What To Do When You Are Really Hungry?

Carollee24

Well, last evening was a hard one for me. I was hungry and I didn't want to go over my 1200 calorie plan. So I did have some space to have a couple small snacks available to me. I had some grapes, and raw baby carrots and that helped somewhat. However, I really need some ideas other than air popped corn and fruit to use in those times. Any help would be appreciated. Thanks

nsk1951

Next time, try an egg

StaciInGa

One thought - what are your goals? If you're aiming to lose 2 pounds per week, occasionally allowing yourself an extra 500 calories on a day you really need it would not be unreasonable. And if you're aiming for 1 pound per week loss, same thing. 1200 day in, day out is hard to do. I am not going to tell you that 1200 is too low - I don't know your stats, your situation so that would be rude of me.

Alternatively, do you have a staple list of meals that are big but low calorie? Some of my favorites are egg rolls in a bowl (cabbage w/ soy sauce, ginger, garlic, a little sesame oil and some sort of protein), spaghetti squash (I top w/ red sauce, turkey sausage, garlic, grated parmesan cheese) or chili. The chili may not seem 'bulky' but I do find it filling and can have a good meal for 400 calories even topping it with cheese.

Doodlewhopper

These are things that work for me- Eat an apple/banana. Focus on the total calories of the week as well as each day. Eat and pay it back later in the week. Eat high density low calorie foods. (fiber) Small amounts of fat will sate you. Fage 5% fat, 140 cal per serving has gotten me through a few hunger craves. Avocados (100g) provides 160 calories, 2g of protein, 8.5g of carbohydrates, and 14.7g of fat. Find healthy recipes for roasted veggies. I eat a ton each night and can barely leave the table. Check my food dairy. DONT TORTURE YOURSELF OR YOU WILL FAIL. If 1200 is difficult increase 200 cals. Be patient. You didnt become over weight over night and you wont lose drop it night.

AnnPT77

Figure out an estimate of your maintenance calories: How much you could eat per day and expect to stay at your current weight. (Yes, I know you don't want to stay at your current weight.)

If you have an extra-hungry day, interrogate yourself to be pretty sure that it's actually hunger (for fuel or nutrition). If it's possibly stress, fatigue, lack of enough good-quality sleep, an emotional need, boredom, social triggers, or habit, deal with that root cause first, see if that helps. I'm talking meditation/prayer/stretching/breathing exercises/bubblebath for stress, nap for fatigue or inadequate sleep, distraction for boredom, etc.

If it's hunger, first try drinking something warm and low-calorie, like herb tea or broth. Sometimes that will blunt hunger. Wait 20 minutes or so, see if that sinks in. If still hungry, eat something you find filing. (What that is will be individual. For me, it's usually either protein like low-fat string cheese/hard-boiled egg/etc., or a giant heap of low-cal veggies.)

Here's where your maintenance calorie number comes in: Recognize that if you eat over your goal calories, but below your maintenance calories, you'll still lose fat that day, just a small bit less than usual. You'll reach goal weight maybe a few hours later, in theory. In some situations, that's the right answer. On the other hand, if you consciously decide to eat above your maintenance calories one day, but are at your goal or at least below maintenance calories on average for the week, you'll still lose weight.

You can make rational tradeoffs to eat a little more sometimes, maybe a little less on days you're less hungry, maybe take an extra walk on a day when you're more energetic than usual, and things will still work out fine.

By the way, some people find that mild exercise blunts cravings: Somewhere in there, try a little walk around the block, or something like that.

"Good enough, on average" works. It doesn't have to be "perfect all the time".

starcookie2

Finn Crisp rye and caraway thins

kathywilcox9

When I am hungry between meals, my favorite go-to snack is a piece of light (45 calorie) toast with one tablespoon of pimento cheese. It is about 100 calories and fills me up enough to get to the next meal.

