eating to much

camelgirlmn

My problem is I love to eat. I want to change my habits and I know it won't happen over night. But I want to get rid of this weight. Last time in 2012 in took me to quit smoking to lose weight. Well I'm a smoker again and weigh more then I did last time. I tend to eat a lot sometimes and over indulge. I blame it on my love for eating lol enuf rambling what do you guys do besides drink water to not feel as hungry. I'm eating more veggies and protein but still feel the same way.

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. 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.

mccindy72

camelgirlmn wrote: »

My problem is I love to eat. I want to change my habits and I know it won't happen over night. But I want to get rid of this weight. Last time in 2012 in took me to quit smoking to lose weight. Well I'm a smoker again and weigh more then I did last time. I tend to eat a lot sometimes and over indulge. I blame it on my love for eating lol enuf rambling what do you guys do besides drink water to not feel as hungry. I'm eating more veggies and protein but still feel the same way.

1- buy a food scale and weigh all solid foods. Log calories and stick to a calorie deficit. (yes, you can still eat the food you like, just in smaller portions, as you will find when you weigh them)

2 - read the first post of this thread: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1235566-so-you-re-new-here

fishgutzy

^^^ THIS.
I recall reading that thirst can trigger a hunger response. Drinking water instead of reaching for junk food will stop the hunger response.
Get to bed earlier so you can get up early and to the gym before work, if that is possible. It will become habit with time. Break old habits by making new ones.

mccindy72

fishgutzy wrote: »

^^^ THIS.
I recall reading that thirst can trigger a hunger response. Drinking water instead of reaching for junk food will stop the hunger response.
Get to bed earlier so you can get up early and to the gym before work, if that is possible. It will become habit with time. Break old habits by making new ones.

That's all great, if those things help the OP. However, weight loss works by reducing caloric intake. Exercise is for fitness.

anglyn1

I'm naturally not very hungry in the mornings so I usually just have a cappuccino for breakfast. That gives me more calories to eat in the evenings which is when I usually eat the most.

LuanaBean

Good advice here from everyone. I would also suggest trying to minimize processed food and fast foods. Not to say you will never eat them, but cut back on them and cook and prepare your own food as much as possible. It's a habit that takes getting used to at first, but gets easier the more you do. I agree with portion control by weighing and measuring.