How to beat mental hunger
sarab260
Posts: 122 Member
Hello!
Does anyone have any advice on how to beat mental hunger? E.g., hunger caused by boredom, mental exercise / being in a working environment all day, or any other types of hunger that I feel in my mouth & brain, but not my stomach? I'm hungry all of the time. I know part of this is because I'm working out a lot, but I am not depriving myself at all. I eat hearty meals and and filling snacks, but I feel as though I think about food all of the time, or get sad when it's going to be a long wait until my next meal.
Part of me is worried I'm becoming obsessed with food / calories, because all I want to do is meal plan, and get to my next new delicious meal that I'm trying. I try chewing gum, drinking water, distracting myself, but whenever I have a free moment, I find I'm just focused on when my next meal is coming, even when my stomach feels full!
Can anyone relate or help with this?
Thank you!!!
Does anyone have any advice on how to beat mental hunger? E.g., hunger caused by boredom, mental exercise / being in a working environment all day, or any other types of hunger that I feel in my mouth & brain, but not my stomach? I'm hungry all of the time. I know part of this is because I'm working out a lot, but I am not depriving myself at all. I eat hearty meals and and filling snacks, but I feel as though I think about food all of the time, or get sad when it's going to be a long wait until my next meal.
Part of me is worried I'm becoming obsessed with food / calories, because all I want to do is meal plan, and get to my next new delicious meal that I'm trying. I try chewing gum, drinking water, distracting myself, but whenever I have a free moment, I find I'm just focused on when my next meal is coming, even when my stomach feels full!
Can anyone relate or help with this?
Thank you!!!
0
Replies
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Best advice that worked for me - don't let yourself get bored.
Pick up a hobby, go outside for a bit, clean out that junk drawer, call up a friend you haven't talked to.
Keeping your mind occupied on something else tends to preclude it from thinking about food/snacking.0 -
If you're new to this, you may be going through a bit of transitional "mourning" for not being able to eat with abandon.
Then again, your calorie deficit may be too severe. How much weight do you have to lose?0 -
Eating when you aren't hungry is just habit. Once you break the habit, it won't be a problem. There are so many ways to break bad habits, though, and you just have to find the way that works for you.
I just toughed it out. When I'd get the idea that I might like to eat, I just refused consider doing it. Soon enough, I didn't even think about eating and it was no longer a thing.0 -
juggernaut1974 wrote: »Best advice that worked for me - don't let yourself get bored.
Pick up a hobby, go outside for a bit, clean out that junk drawer, call up a friend you haven't talked to.
Keeping your mind occupied on something else tends to preclude it from thinking about food/snacking.
Ah, on really busy days at work, it's definitely easier! But on slower days when I can't really leave my desk, but I also don't have projects to keep me occupied, it's harder. But that will be helpful on the weekends and such, because sometimes being in my house and laying around causes this as well!
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vivmom2014 wrote: »If you're new to this, you may be going through a bit of transitional "mourning" for not being able to eat with abandon.
Then again, your calorie deficit may be too severe. How much weight do you have to lose?
I'm 75 days in, and I've lost about 16 pounds and have about 14 to go. I have my calories set to 1350 (1.5 lb / week weight loss), but end up eating several hundred more than this due to exercising daily.0 -
How many calories are your eating
How many calories are you burning
Make sure you're eating enough to fuel your exercise
I know what you mean but there's nothing wrong with feeling hungry ..study it objectively...have you just eaten? Then consider the sensation ..it's ok to feel that way...
Leave it alone for 20 mins and if still hungry eat
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Eating when you aren't hungry is just habit. Once you break the habit, it won't be a problem. There are so many ways to break bad habits, though, and you just have to find the way that works for you.
I just toughed it out. When I'd get the idea that I might like to eat, I just refused consider doing it. Soon enough, I didn't even think about eating and it was no longer a thing.
Ugh, you're so right. My problem is that I fall in and out of the habit. I have good weeks / days, and I have terrible weeks / days. I know that this is okay sometimes and I have to let myself enjoy life, but I've always been such a snacker that I fear the desire to just sit down with a big old bag of chips will never leave! It sounds like you have some serious will power, which is impressive. I'll try to emulate your impressive habits!0 -
Go for a walk. Brush your teeth. Wait 10 minutes. Take up a hobby. Vacuum. Look at your calories for the day. Do you really want to go over and either stay the same or go up? Read a book. Do a set of sit-ups, planks, jumping jacks, stretches.0
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How many calories are your eating
How many calories are you burning
Make sure you're eating enough to fuel your exercise
I know what you mean but there's nothing wrong with feeling hungry ..study it objectively...have you just eaten? Then consider the sensation ..it's ok to feel that way...