Sarielizabeth99

I don't want to make assumptions, but if you're a person with a cycle, you may want to investigate how that affects your appetite. During the luteal phase you can crave more calorie dense foods. Adding some extra calories in your budget can help with those cravings, stabilizing them so you're not just super hungry and end up with unplanned binging/overeating.

Dan__Cote

First. Good job setting yourself a high-bar goal. 1200 calories is torture. Been there. Loss that (get it). I commend you. Something I wish I did when I was on a 1200 calorie diet was, add a cheat day. One where I would go back up to my maintinence calories, while still eating healthy foods. In theory, it should help reset the metabolism and make the other 6 days more effective.

This is gonna be gross. I have been using this trick for years to help me when food wasn't available, or between meals on a structured diet. I warned you, it's gross.
*2 TBS Apple cider vinegar
*2 TBS Lemon Juice
*Dash of cayenne pepper
*Stevia (optional. Nothing really helps)
*2 OZ Water

Make sure you have a non-calorie chaser VERY near by. For me, this kills all hunger pangs for 10-20 minutes. Worth it? You decide.

I have used this nasty little trick multiple times during my planned 1 day fasts as well. It helps me. It's definitely not for everyone.

LifeChangz

Tbsp Peanut butter & 1/2 banana or small schoolkid sized apple slices
oz cheese/cheesestick with the fruit or popcorn

Kiwi2mfp

Occasionally, if I'm really hungry, I eat to maintenence and have a better day the next day. Today was a rare maintenence day for me.

LovinHISWORD

Kiwi2mfp What is a maintenence Day?

bathsheba_c

If I’m ravenously hungry and I’ve been losing at the pace I would expect based on my calorie deficit, I assume I’ve either overcounted my calories or undercounted my activity level, and I eat more. Even if I’m wrong, one day isn’t going to make or break anything.

Andrea222

I make a large pot of veggie soup and eat as much as I want. It’s tasty and really fills me up. I’ve saved a generic version of the soup as a meal here, so it’s easy to log. If I add pasta or chicken or whatever, I just log those separately. Sometimes I just want a lot of volume

windra06

I fast at least once a week so I've gotten quite used to being a little hungry, if im an hour away from dinner and hungry i'll have a 0 calorie fizzy drink and that usually helps.

But i underate a few weeks ago as i knew i was going out for a big meal...that was another level of hungry! By the end of the week my stomach was really rumbling even after eating.

Once i'd had the big meal though, even eating a little lower for the next week i felt sooo much better.

It helps every once in a while to eat at maintenance (or above) and give yourself a little reset.

Susanthecatwhisperer

I've been using myfitensspal for over a decade. I'm down a solid 50# from my highest weight. In times when I REALLY want a snack, sometimes, I will have it, even if I go over my "limit". Once in a while, it's worth it for my mental health. If I'm craving something specific, it's easier to "cheat" with that, than to try to substitute it with something healthier. I wish you the best of luck in reaching your goals! Be kind to yourself, you'll get there!

springlering62

Brief divergence. As a regular air-popped popcorn gnosher, it’s much higher calories than you think.

It is also, sadly, not very filling.

That said, I’d rather have a giant 240 calorie bowl of airpopped popcorn with my lunch than a sad little serving of 11 potato chips for 150, so I clear the space for it. If I eat it about an hour after my sandwich, it does double duty as a nice snack.

Anyway, don’t assume airpopped popcorn is low cal or throwaway cals. Make sure you’re weighing your kernels.

A really great tip someone here gave me is to mix melted butter (margarine is fine and is half the calories) with soy sauce. It is absolutely amazing and the soy sauce (which is very low cal) makes the flavor go farther over the popcorn.

I use half a tbsp margarine (weighed bit measured, of course!) with a tbsp soy sauce. For 35 calories it really is worth it.

I never would have though of using soy sauce on popcorn, which is why these boards are golden.

springlering62

LovinHISWORD wrote: »

Kiwi2mfp What is a maintenence Day?

