Never feeling full or satisfied

shylady76

I have lost about twenty plus pounds since June of this year. Lately I can't seem to ever feel full or satisfied. I go from being hungry and eating to not knowing when I am actually full. If I continue eating eventually I will feel overstuffed but by that point I am way over my calories. Is anyone else having this problem too?

vivmom2014

Can you try stopping after you eat a sensible-sized meal, and waiting a while?

juggernaut1974

shylady76 wrote: »

I have lost about twenty plus pounds since June of this year. Lately I can't seem to ever feel full or satisfied. I go from being hungry and eating to not knowing when I am actually full. If I continue eating eventually I will feel overstuffed but by that point I am way over my calories. Is anyone else having this problem too?

What does a typical day look like for you in terms of food choices? You may find a different variety of foods might've more satiating to you

shylady76

I eat close to 2000 calories a day. I try and eat fillers but that doesn't always work. If I keep myself real busy I temporarily forget about food but that doesn't happen often

DaddieCat

They were asking more about the types of food you were eating as some are better for satiety than others. Can you open your diary for us?

nvmomketo

I had that issue with carbs. I was always hungry and never full. It led to overeating. Once I drastically cut carbs it was no longer an issue for me.

shylady76

The days that I don't feel full are the days I don't log my food accurately. This has been going on for about three weeks now.

PeachyCarol

The question juggernaut asked about food choice was important.

At two separate points during my weight loss, I came up against periods of feeling hungry.

The first time it happened, I employed two strategies to deal with it. The first was mindfully eating VERY slowly, taking very small bites, chewing each on thoroughly, and completely emptying my mouth before taking the next bite. The second strategy was to adjust my macros so that I was getting more fat. This meant lowering my carbs. The fat combined with the protein I ate at every meal kept me full.

That worked for months... until it didn't. It was time to switch things up again, because I was hungry!

I switched my macros, this time lowering fat and protein a smidge (still making sure to get at least .65 g per pound of bodyweight), but upping carbs and choosing more starchy carbs. I started staying fuller longer and had more energy for my work outs. This is the way I'm eating now.

Different food choices might satisfy your hunger better. Go back over your diary and see if you're balanced heavy one way or another. Try shifting things to a different macro instead of where it's leaning now. It might work for you.

kommodevaran

I used to not recognize satiety, but using portion control and learning about my personal satiety cues, has helped me a lot. It sounds so strange that you have lost the ability to feel pleasantly full, while monitoring food intake. I have no clue, I'm just as puzzled as you are, I think.

blkandwhite77

I was the same way because I was only focusing on my total calories and not changing my eating habits. Example a small fry from McDonald's is 240 calories. I can hear up some frozen hash browns 168g and 5 pieces of butterball turkey bacon for the same amount of calories and it's way more filling. I can have a cup of potatoes or a 2-3 cups of peas and carrots for the same calories (not that I've had 2-3 cups that's a bit over kill lol) but the point is change what type of calories you are eating and you will soon see you can be so full that reaching your calorie goal is the hard part and not going over.

blkandwhite77

I agree make a smaller portion and eat that then wait 10-15 minutes and if you're still hungry have a half portion. Thus giving your stomach and mind time to process if your still hungry.

Kalikel

Eating a lot of fruits and veggies helps me stay "not hungry", but it never feel truly full. I eat a lot of small meals and that helps me with not getting hungry and fruits and veggies are generally really low-cal, so you can eat quite a bit of them. Three big meals - I felt stuffed afterwards, but got hungry before the next one.

I don't know if that would help you because everyone is different, but it does work for me.

Protranser

What helps me is going out for a long walk, or even a jog. Strangely, when I'd stand up to start putting on my clothes to start my walk or jog, I'd suddenly feel full from what i ate earlier in the day. I really dislike feeling full when I'm doing cardio, so it became easier for me to get a grip on my intake.

melonaulait

I definitely try to stop eating my meals after one plate. Waiting about half an hour and drinking a few glasses of water will tell you if you're still really hungry for more.

SamiHearken

I've found upping protein and fat has helped lots. As well as what i eat. I used to (sometimes still do) a pie, a cookie time cookie and a fizzy for lunch. Yes it'll fill me up but by the time I get home I'm hungry again, whereas a salad with boiled egg whites and gold kumara (sweet potato) keeps me full (for a 1/3 of the calories) till dinner

KateTii

Sometimes I have times where I am just continuously hungry. I just have a day of being over on calories. Maybe sometimes it's three days. But then the desire to eat so much is satisfied and I keep on losing weight. It does require a ton of self-control to actually make sure you come back to a deficit, but for me, it works.

yesimpson

Is there a chance you're trying to stick to too high of a deficit? What suited you 20lbs ago may not suit you now, if you're still trying to lose at an ambitious rate. Your calorie goal may be too low.

