Food

livvie25

It seems like I am always hungry. I have tried to eat egg whites mini wheat's and shakes and yogurt I am still hungry. I am trying to figure out meals that will satisfy me longer. Any suggestion would be very helpful thanks in advance.

futuremanda

Try to make sure you're getting significant protein AND fat every time you eat. It really helps.

Add in a little low cal bulk with veggies. Pickles are nice on the side too. Water, tea, things like that can help too.

Also, if you're new to restricting, it does take time to adjust. If it really starts to get to you, you can dial back your goal a little to get more calories, get used to it, then put it back. And remember that you can eat back your exercise calories (aim for 50% to 75%, as sometimes the burns are overestimations).

Finally, remember that it's the calorie count that matters, not the item. I mean, food choices matter for satiety, for nutrition. But if you used to eat foods that kept you feeling full, you may be able to eat those same foods, in smaller portions or with modifications, to fit into your goal. Like, 1/4 of a thin crust frozen pizza with extra veggies thrown on before cooking, and some fruit on the side. Or your usual sandwich but with mustard or another low cal condiment, with ham instead of salami, with extra veggies, with a bread or bun that's lower in cal, etc.

diannethegeek

These are my really general tips for hunger:

1. Make sure that your calorie goals are actually set appropriately. Don't skip this step. A lot of people set goals that are too aggressive and then wonder why they're having a hard time. And remember that MFP expects you to log your exercise and eat back some of the extra calories you earn. http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/819055/setting-your-calorie-and-macro-targets

2. Look for foods higher in protein, fat, and fiber. These help us stay full and more satisfied longer. If you're using MFP's default settings, try to consider protein, fat, and fiber as minimums to reach every day rather than maximums to stay below.

3. Drink plenty of fluids. Some people really do confuse thirst and hunger.

4. Get plenty of rest. This includes sleeping enough and taking rest days from the exercise. Sometimes our bodies look for food when they're exhausted.

5. Play around with your meal timings. Some people do really well on 5-6 small meals a day and others feel like they want to gnaw their own arm off eating like that. Skipping breakfast, eating breakfast, 16:8 fasting, 6 small meals, 3 larger meals, snacks, no snacks, meal timing won't make a big difference to your weight loss, but it may help your hunger levels, mood, concentration, gym performance, etc. throughout the day. Don't be afraid to try a different way and see if it helps.

6. Wait it out. If you know you're eating enough and the other steps above aren't helping, you may just have to wait it out. Our bodies send out hunger signals partially out of habit. If you eat at a certain time every day your body will start to get hungry at that time. The good news is that these signals can be retrained to stop telling you to be hungry all the time. The bad news is that you may just have to be hungry for a little bit while that happens.

7. I also think it's important to remember that there's a habitual component to hunger. This goes along with point #6, but if you eat because you're bored or you're used to eating in front of the TV or in the car or whatever it is, then you can replace those habits with others that are better for you. Things like keeping water on hand to sip instead of snacking or picking up hobbies that keep your hands busy or that get you out of the house more can help out a little while you're retraining your hunger cues. You might need to pay attention to why you're eating/hungry or what you're feeling when you eat and try to replace food with other things, but it can be really beneficial over time.