Hunger - Ok, someone explain this to me.

Okay, for a week I've been keeping up with my 1450 cal per day regime on six meals a day. I wasn't hungry at all, and sometimes it'd be 8:00 at night and I still had 200-300 cals left to consume (which I would). My work outs have been consistent then too. Alternating days with upper and lower body weight training, plus 40-60 minutes of moderate cardio.

All of a sudden, my body is kicking my butt. I feel hungry all the time. Even if I just finished a perfectly balanced meal (grilled chicken, 1/2 cup brown rice and 2 cups veggies), an hour ago, I will feel like I haven't eaten anything at all.

And I am eating every three or so hours, and I'm drinking water like a fiend, but I'm feeling hunger pangs. I can't adjust my calories anymore if I want to keep my weight loss to 2 lbs per week.

Does this hunger thing mean that my metabolism has just jump-started again?

Strange thing is, normally I would be craving something sugary or high in fat, but I'm not. I'm not craving anything at all. I'm just... hungry. My body is like the dog that just devoured a big bowl of dogfood and still looking for seconds.

Does this happen to anyone else?

some days when I have a really great workout, yeah.

How much protein are you getting? I found that when I added 100 cals to my daily, and made those all high protein, it satisfied me much better/longer.

avocados are awesome too.

I'm still tweaking though, so hopefully someone more experienced will pipe up.

:)

This might not be helpful at all, but I've found that my appetite is extremely hormone-sensitive. At certain times in my cycle I have no appetite at all, and at others I just can't eat enough.

You say "does it mean that my metabolism has jump-started again?" - does that mean your metabolism had slowed, and you are now eating more than you were? Then yes, I'd say it does.

Without knowing your stats, I would recommend that you aim for a 500 deficit, instead of a 1000 deficit - I think that will help with the hunger, and 1lb/week is still a very good rate of weight loss.

I would say all the exercise is making you hungry.  I also agree with amethystgirl that you may have too high a deficit.

1450 calories is not very much when you are lifting weights and doing up to an hour of cardio every day.

Enter the world of future214! I am like this almost all the time.

I, too, don't know what the answer is and am still tweaking. Also grateful for a day now and then when I am not hungry.

Some things that sometimes help me: Eating eggs/egg whites in the am. Eating full fats-Olive Oil, Peanut Butter, Avocado, Nuts etc (sometimes this is hard because they are so dense in cals that it cuts down on how much volume you can eat.) Eating big salads at the end of the day. Paying attention to what it is that I ate on the days or times I feel satisfied. having maintenance days and being ok with slower loss. Eating frequently -every two hours. BUT-I also thinks that contributes-my body is now used to eating every 2 -3 hours so the hnger pangs are there like clockwork.Definitely trying to get more protein. I am a vegetarian and considering eating poultry again.

If you are close to a healthy weight 2 lbs a week may be too much for you. CC will tell you what you should lose a week and so will the phord site.

In my experience, hunger is my body's way of telling me something. I weigh everyday so I know I am not gaining (overall) andI focus more on things to do to ramp up my metabolism than on cutting a ton of calories. Sometimes my deficit is only 100-200 cals. (But activity is so subjective so who knows.)

I am so envious of the people on here who are losing who say "I don't know how I can add anymore cals into my day". I WISH I had that problem!

Also can relate-I don't crave bad stuff-just more good stuff! Hang in there.

This was me, constantly hungry and fighting the urge to snack, until I started adding a whey protein drink to my breakfast.  I mix one scoop of the Biggest Loser whey protein mix (chocolate) to 5 oz. of 1% milk at about 5:30 AM and am not hungry until around 11 AM.  (about 160 cal total)   I've been eating a 100 cal english muffin with a tbsp of low fat peanut butter, 4 oz of the light oj and a yoplait fat free yogurt (100 cal) as the rest of the meal.  I am amazed what a difference this has made for me.  The interesting part is that it seems to help with the afternoon munchies as well.  Work it in whereever you need to, hope it works for you as well.

