Days when you're ravenous

Lexandrei

I noticed when I get sleep deprived I'll be massively hungry, which obviously doesn't go well with my cutting plans since I end up gravitating towards foods that fill me up. For normal hunger pangs I'd fill up on raw veggies and water but today at lunch....I basically went for filling (and calorie dense) foods like peanut butter. I feel terrible now since I'm trying to lose 8lbs. I've skipped dinner and will be fasting until noon to make up for it.

Does this happen to you and how do you deal with it? I'm not talking about an urge to snack, I'm talking like it feels like you can chew through a drywall. Thanks.

FindingAmy77

I bring protein bars to work for these kind of days. I eat one and drink a bunch of water and feel satisfied for at least a couple of hours. Pre planning is what works for me. I tried a lot of bars and found that the peanut kelloggs protein bars with fiber/antioxidants (10 grams protein) tastes the best and are pretty okay in price. I always plan on two to three snacks a day as well.

ochibi91

Same here. I become ravenous when I had insufficient sleep the night before (like today!) and cheated on some chilli tapioca chips. I just couldn't control myself. Usually, I'll walk past a whole shelf of junk food without batting an eye. My appetite also tends to increase when my period is coming, usually the week before.

I just try to reduce my intake a little over the next few days so that my average intake for the week stays the same.

allana1111

quest protein bars really help me out on this. 20 g of protein, no added sugar...they fill you up and come in some chocolate, cookie dough, cookies & cream flavors etc.. so if you just feel like eating/have a sweet tooth they're good for either.

Fitastic14

I noticed when I get sleep deprived I'll be massively hungry, which obviously doesn't go well with my cutting plans since I end up gravitating towards foods that fill me up. For normal hunger pangs I'd fill up on raw veggies and water but today at lunch....I basically went for filling (and calorie dense) foods like peanut butter. I feel terrible now since I'm trying to lose 8lbs. I've skipped dinner and will be fasting until noon to make up for it.

Does this happen to you and how do you deal with it? I'm not talking about an urge to snack, I'm talking like it feels like you can chew through a drywall. Thanks.

Get more sleep!! Up the protein & fiber. Drink lots of water. But perhaps most important...remember it's mind over matter. Remember to listen to your stomach, not your brain.

...As an emotional eater, I know my brain tells me "I'm hungry" 99% more often than my stomach does...so I just remind myself that it's not a meal time yet...and that I'm just bored.

craftywitch_63

I noticed when I get sleep deprived I'll be massively hungry, which obviously doesn't go well with my cutting plans since I end up gravitating towards foods that fill me up. For normal hunger pangs I'd fill up on raw veggies and water but today at lunch....I basically went for filling (and calorie dense) foods like peanut butter. I feel terrible now since I'm trying to lose 8lbs. I've skipped dinner and will be fasting until noon to make up for it.

Does this happen to you and how do you deal with it? I'm not talking about an urge to snack, I'm talking like it feels like you can chew through a drywall. Thanks.

Get more sleep!! Up the protein & fiber. Drink lots of water. But perhaps most important...remember it's mind over matter. Remember to listen to your stomach, not your brain.

...As an emotional eater, I know my brain tells me "I'm hungry" 99% more often than my stomach does...so I just remind myself that it's not a meal time yet...and that I'm just bored.

^^This. Also, skipping dinner probably isn't the best idea because later you'll be really tired AND hungry. I eat six times a day, about every 3 hours whether I'm hungry at that time or not. It keeps me from getting hungry, which, for me, will trigger a binge. I like the suggestion of keeping protein bars in my desk, but if I did that, the box would be gone day 1! If you can handle it, though, it's a good suggestion.

Zomb1eMummy

I get like that too. I usually just try to snack on cellery with peanut butter or have a protein shake. Something along those lines.

climbing_trees

I try to always keep some really low calorie density food around so that when I'm starving, I can just stuff my face without thinking. One of my favorites is steamed broccoli or cauliflower with salsa.

I wouldn't recommend skipping meals, it will just make you crankier/more irritable and more likely to binge on more snacks. Have something like a giant salad with a ton of fresh veggies and clear soup. Low calorie but still has some good nutrients.

amwoidyla

I get those days about once every 3-4 weeks...I noticed it after I started keeping track of my macros on a deficit. It's like I wasn't fueling my body well enough for my workouts or something and it's rebelling against me.
It seems like no amount of protein, calorie dense food will satisfy my hunger on days like that.

mochamommy

I have those too. What I tend to do Is eat and work out more.. then eat, then work out. Ugh. There are just some days you want to eat your hand no matter what. TRy protein. I think chick peas and kidney beans help fill me up

BoxerBrawler

I get those days too, especially at night after dinner if I have restricted and worked out a lot during the day.

Folks here have made really good suggestions. I just made a post about protein shakes, I found one in particular that works extremely well. But out of everything I would have to agree with just trying your hardest to fight it. Mind over matter. Learn to recognize true hunger signals from your brain telling just telling you to eat.

Ya know... sometimes when I get like that, I just let go and eat what I want. I figure I am good 90 percent of the time so the time that I end up over snacking or eating some or even a lot of the wrong things won't kill me or be detrimental to my progress. Sometimes it feels good just to let go and get right back on the track. As long as you don't make it a habit.

Yes, raw veggies to fill the void and keep busy and protein, a lot of water and distractions. Clean, do laundry, go for a walk, read a book, write in a journal, call a friend, go for a drive and if all else fails (for me), I just go to bed lol!

Try to stay away from the eat and work out, eat and work out, eat and work out cycle. It sucks!

There are also a lot of good snack cracker and chip like products on the market now that are healthy alternatives to regular ones e.g., hummus crisps... while I know most folks try to avoid sodium and carbs, if you're going to binge out this does the trick. You can have 27 crisps for about 120 calories. They are crunchy and satisfying. Also a lot of the air popped popcorn that's on the market now is a good way to control this... all kinds of yummy flavors and since it's popcorn you can eat it slowly. The other night I had Indiana Corn white cheddar popcorn at 120 calories in 2 1/2 cups. It took me forever to eat it and by the time I was done I was completely satisfyed.

I hope this helps.

kellymac518

when i get like that i typically read a book or come on here and go through the message boards to distract myself... before i know it, time has passed and its actually time to eat a meal.