Dealing with hunger!

fdlewenstein

I started a weight loss (and health) journey in August. I am less than halfway to my goal. I have lost 47 pounds. My program consists of a five week losing phase and a three week maintenance phase (and repeat). I am in my third losing phase and I am having issues with feeling hungry, but during the maintenance phase I generally don't have any hunger issues. I drink 100 ounces of water every day (or as close to).

Any suggestions to combat the hunger? I'm not opposed to a supplement.

s_rivera_92

I have the opposite issue. I rarely feel hunger and have to force myself to eat to reach 1,200-1,500 calories. I was eating OMAD for quite some time and for a month now I have bee trying to eat at least two meals and a snack.

My lack of hunger may be stress related/forcing myself to consume foods earlier in the day, but I also eat A LOT of fiber and protein. I eat a lot of low calorie foods daily (unsweetened almond milk, raspberries, blackberries, blueberries, tomatoes, cucumbers, lettuce, spinach, onion, garlic, black olives, reduced sugar wheat bread, hummus, almonds, etc etc). I also drink two cups of black coffee first thing in the morning and three cups of green tea with lemon and ginseng daily. Average about 85oz of water.

I have no clue what you're eating during your losing phase or if you're adhering to a certain diet, but I'd suggest just making sure you're getting your daily fiber and protein needs first and foremost. Maybe increase the protein a bit?

See if you notice certain foods triggering hunger (I've always been a bread-head and so when I have my whole grain toast/pita/naan or rice, it makes me hungry) and maybe eat those foods earlier? Also, I notice days where I eat something that's premade (had a lobster egg roll yesterday) that made me super hungry (likely the added sugar and it being different from my other minimally processed/ unprocessed foods).

gallicinvasion

Can you make this losing-period less aggressive? (Choose to lose 1 lb or .5 lbs a week, instead of 1.5 or 2 lbs?) Not sure what your settings are at, but taking the loss a little slower should give you more calories to play with.

Also, try replacing some carbs with some protein or fat, or even with higher-fiber carb sources. Many people find these things will help them stay more full throughout the day.

Finally, are you depriving yourself of any foods that you love? I feel that if I keep a favorite food out of my diet, I get resentful and I feel psychologically more hungry. If this is the Case for you, maybe you could try fitting in small or normal portions of your favorite food to help you stay satisfied with your way of eating 😊.

jenncornelsen

I generally find when I first switch from maintenance to weight loss, i go through a 1-2 week period where I feel hungry. After that my body seems to adjust. Could this be the case with you? Do u eventually feel better?

fdlewenstein

I can't change the parameters of the losing phase as I am following a doctor's program. I eat lunch and dinner during the losing phase consuming 4 ounces of protein, 2 cups of vegetables, and 1 cup of fruit for each meal. There are some few foods (greens, cucumber, pickles), but that doesn't seem to help.

NovusDies

fdlewenstein wrote: »

I can't change the parameters of the losing phase as I am following a doctor's program. I eat lunch and dinner during the losing phase consuming 4 ounces of protein, 2 cups of vegetables, and 1 cup of fruit for each meal. There are some few foods (greens, cucumber, pickles), but that doesn't seem to help.

You probably need more protein and fat to feel full. Your doctor's program is probably too harsh for you to sustain it especially if you are exercising too.

Is this required for a specific medical problem or is it for general weight loss?

fdlewenstein

General weight loss, which has been successful (so far). I do not exercise during the losing phase, but do during maintenance. The first two losing phases I didn't have this issue.

NovusDies

fdlewenstein wrote: »

General weight loss, which has been successful (so far). I do not exercise during the losing phase, but do during maintenance. The first two losing phases I didn't have this issue.

Some people report (I was one of them) a honeymoon phase at the beginning of a new weight loss effort that helps squelch hunger. You may have experienced it and it is over.

The plan you are on is likely based on some interesting research about increasing the efficiency of weight loss by adding maintenance periods to continually reset your BMR. Interesting doesn't make it better though.

Sustainability is more important than results. Results can come from a thousand different weight loss plans including one of your own making but if you can't stick to it easily it is more likely to lead to failure.

I am not aware of any supplement that will help that won't also increase calories. Caffeine can be a mild appetite suppressant for some people but I do not think you will get far with mild. If you are committed to this you may be white knuckling your way through it for quite some time assuming you can adapt. If not, you may be hungry for every deficit phase. Not a fun thought.

fdlewenstein

Thank you for all the feedback. The plan is researched based with some information from genetic testing. Although, it is doctor directed I like to get the input from others who has made this journey (or not).

NovusDies

fdlewenstein wrote: »

Thank you for all the feedback. The plan is researched based with some information from genetic testing. Although, it is doctor directed I like to get the input from others who has made this journey (or not).

Don't put too much stock in doctor directed plans. Most doctors go through very little nutritional training and they know very little about weight loss. Also genotypes have been debunked so I hope you have not paid too much money for this.

The human body is a nonstop energy burning machine. To keep itself alive it has the ability to store excess energy and use stored energy to compensate for food surpluses and shortages. If you eat less than you burn and your body must used stored energy to meet the demand else you die. When you use stored energy your weight is reduced.

The mechanics of weight loss for everyone are the same and they are very simple. If there are no additional medical problems what makes losing weight hard are hunger and all the nonsense that happens between our ears. Once hunger is solved it is mostly a mental game and it is not a fun one to play sometimes.

Sustainability comes from dealing with hunger and negotiating our mental state. Keeping it easy is instrumental. As we lose we need to be gradually changing our habits because weight loss is not the end. Maintaining the weight loss requires that we lose the mindset and the habits of the person who gained it.