I never get full

willi95

Hi evryone, i have a problem: i never get full! i can eat all day long.
A year ago i lost almost 110 pounds and i had no problem to say "no" to certain foods. Now that im triing to loose last 8-10 pounds i cant even stick to a diet for more than 3 days. For example today i ate 5200 calories and this is going to get repeated every week-end so the hard work that i gain during the week gets messed up in just 2 days. Please anyone have had my same issue?
Any help appreciated.

lemonlionheart

I think part of it is your body getting used to what 'full' actually is. I love food and enjoy overeating and that full, satisfied feeling after eating all the food I want, and a big part of weight loss for me was recognizing that I don't need to feel stuffed for my body to have had enough, it's more about eating enough so that I'm not hungry anymore. Try eating slowly and drinking water before/during after meals. Wait 20 minutes after you've eaten before you go and get more. I'm not sure why, but I find that if I eat and then go work out I don't get hungry for a while.

Another thing you could look at is the type of food you're eating. Vegetables are low in calories so you can eat a greater volume (ie have more food in your stomach after a meal) than higher calorie foods. Try having big piles of veggies with your protein or whatever if you're not doing that already, and try snacking on carrots, celery, popcorn and other things you can eat a lot of while keeping the calories low.

SezxyStef

It shouldn't be about being "full" it should be about being satisfied.

While losing weight there is no need to say no to any foods...just cut the portions down to a reasonable amount and stay in goal.

If you look at my diary I have a full chocolate bar everynight...stay in my goals and typically hit my macros.

As for today and it being repeated every weekend that is a choice that you apparently made already...

Practice self control..nobody needs over 1/2lb of tiramisu to feel satisfied...that is lack of self control.

as well Pavesi - Ringo Vaniglia Snack(had to google it) 165g @ 837 calories..really?

Sorry at 19 years old I get that you may not have developed the ability to "forward think" as much as a 41 year old but you know as you eat all those sweet treats exactly what you are doing and you are making that choice.

But then again your aren't really tracking through the week either...quick add calories all over the place..and not tracking at all..the only time you seem to "track" is on the weekends.

Hmmm...

llWishfulShrinkingll

Try eating slowly and drinking water before/during after meals. Wait 20 minutes after you've eaten before you go and get more.le.

I do this! and it really does work. I use to think thats BS I know I am still hungry and one day I decided to humor myself and wait, I wasnt hungry anymore.

CrescentCityGirl

How much water are you drinking????? It is a natural appetite suppressant so be sure you are drinking 8 glasses a day at least and more when ou work out.

PunkyDucky

Drink more water, eat more lean protein and have better self-control.

Only advice i can give..if you want this, you'll do what it takes. :drinker:

Acg67

Hi evryone, i have a problem: i never get full! i can eat all day long.
A year ago i lost almost 110 pounds and i had no problem to say "no" to certain foods. Now that im triing to loose last 8-10 pounds i cant even stick to a diet for more than 3 days. For example today i ate 5200 calories and this is going to get repeated every week-end so the hard work that i gain during the week gets messed up in just 2 days. Please anyone have had my same issue?
Any help appreciated.

I know that feel, but can stick to my diet cause willpower and dedication

SymphonynSonata

It's just a matter of getting fed up with your weight and health enough to make a change. It sounds like you don't have enough motivation right now.

laciemn

Some tips

1. Water, as everyone else says!

2. Flavored water / seltzer water. I love fruit flavored seltzer water. 0 calories. Crystal Light - 5 calories / serving.

3. Caffeine. If you already have caffeine, try to "save" it for when you are feeling hungry. For example, I have 4 cups of coffee or tea per day and try to save those for when I'm hungry.

4. Gum. Chew sugar free gum. Extra bubble gum flavor is really good, or something minty. Extra in general is the best! Buy them from the Dollar Store or in bulk.

5. "Free" food. When I am very hungry and must have food, I have literally eaten a bowl of plain lettuce, lightly salted spinach, or plain celery. Make sure if you salt it, it's very light salt, and only eat low calorie foods outside of your calorie limits. Plain or steamed broccoli is really good for this. Don't add sauce or oil. No butter for the broccoli, no peanut butter for the celery, etc.

6. Tweak your meals. I get very hungry if I use too many calories for breakfast because I get much hungrier in the afternoon and early evening.

7. Small amount of protein. For example, one ounce of grilled chicken from your fridge.

8. 100 calories snack packs. These are really fun to make! Try fruit, trail mix, popcorn, rice crackers, cheese, anything as long as it adds up to only 100 calories and you MUST limit to one. I even have a couple of "naughty" snack packs with chips or cookies.

