Ravenous

candistyx

I was finding my hunger levels were so high I kept bingeing just because it takes all my effort to not eat when I feel so hungry and all my effort sometimes is weakened or runs out.
So I decided to eat maintenance for a while to let the hunger levels normalise and only once I was used to eating that much go back to the weight loss calories.

The good news is I am not gaining weight despite on a day to day basis eating more than what MFP says are my maintenance calories, I've been over several days this week and last but I am staying a constant weight according to the scale (fluctuating each day but overall staying within the range of a pound).

But my hunger does not seem to be normalising. I am eating 1800-2600 calories a day and every day I am hungry, every day I feel like I could eat and eat forever. I thought if I filled myself with vegetables I could avoid the gnawing hunger, but it does no good, I eat them but they are not satisfying at all and then I find myself late at night when my willpower is drained by tiredness topping off the day with a chocolate bar or worse 600 calories worth of clotted cream fudge or half a cherry Madeira. And even then I still feel hungry more than half of the day. My stomach is grumbling, gurgling, I feel like I just want to eat and eat. I am not even sure what would satisfy it, maybe some nutrient is missing that my body is telling me to try and get but I have no clue what and I don't really have much in the way of specific cravings to give me a clue (except chocolate). All I know is that starchy food and vegetables make me feel full in the sense of there being bulk in the tummy, but don't make much dent in the hunger pangs, my body is asking for something else whatever it is. I am getting reasonable amounts of protein and fat, so I don't think I can realistically be deprived of any macro-nutrient.

I know for a fact I cannot keep this up for much longer. I need a solution. I've eaten far too much today and my stomach is making audible noises and I want to eat so bad. I've been eating carrots because they were in my fridge and not AS bad as most of the calorifically dense food in my house right now but my stomach seems to be responding in a kind of "what the heck is this?! Gimmi some real food!" kind of way.

Is this kind of hunger just a normal part of life for most people? Am I just pathetically weak for failing to cope better with it and suck it up and just resist it?

fastbelly

Try to eat fibre and protein rich foods. Remember that sometimes its not the quantity of food but the quality of what you eat. Fibre and Protein will keep you feeling fuller for longer.

taem

Hi.

Most diets deal with calorie intake and calorie expenditure. What I suggest to you is to try to eat nutritious foods and foods that are filling but not calorie dense.

There is a study where overweight and "normal" people were observed and it was found that the weight of food eaten by both (it was actually three) categories was the same, but the calorie density was where the difference was found.

So try to find foods that will fill your stomach but doesn't have a lot of calories.

Fiber is something that will keep your stomach full and regular. Don't forget your water!

KeriA

Have you lost close to 10% of your original weight? If so you may want to read this to understand what is happening http://activepassivediet.com/aboutus.html Ready Chapter 1.

dkb228

How long has this been going on? Because if it's been more than a week, you may want to schedule an appointment with your doctor. If you are having a nutrient deficiency of some kind, they would be able to do tests and tell you what's going on. Any chance you could be pregnant? The only time I've been the kind of ravenous you're describing was during my second trimester. Either way, if it continues, I recommend seeing a doctor.

candistyx

About 2 weeks... and I think it unlikely I could be pregnant since the last time I engaged in any activity that could induce such a state was before my last period.

Without other symptoms I am reluctant to see a doctor. I'd feel like I was wasting their time, it's not like I feel ill, just, hungry. If I had a serious deficiency I'd feel ill (although every time I've tried to give blood the past year and a bit I've been forbidden due to being borderline anemic which induced me to start supplementing iron... but to be honest a lot of the time I forget to take them... in fact I'll take one now see if it makes any difference).

DorkothyParker

How much sleep are you getting?
I feel a lot hungrier when I don't get my 8-9 hours because my body requires energy and usually wants it from a quick, efficient source (like sugar!)

I don't know what kind of ratios you are working with, I'm a big proponent of high protein and high(er) fat with lower carbs. I find that keeps me full.
Not to be a bummer, but maybe it just comes down to the fact that your stomach is used to eating a certain amount of food. To shrink it down, you'll need to be hungry sometimes. Find distractions. If it happens at night, unless you are very busy, just go to bed.

heyjude78

Hey Candi I want you to hang in there because you are totally worth it- maybe your tummy's just throwing a temper tantrum or you're going thru sugar withdrawls. My body LOVES carbs and when I cut out refined sugar products I get really bad cravings and I'm hungry- basically the same thing you seem to be going thru. It may take a while for this to register with your body but it will. Your stomach will "shrink" and it will get much better. Congrats on making it thru 2 tough weeks. I want you to find something healthy that you like to eat and that fills you up and is nutrient dense. Mine is watermelon! I eat like a cup of watermelon (which helps with the sugar cravings too) and it fills me up for a long time. Just keep what you like cut up and ready to go in the fridge.

candistyx

Not to be a bummer, but maybe it just comes down to the fact that your stomach is used to eating a certain amount of food. To shrink it down, you'll need to be hungry sometimes.

