i have two quick questions

#1. is it normal to be on a calorie deficit (about 500-600 cals) and not feel hungry? does this mean i am not really on a deficit or i am just lucky?

and

#2. does being hungry ensure a calorie deficit? sometimes its not possible for me to count my calories and i have no idea where im at. can i go with my gut(no pun intended) and just eat until there is a slight lingering hunger with me throughout the day? how accurate would this meathod be if at all?

thanks!

I get hungry every two hours, and I eat. I also eat 5-8 meals/day, depending on my schedule.

Hunger shouldn't have to play a role in determining when to eat. It all depends on your goals. If you are hungry and want to eat, then eat. Just make good choices when you do.


i have two quick questions

#1. is it normal to be on a calorie deficit (about 500-600 cals) and not feel hungry? does this mean i am not really on a deficit or i am just lucky?

and

#2. does being hungry ensure a calorie deficit? sometimes its not possible for me to count my calories and i have no idea where im at. can i go with my gut(no pun intended) and just eat until there is a slight lingering hunger with me throughout the day? how accurate would this meathod be if at all?

thanks!

You may not feel hungry maybe because you ate too much the night before. Or, you may be lucky. Hunger cannot be used to determine whether you're on a calorie deficit or not. But physical hunger is a sign that you need to eat. Note the word 'physical', because sometimes we are mentally hungry and we still eat anyway.

Again, hunger doesn't ensure a calorie deficit. Eating the wrong kind of foods can make you hungry fast, while eating the right food can make you feel fuller, longer.

To feel fuller longer, prefer a low GI complex carb combined with protein and a little bit of fat. With the right amount (300-400 kcal) people normally feel hungry every 3-4 hours, and those with faster metabolism may feel hungry between 2-3 hours. While eating high Gi carbs alone (white bread) can make you feel abnormally tired and hungry an hour later, even with the same amount of calories.

lol

reminds me of someone i know who was saying that thier metabolism was going through the roof. i asked them when was the last time they ate... that person said "an hour ago"... i said "what did you eat"? they said "and icecream float a banana and some strawberries.

i spit my drink man.

i have two quick questions

#1. is it normal to be on a calorie deficit (about 500-600 cals) and not feel hungry? does this mean i am not really on a deficit or i am just lucky?

and

#2. does being hungry ensure a calorie deficit? sometimes its not possible for me to count my calories and i have no idea where im at. can i go with my gut(no pun intended) and just eat until there is a slight lingering hunger with me throughout the day? how accurate would this meathod be if at all?

thanks!

I'm also cutting (deficit of at least 500, on the days that I work out maybe 700) and I'm never hungry.
I mean, when I'm hungry I eat LOL.
I get hungry about 2-3 hrs after a meal (I eat 6 meals a day) so I eat.

I also notice that I get more hungry/cravings after a cheat meal (that happens once a week) or after I had too many carbs. Then I have a little cottage cheese or a protein shake and I'm fine :)

i have two quick questions

#1. is it normal to be on a calorie deficit (about 500-600 cals) and not feel hungry? does this mean i am not really on a deficit or i am just lucky?

and

#2. does being hungry ensure a calorie deficit? sometimes its not possible for me to count my calories and i have no idea where im at. can i go with my gut(no pun intended) and just eat until there is a slight lingering hunger with me throughout the day? how accurate would this meathod be if at all?

thanks!

1) It's normal. Just because you are on a calorie deficit does not mean you are eating less than you're used to. Let's say you started your new diet today, but yesterday your "normal eating plan" was eating even less. Naturally today you might not feel hungry, even though you're eating under your BMR, since you're eating more.

2) No. I wouldn't use hunger as a tool, at least not in that way. However I do agree with with tennisball to a degree: if you're hungry, eat. Just make good choices. Of course be sure you are really hungry and not just wanting to eat for other reasons (bored, depressed).

if you go by just hunger, you will have a tendancy to eat too few calories (assuming you are eating clean). count some calories for awhile, after that, you will generally have a good idea of how much food is enough.

if you go by just hunger, you will have a tendancy to eat too few calories (assuming you are eating clean). count some calories for awhile, after that, you will generally have a good idea of how much food is enough.

yeah, i made that error for about 3 months.

It depends on the situation and on the goal. If I´m cutting I will have a very strict plan. First meal might be at 9.00, second at 11.30, third at 2.00, fourth at 4.30, fifth at 7.00, sixth at 9.30 and seventh at 12.00(5 min before I go to bed). If I get very hungry at maybe 3.15 in the afternoon I will just take the pain and wait til 4.30 as planned. And also eat the food I had planned for that meal.

I feel and believe that if you intend to maybe go from 11% BF to 8% you will have to do it that way. You can be a bit less strict if you are at 20% trying to get to 15%.

When I´m bulking or maintaining I am a bit more realaxed and will eat sooner or some extra food if I feel like it.

But I think that often you can´t trust hunger. It will not always mean that your body needs food. And thats why a good plan is very important.

:gl:

You *can* count calories at all time, even away from home. It takes a little more effort, but soon you'd get used to it. Here's what I do. Get yourself a tiny notebook, or if nothing else a folded piece of paper. Write down whatever you eat and about how much you think you ate of it based on the size of your hand, or the size of a tablespoon, how much you think it weighs, or whatever. When you get home, look up the foods you ate at calorieking.com or nutritiondata.com. and try to estimate how many calories you took in. Then add them to the rest of your calorie tally for the day.

You may not get an exact number, but you'll at least be ballpark. You may also realize, "Whoa! I can't believe how much calories X food I thought was low-cal has in it! Better not eat that ever again."

I don't think it's a good idea to walk around slightly hungry all day. I feel like I'm eating all the damn time, it seems like I'm always in the kitchen getting something, and that's because I end up eating every 2-3 hours. My friend says, "Every time I come over here, you're eating, but you've lost weight." I don't even let myself get truly hungry if i can help it.
:tu: