Hungry majority of the time

Hi guys hoping someone can help me. I'm 5'4 and 9 stone 7 and work out 2 times a week and my daily calorie aim is 1660. I literally for the majority of the day am hungry and it's over the last 3 days it's accelerated. It's to the point where I'm eating my lunch at 11 and I may have had breakfast at 8, and my dinner at 4 as opposed to a normal time. I'll also mention that I've had my snacks e.g fruit or nuts by then as well. I only usually fall short about 100 of my calorie goal.

Has anyone got any suggestions? Because it's leading to me thinking about food constantly which isn't healthy. Thank you

Replies

  • kommodevaran
    kommodevaran Posts: 17,890 Member
    Some days you're hardly eating any fat. Make sure you hit your fat goal. And that you pick correct entries in the database - what kind of tea has 50 calories? And then determine how many calories per day you can spend on juice and honey. It seems that you like many different foods, and that's good - different foods provide different nutrients in different amounts, and a good range of nutrients contribute to feeling full.
  • HeidiCooksSupper
    HeidiCooksSupper Posts: 3,839 Member
    I agree. Use trial and error to figure out what foods overcome your hunger pangs the longest. For example, if I snack on an ounce of smoked cheese, it staves off hunger pangs for hours. If I eat something sweet or starchy, in about five minutes I'm ready to chew the walls. I've found that a cup of hot, homemade chicken broth works wonders. For ME. It's different things for different people.
  • karenzehob
    karenzehob Posts: 87 Member
    How long have you been in a deficit? I noticed it took me a while to adapt to my restricted calorie intake. Before that happened I just had to fight the hunger until my body got used to 1200 cals. When I get hungry I measure out some skinnypop or drink some coffee. That's what works for me anyway :)
  • rainbowbow
    rainbowbow Posts: 7,490 Member
    I agree. Use trial and error to figure out what foods overcome your hunger pangs the longest. For example, if I snack on an ounce of smoked cheese, it staves off hunger pangs for hours. If I eat something sweet or starchy, in about five minutes I'm ready to chew the walls. I've found that a cup of hot, homemade chicken broth works wonders. For ME. It's different things for different people.

    Have you tried millie's sippable broths?

    millie-s-savory-teas-variety-pack-smoky-facon-spicy-tortilla-tomato-basil-thai-lemon-grass-and-indian-spice-green-tea-infused-sipping-broth-5-packs-boxes-all-natural-and-vegan-spices-infused-in-g_4571537.jpg

    10/10 recommend
  • Aemely
    Aemely Posts: 694 Member
    This chart doesn't reflect my satiety. I have found that eating protein is critical to staying "full" throughout the day. If I don't include protein for lunch (typically chicken), I'm likely to be in serious trouble in the afternoon (feeling fuzzy, tired, hangry, etc.). Find out what works for you & good luck!
  • rlarkin591
    rlarkin591 Posts: 39 Member
    I have had the same problem. For me, if I am getting hungry I drink more water. Doesn't always work but it usually will hold me off until the next meal time. Good luck
  • karenzehob
    karenzehob Posts: 87 Member
    rainbowbow wrote: »
    I agree. Use trial and error to figure out what foods overcome your hunger pangs the longest. For example, if I snack on an ounce of smoked cheese, it staves off hunger pangs for hours. If I eat something sweet or starchy, in about five minutes I'm ready to chew the walls. I've found that a cup of hot, homemade chicken broth works wonders. For ME. It's different things for different people.

    Have you tried millie's sippable broths?

    millie-s-savory-teas-variety-pack-smoky-facon-spicy-tortilla-tomato-basil-thai-lemon-grass-and-indian-spice-green-tea-infused-sipping-broth-5-packs-boxes-all-natural-and-vegan-spices-infused-in-g_4571537.jpg

    10/10 recommend

    These look interesting. Which flavor(s) do you like best? Can you only get them online?

  • ladyhusker39
    ladyhusker39 Posts: 1,406 Member
    It looks like you have a good amount of calories to work with so you should be able to feel satisfied most of the time. Experiment with eating foods that are lower in calories and will keep you fuller. That will vary for different people, but the chart above is a good start.

    You might look at trading off some of the sweetener and juice items with actual food. That will give you more to work with.

    Also, I'm not sure what your calorie deficit is or how long you've been on it, but you could look at raising your calories a little (cutting your deficit) until you become acclimated to cutting. Then you could gradually lower it again. Basically, give yourself time to adjust to the change.
  • rainbowbow
    rainbowbow Posts: 7,490 Member
    karenzehob wrote: »
    rainbowbow wrote: »
    I agree. Use trial and error to figure out what foods overcome your hunger pangs the longest. For example, if I snack on an ounce of smoked cheese, it staves off hunger pangs for hours. If I eat something sweet or starchy, in about five minutes I'm ready to chew the walls. I've found that a cup of hot, homemade chicken broth works wonders. For ME. It's different things for different people.

