So hungry!

I am 11 months out and have lost 113 pounds (274 to 160.5). Up until a few weeks ago, my only real exercise was an occasional walk at night. My husband and I joined a gym, and I am doing an intense cardio workout four times a week. Now I am so hungry all the time - stomach growling away, salivating at the sight of a stale cracker, feeling weak if I have not eaten in a few hours, etc. I have increased liquids and kept my protein up, but this constant physical hunger is taking its toll as I want to snack all the time. My weight is unchanged, but I definitely have more muscle mass and have lost a clothing size since starting this workout. I have increased my daily calorie count to 1000-1200 (up from 800-1000) and it does not seem to help.

I have never experienced true hunger since beginning this journey. Anyone else experienced this? Is it just that I am burning more calories? Or is it because I am almost a year out? Any suggestions?

Are you on an acid reducer? Acid can mimic hunger.

Have you had blood work done lately? Several deficiencies, particularly iron, can leave you feeling weak.

Some people do experience a return of hunger after a year or so, so that's absolutely a possibility.

What kind of food are you eating for the extra calories?

Show us an example of your daily meal plan and maybe we can troubleshoot.

Have you tried changing the timing of your meals to eat when you're finding yourself hungry?

are you getting 64+ oz of sf liquid every day?

Dehydration can cause hunger.

Thanks for your responses!

My daily meal plan hardly ever varies during the week.

B: Protein bar (190 calories, 32 g protein)

L: Chicken soup (140 calories, 10 g protein)

Snack: cheesestick (70 calories, 8 g protein)

D: 4 - 6 oz air fried chicken, turkey, or fish; 1/3 c carbs (brown rice or ancient grain pasta), 1/3 - 1 cup vegetables (hi carb vegs like peas or limas = 1/3 cup).

Snack: fruit, usually half banana, handful of grapes, or a small apple. Berries if they are in season

I drink at least 4 large cups of decaf coffee a day (spenda/light nondairy creamer) and maybe two large glasses of water. In addition, I drink a full bottle of water during/after my cardio workout.

On Saturday, we go out for a mid-morning brunch and I have 2 scrambled eggs and two slices of turkey bacon with coffee of course. Snack and dinner as usual.

On Sunday we go out for lunch so I have my main meal then.

My hunger does not seem to kick in until late in the day, and one cheesestick does not seem to work.

Suggestions?

Thanks for your responses!

My daily meal plan hardly ever varies during the week.

B: Protein bar (190 calories, 32 g protein)

L: Chicken soup (140 calories, 10 g protein)

Snack: cheesestick (70 calories, 8 g protein)

D: 4 - 6 oz air fried chicken, turkey, or fish; 1/3 c carbs (brown rice or ancient grain pasta), 1/3 - 1 cup vegetables (hi carb vegs like peas or limas = 1/3 cup).

Snack: fruit, usually half banana, handful of grapes, or a small apple. Berries if they are in season

I drink at least 4 large cups of decaf coffee a day (spenda/light nondairy creamer) and maybe two large glasses of water. In addition, I drink a full bottle of water during/after my cardio workout.

On Saturday, we go out for a mid-morning brunch and I have 2 scrambled eggs and two slices of turkey bacon with coffee of course. Snack and dinner as usual.

On Sunday we go out for lunch so I have my main meal then.

My hunger does not seem to kick in until late in the day, and one cheesestick does not seem to work.

Suggestions?

imho, you are not eating enough real dense protein. Carbs will make you hungry and you are eating a lot of carbs, carby vegetables, fruit, rice and how many carbs in the protein bar?

soup goes right through and will do nothing to fill you up. I suggest you leave off everything but dense protein, eggs and cheese and things like real meat chicken pork and fish at every meal. Forget the string cheese, fruit and the junk foods.

I bet if you eat plenty of real dense protein you will find your hunger greatly diminished.

Sounds like you mAy be getting 30 or less oz of liquid a day. You need st least twice that amount and how are you doing on your vitamins?

Vitamins are on track. I get about 70 ounces of liquid a day, mostly in the form of decaf coffee. I will try eliminating the carbs at night. Suggestions for snacks?

snacks are the same. Meat chicken fish, eggs pork shrimp. We need to get out of the " snack" mindset. We all know what " snacks" indicate. I no longer eat snacks. I now eat 6 small meals a day all focusing on dense protein.i have lost 122# and maintained the loss for 7 years doing this.

dense protein.