What do you do about being hungry?

try2again

mtdb8 wrote: »

ellyseb1 wrote: »

I also find it difficult to separate the real hunger from the boredom/fake hunger. I've been trying to go have a cup of fruit or herbal tea (no milk, no sugar). It takes a while to make and drink, and give me some time to see if I'm really still hungry afterwards.

How can you tell the difference?

She said... she has a cup of tea, which is time-consuming to make & sip on, and waits to see if the sensation passes or if she is genuinely hungry. Generally, we can be distracted from cravings with some other activity, whereas genuine hunger makes it difficult to ignore.

But as has been said, the first thing to rule out when it comes to hunger is whether a person is eating at a calorie level that is appropriate for their height, weight, and activity level.

cmriverside

try2again wrote: »

mtdb8 wrote: »

ellyseb1 wrote: »

I also find it difficult to separate the real hunger from the boredom/fake hunger. I've been trying to go have a cup of fruit or herbal tea (no milk, no sugar). It takes a while to make and drink, and give me some time to see if I'm really still hungry afterwards.

How can you tell the difference?

She said... she has a cup of tea, which is time-consuming to make & sip on, and waits to see if the sensation passes or if she is genuinely hungry. Generally, we can be distracted from cravings with some other activity, whereas genuine hunger makes it difficult to ignore.

But as has been said, the first thing to rule out when it comes to hunger is whether a person is eating at a calorie level that is appropriate for their height, weight, and activity level.

Yeah, start by doing all the things suggested, and by answering the questions:

1. How much weight do you need to lose to be in a healthy weight BMI?
2. How many calories a day do you eat?

mtdb8

My goal weight is still about 25 pounds higher than the recommended BMI. But I can live with that.

The app says I should be eating 1600 calories, but I seem to be averaging 2,000, except for the one day when I was starving. Hence the post.

Panini911

mtdb8 wrote: »

Thanks everyone. I wanted to clarify; I am on my first week, and I've gone over every day. The 67 over calorie day was the closest I've come. I've set a goal for 1lb a week. Which obviously won't happen this week. Theres no way I could continue feeling like I did that day. I dont diet, I've never dieted, so I'm not sure what do about it. Sure I'd like to loose weight, but its secondary to learning how to live a healthy lifestyle.

Are you exercising or walking a lot? if so you also need to consider eating back exercise calories (yes even if you just walk around a lot VS "work out at the gym").

how did you set the calorie goal? Maybe re-enter your stats.

another thought if if you are cutting your calories a TON overnight you may need to consier a gradual reduction. Ex: even if MFP recommends say 1300 calories per day (plus your exercise cals) to loose one poud per day, if you were say eating 2000 before that may be too big a drop all at once. In which case a slow reduction in cals is better even to "get used to it".

Also, different people feel different with different macros/ways of eating. I need volume so i eat a ton of natural raw veggies and such to "fill me". And higher protein. VS others prefer more fatty food (but less in quantity).

ellyseb1

I agree with Panini - veggies and high fiber/whole grains seem to fill me up and last longer than when I eat bread, chocolate, cookies. Even if it's the same number of calories, I seem to feel hungrier sooner. Not sure how much of this is in my mind!

cheryldumais

The first couple of weeks tend to be hard. Once you start seeing some progress you will feel more motivated which helps. Myself when hunger hits I tend to look back at what I've been eating. First off you can eat whatever you want within your calories but sometimes it doesn't stick with you as well. I usually find if I've been eating too much starch (flour, sugar, potatoes, corn, flour etc) I am craving more of the same. So I cut back and try to get more fiber (usually veggies) and protein. Sugar especially sets me off. Also sometimes I find I am actually thirsty. Make sure you are getting enough liquid. I use Kool-aid sugarless drops in my water to make it more enjoyable. One other thing that seems to help is going for a walk. For some reason I am often less hungry by the time I return. Hang in there once you get into a routine it will get easier.

FL_Hiker

Try eating more protein, it helps me feel full. It may be a different macro which satisfies you though, for others it may be different. Experiment and see what works best for you.

simonpaulhowell

i read yesterday that your mind/body confuses hunger/thirst/fatigue...if you get hungry drink a glas of water...if youre still hungry have a protein shake...