating 1,200 - your body doesnt NEED more calories than this!
  • sammanchester
    sammanchester Posts: 32 Member
    BAD Carbs/ sugars etc are ADDICTIVE meaning when you so suddenly remove them from diet you are bound to crave and feel the emptiness of what these foods once gave you - give it a couple of weeks and you'll be fine make sure you are correctly logging everything you are eating im 5'3 weigh 60kg and never eat over 1,200 calories a day if you are eating 1,200 - your body doesnt NEED more calories than this!

    I totally agree with this ^^^^^^. I'm terrible for carbs/sugar and caffiene...once I pop, I don't stop. When I really stick to a clean diet I always feel crappy for the first week or so. Once you're body gets over the caffeine and sugar withdrawal, you'll feel great, I promise.

    One option could be to eat a slightly higher calorie intake for a while, but make it a cleaner one i.e. less processed sugar/processed carbs and caffeine, but still eat moe complex carbs than you would if you were aiming for weight loss. Gradually reduce the amount as your body gets used to it. I used to cut down my caffeine slowly too, I'd get terrible headaches from the withdrawal....but it's soooo worth it when you do so good luck :)
  • Fit_Forever25
    Fit_Forever25 Posts: 313 Member
    Well, you should not feel hungry at all no matter what!
    I am on a 1210 calorie goal everyday but I eat a lot through out the day whenever I feel hungry in little portions and only healthy stuff and workout regularly and keep my intake not more than 1400-1500 a day.

    I tell you what .. I used to do a lot of dieting earlier and things like killing my hunger and reduced sugar to 0 but my body became so weak after that I used to pass out in trains and even while walking without any reason and my blood sugar level got very low and I used to feel fatigue every now and then..

    Forcing yourself to be hungry is madness this will only weaken your body no matter what. Try to choose a low calorie food but give your body what it needs!
    Feeling hungry is right thing but craving for junk or sweets is bad. Stay away from craving but do eat when you are hungry.
  • Dave198lbs
    Dave198lbs Posts: 8,810 Member
    You're not supposed to feel hungry at all (except maybe 30 minutes before mealtime)

    nonsense
  • Dave198lbs
    Dave198lbs Posts: 8,810 Member
    Well, you should not feel hungry at all no matter what!
    .

    more nonsense
  • HisMissus
    HisMissus Posts: 119 Member
    It may be your body getting used to a different eating plan. When I cut out caffeine from my diet, I had really bad headaches for a week or so. They say that sometimes what we think are hunger pangs is actually due to thirst, try drinking hot water with a slice of lemon, a friend swears by this for making her feel full.

    If you feel hungry, it's probably your body telling you that you need to eat. I usually have a piece of fruit if I feel hungry and it isn't near a meal time.
  • nibbynoo
    nibbynoo Posts: 250 Member
    thanks guys, just to clarify I'm not ready to pass out or anything- its only very slight.
    I actually eat every 2 hours, even if its only a piece of fruit or a rice cake. drinking A LOT more water where i used to just drink coffee throughout the day.
    swapped things like the chunky bread roll i would have with my soup for rice cakes, a chocolate bar for fruit in jelly, sugar on my porridge is not fruit.

    surely if your not hungry than its not working?! i've never been a person that would binge on pizza or ice cream (well i used to but not for years) its portions that were my problem and extras like cheese and cappuccinos etc.
  • sammanchester
    sammanchester Posts: 32 Member
    Are you getting enough protein? I find that this has a MASSIVE impact on my hunger levels. If I have even just one scrambled egg for breaky I'm not normally hungry for ages.
  • nibbynoo
    nibbynoo Posts: 250 Member
    i've got my protein set to recommended amount and its 48. i usually go over to be honest, by the end of today i would have had 68

    porridge for breakfast, soup for lunch, turkey and veg curry with quinoa for dinner and fruit/rice cake snacks in between.

    is this an okay level of protein? i thought it was carbs that kept you feeling full?
  • darbyhn
    darbyhn Posts: 1
    I think it is also a transition. Before I started or as I started, I was eating 2000 or more calories a day. It's tough to go from 2000 to 1300. It takes a little time for the body to adjust.

    If you are hungry you should eat. What you eat is the difference between healthy and not.
  • LorinaLynn
    LorinaLynn Posts: 13,247 Member
    Eat more. Remember the goal here is to find a way of eating you can stay with long term. This isn't temporary.

    It's better to lose a half pound a week for a year than to try to lose two pounds a week and quit after a couple months because you feel weak and hungry.

    The default amount of protein on here is quite low... only 15% of your total calories. I aim for about 100g a day.
  • nibbynoo
    nibbynoo Posts: 250 Member
    lots of people set their recommendations to 40% carbs, 30% protein is that a better goal?
  • therealangd
    therealangd Posts: 1,861 Member
    I just took a look at your diary. It looks good. You are doing fine. The first week or so is a little "hard" getting used to.

    You have not been logging any exercise. If you are not doing any, that's ok, but if you are doing it, and not logging it, and not eating back those calories, that would be why you are feeling light headed.
  • kooldill
    kooldill Posts: 21 Member
    try drinking a lot more water at least 8 cups a day 13427445.png
    Created by MyFitnessPal.com - Free Weight Loss Tools
  • SeasideOasis
    SeasideOasis Posts: 1,057 Member
    is this an okay level of protein? i thought it was carbs that kept you feeling full?