Leave it alone for 20 mins and if still hungry eat
This is good advice. I'm worried I'm not paying enough attention to my body... I burn a minimum of 400cal with exercise a day, but I don't eat them all back. I'm still learning how to pay attention to my body though because eating whenever I felt hungry was what got me into this predicament haha. I can already tell maintenance is going to be terrible for me!0 -
Eating when you aren't hungry is just habit. Once you break the habit, it won't be a problem. There are so many ways to break bad habits, though, and you just have to find the way that works for you.
I just toughed it out. When I'd get the idea that I might like to eat, I just refused consider doing it. Soon enough, I didn't even think about eating and it was no longer a thing.
Ugh, you're so right. My problem is that I fall in and out of the habit. I have good weeks / days, and I have terrible weeks / days. I know that this is okay sometimes and I have to let myself enjoy life, but I've always been such a snacker that I fear the desire to just sit down with a big old bag of chips will never leave! It sounds like you have some serious will power, which is impressive. I'll try to emulate your impressive habits!
I have a bag of chips, or 2 every day
Buy multipacks...pre-calorie counted and make them fit in your calorie count across the week
Sometimes you will need pure willpower, but not always and it lessens over time
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firststepformefal wrote: »Go for a walk. Brush your teeth. Wait 10 minutes. Take up a hobby. Vacuum. Look at your calories for the day. Do you really want to go over and either stay the same or go up? Read a book. Do a set of sit-ups, planks, jumping jacks, stretches.
Great ideas! Thank you.0 -
vivmom2014 wrote: »If you're new to this, you may be going through a bit of transitional "mourning" for not being able to eat with abandon.
Then again, your calorie deficit may be too severe. How much weight do you have to lose?
I'm 75 days in, and I've lost about 16 pounds and have about 14 to go. I have my calories set to 1350 (1.5 lb / week weight loss), but end up eating several hundred more than this due to exercising daily.
With 14 pounds left to lose, adjust your rate of loss to .5 lb/week. You will get more calories to work with. That should help a lot, combined with all the other suggestions you've received here.
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vivmom2014 wrote: »vivmom2014 wrote: »If you're new to this, you may be going through a bit of transitional "mourning" for not being able to eat with abandon.
Then again, your calorie deficit may be too severe. How much weight do you have to lose?
I'm 75 days in, and I've lost about 16 pounds and have about 14 to go. I have my calories set to 1350 (1.5 lb / week weight loss), but end up eating several hundred more than this due to exercising daily.
With 14 pounds left to lose, adjust your rate of loss to .5 lb/week. You will get more calories to work with. That should help a lot, combined with all the other suggestions you've received here.
This is a good idea, and probably a very healthy thing to do — but I'm anxious to get to maintenance and have been working so hard that I think I would be discouraged by not seeing as much progress now. Maybe I will adjust down to 1lb and see how I feel though.0 -
vivmom2014 wrote: »vivmom2014 wrote: »If you're new to this, you may be going through a bit of transitional "mourning" for not being able to eat with abandon.
Then again, your calorie deficit may be too severe. How much weight do you have to lose?
I'm 75 days in, and I've lost about 16 pounds and have about 14 to go. I have my calories set to 1350 (1.5 lb / week weight loss), but end up eating several hundred more than this due to exercising daily.
With 14 pounds left to lose, adjust your rate of loss to .5 lb/week. You will get more calories to work with. That should help a lot, combined with all the other suggestions you've received here.
This is a good idea, and probably a very healthy thing to do — but I'm anxious to get to maintenance and have been working so hard that I think I would be discouraged by not seeing as much progress now. Maybe I will adjust down to 1lb and see how I feel though.
My advice is: don't be anxious and don't rush. You want your efforts & results to last.
You'll get there!
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vivmom2014 wrote: »vivmom2014 wrote: »If you're new to this, you may be going through a bit of transitional "mourning" for not being able to eat with abandon.
Then again, your calorie deficit may be too severe. How much weight do you have to lose?