I literally just finished writing a journal rant on this a few minutes ago!  I have been absolutely famished the past 2-3 days, no matter what I eat or how long ago I ate it.  I am just hungry hungry hungry.  For me- time of the month.  (Apologies to any of the more... er, squeamish men out there to have just stated that so bluntly.  Facts of life, my friends.)  

The hormones are a-ragin'!  Guess I need all that extra food energy to maintain my current level of excessive bitchiness.      

bcgrrl-I posted about whey protein and didn't get a lot of response-I want to try this too-where do you get the Biggest Loser protein? Looked at GNC and Wal-mart-all are pricey and higher in cals-also I can't do aspartame.

I hope it works!!

i got mine at the local supermarket...Publix in my area.  check their website

http://www.designerwhey.com/shop.htm to see if there is a store near you.  I think you can order it online as well.  You can also check the nutritionals on it to see if there is an ingredient that you are allergic to, etc.

Good luck, I am so glad I've found something to help with my hunger, it was making me crazy!!! 

Hello,

  I'm new to the site and can really relate to feeling hungry at times although I just ate.  Eating food high in protein has helped me.  There are days though when nothing short of eating everything I can get my hands on only works.  How do I find out what my deficit is?  Thanks.

phylisjd-your deficit is the difference between the calories you take in and the calories you burn. With thi ssite you track what you eat and learn how to have a healthy deficit in calories each day or week to achieve weight loss.

If you go to Get Started when you first log on it should walk you through. Or under the Tools menu.

Welcome!

bcgrrl-thanks-I never thought to check the market-turns out my local one should have it too! And I don't see any artificial sweeteners in the ingredients

Maybe what you're feeling is the stomach releasing the chemicals for breaking down the food. I think the stomach has probably adjusted to this new schedule of yours and is releasing the acid in anticipation of food to break down.

All i know is if you've eaten recently, your body is likely NOT telling you you're hungry. Most times hunger signals come from the brain anyway. The people that are best at determining when they're hungry are all between 1-5 years old normally. After that we tend to follow time cues and cues we learn like watching tv and snacking or eating when we see family and friends, until we we become so confused that we have no clue if we are eating to live or living to eat.

crazydiamondchrysalis:

How much protein are you getting? I found that when I added 100 cals to my daily, and made those all high protein, it satisfied me much better/longer.

I know I'm definitely getting enough protein. I try to squeeze in between 20 - 30 grams of protein with every large large meal, and I drink a whey protein shake with my second last meal an hour before my work out. Technically, on an average day, I'm consuming about 80 - 90 grams of protein, which is way over the recommended amount for someone trying to achieve weightloss.  This is exactly why I am so confused.

caffienatedcamille:

This might not be helpful at all, but I've found that my appetite is extremely hormone-sensitive. At certain times in my cycle I have no appetite at all, and at others I just can't eat enough.

That could be definitely be a possibility, actually. Thanks for your insight!

future214

If you are close to a healthy weight 2 lbs a week may be too much for you. CC will tell you what you should lose a week and so will the phord site.

In my experience, hunger is my body's way of telling me something. I weigh everyday so I know I am not gaining (overall) andI focus more on things to do to ramp up my metabolism than on cutting a ton of calories. Sometimes my deficit is only 100-200 cals. (But activity is so subjective so who knows.)

I may not be obese, but I'm certainly nowhere near a healthy weight. I've been extra careful and I'm following CC's guidelines as closely as I can. My emphasis is more on getting the right balance of protein and carbs and eliminating sugars than looking after the calories I consume. I will eat more if I haven't meant those requirements, but the thing is, I am, and in theory, I should be filling up properly on this regime. That's why I'm wondering if this hunger thing is normal, or if it even is hunger at all.  An hour after eating a dense, protein and low-glycemic carb meal is... well, a little strange for the tummy to be rumbling.

I am so envious of the people on here who are losing who say "I don't know how I can add anymore cals into my day". I WISH I had that problem!