9. Do something, anything, to distract yourself. Go window shopping. Do the dishes. Play a video game. Do some jumping jacks. Whatever it is, bring the focus away from food.

10. Have a routine. Routine meal times, routine amount of calories, routine snacks. If you get hungry outside of these, that's when you use the other strategies I mentioned.

emmanap91

As others said - it's not about feeling "full" it's about not feeling hungry. There is a difference, you need to eat slowly and drink water throughout the meal. I read somewhere that it takes up to 15 minutes for your body to "tell" your brain that you have eaten to satiety. When you eat slower, you can gauge your hunger or lack thereof before you eat more than necessary.

EDIT: If that isn't enough then also eat more lean protein and fiber, these two nutrients are very filling (proportionately for the amount of calories consumed). 100 Calories of a burger or pizza are much less filling (and generally much smaller physical amounts) than 100 calories of broccoli, celery, carrots, salmon, eggs, etc.

newb01

I have to laugh at some of the responses here. If you are not full you are NOT satisfied. Can you stop yourself ...yes. However, this is why you see people loosing 100 pounds then gaining it all back. You can't live your life this way...or you are constantly denying yourself. Which leads to binges... Which leads to yo-yo weight (at best).

I went through this all (and still go through it) after loosing 100 pounds. It is a constant struggle.

I have realized a few things... A calorie is NOT a calorie. Certain foods I eat trigger me. They are NOT unhealthy foods but when I eat them. I have bad cravings...so I have another. Then when 2-3 do not satisfy me I can go on a full out binge. I do not carry bad foods in my house any more...but eat lots of "good foods" may not quite add up to eatting candy bars and ice cream but they add up fast too.

One example...I have learned from trial and error. Bran Cereal really sets me off. Sure it is healthy. Sure it has lots of fiber. It is pretty darn low cal too... Depending 60-80 cal a serving plus non-sweetened almond milk. Thing is...it just sets me off. Not every time. Not every 3 times...but it has happened enough that I realize now that cereal in general is a trigger for me. Steel-Cut oatmeal, fiber cereal...other kinds of cereal too / carb filled breakfasts.

I went through about 9 months of eating litterally 4-8 cups of veggies a day. Every day. Threw on some spice and some meals that would be all I ate. I could NOT get full. You would think after sitting and eatting in one meal four cups of veggies, 4 oz - 8 oz of lean meat (Fish, chicken etc) and a 1/4 cup of brown rice or similar... I would be full...nope. I could stay enough..I could stop myself...but I was still HUNGRY.

I have discovered that egg whites...they fill me up. I lean on them heavily now..as I am still trying to adjust and figures out what works for me. I eat them 2-3 meals a day. When I get really hungry I can eat 3 plain omeletts for dinner. Those are 3 egg omeletts. But ya know what...I am full after and they were only about 100 calories x 3. It also keeps me full for a long time.

I do know (trial and error) that I crave carbs badly. Not eatting enough of them will also set me up to binge. Protein bars (the good kinds) give me enough carbs so that I don't go on binge mode.

I KNOW I am not the only one but I do feel like I am a freak sometimes. How can people eat only 1/4 of a blueberry muffin and just not eat the rest? It is NOT just will power. They seem to be wired different from me.

This is been a two and half year journey now...and I still struggle every day. I do NOT give up though. That is the difference between now and previously in my life. I get back on the band wagon and try again the next day. I am in a period of slow weight gain right now...it is driving me nuts.

I am back to a very strict diet with written exercises minimums... I refuse to gain back the weight. Anyway...my two cents. I hope it helps.

Pkf644

I know exactly what you are saying. But it took me years and years to believe anyone or to figure it out. What a waste of life. Simplify things and eat high protein, low fat and low carbs during the week. Drink lots and lots of water. On the week-ends, you are not eating that many calories because you are hungry! Think about it Tame the hormone Ghrelin (the hunger hormone) with protein. Just try it. If I can do it, anyone can! My problem was that I didn't know where to begin. MFP is such a great tool. Good luck, I know that if you try, you can do this. Your life will be so much more fun!

newb01

I just saw someone else put in something about "free food". I have those too... Although they have their negatives too..and only rely on them when I am really really hungry..

Miracle Noodles and Pickles are two things I use when I feel the urge to EAT.

