Starting to get really hungry. I MEAN REALLY.

jenniferpayne5

So, I am two weeks into my 50 pound weight loss goal. Dieting has gone well and the weight is dropping off way faster than I anticipated. 9 pounds so far from my high of 173. Problem is I am starting to get really, really, really, hungry. NO, REALLY. I mean I am going to tackle someone unless I get a chocolate fix. So, I am starting to slip. I am keeping track of my slip ups so at least I am owning up to them, but how do I prevent them in the first place? Any tips about "Just saying no" to that chocolate brownie when the fresh baked smell is right in your face? Fellow slippers, feel free to post your funny moments as well.

I did have a hard time explaining the brownie mix on my face to my husband at 2 o'clock in the morning:happy: .

RoanneRed

Add cocoa powder to a couple of teaspoons of pure/natural nut butter for a chocolate fix that doesn't include all the fats/sugar of a chocolate bar and also has protein and good fats.

Or, a little bit of brown sugar to a few teaspoons of non-fat natural yoghurt with cocoa powder and cinnamon for a chocolate paste. Whack in a few rolled oats if necessary but remember these all contain calories.

snookumss

Balance Chocolate Mint Cookie Crunch Bars. I AM SERIOUS. THEY ARE AWESOME. I got lucky and they were the first one I tried, they taste like the chocolate mint Girl Scout cookies! They have good protein and are only 200 calories, so are great for a good snack or treat!!!

livebelieving

Say no to that craving. It is so hard to work it off when it goes in.

Diggy2011

Hey hun I'm new and I'm more of a curry and red wine fanatic, not sure which part of the globe your from but my trick is to allow yourself a chocolate treat everyday you might say well I need a bigger fix I freeze mine and suck it untill its gone now don't laugh cos it takes me ages and yes I do feel naughty but if I don't I will eat loads. Skinny cow ice cream 99 cals good size lolly too.
We have wispa bars curly wurlys nothing over 200 cals. Peeling an orange from scratch can help pass the craving too.
I wish you all the best x Ali.

EmmaRankmore

I do more exercise when this happens, so I can balance it out - sometimes you just gotta have chocolate lol. Those little tiny choc bars help, the 15g ones - just eat it really slow lol.

juliekin

I drink water. A lot. And try to space out my meals so I eat 5-6 times a day.

crochetninja

What works the best for me is 1 either tell myself if I really want it I have to work off the calories first or I just try not to bake or buy stuff that is super tempting to me. Also I have found out that if I give in once then the next time its easier!! good luck and keep up the hard work!

meerkat70

Just say no. Keep saying no. Till eventually it becomes habituated. Sugar cravings aren't really about hunger - they're about sugar addiction. Eat something good for you when you feel the craving coming on. Yoghurt is a pretty good substitute. but really you do need to break the sugar craving cycle. It takes a couple of weeks.

Crystalchaos72

Deprivation will lead to maximum overindulgence, moderation is key. Don't starve yourself. If you are having a craving, do something else. If you are truely hungry eat

PrincessGlitterTush

Get your chocolate fix with an oreo or two. The key is moderation. You dont want to end up going on a chocolate binge because you think having a small chocolate is the end of your diet. Be strong and if you're dying to have chocolate. Have some. I'm not a huge chocolate fan however my boyfriend is. So i've built it into our diet. Our after dinner snack is always a glass of skim milk and either an oreo or 2 blocks of dark chocolate. It's easier to follow a new lifestyle if it doesn't seem so damn hard. So make it easier for yourself and have some chocolate. It shouldn't be a make or break decision.
Good luck

DavyRockhit

Distract yourself first and see if that works...that is after you have drank a bunch of water. If you still craving it then you should take something that you feel is worth of you calorie budget and keep healthier choices around so that you dont slip as much. I often at night feel so overwhelmed by the munchies and I have slowly cut them out but still allow myself some calories for the evening because I just know I am going to want something. I usually will eat a bowl of popcorn or some almonds as a snack to curve my appetitie... Good luck, let us know how you are doing.:flowerforyou:

Pebble321

My first question if you are getting REALLY hungry (and not just wanting a little treat but "ready to gnaw someone's arm off "hungry) is: are you eating enough? You don't have to starve yourself to lose weight, in fact you'll probably find it easier and be more likely to keep going if you are getting enough healthy food in you to be satisfied - and still lose weight.

I started out at 200 (so heavier than you) but even when I got under 170, my daily calorie goal has always been around 1500 - 1600 net calories and I've been at this for about 9 months now. I lost weight steadily for the first 6 months, then I lost the plot a little and it slowed down but I'm back on track and very very close to goal.
If you are only eating 1200 cals (and I'm guessing this, because sooooo many people on here are) then change your settings so you choose to lose 1 pound or 1/2 pound a week. I promise you can still lose weight at this rate and if it takes a little longer - well really that doesn't matter, what matters is that you don't get so hungry and pissed off that you give up.

funkycamper

I figure even thin, fit people indulge sometimes. It hasn't ruined your diet. This is a process, not a race. Now and then, it's OK to indulge as long as you limit the amount, record it here on MFP, and plan to exercise it off even if it means more exercise for a few days and/or cutting back other calories to make it fit into your calorie goals. It's not healthy to do this all the time but, once in awhile, go for it. If it's planned and accounted for with cutting calories elsewhere/more exercise, it's not going to hurt your long-term goal a bit. Just don't make it a habit.

