I am probably going to ramble, so this is a pre warning.
I have noticed lately that there are days that I want to eat more. I know some of you eat only 1200 calories a day, I eat between 1300-1600, when I eat 1300-1400 I am hungry . Today I ate about 1500 calories, but still want more, and I know once I start eating I will go way over my calorie limit for the day. But there are days I feel deprived. Do you ever feel like this?
cheryl

No, never. The rest of us are perfect all the time. It's just you.

Ok, just kidding. I'm a 1200 a day girl. I usually find that if I use those calories on lean protein, vegis and fruit, that I am perfectly satisfied. But sure, there are days where my body wants a little more because I've worked out a lot or TOM is coming, etc. So I eat a little more but always of the same healthy foods I would have eaten anyway. I just try to not use it as an excuse to eat crap.

Rockinrobin talks about getting a lot of volume for her calories and I really agree with that. Spend them wisely.

It's also possible that your body is simply happier with a few more calories. Just make them healthy ones and don't let it get away from you.

From time to time yes. I think it can depend on what we do for the day. What cycle our body is in for the month. Or sometimes, what we have seen on tv or smelled at the store. I don't really count to much but I do use fit day to make sure I am eating enough. I am more worried about an average of what I am taking in. Not what I take in on one certain day.

Cheryl, I just can't get full on 1200 calories. And I DO eat a very high volume diet, with an average of 10 servings of fruits and vegetables per day. My minimum seems to be 1300. I can get by on 1300 - 1400, but I'm happiest at 1500 - 1600. I just don't lose well as that level at my current weight.

My personal feeling is that I want to eat as much as I can for as long as I can. I have never had any desire to eat 1200 calories per day, if I could lose at an acceptable rate at 1600 calories per day. And I sure don't want to be hungry, because that leads to binging in my case.

I'm with Tammy. 1200 gets tossed around as a magic number because it's a bare minimum according to most people, but I'd prefer to get as many calories as I can and still lose. Also, it's good to vary your calories from day to day. I don't always do that, but I've found that it can jumpstart my weight loss again when I have a stall, so if you're hungrier on one day it makes sense to go ahead and eat more that day and make up for it by cutting back another day.

By the way, I just noticed how close Tammy is to her goal!! Woooooohooo!!!!

seriously, it's just you.

hahahha sorry that made me laugh

I always think those days -- the ones where I eat as much as normal but feel starving to death -- are the days where i drop the weight! so those days make me happy in a weird way. I go to bed early to get it over with LOL

All the time, I love food, I love the taste of food, I never want my serving to be done. I can keep eating even when I am full. Fighting those two things 1) loving food 2) being able to eat past full have been two areas I have really focused on during my weight loss journey.

Although I dipped into very low calorie diets in the past, during this weight loss I stayed around 1400-1600, that allowed me to successfully lose weight without being too hungry. I ate lots of small meals/snacks during the day, so even if I did get hungry, I knew I would be eating again soon. I carefully measure all foods, since my eyeballs can not be trusted (particularly rice, couscous, pasta, nuts, trailmix, dried fruit, cold cereal, granola).

You might be interested in reading Mindless Eating, I found it absolutely fascinating. According to one of the studies from the author, most people don't stop eating when they are full, they stop eating when the plate is empty. That was like a lightning bolt moment for me - I do that very thing!! Now, I am careful to only put on my plate (in my tupperware, in my snack baggie) what I want to eat.

I find I feel less bingy/deprived when I eat foods with powerful nutritional properties, high fiber, fruits, vegetables, lean protein, healthy fat. I am rarely satisfied with processed foods like crackers, pretzels, 100 calorie snack packs, sugar free this or that, fat free this or that. Eating real, whole foods really helped me stay satisfied during this go-around.

It is my personal theory (I am not a doctor/nutritionist) that I was always so RESTLESS (looking in the frig, the cabinets,munching, munching) because my body was endlessly searching for nutrition that I needed. Now that I eat so well, I don't do that anymore. Considering how many refrigerator light bulbs I must have burned out over the years, staring at the contents...it's kinda miraculous.

If you are truly still hungry tonight after eating 1500 calories during the day (not bored, but really really hungry) you should have a little snack. Frozen dark cherries are perfect for a 100 calorie sweet, satisfying bite.

Of course I'd like to eat more!!!! But not most days. ALL THE DAYS. ALWAYS. Every single day.

