I AM SOOOO HUNGRY :(

eacatterton

I feel like I am starving!!! I ate a good breakfast after my workout this morning, and here it is 10am and I am so ready for lunch. I have heard it is better to take your "snack time" in the afternoon, but I think I am going to have to start doing 2 snacks a day, one between breakfast and lunch, and the other between lunch and dinner. I know that with me working out, especially in the morning, it kicks my metabolism up a notch...but I hate feeling like I want to eat ALL DAY LONG!! I can't keep my calories in check if I do that!
Another point/question I have...does anyone do the weight loss shakes for snacks? I bought and tried the slim fast shakes, had one for my afternoon snack yesterday. How do they say that is supposed to be a meal replacement!! An hour after I drank it I was hungry again!! I have got to get this under control...Any ideas or advice? Help!!

carrie_eggo

It definitely helps to have protein as part of every meal, snacks included. Fiber and fat help with satiety also. When you are in a deficit, you will be hungry....boo, I know Something that helps me when I'm hungry is cottage cheese and/or diet soda. There's nothing wrong with snacking more frequently if you feel need to.

You could also consider upping your calories to something more comfortable for you...if you have MFP set to lose 2lbs per week, try changing it to 1 or 1/2 lb a week. You will still lose weight, and you may have an easier time sticking to the plan if you're not so hungry. :flowerforyou:

Vermilla

I do have some of the shakes, although I don't drink them often. I take them not as a meal replacement but for when I'm severely lacking in my protein. As for the hunger feeling, it's better to snack and eat smaller meals than to try to starve yourself. If you're new to exercising/working out, you are going to feel HUNGRY. My first few weeks, all I did was eat and eat and eat! Your body is adjusting to the new routine. Even if you've been at it a while, sometimes it still thinks you're hungry. Do not starve yourself. Listen to your body, but also perhaps up your water intake as that can make you feel more full. Often I'm starving after a workout, but I sit down, cool off, get some water, and get doing other things and next I know, it's really lunch time and I never ate a snack!

JekJekums

hey, this happens to me all the time! i don't really know why, but i find that staying really well hydrated helps. i drink green tea or herbal teas to keep my hands/mouth occupied and it helps with hydration (i usually just make a small pot and drink a few cups over about an hour). also, if i have sugar and/or carbs, it really messes with my hunger levels. but as you say, you had a healthy breakfast - sometimes the body works in myseterious ways!!

i've never tried shakes...the idea of them freaks me out!

mollysmomma81709

i have only been here for like a week but it's not the first time i've tried to lose weight. for the past week i have cut my calories to 1200 a day and it was pretty rough the first few days. i think one of the biggest problems i had when i was doing nothing about my weight is that i NEVER felt hungry. i ate so often that i never got those hunger pains you're supposed to get. now that my body is getting used to the new eating habits i have found that it doesn't bother me as much feeling hungry. and the longer i am able to stick with it, the less i will even feel it at all.

bhalter

I do two snacks a day. I usually have oatmeal and coffee for breakfast around 7:30, banana for a snack at 10, then lunch at 12:30, then Greek yogurt for a snack at 2:30, then dinner around 5:30. I work out in the evenings and then have a post-workout protein snack. I find that eating smaller portions more often helps keep me full throughout the day.

grapenutSF

I definitely do 2 snacks a day.

twilightsm

I just started and I'm totally hungry all the time too! I'm even eating more than I used too! (although far less carbs and fat) I'm trying to snag a small snack twice a day... it seems to help.

robynluvsjesus

My experience with anything slim fast is the sugar in it gives me a rush and then a crash. I am hypoglycemic an hour after having it and extremely hungry. Stay away from them. They're mostly just carbs. It may help to look at what you're having to see if you have the right combination of fat, protein and carbs. Too many carbs and not enough fat will allow you to become hungry quicker. Fats and proteins take longer to digest and therefore keep you satisfied for longer.

