Nothing satisfies me

Vitto455

Hi! I'm currently trying to lose some kg (6-7 kg) but I struggle a bit with overeating.
The problem starts when I feel like nothing satisfies me. Sometimes nothing satisfies my hunger, sometimes it's not about hunger but it's that I can't find anything that satisfies my cravings.
I tried focusing more on proteins, then more on carbs, then more on fat, then equally on the three of them. I tried clean eating, volume eating, ifym... to me it seems like I've tried everything.
Some days are good and I can easily stick to my goals but during other days it seems like I can't understand what my body wants anymore.
I don't understand what I should be eating to feel happy and relaxed. I'm really stressed... and this doesn't help.

Please... do you have any suggestions/tips.
How do you manage stress? How do you listen to your body? What can I do?

LearningToFly13

Maybe you're not eating enough and are actually hungry?

Kullerva

Do you count calories?

My body is *kitten* at figuring out how much I actually need based on feel alone, so I have to measure. I suggest measuring your food to ensure that you're eating enough, first of all. Then focus on finding foods that make you full--for me, beans are a food I love that I can't eat too much of before busting a gut.

Good luck, OP.

GemstoneofHeart

Do you ever notice how you feel when nothing satisfies you? Are you bored, anxious, angry, etc? Are there certain times of day or during certain activities (like in the car, while watching sports) that seem to trigger this behavior?

rundgrenrocks

I get that. Since I've jumped back on the mfp wagon, I'm trying to accept that I'm just going to be hungry sometimes, and that it's okay. I mentally have to tell myself that it would take weeks to actually starve lol.
I'm also trying not to eat until noon (just coffee/water) so I literally don't have as many hours to do any damage.

88olds

Calculate a modest calorie deficit and start a food journal. Do some research to find out how much protein and fat you need. Avoid keto and low carb. You need adequate protein to support lean muscle and fat to keep your body functioning correctly. When you are satisfied you are on the right road, tune out everything else to test your program. About 6-8 weeks.

A good program is one you actually follow. You can't get by "listening to your body" because your body can't tell you anything. All messages come from your brain. And your brain will tell you junk. It will tell you helpful things, but it tells you a lot of junk. Read this board everyday and you will find people wrecked by their own brains. That's not your body jerking you back and forth, it's your brain.

Do the research, make some decisions and do the test period. Keep the journal, especially mistakes and lapses. Anybody can track good days.

Vitto455

LearningToFly13 wrote: »

Maybe you're not eating enough and are actually hungry?

Even during the days when I eat the amount of calories I need I just feel like I'm not satisfied.

I actually recently read about the metabolism diet. I took the test and it came out that I am a carb person.
Today I tried to eat mostly carbs and not just lean proteins and veggies as I've tried to do in the past times (in order to lose weight)... I actually feel full now, kind of more satisfied and with less cravings for sweets.

I don't know if this could help me.
Will I be able to lose weight by eating everything and just being in a calorie deficit?
What I'm worried about is being able to eat something sweet that I crave and fits my calories for example, without overeating or binging on it...

I was also wondering that maybe what made me feeling so unsatisfied about my meals, leading me to binges, was that I was focusing on volume eating of low cal foods which might not work for me. I might just eat smaller portions... and stick to those.

Any opinions please...?

Vitto455

Kullerva wrote: »

Do you count calories?

My body is *kitten* at figuring out how much I actually need based on feel alone, so I have to measure. I suggest measuring your food to ensure that you're eating enough, first of all. Then focus on finding foods that make you full--for me, beans are a food I love that I can't eat too much of before busting a gut.

Good luck, OP.

Yes, I count calories.

The problem however is not about satiety. I'm full after a meal (especially because I've been eating volume foods such as tons of veggies). My problem is more that I'm full but I'm not satisfied (mentally). And this drives my cravings to irresistible levels.

I was thinking about focusing more on carbs and following a less "extremely clean" diet. This might work better for me... but I'm not sure and a bit worried that I'll never be able to lose this weight and feel confident anymore. I just want to find a better balance that works for me

jgnatca

@Vitto455 I think you've figured it out. Calories are king for weight loss. So eat your carbs...measured out.

Vitto455

GemstoneofHeart wrote: »

Do you ever notice how you feel when nothing satisfies you? Are you bored, anxious, angry, etc? Are there certain times of day or during certain activities (like in the car, while watching sports) that seem to trigger this behavior?

Usually, the less productive I am during the day, the more I crave.
I am that kind of person that if focused on something else easily forgets to eat, but if I'm doing nothing, little bit bored, alone in the house, with nothing to do, or either extremely sad or angry... all I can think about is food!

Vitto455

88olds wrote: »

Calculate a modest calorie deficit and start a food journal. Do some research to find out how much protein and fat you need. Avoid keto and low carb. You need adequate protein to support lean muscle and fat to keep your body functioning correctly. When you are satisfied you are on the right road, tune out everything else to test your program. About 6-8 weeks.

A good program is one you actually follow. You can't get by "listening to your body" because your body can't tell you anything. All messages come from your brain. And your brain will tell you junk. It will tell you helpful things, but it tells you a lot of junk. Read this board everyday and you will find people wrecked by their own brains. That's not your body jerking you back and forth, it's your brain.

Do the research, make some decisions and do the test period. Keep the journal, especially mistakes and lapses. Anybody can track good days.

Thank you for yours support!
I have been on MFP for a long time (even if this is a new account).
I have been doing all this for a long time... sticking to proteins, fats, veggies... I feel full... but the longer and the stronger my sweet cravings become.
I'm not satisfied. Not speaking about fullness!
I eat my salad with chicken breast and avocado and by the end of it I'm not satisfied, at least not always.
And this leads me to overeating (at least this is what I've been thinking).

