Hungry on less calories

[Joopoo]

MFP gives me a daily calorie allowance of 1500 calories. I want to get down from 12 stone to 11. I know I'm not that much overweight but I know I'll feel better if I could lose a few pounds. The only thing is, I am finding it difficult to have less than 1700-1800 calories/day. Am trying to have less carbs too. Feel a bit stuck as cutting back means I am feeling hungry a lot...

[kantara71]

Hi Joopoo, Best to tackle that extra stone now before it gets any higher! Your allowance of 1500 calories should be enough so if you are cutting down on carbs make sure you are eating enough and drinking plenty of water too. Have you started the nhs 12 week plan yet? John

[ScoobaSteve]

Are you drinking enough water? Sometimes if we don't the body mistakes it for hunger.

[fussybird]

Hi Joopoo, have you tried spiralised courgettes and cauliflower rice? Both are brilliant carb replacements to have with stir fries, chilli, curry, bolognaise sauce. Chuck in plenty of garlic for flavour, and you can have quite a lot of it for few calories.

[IndigoBlue61]

I used to get really hungry too, and it's the dieters big enemy 😞 Having enough to eat is key so you need to make careful choices.

- choose food items with the maximum "fill-me-up-ness" if that makes sense. (two small slices of whole meal bread with salad is not many more calories than a packet of crisps for example)

- bulk up the rice/pasta/potatoes with veg, onion, mushroom, carrots. Finely chopped or even grated

- Similar for your meat, make a casserole add loads of veggies. I add grated carrot onion mushroom (I have a little whizzy machine) mince with handful of lentils, 400g mince makes 6 servings this way.

- soups are the saviours of healthy eating. You can use the bags of ready chopped veg, add onion, stock, tinned tomatoes ( even a few lentils) wholesome filling snack/starter.

- use wholmeal/wholewheat where you can, it fills you up for longer.

Good Luck Joopoo

Anna 😊

[Hidden]

I'd second what Anna has said. One of the best things about recording what you eat is that you can track whatmmakes you feel full for longer. And definitely wholegrain / wholewheat lasts longer. I was quite surprised to find how satisfying brown rice was in comparison with white rice, which always left me feeling unsatisfied.

I know you said you were cutting down on carbs but I have started baking bread in the house (soda bread . It's very quick. I bag the dry ingredients for a few cakes of bread and I bake it when I want it). I'm baking because trying to track the ingredients of bought bread was z nightmare.

I find as the weeks have gone by I'm eating fewer carbs, maybe more proteins. But the change has been gradual. Feeling hungry is not good. Recording intake and calories has been an eye opener for me.