I'm 75 days in, and I've lost about 16 pounds and have about 14 to go. I have my calories set to 1350 (1.5 lb / week weight loss), but end up eating several hundred more than this due to exercising daily.
With 14 pounds left to lose, adjust your rate of loss to .5 lb/week. You will get more calories to work with. That should help a lot, combined with all the other suggestions you've received here.
Ah, I sound so rude, and as though I'm asking for advice and then disparaging it. I just believe in myself that I can keep up this rate, and I know my hunger is really imaginary in a lot of ways, so I'm just frustrated that I can't manage to pace myself the way I was able to in the first few months. I need to learn to adapt and be healthier with this journey though, because I know otherwise I will just gain it all back!0 -
I can completely relate to this. Until I started with MFP, I was always snacking just because my work is utterly boring. I sit at a computer all day and enter numbers into a program, and I am always thinking about what I can eat next.
What I find helps, is that I tell myself I can have whatever snack it is, if I can hold out until X time (usually my allotted snack time). So basically, I start wanting to eat everything in the building at 9am, I keep telling myself just hold out till 10 and you can eat whatever you want.
I also ditched all the sugary snacks and went for healthier nuts and dried fruits and veggies in the fridge, so I can't actually eat a bad snack, just have to watch I don't eat too much of them.
I still think about food a lot, but it has gotten better, and I think it will get even better over time. You can do it!0 -
vivmom2014 wrote: »vivmom2014 wrote: »vivmom2014 wrote: »If you're new to this, you may be going through a bit of transitional "mourning" for not being able to eat with abandon.
Then again, your calorie deficit may be too severe. How much weight do you have to lose?
I'm 75 days in, and I've lost about 16 pounds and have about 14 to go. I have my calories set to 1350 (1.5 lb / week weight loss), but end up eating several hundred more than this due to exercising daily.
With 14 pounds left to lose, adjust your rate of loss to .5 lb/week. You will get more calories to work with. That should help a lot, combined with all the other suggestions you've received here.
This is a good idea, and probably a very healthy thing to do — but I'm anxious to get to maintenance and have been working so hard that I think I would be discouraged by not seeing as much progress now. Maybe I will adjust down to 1lb and see how I feel though.
My advice is: don't be anxious and don't rush. You want your efforts & results to last.
You'll get there!
Thank you so much! I hope so 0 -
LittleMissMae wrote: »I can completely relate to this. Until I started with MFP, I was always snacking just because my work is utterly boring. I sit at a computer all day and enter numbers into a program, and I am always thinking about what I can eat next.
What I find helps, is that I tell myself I can have whatever snack it is, if I can hold out until X time (usually my allotted snack time). So basically, I start wanting to eat everything in the building at 9am, I keep telling myself just hold out till 10 and you can eat whatever you want.
I also ditched all the sugary snacks and went for healthier nuts and dried fruits and veggies in the fridge, so I can't actually eat a bad snack, just have to watch I don't eat too much of them.
I still think about food a lot, but it has gotten better, and I think it will get even better over time. You can do it!
This is great, thank you! I will definitely start using these methods.0 -
vivmom2014 wrote: »vivmom2014 wrote: »If you're new to this, you may be going through a bit of transitional "mourning" for not being able to eat with abandon.
Then again, your calorie deficit may be too severe. How much weight do you have to lose?
I'm 75 days in, and I've lost about 16 pounds and have about 14 to go. I have my calories set to 1350 (1.5 lb / week weight loss), but end up eating several hundred more than this due to exercising daily.
With 14 pounds left to lose, adjust your rate of loss to .5 lb/week. You will get more calories to work with. That should help a lot, combined with all the other suggestions you've received here.
This is a good idea, and probably a very healthy thing to do — but I'm anxious to get to maintenance and have been working so hard that I think I would be discouraged by not seeing as much progress now. Maybe I will adjust down to 1lb and see how I feel though.
It's a good idea though and slowing it down also helps you work out how to live in maintenance ...it's not like your life will go back to a previous normal way of eating...you'll just get a couple of hundred extra calories
You're in this for the long term...it's not an eventual goal it's a life..
Good luck0 -
Gum and hot tea are my 'desk job' weapons of choice.0
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Are you over restricting yourself? Getting enough fats and proteins?0
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vivmom2014 wrote: »vivmom2014 wrote: »If you're new to this, you may be going through a bit of transitional "mourning" for not being able to eat with abandon.
