Helo! Advice please!!

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knurse1987
knurse1987 Posts: 93 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
So, my problem is that I am feeling constantly hungry...and it is true hunger...I dont understand. It seems to have started just within the last week or two. I feel like I have been eating decently. I am on a 1300 calorie diet. I was doing ok on it before. I also drink 18-22 cups of water a day. So I get plenty of that. And I try to make sure I have plenty of protein. I just dont understand why I have been so hungry all the time. I am not sure if I need to increase my calories or what? I am scared that if I do then I will start gaining weight. But I cannot stand being hungry like this all the time...my diary is open...Days like today I have a late lunch so I eat more snacks throughout the day. I am a nurse on a busy floor so sometimes it is hard to get well balanced meals in. And I always bring my lunch to work. And I know I eat precessed foods like Smart ones, but I drink so much water during the day that I am not worried about the sodium so much...Any advice is welcome...anything to get rid of my hunger feelings...

Replies

  • knurse1987
    knurse1987 Posts: 93 Member
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    bump
  • ItsLessOfMe
    ItsLessOfMe Posts: 374 Member
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    Well what helped me is TONS of fiber. 100 grams or more of protien per day. No processed foods and omega 3 fatty oils. As far as increasing your calories it really depends on your activity level. Hope that helps
  • forest0spirit555
    forest0spirit555 Posts: 164 Member
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    hey friend <3
    well i would suggest eating maybe 100+ calories (1400 a day) I have had to do this twice now and possibly a third time too if I cant find my own balance soon. So I am no doctor, but I have an idea of two things that could be causing this. 1) you could have raised your metabolism by exercising more often and therefore can handle eating more on a daily basis 2) more likely, you have lost weight (fat) and because of this you are beginning to have a higher overall percentage of muscle, which could increase even more if you are doing muscle building/toning. Now when your body has more muscle mass it requires more energy to function, even at rest. This is because muscles need more calories for "fuel". Because of this you are feeling the legitmate hunger. Now I wouldn't ignore it or try to avoid it I would increase by 100 calories and see how this works for you, or you can become a little bit more lax and eat back exercise calories as your hunger needs demonstrate. It all depends on what works for you. But just don't be afraid to eat when hungry and make healthy choices.

    Hope I helped! good luck.
  • beck733
    beck733 Posts: 8 Member
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    I am no expert, but 1300 cals day is super low well unless you are 3 ft tall or sit around all day doing Nothing. You said you are nurse. I am guessing you are on your feet all day. You are probably not eating enough and ya know your body will not want to let go of body fat because it will think that is starving all the time.
  • mygrl4meee
    mygrl4meee Posts: 943 Member
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    I agree that if your on your feet and moving all day then you are burning calories and need to eat more.
  • LaurasClimb
    LaurasClimb Posts: 211 Member
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    So, my problem is that I am feeling constantly hungry...and it is true hunger...I dont understand. It seems to have started just within the last week or two. I feel like I have been eating decently. I am on a 1300 calorie diet. I was doing ok on it before. I also drink 18-22 cups of water a day. So I get plenty of that. And I try to make sure I have plenty of protein. I just dont understand why I have been so hungry all the time. I am not sure if I need to increase my calories or what? I am scared that if I do then I will start gaining weight. But I cannot stand being hungry like this all the time...my diary is open...Days like today I have a late lunch so I eat more snacks throughout the day. I am a nurse on a busy floor so sometimes it is hard to get well balanced meals in. And I always bring my lunch to work. And I know I eat precessed foods like Smart ones, but I drink so much water during the day that I am not worried about the sodium so much...Any advice is welcome...anything to get rid of my hunger feelings...
    It sounds like you have a stressful job, could that be part of it? Could it be stress?
  • Pebble321
    Pebble321 Posts: 6,554 Member
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    I agree, 1300 cals is probably too low for the amount of energy you are expending every day just living and doing your job.
    I'd suggest that you go back to your goals - try setting them up to lose 1 pound a week and put your activity level as active and see what MFP suggests. And don't forget that you can eat the calories you burn from extra exercise (going to the gym etc) as well and you still have a calorie deficit to allow you to lose weight.

