So hungry on 1300 calories a day,shall I increase?

[reallybreexy]

I'm 5ft 7 and weigh 10 stone 1
35 and female
I'm wanting to get down to 9 stone
I'm walking 5-6 miles a day and I'm on 1300 calories a day but I'm starving all the day.

Today I had for breakfast
1 scrambled egg
1 slice wholemeal bread

Lunch
1/2 Tin baked beans
1 slice wholemeal bread

Is this not enough?

OP I'm a similar height, and at 10st 7, really felt I needed to get back under 10st. I exercise most days (some days just a walk, other days spinning, yoga and I see a PT fortnightly). I used My Fitness Pal to track calories, and it also suggested 1200-1300 daily calories. I also have an Apple Watch and on days where I burn more calories with exercise, I just can't eat so low cal - I get spaced out, I'm hungry, I actually am reluctant to exercise in case I get dizzy and black out (I have low blood pressure, so that and low blood sugar could easily see me hit the decks!).

Anyway, so now if I'm 'properly' trying to lose, I aim for a 500 cal daily deficit. My Apple Watch tracks my calories and I tend to burn 1900-2300 a day dependent on activity level, so I work from those numbers and it's much more achievable and probably more sustainable (what's not achievable and sustainable is me giving up chocolate 😁).

@EmmaStone that's how I'm feeling today.
Really spaced out and light headed /shaky etc
I deffo think I need to up my calories tbh

Spaces out, lightheaded is not good. Something's wrong OP. You need to increase your intake, not reduce it. And really, you aren't eating a lot of bread, are you?

You've eaten about 400kcal so far today, maybe 500 if you added butter/oil to your cooking

Your feeling hungry, spaced out and light headed because you've eaten very little, and are walking 6 miles a day. It is not because you've eaten 2 slices of bread

You need to think realistically if you can maintain 9st healthily and happily at your height. You do not need to lose weight for health purposes. Do you need to reduce to 1200kcal? That is very low. At 5'7 and being reasonably active you can probably up that to 1500 and still lose weight. It will be slower but as you are at a healthy weight currently you should not be aiming for fast weight loss.

I’m on 1300 calories a day too and find it ok. I am a similar height but weigh a bit more ( I idea how much as I don’t weigh myself) but would like to drop a dress size (I prefer to go by clothes than weigh/bmi).
Today’s breakdown as an idea:
3.5 mile run first thing
B: yogurt with a handful of raspberries
L: 2 sausages on the bbq with 2 slices of bread (not a usual lunch but Sunday and nice weather…would usually have a big tuna Niçoise salad or similar)
An alcohol free beer
D: teriyaki steak and noodles with green beans and spring onions.
1290 calories

I run 3 times a week and open water swim 1/2 times a week.

[quote ChatterMonkey]@singlenotsingle just because the op is lighter than you, it doesnt invalidate her desire to lose some weight to get healthier. Im the same hight as you, weigh less then you, but am concerned about my weight and am working on losing a good chunk.

Our relative situations dont make one of us right or wrong, just as it doesnt make the op wanting to lose weight any less important to the op.[/quote]
I agree with you that it is fine for the OP to want to lose a few pounds, but it isn't to be healthier and it won't make a difference to her health, but that's ok.

I weigh what lots of people would probably love to weigh for my height and am no doubt towards the lower end of the healthy range, but it doesn't mean if I find I've put on a few pounds through pigging out/exercising less, I shouldn't try to shed the extra weight to get back to my usual, comfortable weight , even though I am not overweight.

Maybe slow but steady would be better. I’m shorter than you and no scales but put on some weight on my tummy this winter- people would probably say I was slim but I wasn’t keen on the extra tummy! I looked at what I ate and realised I’d got in an elevenses biscuit and evening packet of crisps and wine habit - cut that on weekdays and a month later there’s already a noticeable difference. It doesn’t sound much but over 5/7ths of a week that’s quite a lot less calories, I reckon it’ll take another few months to undo the lockdown damage!
If I’d tried your starvation approach I’d give up very quickly, try sustained small changes rather than an entire lifestyle shift.

@Sittinginthesand I think that's my bad habit 2
My 2 bars of chocolate a day

When i advised to lower carbs it wasnt saying that 2 slices of bread is too much. I was just meaning that the calories in those 2 slices of bread would go a lot further in other foods, allowing you to eat more overall and therefore feel fuller.

Also, lots and lots of veg with everything, very few calories, nutrients will help with energy levels and help with feeling full!

My 2 bars of chocolate a day
FFS replace this with at least five portions of veg a day, including one with breakfast. Keep up the exercise and the weight will slowly shed as you become fitter.

You don't need some mad fad diet, you need to start eating like the person you want to be. Good luck.

No wonder you are starving on a sensible weightloss amount of calories if you are having 2 bars of chocolate a day that is never going to keep you satisfied. Some really intense good quality dark chocolate can give you the same chocolate kick in a square or two, for a fraction of the calories. Don't increase your calorie allowance before you see how you do with less sugar and more veg.

Too many carbs.

