6 weeks out and HUNGRY...HELP???

[austexfitgal]

So, i'm about 6 weeks out from my first figure comp, and I've been eating right around 1700 calories (40-40-20/50-30-20) and feeling fine, not losing much weight on the scale, but down 3% bf and up 2lbs muscle in the first 6 weeks. (5'7", 121lbs, 15-16%bf-- yes, i know that's a bit high for this stage; it's novice and I'm skinny). My RMR per BodyGem is 1550.

Recently, I've been getting to the end of the day and I'm STARVING. I have increased cardio intensity/duration a bit, but it's just weird. I feel like this is the time I should start tapering down in calories as I get closer to comp time, but this isn't just cravings and diet fatigue, it's real hunger (i.e., I'd be happy to eat clean stuff). Any thoughts? I'm willing to be hungry if you guys tell me it's just part of the process-- especially since I seem stuck at this weight/bf%-- but I'd be happier to eat more if it would either help or not affect my progress.

Thanks Gals!!!

[imperfectly_lou]

I'm afraid it is. Emma-Leigh wrote a really good post about this recently, hopefully she will chime in here...

As your BF drops, your leptin levels drop and yes, your hunger will increase. Unfortunately you just have to deal with it. I am carb cycling at the moment and my no carb days are already painful and I only just started! The main thing you should do is make sure you are getting enough fibre and if you are hungry, reach for the green, leafy, water based veggies like lettuce, spinach, cabbage etc because they are so low cal.

[austexfitgal]

Cool, no sweat, I can take it. Herb tea it is then.

Say, if you can find the post you're referring to from Emma-Leigh, could you post the link? She posts like, a gazillion times a day, so it's hard to figure out which one you mean from her member page. :-D

[SC1]

I went throught the same thing. I found that if I dropped my fats and cals a tiny bit during the day, I could save room for some cc and nuts at the end of the day. I don't mind being hungry, but going to bed starving and not sleeping well wasn't something I could deal with.

Green tea also helped. I just recently switched to Yerbamate tea, which is fantastic for suppressing appitite. If you want to check it out, there is a good thread in the supplement section- best thermogenic for women, I think it's called.

I actually sent you a PM on another chat board when I saw your profile! I think we are doing the same comp. The Texas Shredder on May 5th? I'm in Austin as well. Where do you train?

[Emma-Leigh]

Cool, no sweat, I can take it. Herb tea it is then.

Say, if you can find the post you're referring to from Emma-Leigh, could you post the link? She posts like, a gazillion times a day, so it's hard to figure out which one you mean from her member page. :-D
LOL - Do I really post that often?! :p

I *think* this (http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showpost.php?p=9121816&postcount=1201) is probably the post Lou is talking about... But here it is below if you can't be bothered clicking on the link! :p

Ok... Guys... Calm down... Headturner is correct. Tough it out Serine! Hunger can mean a lot of things and it is not always a bad thing.

Lower carb intake (even in the face of normal calorie intake), lower fibre intake, thirst, 'time of the month', boredom, hormonal issues, emotional issues, social stimuli, smell stimuli, anxiety, altered exercise patterns, being cold, depression, medications, LOW BODY FAT% (due to leptin issues).... LOTS of things can be behind a sensation of increased hunger.


Yes... It WILL make most people 'anxious' - but this is an evolutionary protective mechanism to prevent you from going too long without eating.... Much like when your body craves fat and high carb foods - it is so you eat lots all the time so you can feed as many baby fat cells as possible so you can survive through famine in the desert! Issue is - You are not in the desert!!



Waking up starving DOES NOT mean starvation mode! Too many people get too anxious about this 'issue'. And, yet again - it is a bit of a myth.

Your body is NOT that stupid... It doesn't shut down at any slight sign of lower calories. Just like you will not turn into the dough-boy after one day of slightly higher calories.

Anyway - Starvation mode is not really a 'real' phenomenon in the way that most people think of it. Yes, on long term dieting your metabolism slows down (and sometimes this is perminant if it has resulted in significant weight loss or body composition alterations) - but this is after LONG TERM dieting and it is always seen associated with MAJOR weight and MAJOR energy deficiency. It is a combination of lower muscle mass (that is - you basically eat yourself away) and the effect that chronically low calorie levels with have on Thyroid hormone, growth hormone and leptin levels.

