Being desperately hungry

angwiggins

I am having trouble sticking to eating well consistently. I have a couple of good days, but, on the 3rd day, I spend the entire day feeling like I am starving. And then, I blow it at night because I am so tired of being hungry. Does anyone else experience this? What can be done to fight it?

txladybug41

I try to find healthy snacks to contain that hunger. I'll snack on a piece of cheese, or a handful of almonds. I think if you supplement your diet with more protein in it, it will curb off those hunger pangs. Just remember to eat sensibly at your full meals, have a healthy snack inbetween, and drink lots of water. Hope this helps.

gregsonevans

I try to keep busy to take my mind off it and drink plenty of water, I find that if I do 10 minutes on the exercise bike when I start to feel peckish I very often lose the urge to eat and even if I do eat at least the exercise has offset it a little

Newmammaluv

I purposely eat lower calorie veggies and less meat so I can have more total volume of food. I also use hot drinks to help make me feel full. Tea, coffee, hot soups and I just said in another threat hot low sodium V8 with a dash of celery salt and hot sauce.

Ive also been on a huge salad kick lately but the only problem with that is that you dont stay full for very long.

ifallsupstairs

Eat slowly. Snack frequently. Drink water. If that doesnt help, eat more proteins, but from beans, nuts, and lean meats, cause they keep you fuller longer.

You can also go for eating 4-5 SMALL meals a day instead of sticking with just 3. If you spread out your calorie intake you'll feel less hungry.

Good luck! ^-^

ValerieMartini2Olives

If I don't eat every 2 or 3 hours, I'm starving. 3 meals a day does NOT work for me. I'd rather have 2 or 3 small meals and spend the rest of the day "snacking"

debbiestine

A couple of months ago I lost 10lbs but was hungry only eating 1200 calories, but now I am satisfied eating more protein/good fat at 1500 calories and I lost 10 more lbs (I'm under my goal) look into primal eating/mark's daily apple. I love it!

momof2winsplus

If you only have 10 lb to lose, make sure you are not set to 2lb/week. You're body will only handle 1/2 -1 lb. If you're not getting enough calories, you're body fights back!

Jayme34

make sure you are eating every 2-3 hours to keep from being hungry.

Jayme34

If I don't eat every 2 or 3 hours, I'm starving. 3 meals a day does NOT work for me. I'd rather have 2 or 3 small meals and spend the rest of the day "snacking"

agree

SPNLuver83

You may just need to increase your calories!!!!

"eat more to weigh less" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=24Iw1thBlLA&feature=plcp

Kenzietea2

How many calories are you eating a day? If you are doing this right there is no need to feel 'starving'. You are probably not eating enough. Focus on filling foods like high fiber and high protein. I always notice I feel fullest when my meals have a bit of everything. Example: Oatmeal (high fiber and some protein) made with soy milk (protein) and flax seeds (fat, protein and fiber), with a piece of fruit.

Also, don't eat the bare minimum calorie wise! I'd set your MFP to lose 1lb a week instead of 2 Good luck.

Rocbola

I am having trouble sticking to eating well consistently. I have a couple of good days, but, on the 3rd day, I spend the entire day feeling like I am starving. And then, I blow it at night because I am so tired of being hungry. Does anyone else experience this? What can be done to fight it?

Don't starve yourself!!! This never works. EAT!!! But eat good foods. Eat more fruit. Eat more green leafy vegetables. It could be as simple as adding one fruit smoothie to your day. If you are letting yourself get to the point of being REALLY hungry. you are more likely to binge, and when you are at that point of hunger, you usually don't care what type of food. You are more likely to eat pizza, cake, or whatever is available. I have done that too many times, and it was once i learned that i need to eat to be successful that i started having success. Plan ahead to make sure you have plenty of good fruits and vegetables on hand, and eat them whenever you are hungry. Don't hold back when it comes to fruit and veg!!! Eat all you like, and feel no guilt. If you have a full belly from salad, and you have had enough fruit carbohydrates, you will not feel the need to binge. If you feel a binge coming on, get yourself some fruit/veg right away and chow down!

