So am i going to be hungry for ever?
Greystar0
Posts: 5
So i just started trying to eat healthy and use myfitnesspal. Fortunately (and the problem lol) im a big guy i get allowed quiet a lot of calories about 2300 and i exercise a bit so i get those calories as well. So i thought it would be easy, just eat healthier foods and ill be ok.
So far iv been blowing past my goal calories by about 200 a day, which isnt worrying me to much because im trying to go for 1kg per week which is like 1000calories less than what my maintaince weight is so eating just 200 calories more wont hurt my loss so bad.
But since im use to eating so much that i gain weight i guess i must have been on like 4000 per day, im so hungry.
In short iv been trying to eat close to my goal and it seems like im hungry all the time. Is this something iv got to get use too, or will i adapt so im not so hungry even while eating well. Also i know my calorie counting isnt perfect because for example i had some homemade pizza for dinner but i didnt know how to enter it so i just put down dominos pizza slices.
So far iv been blowing past my goal calories by about 200 a day, which isnt worrying me to much because im trying to go for 1kg per week which is like 1000calories less than what my maintaince weight is so eating just 200 calories more wont hurt my loss so bad.
But since im use to eating so much that i gain weight i guess i must have been on like 4000 per day, im so hungry.
In short iv been trying to eat close to my goal and it seems like im hungry all the time. Is this something iv got to get use too, or will i adapt so im not so hungry even while eating well. Also i know my calorie counting isnt perfect because for example i had some homemade pizza for dinner but i didnt know how to enter it so i just put down dominos pizza slices.
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Replies
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I quite often make a best guess for food. If I'm not 100% sure I'll make a best guess, then add a bit to be on the safe side. For something like homemade pizza I'd have to weigh all the ingredients as I put them into the meal, so I'd have to count calories in the base, sauce, toppings, etc. And then I'd have to eat the whole pizza myself or it'd screw up the calculations! :P
I only eat about 150 kcal under maintenance, which makes for very slowwww weight loss. I like it that way, because I've got no major health concerns and I'm in no hurry. This way I am not so hungry. But even 150 below maintenance means I am hungry sometimes! It does take some getting used to, but my system is adapting well. I can imagine that even with my tiny deficit I will have to gradually increase when I want to hit maintenance.
ETA: I forgot to say, one day you'll be an ideal weight and then your calorie intake has to go up so you stop losing.
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Hi Cam, welcome!
No, you shouldn't always be hungry. It might be the types of food you're used to eating - 300 calories of ice cream or pizza fits on quite a small plate. You would not believe how huge a 300 calorie bowl of bok choy is, even with oyster sauce etc.
Lean protein, fruit & vegetables that are high in fiber, anything that takes up a lot of space in your stomach without being calorie-dense.
That being said - yes, sometimes you'll be hungry. Shouldn't be all the time, though.
Good luck!0 -
The website has this great bit for recipes - you add in the ingredients and then it tells you how many calories are in it - it's probably my favourite part of the website.
I think you kind of get used to eating less though on days that I go over my calories by a significant amount the next day I'm starving all day again
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You soon start to identify foods which fill the hungry gap better than others. I get very hungry and I cook, so I've created recipes which are low calorie but fill my tum!
I am losing weight at the rate of about 1 pound a week. I only have a 1300 cal allowance, as I don't have a lot left to lose.0 -
To an extent you may adapt but also, you get used to feeling hungry and you don't notice it so much. The way I see it is that I know I'm not going to starve to death as I have eaten my towards my calorie goal so I do go to bed hungry quite often knowing that I'll wake up in the morning... or at least not die due to a lack of food overnight.
) 0 -
It may help to ease into it, just reduce your calories by 100 per week until you hit your target. Make sure that you get all the nutrients you need. And that you don't deprive yourself from everything you like. Exercise can help regulate appetite. Learn to trust that the feeling of hunger isn't telling you that you're in danger, as long as you are eating well, and enough. Accept that it's normal and healthy to feel a little hungry sometimes. After some time, when you are adjusted to a good routine, it won't bother you.0
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I've been doing this for almost a year now and I am still always starving, lol. I miss being able to eat small pizzas and stuff like I used to because that always filled me up. But, after 50lbs down I just keep telling myself that being hungry is normal? I just assume it's always normal for people on diets.0
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What the others said about getting to know the type of foods that fill you up and also the types that are healthy for you.
