I AM STARVING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Lisamarie7574

Okay, so I've already posted a message about looking for ways to not be so starving all day, but I don't know what to do!! With the last message I posted, I got a lot of responses that were great about spreading out meals and eating a lot of small ones through the day. Which I'm trying. But I'm still starving. Not only that, but if I keep eating small snacks and meals, I'll use up all my calories before I even get to dinner!

I recently decreased the weight per week I want to lose to 1/2 lb a week, just to gain some more calories each day....and it's STILL not enough. AGGHHHHHHH! I'd love some input!

Lisa

jenhudgins

Chew lots of gum and drink some green tea. Its an appetite suppressant. Especially if the tea is hot, it makes you feel "fuller"

crissgr

Drink a lot of water throughout the day. I usually drink 10 cups a day. Also, I keep myself occupied by chewing gum but I know this doesn't work for some people. Give it a try.

GURLEY_GIRL3

ME TOOOOOOOOOOO!! The first 2 weeks were great..I was doing good not hungary..but this weekend and today I am starving...my stomach is growling and I ate! so I dont know what to do either...would love some input as well

Titus220

Drink a lot of water!!! I set my watch it beep every hour to remind me to drink water...Once it goes off I try to drink a glass of water!

lobaca

eat lots of veggies! they will fill you up because they are full of fiber and they are low cal! (+ like others said drink green tea/water)

rlaskey

water water water!!

eleanoreb

Do you have time to exercise? i find without exercise, i don't have enough calories and sometiems I am hungry..

Other than that, try eating oatmeal for breakfast it keeps me full until lunch. Tea throughout the day also helps. Keep yourself busy and you won't think about it as much.


Also eat meals thata re filling but low in calories, big salads, or lots of lettuce in your sandwich, vegetable. You can have snacks of broccoli, celery..etc and won't use many calories

ZebraHead

Try having some protien in every meal/snack (and water, lots of water).

ouryear002

Baby Carrots. Only 35 caloeries for a cup. And there are only so many carrots you can eat at once. :sick: :laugh:

DawnOf1969

I cant see your diary, so I'll just ask. What kinds of foods are you eating? Are you eating healthy? or are you eating processed, pre-cooked foods? Are you filling up on protein, fruits, veggies? or are you eating a lot of carbs?

davidmsheppard

Look at your carbohydrate types. You are looking for slow releasing carbohydrates, and protein. Avoid processed food and sugar/glucose. Believe it or not fresh fruit can be quite high in sugar. This messes up your blood sugar levels and makes you feel hungry. Keep at it.

davidmsheppard

Look at your carbohydrate types. You are looking for slow releasing carbohydrates, and protein. Avoid processed food and sugar/glucose. Believe it or not fresh fruit can be quite high in sugar. This messes up your blood sugar levels and makes you feel hungry. Keep at it.

iverayna

Lots of water and foods that sit heavy for a bit like Oatmeal, Bran muffin, Fiber one bars are FANTASTIC.. Its what works for me..

KadieA

Water and more of it.

If you are a snacker like I am, keep grapes or other fruits low in calories and sugar (if thats possible) on hand.
Chew low calorie sugar free gum and candies like mints. Granted they may not taste the best but it will keep your mind off of wanting to eat something.
Even while doing this keep up your water intake.

I take grapes with me to work and drink tons of water. I chew Extra Dessert Delights in the Mint Chocolate Chip flavor (tastes just like the real thing and lasts). The whole pack has 75 calories-not saying you should chew the whole pack in a day lol. No fat, sugar and 30 total grams of carbs (for the whole pack-2g per stick).

Good luck!

jaymeec75

Chew lots of gum and drink some green tea. Its an appetite suppressant. Especially if the tea is hot, it makes you feel "fuller"

I'm chewing gum right now because I'm so hungry today. I also LOVE green tea when I'm hungry and its not time to eat yet. Great advice!

LorinaLynn

I found, surprisingly, that the more I exercised, the less I wanted to eat. I think a lot of my "hunger" was actually boredom, so filling up that time with going to the gym or doing an exercise-type video game or walking the dog was a win-win situation. I burned calories AND didn't consume calories.

mmargraf

You did not gain your weight by eating raw veggies. Snack on them through out the day if you are hungry. Drink water and don't skip your protein. Your body will get used to the amount of food you are taking in. Make sure you are eating something every 3-4 hours. Save your fruit for snacks. Make a cabbage/veggie soup and keep on hand to eat before or after a meal.

trishthedish13

Are you eating filling foods? Try to choose foods that have more nutritious value rather than less calories. Lots of veggies and higher volume foods (they make you feel more satisfied) .... and like the others posted, lots of water! When you are starving, be sure that the first thing you do is drink something - then wait and see if you are still feeling so hungry.

jlsAhava

Drink water!!!!

