When does the hunger lessen from lower cals?

charlenekapf

So I'm trying to eat smaller meals more frequently to see if it helps quell the desire to eat more at night and/or wakeup after an hour or two super hungry and unable to sleep. How long did it take for you to get used to less calories, smaller portions?

85Cardinals

It doesn't necessarily. You need to flesh out the ideas in your original post so people know what exactly it is you're talking about.

firefoxxie

I got used to being a little hungry at the end of the day.. With a bunch of protein and fat it is much much more bearable.

CafeRacer808

Increasing my intake of both protein and fiber helped to keep me feeling fuller for longer. I'm typically a late night snacker and I found that eating dinner later at night also helped. With all that said, what really worked for me was increasing the amount of exercise I do during the week, which allowed me to increase my daily calories while still maintaining a calorie deficit.

charlenekapf

I am going from an intermittent fasting style of eating mostly 3 ish meals of late lunch, snack and dinner to 6 meals and it is a big adjustment. Wondering if my stomach will get used to the smaller portions and be more content over time and "shrink" a little. I'm used to eating large portions.

85Cardinals wrote: »

It doesn't necessarily. You need to flesh out the ideas in your original post so people know what exactly it is you're talking about.

ClosetBayesian

charlenekapf wrote: »

I am going from an intermittent fasting style of eating mostly 3 ish meals of late lunch, snack and dinner to 6 meals and it is a big adjustment. Wondering if my stomach will get used to the smaller portions and be more content over time and "shrink" a little. I'm used to eating large portions.

85Cardinals wrote: »

It doesn't necessarily. You need to flesh out the ideas in your original post so people know what exactly it is you're talking about.

Why are you switching?

I am not satisfied on mini-meals; I do better with two or three meals plus a snack.

charlenekapf

I have trouble keeping my calories in control. trainer recommended it so I'm trying it.

ClosetBayesian wrote: »

charlenekapf wrote: »

I am going from an intermittent fasting style of eating mostly 3 ish meals of late lunch, snack and dinner to 6 meals and it is a big adjustment. Wondering if my stomach will get used to the smaller portions and be more content over time and "shrink" a little. I'm used to eating large portions.

85Cardinals wrote: »

It doesn't necessarily. You need to flesh out the ideas in your original post so people know what exactly it is you're talking about.

Why are you switching?

I am not satisfied on mini-meals; I do better with two or three meals plus a snack.

charlenekapf

Yes, i'm working out with my HR varying between 140-180 for about an hour 5-6 days a week.

CafeRacer808 wrote: »

Increasing my intake of both protein and fiber helped to keep me feeling fuller for longer. I'm typically a late night snacker and I found that eating dinner later at night also helped. With all that said, what really worked for me was increasing the amount of exercise I do during the week, which allowed me to increase my daily calories while still maintaining a calorie deficit.

joans1976

I think for everyone it's different but for me, it's 2 weeks. I've lowered my calories twice in my life and IT IS HARD. I found after 2 weeks I'm used to it. If it helps, take your hunger minute by minute, which will turn into an hour, etc. Do not starve yourself though! I totally agree with the fiber and protein suggestion. Also, your body will find its "happy" place of where it is satisfied with what and when you eat. Just gotta stick with it.
Good luck.

kbmnurse

NEVER.

Evamutt

What helps me is being busy for about 3 hours in the afternoon. I also save calories to eat after dinner. When I have more of an appitite, I eat 1/2 C oatmeal (raw measure) at night with Tbl of jam or fruit. really fills me up. You have to find foods that fill you up

charlenekapf

LOL

kbmnurse wrote: »

NEVER.

charlenekapf

I just had oats with some protein powder and almonds. Feel better now. I agree...a lot more filling than a slice of whole grain bread.

Evamutt wrote: »

What helps me is being busy for about 3 hours in the afternoon. I also save calories to eat after dinner. When I have more of an appitite, I eat 1/2 C oatmeal (raw measure) at night with Tbl of jam or fruit. really fills me up. You have to find foods that fill you up

riffraff2112

I definitely feel your pain. I can't sleep if im even a little hungry.

For me it was mostly about meal timing. I eat less early in the day and more later in the day. Just shuffled the calories around and I found that quite helpful.
I split my traditional supper in half, and ate the second half of it an hour before bed. Also reduced the size of my breakfast and early morning snack so that only 25% of my calories are before noon.
Most people have their own little tricks. See what works for you.

atjays

I'd recommend shifting one of your small meals to be a bedtime snack. The whole eating before sleep thing is a myth, there's nothing wrong with reserving one of your meals to be late in the day to quell the night time snack urge

charlenekapf

Thanks everyone. I agree. I think having smaller breakfast and earlier meals is going to help. I wasn't having anything before 2pm before so seeing if this helps to allow me to eat more substantial evening meals, while getting some nutrients in earlier.

Ready2Rock206

I find if I want to lose weight I just have to get used to being hungry 100% of the time. We're so used to not being uncomfortable it's very difficult to accept being hungry but just gotta get out of that comfort zone and do it.

VintageFeline

What are your stats and current intake? Do you eat back any of your exercise calories (assuming you're using the MFP method)?

