dieting, working out, but still hungry!

Question
Hi, Thanks for your expertise! I am 55, post-monopausal, 5'4", 170 lbs. Ten years ago I was able to run 4 miles, but running injured my back and caused bone spurs to form thanks to lordosis. Having stopped, I gained about 30 lbs (also menopause helped.) For the past 2 years I've been going to a gym and doing group weigh training/resistance/cardio with people who specialise in exercise for older people. I am certainly stronger but have not lost weight. So I did an assessment and found that I need to be taking in about 1600 calories each day. I care about my diet and am eating, typically:
Breakfast- Steel cut oats or rolled oats, 1/2 c, with 1/2 cup cottage cheese, low fat, and blueberries. Coffee with milk and Stevia. (Can't stand green tea)

Lunch- Some kind of protein on two slices of bread; fruit

Dinner- Protein with a lot of veggies, a single serving of some kind of whole grain carb like whole wheat cous cous or brown rice.

I get absolutely ravenous in the evenings, though, and in the late afternoon. All I want is bread and butter! I don't have too much trouble cutting sugar out, but bread...oh, do I need bread!

I am trying to exercise at least 3-4 times per week on my own through the summer, either at the gym where I can keep doing weights and cardio, or simply outside walking/ biking a few miles for a half hour.

How do I quit feeling hungry?

Answer
Hi Eleanor

It seems you may be missing some fiber out of your diet. A women 55 years of age should be consuming 28 grams of fiber a day. Fiber besides helping your digestion will also curb your hunger. You also should drink at least 8 glasses of water this will help process the fiber and keep you from being so hungry also. As for 1600 calories a day I do not agree with those numbers. I am 5"11 and when I am trying to lose weight that's what I  eat 1600 calories, what test did you take that determined that number? The test you need to take is called RMR (resting metabolic rate) this test is done by measuring your oxygen input and output this will tell you how many calories you are actually burning. You also need to eat 5 times a day in smaller portions this will also help with your hunger. Your body normally craves food as its burning calories and aprox 2 -3 hours after you eat so if you set up your five smaller meals to offset this it will help dramatically with your hunger.

Example:  Breakfast 7:00 am/ snack 10:00am /lunch 1pm /4pm dinner/ snack 7pm
         250 calories/  250 cal      /250 cal   / 300 cal  / 250 cal = 1300 calories

When you distribute it this way your hunger does not get a chance to work at your will power, thus causing you to over eat or eat something you shouldn't. Another thing is get plenty of sleep between 6pm and 6am at least 8 hours this particular time period is when you would get the best type of sleep needed to regenerate your body. Also if you do not get enough sleep and your body has not rested properly then it causes your body to create stress hormone which also causes hunger. The reason it causes hunger is because your body is in need of energy to keep you going because you did not get enough sleep. Well I think that should do it for now. It was my pleasure to try and help you and please feel free to write again.

Lawrence

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