No matter what i eat im still hungry

I'm looking for some advice since no matter what I eat I'm hungry within the hour even if I have porridge for breakfast, I'm aiming for 1300-1400 calories
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Replies

  • Francl27
    Francl27 Posts: 26,371 Member
    Add some protein and/or fat to your porridge, and try to stay away from the instant kind.
  • sndrd49
    sndrd49 Posts: 234 Member
    Have you tried steel cut oats? A dollop of greek yogurt for extra protein and some berries for sweetness and I'm full for hours.
  • ilex70
    ilex70 Posts: 727 Member
    Satiety is kind of a personal thing. I like steel cut oats.

    But if I eat that (or cereal, toast, etc.) for breakfast I'm hungry all day. I'm better off having oatmeal for dinner, or an evening snack.

    If I stick with coffee and protein and have some protein at every meal then my hunger is much less.
  • StealthHealth
    StealthHealth Posts: 2,417 Member
    edited March 2016
    I'm looking for some advice since no matter what I eat I'm hungry within the hour even if I have porridge for breakfast, I'm aiming for 1300-1400 calories

    What you're aiming for is irrelevant: You've not logged any food for the past 2 weeks (if ever - I only went back 2 weeks). If you don't log your food it's just guesswork and you may as well not be using MFP at all.

    Log your food, eat up to your goal, report back in 2 weeks.
  • Francl27
    Francl27 Posts: 26,371 Member
    ilex70 wrote: »
    Satiety is kind of a personal thing. I like steel cut oats.

    But if I eat that (or cereal, toast, etc.) for breakfast I'm hungry all day. I'm better off having oatmeal for dinner, or an evening snack.

    If I stick with coffee and protein and have some protein at every meal then my hunger is much less.

    I do fine with steel cut oats for breakfast even on hungrier days. But I cook them with almond milk, and add some kind of nuts and protein powder.
  • bmayes2014
    bmayes2014 Posts: 232 Member
    Perhaps increase water consumption. Sometimes hunger signal can be a signal for dehydration (or slight dehydration) as well.
  • Tweaking_Time
    Tweaking_Time Posts: 733 Member
    Francl27 wrote: »
    Add some protein and/or fat to your porridge, and try to stay away from the instant kind.

    ^^^This^^^

    Protein and a reasonable amount of fatty foods are what helps keep the hunger pangs at bay.

    If you want more food volume - lets look at breakfast for an example:
    A large egg is 70 calories...two large egg whites are 34 calories (about the same volume of food). Use egg whites instead of whole eggs.
  • Francl27
    Francl27 Posts: 26,371 Member
    edited March 2016
    Francl27 wrote: »
    Add some protein and/or fat to your porridge, and try to stay away from the instant kind.

    ^^^This^^^

    Protein and a reasonable amount of fatty foods are what helps keep the hunger pangs at bay.

    If you want more food volume - lets look at breakfast for an example:
    A large egg is 70 calories...two large egg whites are 34 calories (about the same volume of food). Use egg whites instead of whole eggs.

    But a whole egg is more nutritious and more filling.
  • elsinora
    elsinora Posts: 398 Member
    Francl27 wrote: »
    Francl27 wrote: »
    Add some protein and/or fat to your porridge, and try to stay away from the instant kind.

    ^^^This^^^

    Protein and a reasonable amount of fatty foods are what helps keep the hunger pangs at bay.

    If you want more food volume - lets look at breakfast for an example:
    A large egg is 70 calories...two large egg whites are 34 calories (about the same volume of food). Use egg whites instead of whole eggs.

    But a whole egg is more nutritious and more filling.

    Not always "more filling." Egg whites are really filling and are great for muscle repair.
  • Wickedfaery73
    Wickedfaery73 Posts: 184 Member
    Fiber helps too
  • StealthHealth
    StealthHealth Posts: 2,417 Member
    I checked back - OP has recorded their calories on 4 occasions in Feb (643 cals on the 10th, 654 calories on the 13, 789 calories on the 15th and 157 calories on the 27th) and zero occasions in March.