VintageFeline

PS. I have never been so hungry that it's woken me up. This usually indicates a massive sudden calorie drop or just cutting too hard for your activity level.

leejoyce31

charlenekapf wrote: »

Thanks everyone. I agree. I think having smaller breakfast and earlier meals is going to help. I wasn't having anything before 2pm before so seeing if this helps to allow me to eat more substantial evening meals, while getting some nutrients in earlier.

When you mentioned you had trouble with calorie control, was intermittent fasting making you eat more calories?

charlenekapf

Hard to say. I believe i just fell into some bad habits with it. I just got used to only being satisfied with eating a lot of food at once. And when I broke my fast early I would say "screw it" and binge. I kept getting told by a lot of people that the reason I get so hungry at night is because I skip breakfast but I'm not entirely sure that is accurate. Thinking what I need is a medium between the IF I was doing, and the meal plan i'm trying to follow. These tiny portions are just making me count down until my next meal but I'm getting hungry after an hour.

leejoyce31 wrote: »

charlenekapf wrote: »

Thanks everyone. I agree. I think having smaller breakfast and earlier meals is going to help. I wasn't having anything before 2pm before so seeing if this helps to allow me to eat more substantial evening meals, while getting some nutrients in earlier.

When you mentioned you had trouble with calorie control, was intermittent fasting making you eat more calories?

hapa11

I think you're smart to adjust meals around to see if it helps you stick to your calorie goals. In my experience, the hunger at night doesn't go away; you just get kind of used to it. I am OK unless I watch Top Chef.

Asher_Ethan

I think around 2 weeks for me is when I would feel hungry I would go for water and not food.
But I'm always hungry regardless of what I do.

Zumaria1

Something that helped me is noticing when I personally feel most hungry, and organize my biggest meal at that time. For me, I am hungriest at noon, so I eat a bigger lunch, and have a small breakfast, and and medium dinner. Also, pick foods that are filling, but not calorie dense.

For example, a glazed doughnut has about 280 calories, but honestly you probably need 2 or 3 to feel satisfied. On the other hand, a high fiber cereal with fruit, or oatmeal, will have less calories but is healthier and you feel fuller. Switching out things like that should help.

Lastly, drink a TON of water. Water really helps to not feel hungry all the time.

charlenekapf

Yes I drink a lot of water. I'm aware of the nutritional benefit of oatmeal, fiber vs doughnuts but I agree, I could do with a small breakfast, medium lunch, sizeable dinner...as long as i keep within my calories :0

Zumaria1 wrote: »

Something that helped me is noticing when I personally feel most hungry, and organize my biggest meal at that time. For me, I am hungriest at noon, so I eat a bigger lunch, and have a small breakfast, and and medium dinner. Also, pick foods that are filling, but not calorie dense.

For example, a glazed doughnut has about 280 calories, but honestly you probably need 2 or 3 to feel satisfied. On the other hand, a high fiber cereal with fruit, or oatmeal, will have less calories but is healthier and you feel fuller. Switching out things like that should help.

Lastly, drink a TON of water. Water really helps to not feel hungry all the time.

nattyleigh1991

For me, I didn't get the hungry stage when I first dropped carbs. I would eat (and still do eat) my meals/snacks no more than 2.5 hours apart with high protein and fibre. When I first did this, I would be so full all the time!

The hunger has come now for me... If I go more than 2.5 hours without eating I get hungry to the point that I feel sick.

If you're suffering with hunger try upping your protein and fibre intake

Pawsforme

Ready2Rock206 wrote: »

I find if I want to lose weight I just have to get used to being hungry 100% of the time. We're so used to not being uncomfortable it's very difficult to accept being hungry but just gotta get out of that comfort zone and do it.

Pretty much this. For me it's true of maintenance, too. Hunger, at least mild hunger, is just something I've had to make peace with. Some days are better than others. The only thing that's really helped is getting older. My appetite has diminished just a bit and that does make things a little easier, plus as I've gotten older I feel absolutely horrible in the morning if I eat too close to bed time. When I was younger I didn't have that problem at all, and would have the same type of insomnia the OP is having if I didn't eat enough at night. And as we know now (but didn't back when I was experiencing it) lack of sleep can in itself be a risk factor for weight gain. So in the OP's shoes I'd do some experimenting -- play around with the composition (macros) and timing of your meals or consider upping your calories a bit even if it means a slightly slower rate of loss. It'll probably work better for you in the long run. If you're hungry enough that you're not able to sleep you're probably setting yourself up for failure.

zyxst

kbmnurse wrote: »

NEVER.

+1

I have to differentiate between physical and mental hunger. I'm not physically hungry, but I'm mentally hungry all the time (I like to say I'm DTE [down to eat]). Mostly, I eat to "not hungry" levels. Occasionally, that's also being satisfied, but mostly it's not.

drawaimfire

Hi there,

If this is a recent switch, you may just need to distract yourself in new ways. Video games always help me ;-) or just keeping my hands and mind occupied. I understand that will not work as far as when it woke you from sleep though.

I 100% agree with Ready2Rock206, I remember back in school, being hungry when lunchtime came, or when waiting for dinner. It wasn't uncomfortable then, it was just everyday and normal. Within reason, I have started to embrace that feeling. Your body is talking to you, and if you can learn when you are truly hungry, you will learn too, when you are truly satisfied.

I wish you the best of luck and keep trying different things, mine was upping my fat intake to about 45%. Someone else's will be cutting carbs, increased protein, etc.

You do you!

charlenekapf

Thank you everyone for the insights.