I want to feel full.

mearsy88

I have had a food problem for as long as I can remember. I think as a child I grew up being told to finish off my meals, as if I leave anything on my plate it is a waste. So thats what I have done and still do it now. Also in the last 5 years or so I have binged eat, and secretly eat too, and having well over 3000-4000cal a day, hence why I have put on all the weight. So I do know my own problems and where to sort them out.
I lost nearly 6stone about 4 years ago but have put the majority of it back on since I have been with my recent partner. Ive done WW and slimming world and have tried MFP in the past, but this time round I am more than determined to lose the weight as I am not far from being back at my starting weight from 6 years ago, my clothes don't fit and I hate the look of myself.

Ive logged in for 20 days so far (the first 2 weeks weren't so good as I was on holiday) but the last week has been good and I have lost 4lbs The problem I have is I don't ever feel full. I could just eat and eat and eat and eat, and I don't ever feel full. I eat because its lunch time or dinnertime not because I feel hungry. Have I somehow stretched my stomach or my body just doesnt think any better due to my bad eating habits for so long?

Do you think that over some time if I do carry on eating how I do that I will know what feeling full is like and maybe train my body??

just looking for some friendly advice. I have just over 100lbs to lose in total and 50lbs to get me back to my lowest I have been, this is my first goal. Feel free to add me too

BigT555

i can relate. i used to do the same thing, eat ridiculous amounts of food in single sittings, almost to the point that it hurt. your stomach will never physically shrink, but eventually your brain will catch up with your new eating habits and you will get that full sensation after eating meals that are much smaller. hunger or feeling full arent very good indicators of how much food to eat, they are mostly mental feelings that come because of what your brain is used to food wise

mearsy88

Yeh i never knew how many calories I was having until I put it all in my diary one day and was shocked. unfortunately it didn't stop me :-( Its horrible though, because when Im at work for instance one of my colleagues will find it hard to eat a sandwich.... Il be there with my sandwich, crisps yogurt and still want more!
I am now drinking more water between 5-10 glasses a day (just not recording them down!) ,

parkscs

Try eating more satiating foods and perhaps fewer meals. I'm pretty stuffed as I write this, having polished off a 1000 cal. breakfast. That said, I only plan to have 1 more sizable meal today with perhaps 1 snack. Experiment with what and how you eat to find what works for you, but you don't need to go hungry or eat daintly little portions to lose weight.

cwoyto123

No you don't, I'm full all day/bloated stuffing my face it's not fun at all.

wonderwoman234

If you are "hungry" even after you have eaten, that is not physical hunger. That is EMOTIONAL hunger, possibly caused by feelings of deprivation.

You have a lot to lose and I would imagine that you have been eating for emotional reasons - to feel good, manage stress and other negative feelings. Until you deal with that, weight loss will be challenging because whenever emotional eaters feel something they don't want to feel, they eat instead of dealing with it. I used to be one!

The other advice I can give you is this - don't make your eating too restrictive. If you cut your calories too low, or don't allow yourself the foods you enjoy in small quantities, you will get into the mindset of deprivation and eventually most people binge.

If you want to learn how to eat normally for the rest of your life, try cutting back your calories gradually and modestly and adding in some exercise, which will allow you to eat a tad bit more. You don't have to starve yourself to lose weight and cutting back too much will make it hard to maintain.

Good luck!

massivediet

I definitely suffer with this problem too! Here are a few things that have helped me:

*Try upping your protein goal to 30% or above, if it is not already there. Some find that high-protein foods keep them feeling full longer.

*Be looking for ways to fill up on very low calorie vegetables. Before a meal, eat a very plain salad with only a little dressing and none of the other trimmings, or try filling half your plate with mushrooms or broccoli.

*Try adding more foods with high water content. A beef stew with lots of vegetables and broth is very filling, as is a smoothie made with Greek yogurt and/or protein powder, fruit, and lots of ice.

*Would dessert help? Because I almost always feel most hungry right after dinner, I save back 300 or so calories for dessert and then try to make it something very filling and something that will help meet my protein goals, such as a protein bar or shake, cottage cheese with pineapple, or half a PB & J sandwich.

yethica

Oh man... I feel your pain. So much. I lost a ton of weight about 8 years ago (was down to 145 -- the lowest I've ever been) and have gradually gained it all back and then some. I know (a) how long it took me to lose the weight originally and (b) how hard it was, so I'm finding it really difficult to get back on track.