RAFValentina

Wanting a chocolate fix isn't the same as being hungry. Battle through it, snack on other things that contain less sugar, and more importantly, less fat. Opt for low GI stuff, wholemeal/wholegrain/protein and starchy fruits such as vegetable. Plus anything with fibre. That'll do the trick... It has for me. DO NOT confuse wanting chocolate for hunger, they're not quite the same cravings as you think. Drink lots of fluid- tea, diet squash etc. It will help. AND WI.LPOWER! 2weeks isn't that long and you've lost lots of weight quickly- this unfortunately will slow down if you're being sensible so don't get disheartened about that! well done so far and keep going!!!!

DKLinDeutschland

If you want chocolate, eat chocolate. Log your cals and move on :-) Yesterday I ate a bag of peanut M&Ms, and then I exercised it off. It was worth it, and it should fix my cravings for at least a few days. Or sometimes a big juicy apple is a good sweet fix with a nice big crunch. DAmn! Nw I want an apple.

Anyway, I guess what I'm trying to say that if you're always deprivign yourself, you're going to cave hard one day and it'd be better to listen to your body now and feed it responsibly.

jenniferpayne5

I love how it can be the middle of the night where I am at and there are still loads of helpful and encouraging folks on MFP. It is amazing how quickly good feedback comes on this forum.

marzahl68

Mind over Body! I don't know about others but this works for me. I don't deprive myself of anything, I have very small amounts only. Example: for the chocolate urge I eat a FiberOne brownie at 90 cals. I don't eat the whole package, I only eat one and my mind tells me that's all I need so that's all I get.
I manage to eat 11 Doritos for 110 cals (not sure if I have that correct but I eat the amount that will fit in my food plan for the day). I don't eat the entire bag, I eat only 11, not 12 or 13. At first it was like a challenge: "Can I eat only 11 Doritos and then put the bag away?" I could! The next time I felt like eating Doritos, I did the same thing again knowing that I was able to do it before.
Some days are really cool and someone chomping down a giant chocolate bar doesn't bother me one bit. Other days are harder, then I have to switch back to the "challenge mode": Can I live without a BigMac? OF COURSE I CAN!!!!!

Meggles63

Can't see your diary, but are you eating enough??? What are you netting. You may need to up your calories!

engineman312

i try and space out my meals so i'm eating 5-6 times a day. i set up the day with a nice carb filled breakfast that keeps me from being hungry longer, and i even try for something sweet in the morning, like a piece of fruit, or some peanut butter, or cinamon apples in my oatmeal.

you could try what others said, and buy a chocolate protein powder, and have that as a mid afternoon snack. it actually sounds pretty good, and might go do that myself.

psuLemon

Well if you are hungry, there is a good chance you arent eating enough. How many calories are you consuming? Also if you add some calories then make sure they are quality.

robin52077

My first question if you are getting REALLY hungry (and not just wanting a little treat but "ready to gnaw someone's arm off "hungry) is: are you eating enough? You don't have to starve yourself to lose weight, in fact you'll probably find it easier and be more likely to keep going if you are getting enough healthy food in you to be satisfied - and still lose weight.

If you are only eating 1200 cals (and I'm guessing this, because sooooo many people on here are) then change your settings so you choose to lose 1 pound or 1/2 pound a week. I promise you can still lose weight at this rate and if it takes a little longer - well really that doesn't matter, what matters is that you don't get so hungry and pissed off that you give up.

THIS! ^^^

I did 1200 for a while, then had to up to 1400, then 1500, then 1600 to lose the last few, now 1800-2000 to maintain.
If you feel starving than you are not getting adequate nutrition.
If you make your diary open I can help you. It's hard to tell what's going on if nobody knows what you ARE eating....

Maybe our theory is wrong and you are netting 1500 a day, in which case I don't know why you're "starving". But if you are trying to "stay under" 1200 for some crazy reason (that's way too low) then THAT is why you are so hungry. It's your body's way of telling you that you NEED to eat. Fill it with nutrition and it won't crave the crap.

mezzosoprano89

There's nothing wrong with having some chocolate in your day, or a treat now and then, this is a lifestyle change so depriving yourself of things will only lead to a binge. I eat special k chocolatey chip bars or chocolate drizzle bars, skinny cow milk chocolate bars, light ice creams....the list goes on. I know my roommate also likes the fiber one brownie bars too, I haven't had them yet, but I'm sure they would be a nice chocolate fix.

My first week doing this I tried to cut out bagels entirely and I couldn't do it because I absolutely love bagels, so instead of getting rid of bagels, I just switched to thin bagels and now haven't had to run to a Tim Horton's to satisfy my cravings (which the first week...I was doing a LOT).

billsica

great advice. Also, why are you dieting? I look at it as a lifestyle change. Your diet has a end goal in site, then you can go back to your old ways. I changed how I eat, so I can never go back to eating all that junk.

squintana1979

Odwalla bars- Especially the Chocolate Chip peanut bar or the Choco-walla bar. If you don't like those, try the Kashi Chewy or Crunchy Chocolate Almond bars. All of these choco fix bars are 99 cents or under. The price of a "bad for you" candy bar. Enjoy!

momma_roo

I think it is really important to fit that stuff into your calorie intake or you will break eventually. I like fudge sickles for a chocolaty treat they are only about 99 calories and delicious. I currently have a broken jaw and I'm living off of soup and protein shakes. I'll tell you I'm about sick of chocolate. Eat some chocolate and remember it could always be worse, you could have your jaw wired shut.. lol