[Harriette]

I have been on 1200-1400 calories a day since the 3rd week of Jan and lost 50 lbs. I have set eating times and food which works well for me but the last couple of weeks I find I am hungrier and hungrier and need some extra food. I am talking real stomach rumbling hunger not my old "oh I am hungry I could eat a whole bucket of kfc even tho I just had lunch". We are talking legitimate hunger.

Some of my friends suggested that perhaps I had less "extra" to use up during the day. Could it be I need to up my calories a bit and add an extra snack or something? Has anyone else experienced this?

I have HAD to add in some extra here and there and am still dropping albeit very slowly (perhaps a lb every couple of weeks). Should I stop complaining and add in the snack without guilt?

[kelly315]

Are you craving bad foods that you used to eat a lot of? Sometimes, people can go a little gaga when they feel "deprived" of foods they used to rely on (for comfort, enjoyment, etc) for a long enough time, then they start craving them.

I doubt it has anything to do with the fact you're smaller, but it may have something to do with your diet. Are you getting enough protein, fiber and water? Those are vital to staying full. Have you been exercising a lot? If you are, that calorie range probably isn't sufficient. Also, If you're dipping below 1200 (for some people, that may even be 1300), that often has the effect of making people irrationally hungry (starvation mode- your body is telling you to stock up on fat because it's worried that there's a food shortage).

[Harriette]

Not craving bad foods just any food. I will look at my daily balance again now that my numbers have changed so much it could be my requirements are not being met. Thanks for the idea!

Edited to add: exercise has been consistent. No major changes there. 4 fitness classes a week plus hiking and riding my horses.

[sumire]

I say eat the snack. My own experience: I had no trouble sticking to 1200-1400 calories (and usually on the lower end) when I was first losing weight in the 160s. I ate 3 meals a day, usually no snacks, plenty of protein and fiber. After a few months, I suddenly became ravenously hungry. I started spreading my meals out to 5-6 a day, which helped tremendously.

Then when I hit about 133 lbs I became ravenously hungry again (though I had upped my activity level somewhat). So I've been eating significantly more calories in the last part of my weight loss (I cycle my calories--my weekly average comes out to about 1550 calories a day). I still eat about 6 meals a day, and if I time things right, I don't feel hungry until I'm ready to go to bed. My weight loss slowed quite a bit for a little while, then stopped for a couple of months, but I added in just a little extra cardio a few weeks ago, and I'm back to losing a half pound to a pound a week.

I think that once you get to a certain point, your body may freak out because you have less stored fat to draw on for energy. Everyone is different, but I've become a big proponent of eating more as you have less to lose, and doing some extra cardio if your fat loss stops and you need a push.