Can't get full or satisfied

riley711

Okay, here's my problem. I was doing really good for a while. Then my consecutive days streak broke, and after that, I kind of lost focus. I haven't really gained much weight (typical 5 lb. fluctuation), but I'm afraid that soon I will step on the scale and it registers plus 20 pounds. My caloric intake is set for 1300 calories per day, but I can't seem to get that nice, satisfied feeling and end up going over my calories. The stuff that I used to eat doesn't fill me anymore and doesn't satisfy my taste buds. It's almost like I'm starting over as a new babe in MFP land, and don't know what to do. Help!!!!

maremare312

It looks like you have your goals set for higher protein and lower carbs, but you're not meeting your protein and going over on your carbs. I would probably start with eating a lot more protein and cutting out the sugary creamer.

postrockandcats

What is your BMR/ TDEE? How much do you want to loose? Do you workout?

It sounds like you might not be eating enough. We all got in this mess because we weren't aware of what we were eating and logging is a good way to become aware. If you aren't loosing and feel hungry all the time, you need to see what you eat and get some structure to your diet. And by diet I mean your daily intake, not the act of being on a diet.

If you loose weight, but slower and more regularly, isn't that a good trade off for eating more? Just my 2 cents.

And HEY!! Baltimore! I lived there for 14 years

reneeeeeh

A proper breakfast would be a start. Ditch the 140 cals of creamer and use those calories for something more substansial. A big bowl of oatmeal, eggs, whole grain toast, fruit etc.

Make sure you eat protein, have boiled eggs, greek yogurt and fruit, tuna etc as snacks, they will help you feel full in between meals.

cmriverside

Yeah, if you are always hungry, then it's one of two things. (1.) You truly need to eat more. Set your goals to "Lose 1 pound a week" and start walking 30 minutes five times a week. That should give you plenty of calories.

(2.) If that doesn't do it, then you need more protein and fiber, less processed carbs.

I have all kinds of trouble staying at my 1500 cals if I start eating breads, pasta, sugar.

If I stay with lean protein (and enough of it) veggies, two peices of fruit, lots of good fats, I'm satisfied.

melliebelly77

The more protein you get, the more full you will be, for a longer period of time.
I drink the GNC 25 protein shakes that have 25 grams of protein in them I stay full about 3-3 1/2 hrs after I drink one and it's great!
I have every morning for breakfast and sometimes for lunch or dinner.

riley711

You guys ar great!!! What foods and drinks can I eat/drink to get more protein?

Rocbola

Green leafy vegetables really help in this type of situation, for several reasons:
High water content. Leads to satiation.
High nutrient content. You might still be hungry because your body is demanding more nutrients, not necessarily more calories.
High protein content. Green leafy veggies have tons of protein.
High fiber content. Leads to satiation.
Low calorie content. You can eat a lot of green leafies and not get fat!

Eat a BIG salad but be careful with the dressing, because many available dressings are very high in fat.

Gramps251

Feel free to look at peoples food diaries, if they are open, for ideas.

You aren't getting much food for the number of calories your taking in. Rather than a hotdog have chicken breast or salmon or any lean beef or pork. Cook them simply. You should be able to eat lots more with some changes in your food choices.

A bowl of oatmeal will satisfy you better than creamer. Greek yogurt is very high in protein and filling, so maybe try your coffee black, a bowl of oatmeal and greek yogurt for breakfast. It will fill you up better.

Rinkermann

It looks like you have your goals set for higher protein and lower carbs, but you're not meeting your protein and going over on your carbs. I would probably start with eating a lot more protein and cutting out the sugary creamer.

yes, i agree with this. whenever i start feeling less satisfied, i get some protein in my diet because it makes me feel fuller for longer.

KittieLea

Feel free to look at peoples food diaries, if they are open, for ideas.

You aren't getting much food for the number of calories your taking in. Rather than a hotdog have chicken breast or salmon or any lean beef or pork. Cook them simply. You should be able to eat lots more with some changes in your food choices.

A bowl of oatmeal will satisfy you better than creamer. Greek yogurt is very high in protein and filling, so maybe try your coffee black, a bowl of oatmeal and greek yogurt for breakfast. It will fill you up better.