I don't have solutions... just wanted to voice my solidarity. I feel you, girl.

kommodevaran

I know very well what you are talking about! I too was pressured to clean my plate and have second (and third) helpings; as an adult I've overeaten and having problems not being really sure if I was hungry or full. But I am learning. Besides getting in a wide variety of foods, and portion control, the hunger scale is a great help, this is one of many versions:
http://www.oprah.com/health/The-Best-Life-Diet-The-Hunger-Scale

segovm

I don't mean this to sound snarky at all but try different stuff too. I could down 2000 calories in a sitting with no problem but am FULL when I eat 300 calories from a turkey burger and a big bowl of broccoli. I often think I will want another as I am eating it but by the time I get to the last bite I am just done.

It's not a cure but is helps to shift to really dense food like the above. There's simply no way for me to gain weight if I only eat the above. I can not physically put that much food in my body right now.

Anonycatgirl

You've gotten some good advice already. Also wondering if maybe you're being too aggressive. If going for 2 pounds a week, sets your calories so low you're miserable, it might make sense to go for a slower weight loss you can actually sustain.

Just a thought, and since I can't see your diary, I don't know if I'm right.

mearsy88

Oh man... I feel your pain. So much. I lost a ton of weight about 8 years ago (was down to 145 -- the lowest I've ever been) and have gradually gained it all back and then some. I know (a) how long it took me to lose the weight originally and (b) how hard it was, so I'm finding it really difficult to get back on track.

I don't have solutions... just wanted to voice my solidarity. I feel you, girl.

It was great when i got down to my lowest weight, but then found myself a new man, and just got 'too comfortable' I also quit smoking 2 years ago too,and I think this had something to do with my weight gain. :-( sad times! But im back on it in full spirit!

ChelseaSmile22

I know exactly what you mean. Whenever you start a weightloss journey the first month sucks big time. Because you are always feeling hungry. I also had this problem and I had to literally stop myself from thinking about food I was so hungry. But after the first month, my body got used to it and I an sure your body will get used to the change too. Also the more progress you make on your weightloss the better you feel which even further motivates you to keep at it. If you want to feel more ``full`` make sure you are eating things with substance and not soley basing it on calories. A granola bar (Kashi is the best) may seem high in calories compared to other snacks but it is much more filling and sustaining.

Also, I am a firm believer that you must enjoy your cheat days and cheat meals. Enjoy the food you love and make sure to not be too restrictive because this is how you get discouraged. Once a week eat that cheat meal and what I do is that I keep it to one serving. For example before I began my journey, I could easily eat 25-30 chicken wings (2-3 plates). Now I still enjoy them on cheat days but keep it to one plate of between.

I guess I am trying to say be restrictive within reason and you will see results and get through this super tough period of feeling hungry all the time. Sometimes, allowing yourself a cheat day helps you to remain motivated and sane throughout your weightloss. You are really inspiring, having such a big goal to reach. Keep up the good work. Keep us all posted

mearsy88

Thank you everyone with your replies. More than I expected. My diary is now open too. I thought it had been all along! ooopppss!!!

Different responses and people being in the same boat as me. I am going to look into more about emotional eating because I think that is just me!! my calorie goal is 1870 which is higher than what MFP put me on in the past at only 1270 which killed me!!
I work in retail so I am on my feet all day and have one 30min lunch a day which doesnt bother me too much because I am far too busy to be thinking about food (I usually have to force myself to have one, again just not feeling hungry!) its usually when I am at home and want to eat EVERYTHING, again not because I feel hungry the wont feel full afterwards.

Time will tell, like I said its only been 20 days. Im in this for the long run. Just trying to get my head round it all now!

westernjoy

I too was also told not to waste food. So I have a problem of eating left overs before they go bad, wether I'm hungry or not. I've gone to making enough for 3 to 4 days. And freezing in individual servings. My day , 3 meals and 3 to 4 snacks I eat all day. Calories between 1200 and 1450. Snacks are string cheese, fruit, veggies, I freeze individual yogurt for my ice cream fix. and trying to drink water before each meal or snack. Just have to keep trying different things until you find what works for you.

xiamjackie

I used to binge eat too, to the point where I'd almost be sick.

A couple things that helped me

- Removing all temping "goodies" foods from your house. This is a lot harder when you live with other people, I know. When I lived on my own I just wouldn't let myself buy typical binge foods. It's a lot different binge eating a bag of carrots and a whole other bag of lettuce hehe. Cereal on the other hand seems harmless, but I'd sit down and eat an entire box in one sitting, no problem. I actually was scheduled to go to an "overeaters anonymous" meeting when I decided I can conquer this on my own.

- Making sure if you are still hungry, or even if you just think you are, you eat veggies until you're full. Just as you mentioned at lunch, you ate a sandwich, chips, and a yogurt and you were still hungry. Bring along a cucumber or carrots or whatever else veggies you can. If you're still so hungry, eat those.

