I Dont Feel Full Enough, So I Overeat!

yellowboots_19

I've been exercising, and things have been going pretty well, as far as seeing my problematic areas. I've been eating as healthy as possible, which I feel I'm doing alright. There's just one problem: my eating patterns. Over the summer, I've lost 20 pounds, but I've gained almost all of it back when I came back to live on campus. I've noticed that I eat a lot, which obviously is a huge problem for me lol. I'll eat healthy, but then I'll want more and I end up overeating a lot. I guess I'm so used to eating so much at a time that this happens. Today, I did better than before, but I went a couple calories overboard (My exercise calories were able to balance it out though). Is drinking loads of water one of the ways to fill me up? I have a lot of orange juice, since that replaced soda, but I feel like I should cut back on that too, since it's also been the reason why I've been gaining weight. Thanks!

Sued0nim

You need to weigh and log your food consistently so that you get an idea of appropriate portion sizes

Water doesn't fill you up - but it's a psychological thing sometimes

Orange juice is high in calories as a drink and won't fill you up - I wouldn't be drinking a huge amount of that - you're better with water or diet sodas to be honest. 8fl oz of orange juice is 112 calories (that's more than 170g 0% greek yogurt or a slice of white toast or a couple of oreos)

You're gaining weight because you're eating more calories than you burn

thunder1982

You have to cut back on the oj, it has nearly as many cals as the soda. Water does help you fill up and I've erad several times we often mistake thirst for hunger. I try drink heaps of water before each meal (and throughout the day). If I am hungry I will have a drink of water first, if the hunger wont go away then I'll eat.

I never feel full, have always had to just stop eating. I experienced feeling full for the first time @25 when I fell preg. It was the strangest feeling for me. I dropped 5kgs in the first 3 months of preg.

suziecue20

You have to go forward with the maxim.... "satisfied" is the new "stuffed"

entwife

Drop the OJ and if you feel you want to eat more, then give yourself permission to eat more with one condition - wait 15 minutes before you get a second serving. It sounds like half your problem is habit, I think finding some tricks to help change habit is 50% of the battle.

suziecue20

entwife wrote: »

Drop the OJ and if you feel you want to eat more, then give yourself permission to eat more with one condition - wait 15 minutes before you get a second serving. It sounds like half your problem is habit, I think finding some tricks to help change habit is 50% of the battle.

yes, yes, yes!!!!

eDonatti

Also try chewing sugarless gum after 1 serving - it may trick your brain into thinking that you're still eating as you keep chewing:) I don't like water before meal but I will have large cup of camomile tea.

MonkeyMel21

Up your water intake with meals and see if that helps. I agree with the other posters about cutting down on the oj, too. Also, are you eating your exercise calories back regularly? I have to eat back my exercise calories or I feel completely deprived and can't do it for more than two days in a row, and yes, I'll end up way overeating because of it.

MarcyKirkton

I found that I needed to eat lots of vegetables to get past my "haven't had enough" feeling. And then, of course, just eat what's planned and wait. Sure enough, later I notice that I really am not hungry anymore. My ability to gauge what's enough was part of the reason I gained. So I have to retrain my body to recognize when enough is enough. In the meantime, extra vegetables don't do as much damage. Also, I definitely found I needed to hit my protein goal. That helped a lot with the hunger.

pondee629

suziecue20 wrote: »

You have to go forward with the maxim.... "satisfied" is the new "stuffed"

Amen. Stuffed makes me feel sick. There is a difference between "hungry" and "I could eat something". Rarely hungry but could always eat.

crazyjerseygirl

So it's not the best way to do it, but I first go by the 15 minute rule already mentioned. If I'm still hungry I have a (diet) soda. The bubbles fill me up. You can use seltzer, diet root beer whatever, but a small bottle never fails.

kshama2001

MarcyKirkton wrote: »

I found that I needed to eat lots of vegetables to get past my "haven't had enough" feeling. And then, of course, just eat what's planned and wait. Sure enough, later I notice that I really am not hungry anymore. My ability to gauge what's enough was part of the reason I gained. So I have to retrain my body to recognize when enough is enough. In the meantime, extra vegetables don't do as much damage. Also, I definitely found I needed to hit my protein goal. That helped a lot with the hunger.