So my idea was to reduce the portions I'm eating (in terms of volume), which might be what increased my hunger compared to before I started volume eating.
And then I was thinking about still eating clean, focusing on veggies and fruit, but also introducing more carbs, and even some kinds that are not considered so healthy.

For example instead of having chicken breast, avocado and salad for lunch I might have (for the same calories), some ravioli with a side of spinach, zucchini, carrot, etc..

What are your opinions?
Does any of you have personal experiences to share?


Thanks a lot

LearningToFly13

Vitto455 wrote: »

88olds wrote: »

Calculate a modest calorie deficit and start a food journal. Do some research to find out how much protein and fat you need. Avoid keto and low carb. You need adequate protein to support lean muscle and fat to keep your body functioning correctly. When you are satisfied you are on the right road, tune out everything else to test your program. About 6-8 weeks.

A good program is one you actually follow. You can't get by "listening to your body" because your body can't tell you anything. All messages come from your brain. And your brain will tell you junk. It will tell you helpful things, but it tells you a lot of junk. Read this board everyday and you will find people wrecked by their own brains. That's not your body jerking you back and forth, it's your brain.

Do the research, make some decisions and do the test period. Keep the journal, especially mistakes and lapses. Anybody can track good days.

Thank you for yours support!
I have been on MFP for a long time (even if this is a new account).
I have been doing all this for a long time... sticking to proteins, fats, veggies... I feel full... but the longer and the stronger my sweet cravings become.
I'm not satisfied. Not speaking about fullness!
I eat my salad with chicken breast and avocado and by the end of it I'm not satisfied, at least not always.
And this leads me to overeating (at least this is what I've been thinking).

So my idea was to reduce the portions I'm eating (in terms of volume), which might be what increased my hunger compared to before I started volume eating.
And then I was thinking about still eating clean, focusing on veggies and fruit, but also introducing more carbs, and even some kinds that are not considered so healthy.

For example instead of having chicken breast, avocado and salad for lunch I might have (for the same calories), some ravioli with a side of spinach, zucchini, carrot, etc..

What are your opinions?
Does any of you have personal experiences to share?


Thanks a lot

To lose weight you just need a calorie deficit. As for feeling satisfied then cut out the low fat junk and eat whole foods. Good healthy fats with your meals such as olive oil and avocados... complex carbs like brown rice and a good amount of protein. If you want something sweet then have it if your calories allow or try fruit with some whole yogurt and honey, just to take the edge off your sweet craving. Snack on nuts and peanut butter. Google scoobys calorie calculator and enter your stats to see how many calories you should be eating per day in order to lose weight healthily.

Suzanne_the_foot_lady

I don't feel satisfied if I don't get enough fat. I once went on a low fat diet, when we were all told that fat was the enemy!! I put on 10lbs in four months because I was constantly eating, even when my stomach was straining and I could hardly force food down, I still couldn't stop. Find out what satisfies you and eat a proportion of them, just stay under your calorie goal.

Vitto455

thechiopodist wrote: »

I don't feel satisfied if I don't get enough fat. I once went on a low fat diet, when we were all told that fat was the enemy!! I put on 10lbs in four months because I was constantly eating, even when my stomach was straining and I could hardly force food down, I still couldn't stop. Find out what satisfies you and eat a proportion of them, just stay under your calorie goal.

This was exactly how I felt!
Today I'm doing much better on a higher carb diet

Thank you

cs2thecox

Well done on finding that carbs are your friend!

Also, make sure you're drinking enough.

And consider something like making and drinking a cup of tea as a displacement activity when you think you want to eat. I get bored cravings at work a lot of the time. What works most of the time is just getting up from my desk, going to make a cup of tea, and hanging out in the kitchen for the few minutes it takes to brew. Then I have a nice cup of tea to drink at my desk, and the world seems like a better place!
It helps that I only keep a couple of snacks in the fridge at work, so the office kitchen's not a place of temptation. I can see how it might not be so sensible a recommendation if making a drink would take you somewhere full of treats

I also chew gum or brush my teeth after meals to help draw a line under it and stop me wanting to eat again. For a while...
(Mine is ENTIRELY triggered by being bored or stressed at work. But realising this at least means I know it's not real.)

KayTeeOne

Eat dishes loaded with vegetables and spices

Kullerva

I'm vegetarian and eat high-carb (like, over 300g a day ) I rarely feel unsatisfied. It sounds like you've identified that the trouble is emotional, not anything to do with satiety/fullness. So nourish your emotions. Do something productive. Read a book. Take a walk. Play with a dog or something. Again, good luck!

sugarfree123

I think your body/brain is telling you that you are trying to starve it to try to lose weight. Your goal should not be to lose weight. Your goal should be to make muscle/ lose fat. when you starve your body to lose weight, you will also lose important muscle. People pick a weight in their head and go for that goal not realizing that when they arrive they may not look anything like what they pictured in their brain. You have to fuel your body to make muscle and this fuel will give you the energy to go train hard so you can actually get the body you really want. You need something to do so get busy training. I was flabby. Actually lost 10 lbs. Looked in the mirror and saw skinny flabby. Started lifting weights. Gained 15 lbs. Now I like what I see in the mirror. I eat over 1500 MORE calories per day now than I used to eat. (around 300 carbs per day) and I am weight stable now. I highly recommend you check out Eat To Perform on the internet. I am a happy member. Its a real eye opener.