    Carbs almost give the body a fake sense of "fullness". This is not the medical terminology by any means. Its the sugar in many carbs that make you feel a certain way.

    Protein and Fiber are what make you feel full longer and over are more substantial. Honestly, I think MFP is WAY too low on the amount of protein AND fiber people (especially women with the Fiber) should be getting. Typically, if you are working out a lot - You have i gram of protein for every pound you weigh. My doctor stated women should be getting 24 grams a fiber.

    I'm sure someone will argue with me on the Protein, but a PhD told me about the fiber needs.
  • vim_n_vigor
    vim_n_vigor Posts: 4,089 Member
    A few things- you drastically changed your diet all at one time. You are going to feel off for a few days, maybe even a week or so while your body adjusts.
    1290 calories is pretty low for most people. Play around with the calories and see what works for you.
    If you eat a lot of processed foods, you usually get less 'bulk' or 'volume' of food compared to foods that you prepare yourself from whole sources - you are less likely to add all the sugar that is used by the food companies. More volume of food and you will feel more satisfied.
  • xcrushx28
    xcrushx28 Posts: 182 Member
    If your dieting your going to feel "hungry" ....

    Nobody has brought this up but you drink A LOT of coffee and tea. All of that can flush important nutrients out of the body. Personally I would taper your drinking in half and make sure you are taking a good multi-vitamin.
  • nibbynoo
    nibbynoo Posts: 250 Member
    hi, not exercising at present more than stairs instead of lift etc, I know I should be but I am waiting till pay day to start a gym membership and wanted to get the hang of the eating before ploughing in.
  • badb33st
    badb33st Posts: 4 Member
    Eating little and often may help to level out the hunger every two hours if my own goal, it helps prevent blood sugar highs and crashing lows, with steady insulin response. this will help your body shed excess fat as its getting a steady supply of nutrients.
    Jerry
  • thechubner
    thechubner Posts: 94 Member
    If you're feeling unbearable hunger and weakness between meals I would maybe eat less at shorter intervals. Like instead of eating 3 meals 4 - 6 hours apart eat 5 or 6 meals 3 to 4 hours apart. Still consume the same amount of calories, just break it down into smaller portions. Also - it's a good idea to make sure you're getting a good blance of good carbs and lean protiens in each meal. Eating more protien (without over doing it) will help you feel fuller / more satisfied for longer. Also, if it's merely hunger sometimes drinking more water helps. Good Luck :)
  • JerseyGirl081
    JerseyGirl081 Posts: 98 Member
    You shouldn't feel hungry at all. The trick is to eat often enough that you never feel hungry. Make sure you're getting the proper amounts of carbs because that is your bodies energy source. If you're not getting enough you can definitely get bouts of weakness and light headedness.
  • BrendaLee
    BrendaLee Posts: 4,463 Member
    I think your calorie intake is fine, but if you're constantly hungry, up it a bit and see how you feel.
  • SuffolkSally
    SuffolkSally Posts: 964 Member
    I agree that more protein and more fibre than MFP suggest is a good way to go. High protein (within reasonable limits of course) does prevent hunger in my experience, and most people don't get enough fibre. I've a family history of bowel cancer and have had medical advice about my diet. I've personalised my target intakes on MFP. I think a lot of what you're experiencing could be caffeine withdrawal. I gave up my black coffee habit cold turkey some years ago and felt rotten for many weeks - headaches, nausea, and faintness; and I wasn't dieting at the time! I've no idea whether weaning off caffeine slowly is a better idea - has anyone else done it? Anyway, sound to me like you're doing well, and I do think that if you're used to feeling very full of carbs and change your diet radically you're bound to feel rather empty!
  • HopeytheHopester
    HopeytheHopester Posts: 122 Member
    My daily goal is 1200, and I get along just fine with it. I would start slow and eat half of what you normally ate and everyday from then you take something off. That way your body is adjusting to the transition over a period of time. I'm sure you'd feel much better after that. Trust me on this one. Dieting is hard when you 1st start, but you just have to gradually change yourself over a long period of time to get to were you want to be. I had to and I'm doing a great job. If I can, you can, anybody can! I hope you finish your weight loss journey swiftly and quickly. Good Luck! :flowers:
  • MJ7910
    MJ7910 Posts: 1,280 Member
    i think you need to eat more. you are trying to lose 60 lbs so you probably shoudl try to start at 1400 calories. that would give you a little more to work with and you'd still lose weight. sometimes when peopel go as low as 1200-1300 calories they can also cause damage to their metabolism. i am rarely hungry when i really pay attention to my body.
  • palmerig88
    palmerig88 Posts: 623 Member
    hi, not exercising at present more than stairs instead of lift etc, I know I should be but I am waiting till pay day to start a gym membership and wanted to get the hang of the eating before ploughing in.

    I got used to the eating for 3 weeks before I started exercise. I agree with you, that worked for me. I actually want to do the exercise. Looking forward to it for the first time in my life. Add me if you want! :) Good luck girl
  • pandasand
    pandasand Posts: 133 Member
    Try upping your protein (like 1g/pound of body weight) and fiber. And it takes a week or two to get used to a drastic change in diet.
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