I really, really, REALLY am satisfied and not hungry on 1200 calories. Really. I promise you I am. That really is not considered a very low amount of calories. Eating 1200 calories of the right foods provides more then enough nutrition and energy for many people. Not all, but many. Today I ate an enormous amount of food for that 1200 calories. I keep tweaking and I've found some even better ways to stretch my calories.

But nevertheless, I wish I COULD eat more food and still lose weight. But I can't. I'm a shorty (oh gosh, that just reminded me of CC's post about fatties, nevermind). I just don't require more calories. Not only can I not eat any more because I wouldn't lose weight, but I can't eat much more then that because my stomach would hurt. That's what it's come down to. I don't know how the heck I was able to consume the vast quantity of food I used to eat. Now if I go much higher then my calorie allotment, my stomach actually hurts. But I must say, I never feel deprived. Never. Sad, (I know that's pathetic) that I can't eat more, but never, ever deprived. If I was even the slightest bit truly hungry - I'd eat more. I don't believe in starving myself - at all.

I love food. I get instant pleasure from every bite I take. I want it to last and go on. This has nothing to do with hunger. This has to do with the fact that I really enjoy food. And I'm not talking junk food. I'm talking the food that I now eat. The healthy stuff. I love it.

Robin
HEY what do you mean shorty, I am offended lolol. I take in somewhere between 1200 and 1400. If I stop losing weight I will maybe adjust that. The doc said it was a good amount give or take a bit. I don't feel hungry at all and very seldom get to that 1400 mark. Many times am under the 1200 mark. Heck I am working hard to get to the 1400 mark and stay there for awhile. What the heck am I going to drop down to in another 20lbs if I am already down at 1200 lol.

If you feel more hungry on some days eat more. Just make sure it is more than just fat and carbs.

Today is a 'hungry day' for me. I have them from time to time. I agree with Trazey, I do think I get these when I'm losing well and the grumbling tummy is my body trying to 'trick' me into eating more than I need as its easier to use calories from digesting food than stored fat. On these days I will eat more, but more of the good stuff. For example today I had to eat my mid-morning snack (small banana) early as I was hungry, so of course an hour or so later, with lunch still a couple of hours away I'm still not satisfied, so I've eaten an apple. One apple is hardly going to stall my weightloss, so I have no intention of cutting back later in the day.

Hungry days just have to be managed properly. Tomorrow I'll be fine.

Kitty

Hey! I do have those days--every now and then, a day when I can't seem to get enough, when my stomach is growling about an hour after my last meal or snack, when it seems like I'm a bottomless pit! I think I've had three or four of those days in the last six months.

I try to do what I can to slow myself down on those days, but the last time it happened, I put away 2600 calories. Sometimes there is a trigger involved--I've eaten something that might not have been the best idea, and away I go. Other times, I have no explanation.

I just go on with my normal program the day after--I don't try to compensate for it by eating less or exercising a whole lot, although I may up my exercise a bit.

Jay

I don't tend to find I am hungry. Might be because I don't tend to eat big meals. I break a meal down into two meals. That might help on the hungry days.

I have hungrier days as well but I also have no idea how many calories I eat. Since I am changing up my diet, I should try to get at least an average calorie count but I will admit I am lazy.

I recently started a meal plan where I eat 2 large salads per day along with other raw veggies, cooked veggies, legumes and fruits. I will say that I amazed at how full I am in the evening on what is a lot of nutrient dense food. I know it is hard to choose carrots over something else or celery but I would say on those days when you are hungry, try to fill up on lots of veggies and other low calorie foods.

I usually do about 1200 calories, I totally bombed this last week and didn't even count so I know I screwed up. ANYWAY.. when I am behaving myself, I am perfectly satisfied on 1200 calories as long as I stay away from starches and sugars. If I pack my calories with proteins and fibers, I don't get hungry. I snack on deli sliced chicken and turkey or string cheese.

I never go hungry. Ever. I starve and feel deprived on 1200. I'm tall, my body needs more. I have tried very low calorie eating plans before and always found them unsustainable. My goal this time is to eat as many calories as possible and still lose weight. This is a sustainable change for me, and I think it looks very close to my permanent eating patterns need to be. So far, it's working brilliantly.

I've been losing on 1600 to 2000 cal a day. Most days I eat closer to 2000. On super hungry days, I go with it and eat a little more if necessary. To me this is also about learning to listen to the body and its needs, so going hungry is not a good idea.

When the weight loss stalls, my plan is to adjust down a shade....only to the point where I'm losing weight again.