I AM HUNGRY!!!

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tammiep123
tammiep123 Posts: 7
in Getting Started
Just started MFP 2 days ago and so far I suck at it. I have gained 30lbs over the last 5 years and I need it off but I am hungry and thinking about food all the time. Any tips and tricks to get past this?

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  • CyberEd312
    CyberEd312 Posts: 3,536 Member
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    How many calories are you eating???
  • Synamin
    Synamin Posts: 80 Member
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    Start by logging all of your food for a few days and then start looking at what you are eating and what you might need to change or swap out in order to meet your calorie goal. Makes some friends and build up a support system. Good luck.
  • jennifer_417
    jennifer_417 Posts: 12,344 Member
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    Hey, we all gotta start somewhere...don't expect to be a pro right off the bat! For me, I changed what I was eating over time. I discovered I could eat a cup of cherry tomatoes for 30 cals, or 17 chips for 160 cals. And, since I wanted MOAR FOOD, I switched up what I was eating. I eventually learned to incorporate other stuff, in reasonable portions, but...and this is important....it was a process, it took time.
  • AbbeyDove
    AbbeyDove Posts: 317 Member
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    I can't see your diary, but personally, I've found that I do better when I eat foods that have quite a bit of protein in them and/or a higher degree of fat. They help me stay satiated longer. So I start the day with plain Greek yogurt, and I make sure I have protein and veggies at lunch and dinner. Also, MFP sets my calories too low for my comfort. I'd prefer to do a slower body re-composition and be more comfortable as I go. So I manually set my calories to a higher level, and adjust my carbs down and my protein and fat up. That said, YMMV. People vary a lot in what works for them. But if you're hungry all the time, you might consider trying this.
  • sauron92
    sauron92 Posts: 32
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    I'm 1 month in diet and suffering the same.
    just hang in there.you see I suffered this month,but I've lost weight and when you start losing you'll be motivated more and more..
    I can't promise that hunger will fade away..but you won't feel it as bad when you notice differences in your body.
    good luck!
  • abbyjcpc
    abbyjcpc Posts: 13 Member
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    I can relate. For the first few MONTHS I logged all my food just as I ate it. I didn't count or care about the calories, I just logged it all. I was WAY over every single day and that started to make me mad. Mad enough to want to change it. I still go over, but its not the end of the world. I find it helps me make better choices because like someone else said, I want to eat more, so if I pick things with less calories, I can eat a lot more! Just my 2 cents. Its taken me at least a year to get the hang of using this site to my advantage. Not that everyone has that kind of learning curve, Im just really stubborn.
  • tammiep123
    tammiep123 Posts: 7
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    Thank you for the tips. My goal is to lose at least 2 pounds before I weigh in next week. I will definitely add more protein.
  • jake995
    jake995 Posts: 2
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    I'm just starting out too. I have found that if I drink water and avoid diet drinks with artificial sweeteners I'm not hungry all the time like I was. I love dietCoke but have given it up.
  • Seeds45
    Seeds45 Posts: 90
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    FIBER FIBER FIBER. Fiber is your friend, it fills you up, it cleans you out and if you eat the right type, it taste damn good. Homemade oil free Hummus with veggies is my favorite right now. Taste great, fills me up and I can eat a lot of it. 1/4 cup of hummus is good for 2 cups of raw veggies, thats a lot!!
    It took you 5 years to gain the weight, it won't go away in 2 weeks. If you can't stop thinking of food, plan your menu for the next couple of weeks. This way you can think about it and if you have a plan you are less likely to fall off the wagon. There are on-line sites that have free blank forms to do this. It is so much easier if you have your plan, you know what you are going to eat, what you need to buy at the grocer. If you don't feel like eating what you planned for Tuesday, you can switch with another day,but you still have a plan. No surprises. Make a big pot of soup and eat from it for a few days, a pot of brown rice, the same thing. Baked potatoes, make 3 or 4 at a time keep in the fridge for a quick snack with salsa,
    Don't over think this, write down EVERYTHING you put in your mouth and drink water, lots of water.
    You can do this, you are not alone, most of us are here for the same reason as you, we can help each other.
  • Jacwhite22
    Jacwhite22 Posts: 7,012 Member
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    Open your diary? What is your deficit set at?
  • Fitburd
    Fitburd Posts: 92 Member
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    drink more water
  • prairielilly
    prairielilly Posts: 13 Member
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    I had pretty much the same post yesterday, bc I pretty much had the same problem...trying to stay under an extremely low calorie goal left me tired, irritable and thinking about food constantly. I was advised to not do such a high deficit (lose weight more slowly) and incorporate changes gradually so it's more of a lifestyle change and less of a crash-course.... I think there's a lot of wisdom in this. I've also found that drinking a lot of water, keeping the protein up and eating most of my calories before suppertime helps me a lot (saves me from eating everything in sight at the end of the day because I feel like I'm starving). Patience is hard, I'm convinced it'll be worth it :)
  • SLLRunner
    SLLRunner Posts: 12,943 Member
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    Just started MFP 2 days ago and so far I suck at it. I have gained 30lbs over the last 5 years and I need it off but I am hungry and thinking about food all the time. Any tips and tricks to get past this?
    Make sure you are eating enough. 30 pounds is not that much. I would set your calorie goals to lose 1 pound a week, which will give you more calories. Also, make sure you are eating a portion of your exercise calories back too.