@yellowboots_19 ya, veggies and protein help many people feel full.

Do cut way back on the OJ - replace with water.

Liftng4Lis

What are your stats?

jgnatca

Here's a couple other things to try.

• Are you going in to automatic eating mode while studying? You might try picking up another habit, like twirling a pencil, to replace eating.
• Eat slowly, deliberately. I eat with chopsticks if I want to pay more attention to what I am eating.

yellowboots_19

MonkeyMel21 wrote: »

Up your water intake with meals and see if that helps. I agree with the other posters about cutting down on the oj, too. Also, are you eating your exercise calories back regularly? I have to eat back my exercise calories or I feel completely deprived and can't do it for more than two days in a row, and yes, I'll end up way overeating because of it.

Wait, what do you mean by the last part lol? I'm not sure what you mean by eating my exercise calories back

flippy1234

Slow down when you eat. Let your stomach register that it's full. The slower you eat, you will get the signal when you have had enough. If you eat too fast, it does not register til you are done and then it's too late.

ElJefeChief

If you want to eat a ton, take a bowl, fill it with a mountain of green leafy veggies, cut up some (non-starchy) veggies into it (tomatoes, peppers, onions, etc.), drizzle some nonfat (or, if you can find some, no-calorie) dressing on top, and then gorge yourself flippin' silly.

Follow that with a big glass of water.

I've used that trick in a number of different ways over the last few months and it's really helped me stay within my calorie goals.

ElJefeChief

MarcyKirkton wrote: »

I found that I needed to eat lots of vegetables to get past my "haven't had enough" feeling. And then, of course, just eat what's planned and wait. Sure enough, later I notice that I really am not hungry anymore. My ability to gauge what's enough was part of the reason I gained. So I have to retrain my body to recognize when enough is enough. In the meantime, extra vegetables don't do as much damage. Also, I definitely found I needed to hit my protein goal. That helped a lot with the hunger.

Non-starchy veggies by the truckload, modest amounts of lean protein, and lots of water.

yellowboots_19

kshama2001 wrote: »

MarcyKirkton wrote: »

I found that I needed to eat lots of vegetables to get past my "haven't had enough" feeling. And then, of course, just eat what's planned and wait. Sure enough, later I notice that I really am not hungry anymore. My ability to gauge what's enough was part of the reason I gained. So I have to retrain my body to recognize when enough is enough. In the meantime, extra vegetables don't do as much damage. Also, I definitely found I needed to hit my protein goal. That helped a lot with the hunger.

@yellowboots_19 ya, veggies and protein help many people feel full.

Do cut way back on the OJ - replace with water.

I've cut back on the OJ, and I've been having mostly water. However, sometimes, I'll find myself drinking soda and eating junk food when I don't feel full enough or when I can't find any good healthy food to my liking (provides no excuse for not eating healthy lol) when I do eat healthy and I'm not full, I stock on a couple bananas and an apple with some water. Like @entwife mentioned, it does seem like a habit, and I will need to break it.

PaulaWallaDingDong

I gave up on the idea of feeling full. It always made me feel so lousy anyway. I just eat so I don't feel like I'm starving. That usually happens well before "full."

Queenmunchy

I pre-plan my meals, but base them on veggies. I make stew, soup, and chili with soooo many added veggies. Nuggets, burritos, meatballs, meatloaf are half veggies, and so on. The volume is huge, vegetables are never relegated to "the side" and I'm full!

soulofgrace

I think "full" and "still hungry" are troublesome terms. I think our primitive brains don't know that food is abundant, so we have to decide feeling "full" is not a goal. Wanting more because we're "still hungry" is also part of that. Sometimes, it's just that we want more of that good feeling we got when we ate that yummy food. I think it's all part of our primitive drive to get "enough." So, with all these tips we can try to fool that impulse, but we also need to try and change our psychology. Consciously, I know that a 500 calorie meal or a 100 calorie snack might be 'enough' right now, because I know I can have more in 15 minutes if need be. Sometimes I'm not strong enough to make myself wait. Maybe those are the times I actually do need more. Or maybe I just want to indulge at a social gathering. As you make all these changes, you will learn more about yourself and what you need. It all takes time and patience and the ability to forgive our mistakes. There are some good tips in this thread. I wish you well!