The idea is with the correct selection of foods you shouldnt be hungry, You certainly seem to have a lot of calries to play with.0 -
Hi, thanks for the advice guys. Im really at the start here obviously. I guess ill try to slowly lower how much i eat, choose more fulling foods and accept that being a bit hungry is really what its all about lol.0
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I've been doing this for almost a year now and I am still always starving, lol. I miss being able to eat small pizzas and stuff like I used to because that always filled me up. But, after 50lbs down I just keep telling myself that being hungry is normal? I just assume it's always normal for people on diets.
No. I disagree. Many days I can't eat all my calories as I feel full and satisfied. It all hinges on WHAT you eat. Have a look at my diary, it's public. Apart from a 2 week spell in august, it's all logged.0 -
I've been doing this for almost a year now and I am still always starving, lol. I miss being able to eat small pizzas and stuff like I used to because that always filled me up. But, after 50lbs down I just keep telling myself that being hungry is normal? I just assume it's always normal for people on diets.What the others said about getting to know the type of foods that fill you up and also the types that are healthy for you.
The idea is with the correct selection of foods you shouldnt be hungry, You certainly seem to have a lot of calries to play with.
I think the touting of "filling foods", "eat more to weigh less", and the notion that you never should be hungry, is a bad idea. It makes us feel like failures if we feel hunger. But hunger is normal, and necessary. Everybody gets hungry, no matter if you're underweight, overweight or normal weight. Overweight people still eat too much, partly because they are hungry, that's how we get bigger and bigger. We can indeed reduce the feeling of hunger, and of course we should, it's not supposed to torment us, but we can't remove it, and we need to learn to tolerate it to some extent.0 -
Hiya
When I started I did it all wrong. I didn't understand my body at all and thought I could beast the fat out of me. I felt hungry, stressed and in the end although I had what appeared to be good results to start with I didn't keep it up and I ended putting it all back on with interest. I gradually learned not to overdo it and realise that this is more of a lifestyle change than just cutting calories. For me what is equally, if not more important than hitting calorie targets is increasing my fitness and hitting my macros. Since I've switched mindsets for some reason I have lost weight. Loosing weight is a bi-product of being healthy. What this means is that I don't feel hungry all the time. I may feel hungry before my meal though but this is ok with me, I'm guessing it is quite normal. I think hitting my macros (I..e. eating what my body needs) is really significant in that. If I cut down to 1000 cals per day (too low ) and have them as chocolate and cream cakes then I may be hitting my target but I am starving my body. The macros given in MFP allow us to ensure we get roughly what our bodies need. I use them as generalisations to show me if I need to increase or decrease anything rather than a specific value I need to hit daily but by doing this my body is quite happy and doesn't go and tell me to eat more because it needs something I am not giving it.
Good luck on your journey0 -
I would also say in regard to filling foods etc. I think most of hunger comes from what your body needs rather than how full your tummy is. If you scoff 20 carrots you will be full but your body will still need other stuff and will want you to go and eat to get them. If you eat a macro balanced diet your tummy wont be full but because your body has what it needs it won't be telling you to take on board more - that's my take anyway0
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I have been at this for about a year and a half and I can tell you, I know very well what you are talking about. I eat to my desire (within my calories) and sometimes 1200 calories feels like I ate the whole fridge, other times 2500 is barely cutting it. It really depends on the kinds of foods you are eating.
With time you will learn to identify which foods tend to keep you feeling full, which will leave you hungry. You will end up being hugry only sometimes, not all the time (only when your choices are not too satiating for you, and it's alright to make those choices if that's what you desire).
I found that broth based soups before my main meal do wonders, especially blended ones. They are barely 100 calories per cup, so you can have 2 cups then your main meal. Identify if you are a volume eater or a type eater. Are you satisfied by bigger portions or by certain types? or both? For volume eaters soups, salads, greens, vegetables.. etc with or before a meal will help quite a bit. If you are both types fill up on big volumes of low calorie foods and 20 minutes later follow them with satiating types of foods (which you will have to figure out for yourself as you go)0 -
Definitely use the recipe feature for things that you make like the pizza, once a recipe is saved you can use it whenever you need it. Once you're tracking properly you may find that you're not eating as any calories as you think (or it might be more, which would be less good).