Dunno, when I began this process I was eating less and not feeling hungry. I only got into this hunger mode after losing about 17lbs.

I'm starting to get worried that's as far as my body will let me go and that it'll never get to the point where my body is ok with losing even more weight, but I am hoping not.

KrissyChefBaby

I know how it feels ( though not to the extent you described). I think some of it is mind over matter. Once you feel like you are restricting yourself, your cravings go into overdrive and it becomes hard to tell when to give in and when not to. The solution I found to this only recently is not to put myself on a diet exactly- not to reach for the veggies I don't like etc.

Fiber helps a lot. Apples work as a great snack. I used to avoid them but now they are like my best friends. For the chocolate craving- Instead of giving in with a chocolate bar, try some really dark chocolate or a glass off lowfat or fat free milk with a little chocolate syrup in it.

Drink A LOT of water. I dink it before all my meals and a little after. These are just some things that work for me.

katherines2230

How often you eating? Are you drinking enough water? Drinking at least 120 oz of water per day has been a huge help for me and also having several small meals throughout the day as opposed to three large meals.

candistyx

I feel hungry even immediately after a meal so I don't think changing meal frequency would help... and I drink constantly just for the mouthfeel.

maillemaker

Hi Candi!

Like you, hunger is my big enemy. Once I get hungry, and start eating, I find it hard to stop. Appetite is my biggest sap of willpower!

Here is what I have found: Carbohydrates will make you hungry! They cause your blood sugar levels to rise, and when they decline, you feel hungry again!

I recommend an "Atkins-like" diet. Some people call it a "caveman diet". Basically it is a diet that consists of the sorts of things a caveman could eat. Natural foods, proteins, cheeses, fruits, and vegetables, with very little carbohydrates.

I find on a low-carb diet my hunger is much much more manageable. I believe this is because I have negated large swings in blood sugar levels. I'm convinced this is the case.

I wish wish wish they would come out with a good appetite suppressant like ReDux did for me while it was on the market, but for now, there is no such thing. A low-carb diet is the next best thing for me.

Good luck!

BerryH

If you make your diary public we'll be able to make more informed suggestions about how to change what you eat to not feel so hungry.

Are you exercising and eating your exercise calories? I'd pass out with hunger if I didn't "earn" myself extra calories to eat by working out!

scarletleavy

Are you exercising? Or have you recently increased the intensity or duration of your exercise?

I had a similar experience to this recently when I started integrating HIIT into my workouts. I was starving, all the time, so I ended up increasing my calories to maintenance for awhile, then dropping them down a little bit later when my body got a little more used to what I was doing to it. I would also recommend eating a lot of protein as opposed to carbs or starchy things. I snacked a lot on eggs, nuts and cans of tuna, those seemed to be the most helpful to me.

One more question, are you particularly stressed at the moment? I've found that stress can make me feel "mentally" hungry. I know I shouldn't be physically hungry, but I can get mentally driven to eat, eat ,eat.

Good luck!

jessbennett1986

I feel hungry even immediately after a meal so I don't think changing meal frequency would help... and I drink constantly just for the mouthfeel.

I've watched a show on MTV which was called Real Life I'm Addicted to Food. The way you are explaining this sounds exactly like a girl that was on the show that had the same problem. She was hungry all the time, even after having a 3 course meal. I would definitely get checked in to the dr. If you know you are eating a calorie deficit or even a maintainence and you are having tummy pains that's not normal. Don't feel embarassed about any of this, and if you think you are really actually stomach grumbling hungry go in! And if that doc won't help you go to another one. You might have a serious problem and sometimes it takes several doctors to diagnose you. At least then you can be at ease after several doctors if they tell you nothing is wrong and know that you have to figure something else out. No one could keep this kind of tummy pain up for long before they would want to give in.

One more thing, why not take a pregnancy test? Even if you think it's going to be negative it's better safe than sorry. It takes 3-4 weeks after you are pregnant to even diagnose that you are. "Ever watch I didn't know I was Pregnant?" I was super hungry like you and went to the doc thinking something else was up and found out I was 4 weeks pregnant!

Hang in there, good luck! And a support group is exactly what you need to get through this.