    Male sure you have adequate protein and fat in you diet to keep you full longer and give you energy.

    It took me 8 months to lose 38 pounds. Most of the time, I ate around 1600 plus my exercise calorie}. Now, I eat 1840 plus my exercise calories (steady state cardio, my my weight lifting calories), which comes to between 2.000=2.100 per day, and I am still slowly losing weight.
  • acogg
    acogg Posts: 1,871 Member
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    Try one week of eating at least 100 grams of protein per day. When I took that advice, my empty hungry feelings went away. And I had lots of energy and felt like I could conquer the world. Now I am.
  • SLLRunner
    SLLRunner Posts: 12,943 Member
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    Thank you for the tips. My goal is to lose at least 2 pounds before I weigh in next week. I will definitely add more protein.
    Be careful because you could be setting yourself up for failure. What if you do everything right and those two pounds are not gone by your weigh in next week? Sometimes people lose the first weight quickly, sometimes it does not start coming off for a few weeks.
  • Psychgrrl
    Psychgrrl Posts: 3,177 Member
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    And fiber--don't forget filling fiber! :) I try to limit processed foods as much as possible--sticking to foods with ten ingredients or less. I go to the gym after work, and I usually walk a couple miles at lunch, i started parking in a more remote lot and walking to my office instead of using the parking structure right next to my office.

    I also stick to foods with higher protein as that works for me. Like quinoa instead of rice or potatoes. I drink A LOT of water every day. I don't use margarine or butter--olive oil only.

    And most importantly, I forgive myself if I go "off menu" or don't make it to the gym. Nobody's perfect every day--it's the big picture that counts!

    Don't give up--we all started where you are!
  • truetarot1988
    truetarot1988 Posts: 56 Member
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    The first week was my roughest. I'm at almost 4 weeks and granted, I'm still fat (it's only been a few weeks) BUT I Feel Great!! Week one, figuring things out, week 2 "This isn't so bad", week 3 "ok, I need some help, just go to the boards" This week, I know I've made a lifelong commitment. Pounds and inches are coming off slowly, but surely! The support here is simply amazing. You can rest assured, you WILL be supported here, and encouraged! I truly believe the people here are what keeps me going. I never thought I'd stick to this, but I did, and I no longer see failure as an option. The only real thing that keeps me on my toes is knowing that I have to own up on here... well, that and the fact that I wanna be thin again! Best wishes to you, I know you can do it! Just be sure to come to the boards if you need help. Believe me, there's NOTHING people here won't answer! Feel free to add me for support! :) BTW, idk about everyone, but those first weeks, my weight went up and down, there are so many factors. It took til the 3rd week for it to stay off. Don't get discouraged, If a chubby like me can do it, anyone can! :drinker: :laugh:
  • truetarot1988
    truetarot1988 Posts: 56 Member
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    Oh, forgot to add this. I've found that filling out my diary for the day of what I plan to eat keeps me on track. For example, If I know what I'm making for dinner, I put in it, careful not to forget things like butter on my bread, snacks, drinks, all of it. Once I look at it, I think sometimes "well, that's pretty close to going over, so I try to get one thing off, then I add water for that. It kinda keeps my calories in perspective. And really, I can make it without that granola bar or whatever I eliminate. I always stick to the mapped out plan. But, say I already had breakfast and lunch, then we decide to change dinner (take-out or whatever), I add the take-out then eliminate all my snacks to make up for it if it's high calorie. I've only really been hungry 2 or 3 times by doing it this way. Really, it's just whatever works for you. You'll find your happy zone before long.

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