Eating more= getting more hungry???

aotto87
aotto87 Posts: 50 Member
I think I have seen this posted before...but I could not find it anywhere....

Some history....I have upped my calories to 1750 for the past 3 weeks or so....I am usually extremely close to this number everyday....When I first upped them, I felt so stuffed taking in that amount everyday, and it was a struggle to try to take in enough and keep my macros in line, but I did have a TON of energy!

....Now, I am super hungry almost right after I eat, but I am taking alot of protein and my macros are almost always right on the money...I always try to eat back most of my exercise calories and I drink plenty of water...

I have not been doing anything different...it just started happening...

..Is my body just getting used to this and speeding up my metabolism?? Do I need to up them again (I do have plenty of room to increase...my TDEE is around 2300 and BMR is around 1700) My energy level has also dropped since this started happening...I just want to make sure I am fueling my body properly

Sorry if this has been asked before...any advice is appreciated...

Replies

  • gemiwing
    gemiwing Posts: 1,525 Member
    I would bump up again to where you are between 20 and 15% off your TDEE (1950 ish). It's perfectly normal to feel hunger again and yes- it's your body ramping up production as it were :)

    The energy spike does level off after a few days once your body realizes you're going to be feeding it this well from here on out. Then your general level settles out- you start sweating more, growing hair again, sleeping better- instead of the super-fast jittery energy of the first week or so.

    Hope this helps :)
  • k0nfyo0zed
    k0nfyo0zed Posts: 313 Member
    It happened to me too. The first couple of days I was SO STUFFED then the next couple of days after that I couldn't seem to stay full... but today is day 12, and everything has settled down for me again. I get hungry when I'm supposed to, and I don't feel hungry when I'm full. It's probably just your metabolism kicking into high gear with all the new fuel you're giving it. After the super hungry days, I'm just HOT all the time. I'm hoping that settles down soon! :)

    Though, with your TDEE at 2300 (and a 15% cut around 1950), you could easily add 200-300 more calories to your day if you're still hungry. :)
  • ANewLucia
    ANewLucia Posts: 2,081 Member
    I think I have seen this posted before...but I could not find it anywhere....

    Some history....I have upped my calories to 1750 for the past 3 weeks or so....I am usually extremely close to this number everyday....When I first upped them, I felt so stuffed taking in that amount everyday, and it was a struggle to try to take in enough and keep my macros in line, but I did have a TON of energy!

    ....Now, I am super hungry almost right after I eat, but I am taking alot of protein and my macros are almost always right on the money...I always try to eat back most of my exercise calories and I drink plenty of water...

    I have not been doing anything different...it just started happening...

    ..Is my body just getting used to this and speeding up my metabolism?? Do I need to up them again (I do have plenty of room to increase...my TDEE is around 2300 and BMR is around 1700) My energy level has also dropped since this started happening...I just want to make sure I am fueling my body properly

    Sorry if this has been asked before...any advice is appreciated...

    Oh my, yes, you absolutely need more fuel...think about it you are eating about your BMR which is what is needed to stay in bed all day long... Eat 1950 at least every day...and eat back some exercise cals when you burn over 200. Matter of fact if you are still hungry on workout days, net your cut value...I do that a lot of the time now because I am hungry.

    Make sure to get in 1gr of protein per pound of body weight...
  • twinmomtwice4
    twinmomtwice4 Posts: 1,069 Member

    Make sure to get in 1gr of protein per pound of body weight...

    Are you talking goal weight or current weight?
  • rebekahgo
    rebekahgo Posts: 235 Member
    i wasn't stuffed the first couple of days...not at all. i was just satisfied. now, i could eat a horse and the horse in the stall next to it and possibly the whole barn. i'm eating when i'm hungry and just making sure i don't eat empty calories (or at least not too many anyway). and, yes, i am absolutely eating my protein. must eat lunch now...even though i just ate a mid-morning snack.
  • ANewLucia
    ANewLucia Posts: 2,081 Member

    Make sure to get in 1gr of protein per pound of body weight...