I recently kicked a very bad diet soda addiction so...caffeine is out for me...but there is some good advice here too

willi95

thanks a lot to evrybody, i think my mind is really messed up, even if i already follow those tips (drinking water, waiting 20 minutes) after i eat something in the morning i start to think about food evryday. i noticed that if i eat only 1 meal at dinner i can stick to my macros but that will mean not eating during the day and since i'm 19 year old student and i go to the gym regulary i can do it only maybe for 2 days in a row.
Typically my weeks are like this: eating under my calories goal during the week and on the week-end messing up with 2 days of 6000+ calories meals, then the next week i try to burn the fat that i gained during the previus week; and this is repeating for almost 1 year now. evrytime i eat for example a 100 calories snack that make me going over to my calories goal, i feel depressed and then i eat all day long...
i will try to follow your tips and see if it gets better, thanks

ruthejp13

this is going to get repeated every week-end so the hard work that i gain during the week gets messed up in just 2 days. Please anyone have had my same issue?
Any help appreciated.

How do you know it is going to repeat every weekend? Do you mean, this has happened every weekend in the past and you want to know how to stop it from happening in future weekends?

In addition to trigger foods and carb addiction, I suspect your difficulty could also be sleep related. I NEVER felt full. I didn't understand what that was suppose to mean. I could eat until I was so physically full I couldn't move but my mind keep telling me I was still hungry. Waiting 20 minutes did nothing for me because the hormone leptin was not triggering. This was back when I had erratic sleep patterns. Most people have different sleep habits for the weekend than on weeknights. If you stay up later on Fri and Saturday nights, your body doesn't have the normal repair cycle to release leptin during the next day.

I also realized at some point in my life that while I was eating I'd reach a point where I felt a little tired. An ah-ha moment, "Is that the full feeling people are talking about?" That is now my signal to stop eating.

ruthejp13

after i eat something in the morning i start to think about food evryday. i noticed that if i eat only 1 meal at dinner i can stick to my macros but that will mean not eating during the day

What are you eating for breakfast? If you are eating cereal or carbs, you are starting a blood sugar cycle of hunger cravings every two hours. You really want to eat breakfast every morning but it should be eggs, meat, protein and fat. Try eating no carbs for breakfast and see how the rest of the day is.

willi95

How do you know it is going to repeat every weekend? Do you mean, this has happened every weekend in the past and you want to know how to stop it from happening in future weekends?

because it happened all the time. only thing i can tell is that when i go to school and have classes until 2 pm i dont feel hungry because i didnt eat anything but when i woke up saturday and sunday, there is no school so i eat earlier and after i ate i keep thinking about what to eat then and then..and that lead me to eat more and more until i realize that i over-ate and i start to plan how to get rid of those extra-calories i just ate

albayin

I have to laugh at some of the responses here. If you are not full you are NOT satisfied. Can you stop yourself ...yes. However, this is why you see people loosing 100 pounds then gaining it all back. You can't live your life this way...or you are constantly denying yourself. Which leads to binges... Which leads to yo-yo weight (at best).

I went through this all (and still go through it) after loosing 100 pounds. It is a constant struggle.

I have realized a few things... A calorie is NOT a calorie. Certain foods I eat trigger me. They are NOT unhealthy foods but when I eat them. I have bad cravings...so I have another. Then when 2-3 do not satisfy me I can go on a full out binge. I do not carry bad foods in my house any more...but eat lots of "good foods" may not quite add up to eatting candy bars and ice cream but they add up fast too.

One example...I have learned from trial and error. Bran Cereal really sets me off. Sure it is healthy. Sure it has lots of fiber. It is pretty darn low cal too... Depending 60-80 cal a serving plus non-sweetened almond milk. Thing is...it just sets me off. Not every time. Not every 3 times...but it has happened enough that I realize now that cereal in general is a trigger for me. Steel-Cut oatmeal, fiber cereal...other kinds of cereal too / carb filled breakfasts.

I went through about 9 months of eating litterally 4-8 cups of veggies a day. Every day. Threw on some spice and some meals that would be all I ate. I could NOT get full. You would think after sitting and eatting in one meal four cups of veggies, 4 oz - 8 oz of lean meat (Fish, chicken etc) and a 1/4 cup of brown rice or similar... I would be full...nope. I could stay enough..I could stop myself...but I was still HUNGRY.

I have discovered that egg whites...they fill me up. I lean on them heavily now..as I am still trying to adjust and figures out what works for me. I eat them 2-3 meals a day. When I get really hungry I can eat 3 plain omeletts for dinner. Those are 3 egg omeletts. But ya know what...I am full after and they were only about 100 calories x 3. It also keeps me full for a long time.

I do know (trial and error) that I crave carbs badly. Not eatting enough of them will also set me up to binge. Protein bars (the good kinds) give me enough carbs so that I don't go on binge mode.

