Taming Hunger

emisu2

Can anyone give me good, useful tips on taming my hunger beast? Something besides "eat more fruits and vegetables" or "drink more water." I've tried Dexatrim, and I believe it gave me heart palpitations. There has got to be a way to control my appetite... It's too hard to be hungry all the time!

My calorie goal is 1200, but I exercise vigorously about 30 minutes per day if I can, burning about 300 - 400 calories. I don't log this in my diary. I weigh around 120 at 5'4" and am trying to lose at least 5 pounds, but they don't want to budge easily. People tell me I'm skinny, but it's not good enough for me yet. Help!

My parents are overweight, so I wonder if part of my hunger is genetic. I have always envied people who can eat like birds. I just want to lose this appetite.

emisu2

I take that back... It seems at my current weight I actually burn 400 - 500 calories in a workout. Not bad. It's easiest for me to fill up on coffee and Diet Mountain Dew in the morning to tide me over until lunch (no breakfast). Then I do whatever < 400 calorie lunch I can manage. This is so I can save my calories for dinner which is usually with my boyfriend who cooks. He does not care about calories, so I always have to prepare for something big.

I know this is not a good way to control hunger, but it seems to be my lifestyle right now. Is there some pill I can take that will take my hunger away? What have you tried?

juicemoogan

If you don't log it in your diary then you aren't eating enough if you are keeping to your daily goal.
Burning off those calories allow you the freedom to eat more calories and still maintain the daily limit.
Here are my suggestions:

1. LOG THOSE WORKOUTS!
2. Eat breakfast! You'll be less hungry than by downing mountain dew and coffee.
3. pills aren't the answer.. if you have big dinners with your boyfriend, make sure you are managing your portion sizes to control your calorie intake.

Foodie711711

You might not believe this but you should actually be eating more. No wonder why the hungry beast keeps biting you. To each their own about eating back exercise calories...Im not going to get into that debate. However if you only have 5 or so pounds to lose than you set your MFP guidelines wrong. It needs to be set to lose .5 a week. In my personal opinion you need to fix your settings and eat back at least some of your exercise calories.

emisu2

Ok makes sense... But it seems like I have a tougher time when I eat breakfast because I feel like it actually makes me hungrier during the day. Maybe this is because I eat a smaller lunch or no lunch to make up for the calories consumed at breakfast.

I think you're right about having my calorie goal set too low and my rate of weight loss too high. Maybe that is why I'm getting so stressed out... Setting unrealistic expectations for myself. This is my first week of really getting back on the wagon though with diet and exercise. My body is very sore. I guess I'm kind of an All or Nothing person.

My plan today was actually to eat only one meal of about 600 calories and then go to spinning this evening. Boyfriend has TKD tonight, so we don't typically eat dinner together on Tuesdays. This way I can make up for days that I've gone over my calorie goal, making a bigger cut of around 1400 calories (BMR + lunch - workout).

I have heard it from all sides that this will jack with my metabolism, put me into starvation mode, blah blah blah. But I've also read about a case FOR intermittent fasting. Also, Weight Watchers website says "starvation mode" is a myth: http://www.weightwatchers.com/util/art/index_art.aspx?tabnum=1&art_id=35501&sc=801

What do you think?

shefury

I find that as soon as I start eating clean, my appetite diminishes (sorry you weren't looking for that)...but I am a serious appetite monster. Also reducing and cutting out sugar and the "bad carbs" definitely works too....you just have to get over those first few days of MAN I WANT PASTA feelings.

seekingstrengthX2

Your eating habits are really really poor... and the fact that you are already a LOW weight and looking for "pills to curb your hunger" tells me you have some body image issues going on. You are not eating enough food, that's for sure. You need to rethink your entire situation, evaluate your health and start again. Sorry to say that.

emisu2

Yeah I definitely do my best to avoid bad carbs and sugar. Sometimes I get this crazy craving for ice cream and try to trick myself by eating sugar-free Jell-O and sugar-free candy.

Otherwise I eat vegetables, salads, meat... I don't do Atkins any more but try avoiding bad carbs. But the biggest influencer of my diet is calorie count. For example, for lunch I was going to go to Chipotle. I don't EVER get the sour cream, guacamole, tortilla, chips, or cheese. I always get brown rice, chicken, fajita veggies, black beans, corn, tomato salsa, hot salsa, and lettuce. I fail to see where this is eating "poorly" except that maybe I am just not eating enough calories.

