Frustrating

JOY621
JOY621 Posts: 71 Member
edited September 20 in Motivation and Support
I lost about 16lb since May. I am still hungry between meals. I can eat fruit but even fruit has some calories. Any ideas for fighting the hunger? I am tired of being hungry. Do I have to be this way for the rest of my life? I have 3lb to lose and it is hard.
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Replies

  • SHBoss1673
    SHBoss1673 Posts: 7,161 Member
    are you eating enough? what's your deficit at?
  • BrendaLee
    BrendaLee Posts: 4,463 Member
    3 pounds huh...once you get the pounds off, you will switch to maintenance mode which means more calories for you, so you won't be as hungry. Protein and fiber are basically the power duo for fighting off hunger- so try to incorporate those into your meals and snacks. Make every calorie count.
  • LittleSpy
    LittleSpy Posts: 6,754 Member
    I eat 1200-1300 calories a day and I'm almost never super hungry between meals. I try to eat regularly - breakfast, snack, lunch, snack, dinner, snack and that helps fight hunger. But, if I am hungry between meals, I'll eat a small unplanned snack (agreed with Brenda -- hunger fighting snacks need to include *protein* and fiber definitely helps, too) and then I eat less at my next meal (or you could exercise a little longer than planned) to compensate for the extra calories of the unplanned snack.
  • JOY621
    JOY621 Posts: 71 Member
    I am eating 1,200 calories or less so I will reach the goal. I just feel that 1,200 calories are not enough. I try to eat high fiber food and protein. I don't eat meat so I substitue it with soy.
  • SHBoss1673
    SHBoss1673 Posts: 7,161 Member
    I am eating 1,200 calories or less so I will reach the goal. I just feel that 1,200 calories are not enough. I try to eat high fiber food and protein. I don't eat meat so I substitue it with soy.

    but what is your deficit? I.E. how many calories per day are you under your maintenance calories?
  • ali258
    ali258 Posts: 403
    Are you using your calories on high calorie food? Could you have more low calorie vegetables as snacks (like cucumbers, green peppers, celery)? Are you eating enough for breakfast? When I eat about 300 calories for breakfast, I feel really good all day, but when I eat less than that, I'm hungry and just want to eat all afternoon. Are you working out too hard and not eating enough of those calories?

    Play around with how many calories you're eating for your meals and the types of food you're eating and you will find the right balance eventually. Good luck!
  • A full glass of Water helps also :)

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  • nolachick
    nolachick Posts: 3,278 Member
    hmm definately you shouldn't be below 1200 clas. I think that is the bare minimum to survive. also depending on ur exercise, u shud get exercise calories that u are allowed to consume. I don't always eat mine but with working out I have atleast 100 or 200 cals extra each day.

    Suggestions for snacking:
    brocolli - very filling and very low cal (skip the butter, cheese, etc)
    hummus
    baby carrots - about 30 cals per cup
  • JOY621
    JOY621 Posts: 71 Member
    I love this message boards..so supportive.

    My problem I think is not enough protein. I don't eat meat at all..etc red meat, chicken..turkey. Do you have any suggestions? I am already eating a lot of soy product. I need variety.
  • SHBoss1673
    SHBoss1673 Posts: 7,161 Member
    as to protein, nuts, legumes, whole grain pasta, protein powders (non soy based, too much soy isn't really the answer IMHO), avocado, hummus...etc. lots of good proteins out there that aren't meat. Just make sure to check and see what you need to eat with those foods to complete the proteins, incomplete (non-meat) proteins are useless to the body, you need to pair it with other foods to complete it.