I personally have to really stay away from carbs. I can't eat fruit without eating it with a meal because it throws my blood sugar way off. I end up with low blood sugar and hungry. I recommend lots of lean proteins like nuts, cottage cheese, egg whites, ect. Combine it with vegetables and usually, it manages my hunger much better for less calories.

bjfmade

If you are hungry, eat! I always have a snack in between breakfast and lunch. Just make it a healthy one and make sure you are drinking water, too!

cgrout78

I eat every 2 to three hours, it might just be a yogurt or string cheese, but something to keep the munchies at bay. If you keep your snacks to around 100-150 calories you should be able to get 2 in. Then you won't be so hungry at your meals either.

katyejean

I definitely have a mid-morning snack and a mid-afternoon snack.

josery1630

I have to do breakfast, snack, lunch, snack, then dinner or I won't make it through the day. Even if it's a 50 calorie applesauce or 100 calorie banana, just something in the morning to keep me from gnawing off my arm.

As far as the weight loss shakes go, I would skip them. They have a TON of sugar in them. You'd be much better off buying some protein powder and mixing it with milk or blending it with some ice (or even just mixing it with water). It'll keep you more full and you won't have the sugar crash afterwards.

Just my $.02.

RobynAragon

I know exactly what your going through! I have found that snacking twice and eating a breakfast that fills me up works great for me. Also instead of slim fast shakes I make smoothies which have fewer calories and fill me up longer. Friend request me if you need recipes.

SARgirl

I always have a morning snack! I always know when it's 10:30 because I notice I'm hungry:)

gennybunny1

I have it planned in my diary to have breakfast, 10am snack, lunch, 3 pm snack, dinner and then an evening snack. That seems to help but I still have those odd days when I am starving. Yesterday was one of them.
After dinner and snack I was still starving so I brushed my teeth and folded laundry to keep myself busy. That seemed to work and than I went to bed. Good luck on your journey.

KitTheRoadie

I have heard it is better to take your "snack time" in the afternoon, but I think I am going to have to start doing 2 snacks a day, one between breakfast and lunch, and the other between lunch and dinner.

Yes do this!

I have breakfast around 8.30am, snack at 11am, lunch around 1.30pm and then a snack again at 4pm and then finally dinner at 7pm!

I am in calroie deficit most of the time and am still hungry because of that, drink plenty of water too that helps stave off the hunger pangs!

crzyone

I snack on fresh fruit or veggies any time during the day. I think the healthy fresh foods are fine anytime. That works for me. To feel satisfied at meals and after, I need a carb. I eat a lot of brown rice with meals. It keeps me feeling full. I know a lot of people say protein is what you need to feel full but i need the carb. That is just how my body works. Maybe try keeping fresh fruit or carrots around to snack on when you feel starving, even if you have had your one snack for the day.

Hyperspace

What do you eat for breakfast? I find that if I have few to zero carbs for breakfast I do not get hungry as quickly. I have been drinking a whey protein drink for breakfast most days, with 26 grams protein and 3 grams carbs, and it works pretty well for me.

charm_quark

I have 2 snacks per day. I eat mostly fruits or cottage cheese and coffee!!!
I have a very good breakfast, the one third of my daily calories, with milk, fruits and oats and I try eating less in the night (such a small amount of remaining food from lunch).
Try getting more protein, it will help you. (eggs, cottage cheese, meat, skimmed milk/cheese etc)

running13

I tried slim fast as well as dont find it very filling. Protein shakes however def keep me satisfied and they contain less sugar and calories than slim fast as well you can add 1/2 teaspoon of peanut butter, blueberries, or whatever you like for taste. You can also cook with protein powder to make healthier choices.

aregensb

I have three meals and two snacks. Depends on what your weight loss settings are. As was already said, if your weight loss setting is at 2 pounds per week, try lowering it to 1 or 1/2 lb per week. Slow and steady! Make sustainable changes. If I get too hungry and don't have my healthy snacks available, I tend binge junk food like crazy.

sassyjvg

Try making a pot of boiled eggs and eat one a day for a snack along with a half an apple and have a cup of hot green tea. Fiber, protein, and a healthy antioxident should help satisfy that hunger. Helps me!

missbecca22

Also ...make sure you are drinking at least 8 glasses of water a day. A study has shown that our first instinct is to think that we are hungry when 90% of the time we are thirsty!! I agree with the 2 snacks....eat celery..its mostly water...but try drinking 8 to 10 oz of water at first when you get the urge, wait 10 min..and if you are still hungry after..grab your snack then.