Christina1516

For sure drop the orange juice, too much is not good because of all the sugar there is. Especially depending on the type you're buying. Furthermore I have struggled with the same problem. What I do that seems to work is snack on low calorie foods like celery when you're hungry. However add a little bit of peanut butter or almond butter. The healthy fats and proteins will keep you feeling full. Also the more junk you eat, the less full you will fill, compared to if it was a healthier, cleaner alternative.

pstegman888

Don't starve yourself between meals til you are ravenous - have a snack between meals. Have a big salad (with lower-calorie dressing) before your meal. Drink a glass of water or diet drink. Then eat whatever portion fits your calorie allotment for that meal (which may vary depending on what you already ate that day or what your plans are later) and stop. You lost 20 pounds over the summer but regained it quickly, so you obviously changed your habits and got careless. I'm sure you don't want to go on spring break with a 40 pound gain :P so make a real effort to get it under control now. You can do it!

Sued0nim

yellowboots_19 wrote: »

kshama2001 wrote: »

MarcyKirkton wrote: »

I found that I needed to eat lots of vegetables to get past my "haven't had enough" feeling. And then, of course, just eat what's planned and wait. Sure enough, later I notice that I really am not hungry anymore. My ability to gauge what's enough was part of the reason I gained. So I have to retrain my body to recognize when enough is enough. In the meantime, extra vegetables don't do as much damage. Also, I definitely found I needed to hit my protein goal. That helped a lot with the hunger.

@yellowboots_19 ya, veggies and protein help many people feel full.

Do cut way back on the OJ - replace with water.

I've cut back on the OJ, and I've been having mostly water. However, sometimes, I'll find myself drinking soda and eating junk food when I don't feel full enough or when I can't find any good healthy food to my liking (provides no excuse for not eating healthy lol) when I do eat healthy and I'm not full, I stock on a couple bananas and an apple with some water. Like @entwife mentioned, it does seem like a habit, and I will need to break it.

Couple of bananas and an apple is probably around 300-380 calories

For 300 calories I can have a ham salad sandwich with mayo and mustard
Or
Vegetable stew, rice and cheese
Or
Chicken cacciatore and rice
Or
Scrambled egg, mushrooms, cheese on toast
Or
170g 0% Greek yogurt, 200g fresh raspberries and a packet of chips

You need to weigh and choose foods that you find filling

timrpm

As others have said - high protein lunch fills you up. Allow time for the food to hit your stomach. 20 mins or so. Also - vegetables are your friend. Carrots, broccoli, low fat yoghurt dip - try these as snacks.

Echo what others have said about fruit juice: it's junk calories. Try actual fruit, at least that has some fibre.

Ashtoretet

Force yourself to only eat healthy foods when you're still feeling that hunger. Keeping protein bars or protein shakes around the house will make it harder to say no when it's so easy to just nibble a few bites or drink a few sips to stop that hungry feeling.

Another thing I'd recommend is drinking water and orange juice together, never allow yourself to just drink juice. Drink a sip of water, then a sip of juice each time. You'll feel way fuller and you'll still get the satisfying taste of juice.

Kalikel

Cut the OJ and eat more fruits and veggies. You'll stay nice and full for very few calories and if you eat a nice variety of fruits and veggies, you'll get all those lovely little vitamins and minerals.

blambo61

I do all my eating in the evening so I can feel full. Way easier for me than small meals during the day. Might not be for eveyone.

sunandmoons

For me..when I eat junk food I get hungry sooner. When I eat boneless skinless chicken breast or turkey breast with a cucumber salad and a small amount of almonds im good for hours. I try to avoid anything with a lot of sugar. Just because it does the same thing and or makes me feel kinda sick. Try air popped popcorn. Total cereal is my go to snack. One serving with a half cup of skim milk curbs my appetite plus its loaded with vitamins and under 200 calories.

Vitamin water 0 tastes pretty good. Another thing some times its hard to distinguish hunger from thirst. Have a glass of water before you eat and another when you finish.

It takes a while to get used to control. Eating slowly and savor the textures and flavors. Then if you want that snack have it...but sparingly.

How bad do you want to lose? Ask yourself that.