Do hunger pains go away?

Liftng4Lis

First, you definitely want to weigh and measure. Losing 9 pounds in a month is excellent! I would be drinking a LOT of water to help with hunger. If you are drinking enough you shouldn't feel thirsty still, unless you're having an underlying medical condition. Have you sought the advice of your doctor prior to starting your journey?

lorib642

Also, in people who are overweight, even some who aren't...that feeling of 'full' is actually very overfull, but it's what people are used to feeling.

Some people claim that feeling 'full' is just being satiated, not an actual 'full' or 'pushing' feeling

I know I've eaten til it almost hurts, that's what I used to consider full, now I just consider when I'm not longer hungry being full. It's made a huge difference

I hope I explained that, it's sort of hard to use the correct words for a feeling

Yes, you explained that well and I do sometimes have to eat almost to the point where I am over full to not get that signal to eat more.

I did consult with my doctor but she said 1200 calories and I couldn't stick to that, it was too low.

I will try drinking more water and waiting longer. I can open my diary. I am going to start weighing but I haven't yet so I don't know how accurate it is. I am embarrassed of what I eat. Yesterday I lost track so it is incomplete. I put that in the notes.

One week my doctor put me on a VLCD so you will see that.

I ate a lot the day before yesterday. Calorie dense foods

I am starting out doing one thing at a time

ILiftHeavyAcrylics

I would swap out sugar for fiber in your diary, and then try to hit your fiber goal. It's hard to tell but I don't think you're getting enough-- that's something I struggle with as well. And make sure you're getting enough fat-- some days are fine but others are really low.

I've never had any luck drinking water for hunger. I always just end up still hungry but also sloshy. I did find that a hot cup of tea helped, back in the very beginning when my goal was lower.

Experiment with different macro pairings. If I eat a meal that's just protein and veggies I'll be hungry again in no time. But if I do protein and fat or carbs and fat I get full and stay that way. If a couple of weeks pass and you're still having this issue, consider a higher calorie goal. What I have done in the past that worked for me was to start with something that's just barely a cut and then gradually walk my goal down. Other people tell me they hate doing it that way, so quite a bit of this is trial and error.

LiminalAscendance

With smaller meals, the effective volume of the stomach tends to shrink. This is very important in the perception of hunger and satiety.

This is false information. Just want to point that out. The size of the stomach stays the same whether you are 500 lbs or 100 lbs.

Do you believe that your appetite decreases when you eat less over a sustained period of time?

paomiamifl

With smaller meals, the effective volume of the stomach tends to shrink. This is very important in the perception of hunger and satiety.

This is false information. Just want to point that out. The size of the stomach stays the same whether you are 500 lbs or 100 lbs.

Do you believe that your appetite decreases when you eat less over a sustained period of time?

Yes, I do believe appetite decreases and by A LOT! I've been eating on 8" plates for around 1.5 years now and I simply CANNOT eat more than that amount. I get physically sick if I even try.
As for the stomach shrinking? It's a muscular organ (not necessarily a muscle, but it works thanks to muscles within it), isn't it? So, yes, I do believe it shrinks. There are countless research articles on stomachs expanding to fit in more food, I seriously doubt that it doesn't contract when you begin a sustained period of your life feeding it less. This would cause you to feel RAVENOUS all the time, and as is my particular case, I no longer feel the need to eat as I was eating before. Not only that, I physically cannot.

http://theandersonmethod.com/category/does-your-stomach-shrink-when-you-diet/

ACanadian22

Personally, I think if you are use to eating 2500 calories a day and you start here, I do not think that you should go straight to say 1200 a day right off. Slowly cut back to your desired amount that you are supposed to eat and exercise helps as well.
I nibble on raw carrots and drink a lot of water myself.
Having lost 25 pounds right before I joined here and actually eating less then I am now, I didn't have to do it, but my weight loss stalled and now I am losing now that I am eating more. BUT.....what shocked me was how many calories I was drinking.

SLLRunner

I have trouble feeling full. I give myself time for it to register that I have eaten, but unless I overeat I don't feel full. I am trying to choose foods with protein. Yesterday I binged, I just couldn't feel full. Is it something you get used to or that goes away? Does anyone even know what I am talking about?

Calorie dense foods are what keep us full, which include things like nuts, avocado, and chicken, fish, etc.

What is your calorie goal each day?

It's okay to eat over your calorie goal sometimes, or even chose a day where you consciously plan to eat something you don't normally eat. You can adjust calories throughout the week to compensate for that something you really wanted so you stay within your weekly goals.

SLLRunner

With smaller meals, the effective volume of the stomach tends to shrink. This is very important in the perception of hunger and satiety.