    What is and what is not a filling type of food is irrelevant to the poster until she gets her logging sorted. Only then will she and us know if the hunger is because of the type of food she is eating or just a result of chronic underrating.

    OP get your logging sorted - if you log your food elsewhere summarise and post it here so that people can help you.

  • SideSteel
    SideSteel Posts: 11,068 Member
    I think a more accurate statement might be "no matter what I've tried so far"

    I guarantee you, you can create fullness with proper food selection.

    Just for example try eating 12oz chicken breast with no sauce or condiments, and 12-16oz green beans or broccoli.

    Then ask yourself if you're still hungry.

    My overall point here is that foods have satiety properties to them and while there are some individual differences, most people will feel remarkably full from selecting high protein, low calorie density, high fiber food items.

    Additionally foods that are somewhat lower in palatability will tend to promote satiety.
  • Lounmoun
    Lounmoun Posts: 8,423 Member
    I'm looking for some advice since no matter what I eat I'm hungry within the hour even if I have porridge for breakfast, I'm aiming for 1300-1400 calories

    Is your calorie goal reasonable for your size? Are you very active? Do you drink water?
    Log everything you consume so you can see that you are getting enough calories and protein and see where you need to make changes.
    Eat more protein & fats. Increase your fiber with things like vegetables, whole grains, lentils or beans.
    Load up your plate with more low calorie vegetables like broccoli, spinach or celery.
    Combine protein with other things. I stay hungry if I eat just eggs but eggs and a piece of toast are more filling. Logging will help you figure out what foods work best for you.
    Just plan a small snack at the time you usually get hungry.


  • elsinora
    elsinora Posts: 398 Member
    SideSteel wrote: »
    I think a more accurate statement might be "no matter what I've tried so far"

    I guarantee you, you can create fullness with proper food selection.

    Just for example try eating 12oz chicken breast with no sauce or condiments, and 12-16oz green beans or broccoli.

    Then ask yourself if you're still hungry.

    My overall point here is that foods have satiety properties to them and while there are some individual differences, most people will feel remarkably full from selecting high protein, low calorie density, high fiber food items.

    Additionally foods that are somewhat lower in palatability will tend to promote satiety.

    Pretty much what sidesteel says. On top of that I found that making sure I have protein with every meal and snack is not only great for my training but it satiates you a lot. In the mornings I actually just eat mackerel and that keeps me full until lunchtime.
  • 4leighbee
    4leighbee Posts: 1,275 Member
    Could be psychological, too. If you think you're cheating yourself, you'll remain unsatisfied.

    I eat all day long, about once an hour - if I start to feel the slightest bit hungry, I eat ... bored? I eat. I am not in the business of being miserable, or this will never be sustainable for me.

    To succeed with this strategy, of course, you will need to choose the foods you eat all day carefully (if I have two hard-boiled eggs, I eat one with the yolk and one without, for instance ... I eat lots of vegetables). Also, Lifesavers are great because they take a while to eat. I am also constantly brain-washing myself (in a good way) - "damn these are sweet carrots" ... as if they come anywhere close to the Cadbury mini eggs I could be eating at my desk, lol. But again - if I want Cadbury, I eat Cadbury - in moderation and then I make little sacrifices elsewhere or have a nice, long run later. Don't allow yourself to be/get hungry and don't be in a constant state of denying yourself food - any kind of food. It can mess with your head and screw your plans up much worse than if you'd just gone ahead and eaten it.

    And yeah, if you aren't logging, you really should consider it.
  • haviegirl
    haviegirl Posts: 230 Member
    A slight feeling of hunger won't kill you. Go for a walk, drink a glass of water, go run an errand. Many times the feeling will pass or you'll learn to tolerate it better. I find I can ignore slight hunger much better now than I used to.

    Stay within your MFP guidelines and develop more success with delayed gratification. It's a good life skill, applicable to many situations.

    Good luck!
  • angeljo2015
    angeljo2015 Posts: 121 Member
    I'm very active and weigh 152 pounds, I've not been logging as I can't get to grips with some of the entries like 0.4.cup I wonder if I could select better foods?