Then again, your calorie deficit may be too severe. How much weight do you have to lose?
I'm 75 days in, and I've lost about 16 pounds and have about 14 to go. I have my calories set to 1350 (1.5 lb / week weight loss), but end up eating several hundred more than this due to exercising daily.
With 14 pounds left to lose, adjust your rate of loss to .5 lb/week. You will get more calories to work with. That should help a lot, combined with all the other suggestions you've received here.
This is a good idea, and probably a very healthy thing to do — but I'm anxious to get to maintenance and have been working so hard that I think I would be discouraged by not seeing as much progress now. Maybe I will adjust down to 1lb and see how I feel though.
It's a good idea though and slowing it down also helps you work out how to live in maintenance ...it's not like your life will go back to a previous normal way of eating...you'll just get a couple of hundred extra calories
You're in this for the long term...it's not an eventual goal it's a life..
Good luck
Thank you! 0 -
Liftng4Lis wrote: »Are you over restricting yourself? Getting enough fats and proteins?
I'd like to say I don't think I am, but I am really not sure. This is my first jaunt into the world of nutrition (no one in my family has ever had to worry about nutrition previous to this, not sure why I'm the lucky winner of some recessive genes that make me susceptible to gaining weight haha), so I'm really just trying to do what this website is telling me to do! If you want to be friends, my diary is open and might give good insight into the answers to some of your questions!0 -
Liftng4Lis wrote: »Are you over restricting yourself? Getting enough fats and proteins?
I'd like to say I don't think I am, but I am really not sure. This is my first jaunt into the world of nutrition (no one in my family has ever had to worry about nutrition previous to this, not sure why I'm the lucky winner of some recessive genes that make me susceptible to gaining weight haha), so I'm really just trying to do what this website is telling me to do! If you want to be friends, my diary is open and might give good insight into the answers to some of your questions!
LOL
Please see the excuses thread
0 -
Liftng4Lis wrote: »Are you over restricting yourself? Getting enough fats and proteins?
I'd like to say I don't think I am, but I am really not sure. This is my first jaunt into the world of nutrition (no one in my family has ever had to worry about nutrition previous to this, not sure why I'm the lucky winner of some recessive genes that make me susceptible to gaining weight haha), so I'm really just trying to do what this website is telling me to do! If you want to be friends, my diary is open and might give good insight into the answers to some of your questions!
LOL
Please see the excuses thread
Hahahahaha, you're right! My only excuse is that I love to eat! And I did it a lot... A LOT 0 -
Liftng4Lis wrote: »Are you over restricting yourself? Getting enough fats and proteins?
I'd like to say I don't think I am, but I am really not sure. This is my first jaunt into the world of nutrition (no one in my family has ever had to worry about nutrition previous to this, not sure why I'm the lucky winner of some recessive genes that make me susceptible to gaining weight haha), so I'm really just trying to do what this website is telling me to do! If you want to be friends, my diary is open and might give good insight into the answers to some of your questions!
LOL
Please see the excuses thread
Hahahahaha, you're right! My only excuse is that I love to eat! And I did it a lot... A LOT
Who doesn't love to eat? I think you'll find some breathing room with more calories to work with. Give it a go.
Congrats on your loss so far, too!
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vivmom2014 wrote: »Liftng4Lis wrote: »Are you over restricting yourself? Getting enough fats and proteins?
I'd like to say I don't think I am, but I am really not sure. This is my first jaunt into the world of nutrition (no one in my family has ever had to worry about nutrition previous to this, not sure why I'm the lucky winner of some recessive genes that make me susceptible to gaining weight haha), so I'm really just trying to do what this website is telling me to do! If you want to be friends, my diary is open and might give good insight into the answers to some of your questions!
LOL
Please see the excuses thread
Hahahahaha, you're right! My only excuse is that I love to eat! And I did it a lot... A LOT
Who doesn't love to eat? I think you'll find some breathing room with more calories to work with. Give it a go.
Congrats on your loss so far, too!
Thank you so much! I will give myself some breathing room, you're right. I tend to be a little hard on myself at times. A 200 calorie pack of almonds at 3pm will probably not make me gain all 16lb back.0 -
By the way your diary isn't open0
This discussion has been closed.
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