    Are you talking goal weight or current weight?

    Current weight...so it goes down as you lose.
  • Snapplejac
    Snapplejac Posts: 65 Member
    For the first week of eating more, I really struggled to eat more, by the end of the second week I was really hungry all the time!

    Sadly I've been on holiday for a week where I've literally had a (healthy!) breakfast and lunch and then nothing but liquids and odd bits of fruit and snacks. (Just couldnt' face an evening meal when we were getting back to the apartment so late) I've come home to find that I'm feeling sick a lot when I try to eat and have actually been a bit sick too. Nice. Feel like I've gone back quite a few steps. Starting NROLW next week so I need to step up with the cals asap =/
  • twinmomtwice4
    twinmomtwice4 Posts: 1,069 Member

    Make sure to get in 1gr of protein per pound of body weight...

    Are you talking goal weight or current weight?

    Current weight...so it goes down as you lose.

    With my macros being set at 30% protein, based on my TDEE minus deficit, it says I'm supposed to eat 128 grams of protein. I usually go over that though or I at least eat that much. So I should eat more protein, even though it'll go over the 30%?
  • geetabean
    geetabean Posts: 76
    This is totally me too! When I first upped my calories I was having to force myself to eat.....feeling full all the time. Now I feel hungry all the time! My BMR is 1826 and I have been netting at around 1900-1930ish and I eat back my exercise calories. I think the body needs to adapt to us actually feeding it the way we are supposed to, and once it figures out that this is the new norm, it speeds up the metabolism which makes us hungry more often at the new higher calories. I'm debating upping my calories again, but I'll do that slowly. Isn't it amazing how the body works?
  • ANewLucia
    ANewLucia Posts: 2,081 Member

    Make sure to get in 1gr of protein per pound of body weight...

    Are you talking goal weight or current weight?

    Current weight...so it goes down as you lose.

    With my macros being set at 30% protein, based on my TDEE minus deficit, it says I'm supposed to eat 128 grams of protein. I usually go over that though or I at least eat that much. So I should eat more protein, even though it'll go over the 30%?

    Yes be over in the protein dept...I changed my macros to 35/35/30...not telling you to because most I have read says 40/30/30 is a good combo, BUT, I am trying something...a little lower on the carb, the 35 prot gets me that 1gr per lb and then I have 2 refeed days with increased carbs...long story, that I will share at some point...lol.

    But either way, yes you need to get in 1gr per lb
  • ANewLucia
    ANewLucia Posts: 2,081 Member
    This is totally me too! When I first upped my calories I was having to force myself to eat.....feeling full all the time. Now I feel hungry all the time! My BMR is 1826 and I have been netting at around 1900-1930ish and I eat back my exercise calories. I think the body needs to adapt to us actually feeding it the way we are supposed to, and once it figures out that this is the new norm, it speeds up the metabolism which makes us hungry more often at the new higher calories. I'm debating upping my calories again, but I'll do that slowly. Isn't it amazing how the body works?

    Maybe try eating your tdee -15% daily and then only eat back exercise cals when you fall below NET of BMR...it is all numbers that avgs out in the long run...this way you get a constant amount of food, that is a bit higher...you have a high BMR to only eat 1900 a day...

    My bmr is 1454 or something close and I eat 1900 everyday and only start eating back if I workout over 450cals...I couldn't imagine just eating BMR on non-workout days. You are probably hungry because BMR is for just bodily functions if you were laying in the bed all day long not moving...well the second you get out of bed and start moving you are burning more calories....
  • geetabean
    geetabean Posts: 76
    This is totally me too! When I first upped my calories I was having to force myself to eat.....feeling full all the time. Now I feel hungry all the time! My BMR is 1826 and I have been netting at around 1900-1930ish and I eat back my exercise calories. I think the body needs to adapt to us actually feeding it the way we are supposed to, and once it figures out that this is the new norm, it speeds up the metabolism which makes us hungry more often at the new higher calories. I'm debating upping my calories again, but I'll do that slowly. Isn't it amazing how the body works?