I feel insatiably hungry when I'm bored, anxious or lonely. When I feel that way I make sure I have something to do immediately after finishing a meal, even better if it gets me up and out of the house. Then I give my body more time to register being satisfied and am less likely to end up in the snack cupboard. I'm not saying you are necessarily feeling the same way but I think distraction is a useful tool when we know we've had enough, but still fancy something else.

LAMCDylan

Increase protein and fiber. Like for lunch on most days I eat about 6 oz of baby carrots, 2-3 stalks or celery, and a whole bell pepper. Then I make a dip made with plain yogurt, a scoop of rice protein powder and a couple spoonfuls of salsa. After all this I eat 6 hardboiled eggs (just the whites) and I am full for a very long time. Like I say, eat more bulky foods with lots of fiber. I also tend to eat smaller but more frequent meals so that I am not stuffed but I am satisfied throughout the day. Oatmeal is another food that feels me up. I add hemp protein powder to it and rice protein to increase protein and fiber. Chicken or tuna sandwiches with one slice of bread are pretty good too as small meals and not many calories.

42firm03

shylady76 wrote: »

The days that I don't feel full are the days I don't log my food accurately. This has been going on for about three weeks now.

Could it be a mind game? Meaning since you don't have a record of what you've eaten your mind is messing with you that you are still hungry?

livelovebbg

Is it possible you're overeating due to stress/boredom? I only ask because I've had the same problem, but only while I'm at work, typically in the afternoon. Do you have trouble identifying when you're full during a specific meal/time of day, or does it vary?

2wise4u

LAMCDylan wrote: »

Increase protein and fiber.

I agree with Dylan and also think you should try to incorporate more protein and fiber. That was my problem and I ate WAY too many carbs but I try to find sneaky ways to eat more protein like greek yogurt, nuts and breakfast bars with protein it them. I also try to add more veggies by eating salads or even adding more veggies to a sandwich. It all makes a huge difference and I was a non believer until I tried it. Even now when I feel like I am starving, I have a small handful of nuts and it tides me over until my next meal.

Oh and don't forget to drink plenty of water. There are times when I mistook thirst for hunger and a nice glass of water did the trick. Weight loss is a journey and everyone has their own unique metabolism so keep experimenting with what may work for you and you'll see results.

Good luck.

shylady76

I bring my lunch to work with me and no access to other food all day so I am kind of ok. But once I get home it's free for all. It might be a mind / boredom thing. But it scares me that I could just keep eating non stop until I feel like I am going to throw up but still not feeling full. I have been known to graze but not to this extent. And I have also always been over weight my whole life.

Need2Exerc1se

shylady76 wrote: »

I bring my lunch to work with me and no access to other food all day so I am kind of ok. But once I get home it's free for all. It might be a mind / boredom thing. But it scares me that I could just keep eating non stop until I feel like I am going to throw up but still not feeling full. I have been known to graze but not to this extent. And I have also always been over weight my whole life.

How much protein, fiber and fat are you eating?

shylady76

I am usually at or above for fiber but below my protein by 20. Fat is below too. I only watch calories and it was working but not anymore.
How could I add more protein to my diet?

amberlyda1

low sodium soup. I still have that little thing in my head that says I'm hungry even though I know I have had enough. Its usually when I'm tired. So I chop up a few veggies and put it in some soup with hot sauce and it kills my craving for about 50 Calories

T1DCarnivoreRunner

I have been there... I've been seriously on the weight loss journey since Jan. 2014. I've leanred a lot, but satiety is one area where I've always struggled. At times when I had "cheat" days (days where I logged, but did not restrict calorie intake), I've sometimes eaten 20,000+ calories.

There are some ideas I've found that help, but none of them really get me where I can be satisfied completely:

-Eat things high in water content such as watermelon, cucumbers, pickles, etc.
-Drink plenty of water
-Eat things that are low or no calorie (pickles, for example)
-After these things, just accept that being hungry is a big part of the trade-off to losing weight. I've only had trouble with that during plateaus... after months of hunger and no loss, it becomes quite difficult to just accept that hunger is a trade-off (mainly because I'm something that up, but gaining nothing).