Large appetite? how to cope?

Seastar96

I'm always hungry when I hit my goal. How can I not feel hungry?

RBracken34

Drink a lot of water, eat more slowly, and eat more volume with fewer calories (raw veggies are excellent fillers)... and suffer through... it will get better as your stomach shrinks. At least it did for me.

booksandchocolate12

How tall are you?
How much do you weigh?
How much do you want to lose?
What is your daily calorie goal?

I'm asking these questions because I suspect that the reason you're always hungry is.....you're not eating enough.

DeguelloTex

What are you eating now?

StacyChrz

My first few weeks were like that. I ended up eating a whole package of frozen veggies with my meals once or twice a day. It helped.

kikilieb3

I actually had to start at "maintenance" level and very gradually cut back on calories. I lost 7 pounds this month at an average of 1950 calories per day. My tracker doesn'T show the weight loss because I had started MFP in January but then gained weight in April, May and June. I am still heavier than I was in January, but by eating at a minimal deficit in July, I was able to stop binging and I've been losing weight at a steady pace, rather than the yo-yo my weight was on earlier in the year.

nvmomketo

I found cutting back on carbs curtailed my apettite.

Kalikel

Tough it out. It gets better! The first few days are the hardest, with the hunger and the stomach grumbling. After a week or two, it goes away for the most part.

Once you're accustomed to eating less, you'll find that you simply cannot eat the amount of food you once did without feeling stuffed beyond belief.

You just have to tough it out while your stomach shrinks. Try to occupy your time for 2-3 days and you'll get past the hardest part.

After that, it's very easy to stay full if you eat healthy foods. You can stuff yourself silly on fruits and veggies for very few calories.

Patttience

kikilieb3 wrote: »

I actually had to start at "maintenance" level and very gradually cut back on calories. I lost 7 pounds this month at an average of 1950 calories per day. My tracker doesn'T show the weight loss because I had started MFP in January but then gained weight in April, May and June. I am still heavier than I was in January, but by eating at a minimal deficit in July, I was able to stop binging and I've been losing weight at a steady pace, rather than the yo-yo my weight was on earlier in the year.

This is basically what i do and recommend it to everyone.

But I'm not sure if this addresses your question. What weight are you aiming for + height and age. Is it that your goal weight is too low?

Sued0nim

There's nothing wrong with feeling a little bit hungry

Best thing anyone ever said to me...helped me get my appetite in check, if I'd just eaten and felt hungry ...leave it 30 minutes analyse the feeling, is it true hunger or just habit? How does it actually feel? It's not such a bad feeling is it?

And then after half hour it's generally gone and gradually with the right balance of foods in general you adjust ..although you can still have your hungry days ...

Hunger doesn't last and it doesn't need to be sated ...particularly not if you've just eaten

supersocks117

More water (thirst can feel like hunger)
More protein
More fiber
More fat
Less carbs (not cutting them out, but just somewhat less)
Wait 30 minutes after eating/Slow down eating (it can take your body 30 minutes to register fullness)
Have a lower deficit and work your way up (depending on what you are aiming to lose right now)

Obviously others said these, but these specifically work for me. I've found, too, that after 2 weeks of eating good, filling food that mostly fits the above and drinking more water I only really get hungry when I realize it has been too long since last meal or when I exercise a lot right before meal time (swimming makes me starving!)

BWBTrish

For me eating at regular times
3 times a day and 2 snacking times is doing the job
Sometimes i feel "hungry" but i dont see it as hungry but as having an appetite..specially after my daily swim. So i plan the exercise before any "eating time.

When indeed really having the urge to eat something i wait a bit too, drink something and see if it was thirst or really need some food. Most of the time its gone.

And lets face the fact that we are not really hungry and dying of it. You can wait till it is "time" to eat without harming yourself. There is indeed nothing wrong with waiting a bit till it is dinner time.

The food and feeling full and for how long all depends on what you eat. Some days i eat huge meals because i am more satisfied with the full feeling. Lots of veggies, and drinking do the job for me. Zucchini and celery and lettuce with every dish. Other days i go for the more calorie dense foods. It all depends.
I also noticed that on days that i cant or skipped breakfast i can eat more over the rest of the time of the day. Think of sleeping in, or have something urgent, or some errands to run.
I have than a bigger lunch and or dinner. My snacking is always a bit the same. and i have every evening 80gram of unpopped orvile popcorn...this makes a biggggg bowl. Keeps me happy and snacking for some time For 240 calories!

I am only strict on myself for my 3 meals a day and some snacking in between. And when i am hungry, well so be it. My on fault by eating the wrong food or not enough food. And i wait till it is time to eat.

But it is different for everybody. This is how it works for me, doesn't mean for you. You have to find your way, which will work for you.

caroadstar

Vegetable soup. Lots of water.

caroadstar

When I did weight watchers they gave me a fantastic vegetable soup recipe. It is cabbage, carrots, tomatoes, celery, onions. That is the base ingredients, I always add other stuff like zuchinni, eggplant, turnips, rudabega etc. Not good to use meat stock because it cancels out the Benifits. Vegetables only. Eat as much as you want. I also found out that after a few weeks my stomach shrinks and I'm not as hung

strong_curves

caroadstar wrote: »

When I did weight watchers they gave me a fantastic vegetable soup recipe. It is cabbage, carrots, tomatoes, celery, onions. That is the base ingredients, I always add other stuff like zuchinni, eggplant, turnips, rudabega etc. Not good to use meat stock because it cancels out the Benifits. Vegetables only. Eat as much as you want. I also found out that after a few weeks my stomach shrinks and I'm not as hung

What?