Yes Yes and Yes.
I truly think it's not how much you eat but what you eat. You can eat way more clean, unprocessed foods than foods that have a lot of preservatives, additives, chemicals, sugars, etc. in them. My rule of thumb is that if I can't pronounce an ingredient, it goes back on the shelf. Good luck!

thecapaccino

Definitely you are eating way too many Carb vs Protein!

Protein keeps you full longer. I would have a HEAVY protein breakfast e.g. eggs, bacon, sausage etc and wait to eat Carbs for lunch.

It will take your body some time to get use to it.

I started the Paleo diet and it has done wonders for me. I dont crave carbs or bad food...and I NEVER feel hungry (first 2 days on Paleo was a killer since my goal was less than 50g of carbs per day).

Now...I RARELY get 50G.

I am sure you want to lose FAT and not just weight which is why you need WAY more PROTEIN.

sunnygirl87

Lean protein is a good start. I discovered when I make a bean burrito(homemade) it fills me up all day. The calories are worth the full feeling. Oatmeal, etc fill you up. And don't forget you need fat. One of the most important things I discovered was to drink water. Warm water satiates me better than cold even though it sounds strange! Many times when we think we are hungry, we are thirsty. Go for warm water first, no packaged foods, processed meats. Make every calorie count!

SuffolkSally

I had a look through... on the days when you've logged your food, your are often way under goal calories, which won't help!

There are hardly any vegetables, and not enough protein. Try to have three proper meals a day (I'm bad about eating breakfast too - but I don't really think it matters much what time you eat). Base meals around a good protein source, lean meat, fish, eggs. Up your vegetable intake - you can eat an awful lot of filling veg for very few calories.

You're getting a lot of sodium - I'd try to cut down, but also make sure you're getting lots of water, which will fill you up and make sure you're not confusing hunger with dehydration. You also really need it if you are going to eat that much salt.

You can do it! Good luck

Alpina483

[...]High protein content. Green leafy veggies have tons of protein[...]

Ahem... not really. But totally agree with the rest of the post.

OP, that sounds so familiar. From my experience so far, this is either not enough volume of food - fiber and water help here a lot - or not enough calories. Not sure about the protein... after a while lean protein alone does not do it for me, only if accompanied by complex carbs. But you need to see what works for you.

riley711

Thanks everyone!!! I really appreciate all your advice and suggestions!!! Y'all have really encouraged and motivated me. I mentioned before that I had kinda lost my focus. Add to that the fact that I was becoming disheartened and unsure. You've given me great ideas to work on.

To give you a little more info, I haven't been logging complete days because I lost focus, and it was a major push just for me to log in everyday (probably a little depression in there). I have type 2 diabetes, so I do need some carbs...more than what is currently for my daily goals. According to the nutritionist, 1 carb serving = 15 mg of carbs. They recommend 3 carb servings for each major meal (breakfast, lunch and dinner), plus 2 carb servings for three snacks per day. That works out to 225 mg of carbs per day. I don't need nearly that much. Actually, I try to stay around 100 mg of carbs per day. I can have less, but not too much less. Thus, no Atkins for me.

I love looking at other people's diaries for food ideas. Otherwise, I just eat the same old stuff and get bored. Definitely going to increase the protein!! and better meal planning too!! Thanks everyone for helping me raise my excitement level back up. I feel a lot better and am encouraged to continue on this journey!!

Joy and Blessings!!!

ThatDarnZach

I am exactly the same way. My diary is open so please take a look! I haven't been PERFECT the last few days, but I try.

secretlobster

Your ticker says you want to lose another 50lbs (congrats on your first 50!)
I'd say 1300 is unnecessarily low for your weight goal... Losing weight doesn't have to mean being hungry

Hezzietiger1

Drop the processed crap.. Load up on lean proteins. Fill it in with fresh fruits and veggies, olive oil, almonds, nut butters, avocado, and some dairy. Your calories need to be nutrient dense. 1 gram of protein per lb of lean body mass and 25 grams of fiber. Do that, you will feel much fuller.