    I eat rolled oat porridge with peanut butter and fruit

    Have a wholemeal sandwich or wraps for dinner with chicken and salad

    At night maybe have chicken with roasts veg or have it with chips and veg, or have jacket potato with beans and cheese, or have fish non barrette with potatoes and veg for example

    Snacks might be a health bar or jelly or fruit
  • janejellyroll
    janejellyroll Posts: 25,763 Member
    I'm very active and weigh 152 pounds, I've not been logging as I can't get to grips with some of the entries like 0.4.cup I wonder if I could select better foods?

    I eat rolled oat porridge with peanut butter and fruit

    Have a wholemeal sandwich or wraps for dinner with chicken and salad

    At night maybe have chicken with roasts veg or have it with chips and veg, or have jacket potato with beans and cheese, or have fish non barrette with potatoes and veg for example

    Snacks might be a health bar or jelly or fruit

    Can you explain what you mean by "get to grips"?

    For accuracy, you want to be weighing your solid foods anyway, so you can ignore measurements like ".4 cup."
  • StealthHealth
    StealthHealth Posts: 2,417 Member
    edited March 2016
    I'm very active and weigh 152 pounds, I've not been logging as I can't get to grips with some of the entries like 0.4.cup I wonder if I could select better foods?

    I eat rolled oat porridge with peanut butter and fruit

    Have a wholemeal sandwich or wraps for dinner with chicken and salad

    At night maybe have chicken with roasts veg or have it with chips and veg, or have jacket potato with beans and cheese, or have fish non barrette with potatoes and veg for example

    Snacks might be a health bar or jelly or fruit

    But your problem is that this typical day could be anywhere from 1000 cals to, well just about any upper value you care to mention, depending upon amounts.

    Without knowing how much food you are consuming, it's almost impossible to gauge what is causing your hunger. Also without knowing how many calories you are eating (by measuring/weighing and logging your food) having a daily target is useless.

    I don't want to discourage you here, but this thing only tends to work when people are plugging their food data into the web site or app on a daily basis.
  • lthames0810
    lthames0810 Posts: 722 Member
    haviegirl wrote: »
    A slight feeling of hunger won't kill you. Go for a walk, drink a glass of water, go run an errand. Many times the feeling will pass or you'll learn to tolerate it better. I find I can ignore slight hunger much better now than I used to.

    Stay within your MFP guidelines and develop more success with delayed gratification. It's a good life skill, applicable to many situations.

    Good luck!

    I was just thinking this same thing.

    It's entirely normal to feel full after a meal, then feel empty by the time the next meal is due. If you have no medical problems, it won't kill you to have your stomach growl once in a while.

    One consequence of calorie restricting can be the increased attention paid to food. I have planned out when and what to eat today and I find myself checking to see if it's time to eat yet. It makes me me more conscious of my empty stomach. The remedy for me is to be so busy that I forget to eat, or just suck it up.

    All that said, it seems to me from what I read on these forums, that hunger is like pain and people have a wide range of tolerance for different types of pain. (For me, I am tortured by the muscle burn I get from lifting. I'll tell you anything. Just make it stop). In my opinion there is a legitimate purpose for appetite suppressants for some people.
  • CrabNebula
    CrabNebula Posts: 1,119 Member
    haviegirl wrote: »
    A slight feeling of hunger won't kill you. Go for a walk, drink a glass of water, go run an errand. Many times the feeling will pass or you'll learn to tolerate it better. I find I can ignore slight hunger much better now than I used to.

    Stay within your MFP guidelines and develop more success with delayed gratification. It's a good life skill, applicable to many situations.

    Good luck!

    +1

    I've never discovered a magic bullet as far as foods that make me feel full for hours. Sometimes the same foods I can eat for one meal will make me feel like I ate rocks and I won't be hungry up to a day from eating them can be the same foods that aren't doing anything to fill me up at all at that point in time. I don't get it, there seems to be no rhyme or reason for it. Just how it is, but my calories for the day have to remain below a certain calorie level regardless of how physically hungry I seem to feel at any given moment or not. I just can't keep eating all day, I just have to deal with it on the days that are hungrier than others. I distract myself doing something else and drinking something 0 cal and chewing gum until it is time for the next meal.