    Maybe try eating your tdee -15% daily and then only eat back exercise cals when you fall below NET of BMR...it is all numbers that avgs out in the long run...this way you get a constant amount of food, that is a bit higher...you have a high BMR to only eat 1900 a day...

    My bmr is 1454 or something close and I eat 1900 everyday and only start eating back if I workout over 450cals...I couldn't imagine just eating BMR on non-workout days. You are probably hungry because BMR is for just bodily functions if you were laying in the bed all day long not moving...well the second you get out of bed and start moving you are burning more calories....

    My TDEE minus 15% is 2396!! That seems like an insane amount of food! :o) I actually have an appointment with a certified dietician in a little over a week and I will have metabolic testing.....I want to know MY actual numbers instead of relying on internet calculators. I think upping my calories is a good idea.

    Here's a question.....I've recently reduced the amount of cardio that I have been doing and now do 30 minutes of cardio and 30 or so minutes of weight lifting. I was just burning too many calories with the amount of cardio I used to do. BUT, I'm still burning between 700-900 calories on my current exercise schedule (I wear a heart monitor so I know that number is more or less correct) If I eat at my TDEE minus 15% and then eat back my exercise calories to get me back up to BMR, wouldn't that be the same as eating at my BMR and then eating ALL of my exercise calories to keep me at BMR.

    All of this stuff is a wee bit confusing.
  • twinmomtwice4
    twinmomtwice4 Posts: 1,069 Member

    Make sure to get in 1gr of protein per pound of body weight...

    Are you talking goal weight or current weight?

    Current weight...so it goes down as you lose.

    With my macros being set at 30% protein, based on my TDEE minus deficit, it says I'm supposed to eat 128 grams of protein. I usually go over that though or I at least eat that much. So I should eat more protein, even though it'll go over the 30%?

    Yes be over in the protein dept...I changed my macros to 35/35/30...not telling you to because most I have read says 40/30/30 is a good combo, BUT, I am trying something...a little lower on the carb, the 35 prot gets me that 1gr per lb and then I have 2 refeed days with increased carbs...long story, that I will share at some point...lol.

    But either way, yes you need to get in 1gr per lb

    Thank you for the explanation!! Got it!
  • TurboFireMama
    TurboFireMama Posts: 121 Member
    I have read through all the posts looking for an answer about this subject..

    I am day 3 into upping my calories from 1620 a day to 2100 which is TDEE minus 15%. I am more hungry than I remember being in months and starving at the end of the night...Like ravenous hungry even after a protein shake after dinner. I didn't even meet the exercise goal of 475 I only burned about 200 calories today and met my 2100 eating goal with the perfect amount of protein 1 g for every lb that I am. So I didn't go below my BMR of 1624.

    Should I ignore the hunger and let my body settle into this new mode or should I eat something. It is 10:15 and I had a protein shake an hour and a half ago.

    I'm confused...
  • Marge321
    Marge321 Posts: 131 Member
    Had the same thing in the first few days: could eat an elephant. So when I was really hungry, that a huge glass of water was not enough, I could have a little cheese piece, glass of milk, some almonds...Tried to have something that would fill me up a bit so I can get into bed not being too much hungry. So I think you should eat a little something.

    Soon anyway, your body will stop being hugely hungry, just normally hungry. When I have breakfest, I'm hungry 3 hours later. This is normal.
  • angsellis
    angsellis Posts: 44
    I upped my calories to 1817 from 1200 a few days ago and also am starving soon after eating.

    I chose light exercise because right now I am only doing the Shred Monday-Friday and casual walking on weekends.

    I'm 39, 40 in July. 5'3 and weigh 182 lbs.

    I also set my goals to 40/30/30 for protein, carbs and fat. I'm still not meeting the protein goal but I'm really trying.

    I wonder if I need to up my calories or just sit tight for a while?