BWBTrish

caroadstar wrote: »

When I did weight watchers they gave me a fantastic vegetable soup recipe. It is cabbage, carrots, tomatoes, celery, onions. That is the base ingredients, I always add other stuff like zuchinni, eggplant, turnips, rudabega etc. Not good to use meat stock because it cancels out the Benifits. Vegetables only. Eat as much as you want. I also found out that after a few weeks my stomach shrinks and I'm not as hung

Please dont OP
Keep weighing and logging

I ended up overweight with eating as much as i want!

cbelc2

I agree with supersocks. Fiber, protein, and healthy fat will satiate you. Stay hydrated with non-sugar drinks like water. Use MFP to balance your nutrients.

healthygreek

I agree with rabbit in that if you wait the 30 minutes-you will feel the satiety of your meal!
Also, as a volume eater, I am so much happier if I have one huge meal a day, as well as a couple of eggs and 1 slice of WW toast for breakfast and a small meal for either lunch or dinner, depending on what meal I eat for my large meal (lunch or dinner).
If I eat one huge meal, I'm satisfied both physiologically and psychologically.

KittensMaster

StacyChrz wrote: »

My first few weeks were like that. I ended up eating a whole package of frozen veggies with my meals once or twice a day. It helped.

This

Filling more of the empty spot or in my case cavernous starving pit... Helped a good bit

High fiber veggies are the key to my diet

If I don't get enough of those, everything else falls apart. It is the fiber that keeps things moving forward...

thomasraven02

RBracken34 wrote: »

Drink a lot of water, eat more slowly, and eat more volume with fewer calories (raw veggies are excellent fillers)... and suffer through... it will get better as your stomach shrinks. At least it did for me.

enkiemonkey

Take smaller bites also. I find that with flavorful foods I tend to eat more so if I take smaller bites I still feel satisfied without having stuffed myself.

snowflakesav

Eating one full meal a day where you know you will be satisfied. Avoid breaking up meals into 6 meals a day.

Asher_Ethan

I found water really helped me when I thought I was hungry. When I think I'm hungry I drink a thing of water and reevaluate my hunger in 20 minutes... 9 times out of 10 it's just being thirsty.

Liftng4Lis

Eat lots of fats and protein, as they keep you sated longer.

dragon_girl26

I'm not necessarily a believer in "suffering through" if your body is telling you that it needs more. My question is, what do you have your weight loss goals set to? My suspicion is maybe you have your target weight loss set to 2 pounds per week (1200 calories), which is way too aggressive of a goal if you only have 20 pounds left to lose. If this is the case, try setting it to 1 pound per week, which will allow you to eat more and will be easier for you to maintain in the long run. You may not lose as fast, but it's more important for it to work for you, and for you to be able to stick with it!

Kalikel

Asher_Ethan wrote: »

I found water really helped me when I thought I was hungry. When I think I'm hungry I drink a thing of water and reevaluate my hunger in 20 minutes... 9 times out of 10 it's just being thirsty.

All hunger, even real hunger, comes in waves. Wait 30 minutes and it will go away whether you eat drink, exercise or do nothing. In bodies that function normally, it comes in waves.

The fact that it goes away in 30 minutes doesn't necessarily mean that it isn't real.

Just FYI. If it sounds lecturey, I apologize. Just a little heads up.

mikestobbs1

I believe the biggest mistake people make is cutting too many calories too fast which leads to massive hunger cravings. Drop 100 calories a week untill you reach your desired calories. It's a marathon not a sprint.

iLoveMyPitbull1225

Eat more frequently and more filling foods.

dawnna76

strong_curves wrote: »

caroadstar wrote: »

When I did weight watchers they gave me a fantastic vegetable soup recipe. It is cabbage, carrots, tomatoes, celery, onions. That is the base ingredients, I always add other stuff like zuchinni, eggplant, turnips, rudabega etc. Not good to use meat stock because it cancels out the Benifits. Vegetables only. Eat as much as you want. I also found out that after a few weeks my stomach shrinks and I'm not as hung

What?

I thinkhe meant hungry, but hey losing your belly and finding out your not as hung is possible too

dubird

mikestobbs1 wrote: »

I believe the biggest mistake people make is cutting too many calories too fast which leads to massive hunger cravings. Drop 100 calories a week until you reach your desired calories. It's a marathon not a sprint.

This. What I did was spent a couple weeks just logging, no changes, to see where I was. Then, I started cutting down things one at a time. Example, I started replacing soda for lunch with unsweet tea. One change, 200-300 calories saved for the day. So find your maintenance calories, then find small things to cut out or down on and give yourself time to get used to it. Your body will eventually adjust to lower amounts of food and it'll become easier. It's slower, but much easier in the long run.

kshama2001

@Seastar96 - I'm guessing you set your goals to lose 2 pounds per week, and with only 22 pounds to lose, that's too aggressive a goal. Try setting it to lose 0.5 pounds per week, and eat lots of fullness-enhancing foods, like protein, fat, veggies, and fiber.