So I've been pretty good on my food/lifestyle change.... plodding along, learning as I go... been dealing with cravings pretty darn well I'd say... losing slowly but surely... and pretty much for the most part, all the fruits, veggies, proteins & healthy carbsI plan for every day have filled me up. I eat really balanced.
The past few nights, though, I've noticed that I'm hungry even after eating all my normal calories, and normal food. Like, ACTUALLY hungry.... stomach growling and all. Not sure what to do about it, though, because I've already eaten my calories for the day (and properly, I eat what I should).... but it's REALLY hard to sleep when your stomach is growling at you.
Why is this happening now, when I've been fine all this time with the calories I eat (anywhere from 1500 to 1900, and usually between 1700 to 1800).. it was filling me up great. I haven't really changed anything, not even exercise wise except I went to the gym 1 extra time this week (making it a total of 3 days a week, rather than 2) and I ate an extra protein serving and some fruit to compensate for that day.
I thought your appetite was supposed to shrink as you lost, seeing as you didn't need as many calories as before? What's going on? Will this last, or is it just temporary? Anyone?
Last edited by starfishkitty; 09-22-2009 at 10:43 AM.
People here may disagree.. but I say.. if you are hungry.. EAT! Try to have something with fiber and or protein in it. If you don't eat.. you WILL binge and that will be worse.
Double check your daily fiber intake - are you eating enough? That can make a huge difference!
Charbar... thats exactly what happened too, I ended up getting up in the middle of sleeping because I was so hungry and at that point I just didn't care (I was exhausted after working a 13 hour shift) and wanted to shove something in my face so I could shut my stomach up and pass back out.... and that something happened to a be a poptart my brother had left laying out. *sigh* Yeah, 200 calories of sugary failure.....
Then again, who thought the day would ever come that I'd bemoan eating 200 calories? hehe I've changed!
My guess would be PMS. I'm usually starving when I'm PMSing, even when I've eaten enough. I use DietPower and it actually allows you more calories that week. Maybe give yourself a couple hundred extra calories and have a Luna bar or something like that. 180 calories and a bit of chocolate. Can't beat that!
Another thing too.. eat often. Never let yourself get hungry. I always keep something in my purse so I can eat something healthy incase I'm stuck somewhere longer then expected... like your 13 hour shift.
I keep soy nuts in my purse. Healthy and filling.. and they won't go bad.
Well, I'm about 1 1/2 to 2 weeks from my period... but it is kinda wacky right now because I'm adjusting to my new BC after not being on any for years.... so maybe that's partially it?
Also... I eat about 6 to 7 small meals a day. I eat all day long, pretty much!
Make sure you have a snack on hand. I always have 1oz portions of almonds measured out and have fruit cut up in the fridge in a big fruit salad. For me it helps when iget that hunger feeling so i can grab a healthy snack instead of a cookie or something that will not really satisfy the hunger. I also say if you are hungry then your body is trying to tell you something. If you are truely hungry then you need to eat. You dont have to incorprate extra calories every day just those days you are feeling extra hungry.
Well, I'm about 1 1/2 to 2 weeks from my period... but it is kinda wacky right now because I'm adjusting to my new BC after not being on any for years.... so maybe that's partially it?
If I am hungry (& I rarely am - I eat FREQUENTLY & very satiating foods) and have gone over my calories or it's not a planned time for me to eat - I eat. I would rather overspend a hundred or two hundred calories then be hungry, "wait it out" and eat everything and anything in sight. So by eating those extra couple hundred cals, I'm really saving in the end.
It could definitely be the BC pills. Maybe shift around your calories a bit. Drink lots of water. Or even plan in an extra light snack until hopefully you get "back to normal".
I think it could be hormonal and related to the new BC. Right before and right after TOM I'm always ravenous. Last week was particularly bad and if I'd had anything ready to eat/ not been such a lazy cook, I'd probably have gorged myself. On such days I add an extra 300-400 calories to my plan (so usually I'm around 1350 so I may go up to say 1700-1800 that day). Also, I find saving my calories for the evening help a lot, but that could just be that for me the evening/night is prime bingeing time and this becomes less likely if I'm full from a filling meal.
I think it's fat cells fighting back. And I'm not entirely joking. Our bodies love homeostasis and we're learning more and more that adipose tissue is not just storage. I have to wonder if something chemical is happening at cellular level to explain true hunger bouts like you describe and plateaus. If I ever get back to grad school, an area I'd like to study.
Thanks ladies... you've certainly given me some stuff to think about!
I like CandyKisses idea of having pre-made "snacks" portioned to the side for those just in case moments.... think I'll work on doing that next week. Just wondering if I should then include those in my calories for the day...? Someone above said no, but I'm not sure.... but truly, if my stomach is growling, how can I say I'm NOT hungry and don't need food? ESPECIALLY when it won't let me sleep (and with my job, I NEED sleep!... my safety depends on being alert!)
This exact thing happened to me last week....and every day I tried to wait it out only to end up binging. So what I will do now is have a snack and calm the growling even if I go over in calories by a couple hundred. It's like I get to 209/210 weight range and I start to feel hunger (real stomach growling hunger). Makes me wonder about the homeostasis thing. Try the extra snacks and let us know how it goes.
Not sure why I'm hungry all of a sudden...
Anyone?
*sigh* Yeah, 200 calories of sugary failure.....
I eat all day long, pretty much!
That might be it.
