Hunger

guillery7390

I’m having a terrible time with feeling hungry. I’m drinking lots of water and 3 meals a day. Any tips that work for you?

AnnPT77

It helped me, while losing, to experiment with different macronutrient ratios (within a healthy range), and with different timing of eating, to figure out what was most satiating for me.

Some people find protein satiating, some fats, some high fiber foods (grains or veggies), or high volume (veggies or things like soups with a lot of fluid, among others). And people do well with anything from all-day grazing on small snacks, to one big meal per day, and everything in between. Some people find specific foods especially satiating (oatmeal or whole potatoes are examples I've seen folks mention). On the flip side, some people find certain foods spike appetite.

It can help to review your food diary thoughtfully, especially when you have a day that's either less hungry, or more hungry than usual, to see if you can identify patterns. Food is one possibility, but so are no-food factors like sleep, stress, exercise (same day or day before), boredom, habit, etc.

I know this isn't very specific, but my experience was that this was a bit of an experimental process, very individualized. Also, it's a common report that the first couple of weeks on a new routine seem to involve more hunger than once one has settled into a new routine for a bit.

For me personally, it's important to eat a solid breakfast with adequate protein, and protein through the day, including in snacks. I usually eat 3 meals, but occasionally 2; if I get hungry before it's close to a meal time, I found it helpful to have a small protein-y snack to tide me over, rather than get mega-hungry (which makes me more likely to overeat when I do finally eat). (I keep some small portioned snacks in my car for this reason, like dry-roasted soybeans.) I also need some volume in my day, so eat a lot of veggies. Oatmeal with Greek yogurt, walnuts, and berries is a meal I find sticks with me for hours; I have it for breakfast or lunch nearly every day.

Best wishes!

AlbertEllenich

It's a lot of trial and error to see what works for you, but everything I've read in research says a high protein breakfast can help you manage hunger throughout the day. I've hopped back onto myfitnesspal to start monitoring my macronutrients (carbs, fats, protein) according to my bodytype (definitely an Endomorph). Here's a great article on Runners World that talks about the 3 main body types. https://www.runnersworld.com/health-injuries/a20818211/the-3-body-types-explained/ It's important to figure out where you might be because that can help you figure out how much fat, protein and carbs to eat during the day, which will help your body manage hunger.

nikkib0103

Try having a snack if you aren't snacking. My favorite snack is a Babybel cheese wheel (those cute little ones). I have almonds and a cup of tea with it. Usually works.

UncleMac

Are you an emotional eater? My son finds he is hungrier when he is stressed. Rather than taking the hunger as a negative, he uses it as a signal that something is bothering him.