I think I'm eating a reasonable amount of calories right now (~1900 at 195 pds 6'0) but I feel hungry pretty regularly.

I've tried eating a lot of volume with my meals, including things like broccoli and salad greens when I have chicken and rice, and having a lot of water with my protein shake.

Overall I'm not too concerned about being a bit hungry while cutting, but I guess I'm curious if I should be concerned? As silly as it probably sounds, is it normal? My big concern right now is I don't want to be losing any more muscle than I need to while cutting. Calorically I appear to be sound, so I certainly hope that's not the case, but I was hoping to get some input on whether the hunger should be of any concern, and also if anyone has any tips to avoid them?

At the moment I eat 6 meals a day. 4 are real meals (morning I have 8 egg whites, 2 slices of whole wheat bread and an apple) and then I have chicken/rice three times (I plan to get some variety soon! ;)) and two protein shakes per day.

Also, does it take a bit of time for your body to get used to a caloric deficit as far as hunger goes? Say, after a few weeks, will 1900 calories (assuming the same meal make up) be a bit more fulfilling? Or is it a pretty good bet that the hunger I feel now will be ongoing if I don't make any changes?

Thanks! :)

Are you getting enough fiber in your meals? Foods high in fiber tend to make you feel more full. I've never done a cut so I'm not sure of the particulars in macros, but adding some fiber may help you out.

Are you getting enough fiber in your meals? Foods high in fiber tend to make you feel more full. I've never done a cut so I'm not sure of the particulars in macros, but adding some fiber may help you out.

Well, right now I incorporate salad greens into one of my chicken meals and broccoli into two of them. They do a decent job, but the hunger pains still persist. Is there any good fiber source I might want to consider?

I think I'm eating a reasonable amount of calories right now (~1900 at 195 pds 6'0) but I feel hungry pretty regularly.

I've tried eating a lot of volume with my meals, including things like broccoli and salad greens when I have chicken and rice, and having a lot of water with my protein shake.



Hunger is in our minds. Try vegetables with bulk like corn and beans. 1 - 1.5 gallons of water a day. Try to finish the last by 9pm.:eat:

Hunger is in our minds.

I guess that really underscores the important point. I'm actually pretty willing to tolerate the hunger, it's not perfect, but it's not the end of the world. But sohuld I be concerned about losing muscle needlessly? Or does that have nothing to do with hunger, and everything to do with my caloric/macro breakdowna nd the timing of my meals?

Also, as far as beans go, I rarely eat them. Is there any type that would recommend?

Thanks! :)

Also, as far as beans go, I rarely eat them. Is there any type that would recommend?

Thanks! :)

Being a country boy, I say butter beans and green beans.

You won't lose muscle with low calories but you will lose them doing to much cardio not enough weights. The weight training builds muscle and burns calories. Cardio burns calories, builds few muscles. You just lift as heavy a weight as you can.

I think I'm eating a reasonable amount of calories right now (~1900 at 195 pds 6'0) but I feel hungry pretty regularly.

I would eat more to cut, and I weigh 10 lbs less.

I've tried eating a lot of volume with my meals, including things like broccoli and salad greens when I have chicken and rice, and having a lot of water with my protein shake.Good place to start.

Overall I'm not too concerned about being a bit hungry while cutting, but I guess I'm curious if I should be concerned? As silly as it probably sounds, is it normal? My big concern right now is I don't want to be losing any more muscle than I need to while cutting. Calorically I appear to be sound, so I certainly hope that's not the case, but I was hoping to get some input on whether the hunger should be of any concern, and also if anyone has any tips to avoid them?

At the moment I eat 6 meals a day. 4 are real meals (morning I have 8 egg whites, 2 slices of whole wheat bread and an apple) and then I have chicken/rice three times (I plan to get some variety soon! ;)) and two protein shakes per day.

Also, does it take a bit of time for your body to get used to a caloric deficit as far as hunger goes? Say, after a few weeks, will 1900 calories (assuming the same meal make up) be a bit more fulfilling? Or is it a pretty good bet that the hunger I feel now will be ongoing if I don't make any changes?

Thanks! :)I always start higher and work my way down on calories when cutting. I suspect you could easily add 500 calories (assuming you are lifting weights and possibly doing some cardio).

But the big hole in your diet seems to be fat content. Fat helps control insulin swings (from all the carbs you seem to be eating) as well as helping satiety so that you stay full longer.

Add nuts, avocado, olive oil on veggies, heavy cream in your protein shakes, other lean meats that might have a bit more fat content like beef, more whole eggs in your omlette, etc.

If you are looking for more fiber, beans are a good choice (black beans, kidneys, etc). I personally wouldn't eat a lot of corn in your situation as it's low in fiber and just a higher GI carb source that will continue your insulin swings that I suspect might be affecting your satiety. Substitute some beans for some of the rice.

Green beans are good to add into your green vegetables, though. :nod: Keep the variety going for both enjoyment and to cover nutritional bases.

Awesome, thanks Mannishboy :)

Hunger is in our minds. Try vegetables with bulk like corn and beans. 1 - 1.5 gallons of water a day. Try to finish the last by 9pm.:eat:
^^^^ +1 on the water. What is your water intake? Most of the time we are dehydrated more than hungry. :tucool:

Thanks for all the responses, guys!

