Help! I'm hungry!

chera325

Hey guys...

I need some serious advice. Here's my predicament:

I wake up at about 5:45 and eat breakfast around 6:00; I'm starving by about 10, so I snack on fruit or something healthy. By noon I'm starving. I eat my lunch (I try to make it as low cal as possible and as filling as possible), I eat a snack after lunch (fruit usually) but then I'm starving by 4 when I'm on my way home from work. When I get home, I have to FIGHT myself to not eat every thing I see because I am SO hungry while dinner is cooking.

The moral of the story, I AM HUNGRY! Often. I'm struggling to stay within my caloric limits without being constantly hungry. I already know some of the suggestions some members are going to give me, so let me just take care of my responses now!

I drink water all day long, and it makes me go to the bathroom 10 times a day, but it does not satisfy my hunger.

I have tried bringing salads packed with veggies, but no matter how I try to modify the salad, it does NOT keep me full longer than an hour.

So my question to you, is what do you suggest aside from the above two suggestions? I've noticed that Fiber One Cereal keeps me full longest, so I'm wondering if it's the FIber that helps. Should I strive to get more fiber throughout the day? What do you all do? Also, I'm not big on taking dietary supplements other than Vitamins, but is there anything (healthy of course) that I can take to help? I know this sounds like a stupid question, but I have been playing with my diet over the past week trying to find some way to not be hungry constantly, and I am simply not succeeding!

Give me what ya got MFP!

missboriken

Proteins is what helps with the hunger. How's your intake?

adunkin22

I completely understand that!
You have to eat a lot of protein too.
Add hard boiled eggs, chicken, canned tuna (very low cal and very high protein).
For your snacks, add a little protein to them too.
Like apples with peanut butter.

Hope this helps!

bonnienm

Fiber and protein make you feel full longer. If you're high on calories try less fruit and more veggies like carrots because they're lower in calories (due to the lower sugar content probably). Try a few almonds or other nuts but be careful because they're high in calories and fat but it is the good fat. You could also try more protein for breakfast like eggs ( mostly whites) and maybe some low fat ham. Chicken is low fat and a good source of protein too. Peanut butter is high calorie and fat but if you eat like 1 Tbl with a banana it's pretty filling. Good luck.

DG82

Omg you just synopsized my entire work week 100%, lol! I'm up aroud 6am and eat b-fast (which is normally cereal) after I shower and get ready, around 7am. Usually eat a little snack around 10-10:30am... sometimes I can get hungry even before 10am but try to hold on snacking till at least 10. I take a late lunch b/c I KNOW that regardless I will be absolutely ravenous by the time I get home from work around 5:30 so I eat lunch around 1pm most days then usually another snack around 3-3:30 or so... I do mix in fruit, yogurt, granola bars, etc as snack. I don't do chips and all that unhealthy stuff as snacks I try to keep it all in moderation. Normally I have coffee w/b-fast at home, like a half cup then a full cup of java around 9am at work. I find my biggest issue is that, like you when I get home from work I just want to stuff my face b/c most nights when I cook dinner I won't eat till around 7:30 or so, sometimes slightly earlier and sometimes later, depending on what I cook. I REFUSE to become one of those people who takes the easy way out and goes out to eat everyday and/or relies solely on processed food and tv dinners, things of that sort. I love to cook actually and that way I know everything that's going into my meal as well. I'm curious to know what exactly will keep me filling FULL for a longer amount of time and especially what to do when I get home from work absolutely STARVING and stuff my face till I can eat dinner. I hate this cycle I keep going through, ugh!!! Is there someway I can shrink my appetite?!?! I'm all ears fellow MFP's!!! Help us girls out!! :-)

Yellow4615

Fiber is filling! Oatmeal is a good choice with fruit in the morning. Fruits and vegetables are power foods. Pasta with vegetables are good. Water will fill you, I have found drinking more water helps me because, when I thought I was hungry and really, I was thirsty and I sometimes add crystal light to my water to change the flavor. I hope this helps.

annejay

I find a bowl of porridge in the morning with half a banana or some honey & skimmed milk or water keeps me fuller for longer rather than ordinary cereals also keeping low fat snacks in your bag for the journey home and a glass of water while dinner cooks keeps hunger at bay.:

AmyW4225

What I do first is the water trick. I drink a bunch of water to distinguish between hunger and thirst. If I find that I'm actually hungry, I eat! I feel like my body knows best. I still lose the day after I've gone over on my calories. Are you exercising to "earn" more calories? I have to exercise to stay within my goal because 1200 cals, for me, is not enough. That happens to me if I let myself be hungry all day, I come home and eat the cupboards off the hinges LOL.