SickSkilz

I would strongly recommend more fruits and veggies, startignt he day with a whole grain, and addign some excercise and eating the calories burned back. I net out near 1200 calories after working out and i feel like I am eatign a lot and am frequently full. Feel free to look at my diary.

Stpjudge

Try adding (slowly) some PGX granules to your diet. PGX is a soluble fiber and will help you to feel more full and satisfied.

***RAMP UP TO THE FULL DOSAGE SLOWLY*** so that your body has time to adjust to the extra dietary fiber.

dansls1

For the days you do track, you have 200-300+ calories of creamer and dressing - out of a 1300 calorie goal. You are definitely not going to be full with that many empty calories. Also I'd love to find those no sodium chicken tenders...

I'm thinking look at committing yourself not to losing weight, but to being healthier. You'll find that you'll lose the weight without starving yourself and feel much better in the long run. Just my humble opinion

gaspergirl

Every morning I drink a protein shake. I use Jillian Michaels Vanilla (buy at Walmart for $10). One scoop of powder, One cup of milk, dash of vanilla extract, and a tablespoon of Peanut Butter, and Ice. 27 protein. Keeps me full for hours. When fresh fruit is in season, I replace the PB with a cup of blueberries or a banana.

Gramps251

Sorry, I don't know what someone with diabetes can and can't eat. Can you eat sweet potatos? If so they are good and filling. Just leave off the fatting toppings.

You probably know know about what you should and shouldn't be eating with diabetes but here is a link from the Mayo Clinic the might give you some ideas about food.

http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/diabetes-diet/DA00027

sarahrbraun

Okay, here's my problem. I was doing really good for a while. Then my consecutive days streak broke, and after that, I kind of lost focus. I haven't really gained much weight (typical 5 lb. fluctuation), but I'm afraid that soon I will step on the scale and it registers plus 20 pounds. My caloric intake is set for 1300 calories per day, but I can't seem to get that nice, satisfied feeling and end up going over my calories. The stuff that I used to eat doesn't fill me anymore and doesn't satisfy my taste buds. It's almost like I'm starting over as a new babe in MFP land, and don't know what to do. Help!!!!

Feel free to check out my diary. I reduced my carbs to ~100g net per day back in May due to slow weight loss. I'm pretty sure that I have insulin resistance ( which can lead to T2 diabetes), but am waiting on the results of my blood draw from Tuesday.

I have found a combination that works for me for breakfast--2 whole eggs ( I have chickens, so they are FRESH), 3-4 slices of soy bacon, then either 1/2 cup cottage cheese or a greek yogurt. Today was cottage cheese, so I had 6 carbs, 2 fiber, and 340 calories. For lunch today I ran through Wendy's and got a 1/2 apple pecan chicken salad--29 carbs, 4 fiber, 340 calories. I meant to grab a granola bar at home before I ran back out, but I forgot For Dinner, the family wanted Donatos...so I got a full sized chicken harvest salad-- 680 calories, 40 carbs, 6 fiber. So far for the day, I ate 1350 calories, 75 carbs, 79 protein, and 12 fiber.

I'm full, but hubby and kids want to go get ice cream...which I will do because I have over 600 calories, and 32 carbs left.

sneakysneaker

You might find that some small swaps make a difference (and are easier to start with). If you can't cut out all your creamer, cut it to half and have some yogurt, an apple, oatmeal (large flake oats) for the other 70 calories. Same thing with the mayo, halve and swap saved calories for something more filling.

When I get bored I check out new cookbooks from the library to try new recipes. The America's Test Kitchen Healthy Family Cookbook is my current favorite. It has a great breakdown of all the calories, protein, etc and so far all the recipes have been winners. http://www.amazon.com/Americas-Kitchen-Healthy-Family-Cookbook/dp/1933615567/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1347068135&sr=8-1&keywords=america's+test+kitchen+healthy

If you don't enjoy cooking you can try to find larger recopies where you cook a big meal on the weekend that then becomes lunch or dinner through the week. Also trying some new spices might make chicken (which can be soooo bland) more interesting (smoked paprika, Thai chilli paste, fresh garlic, fresh basil).