As far as water intake goes, I'm nearly certain that's not an issue. I'm consuming a lot of water.

Today was a bit frustrating, but I'm hoping someone might be able to she dsome light on it. Mannishboy posted the following earlier:

"But the big hole in your diet seems to be fat content. Fat helps control insulin swings (from all the carbs you seem to be eating) as well as helping satiety so that you stay full longer."

I don't know a lot about how insulin response works, but I'm starting to believe this might be the case. I had my first meal this morning which had the following:

8 Egg Whites - 120 cal, 28 protein, 0 fat, 0 carbs
2 Slices Whole Grain Bread - 200 cal, 5 protein, 1.5 fat, 13 carb
1 Apple - 72 calories, 0 protein, 1 fat, 19 carbs

That meal always seems to make me feel full for several hours afterwards. After having that meal, a few hours later I had the following meal:

Chicken (100g) - 124 calories, 24 protein, 2 fat, 0 carbs
2 cups Broccoli - 50 calories, 8 protein, 0 fat, 10 carbs
10g almonds - 54 calories, 2.2 protein, 3.2 fat, 3.8 carbs
25g rice (measured uncooked) - 91 calories, 3 protien, 1 fat, 19 carbs

Prior to eating that meal I wasn't very hungry, but I still ate it because it was time for that meal. After eating it, within about 20 minutes, I'm absolutely starving. I'm hungrier after the meal than I was before. Does that seem consistent with high insulin in response ot the carbs I took in?

I guess I'm struggling. I hear that I should eat volume foods to stay full, and foods like broccoli seem to be volume foods due to their fiber content. But I'm eating those foods and I tend to be hungrier after.

Assuming it is due to an insulin response to the carbs, is there anything I can do to counter it? I'm not having any trouble sticking to my weights/cardio, but I know I won't be able to stick to my diet for the long term if I'm always feeling this hungry after meals.

Thanks again to everyone for their help, I appreciate it immeasurably!

Basically what I was referring to on insulin swings is that after a high carb meal, especially one with lower fiber content, insulin will spike. Then it will drop causing energy to decline and hunger to increase. So keeping insulin spikes under control and leveled out a bit will often keep you from feeling the energy swings/hunger pangs.

Fat slows down digestion and doesn't spike insulin. Protein can spike insulin a bit, but fat helps control that, so a protein+fat meal with controlled fiberous carbs might just help you fight off the hunger.

I still think your calories are also a touch low, and you might raise them a bit for awhile then work back down if needed later to get the progress moving if you slow down.

Your first meal is probably not causing the hunger afterward because of the pectiin fiber in the apple combined with the protein in the eggs. Pectin is a good hunger controller vs say what you'd get out of a banana IME.

When I first looked at your diet, you looked to me like someone who fears that dietary fat will make them fat, which is 90s pop-nutritional thinking...and wrong. My overall point is that you might swap some of your rice/carbs for foods with natural fats (healthy) to keep you feeling more full.

It also might be that over time your body will grow accustom to this caloric level and slow down the metabolism/and hunger. Not necessarily a good thing as it's harder to make progress with a slow metabolism.

Basically what I was referring to on insulin swings is that after a high carb meal, especially one with lower fiber content, insulin will spike. Then it will drop causing energy to decline and hunger to increase. So keeping insulin spikes under control and leveled out a bit will often keep you from feeling the energy swings/hunger pangs.

Fat slows down digestion and doesn't spike insulin. Protein can spike insulin a bit, but fat helps control that, so a protein+fat meal with controlled fiberous carbs might just help you fight off the hunger.

I still think your calories are also a touch low, and you might raise them a bit for awhile then work back down if needed later to get the progress moving if you slow down.

Your first meal is probably not causing the hunger afterward because of the pectiin fiber in the apple combined with the protein in the eggs. Pectin is a good hunger controller vs say what you'd get out of a banana IME.

When I first looked at your diet, you looked to me like someone who fears that dietary fat will make them fat, which is 90s pop-nutritional thinking...and wrong. My overall point is that you might swap some of your rice/carbs for foods with natural fats (healthy) to keep you feeling more full.

It also might be that over time your body will grow accustom to this caloric level and slow down the metabolism/and hunger. Not necessarily a good thing as it's harder to make progress with a slow metabolism.

Thanks again for all of the feedback Mannish. I certainly don't expect you to do my homework for me, but is there any chance you can tell me some "typical" meals, just so I can get some ideas?

What you're saying makes sense, but I don't really know what sort of meals would fit in to your guidelines and fight the insulin spikes.

Thanks!

Thanks again for all of the feedback Mannish. I certainly don't expect you to do my homework for me, but is there any chance you can tell me some "typical" meals, just so I can get some ideas?

What you're saying makes sense, but I don't really know what sort of meals would fit in to your guidelines and fight the insulin spikes.

Thanks!


