Crazy Hungry Day!!

So today I was just insanely hungry and I don't know why. I thought since last night I had a big big dinner and had more calories than normal (around 2000-2200) that'd I'd probably be less hungry today, as that is how it usually works for me...however I woke up this morning so hungry.

I ate a small breakfast (coffee, 50 calorie yogurt plus about 10 calories of berries, and a small glass of skim milk...around 90 calories) and then got to work and was so hungry...so I had a piece of bread with jam (130 calories), a small rasin scone (120 calories), a madeline, and some cereal...totalling 500 calories for the morning..like 4 times more than normal...and i was still hungry

I then had a huge lunch (giant baguette sandwich with chicken, egg, etc, veggies) and was still hungry so had some oj and bread

Later I had a piece of apple-almond tarte and was still hungry..had some more snacks

then had a big dinner (pasta and bruschetta and more bread).....probably totaled like 3500 calories....this is a lot for me considering i often eat around 1500.....my quesiton though is why was I so insanely hungry? i can't remember ever eating this much...especially sicne I ate a lot yesterday...is it just weird day that will sadly erase my deficits this week or what? thanks!!!

1. TTOM?
2. Maybe because you ate more refined carbs than usual?

No it's not that time yet and i've never gotten hungrier around then anyways....i eat a fairly carb heavy diet anyways...just like that doesnt seem to explain my need to eat 2000 more than normal, and it wasn't like i was stuffing myself either even though it was a ton of food....

maybe you've not been eating enough so having the high calorie dinner stimulated your appetite and/or metabolism and now you're craving the amount your body needs. how low are you typically going in terms of calories? also, have you changed your exercise routine at all?

I have days like that too, where I just want to eat everything in sight...I try to ignore it and eat as usual.  I think (just my opinion, no science behind it that I know of) that those "hungry" days my body is using a lot of fat as fuel, so it turns up my hunger to make me eat more to counteract that - it sure doesn't want to give up an ounce if it doesn't have to.  I find that the day after a "hungry" day is when I am usually down a lb or two.

Chrissy 1988: Before I had guests here (meaning eating at home and being able to choose) I had gotten down as low as sub-1000 (bad I know, but it was the first time I had ever done that and was only for a week) but it was more probably around 1300 or so for that week and before then was probably around 1500 or 1600 so it wasn't like i was doing the sub 1000 for more than a few days i promise, then this week it's probably been more around 1600 (except for the day I got sick) and I haven't been exercising for awhile, but I do walk a lot because I live in a big city and take public transportation everywhere and have been showing people around, although with my guests I haven't been walking insane amounts and probably would walk more if on my own

Tinaek: I hope that its the day i lose a pound or 2...that would be awesome becasue basically my weight is teh same no matter what, high calorie, low calorie, it's frustrating

The weird thing is I woke up this morning so hungry for breakfast!! I don't get it!! Is this good? like my body is burning more calories...or what?

Original Post by rosesarered12:

Chrissy 1988: Before I had guests here (meaning eating at home and being able to choose) I had gotten down as low as sub-1000 (bad I know, but it was the first time I had ever done that and was only for a week) but it was more probably around 1300 or so for that week and before then was probably around 1500 or 1600 so it wasn't like i was doing the sub 1000 for more than a few days i promise, then this week it's probably been more around 1600 (except for the day I got sick) and I haven't been exercising for awhile, but I do walk a lot because I live in a big city and take public transportation everywhere and have been showing people around, although with my guests I haven't been walking insane amounts and probably would walk more if on my own

Tinaek: I hope that its the day i lose a pound or 2...that would be awesome becasue basically my weight is teh same no matter what, high calorie, low calorie, it's frustrating

The weird thing is I woke up this morning so hungry for breakfast!! I don't get it!! Is this good? like my body is burning more calories...or what?

honestly, a couple days of undereating is enough to revamp your appetite for a few days. i know at least for me, when i undereat the next day i am so famished so with you, you could have been really hungry and the increased calories spurred your appetite even further and now your body wants what it NEEDS and not A DEFICIT. or you simply could be burning more calories. there are tons of reasons why you COULD be hungry. maybe try upping your cals a bit...what are your goals/stats/etc.?

Yeah it's just odd because the undereating had happened a week before and then I had been around 1500 which is normal for me...my stats are 5'4.5", around 115, 19 years old...this is teh heaviest I have been (i put on about 8 pounds over 3 months about 6 months ago...i had been at about 107 for 5 years) and I am just not 100% happy or comfortable in my body, so I'd like to lose some fat to get a bit skinnier (i know I am not overweight)...its funny because for the year before this I was having to gain weight because during school and college applications i dropped so much, below my 107 normal weight,...so it's odd because i've always had trouble even mainting an underweight weight....but yeah...does that help at all? i'm just not sure why i'd need mroe food all of the sudden

Original Post by rosesarered12:

Yeah it's just odd because the undereating had happened a week before and then I had been around 1500 which is normal for me...my stats are 5'4.5", around 115, 19 years old...this is teh heaviest I have been (i put on about 8 pounds over 3 months about 6 months ago...i had been at about 107 for 5 years) and I am just not 100% happy or comfortable in my body, so I'd like to lose some fat to get a bit skinnier (i know I am not overweight)...its funny because for the year before this I was having to gain weight because during school and college applications i dropped so much, below my 107 normal weight,...so it's odd because i've always had trouble even mainting an underweight weight....but yeah...does that help at all? i'm just not sure why i'd need mroe food all of the sudden

you're only 19, so to say you were 107 for 5 years, and you basically became this weight at age 18, then you're comparing yourself to a 13 year old you who wasn't necessarily done developing. your weight is at a good level and you are likely to ruin your body and your metabolism by attempting to force yourself into a mold that your body is resisting. maybe it's dieting and this whole process that is ruining your weight maintenance. you said you dropped weight during college applications which was roughly a year ago since you're only 19 and that's when these weight fluctuation began and didn't stop. it doesn't seem coincidental to me. maybe you should just reevaluate your goals. not trying to be mean just trying to point you in the right direction.

I wouldn't say that these weight flucuations began a year ago, I basically dind't fluctuate except for the period of college apps because i was so busy I forgot to eat but...during school I'd often forget to eat and so I dropped down to about 102 in january of 08...gained back to 107 and stayed there for about 9 months so my weight had been very stable

...and then started gaining late october of 08, so it's only really recent  and again my 18 year old body was 107 until this past october

I just just turned 19..but I know what you are saying....but I am just not happy with certain parts of my body, basically my thigh and hip area and it just truly bugs me and makes me not comfortable and I don't think this is an impossible thing to make myself look a bit better, as people do it all the time, of course i don't want to ruin  my metabolism but clearly there must be ways to improve how i look...does that make sense

If you are not happy with your body shape, you need to start resistance training (i.e. weight lifting) - and not girly 10-pound weights that you do 50 reps of.  Heavy weights, to muscle exhaustion.  There are lots of threads in the fitness forum about this.

You are not going to change your shape by eating less, and you will harm your metabolism.  You are not overweight, but your body fat % could still be high, you might want to look into getting that tested, and then you can set a realistic goal to decrease that, IF it is high. 

This post plus your previous ones about being shaky from lack of food, thinking about food constantly, etc, lead me to think that your body is revolting and wants more than you are consistently giving it.  Please feed yourself and then start building muscle so you get the tone you want without being underweight.

Yeah I am going to try some resistance training once I move back home in like 10 days, the thing is I have a bad shoulder issue (had surgery) and will need to do physical therapy this summer so I can't really lift heavy...10 pounds would be a lot for me, but I do agree with you that heavy lifting is good...my question is I am not interested in changing my upper body at all, I like how it looks, it's my lower body that i want to change and by change I mean get rid of some fat, so wouldn't running a deficit be the way to do that? I will try to get a body fat % test once I get home, I don't think it's probably that high since my upper body is really lean....I am going to try to relax about food a bit more and see what happens, but I do know my weight gain was caused because when I moved to europe i started eating much more than normal, I don't think it was because I got older because I know I ate much more than I had before and then after I calmed down the weight stuck....but I am going to relax a bit more, I tried it yesterday and realized I think I ate less when I wasn't being so strict and was able to stop when I was full, etc....if I started just doing things like squats, lunges, pushups, situps and other core stuff, and some other things like that using my body weight would that help?