I had that problem last week. Now I am in your boat and it looks like I'm staying in it too. I feel ya! :(

bcrgrrl: Whey protein for breakfast is a good idea, actually. I usually have only one protein shake a day and that's towards the end of the day sometime before my work out.  Now that I look back on my meals these last  few days, my protein has been coming from dairy rather than animal products, and milks and cheeses don't pack nearly a hard enough punch in that department. I'll try the protein shake in the mornings. Thanks!

dallasjaded:
The hormones are a-ragin'!  Guess I need all that extra food energy to maintain my current level of excessive bitchiness.

lol. I'll have to tuck that excuse away for later.  Hang in there :)

clearvilla:

Maybe what you're feeling is the stomach releasing the chemicals for breaking down the food. I think the stomach has probably adjusted to this new schedule of yours and is releasing the acid in anticipation of food to break down.

Great points. Strange that I wouldn't have ever felt that before. I guess when you're used to feeling excessively full, you miss the little operations your body does, and they become foreign to you.

All i know is if you've eaten recently, your body is likely NOT telling you you're hungry. Most times hunger signals come from the brain anyway. The people that are best at determining when they're hungry are all between 1-5 years old normally. After that we tend to follow time cues and cues we learn like watching tv and snacking or eating when we see family and friends, until we we become so confused that we have no clue if we are eating to live or living to eat.

I am totally for the cues and psychological triggers as a possible explanation, although it's not something that came to mind before. But it makes perfect sense. The old me would definitely be reaching for a piece of chocolate or even putting together an impressive masterpiece from left-overs in the fridge at the slightest nudge from stress. Hmm...

Thanks to everyone for their insight. I'll definitely be trying to include more protein in the my morning meals, and keep tabs (to the best of my ability) on my hormone cycle and its effects on my hunger. It's also a relief not to be the only one going through this. It's making me feel pretty cranky (crankier than usual). Hopefully, this stage will pass, for both me and you all.

Cheers.

You're welcome. Have you read You: On a Diet? It has a lot to say about dieting and what you know about it. Borrow a copy from the library.

That happened to me when I started exercising more. I think it was my metabolism kicking in. When this happened to me, I did start eating more (but more healthy food, not sugary snacks or candy, usually fruit, string cheese, granola bars), and it was okay. I may have actually lost weight easier when I started eating just a little more, to keep my metabolism going on overdrive. If you're hungry, eat a small snack. As long as you're TRULY hungry, it doesn't matter that you eat... just make sure you really are as hungry as you think. Try drinking a glass of water when you get these hunger pangs and if after 15 minutes you're still hungry, then go for it!

I just had to post that I had protein pancakes this am made with Designer whey and oatmeal/eggwhites. Holy crap. It is almost 8pm and I have eaten only 1000 cals and I am amazed at how satisfied I am!!!

Usually by now I have gone over my goal of 1500 cals and am still hungry.

The people who say "I don't know how I could eat more" must get a lot of protein-cause I sort of feel that way right now

Eat more protein and fats and less carbs, your hunger will vanish.

I eat closer to 1800-1900 on a similar exercise regimen to yours (less cardio in mine) and am shaping up beautifully but not losing 2 pounds a week.  I'm losing much more slowly because I'm just not cool with a lot of hunger anymore after so many years of hunger/dieting/bingeing/gaining.  I have had many weeks of just maintaining at around 2100 cals and still have lost inches.  I'm not willing to tolerate feeling hungry anymore.  I am learning about how better quality foods erase hunger and keep calories down.  Oatmeal, yams, big finely chopped salads with feta cheese, nuts, dressing, raspberries -- these are so good and satisfying.  

It's a choice: Feel hungry more often, lose faster; feel hungry almost never and lose slowly.   Choice 2 is what's working for me.  I think weight lifting has jacked up my metabolism.  Also, a 110 cal protein shake immediately after the weight workout helps with hunger and recovery. 

It's fun not to be scared of calories. 

Original Post by future214:

I just had to post that I had protein pancakes this am made with Designer whey and oatmeal/eggwhites. Holy crap. It is almost 8pm and I have eaten only 1000 cals and I am amazed at how satisfied I am!!!

Usually by now I have gone over my goal of 1500 cals and am still hungry.

The people who say "I don't know how I could eat more" must get a lot of protein-cause I sort of feel that way right now

Can you post the receipe for the protein pancakes?  They sound really good.