I'm hungry!

As of yesterday I am starving.  I'm not saying hungry, I'm starving.  I woke up this morning at three am not able to sleep.  My heart was pounding, I'm shaky, and just not feeling well.  I've been eating 1000 calories average a day since Tuesday.  I'm not sure about this.  I hate toquit, I think my dh thinks I quit every diet I go on.  Just if my heart didn't have the jitters.

Any ideas?

First, can I just check.... is this calorie intake Dr recommended? Because being so desperately hungry doesn't sound right to me.  Sure there have been days here and there (usually when I am stressed or PMT) that I feel over hungry and want to indulge on extra foods, but overall I could never have stuck to an eating plan that meant I was always hungry.  A long term plan that involves constant hunger seems unlikely to work- eventually you will 'break' and overeat? surely?

You absolutely need to monitor intake and increase workouts to lose weight, but real hunger can actually trigger your body to go into starvation mode- which means when you do eat the body stores that energy because it thinks it's famine time. So don't quit- just be realisitic.  Sure 1000 calories may mean quicker weight loss- but not if you then pigout in protest, or end up ill and too weak to workout. Gaining weight takes time, losing it takes time.

On a serious note (having just had alot of dealings with thyroid issues myself recently), have you had your  thyroid levels checked lately? Sometimes extreme hunger and difficulty losing weight can be symptoms of a underactive thyroid, and you say you are not feeling well.  Here's a list of symptoms- so if they seem to apply ask you GP for a bloodtest:

Fatigue
Weakness
Weight gain or increased difficulty losing weight
Coarse, dry hair
Dry, rough pale skin
Hair loss
Cold intolerance (can't tolerate the cold like those around you)
Muscle cramps and frequent muscle aches
Constipation
Depression
Irritability
Memory loss
Abnormal menstrual cycles
Decreased libido

 

Another thing I think might be worth considering: 

If you think it is totally diet related, then it might be worth thinking about what you eat when. That can make a big difference, as an example for me the plan I folllow means that I eat carbs with breakfast and lunch but not with dinner.  However, what I have actually worked out is better for me is to change that a bit. I have carbs with breakfast, eat fruit and yoghurt or veggie soup for lunch then have my roll/sandwich for afternoon tea, then no carbs with dinner.  This works for me because not matter if I ate 1000000 rolls for lunch I would get to 4pm and still want a slice of toast or two! So instead of denying myself this, I have worked around it to make it work for me. What I worked out is that my substantial afternoon tea actually fills me up with carbs a bit closer to dinner time so I don't feel inclined to have carbs when dinner arrives.  It also means that I eat the right amount of fruit (something I have always struggled to do).

Hope you turn the corner soon,

Em

any diet that leave you hungry to the point ya feel you are starving is doomed to failure. i would talk to the dr about upping your calories. seems silly to have them so low anyway.

Thanks guys.  To your question Em, yes it is Doctor recommended.  I'm seeing a new doctor that I just started on Tuesday.  He is a weight loss doctor at a weight loss clinic.   I'm still a little skeptical on it, but I really like him as a weight loss doctor.  I don't think it's a thyriod issue, I've had several full panels of things done to me the past few months so I'm sure they checked that out.  I'll have to look on my report though, one doctor gave me a copy of it.  Last night I layed down in bed and instantly got light headed when I closed my eyes.  I instantly got up and made me an egg sandwich.  About an hour after that I was able to sleep alright.  I called and talked to one of the nurses.  She thinks I had low blood sugar levels and that's what caused it.  She said she usually only hears about this like the first day or two on the 1000 calorie plan.

I got a big decision to make today.  Last night scared me quite a bit.  I wasn't even going to eat except my husband told me too.  I'm on two tv dinners a day (200-300 calorie), and three snacks of thiers which is 150-200 each.   One table salad, and all the veggies (on a list) I want to eat.  I'm already getting sick of tv dinners a little bit, and thier snacks aren't that great.  I'm scared of a repeat failure.  I REALLY liked the idea of this, but I'm just not sure if I can keep it up.  I'm actually embarrassed, or I should say ashamed to talk to dh about it.  I start a new plan and it seems like it always bombs.  I just feel so icky though. 

I also noticed on the scale I have dropped several pounds already just since Tuesday.  I was at 302 on their scale and my scale this morning it said 292.  So I figure even with a couple pounds difference in scales, that's a lot!

I don't know what to do .  :((

Before you give it up all together, try working in two more protein drinks as snacks:  one before bed especially! Maybe ditch one of their snacks and replace that with a shake - like I said - especially before bed. Yes, it will add in more calories, but perhaps you need them to get started on this. As has been said, too low is doomed for failure. One should feel the burn, but not shaky.  Hang in there!  call your doc office, too.

Holly, did the doctor put you on diet pills? I can't imagine eating that little without some kind of medication to help you.   And if you are on medication, that's why your heart was pounding and you felt woosy.  Been there...done that several times in my life.  I lost a lot of weight on medication diet pills, but you feel yucky at first.   Keep drinking your water.  That should help. Good luck! Bren

I did have the option to get on pills but I opted not too.  I want to do this on my own if I can.  I did call and they think I had low blood sugar.  She said if it happens again to eat a piece of chicken breast or another tv dinner with 20-30 more calories in it.  Either way will at least help me keep things in control of my calorie intake. 

Today so far I'm feeling better.  That food REALLY helped me.  I might just have to do it again if I need too.  Like someone said, I shouldn't be at that point.  I want to do this right, but not ready to give the plan up yet.  I really like this doctor so I'll stick by it a little longer.  He might have some more information on what he wants me to do since I had this little episode, will find out Tuesday when he comes in.

Today I went and bought me my first mini goal pants! :)  First time I've ever spent $64 dollars knowing that it doesn't fit!ha  I can almost fit into them, but not quite.  So I'm a little excited, I like tiny minigoals like this. :)

Hi Holly, This happened to me the first couple of weeks into the plan I'm following.  For me it was a matter of keeping my blood sugar from dipping too low and the fact that I wasn't drinking enough water.  Add to that I dropped over 10 pounds the first week.  I think the body has to adjust to the reduction of calories and this takes time.  When I feel weak or lightheaded I eat extra protein and that always seems to help.  I'm now to the point where I can exercise but in the beginning I didn't feel energetic enough.  It will get better.  Hang in there. Good going on your loss so far!  And I really like your idea of mini goal pants.