- Chances are it's not that you're actually HUNGRY, you just want more food. And I'm going to bet you probably won't want to keep eating extra broccoli or cauliflower after each meal. That's how you know the difference between hunger and just wanting more food. If you are hungry and don't care what it is that you eat, you just are that hungry, that's hunger. If you are hungry and all you want is potato chips and ice cream, that's being insatiated. You need to know the difference.

- Make yourself busy. If you're sitting on the couch thinking you're still hungry after you just ate dinner, go do something. It doesn't even have to be exercise. Read a book, play a video game, sleep, get a shower, anything to get your mind off of the fact that you just want food.

I could probably go on but I think I've written enough. I'm binge free for over 6 months now and I feel great. Haven't had a guilty feeling associated with food since before Christmas. Woo hoo

mearsy88

I could probably go on but I think I've written enough. I'm binge free for over 6 months now and I feel great. Haven't had a guilty feeling associated with food since before Christmas. Woo hoo

Well done! 6 months binge free!!! and again so much great advice! I'll admit too Ive been sat on these forums for the last couple of hours reading as much as I can, and the whole time Im trying not too go downstairs and raid the fridge (Im on a day off today!) so on that note, I am off out for a walk, and enjoy some fresh air and to take my mind off things.

MeanNurseGM95

I feel the same way. I always felt hungry and could binge eat like crazy. I had to do several things. First I found several lower calorie foods that I enjoyed and could eat larger portions of. Always keep them for days I feel very hungry.

Also I love sweets so I figured out that if I eat things like ice ream, candy, or cake 10 to 15 min after I have eaten it is a million more times easier to stick to a small portion like half a candy bar. I get the sweets without over doing it. I never ever eat them when I am hungry because that is when I want to eat two king size candy bars or an entire pint of ice cream.

I always make sure I have a filling breakfast like eggs or oatmeal. I have learned to love them after I realized how full I feel.

You don't have to drink shakes for your protein. I found it helps me to eat my protein.

Most importantly give it time. I was worried about cutting more calories as my weight has gone lower but I feel more satisfied than I have ever felt. It gets easier and easier every day.

earthboundmisfit

I was told not to waste food. My mother was very poor when she was growing up. At age 16 I starved myself down to 70 lbs, when my mom found out I was throwing away my lunches she said, "What a shame! you wasted all that good food." I don't like feeling full, feel better when I'm empty.

leggup

I only skimmed your diary, but if you're always hungry, upping your veggies can really help. Spinach, broccoli, chard, and other deep green veggies will give you the ability to eat a huge bowl in one sitting without breaking the calorie bank. When I'm feeling ravenous after already eating a big meal, I make a huge salad.

parkscs

I've also found that IF helps you to recognize what real hunger feels like (in addition to allowing you to eat big meals and feel full). I don't do it every day but even going 16-20 hours once/week without eating helps me distinguish between real hunger and when I just feel like snacking. Ultimately though you have to find what works for you. If that means always eating smaller portions and forcing yourself to adjust to never feeling "full", then that's what you should do. For me personally though, I like big meals and I like feeling full, so I plan my schedule so that I'll eat fewer but larger meals during the day. I also have cut out almost all snacking throughout the day (with the exception of some mixed nuts on certain days), which provides a few extra calories I can eat during my meals.

mommyrunning

I looked at your food diary and I didn't see anything horrible in there. I noticed your snacks consist of mostly fruit which is great but it may help to add a snack or two that is a little more filling and also to eat a little more at breakfast. If you spread your calories out it may help to tame the hunger.Try adding different foods and see what makes you full. For some people it's more fiber, others more protein etc.

As far as eating everything on your plate maybe you could try serving yourself less and saving leftovers for lunch the next day. Try not to think of it as wasting food but as saving money.

TheLostMermaid

Try eating six small meals a day. That way you can eat all day.
Within these meals make sure you are having a protein and the meals are balanced.
Next, try chewing slowly. Sounds silly but the slower you chew the more time you give your stomach to get full.
Drinks lots of water. And try Green Tea
Green Tea is good for numerous reasons.

Good Luck!

Archon2

It gets better. Once your body is used to eating less each meal, you won't feel quite as hungry as you used to.

For example, a weakness of mine is pizza. I could eat 4-5 slices with a beer or two no problem in the past and then I would feel "full." But after going on MFP for a couple months, I find that 1-2 slices with some salad greens and a big glass of water makes me as full and nearly as satisfied.