    I also wonder about the amount of water you are drinking - when you start taking in excess amounts (and that's almost 3 times the general recommendation of 8 glasses a day) you can start causing issues with your electrolyte balance. It's not that I think that
    "8 cups a day" is a magic number, but those kind of numbers are usually around for a reason as a good baseline for most people.
    Unless you've got a medical need to drink this much, I'd suggest cutting back a little and see how you feel.
  • KellyLin62
    KellyLin62 Posts: 21
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    Maybe eat more foods that fill you up....and maybe you are tired? I think you should listen to your body if you are truly hungry eat WHOLE unprocessed foods that your body will use! Obviously your doing the right things drinking H2O, exercising....so LISTEN to YOU! Eat! maybe it's just a phase...journal your thoughts as well....may be this will help!!
  • Captain_Tightpants
    Captain_Tightpants Posts: 2,215 Member
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    Looks like all of your snacks are in the form of some processed refined carb food - look at how many times the word "chocolate" or the word "bar" appears in your diary.

    All those refined snacks can cause a craving response. Basically they activate the pleasure centers of your brain with a taste of sweetness that isn't real or satisfying and prime you to just want more. That's horrible broscience but it's the best way I can explain it without going into crazy research mode to pull up studies.

    If you want to look further into the craving effect of processed and refined carbs a gentle and interesting place to start is "The End of Overeating" by David Kessler (http://www.amazon.com/End-Overeating-Insatiable-American-Appetite/dp/1605297852)

    Try replacing some of those snacks with pieces of fruit, hard boiled eggs, nuts etc. and you might well see your hunger drop.

    And seconded on the fiber - put a couple of teaspoons of benefiber in your water and you'll feel fuller all day.

    You may also be right that you may need to up your cals. I suggest you read
    http://body-improvements.com/resources/eat/
    and check that your deficit is not a lot more than 500-750 cals below your TDEE.

    Hope that helps!
  • angisnee
    angisnee Posts: 236 Member
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    Since you are a nurse, it's likely that your total daily energy expenditure (TDEE) is pretty high compared to more sedentary people on MFP. So, 1300 calories is likely not enough (and your deficit is too high). And it looks like you only have 4 more pounds until you reach your goal weight, so your deficit should be smaller. (Congrats on your loss so far!!!) I would suggest going through the MFP guided goal setting again using an activity level of active and only have 1 or 1/2 pound/week goal. That should give you plenty of calories. Good luck! :smile:

    ETA: I must be slow! A lot of people suggested upping your cals before I typed my response, and obviously, I definitely agree!
  • forest0spirit555
    forest0spirit555 Posts: 164 Member
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    Looks like all of your snacks are in the form of some processed refined carb food - look at how many times the word "chocolate" or the word "bar" appears in your diary.

    All those refined snacks can cause a craving response. Basically they activate the pleasure centers of your brain with a taste of sweetness that isn't real or satisfying and prime you to just want more. That's horrible broscience but it's the best way I can explain it without going into crazy research mode to pull up studies.

    If you want to look further into the craving effect of processed and refined carbs a gentle and interesting place to start is "The End of Overeating" by David Kessler (http://www.amazon.com/End-Overeating-Insatiable-American-Appetite/dp/1605297852)

    Try replacing some of those snacks with pieces of fruit, hard boiled eggs, nuts etc. and you might well see your hunger drop.

    And seconded on the fiber - put a couple of teaspoons of benefiber in your water and you'll feel fuller all day.

    You may also be right that you may need to up your cals. I suggest you read
    http://body-improvements.com/resources/eat/
    and check that your deficit is not a lot more than 500-750 cals below your TDEE.

    Hope that helps!

    This is actually pretty accurate. I try to have the majority of my day be protein because protein is better fuel for your body. try to get over 100 grams of protein a day. its very helpful!
  • IvoryParchment
    IvoryParchment Posts: 651 Member
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    I get hungry when I'm close to the weight my body really wants to maintain. If you think your weight is still too high, try eating maintenance calories a little while, then trying to lose again. Plateau isn't a bad thing if it's under your control.
  • lisa28115
    lisa28115 Posts: 17,271 Member
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    up your calories a bit
    i am on an 1800 calorie diet

    add strength training it helps

    start with push ups and squats and body weight only:bigsmile:

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