The end of frantic, ravenous hunger pangs?
leveejohn
Posts: 346 Member
Hi, I'm one week in OMAD and the first week has been a great! One enormously interesting thing I've experienced is the major reduction of hunger pangs. I feel empty during the day, but not particularly hungry. Certainly not ravenous. This especially applies after the third day or so.
Previously hunger pangs ruled my day. Even if I might have been "full" from a meal by any measure, they came anyway. When I say "frantic", that's what it felt like. Sometimes I would have been frantic to eat something. Anything.
I've had some limited success in the past with calorie restriction on multiple meals a day, but the feeling of ravenousness was always right around the corner, threatening to take hold of me to empty a can of peanuts. Or something.
A side effect of this was that I had a fear of hunger pangs. I was actually afraid of feeling hungry. I would feel fear, for example, when packing my lunch for work that if I didn't do it right, at some point in the day I would feel hungry. I was actually somewhat fearful on my first day at work on OMAD, and I would 'hide' from food (finding excuses to be elsewhere when people were eating).
I don't use the term fear lightly. That's exactly what it was. Skipping meals never occurred to me (because you need 3 squares, right?), but even if it had, I'm not sure that I would have had the courage to attempt it without Joe's youtube channel and this group. This gave me the confidence that yes, people actually do this. No, it's not unhealthy.
Thank you all very much for giving my courage.
I love not only the initial weight loss, but the simplicity of OMAD, and the freedom from fear and anxiety about what to eat all day long and how to get it. This is so simple!
But I am curious, what are other people's experiences with hunger pangs? Do they go away for good, or occasionally return?
Previously hunger pangs ruled my day. Even if I might have been "full" from a meal by any measure, they came anyway. When I say "frantic", that's what it felt like. Sometimes I would have been frantic to eat something. Anything.
I've had some limited success in the past with calorie restriction on multiple meals a day, but the feeling of ravenousness was always right around the corner, threatening to take hold of me to empty a can of peanuts. Or something.
A side effect of this was that I had a fear of hunger pangs. I was actually afraid of feeling hungry. I would feel fear, for example, when packing my lunch for work that if I didn't do it right, at some point in the day I would feel hungry. I was actually somewhat fearful on my first day at work on OMAD, and I would 'hide' from food (finding excuses to be elsewhere when people were eating).
I don't use the term fear lightly. That's exactly what it was. Skipping meals never occurred to me (because you need 3 squares, right?), but even if it had, I'm not sure that I would have had the courage to attempt it without Joe's youtube channel and this group. This gave me the confidence that yes, people actually do this. No, it's not unhealthy.
Thank you all very much for giving my courage.
I love not only the initial weight loss, but the simplicity of OMAD, and the freedom from fear and anxiety about what to eat all day long and how to get it. This is so simple!
But I am curious, what are other people's experiences with hunger pangs? Do they go away for good, or occasionally return?
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Eat coconut oil if you get real hungry before your fast ends. 1/2 tsp is about 55 cals. It will get me through an hour and will kill the hunger pangs. It also wont set me off on uncontrollable eating like would happen if I ate most any other thing. I eat tell full each night so that isn't a problems there for me.
Before discovering the coconut oil, I had a few bad days where I just ate. It was effecting me at work so I just ate to not be bothered by it. Didn't happen often but once I started eating, there was no such thing as just eat a little to take the edge off, it was eating tell full which was lot of cals.4 -
Hi! My first reply within this group (I'm working my way through from 16/8 to OMAD if I can, but currently am struggling to push past 18/6 so a long way to go).
John, what a fantastic change you've been through! I imagine just the simplicity and calm you get from releasing yourself from the anxiety of hunger would be so wonderful, I'm impressed!
My cravings completely left when I first started 16/8...and then returned. I also sometimes had these days that @ blambo61 is referring to where I ended up eating massive amounts, either once I broke my fast or before if I just couldn't handle it anymore. Now I easily do 16/8 (3 months and counting), it's not any kind of challenge at all, but since trying to extend my fasting window I've been going through the same things again, some days breezing through, some days I go a bit cross-eyed and then have an unstoppable appetite once I break my fast.
I will try the coconut oil today (I did once before but then started eating five minutes later, so that wasn't really a good try-out) since I'm trying to hold out for my one meal at in-laws which includes cake so I'd be very happy to keep it to that one meal.
Also: what in incredible group you are! Nowhere on MFP have I encountered such a lovely bunch of truly engaged and supportive people.
Thanks for starting this thread, John, I'm interested to hear other people's experiences with cravings!2 -
It's something that I noted too.