chera325

Hi guys! Thanks so much for your advice. I'm consistenly over on my daily protein limits, and I was told my a friend who is an athletic trainer that your body can only metabolize so much protein before it turns it into fat, just as it would excess carbs; so I have tried to stay within my daily protein goals, but I almost always go over. I try to eat egg substitute instead of regular eggs because I save so many calories that way. Is this still considered protein? Like I said, the water trick just isn't doin it for me. And yes, I do excercise most days, but not until the evening, and the calories I burn doing the many activities that I do vary all the time, so I'm always scared to eat more calories during the day, just in case I don't burn them all off at night when I work out. Ahh, I know it's not going to be easy losing this last 20, but I don't remember experiencing as much hunger when I lost my first 40 lbs. I wish my body would just forget that I lost all of that weight so the last 20 comes off as quickly and easily as the first

Again, thanks for all of your help! If you can think of anything that might help, I'm getting desperate over here!

MzBug

This may be a little wierd, but it works. Mix some old fashioned rolled oats with peanutbutter and stuff celery sticks with it. It takes a few tries to get it where the PB and oats stay put but are not gooey sticky. That used to be my drive home snack. I never knew if it was going to take an hour or three to get home because of traffic. I would also use low fat cheddar cheese sticks and apple slices.

MayberryMama

Okay that peanut butter oatmeal celery thing sounds really good!

I am totally in the same boat and I have devised a trick for my daily lunch salad that seems to be working really well. It sounds nasty but it's actually really good. I bring a little cup of brown rice in my lunch box and when I open up my salad, I dump it on top and mix it into the salad before I put my lowfat ranch on it.

I've only been doing it a few days but I am NOT kidding, I have made it home twice now without even touching my afternoon snack (which is usually yogurt and does NOTHING to curb my appetite.) I also find that if I put a little sliced turkey in the salad it makes me feel like I'm getting more of a meal.

kimmi33

I snack on nuts for a snack and it tides me over. Bananas are also a good filler. And like everyone else said protein. Good luck on your journey

Yellow4615

In response to protein overage: My protein problem: I eliminate meat from my diet atleast 1-2 day per week. I'll eat beans or tofu. My protein seems to balance it self out. I have a protein drink onn hand, just in case I need it.

cindy4mica

i think you may be my clone! i feel the same exact way! but the fiber one line just gives me gas, doesn't fill me up longer. and although i may *feel* full when i eat, i'm never "satisfied". does that make sense? i'm going to have to try some of this advice myself. good luck:)

rohan02

Coffee. I used to be hungry all the time, then I started drinking coffee every day and I'm hardly ever hungry anymore.

snobuny032

Sounds like alot of us suffer from the same symptom...lol
My afternoon snack is an apple with a little bit of cheese and this will usually hold me until dinner.. then at dinner I am not as hungry and eat less..
Good Luck with your hunger pangs.. Hope you find YOUR cure!

ysaidpie

I have been drinking a big glass of hot green tea when I am hungry. You know it takes 20 mins to feel full, & sometimes I eat faster than that so I end up feeling hungrier after I ate than before I started. That's when I drink the green tea (no sugar added). I have to drink slow because it's hot, and by the time I finish it- I feel full. I use quaker rice cakes as a snack (45 calories for my favorite- white cheddar) and eat a cheese stick (sargento low-fat Colby jack for 60 calories) and it adds up to 105 calorie snack that fills me up until The next meal. I have been hooked on peanut butter & banana sandwiches lately- they satisfy my hungry so much and last a really long time! They are a little high in calories (I make mine about 250 calories) PB is high in fat, but I am usually way under in fat anyway so I allow myself the tablespoon of PB for my sandwich. It's so worth it, because I would probably keep snacking on other stuff which would add up to the 250 calories anyway. Oh yeah- an oatmeal fills me up longer than cereal! I make it on the stove with the Old Fashioned Oats. It only takes about 5-7 mins to make and is more filling & nutritious than instant packets of oatmeal. I add about 1/3 of a banana to it and it really sticks to my gut, lol!