    Still would like to know what your daily deficit is though, it's hard to even comment without knowing if you're eating enough.
  • I am on my husbands new diabetic plan so I can loose weight and eat better but I am trying to eat less carbs. However, I find if I eat more fiber & protein in a day it helps stop that hunger felling. I love Fiberone bars and eat the peanut butter ones for a snack in mid afternoon. So the peanut butter & fiber helps me get throught the rest of the day.
  • JOY621
    JOY621 Posts: 71 Member
    I eat 1,100 to 1,200 calories daily. Nuts and avocado are good but have a lot of calories though. I am trying to keep my daily calories under 1,200 calories so I still lose weight.
  • breezy81
    breezy81 Posts: 186
    My trainer tells me that she has NEVER seen any one get fat on veggies!!! And not to worry too much about counting those, as long as you dont dip them of cover them, in other words eat them plain!! So on super hungry days that is what I do, love my veggie sticks
  • CrystalT
    CrystalT Posts: 862 Member
    I eat 1,100 to 1,200 calories daily. Nuts and avocado are good but have a lot of calories though. I am trying to keep my daily calories under 1,200 calories so I still lose weight.

    But that doesn't tell us what your calorie deficit is. Unfortunately, 1,200 isn't a magic number that works for everyone. Because of my tall frame (5'10"), if I only ate 1,200 calories I would end up going in starvation mode, which we all know is a bad thing. It makes us stop losing and possibly even start gaining weight. Banks is wanting to know the difference between your maintanence calories and what you've actually been eating. It will help everyone know if you are eating enough to prevent starvation mode.
  • JOY621
    JOY621 Posts: 71 Member
    According to Myfitness pal, 1,400 calories will maintain my weight. So the difference is about 200 calories.
  • emilyfh
    emilyfh Posts: 291 Member
    You should have high protein snacks, how much are you eating (calories), also eat lots of veggies which are low in calories, i prefer steamed hot veggies, more filling.
  • SHBoss1673
    SHBoss1673 Posts: 7,161 Member
    According to Myfitness pal, 1,400 calories will maintain my weight. So the difference is about 200 calories.

    wow, so you're pretty tiny then huh? 1400 cals, you're what? about 4'11" or so?

    Remember, when you're metabolism is so low to begin with, you need to expect smaller numeric changes. Remember, a 1 lb drop for a 200 lb person is half a %, but a 1 lb drop for a 100 lb person is double that, so even though you may not be losing fast, you may still be doing so, it'll just take longer because you have so little to lose.

    Also, really think about those 3 lbs. How will losing those 3 lbs affect your life? Is 3 lbs worth causing you mental stress for the next 3 to 6 months it will take to lose it? If the answer is yes, then keep working. If it's not, then maybe bring your eating up a few cals at a time until you are at or near maintenance.

    That's about all I have. 3 lbs is a very small amount of weight, small enough that you can gain and lose it in water weight in the course of a day, it's hard to plan for that kind of weight loss. I know this isn't all that helpful, sorry for that.
  • JOY621
    JOY621 Posts: 71 Member
    You have been very helpful. Thanks. I should be more patient and less stressful.
  • ali258
    ali258 Posts: 403
    When you go onto your food log, does it say you should eat 1400 calories a day? Or does it say you should eat 1200?

    If your food log on MFP is saying 1400, that means you should be eating 1400 to lose weight, not to maintain. If you click on "my home" and then "goals" and then on the right it says "your diet profile." I'm 5'5" and 225 lbs and mine says I burn 2200 calories from daily activity, so when I go on my food log and it gives me a little over 1400 calories, it means my body will burn 800 calories a day if I eat 1400.

    I know it sounds crazy, but if you don't eat enough food, your body won't lose weight as well because it will think you are starving.
  • JOY621
    JOY621 Posts: 71 Member
    MFP says if I want to lose weight, I have eat 1,200 calories.
  • ali258
    ali258 Posts: 403
    You'll get there. Just try to enjoy yourself while you're losing these last 3 lbs. Eat healthy foods you like, and like SHBoss1673 said, it's just 3 lbs, so don't stress too much.