Drop them.

You're keeping your insulin topped up which causes hunger.

Fewer carbs and much more protein.

1300 calories a day is low. Watch some James Smith videos, he speaks sense and is all about calorie deficit, but would never recommend you go that low. There's a free calculator on his site and videos to watch too - nothing has worked for me like the zero-bullshit approach to weightloss!

Of course it's not enough OP.

You're not a toddler. Eat some food.

OP you are shaky because your blood sugar gets too low. If you are eating low calorie but high carb your blood sugar will be up and down: the lows will make you hungry and shaky. Try and even out the dips. Either eat little and often or change some of your carb calories to protein ones.

If you eat well you shouldn't get so hungry. Example diet on 1200 a day:

Breakfast - 2 x slices toast with 1 egg and 30g of avocado
Or - Egg and baked bean (60g reduced salt) toastie
Or - 2 x slices toast with 30g cottage cheese, 1 banana sliced on top & a sprinkle of cinnamon

Snack - 150 cals nuts or a tub of flavoured Kvarg

Lunch - salad with pitta bread, hummus and felafel (to 300 cals) or a jacket potato with sala, or veggie soup with some bread

Snack - fruit or light cheese and crackers or rice cakes with cottage cheese, tomato and avocado - total 150 cals

Dinner - Roasted veg salad, or small steak with salad, baked crumbed fish with sweet potato fries (to 300 cals)

"Yes, her desire to lose weight to get healthier is invalid. "

In her posts that I've read so far she hasn't actually said it's to get healthier. Maybe she just wants to be slimmer and that's her choice, not yours. A valid choice as she is not underweight or nearly underweight.

There can be health considerations as well. For example I have a BMI around 22.5, but my waist is wider than recommended for diabetes risk.

@reallybreexy
Have a look at Joe wicks app, if you have O2 there is 2 months free with O2 priority. I have started last week and I have to say I am not hungry and I am actually leaving planned and allowed snacks out most days as I don't need them.
It's basically exercising 4-5 times a week (mine is 25mins long at the moment), 2 rest days and meals from app or create your own with staying within the portions advised when cooking.
Today for example I exercised before breakfast, had really filling chocolate protein shake for breakfast, vegetable pasta bake for lunch and steak and salad for dinner. Lots of water, still have my two coffees per day and also allowed two snacks a day (fruit, nuts, etc.) but I can't fit them in as I'm full from the meals.
Worth having a look into, I previously did my fitness pal who advised 1200 cal per day and I struggled. I was constantly hungry and one day I just went back to eating everything and anything. So far this plan makes me energised, I like the exercise as not too difficult or long and I love the recipes so far.

I have lost about half a stone in the last months by cutting down on processed food. I got the idea after that tv program on ultra-processed food by one of the doctors from operation ouch. Basically i eat only homemade food or food with very few ingredients. Bread and sweet food have gone.

I used to be hungry all the time. Now i eat as much as I need to fill me up. I don't crave bread and chocolate like I used too.

I say this because i notice that op was eating beans on toast for lunch. I used to eat that for lunch and I'd have to eat a huge dinner after.

I agree. Get rid of sweet food, processed good, artificial sweeteners, bread, margarine, vegetable oil. These are the goods that drive obesity. This is why beans on toast is not a good option for losing weight

[quote onedream]@reallybreexy
Have a look at Joe wicks app, if you have O2 there is 2 months free with O2 priority. I have started last week and I have to say I am not hungry and I am actually leaving planned and allowed snacks out most days as I don't need them.
It's basically exercising 4-5 times a week (mine is 25mins long at the moment), 2 rest days and meals from app or create your own with staying within the portions advised when cooking.
Today for example I exercised before breakfast, had really filling chocolate protein shake for breakfast, vegetable pasta bake for lunch and steak and salad for dinner. Lots of water, still have my two coffees per day and also allowed two snacks a day (fruit, nuts, etc.) but I can't fit them in as I'm full from the meals.
Worth having a look into, I previously did my fitness pal who advised 1200 cal per day and I struggled. I was constantly hungry and one day I just went back to eating everything and anything. So far this plan makes me energised, I like the exercise as not too difficult or long and I love the recipes so far.
[/quote]
I put weight on doing Joe Wicks. Waaaaay too many carbs if you’re veggie.

Husband is a Joe Wicks grad and has lost loads of weight/toned up though.

Same as you, trying to drop half a stone or so. My summer clothes are all a bit tight in the tummy and hips!
I've just started a trial with Noom. It's making me realise I eat far too many carbs. Especially bread and pasta. Yesterday I swapped a sandwich for a bowl of salad with tuna. The warm weather helps eating like this though!
I think you have to give your body a chance to get used to not eating so much and eating different things. My tummy is rumbling as we speak!

Have you already eaten lunch? That's early! Try to hold out a bit longer, or you will feel it later.

Up your water intake too. For lots of evolutionary reasons thirst can appear as hunger.

Those of you saying OP is having "too many" carbs -- how many grams of carbs do you recommend she have daily (max) ?