Yes - after a few days of dieting you will have a little bit of an effect (mostly due to BEHAVIOURAL changes which result in you DOING LESS - so they are completely reversable)... But that is it! You have to realise that these semi-starvation studies that have shown TRUE metabolic slow down occur when calorie intake is only at 50%!! And only then do you see that major slow down in metabolism (about 30% decrease).


You are not doing anything stupid with your diet so you don't need to fear catabolism or anything like that....

And just so you all know - I am CONSTANTLY hungry... Not starving - but hungry... (Although, yes, I am often starving too damn bottomless stomach)... BUT - I know I am eating enough calories, drinking enough water, getting enough fibre and exercising sensibly... so I tough it out.

It is a side effect of being at a BF% that, evolutionary speaking, is not 'optimal'. Nothing that can be done about it...

Well - I lie. I could get fat... That would solve the issue to a certain degree... But my health and the aesthetic appeal of a six pack stops me from taking this option!

Remember - in terms of evolution your body is fighting with all it's might to be 'chubby, flabby and lazy'. It wants you to be plump and sedintary so you can survive with not a lot of energy expenditure and reproduce to make lots of baby Serines.... Physique and health wise we all want to be ripped, muscular, active and healthy. So you need to challange those evolutionary 'issues' in order to achieve this....


Yes - You need to do this in a sensible way. Correct food, at correct intervals with correct training. But I know you are doing these things!! Terra should have taken care to make sure you are training well and I have seen your diet and calorie posts and these are both FINE... You are not doing anything stupid so just stick at it girl!!

[mommy*2*3]

I love Emma's Post and completely agree :)

If I may add...when you're competition dieting and getting leaner by every week, your body is going to react. Our bodies don't want to be that lean and they're rebelling sort of. The leaner you get, the worse you're going to feel. You may be hungry, moody, tired. All of that is very normal for people that are in competition "mode".
Try to do things that will get your mind off being hungry. I like drinking lots of green tea and I try to keep myself as busy as possible with other activities.

[austexfitgal]

Wow, thanks ladies. And thank God/whoever for Emma! My background is in Evolutionary Psychology, so your explanation makes perfect sense to me, I just haven't studied and lived enough bodybuilding science to know what's right in every situation. Finally, someone debunks the yeti of the female bb boards...the dreaded "Starvation Mode"! Awesome.

Thanks again. Mmmm, tea...

[UmmYourFace]

aside from tea...I always get a cold mix of greens (like mentioned above) or pop a strong peppermint SF gum (it wakes me up for some reason). If I have time, rather than sitting bored and dealing with a craving or the urge to eat more...let your body sleep! Naps are amazing when you are increasing cardio and lowering cals. You need the rest! I dont know how much drinking carbonated drinks bothers you but those carbonated waters always fill me up pretty well too. Good luck with everything. Just focus on the showing of your abs and the urge to eat over your goals will fade.

I forgot to also mention to make sure you are eating enough fiber with your meals. I add fiber in the form of Guar Gum to a lot of my foods and it defiantely helps to make you feel full and allows food to digest slower but regularly

[serinebean]

Ummm, I saw that! *blushes*
Ok...yeah, um you will live....it will just be miserable.
I agree with SC1 save them fats for the night....it might do the trick for you!
Remember you are fighting your bodys "happy" place....so its going to fight back, so win! :D
Hang in there. You will do great! :D

[austexfitgal]

Thanks to your fabulous advice and support, I tried making my chicken portions smaller throughout the day and no fats/carbs (besides veg) with meals except immediate pre and post workout, and now I get to eat tuna w/ salsa and a spoonful of PB before bed! AND, I'm right at 1500 cals, 45-35-20.

So, yeah, I've been pretty hungry and craving stuff, but now that I know it's ok, I'm able to sort of "Zen out" on it and soldier on.

Thank you all so much. Maybe it's the leptin talking, but it's really just f*cking cool that we have each other, not even knowing real names, separated by who knows how many miles and sometimes oceans, and yet we all support each other like this. Neat.

Cheers Y'all,
Steph