And also, make sure you're eating the right kinds of calories. The fullness you get from fat and protein will stay with you longer than if you ate empty carbs. Of course of these need to be eaten in moderation. Good luck!

:flowerforyou:

wolfchild59

Your body also needs time to adjust to the change. Before MFP I'd eat lunch (usually, sometimes skipped) and dinner (always huge, typically more than my daily 1200 cal I started on MFP with) and then would nosh on stuff if it was available around the office (usually pastries) and then have some sort of dessert (anything from a skinny cow bar to one of those 4x4 squares of cake).

When I started MFP my daily schedule was 1200 calories that I divided between breakfast at 9am, lunch at noon, snack at 3pm, dinner around 6:30pm and dessert at 9pm. I felt like I was starving for the first week or so, despite having my calories spread out all day. Then it moved into just sorta feeling hungry or anticipating the next time I ate. And then eventually I got used to the schedule and calories and I didn't feel hungry anymore.

It takes at least 21 days for your body to form a new habit, and that includes a dietary change. But stick with it, drink lots of water, chew peppermint gum and it will get better.

bluemartini6

lisamarie - how long have you been counting calories on here? This is my 2nd week. THe first week was terrible, I was starving, exhausted. Week 2 better, but sometimes still hungry - this is my 3rd week and sometimes i get to have a dessert or two to make up some calories at the end of the night. It does get better, you stomach will get smaller (or seem less hungry).

I recommend keeping lots of cottage cheese in the fridge - seriously, filling, low cal - it helped especially week 1 and 2...and I'll probably rely on it this week too!

Also, when I make a sandwich, I put tons of lettuce on - low/no cal and helps fill you. (one time it was like a cup of romaine on a sandwich-but healthy and helps fill you)

ajbeans

I found, surprisingly, that the more I exercised, the less I wanted to eat. I think a lot of my "hunger" was actually boredom, so filling up that time with going to the gym or doing an exercise-type video game or walking the dog was a win-win situation. I burned calories AND didn't consume calories.

Yes, this. It doesn't make sense to me, but when I exercise, I'm not as hungry. Try to fit in some cardio. And if you're really, genuinely hungry, look for some low-cal, high-protein or high-fiber stuff to eat. After tracking my food for almost two weeks, I'm noticing that when I eat carby stuff, I'm hungry all day and can't stay under my limit, but if I eat good protein and fiber, I feel satisfied and it's easier to stay within my limit. And as others have said, drink lots of water. If you just hate the taste of water, try watering down some of your usual drink to half-strength (today I'm drinking half-strength lemonade). It's not as good as drinking just water, but you can drink the same number of glasses for half the calories.

schaapj2

look for things that are high in fiber and/or high in protein. Fruits and vegetables are great for fiber. Kelloggs Fiber Plus bars are also really good...120 calories and 9 grams of fiber. With a big glass of water afterwards, you feel full for a long time! Water water water! It takes a while sometimes while your stomach shrinks to the appropriate size, so don't feel bad. But listen to your body....if you truly feel hungry, after you've had lots of water and fiber/protein...EAT! Low fat meats or cheese can also help. Slim Fast has high proteing meal bars. My protein of choice is Bolthouse Farms Vanilla chai Tea Drinks. A little over 300 calories, this drink gives you a whopping 20 grams of protein (soy). Experiment with what makes you feel fuller fiber or protein or both. Gum is a good idea, however for me, it makes me feel MORE hungry because it increases salivation which can lead to hunger....so for me, I stick to a big bottlle of water!

Good luck!

joan41

just like everyone else said.....increase your fiber, and try to drink more water. I will drink coffe, and eat a fiber one bar for a snack. Or try fruit, like bananas and apples. They say pears have more fiber, but I'm not a fan of pears. What about yogurt??? Yogurt always makes me feel full too!

deadbird

One strategy i have tried is actually stopping for a moment and analyzing the sensation of being hungry.

I know it sounds weird but what does the sensation of being hungry really feel like?

I have found that it is not that bad, i have been trained to reflexively feed any feeling of hunger.

When i slow down and think about the feeling of being hungry i realize I can live with it.
Remember it is just electrons running through your nerves telling you your stomach is empty.
In fact i have been enjoying the sensation of being hungry.
Is that crazy?