becoming_a_new_me

I feel like I am starving!!! I ate a good breakfast after my workout this morning, and here it is 10am and I am so ready for lunch. I have heard it is better to take your "snack time" in the afternoon, but I think I am going to have to start doing 2 snacks a day, one between breakfast and lunch, and the other between lunch and dinner. I know that with me working out, especially in the morning, it kicks my metabolism up a notch...but I hate feeling like I want to eat ALL DAY LONG!! I can't keep my calories in check if I do that!
Another point/question I have...does anyone do the weight loss shakes for snacks? I bought and tried the slim fast shakes, had one for my afternoon snack yesterday. How do they say that is supposed to be a meal replacement!! An hour after I drank it I was hungry again!! I have got to get this under control...Any ideas or advice? Help!!

Especially when you are working out, eating 5-6 small meals a day is best for your metabolism. Add in a protien shake between meals or knaw on some veggies or fruit. It will help you stick to your goal.

eacatterton

If I get too hungry and don't have my healthy snacks available, I tend binge junk food like crazy.

This is me to a tee when I leave work to go home for lunch. Hubby likes to keep his "junk" in the house, and it is so hard to avoid it. Most of the time I am successful...But I still have those days. I drink plenty of water throughout the day. At work I have a Water fountain almost right by my desk and I am constantly refilling my water bottle.

poseyj88

I almost always do two snacks per day. One is almost always a 1/4 cup of raw almonds. They are so filling and delicious!

Eleisabelle

This may not be true for you as an individual: research has shown that snacking between breakfast and lunch makes it more likely that you'll generally eat more over the course of the day.

That's what happened to me. I've found that if I avoid the morning snack, and each my lunch at 11 instead of noon, I get through the day better and can eat less in general.

What also seems to have worked best for me is to not let more than 4 hours elapse between meals. So, I eat at about 7 am, 11 am, 3 pm, and 7 pm, and that helps me make it through. Occasionally my schedule makes that harder to do, but if that's the case, I might have just a piece of fruit to make sure I don't go longer than 4 hours without eating something. And the fiber in the fruit helps keep me full a little longer, so I don't continue to obsess about eating more.

Finally, I make sure I get either a good, satisfying but healthy fat in each meal (chocolate, avocado, nuts, peanut butter), or I make sure I get a good amount of fiber. Then I make sure I'm drinking plenty of tea or water between meals, to keep myself hydrated.

So far, that's what seems to have worked best for me.

ETA: Of course, I also have to make sure I get enough calories with each meal. I'm on about 1480 now, with only about 10 pounds left to lose, so I eat approximately 350 calories per meal. When I was at 1200, I was doing 300 calories per meal, and that's a little harder, but it worked.

NettyB62

I am on my 2nd week of a workout program with a trainer. It has taken me until today to figure this out (as far as food goes). Today I had (pre-workout) 2 scrambled eggs with diced turkey and a bit of shredded cheese on top and 1 cup skim milk. (post-workout) a whey protein shake mix made with 1 cup skim milk and a banana in it.
I must say..I feel pretty darn good, not jittery, not starving, not dizzy. I think I understand what my body needs now.

Ceebee37

I think you need to consume more calories, you shouldn't be so hungry, eat small meals frequently, drink loads of water, and eat more protien, e.g, nuts, chicken, eggs, etc and see if you feel better. If not then increase your calories or cut back a bit on the exercise. Most important to keep hydrated

SuperStorm

I find it works better for me if I snack 2-3 times a day. I'm not a big breakfast eater...never have been...so I'm always hungry before lunch time. I find if I eat every 2 hours I'm good to go. Yes that sounds like a lot, but here's a typical day for me:

Breakfast: 9:00am - Quaker Oats Chewy Granola Bar
Snack: 11:00am - Hummus and Reduced Fat Wheat Thins
Lunch: 1:00pm - Lean Cuisine (or something else super easy)
Snack: 3:00pm - Skinny Cow bar (or something sweet)
Snack: 5:00pm - String cheese (while I'm prepping dinner)
Dinner: 7:00pm - Whatever I felt like cooking LOL

I'm not saying this is how YOU should do it, but it's how I like to do it. This way I'm never really hungry.
You have to find a way to keep yourself happy and healthy. Sitting around being legitimately hungry will lead you down a bad path and you'll be down about it later.
If you need to eat, eat