Always hungry?!

eeelastic9

The biggest part of my diet plan is to limit portions to reasonable sizes, but I've found that even if I feel full after meals, I'm hungry not long afterwards!
I was over-eating by quite a bit (and maybe i still am!) so I'm trying to eat less than normal. I think I'm getting enough protein, and I'm working to stay hydrated because I know sometimes hunger pains are actually a signal that you're dehydrated.

Is this a normal thing when you reduce how much food you were eating? Do I need to give my body time to adjust to normal sized meals again?

ladyhawk00

I recommend opening your diary if you want some ideas on things to try to help with the hunger. That way people can see where you might be able to tweak things. But generally, eating more lean protein, more healthy fats, and more complex carbs will help you feel full longer.

talysshade

Yes! We have the same goals.. i started at about 155 i think and trying to get to 128. I'm the kind of girl who loves to eat.. not snacks, but just big meals.. Four weeks ago i started with less soda and more water.. and most importantly smaller meals.. I was hungry ALL the time.. i still am a lot, but it's getting better and better.

It also helps to check what types of food you eat.. fruit, bread and mostly vegetables, keep my full longer than the occasional junk food i still eat. Imagine, a whole cauliflower contains about the same amount of calories as a small to medium piece of chocolate. But the cauliflower makes me feel much, much fuller.

If you'd like to be friends, send me a request :-) We seem to have a lot in common.

MindyC7609

Protein, protein, protein. You need to have a lean protein source each time you eat. I don't think their calculations here are correct for necessary protein intake (too low), but that's just my opinion. Also, you can eat a lot more fresh/frozen veggies than you realize and still not take in all that many calories, thus keeping you from being as hungry.

talysshade

*ponders* no wonder i haven't been hungry much lately! I've been starting to eat al ot more chicken and steak and cheese.. even dairy products have nice proteins..

whiskyzee

Keep track of your nutrients as well--no matter how much protein I eat, I'm starving if my iron counts are low, and I crave rich iron sources a lot (which are usually big calorie things, like dark chocolate, bread, red meat, etc.). Calcium was another big one for me, so I work on tracking it as well now. The bottom line: yes, your body will need to adjust to different eating patterns, but hunger is your body telling you that it needs something (could be water, could be a nutrient). With a little practice, you can determine what you actually need (the source of your hunger) and then work on incorporating more of it into your diet.

luvmykid28

Also too much sodium can cause you to crave more food. Check you sodium levels in the foods your eating. Whe I started eating less, I felt hundry a lot, but after a while my body adjusted to the smaller portions and now I find that I fill up faster on much less.

TessieDue

It is like that at first - I used to eat sooo much! I love food! As your stomach begins to shrink from eating smaller portions, you will stay fuller longer. But it also depends on what you are eating and what types of things satisfy you (mentally too).

Veggies are a great snack because they are low on the cals, but they also keep you full because of the fiber and the complex carbs. But veggies alone didn't really satisfy my need for rich food, so I started dipping them in humus! It makes a world of difference and adds protein. Humus also has good fats that satisfy those fatty food cravings

Eating whole foods and minimally processed foods makes a big difference too - I am noticiably fuller when I eat foods I made for myself from scratch than foods that are prepackaged (especially those ones marked "low cal", "low carb" and "only 100 calories" - think of all the chems they substitute! that’s not "real" food you are eating - not what your body needs).

And also remember - we need balanced diets to function properly - high protein, low-carb, etc, is all just a quick fix. Find a real solution for you and stick to it. Experiment with different types of meals and snacks and see what you need to have to be satisfied and have the energy you need to make it through the day.

eeelastic9

Thanks for the tips, everyone. I think I will try to open my food diary (if I can figure out how?). I guess I'm just not really sure what constitutes lean proteins, since I'm vegetarian. I'll look into it.

absolament

Make sure you are gradually decreasing your amounts so your body isn't stressed. And eat your recommended calories after you include your exercises so your body has enough fuel to convert fat stores into usable energy.

lodro

On the two days you tracked, on one you were very high in carbohydrates: at every meal and with every snack, your body will produce the insulin to deal with that. this mechanism in itself will produce the "feeling hungry" sensation. it's the effect of the insulin. if you lessen your exposure to insulin, this will diminish.

http://www.csun.edu/~vcpsy00h/students/hunger.htm

it is also the composition of your meals that causes hunger.