    -Alison
  • BrendaLee
    BrendaLee Posts: 4,463 Member
    A full glass of Water helps also :)


    Do you really find water helps? Water has never had much of an effect on my appetite...it wouldn't stay in your stomach for very long, so the effects couldn't be very long-lasting? Your brain supposedly knows the difference between whether it got calories or not, and supposedly hunger won't cease until your body gets some real food. I'm always surprised when people say that water helps when they're hungry. I know thirst can sometimes be mistaken for hunger, but other than that situation, I can't see how it would help appetite.
  • MercuryBlue
    MercuryBlue Posts: 886 Member
    A full glass of Water helps also :)


    Do you really find water helps? Water has never had much of an effect on my appetite...it wouldn't stay in your stomach for very long, so the effects couldn't be very long-lasting? Your brain supposedly knows the difference between whether it got calories or not, and supposedly hunger won't cease until your body gets some real food. I'm always surprised when people say that water helps when they're hungry. I know thirst can sometimes be mistaken for hunger, but other than that situation, I can't see how it would help appetite.

    It helps me- as long as I keep drinking it!

    Which inevitably fails because I either reach the point where I can't drink another drop, or else I'm running to the bathroom like a pregnant woman.

    It's a useful tool to take the edge off of hunger for short periods of time (like when I know dinner will be in a half an hour and I'm hungry, but don't want to snack), but isn't overly helpful for anything longer than that.
  • JOY621
    JOY621 Posts: 71 Member
    I chew a lot of gum when I crave for sweets. I don't know if that is a good idea. But that gets me through the afternoon.

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  • Mamakatspokane
    Mamakatspokane Posts: 3,098 Member
    [/quote]
    wow, so you're pretty tiny then huh? 1400 cals, you're what? about 4'11" or so?
    [/quote]

    I'm 5' 4 and my maintenance cals are 1354 so I doubt this person is 4' 11

    Try eating smaller meals and leaving more calories for your snacks, or try eating 5 mini meals a day. Change things up and see what works for your body! You shouldn't have to be hungry everyday. Exercise more to get more cals to eat. IMO you shouldn't be eating under 1200 cals...again JUST MY OPINION
  • MercuryBlue
    MercuryBlue Posts: 886 Member
    Honestly, I'd just keep doing what you're doing. Stay at 1200 calories. If you're maintenance calories are 1400, then that's still a 200 calorie per day deficit. At that rate you should lose a pound every 17.5 days. I know that sounds like a lot, but when you're that close to your target, you can't always expect dramatic weight-losses.

    If you're still hungry, I'd re-evaluate what you're eating....? Also, I agree with previous posters. Is 3 pounds really worth the stress?
  • SHBoss1673
    SHBoss1673 Posts: 7,161 Member


    I'm 5' 4 and my maintenance cals are 1354 so I doubt this person is 4' 11

    Try eating smaller meals and leaving more calories for your snacks, or try eating 5 mini meals a day. Change things up and see what works for your body! You shouldn't have to be hungry everyday. Exercise more to get more cals to eat. IMO you shouldn't be eating under 1200 cals...again JUST MY OPINION

    I have an extremely hard time believing someone who is 5'4" has a maintenance of 1354, are you sure you don't mean BMR?

    put it this way, I just did the calculation, a 5'4" 33 year old woman who weighs 120 lbs and is moderately active has a maintenance calorie intake of 1910.
  • SHBoss1673
    SHBoss1673 Posts: 7,161 Member
    actually, you know, that made me think about a maintenance of 1400 seems EXTREMELY low. So I did the calc on that.

    At 49 years old and moderately active she would have to be around 4'9" and 90 lbs in order to have a maintenance calories of 1400 (actually that's 1412), so I think she maybe thinking of BMR as well. Unless that is her actual height and weight.

    you guys can do your own calculation here:

    http://www.webmd.com/diet/healthtool-metabolism-calculator
  • Mamakatspokane
    Mamakatspokane Posts: 3,098 Member
    Sorry, I thought that's what BMR was, the cals you burn daily:embarassed:
  • SHBoss1673
    SHBoss1673 Posts: 7,161 Member
    Sorry, I thought that's what BMR was, the cals you burn daily:embarassed:

    Nope, BMR is your Basal Metabolic Rate, essentially about the number of calories your body would need if you were in a coma. It's usually between 60 and 75% of your daily maintenance calories
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