Handling Hunger

kmradley

Alright, so a bunch of months ago I came back to MFP after falling off the bandwagon for the first time, did it for three weeks, and fell off again. People were incredibly supportive and I had a great time while it lasted, but my life took a stressful turn (I know it's an excuse, but it's a rather valid one) I more or less had a family crisis which ate up all my time and energy. Recent developments in the family crisis (a family member I was helping care for moved in with other family members than myself) have led to me having a basically stress free life (compared to what it was). I digress...
I'm feeling much more motivated now than before, so I need to take advantage of this little piece of time in my life that I'm not suffering from overwhelming stress and program in some new habits. I've already gotten back to walking, soon I hope to be jogging again. I'm eating far less sugar than I was, not a lot of fast food, less caffeine. I take a vitamin. I'm feeling better, but...
I feel hungry all the time. Portion control I think is my biggest hurdle yet. I like to eat until I'm almost bursting and that's not good at all. I'm trying to have a zen attitude about it like, "Be one with the emptiness"
Any tips?

IrisFlute

First, make sure you're eating enough protein, fat and fiber, because those fill you up for longer than simple carbs. But I think if you're eating at a deficit, you'll still feel a bit hungry for a lot of the time. I tell myself that low-level hunger is a positive sensation; it's proof I'm doing it right. Being hungry isn't actually painful, so you can work on re-imagining mild hunger as a good thing. (Extreme hunger that interferes with activity is, of course, not at all a good thing and is a sign you need to eat more. Be gentle with your body.) Best of luck!

libbydoodle11

kmradley wrote: »

Alright, so a bunch of months ago I came back to MFP after falling off the bandwagon for the first time, did it for three weeks, and fell off again. People were incredibly supportive and I had a great time while it lasted, but my life took a stressful turn (I know it's an excuse, but it's a rather valid one) I more or less had a family crisis which ate up all my time and energy. Recent developments in the family crisis (a family member I was helping care for moved in with other family members than myself) have led to me having a basically stress free life (compared to what it was). I digress...
I'm feeling much more motivated now than before, so I need to take advantage of this little piece of time in my life that I'm not suffering from overwhelming stress and program in some new habits. I've already gotten back to walking, soon I hope to be jogging again. I'm eating far less sugar than I was, not a lot of fast food, less caffeine. I take a vitamin. I'm feeling better, but...
I feel hungry all the time. Portion control I think is my biggest hurdle yet. I like to eat until I'm almost bursting and that's not good at all. I'm trying to have a zen attitude about it like, "Be one with the emptiness"
Any tips?

Maybe also plan some snacks into your day to stave off the hunger and stay hydrated.

Check you calorie goal. Maybe it could be increased? Congrats on taking care of yourself.

consideritdonemi

Before I started (mostly) eating better I totally gorged until I was full, too. I think over time (about 2 months for me so far) things have acclimated themselves and now I don't have the insane cravings for bad things ALL the time and the need to overeat. I used to drink A LOT of alcohol too (plenty of wind down night beverages) and that has cut down about 80% naturally. I'd drink till drunk. I find that I go off the wagon and gorge when I don't plan right (fail to pack my meals, prep for ahead for the day or for dinner when I have to work long hours). I have to agree with focusing on protein and fiber. Eating something every 3 to 4 hours helped me 'retrain' my body's hunger triggers.

MissJay75

Personally, I prefer to feel full after a meal. Not uncomfortably so, but full.

In order to do this without blowing all my calories, I add a ton of veggies to my 2 main meals. I like salads, so I usually eat a HUGE salad and be careful not to overdo it with the salad dressing. A glass of water 10 minutes before dinner helps a lot. I also like to snack on popcorn - very filling and can be low calories depending on how you season it. I'm sure you can find some creative and low calorie ways to bulk up the volume of food you eat so you feel more satiated.

Also as mentioned, I have found eating a good amount of protein helps with the hunger and snack cravings.

pknjhh

As mentioned above more fiber and protein. If your hungry grab a handful of all natural almonds. They will make you feel full. Another thing is protein shake will a table spoon of all natural peanut butter. The kind with oil on the top you have to mix. Nuts are really good for you and easy to bring along. Just don't get the kinds with honey, glazed or anything else on them. You don't want to increase your sugars.

kmradley

Thanks for all the great suggestions guys! I've been focused on eating more fruits and veggies and totally forgot about protein! I am going to make myself some "chicken strips" tomorrow from boneless chicken breast just pan fried with just a little bit of rosemary and olive oil and snack on that throughout the day.

andyorahood

kmradley wrote: »

Thanks for all the great suggestions guys! I've been focused on eating more fruits and veggies and totally forgot about protein! I am going to make myself some "chicken strips" tomorrow from boneless chicken breast just pan fried with just a little bit of rosemary and olive oil and snack on that throughout the day.

That's not a bad idea, but an even better idea is to combine that protein with some high-fiber veggies; the combo protein+fiber will fill you up even more.

On the mental aspect of hunger, I think you can help yourself by reframing the mild hunger as a pleasurable thing leading up to your favorite activity: satiating the hunger with some delicious food. It sounds like you like to cook and know about flavors, so try to imagine your hunger as part of the pleasure of eating good food: being hungry makes you enjoy it even more. Then follow this up with the idea of being satisfied but not stuffed is increasing the pleasure of eating even more. I call it the 3 pleasures of eating: being pleasantly hungry, satisfying that hunger with good food, and then not being hungry and not feeling uncomfortably stuffed after stopping eating before you regret it.