Good luck with your weight loss.0 -
I've been doing this for almost a year now and I am still always starving, lol. I miss being able to eat small pizzas and stuff like I used to because that always filled me up. But, after 50lbs down I just keep telling myself that being hungry is normal? I just assume it's always normal for people on diets.
No. I disagree. Many days I can't eat all my calories as I feel full and satisfied. It all hinges on WHAT you eat. Have a look at my diary, it's public. Apart from a 2 week spell in august, it's all logged.
Our situations are probably different because I have an eating disorder that I've suffered from since toddlerhood where I can only eat a few foods due to massive food phobias. I have a very short list that I stick to and I eat the exact same things every single day.0 -
First are your sure you're drinking enough? Your body can often mistake thirst for hunger.
Second, some foods are digested faster than others.Might be an idea to look at the gycaemic index of what you're eating, low GI foods are digested slower than high GI ones. Also, high GI ones cause a blood sugar spike which then drops, making you feel hungry again.
Include a bit of healthy fats/oils as they stay in stomach longer. Good quality protein also keeps you fuller longer. Take a look at one of the healthy eating plate/pyramid charts as it's a good indication of how to balance your meals.0 -
Our situations are probably different because I have an eating disorder that I've suffered from since toddlerhood where I can only eat a few foods due to massive food phobias. I have a very short list that I stick to and I eat the exact same things every single day.
That's a very specific problem you have. Thankfully most of us don't have your huge challenges.
We do have our own though. Everyone of us is different and in general, it's possible to diet and still feel full.0 -
In practical terms, I have a much smaller deficit (about 200 cal per day), and I felt hungry for about a week before I adjusted to the new portion sizes. What I found worked for me (and it will be different for you and anyone else), was to have a small breakfast (usually under 200 calories). If I'm hungry before lunch, I can cope until lunchtime. Then I have enough calories for the rest of the day to keep me feeling full.
Protein is very satiating. Fish, chicken, lean meat, eggs go a long way. I find having protein + veg rather than (dense) carb + veg in a meal takes me a lot further. I save a few calories for a mid-afternoon snack when it's needed.
Depending how much you have to lose, you may want to adjust to less than a 1000 cal deficit per day, and if you are finding that an 800 cal deficit is working better for you, stick with that.
In that first week esp. and even after, sometimes when I'm hungry and don't have enough calories left for a snack, I exercise instead of eating. 30 min of exercise takes my mind off of being hungry and bonus is I get to eat more afterwards. I know mathematically that it all comes out in the wash, but physiologically it really worked for me.
What I've also found is that I'm eating at a deficit where I'm just on the cusp of being hungry all the time, but I'm not. So I eat until I am just full and stop there. I'm not doing that on purpose, but that's how it works out at this deficit for me.0 -
Our situations are probably different because I have an eating disorder that I've suffered from since toddlerhood where I can only eat a few foods due to massive food phobias. I have a very short list that I stick to and I eat the exact same things every single day.
FWIW I eat pretty much the same things everyday if I can help it - couscous salads, chicken legs, some kind of fruit. Makes it easier to plan/calculate things.
WRT the food phobias, I'd recommend seeking out the help of a qualified therapist as they can help you overcome the phobias. 0 -
When I was losing I was never full, and I was quite hungry when it was time to eat. At first I truly missed that full feeling and thought because I didn't have it I must be hungry. It took some time to realize that there is a difference between not being full and being hungry.0
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Maybe at the start since you are drastically trying to reduce calories, but eventually you will discover foods that fill you up and make you feel good (not hungry) it's going to take some trial and error.0
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Just wanted to post that my son has selective eating disorder (SED) as well.
he is just a young kid, so no weight type issues here, but I have read of other SED'ers who have lost weight, sucessfully on a small range of choices.
What do you feel safe eating? (out of curiousity, because this disorder is rare, I rarely meet anyone, even online with it)
My son's food list is pretty caloric-dense, but he does have a few items that are lower in calorie for the volume of food.