I KNOW I am not the only one but I do feel like I am a freak sometimes. How can people eat only 1/4 of a blueberry muffin and just not eat the rest? It is NOT just will power. They seem to be wired different from me.

This is been a two and half year journey now...and I still struggle every day. I do NOT give up though. That is the difference between now and previously in my life. I get back on the band wagon and try again the next day. I am in a period of slow weight gain right now...it is driving me nuts.

I am back to a very strict diet with written exercises minimums... I refuse to gain back the weight. Anyway...my two cents. I hope it helps.

I was wondering about those who can stop after a bite of muffin too.

albayin

I think it might help a bit if OP changes to a different profile picutre...something that encourages less you to eat? LOL just joking...

emmanap91

I have to laugh at some of the responses here. If you are not full you are NOT satisfied. Can you stop yourself ...yes. However, this is why you see people loosing 100 pounds then gaining it all back. You can't live your life this way...or you are constantly denying yourself. Which leads to binges... Which leads to yo-yo weight (at best).

If being "full" in the conventional sense is the only way that satisfies you, you need to rethink your eating habits. Plus, eating to lose weight =/= eating to maintain. Once you are close to your goal, your calorie limits are lower than your maintenance calorie limits will be.

http://www.thehealthyweighonline.com/eat-when-hungry-stop-when-satisfied/
http://health.usnews.com/health-news/blogs/eat-run/2012/08/08/stuffed-or-satisfied-when-to-stop-eating
http://foodess.com/2009/03/eat-what-you-love-stop-when-youre-satisfied/


EDIT: and if you ate 4-8 cups of vegetables per day (plus other foods), your hunger was most likely emotional/psychological hunger, not physical hunger. In other words, your brain thought you were hungry because it was accustomed to consuming more than that, or you had a emotional relationship with food and you "ate" your emotions.

willi95

It's just a matter of getting fed up with your weight and health enough to make a change. It sounds like you don't have enough motivation right now.

it may be and i know why.
after i lost weight i have some loose skin on my belly and evrytime i set my mind to lose weight i think that losing more weight will affect more my skin condtion and that is holding me back from achieving my goals.

SymphonynSonata

It's just a matter of getting fed up with your weight and health enough to make a change. It sounds like you don't have enough motivation right now.

it may be and i know why.
after i lost weight i have some loose skin on my belly and evrytime i set my mind to lose weight i think that losing more weight will affect more my skin condtion and that is holding me back from achieving my goals.

That's silly. Your health and weight happiness are more important than loose skin. I understand how disheartening it can be to, after all of your hard work, not have the body you thought you were going to have. You're only 19 though - start doing some exercise and it'll tighten up unless you have another condition that lead to loose skin. A friend of mine who was 30 was over 400 pounds and lost weight (got down to about 190lbs) and started doing P90X. Everything tightened up and he looks amazing! Don't let aesthetics hold you back from your goal, use it as motivation to get what you want!

--If you are looking for some motivation, look at all of the mommies who battled loose skin on here alone and got extremely fit and amazingly gorgeous. You'd never know a kid grew in them! I'm sure if you start a thread in the fitness section some of the guys on here would post befores and afters too!

willi95

after i eat something in the morning i start to think about food evryday. i noticed that if i eat only 1 meal at dinner i can stick to my macros but that will mean not eating during the day

What are you eating for breakfast? If you are eating cereal or carbs, you are starting a blood sugar cycle of hunger cravings every two hours. You really want to eat breakfast every morning but it should be eggs, meat, protein and fat. Try eating no carbs for breakfast and see how the rest of the day is.

i will try a low carb diet. thanks a lot for your reply

willi95

It's just a matter of getting fed up with your weight and health enough to make a change. It sounds like you don't have enough motivation right now.

it may be and i know why.
after i lost weight i have some loose skin on my belly and evrytime i set my mind to lose weight i think that losing more weight will affect more my skin condtion and that is holding me back from achieving my goals.

That's silly. Your health and weight happiness are more important than loose skin. I understand how disheartening it can be to, after all of your hard work, not have the body you thought you were going to have. You're only 19 though - start doing some exercise and it'll tighten up unless you have another condition that lead to loose skin. A friend of mine who was 30 was over 400 pounds and lost weight (got down to about 190lbs) and started doing P90X. Everything tightened up and he looks amazing! Don't let aesthetics hold you back from your goal, use it as motivation to get what you want!