    Have you tried millie's sippable broths?

    millie-s-savory-teas-variety-pack-smoky-facon-spicy-tortilla-tomato-basil-thai-lemon-grass-and-indian-spice-green-tea-infused-sipping-broth-5-packs-boxes-all-natural-and-vegan-spices-infused-in-g_4571537.jpg

    10/10 recommend

    These look interesting. Which flavor(s) do you like best? Can you only get them online?

    they have them at some super markets but it's just easier to buy online. my favorite is tortilla and indian spice; least favorite is bacon. :)
  • brandiuntz
    brandiuntz Posts: 2,717 Member
    I had to switch to a high protein breakfast to help my appetite spread out more evenly during the day.
  • yirara
    yirara Posts: 9,904 Member
    Everyone is different when it comes to satience. I could eat a pile of apples and still be hungry. Wholegrain, solid bread works for me, as does white rice. Anything rich in protein or fat for breakfast and the day is over for me. I never get a lot of energy.
  • noirelb
    noirelb Posts: 216 Member
    How much weight do you lose every week on average? If it's more than 1 pound, maybe your metabolism is simply too fast for 1600 calories and you should diet on 1800 instead or something!
  • AnnPT77
    AnnPT77 Posts: 34,090 Member
    Besides experimenting with which foods are satiating for you, you can also vary the timing - which meals (if any) are larger, whether and when to have snacks, and how many meals or snacks you have. Satiation is different for everyone! You'll find folks here happily doing everything from one meal a day (OMAD) to 6 tiny meals to continuous grazing.

    Me, I need a decent breakfast with solid protein, protein through the day, and plenty of high volume (low cal/high-fiber veggies) at some point daily. For my 5'5" and maintenance weight in 120s, I get 100+g protein (ovo lacto veg), 45+g fat (as much as possible from healthy sources like nuts, olive oil, avocados, etc., and some at everry meal especially if veggies are involved), and 10+ servings of fruit and veg daily. Your sweet spot will differ, of course.

    Your food diary is a great tool: When you're starting out, review it frequently - and for sure anytime you're extra hungry. Look for patterns: Do the hungry days have some common pattern? Does the day immediately before have any effect?

    You can look for food patterns - more or less protein, fats, carbs, fiber, for example; timing of any of those; things like skipped, smaller or larger meals; trigger foods, etc.

    Exercise (or daily activity) patterns may have an effect, too - more or less exercise, different type of exercise, busy or slow day at work, extra or fewer household chores, etc.

    Besides those, consider other influences like weather, higher/lower stress level, boredom, adequate sleep (or not), hydration levels, social triggers, time of day or other habitual triggers, etc.

    Experimenting now will help you learn and cultivate the approaches you'll need to maintain your goal weight once you achieve it, too - good stuff!
  • CMNVA
    CMNVA Posts: 733 Member
    I've been on 1650 since May. I am still pretty hungry all the time. Not like I was when I was at 1200 calories. But I rarely ever feel full like I want to. It's probably the way we are "supposed" to feel. I think we all get used to feeling stuffed (hence, why we are here trying to lose weight). But, yeah, I feel like I want to eat most of the time. The key is, I can control it. If you feel out of control, maybe a 200 calories more per day will get you to a point where you can be comfortable.
  • AliceDark
    AliceDark Posts: 3,886 Member
    I only usually fall short about 100 of my calorie goal.
    I just wanted to point out that you don't need to fall short of your calorie goal. You can (and should) eat all of your daily base calories! Plus some or all of your exercise calories.

  • MegaMooseEsq
    MegaMooseEsq Posts: 3,118 Member
    CMNVA wrote: »
    I've been on 1650 since May. I am still pretty hungry all the time. Not like I was when I was at 1200 calories. But I rarely ever feel full like I want to. It's probably the way we are "supposed" to feel. I think we all get used to feeling stuffed (hence, why we are here trying to lose weight). But, yeah, I feel like I want to eat most of the time. The key is, I can control it. If you feel out of control, maybe a 200 calories more per day will get you to a point where you can be comfortable.

