Appetite

chrissy_1987
chrissy_1987 Posts: 56 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Hi everyone, just after a bit of advice with regards to my appetite.

Most of the day I feel as though i am always hungry, no matter how much I eat. I want to shrink my appetite but in a healthy way because I hate feeling hungry (it gives me terrible migrains) Does anyone have any advice or tips how to do it?

Thanks in advance :)

Replies

  • Mokey41
    Mokey41 Posts: 5,769 Member
    If you're just starting out it usually takes about 3 weeks for your body to catch up with your new plan of not eating so much. You can help out by having snacks of low calorie veggies that provide bulk without a lot of calories and making sure you stay hydrated. The rest comes down to willpower until your body adjusts. There's also the fact that feeling hungry won't hurt you.
  • chrissy_1987
    chrissy_1987 Posts: 56 Member
    I've been at this a year now lol and as hard as I try, my willpower always gets the better of me. For example, I went out for lunch yesterday and had 2 meals because 1 just wasn't enough. Then I just felt ashamed :(
  • Mokey41
    Mokey41 Posts: 5,769 Member
    You'll do it when you're ready. A lot of this is just mental and if you mind can't get into the right place to make it work you'll keep sliding back to old habits. It's one of those things you have to make the commitment to yourself. No one can do it for you but you can help yourself from making bad choices by making really good choices so you aren't so hungry when you go to eat that you feel the need to eat 2 meals. If you were full of water and broccoli you wouldn't have room for a second meal.
  • chrissy_1987
    chrissy_1987 Posts: 56 Member
    That's a good point actually, and something I often do. I will skip meals to save calories for the next meal which obviously doesn't work lol
  • RachelRuns9
    RachelRuns9 Posts: 585 Member
    In my experience, eating that much at once will stretch my stomach back out and then all my work will have been for nothing and my appetite is back. My thought is that you have stretched it back out and you should start over, eating your allowed calories per day, and just drink lots of water and crystal light and low calorie veggies to fill you up. don't eat a ton in one sitting - instead eat throughout the day. after 1-3 weeks your stomach will shrink and it will take a lot less to fill you up. and then don't stretch it back out again. every time you eat, wait 30 minutes for your system to process it. sometimes i feel like i'm ravenous while i'm eating, but if i just pause i will suddenly be full in a few minutes.

    I have no idea of the scientific validity of this but it's what my experiences are like:)

    you can do it!
  • chrissy_1987
    chrissy_1987 Posts: 56 Member
    Very sound advice, thank you. :) I think i've just got into the habit of eating too large portions over the years which have stretched my stomach. And it's getting worse. And if i don't curb it soon then it's going to be too much to fix by myself. Smaller portion sizes are the way forward i'm thinking. Thank you :)
  • stuffinmuffin
    stuffinmuffin Posts: 985 Member
    Hi Chrissy,

    How many calories a day are you eating?

    I would surmise that it could be a couple of things.

    1) If you are feeling hungry all the time, that you actually might not be eating enough. I found that through the first and main stage of my weight loss I religiously ate only 1200 calories (not including exercise calories) during the week. How I still have any friends or my boyfriend after that period is a miracle because looking back I was grumpy and just had no energy. I was hungry all the time!!!

    2) Maybe a 'big' meal will be good. I've looked into the 'stomach shrinking' thing and biologically it's a pile a baloney, it's all in the mind and you will also be used to whatever portions you ate before the diet. I'm 2 and half years on from my start point at MFP (2 years now in maintenance) and I STILL love a big feed. I just make sure it's within my calorie allowance. When I had a lower calorie allowance when I was in weight loss I would eat loads and loads of veg - BIG salads and lean meat to make myself feel satiated.

    You could always try your maintenance calls for a couple of days to give yourself a bit of a boost. x
  • faradaysdream
    faradaysdream Posts: 91 Member
    I prefer two big meals a day and a snack before bed. Eating 5 small meals a day makes me feel deprived and like I'm on a diet.

