starving

jerricutchall

I just started doing this and it is WAY harder then i expected... I just got done eating lunch and im still pretty hungry. I have over 100# to loose and its overwhelming. I have zero will power when it comes to food, i dont tend to eat alot i just dont eat good. I think thats the issue

JojoInTheForks

Hi Jerri...it does take some getting used to, that's for sure. But you shouldn't be starving. Are you sure you have your numbers figured out correctly? The boards have been really good for me for finding foods that fill me up. Don't give up! Use this message board as a research tool! And there are tons of us out here that are just getting going (again in my case) that are around if you have any specific questions or comments or just need a good vent!

3dogsrunning

Is it possible your calorie goal is over aggressive?

Also, what are you eating. i focus on getting protein and some fat in every meal as they help with satiety. I don't limit carbs but I do focus on the other two first. I find high carb melas tend to leave me hungry quicker.

Sometimes it's a matter of playing around with meals to see what keeps you feeling fuller.

Opening your diary would help people give more specific advice.

ProjectEm

Hi Jerri, I know for me it takes some time to get used to eating more nutritious foods when I've been eating nothing but junk for awhile. There's always an adjustment period, and for me, it's usually at least 2 weeks that I'm fighting myself on not consuming food that's nutritionally empty.

What do you have your goal set at for weight loss per week? If it's 2 lbs, you might want to knock it down to maybe 1 lb to ease into your new lifestyle instead of restricting calorie counts too much at the beginning.

I also have 100+ lbs to lose - feel free to friend me if you'd like.

Lounmoun

Is your calorie goal reasonable? Trying to lose no more than 2 pounds a week?
Foods that might help you feel more satisfied are going to have protein, fats and fiber. If you are not getting enough of those you might still be feeling hungry even if you ate a large amount.
You might try drinking a glass of water or chew some gum and wait 20 minutes to an hour to see if the hungry feeling goes away. Sometimes it takes awhile to register that you are full. Sometimes you are really thirsty instead of hungry. If the feeling doesn't go away then eat a little more.
It might take a few weeks to adjust if you have lowered your calorie intake by a lot.

DearestWinter

Try to eat foods that are more satisfying and consider moving your goal loss down so you have more calories. You can always change it later once you're in the habit of weighing and logging your food.

Also, something that really helped me was a nifty hunger scale chart. (Can't find it now - but maybe someone else has it?) It maps out when you should be eating and when you should stop eating. As in, don't eat unless you're actually hungry (not emotionally hungry or craving certain flavors) and stop eating before you're completely full.

Lizzy622

I find I am most satisfied when I eat a balance of carbohydrates, protein and fat. For breakfast i like a smoothie with greens(kale, spinach or chard), fruit (banana, strawberries or blueberries), protein( unflavored,unsweetened whey powder, hemp protein powder, or peanut butter) and fat ( peanut butter, teaspoon coconut oil or chia seeds). Forgot the liquid - water, almond milk or coffee.

flippy1234

If you just started, give it some time. I know some don't believe in the shrinking stomach thing but I do. Also, your body will get use to less and better food. Right now you are hungry and that's because your body expects what it use to be fed. Now, it has to change it's way of thinking and habits so to speak. I'm in my third week and I was starving the first week. It got better the second week and now I'm fine. AND, I did not change or adjust my calorie intake. But I will tell you that protein works. Keeps you fuller longer.
Good luck. You can do it. Make it a habit!!!

mistikal13

Don't try to do it all at once. Setting small goals and reaching them will help to keep your motivation up Maybe change one meal at a time until you get to where you want to me. If you are eating "not good" as you say then you will surely lose weight making small changes.

njitaliana

Jerri, I have over 100 lbs to lose and I eat 1600 calories a day. Although the first week is hardest, if you are eating enough calories, plenty of protein and enough fat to keep you full, you shouldn't be hungry. I can't see your diary, so I'm not sure what you are eating. How many calories does MFP say you can have?

LifeInAWay

A serving of water right before you eat, a balanced meal, and then another serving of water. Thats what helps me. I now actually have water with me at all times. Its incredibly helpful. I've come to realize that I'm not actually still hungry, I'm just trying to slip back in to old habits.

Out_of_Bubblegum

Congratulations on making the effort! Celebrate it - because this effort is what will take you to your goals... You have some really great advice above on how to deal with the hunger. Take it to heart, and keep trying new foods until you find ones that can keep you in your goals for the day without leaving you feeling hungry all the time.

As far as feeling overwhelmed.. This is what I do - I just work on losing 1 lb... That's all you I have to focus on is losing JUST 1 lb... when that one is done, then I can think about the next one... but right now.. this week... as long as I can get that 1 lb, then that's one step closer to my goal.

salembambi

what is your calorie goal?? probably is too restrictive if you have 100 pounds to lose

I know that overwhelming feeling all too well its easier to just think of it as one day at a time . Try not to look ahead too much when you have a lot to lose. Think of a bunch of small goals for yourself as well and focus on them it will make it less daunting. Water can really help with hunger try to make sure you are drinking enough 2- 3 liters (you could even make it a minor goal to get your water intake up)

DirrtyH

Proteins, fats and fiber help with satiety.

You might be able to get some more specific advice if you open your diary and share some more details about your goal. People could tell you if your calorie goal is too aggressive, or could suggest tweaks to what you're eating to make it easier.

In my experience, the first few weeks are the hardest. Your body will adjust, you will develop new habits and it will get easier.

DirrtyH

Another thing I realized is that I used to suck at telling the difference between being hungry, and just wanting more food. Now, if I finish my dinner and I still want more, I make myself take a break. Wait ten minutes, drink some water, and if I still want more, I have it. A lot of times I find that I'm actually fine.

shadowfax_c11

One of the things that helped me with the hunger issues was to split my meals up even more. So having 6 meals a day instead of three. My stomach was pretty angry for the first week or so that I started this. I still have those days. This morning I was really hungry, enough that it was a little distracting. And I am super hungry this afternoon. Sitting here waiting on dinner to cook. I was way under my allowance yesterday, mostly because it was telling em I could have about 1,000 more calories (due to exercise) than usual and I felt like that might be wrong. Mostly fr the past month I have not felt more than the slightest edge of hunger other than that first difficult week of adjustment. I'm down 14 pounds, so it's working.

healthnut050

stick with it, you can do this!

Amy4President

I find that getting my 8 glasses of water in every day helps me feel full and curb sugar cravings. I aim for 4 glasses by lunch and then 4 glasses by dinner so I'm not up all night headed to the bathroom. Try downing the water for the next couple of days and see if it helps!

SassyCalyGirl

you should be eating lots of protein and fiber to keep you fuller longer. If your not making good choices, eating empty carbs will only cause you to want to eat more.

JimFsfitnesspal

It is most likely mental... not actually starvation pains.

I regularly eat meals of 200-300 calories without feeling hungry. It gets better once you get in the habit. I also regularly snack on carrots, celery, etc

I do agree with several others about the water consumption too. It helped me in the beginning to kill a full glass of water right before a meal.

JimFsfitnesspal

SassyCalyGirl wrote: »

you should be eating lots of protein and fiber to keep you fuller longer. If your not making good choices, eating empty carbs will only cause you to want to eat more.

I agree with that too.