This is false information. Just want to point that out. The size of the stomach stays the same whether you are 500 lbs or 100 lbs.

Yep. For me, especially on workout days, eating smaller more frequent meals helps with hunger pangs. Otherwise, it's just all personal preference.

SLLRunner

With smaller meals, the effective volume of the stomach tends to shrink. This is very important in the perception of hunger and satiety.

This is false information. Just want to point that out. The size of the stomach stays the same whether you are 500 lbs or 100 lbs.

Do you believe that your appetite decreases when you eat less over a sustained period of time?

I know this question is not directed to me, but I'll chime in anyway.

In general, my appetite has decreased over time from learning moderation. However, there are some days when I feel more hungry due to my activity level and I eat more food.

I know for sure that my stomach does not shrink or get bigger day-by-day, so it is my appetite.

jnv7594

Eating more protein helps my hunger go. Add some greek yogurt to your diet, it really made a difference for me!

I would second the greek yogurt. Just get a good quality brand that is plain and doesn't have extra sugar (if sugar is a concern to you) and add your own fruit and maybe a little granola. I eat this every morning, and I love it. Plus, I find when I eat it I am less hungry throughout the day. Plus, greek yogurt is very versatile. You can use it in place of sour cream and other things. Lots of things you can make with it, but I usually just eat it with some fruit and granola.

Solar_Cat

Eat slowly. Eat WITHOUT distractions; no reading, watching TV, playing on your smartphone or tablet, get away from your work desk.

^^^^^^^
This has been key for me. It makes an enormous difference.

When I really pay attention to what I'm eating, I find I can enjoy every mouthful. I don't feel deprived due to smaller portions. I can even be happy savoring one small square of chocolate, when before I might have scarfed down the entire bar without really noticing.

paomiamifl

With smaller meals, the effective volume of the stomach tends to shrink. This is very important in the perception of hunger and satiety.

This is false information. Just want to point that out. The size of the stomach stays the same whether you are 500 lbs or 100 lbs.

Do you believe that your appetite decreases when you eat less over a sustained period of time?

Yes, I do believe appetite decreases and by A LOT! I've been eating on 8" plates for around 1.5 years now and I simply CANNOT eat more than that amount. I get physically sick if I even try.
As for the stomach shrinking? It's a muscular organ (not necessarily a muscle, but it works thanks to muscles within it), isn't it? So, yes, I do believe it shrinks. There are countless research articles on stomachs expanding to fit in more food, I seriously doubt that it doesn't contract when you begin a sustained period of your life feeding it less. This would cause you to feel RAVENOUS all the time, and as is my particular case, I no longer feel the need to eat as I was eating before. Not only that, I physically cannot.

http://theandersonmethod.com/category/does-your-stomach-shrink-when-you-diet/

Great boots-on-the-stomach report.

And that's what others report as well in Hagan's pilot study.

There is another study where researchers had volunteers swallow some type of nanometric tube and quantified that the EFFECTIVE stomach volume does shrink over prolonged periods of NOT being stuffed.

Even they were surprised at the results.

So with a smaller effective volume, not only CAN'T you eat as much as you did before, but the stretch receptors reset and give out a signal to the brain to stop eating (basically) at a lower volume.

What WAS surprising in Hagan's study was that all it took was an enforced morning fast- the folks were on a 14/10 water-fast and then eat-as-much-as-you-want protocol.

So eating small meals works on a psychological level just on stomach physiology alone. Theoretically, it should not matter WHAT you eat, but how much you eat.

More studies needed.

Indeed, more studies are needed. I cannot (and generally don't) speak from a medical, fitness guru, dietician perspective. I can only speak from my own 93-lb weight loss perspective from 6/2013 until today. Eating less, for a wheelchair-bound, 5'1 woman has resulted in what I've done this far. Not excessive exercise, eating salads, eating this-or-that. I feel that when I understood that my body didn't need the amount of food I was feeding it, that it didn't need to feel full all the time and that this need is purely psychological and no biological beyond a discreet amount of calories/food, I began to lose weight. Is this true for everyone? I guess not, as proven by people who lose weight exercising excessively/moderately or eating salads, or whatnots. I've come to a point in my life where I honestly believe that people would benefit (a LOT) by eating less than they do, and finding a balance of their life stresses. BUT, if whatever they are doing makes them happy, and is giving them their desired results, then they should continue. Happiness/less stress is a nice goal to have, no? My advice to the world, if I could give them one? We shouldn't knock down ANYONE'S successful experience simply because they aren't in the medical/nutrition field. I was born with a disability, and NONE of the hundreds of doctors, dietitians I've seen in my 37 years on this planet have been able to achieve with me, what I taught myself in these almost 2 years of taking control of my life. 93 pounds lost. It's no joke, and I do think that this personal journey of mine is worth reading about, not because it's me - I'm no one particularly special or smart - but because I HAVE lost and continue to, in my own unorthodox way, so maybe there's someone out there for whom my experience might help. Those for whom it won't, then they shouldn't pay attention to me, but demean my efforts? It wouldn't be fair, for me and those who might read my story and somehow benefit from it.

funchords

I have trouble feeling full. I give myself time for it to register that I have eaten, but unless I overeat I don't feel full.