Tried all kinds of things to suppress my appetite and nothing except OMAD has worked.2 -
It takes 5-10 minutes for the coconut oil to kick in so give it a chance.1
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A teaspoon of coconut oil in a hot cup of tea can keep me full for hours, love it!
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It helped! I had half a tsp of coconut oil and it stopped my stomach grumbling around 2pm. Did you try it, John?
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@leveejohn I've been doing OMAD for 4 months and it is rare that actually get hunger pangs anymore. I actually think I'm hungry sometimes, but it's actually that I'm just having cravings. I always have cravings, but my stomach isn't growling and if I'm busy and not thinking about food I don't have any cravings or issues. So I'd say the hunger pangs get way, way less. My cravings do not. Lol3
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@leveejohn I've been doing OMAD for 4 months and it is rare that actually get hunger pangs anymore. I actually think I'm hungry sometimes, but it's actually that I'm just having cravings. I always have cravings, but my stomach isn't growling and if I'm busy and not thinking about food I don't have any cravings or issues. So I'd say the hunger pangs get way, way less. My cravings do not. Lol
Besides just generally getting hungry, I don't think I have very many cravings. I do make sure I get in adequate protein and take a vitamin/mineral supp and that helps a lot with the general hunger. Might help with cravings also?2 -
Did you try it, John?
@Flybeetle Yes I did, yesterday, and I agree it helped . . . but then again it was my first splurge day soooooo . . . . Incidentally, my first splurge day was both wonderful and not. I found the cravings came rushing back, and spent my afternoon watching football and snacking. Felt like a slob by the end of the day. But I'm happy to report that my first day back on the fast (today) was wonderful. No cravings all day long.
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That's fantastic, the fact that you've been able to get straight back into the groove again without cravings... A splurge day sounds well deserved after all the work you've put in!0
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after all the work you've put in!
@Flybeetle It's only been 11 days I've been on OMAD, so I'm trying to curb my enthusiasm. My personal history shows that after 45 days I tend to drift away from whatever diet modification I'm trying. Check with me mid-February, and then let's talk about the work I've been putting in . . .
“Do. Or do not. There is no try.” 1 -
I love not only the initial weight loss, but the simplicity of OMAD, and the freedom from fear and anxiety about what to eat all day long and how to get it. This is so simple!
But I am curious, what are other people's experiences with hunger pangs? Do they go away for good, or occasionally return?
I love this program too. It is freeing and it's something I haven't felt on any diet before.
I still get hunger pangs occasionally and I've been living OMAD for 4 months. I just drink water and it goes away. I don't know if other people have hunger pangs but I know I do. I usually get them the day after my splurge day the most.
We are glad you're here and I'm so tickled that it's working for you. One of the most important things I've noticed is that I'm mentally stronger eating this way.
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Yes, but to a super newbie like me 11 days is a whole lot of progress! 2
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We'll all drag you past the 45 days, this is such a supportive forum, it might just make all the difference!3
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Hi John...your experience with hunger matches my own exactly. Hunger pangs can turn a grown man into a coward. For me there's nothing more humiliating than instances where I was stuffed to the point of sickness and threw whatever was left of my binge food into the garbage can...only to find myself a little later reaching in and eating what I could salvage. You've been receiving lots of suggestions on using a bit of coconut oil to relieve hung pangs. My view is a bit different. For me, I think it's better and more strengthening not to honor the hunger by taking action which, in a way, is allowing myself to be intimidated by a physical feeling that eventually passes. The attitude I'm trying to cultivate in myself is to use the hunger the way I might use a heavy barbell...it hurts while I'm lifting it but it's helping me become stronger. Warm regards, Jim.
P.S. Looks like you made it through your 45 day jinx --- congrats, John!2 -
Yes, the 45-day jinx is in the rear view mirror! It's been 68 days, woohoo!!! (thanks for the reminder, I had forgotten about that) 2
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flanaganjim1 wrote: »Hi John...your experience with hunger matches my own exactly. Hunger pangs can turn a grown man into a coward. For me there's nothing more humiliating than instances where I was stuffed to the point of sickness and threw whatever was left of my binge food into the garbage can...only to find myself a little later reaching in and eating what I could salvage. You've been receiving lots of suggestions on using a bit of coconut oil to relieve hung pangs. My view is a bit different. For me, I think it's better and more strengthening not to honor the hunger by taking action which, in a way, is allowing myself to be intimidated by a physical feeling that eventually passes. The attitude I'm trying to cultivate in myself is to use the hunger the way I might use a heavy barbell...it hurts while I'm lifting it but it's helping me become stronger. Warm regards, Jim.
P.S. Looks like you made it through your 45 day jinx --- congrats, John!
I am a wimp, I will eat the coconut oil!0 -
Enjoy!0
This discussion has been closed.