REALLY hungry and its between meals???

mamacarmen1969

Hi all
Today, for the first time since starting my diet about a week ago, I felt ravenously hungry at around 3:30 in the afternoon. I quelled this with a portion of cottage cheese, but was left wondering if there are any tips -- aside from just suffering!!- for when you really feel hungry and its still several hours until mealtime. What do the rest of you do?
Thank you!
Kristin

jennegan1

How much water are you drinking? Whats your calorie in take? Are you eating protein and fiber enriched foods to keep you feeling fuller longer between meals?

focuseddiva

I look for food that provides high volume with little/no cals. To take the edge off the hunger, I have a few go-to items:

• ****ake tofu noodles (these are packs of mushroom-based noodles made to look/feel like pasta). 20-40 cals for a pack. I add a touch of marinara and it almost feels like I'm eating a good-sized bowl of pasta. I also chop up and add tomoatoes.

• Sugar-free jello. I keep a giant bowl of it in the fridge. I can eat a huge bowl for about 40 calories. Sometimes that is what it takes to make the hunger go away.

• Sliced cucumbers dipped in salsa.

Sometimes I have eaten ALL of the above in one sitting just to stop myself form eating something worse or higher calorie. After I've eaten all three, those sharp hunger pains are typically dulled!

JesterMFP

I found this a useful read on hunger while dieting. http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/fat-loss/9-ways-to-deal-with-hunger-on-a-diet.html

For some quick things to try though - make sure you're getting enough protein, fat, fibre and fluids. Sounds obvious, but make sure you're getting enough calories too - I see from your ticker that you're trying to lose about 13 lbs? Make sure your calorie deficit isn't too aggressive. Also, experiment with meal size and timing. Some people do better having small meals every few hours through the day. Some people prefer 3 square meals and a snack, others like 1 or 2 big meals with no snacking at all etc. Find out which way works best for you.

MoreBean13

Can you open your diary?

usually the problem is either not enough total calories, or too high percentage of carbs (not enough fat and/or protein). Low-fat diets are terrible for satiation, if given the same total calories, a person with a low fat diet will be hungrier than a person who balances their diet somewhere close to 40c/30p/30f.

Azurite27

As someone that is always hungry, I just plan small meals with lots of snacks in between. If you plan on eating the snacks, they can fit in your deficit with no worries. Although I would suggest as others to check your macros, sleep, and water intake.

WhyLime113

Quite honestly, when I'm on a normal schedule, I'm eating constantly throughout the day. I wake up and have breakfast. On the ten minute break between classes I have a midmorning snack. Around 12-2 I have lunch. I'll have an afternoon snack if I feel like it (though I don't always by this time of the day). I have supper around 5-8, and I have an evening snack most nights. I don't let myself go hungry, and I tend to eat better overall this way.

forevermaryb

Agree with all of the above in regards to protein/fat/calories as well as planning a snack for that time. Also, make sure that's it is really hunger; not boredom, stress or habit. I also found a cup of hot tea helps with the hunger at times. Good luck! I know that I've been having a harder time controlling my appetite after letting it get a bit out of hand over the holidays.

rosevalleygirl23

I tend to eat 1/2 of my calories at dinner so I often am super hungry at that same hour. I reach for veggies or small pieces of fruit. Extra fiber for me and few calories. I also might drink a fizzy water.

The trick for me is to stay away from carbs like chips and bread. I always regret eating those things as snacks.

sjp_511

Your cottage cheese snack is what I would recommend. A high protein snack between meals helps with hunger. I am not a fan of cottage cheese so I typically choose nuts.

Francl27

I have snacks all the time. No reason to stay hungry just because it's not meal time yet.

mamacarmen1969

Thanks, everyone, for your help. I think I probably need to evaluate my daily calories -- it might be a bit too low. Will stay in touch!