    Whether you divide your calories into 12 small meals a day, or two large ones...they're still your calories. You need to experiment and find what works for you.
  • chrissy_1987
    chrissy_1987 Posts: 56 Member
    hi, i'm on 1,500 cals a day. Mostly because I don't move an awful lot. I have a FitBit and if i move a lot i can eat up to 1,800 cals but that is a rare thing! lol I basicaly have a desk job.

    i've just got back into it after almost a week off. not even eating at maintenance. just eating what i want :(
  • servilia
    servilia Posts: 3,452 Member
    Do you eat enough protein and fat?
  • Mokey41
    Mokey41 Posts: 5,769 Member
    Your stomach has a size and it can stretch to accommodate food then it shrinks back to it's empty size if you ever let it get that way. It doesn't stretch out big with over eating and stay that way. You've just learned to bypass the feeling of full that most people have. Your stomach doesn't physically stretch out and stay there requiring more food to fill it. That happens in your head and how you perceive fullness.
  • gwennich89
    gwennich89 Posts: 1 Member
    Keep busy! That definitely helps me keep my mind off my appetite. Watching the clock is annoying especially if you've told yourself to 'wait until lunchtime'.

    Try and get stuck into something and the psychological hunger gets sidelined.

    Good luck to ya! Have just started myself.
  • AmykinsCatfood
    AmykinsCatfood Posts: 599 Member
    Bit of a biology nerd here so indulge me a minute:
    Your stomach doesn't "stretch" out as much as you think it does. It's not like a balloon that keeps stretching to fit whatever you're putting in your body. It has it's limits and can burst from eating too much. That said it does distend a bit after a big meal but shrinks back down to it's original size after the food is gone. The body doesn't like empty space so it fills it as soon as it can by either shrinking things back down or filling them with fluid if it can't shrink.

    Now, back to the topic. Have you ever had your blood sugar and thyroid tested before? And what about your Leptin/ Grehlin levels? Ghrelin is what makes you hungry and gives you the ambition to eat. Leptin tells your body when you are full and stops the production of Ghrelin. If one of these hormones is being produced more than the other- you can either be hungry all the time, or never feel like eating.
  • MB_Positif
    MB_Positif Posts: 8,897 Member
    I just eat all day. I keep my meals to 300-500 calories each and eat lots of snacks.
  • chrissy_1987
    chrissy_1987 Posts: 56 Member
    Ah it's all so complicated. So people who are severely overweight, who eat like 5-10,000 a day, their stomachs haven't stretched? why do smaller people need less calories than bigger people? it's something i've never been able to get my heas around
  • Acg67
    Acg67 Posts: 12,142 Member
    Hi everyone, just after a bit of advice with regards to my appetite.

    Most of the day I feel as though i am always hungry, no matter how much I eat. I want to shrink my appetite but in a healthy way because I hate feeling hungry (it gives me terrible migrains) Does anyone have any advice or tips how to do it?

    Thanks in advance :)

    I know that feel
  • chrissy_1987
    chrissy_1987 Posts: 56 Member
    re: having my blood sugar tested, I had blood tests (fasting) earlier in the year and nothing was ever flagged up about it. Something must be messed up in my mind/body to eat as much as I do cos it's not like I eat because of depression etc
  • GingerLolita
    GingerLolita Posts: 738 Member
    I like to eat six small meals/snacks every day, diving my calories equally between them as much as possible. Most of my meals include fruits and/or vegetables to bulk it up and allow me to eat more food, as well as healthy (unsaturated) fats, protein (lean or plant-based), and/or whole grains (with natural fiber) to fill me up and keep me from overdoing the next meal. I've found that, because I eat such small meals, I can't sit down and binge because my body just isn't used to and doesn't want a large quantity of food at one time.
  • AmykinsCatfood
    AmykinsCatfood Posts: 599 Member
    Ah it's all so complicated. So people who are severely overweight, who eat like 5-10,000 a day, their stomachs haven't stretched? why do smaller people need less calories than bigger people? it's something i've never been able to get my heas around

    No, they have the same size stomach as everyone else. Eating a McDonald's meal isn't going to take up that much room in your stomach, but they still may eat 5 or 6 of them a day, hence being overweight. Your stomach can NOT stretch and stay stretched, the body just cannot allow it to happen.