    Everyone's different, of course, but I don't think that we're supposed to feel hungry all the time. That sounds really unpleasant!
  • zkinner2
    zkinner2 Posts: 2 Member
    I am on a keto diet with the same calorie goal and eating a lot of fats saved me from a measurable hunger of the regular low cal diet I followed before. In the morning, for example, I drink my version of bulletproof coffee along with the breakfast and it keeps me full until about 2pm.
  • Evamutt
    Evamutt Posts: 2,696 Member
    This is all great advice, I just want to add that there's a volume eaters group on here. I feel better eating a lot for lunch & having a little lighter dinner. My favorite meal is lots of veggies with lean ground turkey Pattie, a small potato & some yogurt. You have to experiment. It took me a while to find what works
  • Evamutt
    Evamutt Posts: 2,696 Member
    great advice from everyone. I also found things to substitute to eat more, like egg beaters for a large ham & cheese omelette &PB2 on rice cake or waffle. There's a volume eaters group on here that I follow too
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  • emmam1212
    emmam1212 Posts: 67 Member
    I have the same problem, feeling hungry all of the time, and to curb it I drink mint green tea. It works for me and gives me an hour or so of not feeling hungry or thinking about eating. There have been a few (inconclusive) studies on the scent of peppermint and whether it can act as an appetite suppressant. I truly believe it does with my experience. I drink it daily when I want to snack. Upping protein intake seems to help with overall hunger as well.
  • rheddmobile
    rheddmobile Posts: 6,840 Member
    edited July 2017
    Good advice from everyone! My personal tricks include 1) having some very low or zero calorie treats, such as salted radishes, latte with almond milk and cinnamon (15 cal), herbal tea, or roasted seaweed, 2) eating a small portion of something satiating, such as almonds 3) eating a large portion of something high in volume and low in calories, such as green vegetables 4) making sure to drink enough water, eat enough protein, and refuel my body with carbs and protein after working out and 5) eating several times a day - three meals and a snack works best for me.

    I also find that consuming a lot of simple carbs makes me hungry. Different people respond differently - I'm a diabetic and so I should be limiting carbs anyway, but it's not unusual for people who aren't diabetic to have cravings caused by blood glucose fluctuations in response to carbs.
  • DebLaBounty
    DebLaBounty Posts: 1,169 Member
    I feel less hungry if I eat some protein and fat. Scrambled eggs with cheese. Chicken. Salmon. Avocados. Almonds. After adding these in with all the other nonsatisfying (to me) foods, my energy evened out and I am not feeling hungry all the time anymore.

  • JaydedMiss
    JaydedMiss Posts: 4,286 Member
    edited July 2017
    I feel less hungry if I eat some protein and fat. Scrambled eggs with cheese. Chicken. Salmon. Avocados. Almonds. After adding these in with all the other nonsatisfying (to me) foods, my energy evened out and I am not feeling hungry all the time anymore.

    My go to is an omelette of sorts- 2 egg whites 1 full egg and half a can of flaked turkey lately...The mix of fat and protein at low carb is amazing for appetite suppression, Sadly i cant eat that right now as im actually struggling to eat enough right now and thats only 225 calories xD friggin yummy to
  • try2again
    try2again Posts: 3,562 Member
    JaydedMiss wrote: »
    I feel less hungry if I eat some protein and fat. Scrambled eggs with cheese. Chicken. Salmon. Avocados. Almonds. After adding these in with all the other nonsatisfying (to me) foods, my energy evened out and I am not feeling hungry all the time anymore.

    My go to is an omelette of sorts- 2 egg whites 1 full egg and half a can of flaked turkey lately...

    You used to make it with salmon, didn't you? ;) Lol... that thread is forever going to be etched in my mind!
  • JaydedMiss
    JaydedMiss Posts: 4,286 Member
    try2again wrote: »
    JaydedMiss wrote: »
    I feel less hungry if I eat some protein and fat. Scrambled eggs with cheese. Chicken. Salmon. Avocados. Almonds. After adding these in with all the other nonsatisfying (to me) foods, my energy evened out and I am not feeling hungry all the time anymore.

    My go to is an omelette of sorts- 2 egg whites 1 full egg and half a can of flaked turkey lately...

    You used to make it with salmon, didn't you? ;) Lol... that thread is forever going to be etched in my mind!

    @try2again yes :'( i miss my salmon :( Cant bring self to eat it anymore!!
  • trish55011
    trish55011 Posts: 139 Member
    The best suggestion I can make is to eat as much "live" food as you can, every time you feel hungry. Celery sticks, carrot sticks, avocado, salad etc... When I began training my body to get out of famine mode, for the first week I ate every two hours. Not a simple snack, but a salad, with tomatoes, mandarin orange slices, raw walnuts, 3-4 cups of salad mix, chicken strips, and grated cheese. I know it sounds nuts, but for that first week, I felt like my stomach was going to eat a hole through my back bone. Then, the second week, I ate three meals per day. Salads. For breakfast, I would have a salad with nuts and fruit on top. Lunch and dinner would be a salad with either chicken or steak strips. If I just had to have a snack, I would munch on some sugar snap peas dipped in taco sauce. I did not count calories, carbs, fat or protein. I lost 120lbs. The first 76 came off without any exercise other than light walking. I have only gained 10 lbs back over the last 5 years but my diabetes is completely out of control. Now I am starting my journey again, but I am incorporating the Ketogenic way of life. Would love to talk with you more. :D