Hungry all the time

infowoman

I had surgery recently and Im trying to get my strength back not neglecting my health anymore. Just reaching out…share ideas on how to eat better and not stay hungry. Put myself on a 1700 calorie diet and when I exercise I eat more then it costs $$$.

AnnPT77

Satiation can be quite individual. Some people need relatively more protein, others relatively more fat, yet others need physical volume of food (like lots of high-fiber veggies). Even specific foods can be especially filling for some people (but not others). Common ones some people find filling are old-fashioned oatmeal, or whole potatoes (like baked potato, or boiled).

It's not universal, but many people find less processed foods more filling than highly-processed ones, i.e., the classic meat, fish, veggies, fruits, whole grains, etc.

Unfortunately, some experimentation may be needed to find your personal best formula for staying reasonable sated at reduced calories. Of course, a slower loss rate (smaller deficit) can also help limit hunger.

In addition, eating timing makes a difference for some people, and there's no "one true way" there, either: Different people feel best on anything from many small daily snack-like meals, to one big meal daily.

I'd also point out that non-food things can affect perceived hunger, too: Poor sleep quality/quantity can trigger hunger or cravings, as can high stress. Habitual triggers for eating (like eating while watching TV) may need to be addressed, and it usually works better to replace an undesired habit with a new habit, vs. just stop cold turkey. Some people find they're more hungry after particular types or intensities of exercise, or conversely, less hungry after exercise. If bored eating is in the picture, then a resumed or new hobby might help, especially something that requires clean hands (needlework, sketching, playing a musical instrument, etc.) or creates dirty ones (painting, carpentry, gardening, etc.).

I think this is kind of a personal puzzle we need to work out, to get our best individualized results.

guzismom

I agree with AnnPT above; stay out of the pantry (processed foods) and fill up on the fresh things in the fridge: fruits, vegetables, lean meats, low fat dairy, eggs, etc. I've lost 15 pounds and am nearing my goal by focusing on that.