And even if you leave the table not quite full, after about thirty minutes or so you may find that you feel totally fine. It gives your body time to realize that it ain't gettin no more!

Fentyman

Will power comes into play too! You have to decide that you are fed up with the way you look or feel and even though you don't feel full, you're still hungry... YOU ARE NOT GOING TO EAT ANYMORE!!!!!

I'm hungry right now as I type this, but I'm doing intermittent fasting, I have a goal and I'm sticking to it! Find a way to stay motivated! For me it's watching Youtube videos with guys like the Hodge twins! They crack me up and keep me motivated to stay in the gym and watch what I eat.

lbride

With a meal, I often eat 5-6 servings of very low cal veggies (cauliflower, or green beans, etc) just steamed and then with mrs. dash. I like those steam bags from the freezer section. I also drink 2 glasses of water. Then after I eat that, I eat my "meal". This gets rid of the hunger.

1princesswarrior

Thank you everyone with your replies. More than I expected. My diary is now open too. I thought it had been all along! ooopppss!!!

Different responses and people being in the same boat as me. I am going to look into more about emotional eating because I think that is just me!! my calorie goal is 1870 which is higher than what MFP put me on in the past at only 1270 which killed me!!
I work in retail so I am on my feet all day and have one 30min lunch a day which doesnt bother me too much because I am far too busy to be thinking about food (I usually have to force myself to have one, again just not feeling hungry!) its usually when I am at home and want to eat EVERYTHING, again not because I feel hungry the wont feel full afterwards.

Time will tell, like I said its only been 20 days. Im in this for the long run. Just trying to get my head round it all now!

I think you're on to something there. Two things I would suggest. First, when you are at home and thinking about food all the time go for a walk or do something else to keep yourself busy so you're not thinking about food. Second, it wouldn't hurt to get your hormones checked for any imbalances because that could have a lot to do with your appetite and not feeling full. When I have PMS I eat everything in sight unless I keep myself busy, really busy.

Amberlynnek

I think you need to first determine if your balance of foods isn't allowing you to get that full feeling or if you are dealing with BED. From the sounds of your first post, it sounds like the latter. I have been fighting BED with my doctor's help for the past year. The only caveat is that my BED is often triggered by my PMDD. My doctor and I spoke about all the contributing factors and we determined medication was a good route for me. Its not for everyone but it really helped me get my emotions in check and control my need to binge. We have a lot in place for a natural approach so that my mind and body are not contingent on the medication. I meet with a therapist, stay on top of my workouts ( super important), Meet with my doctor monthly to monitor my blood sugar, . cholesterol, etc. and work with a nutritionist. Its a lot of work but I knew I couldn't conquer it on my own. You have been given a lot of great advice such as upping your veggies, fruit and etc. and how to determine the difference between hunger and just wanting more food. Its important to balance your meals to control your appetite. Have you tried adding in some higher intensity workouts? These can often curb appetite but will greatly help with mental state. Remove the trigger foods. If your issue is that you are binging in private, become more social! Or make a phone call, anything to keep you busy. I know its tough but one step at a time and writing your feelings down is a really good step!

Good luck!

vellablu

I have a problem with binge eating as well. I eat until I can't breathe and am slowly trying to teach myself when I am full. It is all mental. You are used to eating a certain amount of food, so when you eat less of it, you think you aren't hungry and need to keep eating.
What I've been doing with my meals is learning to NOT finish them. I know damn well I am full more than halfway through, so I make it a point to ALWAYS leave some food on my plate. Even if it is just a simple floret of lettuce (like last night) on my dish, I am teaching myself that I don't need to eat EVERYTHING on my plate. I am hoping this will slowly make me realize I don't have to eat as much as I used to, to be full.

Happymelz

I've found that when I add more veggies and fruits that are very low cal I tend to stay full longer because I get to EAT MORE! lol.

My snacks for today for example - an apricot, a mini cucumber, and baby carrots for under 70 calories total and it is 2+ cups of food.

Protein and fiber are important for feeling full as well.

I'm trying to keep away from 100 calorie snack packs because they never seem to fill me and therefore I eat MORE calories trying to get full. I'm not anti-processed food at all, but my body seems to be satisfied more with foods that have needed nutrients.

kirili3

Some of it's emotional, which needs to be dealt with.

I found that chewing a lot helps... haha. Also, budgeting calories for a treat. Another thing that helps is trying to hit protein goals, it's very filling. One thing I do is mix a treat food, like dumplings, with vegetables I like. So for example boiled cauliflower and broccoli along with those dumplings. Find stuff that goes well with other stuff, basically, and try to make some of the stuff lower calories and have lots of it!