I'm sooooo hungry!

sandrakarinab
sandrakarinab Posts: 32 Member
in Motivation and Support
I've been stuck on a weight plateau for about 6 weeks now. I've changed my foods and introduced extra exercise and have even increased calories for short stints. I can be patient and stick to the plan BUT I'm so hungry these last few days.

I blame the cold weather - I'm hanging out for hot fried food or warm sweet muffins. Soups are satisfying and do the trick for an hour or two. I even keep veggie stock powder handy at work, for a savoury alternative to teas & coffee. Tomatoes & cucumbers are handy low cal snacks but don't do much for the cravings. I change activities/tasks often to get my mind working on something different, but the diversions don't last nearly long enough.

Any suggestions?

Replies

  • irisheyez718
    irisheyez718 Posts: 677 Member
    If you open your diary I bet you'll get some great suggestions! :)
  • MoreThanMommie
    MoreThanMommie Posts: 597 Member
    We might be more help if we could see what you were eating. Please open your diary. :smile:
  • rachaela06
    rachaela06 Posts: 167
    Water, drink a big glass of it when you feel hungry, wait a little while and see if you actually need to eat. Sometimes, we are thirsty and think its food we need. Eat high protein foods, they help fill you up longer. I eat smaller meals more frequently, that has really kept me from over doing the amount I eat at one time. Good luck!!
  • louwanna
    louwanna Posts: 6
    Are you getting enough protein during the day?
  • Pebble321
    Pebble321 Posts: 6,423 Member
    Almost every time I've seen this question, it is simply because the person has cut their calories too low or is exercising too much without eating any more to fuel their body.
    But, it can also be about hormones, change in your routine or lifestyle, the kinds of foods you are eating, the time of day you are eating.... or a number of other things.

    I know what you mean about the cold weather - try hot coffee, tea or herbal tea for low cal warmers.

    Another thought - have you cut down on carbs? Unlike many other people, I can eat a stack of protein but without the carbs I still feel hungry. I think if I went down the Atkins route I would end up in jail for murder before I saw any weight loss :smile:
  • auntiebabs
    auntiebabs Posts: 1,754 Member
    Track your sugar for a while.

    Watch out for hidden sugars especially in anything prepackaged or processed.

    BOTH sugar and ARTIFICIAL sweeteners increase your appetite...
    The more you eliminate from your diet the more relief you'll get from cravings.
    For most things I'm a big fan of making changes little by little, but for this I found it easier to go cold turkey on the sugar & sweetener.

    Now I do have a sweet tooth and like a couple of cookies or a little ice cream once in a while.
    So I try to make sure that my *real* food has as little as possible so I can indulge in a snack now and then.
  • sandrakarinab
    sandrakarinab Posts: 32 Member
    Okay. I've opened my diary to all now. Have to catch up on the other comments....
  • Simone_King
    Simone_King Posts: 467 Member
    herbal tea saved me while I was cutting out diet cokes. Drink that..

    But eat a yogurt. I find them very satisfying.
  • thriftycupl
    thriftycupl Posts: 310 Member
    I was too today LOL and it shows based on what I ate. What I've learned from this site is that our body is a complex thing. Check out the group Eat More to Weigh Less. They have a lot of great information on plateaus and why your body reacts the way it does. Without knowing how many calories you are eating, I would start here.

    Good luck.
  • rmwhitlo
    rmwhitlo Posts: 4 Member
    eat six times a day thats what I do it keeps the hunger at bay I eat every 2-3 hours even it the meal is only an apple, yogurt, air popped popcorn ect then incoperate you breakfast lunch and dinner.:wink:
  • dukenukkem
    dukenukkem Posts: 3
    At first, I hit my thumb with a hammer to curb my hunger. But, I just switched to hot coffee when I feel hungry and that really helps me!
  • SBecken87
    SBecken87 Posts: 48
    lol its so funny you said that...I tried the Atkins diet when I was 16 and in a week I had never been soooo moody and depressed in my life!!! I've now cut carbs once again but this time I'm eating awhole lot better than I did before and I dont feel hungry and my mood has gotten better!!
  • Loseweight1980
    Loseweight1980 Posts: 94
    You aren't eating enough. Some days you are at a net of under 1000, you want a net of AT LEAST 1200, and most people need way more than that. Try increasing your calories instead of clamping down on them. It seems counter intuitive, but it works!
  • Mindmovesbody
    Mindmovesbody Posts: 399 Member
    Um, your starving because you aren't eating Hun! You had a net of just over 700 calories. Your body is just going to hang onto every last little thing you give it and not let go because it knows you are not going to feed it again. Check out the group Eat more to weigh less. There is a great article about plateau in there. You are setting yourself up for disaster. I did this it myself in the beginning as well. The same things do not work for everyone but on 800 cals, if your body is telling you it's hungry, then eat! Just make healthful choices!
  • Pebble321
    Pebble321 Posts: 6,423 Member
    Of course, you're hungry -there are days in your diary when youve only eaten 700 - 800 calories. Even the high days I can see are only around 1300 - 1500.
    It's just not going to be sustainable, you would be better setting a more moderate goal, eat more on a regular basis and I'm betting you would still lose weight. I tend to think that there is no point setting yourself up to fail, and a goal of 1200 cals/day is doing just that for most people.
  • design_cowgirl
    design_cowgirl Posts: 31 Member
    I agree with the others-your not eating enough-your body is going into starvation mode. Also-I noticed your carbs are really high-try adjusting your % because more protein will help with the hunger. Also eat fiber rich foods-that helps with hunger as well. Good luck! :)
  • sjmitchner
    sjmitchner Posts: 121 Member
    Eat more, cut out the sugared coffee. I aim for 350 calories per meal, for 1050, plus snacks=1,200 to 1,500 calories. Make sure you're mixing cardio with weight training and drink lots (8+ glasses) of water. Also try tracking your body measurements, you may loose inches and be toning without loosing weight! I find that I loose more in inches than in pounds.
  • pobanion
    pobanion Posts: 18 Member
    I would try to come as close to your MFP calorie allocation for the day as possible. Then for me, I work out for my extra food when I am starving... 500 calories burned on the tread mill makes for a pretty good snack afterwards. :) And it still keeps me on track.
  • Wreak_Havoc
    Wreak_Havoc Posts: 597
    eat six times a day thats what I do it keeps the hunger at bay I eat every 2-3 hours even it the meal is only an apple, yogurt, air popped popcorn ect then incoperate you breakfast lunch and dinner.:wink:

    Agree with this! It's how I've kept the humger wolf away. Working pretty good too! 48 pounds gone in 106 days. With 3 plateaus.
  • sandrakarinab
    sandrakarinab Posts: 32 Member
    There's some good stuff coming in here. Might bring a hammer to work :-)

    Background: I've been at this for 4 months+ and doing well, averaging a steady 2-3kg a month and not feeling hungry until the last couple of weeks. I've actually increased my calorie average from ~1300 to ~1400cals per day from the start of winter. The days vary depending on what I'm doing. Lost 10.5kg this year so far and not particularly worried with the plateau, only the HUNGER. I drink 3+ litres of teas(herbal, black, green), stock, water, coffee daily. I'm short and currently weigh 70kg which is still well in the over-weight range for me.
  • peanutsmom424
    peanutsmom424 Posts: 1 Member
    Try eating every 3-4 hours. I eat breakfast every morning, bring a mid morning and mid afternoon snack to work, as well as lunch and dinner of course. Sometimes I get the 'nothing will satisfy' feeling as well....when it hits me it's usually a craving. Chocolate, slurpee, etc. I allow myself these treats when it hits. Seems to work. I've lost just about 75 lbs on MFP. Good luck, and ENJOY your food!!!
  • sandrakarinab
    sandrakarinab Posts: 32 Member
    Need to get back to work - will check back here later.

    What I'm taking away from this so far - regular snacks, increase fibre & protein, reduce sugars (dropping the alcohol should do that) and try to keep the daily calorie count more stable. If that doesn't work over the next few days I'll eat my excercise calories.

    Thanks All !
  • acarter72
    acarter72 Posts: 117 Member
    Eat 5 small meals a day and I would add some cals as you had 700+ left. Your body could be in starvation mode. Also, change up your workout routine or activity as your body becomes immune. Good luck!
  • Captain_Tightpants
    Captain_Tightpants Posts: 2,215 Member
    Protein. Next.
  • acarter72
    acarter72 Posts: 117 Member
    Oh and have you had your hormones checked by a doc? Could be caused by a thyroid issue. I would look into this possibility if things do not improve. I agree about upping pro/fiber (recommend Kashi Go Lean Bars) and lesson or reduce sugar for sure! I would also stay away from any sweet beverages too! Drink TONS of water! :smile:
  • psychofantasy
    psychofantasy Posts: 71
    You're definitely clamping down on the calories too much.

    I do the same thing - for me its a mental thing. I always end up cutting my calories low for a week or so, then binging. I noticed that there's been a couple times that you've done sort of the same thing.When I cut my calories too low, I feel tired, sluggish, moody, and hungry. Then I binge, and I feel tired, sluggish, moody, and just plain miserable. It all comes down to being patient with yourself, and feeding yourself enough so that you aren't hungry and have energy. I know it's been repeated almost to cliche status, but the weight wasn't put on overnight and it won't come off overnight.

    I finally found my caloric sweet spot and so will you. Like others here, I've found that eating five to six small meals a day works well. I would also suggest hitting at least 1300-1500 calories per day (maybe more with exercise) EVERY day for at least two weeks. Then re-evaluate. Are you feeling better? More energetic? Has the scale begun to go down again? If not, bump it up another 100-200 calories until you start to see results.

    Also if you're someone who has a sweet tooth, I'll tell you what has worked for me in curbing the cravings. Eat something sweet in the mornings. Not coffee - that sugar will hit your system hard and fast; try to choose something that will digest a bit slower. For me, I usually choose some kind of pastry, or sweetened oatmeal, but I always make sure it is 300 calories or under and not completely loaded with sugar. It kind of helps in weening me off the sugar (I used to eat A LOT of it). I know I'll probably need to give it up eventually, but right now, I haven't had a problem with sugar cravings since I started doing that.

    Anyway, I hope I've helped a bit, and I wish you nothing but the best in achieving your goals :happy:
  • juicemoogan
    juicemoogan Posts: 994 Member
    readjust your goals to lost .5 lbs a week instead of 2lbs a week, your calories will increase ( but you will still be at a defecit) and you will still lose. You wont be as starving as you are now.. and if you cant maintain it... how is it going to help you in the LONG run.. a.k.a. the rest of your life..

    You don't want to yoyo diet,, you want to change your lifestyle to something sustainable.. and obviously 1200 is not sustainable for you.


    Eat a bit more and you will be much happier, and your body will thank you.

    Good luck
  • mlh156
    mlh156 Posts: 36 Member
    Get a diet buddy. Works for me. Oh... well... it did... until I hit a plateau :-)

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