    It takes calories to fuel your bodies functions like breathing, digestion, nervous system, skeletal system, cardiovascular system, etc. An overweight persons body has to work much harder due to pressure from fat pushing down on organs, diseases or general health problems and therefore needs more calories just to keep up with it than a person who is a healthy weight with a normally functioning system.
  • AmykinsCatfood
    AmykinsCatfood Posts: 599 Member
    re: having my blood sugar tested, I had blood tests (fasting) earlier in the year and nothing was ever flagged up about it. Something must be messed up in my mind/body to eat as much as I do cos it's not like I eat because of depression etc

    Then you may need to get your leptin/ghrelin tested like I said earlier. They are crucial to appetite control.
  • chrissy_1987
    chrissy_1987 Posts: 56 Member
    would that not have been flagged up when I had the blood test?
  • happylife2014
    happylife2014 Posts: 128 Member
    You'll do it when you're ready. A lot of this is just mental and if you mind can't get into the right place to make it work you'll keep sliding back to old habits. It's one of those things you have to make the commitment to yourself. No one can do it for you but you can help yourself from making bad choices by making really good choices so you aren't so hungry when you go to eat that you feel the need to eat 2 meals. If you were full of water and broccoli you wouldn't have room for a second meal.

    ^^^^ THIS^^^^ perfectly stated!!
  • Mokey41
    Mokey41 Posts: 5,769 Member
    Ah it's all so complicated. So people who are severely overweight, who eat like 5-10,000 a day, their stomachs haven't stretched? why do smaller people need less calories than bigger people? it's something i've never been able to get my heas around

    It's the difference between driving a Smart car or driving a transport truck. The bigger the vehicle the more gas it takes to power it. If you want to remain 300 lbs it takes a lot of fuel to maintain that. If you want to be 100 lbs it takes a lot less to fuel.

    It isn't always about quantity of food. You can eat a Big Mac meal with large fries and a large regular Coke for over 1500 calories easily. Try eating 1500 calories of raw broccoli! If large quantities of food make you happy then just make better choices on what the food is.
  • MinnieInMaine
    MinnieInMaine Posts: 6,400 Member
    As far as your blood tests go, please don't be fooled into thinking that you should just wait and see what your doc says and assume they'll contact you if there's something bad. People make mistakes and miss something, including doctors. If you're curious or concerned about something, you should follow up.

    Is it possible that you're bored or procrastinating? I'm not much of a stress eater either but I am a boredom eater. If I'm sitting around at home watching pointless TV, especially if it's food related, I think I want to eat. It's not actual hunger, it's just a response to a trigger. And being bored doesn't necessarily mean you don't have anything to do, it could mean that you don't want to do what your'e doing. Say I'm at work and need to start a project but don't really want to because I know it's going to be frustrating...eating something yummy sounds a whole lot more pleasant than doing that task.

    Also, as someone else suggested, think more about WHAT you're eating, not just how much. Perhaps an increase in protein intake (don't worry about going over the MFP number, it's not a limit, it's a suggested minimum) and healthy fat intake would help as these types of foods tend to be more filling and satisfying. Add some chicken or tuna to salads, have nuts at snack time, add healthy oils to your recipes, etc.
  • chrissy_1987
    chrissy_1987 Posts: 56 Member
    I've just looked at my diary and im on 104g protein today (mfp recommend 54g) I know I dont eat the best things (i'm very lazy, I dont cook lol) but i dont eat total crap haha
  • Llamapants86
    Llamapants86 Posts: 1,221 Member
    It is probably a mental thing, or your body isn't getting what it needs. From a calorie stand point you are pretty good (in my opinion anyway) but your body can burn through 1500 calories of carbs pretty quick, where as protein will take longer to be processed so you feel full longer.
    If it is a mental thing then you just need to take it day by day, and yes some times our brain has the power to give us migraines to get what it wants, and I can feel you on that. I suffered from chronic migraines for years it really is awful.
  • Llamapants86
    Llamapants86 Posts: 1,221 Member
    I've just looked at my diary and im on 104g protein today (mfp recommend 54g) I know I dont eat the best things (i'm very lazy, I dont cook lol) but i dont eat total crap haha

    Lol you posted this as I was typing out my response. MFP sets the macro goals really wonky at 55/15/30 (carbs, protien, fat). I changed mine to 40/30/30 and felt much better. You may have to play around to see what works best for you. And if you are hungry just snack on something light. There is no reason that a snack has to be huge.
  • chrissy_1987
    chrissy_1987 Posts: 56 Member
    It is possible i struggle with concept of eating without the need to feel stuffed to feel happy. if i dont feel stuffed, i feel hard done by. probably why i keep eating. and probably why i wont eat little meals. i'll just skip them completely. because i dont feel stuffed from it lol

Categories