Thoughts? And you're right, I do have some body issues for whatever reason. I think every one does to some extent. Definitely a huge reason I am doing this is for vanity. However I find that a healthy body is also a good-looking body, so I don't feel so bad about it. My BMI is "normal," but I want it to be as low as it can possibly be without being underweight. That is really a challenge. I think that's why I get so frustrated because I want to push it to an extreme.

seekingstrengthX2

My "poor eating habits" comment was based on the following:

You indicated you skip breakfast and "fill up" on coffee and Mountain Dew to hold your over.
You indicated you eat very little during the day and "save up" for dinner with your boyfriend.
You indicated that you've taken diet pills.
You indicated you don't log your workouts or eat back those calories, which means you aren't eating enough.

emisu2

Yes, I don't often eat breakfast any more... I think this is because morning is when I am the least hungry. My hunger increases throughout the day. It is probably the highest right before dinner. I am so afraid to eat and feel so guilty about eating that I only eat when I'm the MOST hungry. If there is any time during the day that I could go without eating and it not drive me mad, I take advantage of it.

I feel like to lose weight you have to be hungry. Do you agree? Is this just a matter of having the willpower to fight through the hunger and win in the end? No pain no gain? Thoughts?

iuew

My parents are overweight, so I wonder if part of my hunger is genetic. I have always envied people who can eat like birds. I just want to lose this appetite.

evolutionarily speaking, everyone's hunger is genetic.

for me, what worked was eating my meals and snack at the same time every day. eventually, your body only expects food at the designated time.

emisu2

Yes, I think that makes sense because Sunday I was probably the hungriest. For some strange reason my boyfriend got out of bed at like 5:30 a.m. and realized he had left a pack of frozen bacon out all night. So he cooked it. Therefore I awoke at about 6:00 to the smell of bacon.

We went ahead and had breakfast at like 6:15, eggs, toast, and like 5 pieces of bacon. My hunger started again maybe an hour or so after I ate breakfast. The problem was that we were planning on having cottage ham, green beans, and potatoes for dinner. After calculating the calories for the day, I found I really didn't have enough calories left to eat lunch.

Therefore I was starving the entire day, and it was really frustrating. I find when I get out of my no breakfast routine, my hunger increases exponentially. I'm hungry ALL the time but more hungry when I don't eat at the same time every day.

Thanks for your insight!

seekingstrengthX2

Emisu2 - Please listen carefully and open your mind. You are not eating enough food. You are HUNGRY all the time because you are not eating enough. Food is FUEL and your body must have FUEL to function properly. You have serious body image issues and you really need to seek counseling.

emisu2

Rats, I was hoping that was not the case. But you're probably right! It is so hard for me to see things any other way. I guess I am a little close-minded and stubborn about this stuff.

I have become obsessed! I want to accomplish in 3 weeks what should probably take me 3 months to accomplish! How do you have patience for something like this? How do you discipline yourself to walk instead of run? I do not feel like I can wait 3 months to lose the weight I want to lose. How do you stay patient enough for that???

mallory3411

Speak with a doctor. You don't even need to lose weight.

You shouldn't feel hungry all the time. You shouldn't be "filling up" on pop and coffee so you can eat more later on.

You shouldn't skip meals because you ate too much at one meal.

You should be logging and eating exercise calories.

You shouldn't be eating at 1,200 calories a day now.

You shouldn't be looking for diet pills to take.

You are already at a healthy weight.

I would suggest seeing a doctor or nutrionist.

emisu2

Yes, I guess this is something to ponder... My weight, and 1200 calories, sound like BIG numbers to me now. A guy once told me he liked girls "eating disorder thin."

Not saying I want to look like a skeleton. I just want to be able to get back into a size 0. Why is Angelina Jolie held up as a queen of Hollywood? SHE looks like a skeleton. During the Oscars I was afraid her arms were going to break every time she clapped.

I am not even sure what my goals should be any more. I probably do have a warped view of my body image. I feel guilty about it all the time!!

mallory3411

Unfortunately the media and society makes us believe that uber thin is best. Healthy doesn't always mean thin.

I would suggest speaking with a doctor. I'm not trying to sounds mean but when you think your weight and 1,200 calories to eat a day are huge there is something wrong there.

Make an appointment with a doctor and speak with them about it all.

Why are you so focused on getting back into a size 0? Size 0 isn't healthy and in my opinion, far too thin.

sssygirl

My quick suggestions

Eat plain Oatmeal for Breakfast everyday! I add a tsp of protein powder, and fresh fruit usually 1/2 cup of blueberries or 1 small chopped apple. This really fills you up..add some cinnamon as well.

Snack...have a snack in the AM and one in the Afternoon I usually have a piece of fruit in the morning and veggies with crackers and hummus in the afternoon. On the run I have a granola bar.

Lunch..eat soup! Broth based with veggies fill you up and are usually low in calories..add in a half sandwich or a wrap and pile in the lettuce tomato etc..

Ditch the cheese..this has worked wonders for me!

Eat a filling dinner...fish with rice and veggies

Drink water ...try tea if you get sick of water

Eat your workout calories...some at least.