Hungrier When I Eat

FreyasRebirth

Okay, I've got this problem. If I put off eating, I can easily skip a whole meal. I can know I have another 800 calories (counting from maintenance levels) left from 7 PM until I go to bed but I'm not hungry until I take the first bite. Once I 'give myself permission' to eat, I'm uncomfortably hungry until I go to bed. If I weren't logging, I could easily eat those 800 calories and then some. I'm known in my family for being the 'twig' who could put away an entire buffet in one sitting. If I don't start eating though, the hunger either doesn't come on or is much more mild. I tried just to test it out yesterday and, after eating a 490 calorie lunch, I didn't eat a single thing and I didn't start feeling hungry until 1 AM. I wouldn't have even been awake that late if I weren't having leg pains from a 10.5 hour work day but ended up going 20 hours with no food anyway because it hurt too bad to walk to the kitchen. Then I couldn't finish my breakfast because it was making me nauseous and didn't even reach 200 calories in the 24 hours between lunch and lunch. I know, I definitely should not eat like that but the only method I know right now to calm the cravings is full-out starving. What else can I do to shut my stomach up when it keeps crying for more food?

MyFoodGod

I suspect you are labeling your feelings hunger when it's more about emotions. After years of doing this you may not recognize the difference.

rgugs13

Try drinking more water before you eat, and start your meal off with a broth type soup. When you don't eat for so long, your body kind of freaks out and thinks it is starving. It will control the hunger for awhile, but when you finally do eat, your body urges you to over eat because it doesn't know when it is going to get food again. The nausea could be a sign of dehydration and stomach cramps brought on by not eating for so long. I worked at a wildlife rehabilitation center, and witnessed this first hand. People would find starving wildlife, give them food, they would devour it, then get sick from it rotting in their stomach, or throw up and get even more dehydrated. Your body can't digest food without water, and rich foods can shock the stomach after a long time not eating. That is why people doing fasts usually ease back into eating food. Eating is also a learned behavior. Schedule your meals at certain times, plan what you are going to eat for each meal, and stick too it. Sit at a table and concentrate on what you eat. Don't watch tv or read or do other distracting things. If you eat methodically, you will feel yourself feel satiated. I have to practice this. I sometimes skip meals, and can hoover down a huge amount of food if I am not careful. By the time I feel full, I am actually overstuffed.

Concentrate on getting a lot of protein, good fat, and lots of leafy vegetables.

My favorite breakfast is a super simple frittata. I take whatever vegetables I have on hand, and if raw, saute them until they are cooked, then throw in 2-3 cups fresh spinach to wilt down. If you want some meat, either cook it with the veggies if raw, or throw in now if precooked to heat up. Beat 2-3 eggs in a bowl, add spices to taste, then poor over stuff in pan. Sprinkle any cheese you want on it on top(I like feta, but any strong flavored cheese is good), then cover and let it cook without messing with it until done. Not sure on the time, I just check it every couple of minutes. It will puff up and be done when the top isn't wet anymore. Remove from heat, slide a fork around the edge, and put on a plate. It can get a little calorie dense if you put lots of meat and cheese on it, but it always fills me up until the next meal.

Complex proteins help control hunger longer, and fat helps you feel full.