Murdering hunger

doctorsookie

it's probably been mentioned but WATER WATER WATER AND MORE WATER. Drink a glass before eating and another during. You will be full faster. Plus drinking water will help flush sodium out of your body and curb hunger through the day. Keep a 32 oz bottle with you at all times. Drink from it all day...refill as needed. You may be mistaking some hunger for thirst. Do this for a week and you will be amazed at how much healthier feel, just from water. Plus keep a stash of healthy veggies to snack on. dipped in hummus is amazing. And dried fruits and nuts. Chewing gum as I have seen mentioned will trick your brain that hey there's something in the mouth so turn off the hunger signals... we are go.:flowerforyou: And welcome to MFP and good luck.

ereck44

I also like to eat and some of the best low calorie foods are fruit and veggies, esp. berries. To feel full, drink water. You don't have to cut out McDonald's or Popeyes forever. You can still eat there, just not every day. You might try to eat there 3 x per week and then taper off. You can try sucking on mints or hard candy if you have to have something in your mouth. Calorie counting is your friend!

Also a great appetite suppressant is exercise. After a good hour in the gym, I don't feel like eating for a while.

I still struggle with environmental sabotages, but am getting better. I pack my lunch but if there are cookies at the work place--really hard for me to pass it by. Still able to limit myself to one or two. It is a day to day struggle. You can get good support if you add some friends from mfp. We are all in this together.

You can do it! You can do it!

HerbertNenenger

I don 't know if you like soup, but it helps to fight hunger since there's a lot of liquid in it and it fills your stomach giving you the impression you're full without the extra calories.

Seconded.... the BBC actually had a documentary about losing weight that studied the effects of soup on your tummy, and it keeps you full for an hour or two longer than a non-soup meal would.

Get a nice clear or tomato based broth soup with lots of veggies and/or beans and protein. Don't get chowders with pasta. And lots of water. Nuts are good too. They are calorie dense, but they give you that salty crunch satisfaction and fill you up for a long time. Plus they're excellent for you, especially almonds.

Wishing you a good, safe journey. Please don't take pills !

brookemart81

I was surprised at how quickly my stomach adapted to smaller meals and more appropriate portions. I was hungry and cranky for just a few days, and then it was like something clicked and normal portions (with adequate protein and fat) were perfectly satiating. Physically, anyway.

But I think you'll find the real challenge is psychological. It's usually not hunger that leads us to overeat- it's boredom, stress, etc. Eating food that tastes good makes us feel good, and dulls those bad feelings, and so we eat when we aren't even hungry and keep eating well past the point of physical fullness. It tastes good, it feels good, so you want to keep doing it.

For me, using MFP, logging my food, and planning my meals out in advance to make the most of my calorie budget, has been a revelation. I struggled to stick with it for the first week or so, but as my stomach got used to smaller meals I became hyper aware of all the psychological and emotional food cravings and impulses that I'd always assumed were hunger. Awareness and understanding gives you the power to fight them. You can find other ways to deal with those impulses, or talk yourself out of them ("I'm not really hungry- I just finished dinner. I'm just craving a snack because I'm used to eating one after dinner when I watch tv. I'll drink a glass of water instead and the craving will pass" (it will) ) The more you do this, the easier it becomes.

RINat612

You know, "Murder" is never appropriate. But you're allowed to kill hunger as it's self defense.