He can eat popcorn,some cereals, pretzels, peeled apples, skim milk,and jello (sugar free or regular). Those are some lower calorie choices he is able to eat.
His higher calorie foods are- a certain variety of peanut butter, colby jack cheese, nutella, plain hershey chocolate,soft breads, dried cranberries, apple juice, and soft flour tortillas.
Do you have any lower in calorie foods you enjoy eating?0 -
In general, if you increase your healthy fats that will help, as will higher volume foods like vegetables and greens. I don't think 200 over is ridiculous for a guy....there is room for error on all of the calculations.0
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You might try to eat smaller portions but more often.
So instead of two or three very big meals 6 or six small ones.0 -
To Keep from Getting Hungry: Chicken. Chunky peanut butter. Dairy products. Not all at the same time. :happy:0
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So i just started trying to eat healthy and use myfitnesspal. Fortunately (and the problem lol) im a big guy i get allowed quiet a lot of calories about 2300 and i exercise a bit so i get those calories as well. So i thought it would be easy, just eat healthier foods and ill be ok.
So far iv been blowing past my goal calories by about 200 a day, which isnt worrying me to much because im trying to go for 1kg per week which is like 1000calories less than what my maintaince weight is so eating just 200 calories more wont hurt my loss so bad.
But since im use to eating so much that i gain weight i guess i must have been on like 4000 per day, im so hungry.
In short iv been trying to eat close to my goal and it seems like im hungry all the time. Is this something iv got to get use too, or will i adapt so im not so hungry even while eating well. Also i know my calorie counting isnt perfect because for example i had some homemade pizza for dinner but i didnt know how to enter it so i just put down dominos pizza slices.
I have the same problem, so I sympathize. I have always struggled with my weight. I can lose it, but keeping it off is always a challenge for me. I think this is part of the reason why. Whenever I switch to healthier eating habits, I always feel like I'm starving. I eat filling food...lean protein like chicken and eggs, veggies, greek yogurt, peanut butter, etc., but they never seem to keep me full for long. Within an hour or so, I am always stomach growling hungry no matter what I eat. I've never been able to figure out why. I always eat more when I eat healthier then when I don't, so you'd think it would be the opposite. Anyway, I don't have much in the way of advice. Just wanted to chime in and say I can sympathize. It's almost something you have to try and dismiss. You know you're eating, so you're not going to go hungry. Sometimes, for me, just doing something that occupies my mind until I can eat again helps.0 -
at first I thought this is just not enough food. But after doing this for a while, I guess you kind of get use to it. I am not hungry but I sure would like to eat like I use to, a whole pizza, macaroni and cheese, Chinese every night, big macs and whoppers and fries and pies, did I say pies. But I would also like to spend money the same way and that doesn't work either so back to the discipline. I agree up your protein to stay fuller.0
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Drink water, lots of it. Like a previous poster said dehydration can mimic hunger.
Things that fill me up and I'm obese but losing.
Brown rice with a little bit of basil and either olive oil or butter depending on what's on hand.
Turkey meat - fully baked kind that I debone after it's cooked, from my oven, not the slices.
Oatmeal (not instant - though I have instant in a pinch - keep some at work
When I need to crunch something popcorn with 2 TBS of shakey cheese lil butter or olive oil depending on what's on hand so the cheese sticks to it
Vegetables or a salad
1 oz of cheese to stave off the pre dinner must east stomach is hungry now, if I can't whip something up quick enough or 11 almonds and some water.
Teddie or Smuckers Natural PB on celery sticks
An apple or bannanana
1/2 an avacado (can be added to salad)
Preparing a full meal, logging it or doing the recipe and then sitting down and eating it.0 -
No, you won't. I've found for me that a grilled burger fills me up and keeps me feeling full for a longer period of time than other protein source. So do some experimenting and find out which foods keep you full longer. And hunger can be a good thing, it reminds me that I've used the calories I've eaten thus far and have a need for more. I'm a volume eater, I want a lot on my plate, so it's either a lot of vegetables along with the protein or a big salad with chicken, diced egg, shredded cheese, and about a half of an avocado for a healthy fat. My worst time of day for snacking is in the evening so I've been experimenting with a small lunch and a larger supper. So far this seems to be working.0
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