Chipmunk222

I have been having that kind of day too... I lowered my calories on Tuesday and Wednesday and today I was totally starving even after eating quite a bit of food. I actually sat down with an apple and almond butter and some green tea, didn't concern myself as to how much I was eating and just enjoyed my food, and I haven't been hungry since.... can't say what actually did the trick, but it sure beats feeling hungry. I was going to write the post myself, but you beat me to it

icesk8ermom

* How many calories are you eating a day?
* How many calories are you burning through exercise?
* What types of foods are you eating?
* Are you drinking water?

dottheallison

I am having trouble sticking to eating well consistently. I have a couple of good days, but, on the 3rd day, I spend the entire day feeling like I am starving. And then, I blow it at night because I am so tired of being hungry. Does anyone else experience this? What can be done to fight it?

At night?! ME TOO!! What I started doing is having a salad after I work out at night (when I do, I stand all day so I *try* to work out in the morning, on good days, I do both) Actually, I'm having one preemptively now. You can afford a pretty big one if need be on very few calories. And instead of dressing, use.... PICKLE JUICE. The vinegar is a natural appetite suppressant so it's nice and tasty, cool, refreshing, etc. (bonus: CALORIE FREE) And if you eat it slowly enough you won't be left hungry. Current fave is vlasic kosher dill (the non-refrigerated) it's slightly garlic-y in an awesome way. And you can also add a tiny bit of feta or garbanzo beans/chickpeas pretty cheaply on the caloric scale too if you want a little more protein or substance.

As far as a sweet snack, my suggestion would be Dannon Oikos Yogurt, Vanilla flavor. With a banana or something. Greek yogurt is thicker, and the vanilla is the perfect texture that almost mimics pudding. (take it from a yogurt hater)

Just remember, no matter what you decide to eat, to take your time eating it, especially if you're feeling ravenous. If you don't, you WILL eat too much before your brain gets the "okay, we're good now" message.

As far as having trouble sticking to eating well, everyone else is right that you are probably either not eating enough, or not eating OFTEN enough. I made the same mistake for a while and slowly made some changes, right now I have about 200-250 calories every 4-ish hours, and another 100-150 in between. Effectively I eat every 2 hours. But it works. And my body has learned that I'm going to feed it that often and gets hungry, especially now that I'm burning more calories and trying to eat more fresh/nutritious/fibrous foods. Yay!

Good luck. Changing the food lifestyle is hard, but you can do it!

TrimAnew

If I have a really big dinner, I find I'm always really hungry all day the next day no matter what I eat or do. It's like my body thinks I'm going to feed it like that again soon. So I try to be careful so that my dinner isn't way bigger than my lunch, because it affects me the next day. A big lunch or late brunch doesn't seem to have the same effect of making me hungry later, so I can get away with a brunch or lunch treat easier than a dinner treat.

You might be able to play around with your meal times or amounts to get your hunger to lighten up.


I find I just have a light breakfast after I've been up and about for an hour or two, like a piece of fruit or a V8. A medium lunch around noon. An afternoon snack if I'm getting hungry and it isn't dinner time yet (anytime between 2 and 4). Dinner between 6 and 8pm. And if I've still got anything left in my calories and I'm hungry, then I might have a sweet after dinner, but try not to eat too late or else I'll snack all night long.

Athijade

Open your diary. Without that, people are just guessing.

Petaaaah1

You are preaching to the choir here - my biggest battle was consistency. I had this in spades a few months back , (nutela bagels with banana at 2am X 2..yikes ) and its as discouraging as hell because 3 days or working out and clean eating can feel/be ruined by an ice-cream gorge at 2am. MyfitnessPal used to look like the Himalayas, with sub zero some days to well over 2000 on some days. Then I’d only record my good days…. Nice one eh? Yup. Then I said, what would “RR” do. Some people say what would JC do? RR = Ryan Reynolds.

Exercise suppresses your appetite, but it won’t kill all your midnight urges as well. Make sure exercise is all part of this. Once you get some big workouts during the week , you won’t want to ruin them, or the pain of ruining them will drive you to improve in short order. Part of is emotional eating, it’s not always phsyiological - exercise boosts mood, reduces the binge moments and gives you the willpower to stop that gobble-gobble when the night time pang attack.

A few quick ones from experience that work for me.

1. Create a new “category” outside of Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner, called “Cheating.” Log ALL your “food cheats" here, and feel what its like to log 500CAL at 2 am. When you awake and see you are 500 CALs in the whole, you won’t feel so hot about that binge you fell you had n - Oh and then go look at what it did to you day and week with regards to the cheating and charting. 500 CALS (esp high sugar calls) is about an hour of high intensity cardio for a woman - is it really worth it?? Make the mistake a few times stare at it and it should move you in the right direction.

