I'm losing weight but I'm so hungry 😭

[Clemopesea]

I've been about a stone to a stone and a half overweight for pretty much all my adult life, yo yo-ing back and forth on various diets (I've tried them all including keto). After a shit time and 3 back to back miscarriages I comfort ate my way into oblivion and had a nasty shock when I realised I was now nearly 2.5 stone overweight and had just tipped into the "obese" BMI range. at 5ft 3 with a desk job my TDEE is 1700 cals so a 1lb loss requires me to eat no more than 1200 calories a day. I've been doing this for 8 weeks (that's the longest I've ever stuck to a diet) and I've lost nearly a stone which is obviously great. However, I'm starving all the time and I'm finding it is seriously affecting my mood. I follow a Mediterranean style diet with plenty of protein, healthy fats, fibre etc (which I always did, just ate too much of it) and I am just starving. To the extent that I'm often so hungry it wakes me up at night. I eat two meals a day, 400 cals for lunch and 600 for dinner with 200 left for milk in tea or a small snack etc. I cannot do any high impact exercise due to a knee injury but I walk 10-15k steps per day and do some yoga. I'm completely healthy otherwise. My thyroid is normal (not just within NHS normal ranges but genuinely completely normal).

I would have thought after 8 weeks I'd be getting more used to the smaller calorie allowance but I'm so hungry I can't bear it. I tried upping my calories to 1400-1500 but weight loss completely plateaud. With all previous diets I've felt hunger like this but always assumed it was because I hadn't stuck to them so hadn't adjusted. Am I destined to just feel starving forever now?

If you're 5 ft 3 and obese, and doing 15,000 steps a day and some yoga you can obviously afford to eat more than 1200 calories. You will still lose weight. Just putting your weight (if just in the obese range) and height into an online calculator, with moderate exercise 2 or 3 times a week which the steps and yoga will give you, it suggests around 1700 calories for 0.5 lb a week weight loss and 1473 for 1 lb a week weight loss.

It’s easier for me as I’m
out the house. I will say though that you’ll be amazed how quickly your stomach gets with the program. It will only growl for food for a short time and for one day before it switches and creates acid at the right time as long as your consistent.

I tried it for the first 4 weeks and I never adjusted, it was awful. And I actually lost more weight once I'd stopped as I was overeating on non fast days. I'm fine with 16:8 but I think anything more hard-core than that isn't for me.

I'm no longer obese - I was only just in the obese BMI category when I started, and once I'd lost half a stone was back in the overweight category where I still am. 1700 calories are my maintenance calories and my weight loss stalled completely at 1400-1500 calories. I think my metabolism is slow, sadly.

You are literally starving yourself, and expecting to get used to it. This isn't how to lose weight.

Please tell me how to do it then, because as far as I can see, when I have tried upping my calorie intake even by 200, I no longer lose.

How often do you eat, and what do you have for snacks?

My eating window is 12-8. I eat lunch at 12 and dinner at 6. If I have a snack (I don't always depending on how many calories are in my meals) I have hard boiled eggs, cottage cheese, nuts, cherry tomatoes, sometimes fruit.

And drinks..? Any alcohol? Fizzy pop? Juice? Squash?

Nothing except water and tea, which I measure out my milk for. I don't drink alcohol, juice, or fizzy drinks.

OP, your body is trying to undermine you. Eat at maintenance calories for a couple of weeks so your body isn’t over producing hunger hormones cause it thinks you’re starving.

Take a break until the hunger goes! It’s a marathon not a race.

You will simply be malnourished if you keep doing this. Have you seen a doctor? If you're really as active as you say, and eat the way you do, you're well below what you need to be eating just to nourish yourself.

Maybe you have low thyroid function or a hormonal imbalance?

Seen a doctor. No hormonal imbalance, no thyroid issues. Malnourished, no, I eat loads of veg daily and get all my nutrients in.

I will up my calories for the next week and see how I go.

Do you think that nourishment means 'veg'? There's something going on her, with your inability to fast, and your view of nourishment. Are you veggie? Sorry if you've said upthread already.

More protein, peanut butter powder has the protein but not the fat. Greek Yoghurt. Boiled eggs as snack. Or sugar free jelly?

Hi OP!
I really feel for you. My calorie allowance for weight loss is a bit higher as I am taller and I also so hungry! I do find some days are better than others and my body goes through phases (I've been eating in a calorie deficit since new year).

Honestly if you're constantly hungry, like your stomach feels empty and you know it's 100% hunger... you need to eat more.

I've been dieting since February. I'm often hungry - that comes with the territory

It really shouldn't.

Pretty normal body response to eating fewer calories than your body needs, no? I've learnt to accept the hunger pangs - it means I'm burning fat

It is the normal response to not eating enough, but that's why not eating enough isn't the healthiest way to lose weight.

What is it you propose I do?

You are an adult. 1200 calories is an insufficient amount to sustain for an prolonged period and you'll end up binging and putting all the weight back on. Increase the volume of food, and up your calories. I'd also increase the weight training. If you are hungry, actually hungry, not just peckish, then eat. And eat a bit of what you fancy, rather than what you think you should be eating. Otherwise you'll just focus on the thing you fancy constantly.

More protein and fat, and infrequent eating, to build up your calories and allow glucagon release. But it sounds like you're doing that stuff, which is why I was asking questions to clarify.

I’m similar size and weight but have done several things recently. I read the book why we eat too much, I have cut gluten out so I’m eating GF, plus I eat in a 9am-6pm window. But I’m not calorie counting just naturally eating less however the biggest difference is I started taking some meds to control the acid in my stomach plus a weeks course of antibiotics to control stomach issues and it killed my “hunger” completely. It made me realise my “feeling ravenous” all the time feeling was actually excess stomach acid. I’ve slowly lost 8lbs over 4wks with the 3rd week losing nothing. I had tried for a whole year previously to lose weight but kept yo-yo the same 4lbs! This time I feel so different like I’m in control not my appetite.