Following plan but always hungry! Help!

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lanidavis16
lanidavis16 Posts: 2
in Food and Nutrition
I started my journey at 190 pounds. I am 5'1 and have an althetic build. In the past I could never lose weight because my body was always always no matter what building bulk muscle. Finally, at age 24 I have managed to lose 18 pounds in 2 months (1.5-3 pounds every week). I am on a 1200 calorie day diet. At first I was working out 5-6 days a week and never went over my calories. I was burning 200-400 calories each workout. However, I was not losing weight. So I cut back to 3-4 days a week and burn between 300-700 calories each day I workout and am eating my 1200 calories and have been losing weight consistently....but... I am always hungry and eventually at least one day a week binge eat. It seems that I am getting hungry around 5:00 pm and I eat my dinner but I am still hungry. Is it because I am not eating BACK my workout calories? I was told not to eat them back. I know a lot of people start eating less and stop getting hungry but that is not happeneing to me. I have never been very educated with my workouts. So I joined loseit.com and it is telling me to eat 1350.00 calories a day. After being overweight for so long and trying my hardest I do not want to backtrack this time! I have tried to diet countless times and have failed but this time I have the motivation to do it and am doing it. Someone please steer me in the right direction!

Replies

  • mrmoustache
    mrmoustache Posts: 17
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    EAT your exercise calories.
  • mayerel
    mayerel Posts: 254 Member
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    Check out this group: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/groups/home/3817-eat-more-to-weigh-less

    And yes, eat your exercise calories back!!
  • tigersword
    tigersword Posts: 8,059 Member
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    If you aren't eating exercise calories, you are NOT following the plan.
  • skingszoo
    skingszoo Posts: 412 Member
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    Part of the plan and MFP is to eat what you burn thats why they set your calories so low so what you burn you eat back. Sounds crazy but do it. Your body needs that fuel to burn those workouts.
  • chell53
    chell53 Posts: 356 Member
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    EAT!!!
  • mathen2
    mathen2 Posts: 134 Member
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    Well first of all, 1200 calories is the bare minimum to eat. So MFP sucks in its recommendation. I would set you goal to 1300-1400 calories at least!! Then when you eat, look at your net calories. Your net calories should be ( Total amount of food calories- exercise calories burned). That should fall in the 1300-1400 goal that you have set up.
    So MFP might say that you went over your goal, but totally ignore that. Then you wont be hungry. Otherwise you end up slowing your metabolism which harms you in the long run. Believe me, I learnt it the hard way.
  • littlewords
    littlewords Posts: 43
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    In addition to the fact that you will be hungry if you are exercising and not eating back SOME of the calories anyway, it also takes a while to adjust to eating less.

    Also, I didn't look at WHAT you are eating before I replied, but I recently changed up the way I eat, and I feel so much better now because I make sure I eat plenty of protein, and some fat, and I try to eat more of those things earlier in the day.
  • rudy7020
    rudy7020 Posts: 62
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    Some days I eat more calories and some days I eat less, depending on how hungry I am. But I don't go hungry, ever, because that will make me go off track.

    When I went to weight watchers they taught us to "bank calories" so if you are not so hungry one day, you can save calories for a day (in that same week) where you might be really hungry or have a special event (birthday, etc.) Also, I eat small meals through out the day and never skip breakfast.
  • lanidavis16
    lanidavis16 Posts: 2
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    Thank you guys sooo much! My net calories have only been around 600!! No wonder I am hungry. I feel like such an idiot for not eating back my workout calories. I will start and see how it goes. It is just scary to see "eat 1900 calories today" Thanks for taking the time to reply to this!
  • jayjrf
    jayjrf Posts: 25
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    1200 is minimum for women to have their organs workings.

    You might be around 1600 and then maybe 1900 with the work outs.
  • asimmons26
    asimmons26 Posts: 23 Member
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    Try eating more whole grain and fiber. I snack throughout the entire day and don't really do a lunch most days. Instead, I have a larger snack (triscuits and ham). Fiber One makes those AWESOME brownies and Quaker has these amazing mini rice cake snacks which have whole grain. I also drink crystal light energy which helps since I don't like water too much and drinking will also help you feel more full. Another great treat is yogurt. I like the yoplat strawberry whips and I freeze them so it takes longer to eat.

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