Yes, I understand.

Feeling full or stuffed is not the goal of eating. Not feeling hungry is the goal. It's not a feeling, it's the absence of a feeling.

During weight loss, we're essentially asking our body to tap into stored energy (fat). That means we don't fill up the tank of gas, we add only a few gallons -- maybe enough for the next 20 miles. Then we drive 25 miles, getting that extra 5 miles out of our reserve gas tank or batteries or something (the metaphor isn't the best but hopefully it's useful).

I'm on day 79. In those 79 days, I've rarely felt terribly hungry and only a couple of times have felt full.

Okay, some tips for avoiding terrible hunger:

Make sure you eat frequently enough. If you haven't eaten in 4 hours, I would expect that you would be hungry.

Make sure that your morning and mid-day meals have more protein. The half-life of protein is much longer than the half-life of carbohydrates. Since most of your energy usage happens in this part of the day, it stands to reason that these meals should be larger (more food, bigger portions) and longer lasting (more protein). The final meals of your day can be your lightest meals. (It's the opposite of the way most westerners like me eat.)

If you are hungry very late in the evening, a carbohydrate snack can be awesome and less than 100 calories. Microwave some veggies and spray some "I Can't Believe It's Not Butter" on them. They will curb your hunger (not make you feel stuffed) and if you go to sleep in an hour or two, they won't keep your blood sugar high and get stored as fat -- so you'll maintain or lose weight during the night.

Cortneyrenee04

It's important to learn the difference between actual hunger and just the feeling of wanting to eat. It takes a long time to learn the difference... I agree about drinking lots of water. It will make you feel so full and you won't be able to eat more. I used to eat every meal until I was stuffed but now that feeling is so uncomfortable to me. It's also great to add a small (or huge) salad to lunch and dinner since you can have a large volume of food to fill your stomach with very few calories. Stick to lettuce, veggies and something like mustard or lemon juice.

LiminalAscendance

With smaller meals, the effective volume of the stomach tends to shrink. This is very important in the perception of hunger and satiety.

This is false information. Just want to point that out. The size of the stomach stays the same whether you are 500 lbs or 100 lbs.

Do you believe that your appetite decreases when you eat less over a sustained period of time?

I know this question is not directed to me, but I'll chime in anyway.

In general, my appetite has decreased over time from learning moderation. However, there are some days when I feel more hungry due to my activity level and I eat more food.

I know for sure that my stomach does not shrink or get bigger day-by-day, so it is my appetite.

Well, if appetite tends to decrease as one eats less, perhaps it's understandable that individuals would think the stomach "shrinks." That's the whole point of telling someone their stomach will shrink anyway, isn't it? That their appetite will lessen? Or do some think the statement is meant to imply they will lose their visible gut overnight?

Or maybe this is just one of those issues, such as "does muscle weight more than fat?" that everyone likes to get pedantic over.

Shirotora88

Yes with water

1992mittens13

I don't think your crazy at all.

Never, do I feel satisfied or full unless I have a stomach ache from over eating.

I don't even remember a time I was just full.
It's always still hungry, or over ate and feeling sick.

No idea if it ever goes away, as It never has for me,

but it does suck!

LeonCX

Yes with water

water does help!

LeonCX

We are talking about the stomach's effective volume, not someone's panniculus.

Watch your language. .:laugh:

mathandcats

If I was eating the things you are, I would be hungry too. Greek yogurt and protein shakes may have a lot of protein in them, but I still need some solid food (or something filling like a banana added to the shake), or I will be hungry. It looks like you put milk in your protein shakes. To save calories, you could try unsweetened almond milk or water. I would suggest you stop drinking your calories, and instead eat more filling solid foods. Eggs and meat are going to fill you up a lot more for the protein. Aim for carbs that are high in fiber. Eat healthy fats that you also find satiating. Almonds are great, but if you are feeling hungry you might want to eat something more substantial for the calories (unless you find them really satisfying, personally I don't).

Finally, if your calorie goal is too low for you to stick to it, try reassessing your weight loss goals. Reduce your goal to 1lb/week (or even 0.5lb/week if you have to), so that you can eat more and still lose. It is far far far far far better that you have a plan you can stick to, even if you lose slower, than if you give up.