This will also help you notice and create awareness for when, how often and how bad the issue is. It is also very hard to hide it from yourself and others. So no "spikey spikey" is the goal on the my fitness pal weekly charting. Great days and good days and some I could do better days, but no “*kitten* I just pouched my week" days. Those day suck more than any ice-cream can be good - you just haven’t made the full connection yet.

2. It really is about consistency, so do what you have to get crappy food out of the house - the stuff you do binge on. Purge the pantry, throw it out, pour water into those bags of chips. Bar the windows and don’t let it in. Tell your spouse he/she can eat what he wants (if that’s ok with you), but he/she has to buy only one of and eat it that evening and preferably out of site (his own little tub of ice-cream for example). Trust me, it’s cheaper in the long run, and it will save you your sanity and resentment. Hey, if you are going to binge at night have a left over omelette to heat up, a big mixed bean salad, something to go to instead of what you have hidden from yourself but you know is there.

Make the choice at the supermarket, not at 1am in front of the freezer. So you may still have those hunger pangs… and lets face it you may not be able to sleep on a pang. I would suggest getting a box or two of not overly great tasting but hypoglycaemic protein bars (low in insulin spiking sugars eg. brand ProteinFusion protein bars) then grab some sparkling water, squeeze a lime into it, ilk you are treating yourself (and you are more than you know it) and go back to bed.

3. Someone else suggested you share your journal, do that - get accountable. Have folks here applaud and book you I’ll booh you silly.

4. And Lastly, if you slip, forgive yourself and get right back on track. Also see if you can stop yourself "mid-slip.” It’s a test of wills at midnight - you and Lindt chocolate are facing off - he’s won by getting 4 squares into your mouth. You thrashing him (bar) in the garbage (better still toilet) is like a knock out punch - create a visual for it. If you have "committed to the carbs" late at night out of what you perceive is agony and you have no option but to (which is self lying, but let’s go with it)… a bagel with some tasty sugary stuff (you shouldn’t have bagels in the house under any circumstance btw), commit to half of what you think you want, and leave the other half out of the room. Blood sugar will rise…but if you binge until your fill your belly your insulin spike will store everyone carb it can find as fat in you tummy, bottom etc. for hours into the night. Hey, you gave your metabolism the job… can’t blame it.

So, some learnings and some battles I still work on, and the odd day I loose the fight by a few points, but I don’t loose anything like I did with those feel destroying bing nights - no blood on the ring canvas anymore.

Don’t rush into this, it will take some time. Go somewhat easy on yourself, and perhaps this week its just tracking the cheats not getting all pissed that you are cheating. Next week, you give yourself a goal around the number or CALS in night time cheats etc, then work towards zero, fully trackable, nightie cheating. He once a month lose a fight to a donut…. it won’t kill you, it will just remind you how silly it was.


Let us all know how it goes, and let me know if you have any questions.

PB

typingathome

Almonds and greek yogurt are my two favorites. A snack size bag of almonds (100 calories) fills you up and then a few glasses of water and you will lose that feeling of hunger. I also use Rice Chex and Corn Chex dry too. Good luck. Feel free to add me as a friend if you like!

Pebble321

Usually when someone posts "I'm starving" - it's simply because they aren't eating enough.
You shouldn't be eating so little that you are "starving". My guess is that you just aren't eating enough calories. or that you are choosing food with little nutritional value so your body is demanding more actual food.

Nyranee

I need to eat every 3 hours to not feel like starving, that way I have 3 meals and 3 snacks and that works well.

Heather_Rider

Once in awhile that happens to me, but what i have found is awesome for filling you up!

Take 2 tender young yellow squash & dice it up. Spray a pan with Pam spray and sautee them with a little of garlic powder, onion powder, Mrs. Dash Table blend and some pepper. Sautee until tender.

This will make an entier HUGE plate of squash. And its only about 65 calories.

If you need variation.. add a small amount of chicken and a tablespoon of Lawry's Teriyaki sauce and you are right at 100 calories!

Need more bulk? Add broccoli! This in total will make two FULL plates full of food (and i guarentee you WAY more than you can eat) for right about 200 calories, which can be split into 2-4 meals! Add a salad for about 50 calories more per meal! (Look up Vermont Farms Dressings.. their fat free's are as little as 15 calories per tablespoon!) I seriously couldnt eat all of that in one day! lol

Good luck!