    Also are you sure that you are actually really hungry and not just bored? I find I feel boredom hunger far, far more often then actual physical hunger.
  • angeljo2015
    angeljo2015 Posts: 121 Member
    I get genuinely hungry like an empty feeling, I'm five foot have a physical job
  • Francl27
    Francl27 Posts: 26,371 Member
    I get genuinely hungry like an empty feeling, I'm five foot have a physical job

    So maybe you're just not eating enough. 1300 calories is really on the low side...
  • lemurcat12
    lemurcat12 Posts: 30,886 Member
    I get genuinely hungry like an empty feeling, I'm five foot have a physical job

    Didn't you post last week, and you were going to try raising your calories? I still think it's a good idea.

    I like to include vegetables and protein with my breakfast. Had steel cuts today, with blueberries, protein powder, and some vegetables on the side, and that was quite filling, but satiety is personal, you need to find what works for you.
  • kshama2001
    kshama2001 Posts: 28,052 Member
    edited March 2016
    @angeljo2015 four days ago you asked the same question and agreed to try 1600 calories as you only have 13 pounds to lose: http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10350610/hungry-shortly-after-eating/p1

    You also acknowledged last month that your weight loss goal was too aggressive: http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10341851/is-1200-calories-too-low-for-me
  • Aylame11
    Aylame11 Posts: 13 Member
    I noticed the more water I try and drink even if I have to force it down one glass and hour before brekkie and im not so hungry after then 2-3 glasses before lunch! Give it a go! May help U too! X
  • Kimberly_Harper
    Kimberly_Harper Posts: 409 Member
    bmayes2014 wrote: »
    Perhaps increase water consumption. Sometimes hunger signal can be a signal for dehydration (or slight dehydration) as well.

    This is a valid point.
  • KelGen02
    KelGen02 Posts: 668 Member
    I eat anywhere between 1000-1300 calories every day. I am never hungry. I drink 64oz of water before noon and another 64oz by 4:30. I drink at least a full 8oz after every meal. I am also eating every few hours. I have 3 meals and 2 snacks. Nuts are my usual go to snack, hummus, veggies. I am beginning to learn that it is mind over matter. Hungry can present itself when you are board, tired or just sick of being on a diet. Our minds are very powerful. I think I am never hungry because my stomach always feels full with the water that I consume. Everyone is different tho. Try increasing calories by 200 for a couple weeks, increase water and see how you feel. Good luck!
  • Rosee33
    Rosee33 Posts: 1 Member
    I get genuinely hungry like an empty feeling, I'm five foot have a physical job

    If you have a physical job, then you are burning lots of calories (depending on what you consider physical). If that is the case, than your caloric intake isn't nearly what you need. For example, my Zumba instructor teaches 4 - 5 classes per day, and keeps her own exercise regimen. She literally needs 4000 calories a day because of her rigorous schedule. Now this is an extreme example but if your job is very physical and your body is burning calories, unless you are morbidly obese, you need to examine how much physical activity you do versus how much fuel you are in-taking. Food is fuel for the body. If you don't fuel up, how do you expect to perform well? It sounds to me like you're starving yourself. NOT GOOD. Up your caloric intake. Healthy weight loss is 1-2 lbs a week. Adjust your caloric intake to reflect that.
  • callsitlikeiseeit
    callsitlikeiseeit Posts: 8,626 Member
    I checked back - OP has recorded their calories on 4 occasions in Feb (643 cals on the 10th, 654 calories on the 13, 789 calories on the 15th and 157 calories on the 27th) and zero occasions in March.

    What is and what is not a filling type of food is irrelevant to the poster until she gets her logging sorted. Only then will she and us know if the hunger is because of the type of food she is eating or just a result of chronic underrating.

    OP get your logging sorted - if you log your food elsewhere summarise and post it here so that people can help you.

    all of that.

    if youre not logging accurately, you may be eating more or less than you believe.