NicCa90

maybe instead of drinking water make flavored teas cold or hot..i like them hot because you have to drink it really slow and the warmth really helps you feel full!

jiujitsu3000

i just started doing a diet i was 202 poun ds now i think im 194 or less havent checked after 194 but i eat once a day chicken with salad around 6pm and pt(physical training which is treadmill only. i think im doing a bad diet but its working some how but i though peanut butter was fattening is it good can i eat it? sometimes i feel tired too so ima start eating 3 times a day. im always going over on my sugar and i only eat fruits like apples and grapes and grilled chicken with salad how can i improve that .

jiujitsu3000

one way to stop thinking about food is make think about something else which is hard when u hungry i get hungry alot too if it was up too me ill eat every second of the day like right now pizza hhmmmmm lol but i find if im doing jiujitsu which is martial arts im not thinking about food or when im in college listening to the teacher or when im chasing someone in the streets as a police officer . so the trick is if u got ur mind occupied food is not in your mind the problem is when u cacth him and u sitting down then pizza comes back to your head hhhmmm sorry lol

baffled111

I'd actually like to see more specifics about what you're eating. It sounds like you need a little bit more fat and more protein--your body can handle quite a bit of it and it will keep you full longer.

I think the fruit might be part of your problem. You seem to be eating a lot of it. This can be an individual thing, but all the sugar in fruit makes me really hungry. I think you'd probably be better off with some crackers and peanut butter. That is a much more filling snack and the fat/protein/fiber mix should keep you full longer. (Try RyVita crisp crackers! They're delish and lo-cal and a perfect vehicle for peanut butter!)

Re the egg substitute: whole eggs are really nutritious so you shouldn't shun them! I usually mix 1 whole egg with 1/2 cup of egg whites. But be careful to only buy the product with 100% egg whites. You probably don't want to be eating the other stuff!

tairatoney

sucking on sugar free candy helps me.

akmonroe

Buy a bag of natural almonds; serving size is about 24 I eat them between lunch and dinner it does the trick.

AndriaLL

I think I've tried every "trick" listed up there except for the coffee, and I'm still hungry all the time. Good luck and let me know what works best for you! Maybe I just need to start drinking coffee! :drinker:

JAM810

Hi guys! Thanks so much for your advice. I'm consistenly over on my daily protein limits, and I was told my a friend who is an athletic trainer that your body can only metabolize so much protein before it turns it into fat, just as it would excess carbs; so I have tried to stay within my daily protein goals, but I almost always go over. I try to eat egg substitute instead of regular eggs because I save so many calories that way. Is this still considered protein? Like I said, the water trick just isn't doin it for me. And yes, I do excercise most days, but not until the evening, and the calories I burn doing the many activities that I do vary all the time, so I'm always scared to eat more calories during the day, just in case I don't burn them all off at night when I work out. Ahh, I know it's not going to be easy losing this last 20, but I don't remember experiencing as much hunger when I lost my first 40 lbs. I wish my body would just forget that I lost all of that weight so the last 20 comes off as quickly and easily as the first

Again, thanks for all of your help! If you can think of anything that might help, I'm getting desperate over here!

You may be going over your daily protein limits, but what are your limits? (sorry if I sound too personal) I eat 1280 calories per day and my goal is 50/30/20 which is 160g protein, 96g carbs and 28g fat. And, I too workout each night after dinner for an hour to an hour and a half (P90X classic program). I also eat breakfast at 7:30am, snack at 9:30-10am, lunch at 12noon, snack at 2:30-3pm and dinner at 5pm. Snack is usually a nectarine or an apple. I used to eat one string cheese and 15-16 almonds, but they were taking me over my daily fats (depending on what else I eat during the day). I unfortunately I do not drink enough water during the day, otherwise like yourself, I too would be in the bathroom half the day .. LOL! I'm not hungry during the day as long as I keep up with 50/30/20 ratio. It is really very challenging and I so very much understand. There seems to be so many options and opinions and you need to do what is best for you, your goal and your health. I hope anything I may have noted here is of help! I wish you the best of luck and keep up all your hard work!!!!

ChristieisReady

I posted something REALLY similar to this a few weeks ago, and here's what I've found:

A HUGE breakfast (like, as much as you can eat) say, 2 apples and an egg or two or some peanut butter and some almonds (About 450-500 calories) takes care of me for the day. I can eat normally/ lightly the rest of the day and I'm not hungry!

Also, I know you said you're eating vegetables: are you getting a little bit of fat with them? Olive oil, a bit of dressing, meat? They won't stick without it. You'll burn them in two hours at the most.

I try to eat about 6 times a day, so that might have something to do with it, but often, it's a small banana or a plum or a few almonds.

ALL that said, if you're hungry, you need to eat more. Your body is telling you it needs fuel, and all the tracking and formulas and experts in the world don't trump that.

patacuna

Hi i eat carrot stick with low fat hummus while i am cooking. this will keep me busy and satisfied. Hope this helps.

christs84

You should look into wonderslim. I had the same problem as you and I had to get me some of these. 100 calories, 0 Fat, 4 Sugars and 15 protein. I start my breakfast with one and after lunch before dinner I have one and it truly helps.