I am flippin hungry...

moniquejane1971

and just want to go and stuff my face with food!!!! say 2 on this...is it normal to be hungry?? whilst I was on Weight watchers i would just go use some of my extra points for the day, or have a couple of pieces of fruit...but all that adds up to more calories I guess!

Tuesday20

Hello!
Being hungry is not effective for weight loss as you'll be more temped to binge eat! It depends how you have set your calorie targets and what you have been eating. For example, if you've set yourself to eat only 1000 calories a day, you're likely to feel starving! Make sure your calorie goal is realistic, weight loss is often a marathon, not a sprint. It's better to have weight drop slowly and steadily than starve yourself for a short term solution!

Another thing you could look at is what you're eating that is high calorie. For example 60g of pasta (very small portion!) is 100 calories, however you'd have to eat 2 whole cucumbers to reach 100 calories. I reckon you'd feel starving on such a small plate of pasta, but full having eaten 2 whole cucumbers! Im not suggesting you live off salad, but when you're planning food you might find it useful to substitute more meat and veggies for less potatoes/rice/pasta/bread (which are quite calorific foods and dont have any real nutritional value) and you might find you'll feel fuller for longer. I found it easier to make sure I was getting lots of protein and fats, and less carbs... I havent been hungry since!

All the best in your journey!

juleszephyr

Double check your calorie intake and if necessary set your goals to half or one pound a week until you get used to the lower calorie intake. Eat lots of low cal fillers, I tend to have lots of bowls of salad leaves and veg to fill me up. Make sure you are drinking plenty of water in case you are actually thirsty not hungry. Plan for small snacks when you feel hungry - I have a load of 100 cal snacks that I can turn to if I need them including Oreos, Brownie bites, fruit, nuts, seeds, rice cakes etc...

itstimeRK

Look for low calorie/high fiber foods you enjoy, such as an apple or pear. Red lentil soup has about 150 calories a bowl with 10g of fiber so it keeps you filled up for hours. I make sure to get my 25g of fiber daily and feel so full I have trouble eating enough calories. If I don't eat a lot of fiber, I feel as if I am starving and end up binging.
Avoid empty calories with no nutritional value, such as anything with refined sugar. Digesting junk like that only makes me hungry again soon after.

pwatol

The first trick is looking carefully at the calories in what you're eating and figuring out if tiny portions are taking a huge bite out of your daily limits, like Tuesday20 said. Since you did Weight Watchers, you know the joy of carefully browsing the grocery store watching nutrition labels. Go on the hunt for better options. I've become a fan of Green Giant steamers because they're tasty, filling, and portioned about right for one person. And their calorie footprint is fairly small. Pretzels or Cheerios make for a decent snack as well if you stick to a single serving and enjoy it slowly. If you're still craving more calories, invest in a fitbit or other reliable pedometer (the phone apps can be very erratic, but ymmv), and log your steps in MFP to earn more calories for the day.

boscozebra

It also depends on how long you've been on calorie deficit.

My first month I was super hungry. After a while, maybe a few weeks/month, you get used to it. Now I'm hungry most of the time, but not unpleasantly hungry; just "meh, I could eat." I know it isn't the most specific advice, but honest- you really do adjust to it.
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The apple advice is good though, I can eat like 2 apples and feel nice and full for a good long while.

LuckyStarrGal

All above is great advise, I want to add that if you are exercising make sure you eat back calories. It sounds strange but I've learned that if your body is craving say protein and doesn't get it than it will store fat because it's not sure next time it will get some. So eat what you burn but make healthy choices to FEED your body the nutrition it needs. Good luck, I hope this helps!

AlciaMode

If you just started it is totally normal. Before you know it your body will be used to smaller portions and your mind will be boggled how you were able to eat so much before. Keep up the good work!

cebreisch

I remember having a conversation with my dietician - I was eating okay, but was still hungry all the time. She suggested increasing my fiber intake. I did, and OMG - it helped SO much!!

My fiber shot up, the sugar intake plummeted, and I lost 12 pounds that month.

For what it's worth....

moniquejane1971

wow awesome advice from everyone,,I will take all that on board, thanks heaps.

beachbum4044

I would also look at when you are eating, are you getting 5-6 smaller meals in each day? If you are packing you calories into one meal rather than spreading them out that may help. I eat as soon as I get up and then every 2.5-3 hours after that. It seems to keep me going, my energy stays more constant, I don't notice cravings these days and eating more often allows me to keep my portions in check.

Sabine_Stroehm

You're actually HUNGRY? It's not the munchies? It's not an empty stomach with that slightly sour feeling? it's not a sugar crash?

fwiw, I eat snacks in between each meal so I don't get hungry, or even that slightly sour feeling.
And, I don't eat a lot of foods that cause me to have a sugar high/crash feeling.

monetpaints1

I have found that if I make sure to include a sufficient amount of protein with meals/snacks while staying within my calorie limit I am less likely to get hungry. I am also less hungry overall on the days I workout in the therapy pool at the Y. Also, how's your water consumption? Many times people will feel hungry but what they really need is plain water. Hope the tips help.

cs2ymc

LuckyStarrGal wrote: »

All above is great advise, I want to add that if you are exercising make sure you eat back calories. It sounds strange but I've learned that if your body is craving say protein and doesn't get it than it will store fat because it's not sure next time it will get some. So eat what you burn but make healthy choices to FEED your body the nutrition it needs. Good luck, I hope this helps!

I've got to say I was a bit confused on that point, but thanks to your explanation it is making some sense. Found this thread beause I was going through what the op described (resisted what I really wanted to have) and went for some protein instead. The craving is gone and feel much better now.

paulinedavies4373

moniquejane1971 wrote: »

and just want to go and stuff my face with food!!!! say 2 on this...is it normal to be hungry?? whilst I was on Weight watchers i would just go use some of my extra points for the day, or have a couple of pieces of fruit...but all that adds up to more calories I guess!

paulinedavies4373

I'm on a weightloss journey and I'm looking for more friends feel free to add me