Easy ways to add fat:

First meal you could drop the count of whites and have a couple of whole eggs mixed in. When you have veggies, you can drizzle a bit of olive oil over them. I like broccoli drizzled with a touch of extra virgin olive oil along with red pepper flakes for instance. In your meal with almonds and rice where you only have about a third of a serving of almonds, you could drop the rice content and have a full serving of 30 g. You could eat raw spinach based salads (much more nutrients and higher fiber than lettuce) and make a vinaigrette dressing by mixing up olive oil and balsamic vinegar and maybe some spices. Etc.

Lots of ways to mix it up.

A lot of people like to have more protein/carb heavy meals in the AM to get the energy and replenish glycogen that the body has used through the overnight fast, then shift calories to a bit more protein+fat as the days go on.

Experiment and see what works for you. We are all a bit different in how we respond to both diet and exercise.

Easy ways to add fat:

First meal you could drop the count of whites and have a couple of whole eggs mixed in. When you have veggies, you can drizzle a bit of olive oil over them. I like broccoli drizzled with a touch of extra virgin olive oil along with red pepper flakes for instance. In your meal with almonds and rice where you only have about a third of a serving of almonds, you could drop the rice content and have a full serving of 30 g. You could eat raw spinach based salads (much more nutrients and higher fiber than lettuce) and make a vinaigrette dressing by mixing up olive oil and balsamic vinegar and maybe some spices. Etc.

Lots of ways to mix it up.

A lot of people like to have more protein/carb heavy meals in the AM to get the energy and replenish glycogen that the body has used through the overnight fast, then shift calories to a bit more protein+fat as the days go on.

Experiment and see what works for you. We are all a bit different in how we respond to both diet and exercise.

Awesome, thanks Mannish :) I'll give some of these things a shot when I go foods hopping tomorrow.

Feel free to experiment a little with how you divide your macros for the day across the number of meals you eat, and as a result of this number, their frequency.

6 meals/day will help control hunger for some, and help set it off for others, so don't get yourself trapped in a "one size fits all" mentality, and think it's something you MUST do.

If you're consistently feeling hungry after meal two, as a test, I'd replace the rice with something else --another apple, and a few more nuts maybe. See what this does to control blood sugar, as rice can be a trigger point for some. Are you eating white rice or brown? Even brown can set things off, so don't think you're "safe" just because it's not white rice.

And if you're being strict with your calorie range I think you could quite possibly get away with 1-2 higher carb days/week while still losing fat, but that's getting into other areas.

So what was your water intake? :tucool:

So what was your water intake? :tucool:

I'd say about a gallon and a half. I don't think it's a lack of water, I think it's probably what I'm eating. Instead of chicken/rice today I'm going to have a sandwich at lunch (two slices whole wheat bread, lettuce, 70 grams or so of sliced meat, little bit of mayo) and for dinner I'm going to do whole wheat pasta.

I think I should have better results in terms of satiety and energy as a ersult. I know after my breakfast (tow slices of whole wheat bread, 8 egg whites and an apple) I tend to feel very energized and full.

My only concern right now is that I'm eating a lot of carbs throughout the day, but it's still within the macro guidelines from Aram.

I'd say about a gallon and a half. I don't think it's a lack of water, I think it's probably what I'm eating. Instead of chicken/rice today I'm going to have a sandwich at lunch (two slices whole wheat bread, lettuce, 70 grams or so of sliced meat, little bit of mayo) and for dinner I'm going to do whole wheat pasta.

To me, that's basically a wash on the high-ish GI carbs. Not sure that's going to help much.

My only concern right now is that I'm eating a lot of carbs throughout the day, but it's still within the macro guidelines from Aram.So you're working with Mastover? Have you talked to him? He's much more experienced than I am at this stuff. Tell him your problems and let him help you tweak things.

Mastover>Mannishboy and most others around here on this type of advice :D

These sort of "I'm working with a nutritional consultant/trainer" conditions really should be mentioned up front, especially when it's someone who is active on the forums, and has Mastover's level of experience.

Too much outside influence runs the risk of interfering with components of the program when viewed as a collective whole, and in larger scope.

Sorry, I usually do mention it in my posts, it just slipped my mind this time. I certainly respect Aram's advice, but I didn't want to go to him with a bunch of problems without having any real direction. I was hoping to have a better idea of what might be causing problems before I sought his advice on how to fix it.

Sorry, I usually do mention it in my posts, it just slipped my mind this time. I certainly respect Aram's advice, but I didn't want to go to him with a bunch of problems without having any real direction. I was hoping to have a better idea of what might be causing problems before I sought his advice on how to fix it.

He knows a hella of a lot more than most will know in a lifetime. If you have problems go to him. He is the man with the plan.:tucool:

Sorry, I usually do mention it in my posts, it just slipped my mind this time. I certainly respect Aram's advice, but I didn't want to go to him with a bunch of problems without having any real direction. I was hoping to have a better idea of what might be causing problems before I sought his advice on how to fix it.

dude that's what ur paying him for. i'm sure he appreciates ur assertiveness..... but at least shoot him ur questions before looking elsewhere. he's the nutrition man and you have him in ur corner for a reason! :tucool:

The one thing ive discovered that kills hunger is banannas.they're a natural for making you feel full and killing hunger pains.