You are eating in calorie deficit to lose weight.

Maintenance means eating enough calories to maintain your current weight. If you eat at maintenance, you should neither lose nor gain weight. You’re just holding steady.

Since maintenance is typically a few hundred calories more than your “loss” setting, if you eat at maintenance for a day or two or three, nothing will happen. You’re not gonna lose, but nor will you put on weight.

It’s really common for folks to take a “maintenance” break.

If you’re hitting it too hard (common with folks just starting or anxious to lose quickly), or suffering “diet fatigue”, as many folks do after long periods, it’s much better to eat at maintenance for a day or even a few months til you’re ready to eat at a deficit again.

I’ve got a friend who had a large amount yet to lose after already losing 100+ who took a six month maintenance break. She didn’t binge or go nuts and put any weight back on. She did it thoughtfully and methodically til she was through a stressful period and ready to get back to focusing on weight loss.

It’s the folks who go nuts, eat too little and lose too fast that fall by the wayside. Slow and steady wins this “not a race”.

s8ntdeer

The Duke Diet and Fitness center (now closed forever) has cookbooks that have incredible snack/dessert recipes. Every meal in any of the menus is under 400 calories and they have some incredibly simple recipes too. I was the Exec Chef there for many years and only wish they would have allowed the actual people who did the work to put their names on it! One of the reasons why I left.
Anyway, if you cannot find it hit me up and I can email a copy of one or 2 of them. Since they are out of business now its not illegal for me to just give it away. The amount of money people spent to go there to lose weight was mind boggling! No insurance, all cash baby!

wendelina66

I found the book that is the whole diet program, but not a cookbook? The few recipes I did find sounded very good!

rdubins

I usually keep several hard boiled eggs in the fridge. One of these curbs hunger quickly. Protein of any sort works for me. a single slice of alpine lace... 5-6 almonds. Good luck!

cinnamongrn

Depending on the time I would either have a black coffee or a fruity tea as they can have really as low as 3 calories depending on the type

Miles_to_Go

Have a boiled egg or low-fat homemade Greek yogurt. Usually when I’m really hungry it helps to eat protein

kshama2001

Sarielizabeth99 wrote: »

I don't want to make assumptions, but if you're a person with a cycle, you may want to investigate how that affects your appetite. During the luteal phase you can crave more calorie dense foods. Adding some extra calories in your budget can help with those cravings, stabilizing them so you're not just super hungry and end up with unplanned binging/overeating.

Yes, when I still had a cycle, I ate at maintenance for a day or two when my appetite spiked premenstrually, and since I bled excessively, the first few days of my cycle as well.

wswallace

Apples naturally suppress your appetite, but you need to eat the skin.

springlering62

…

FlaCntryGrl

I like getting a cup of light fat free yogurt usually blueberry and I add a 1/3 cup of granola.

stpatill1

1 slice of turkey breast with a pickle spear, and avocado drizzled with mustard. I wrap it in a seaweed sheet. ~100 calories and won’t spike your blood sugar.

Jan1936

I make a LARGE veggie salad, cucumbers, spinach, celery, kale, tomatoes - any veg I have on hand I chop and put in a large bowl- I am allowed to snack as I go because the calories are few and the nutrients are dense - dry cottage cheese or a hard boiled egg for a protein and what ever calorie reduced dressing I have on hand. Toss and enjoy!

cryonic_273

I find if im snacking - its because im not eating a filling meal.
I make a pot of Chilli and eat half and use the other half for next days lunch or dinner.
I pretty much never want to snack at all after a dinner thats a large helping of chilli.
500g 5% fat pork mince.
can of sweetcorn.
can of kidney beans.
can of chopped or plum tomatoes.
Worcester sauce and spice mix to taste.
No oil just simmer.
A large half portion is around 600kcals

berrrygal

If you have to eat, eat protein.