I agree that maybe you don't need to focus on losing, but toning.  And eating nutritious foods.

Your "normal" weight is almost the same as my 12 1/2 year old daughter who is two inches shorter than you and is as skinny as a bean pole!

Yes, squats, lunges, core work (you could try planks or other pilates moves instead of situps), dead lifts, etc - those will help your lower body.  If your shoulder is problematic I would stay away from pushups for now.  Planks will tone your core similar to a pushup without as much strain on your shoulders.  Add weight to the lunges, squats, etc if you can - a weighted bar is a good way to do this (usually about 30 pounds if you use the women's one), or you can use free weights or heavy books or whatever you can think of.

When you start doing the resistance training, you will need to eat more in order to build muscle (you can't really run a deficit).  Again, there are lots of threads in the fitness forum on this, look especially for posts by melkor as he knows his stuff!  Focus on lean protein and eating clean to see the quickest results.  You should not lose weight, and you don't need to, but I think the muscle will make a difference in your appearance.  And as an added plus, you'll feel stronger and likely develop better balance (I have!).

If I eat maintenence calories...whatever that amount is, i'm so confused now...will that be ok? I can't really do any lifting until i get cleared by the physical therapist because I just risk damging it and having to start from zero all over again..and yeah I didn't mean just situps, but corework in general...this really will make me look leaner overall? I am not really interested in looking (not muscular...i know girls can't bulk up) but like I don't want my legs to really be defined as much as just leaner and basically just get some of the fat off...

today I ate a lot again, I had this odd feeling that I thought was hunger but even as I ate more and more it never went away, i don't know what it was...but now i am afraid these last 3 or 4 days will have had a really bad effect...and then the cycle just starts all over again...ugggggggg, i really want to do this the right way

Yes, eating maintenance calories should be fine.  According to this calculator: http://www.bcm.edu/cnrc/caloriesneed.cfm your maintenace calories are about 2100.  Now that seems a little low to me, but you're pretty small, so perhaps it's correct. 

You can't get leaner and get fat off without actually losing fat.  Since you should not lose weight, you need to change your body composition which involves building muscle.  Now, I can't tell you exactly how that's going to make your body look and whether your legs will be very defined.  You'll just have to assess the results as you go along.  You could also try pilates as far as exercise goes.

Not so sure about the hunger, but I know the feeling you're talking about.  I have it right now, despite the fact that I ate a snack bar about an hour ago.  It almost feels like my stomach is extra acidic - I'm slowly learning to differentiate between that and actual hunger.  But keep in mind that if you've been eating large meals, your stomach may be stretched out and it can take a few days of normal eating for it to recover :)

Yeah my mom said it might be acid too and to get an antacid

Wow that calculator gives me such high caloric needs! If I put active for one hour a day (which I am assuming includes walking etc, which I do a lot of) it says I need 2300....what????? 2500 was like how much I ate yesterday when I thought i pigged out...I think I would gain a lot on that much, it just seems insanely high...that can't be right, can it?

You're still a teenager, so yes...lucky!  :p

I swear it was when I started eating like 2000 calories that I gained weight...if I eat like 1700 or so consistently...I don't lose, so wouldn't 2500 a day make me just balloon up?

Well, everybody's different.  If you are consistently eating about 1700 a day and staying stable then that may be your happy place, although that seems low to me.  If you eat 1700 most of the time and binge at all or go way over when you go out, then your average is higher than 1700 and it's just a question of timing.  You know your own habits better than anyone else.  If you're going to be doing some moderate resistance training, I would say shoot for about 2000, but that's really just a slightly educated guess.  Good luck, let us know how it goes!

Just a thought, but...could it be 'that time' of month? Some of my friends get really hungry a few days right before, particularly for sweets and carbs I've noticed.