--If you are looking for some motivation, look at all of the mommies who battled loose skin on here alone and got extremely fit and amazingly gorgeous. You'd never know a kid grew in them! I'm sure if you start a thread in the fitness section some of the guys on here would post befores and afters too!

i will do, i'll try to not let my skin condition hold me back again.. it will be hard but i' will try
thanks a lot

ruthejp13

edit: great! glad you are willing to try.

I looked at your diary. Because of your previous extensive weight, you probably are insulin resistant. Try a low carb diet. Change your macros to 50% fat, 25% protein and 25% carbs or even less carbs. For breakfast, don't eat ANY carbs. I bet you won't be obsessing about food all day if you start your morning with natural protein (not a processed whey product) and fat.

willi95

edit: great! glad you are willing to try.

I looked at your diary. Because of your previous extensive weight, you probably are insulin resistant. Try a low carb diet. Change your macros to 50% fat, 25% protein and 25% carbs or even less carbs. For breakfast, don't eat ANY carbs. I bet you won't be obsessing about food all day if you start your morning with natural protein (not a processed whey product) and fat.

that's what im going to do tomorror thank you for your help and thanks evrybody too

ruthejp13

One of the items I noticed in your diary was "Pane Con Olio, 183 g 553"
I believe that is bread and butter. I hope it is REAL BUTTER or OLIVE OIL. Try chopping up some cauliflower up and mixing it with some cheese and baking or broiling it. Get it a little crusty and then pour some butter or oil on it.

Slacker16

I'll have to disagree with the dude who said it's okay to never feel full, just stick to your diet through willpower. It may work for some, but for me it would be a miserable and ultimately unsustainable way to live.

Satiety is a very personal thing, it's hard to predict what will fill you up but if you never get full it means that what you're eating doesn't do the trick. You need to try different foods and see what works and what doesn't.

In general, people find fiber, fat and protein to be filling, but there's really no rule. Volume can also be important. My experience has been that fat+fiber is the most filling combo for me.

One last thing: I also get hungry after eating breakfast... so I don't. I'll have a hardboiled egg if I'm starving.

dashaclaire

Some tips

1. Water, as everyone else says!

2. Flavored water / seltzer water. I love fruit flavored seltzer water. 0 calories. Crystal Light - 5 calories / serving.

3. Caffeine. If you already have caffeine, try to "save" it for when you are feeling hungry. For example, I have 4 cups of coffee or tea per day and try to save those for when I'm hungry.

4. Gum. Chew sugar free gum. Extra bubble gum flavor is really good, or something minty. Extra in general is the best! Buy them from the Dollar Store or in bulk.

5. "Free" food. When I am very hungry and must have food, I have literally eaten a bowl of plain lettuce, lightly salted spinach, or plain celery. Make sure if you salt it, it's very light salt, and only eat low calorie foods outside of your calorie limits. Plain or steamed broccoli is really good for this. Don't add sauce or oil. No butter for the broccoli, no peanut butter for the celery, etc.

6. Tweak your meals. I get very hungry if I use too many calories for breakfast because I get much hungrier in the afternoon and early evening.

7. Small amount of protein. For example, one ounce of grilled chicken from your fridge.

8. 100 calories snack packs. These are really fun to make! Try fruit, trail mix, popcorn, rice crackers, cheese, anything as long as it adds up to only 100 calories and you MUST limit to one. I even have a couple of "naughty" snack packs with chips or cookies.

9. Do something, anything, to distract yourself. Go window shopping. Do the dishes. Play a video game. Do some jumping jacks. Whatever it is, bring the focus away from food.

10. Have a routine. Routine meal times, routine amount of calories, routine snacks. If you get hungry outside of these, that's when you use the other strategies I mentioned.

This is great advice! The sugar free mint gum has been saving me lately!

tracydr

I really believe in stomach's "shrinking" when we restrict food volume. It's probably not any kind of actual shrinkage but just resetting the full trigger back from when we are in the habit of overeating.
The first week of any calorie deficit diet can be difficult, but once that first week is done, if you don't have any binges, even on low calorie high bulk foods, the appetite suppression signals in your brain will begin to heal and work better. That's why I feel its important to not have a weekly " cheat" day where you eat all that you want.

willi95

I really believe in stomach's "shrinking" when we restrict food volume. It's probably not any kind of actual shrinkage but just resetting the full trigger back from when we are in the habit of overeating.
The first week of any calorie deficit diet can be difficult, but once that first week is done, if you don't have any binges, even on low calorie high bulk foods, the appetite suppression signals in your brain will begin to heal and work better. That's why I feel its important to not have a weekly " cheat" day where you eat all that you want.

nice advice too, thank you