The breakdown happens when i smell something really good.

Good luck.
Ed

vixenize

1. Drink more water.

2. Find an activity that occupies your mind so you're not constantly thinking about food. When I'm studying, hours will pass by before I realize I'm hungry because I just lose track of time. Focus on something that isn't food.

3. Eat apples, baby carrots, and celery. They aren't high in calories (if you eat them plain without any dip) and they take a bit of chewing to get through. If you are going over your max calories constantly, you might need to take a look at what you're actually eating for meals because some foods are high calorie but they won't really fill you up (e.g. juices, dipping sauces)

4. Remove things that remind you of food from your surroundings. For instance, if you work at home, don't work at the dining/kitchen table. Your mind associates the table/room with food so you'll think about food.

Unless you are severely limiting your caloric intake (under 1200 calories) or doing high intensity exercising that burns a lot of calories, most of your hunger pangs are likely psychological rather than physiological. To fix this, you need to re-wire your brain.

mckval

Hmmmm.
Did I read this right on your profile? You are looking to lose 7lbs? If so, perhaps rather than "starving" yourself, you should try kicking up your exercise. Just eat healthy (no processed foods), stay under your maintenance calorie intake, and burn a lot of calories. (3500 calories burned=1lb)
Try it that way. Starving is really not good for you. Seriously, your body is telling you something. And no amount of water or gum will help that.

Corismom

Check out: http://www.self.com/tips/jumpstart/meals/jillian-michaels-fat-burning-meal-plan

My husband and I have been following this for three weeks, as well as working out at the gym. He has lost 17 lbs and I have lost 8.

The foods are so filling, sometimes I find it hard to keep eating because I am not hungry, but I haven't gotten my 1200 cal in for the day.

I will caution you, use MFP to count the calories from the foods that you actually use to make the recipes...don't rely on the nutrition facts on the plan...I couldn't get them to match...

MRudman

I am home a lot so I am able to do this effectively. But, what I do is have a 200-250 calorie breakfast around 7:30. Around 9:30 I have a 100+/- calorie snack, usually fruit. (apple or banana) Around 11:00 I have a protein snack that is savory in taste like 2 Wasa Light crackers with 2 TBS of Garlic Lover's Hummus from Aldi. It satisfies my craving for REAL savory food, crunch and it has the protein to stave off my hunger. Around 12:30 I have lunch and again keep it to around 300 calories. Lately I have found comfort and satiety in a BLT made with 3 slices of Butterball Low Sodium Turkey Bacon, lettuce from my salad bag, couple of slices of Roma tomato, Mayo on one side of bread and mustard on the other. The bread I use is Pepperidge Farm 7-Grain Light, only 45 calories per slice. All this for around 200+/- calories and then you can still have something else with it for about 100 or so calories. Around 3:00 or close to it, I have another snack, only around 100 calories, and it will be just whatever I'm in the mood for at the time. Lots of water. I mean sip on it ALL day constantly. I know it's hard to do.

Then for dinner, I check my totals logged for the day and see where I stand, then based on what I'm having for dinner, I adjust my portions to accommodate my needs. The hardest part, is finding those foods which are low enough in calories, but also satisfying, and which you can have enough of to make you feel full. The goal with the smaller meals, is that you never feel stuffed, and it also gives your stomach the opportunity to get smaller so that eventually it takes less and less to fill you up. It has taken me three weeks to get to the point where I'm not hungry all the time. Also at regular meal times, you should feel hungry enough to eat something, while not being so hungry that you overeat; which will lead to a stretched out stomach and also more cravings. (This was always my biggest problem!!!)

I also read today, that when we eat too much salt, it makes us crave drinks that are not good for us as well as more and more food. It's a chain reaction. I have HBP, and am on medication, so I really try to watch my sodium as much as possible. I no longer walk around feeling bloated all the time.

I know this is difficult to control 100% of the time, but just remember, even if it takes a while, and you have to take baby steps in the right direction (as I have had to do) it will be worth it once you lose the weight you want to lose and you learn not to let food control you. I have let food control me for years, and I am slowly learning how to not let it control me anymore. It just takes time.

I'm here if you need any support. :0)

pieconspiracy

It sounds weird, but I love a red apple sliced up with some peanut butter & rice krispies on it. It tastes sooo good, and it keeps you pretty full for a snack. If water and gum aren't helping, try that (or another snack that keeps you feeling full) and see how it works.