How long did it take for the hunger feelings to go away?

Jester_of_Tortuga

So, how long did it take for each of you to finally not feel that tugging feeling when you were hungry from your trimmed calorie diet? I'm currently on week 3 of my diet and exercise plan and I still feel hungry at times. Right now my stomach is a bit achy even though I have almost met my limit for today and have been making decent choices.

Will I eventually get used to it?

SilverOnTheTree

You'll get a mixed bunch of responses in here, ignore the angry people

Sorry - I don't think there's a set time for adjusting. It took me about a week to adjust into the healthier-foods feeling, and two weeks to adjust to smaller portion sizes. Now it feels impossible to eat as much as I used to, especially the starchy foods.

I drank a lot of water between meals to begin with, and increased the amount of protein in every meal. Some meals still leave me feeling ravenous not matter how big the portion, so I avoid them: soups, vegetarian salads, Subway sandwiches (why??).

Those first nights where I felt too dissatisfied to sleep (wasn't genuinely hungry), I ate a level dessert spoon of peanut butter before bedtime.

SailorJerrysRum

Subway sandwiches (why??).

Me too! I'll have a footlong and 20 minutes later I'm still unsatified, yet a teeny burger and small fries with hold me over for 4 hours.

As for the OP's question, depending on how bad your original diet it could be days, weeks, months, even years. I was and sometimes still am a person that eats as a hobby. I still have trouble with accepting my new portions, and I'm two month in the game. Yet I see people who had it much worse than me and they are skating by faster, so it's mental also.

AustinMcKenna1030

I haven't been too hungry. I dont know if this is why but I eat a lot of protein. When I eat things like fruit I always pair it with protein. Such as a an apple and then a string cheese or a small amount of peanut butter. I put a little meat on my salads. Today I had a salad for lunch with three ounces of cut up roast. I cut it into small pieces so it seems like more. Tomorrow my lunch will be a spinach salad with 3 oz of pork tenderloin, carrots and strawberries. I also don't necessarily eat 3 meals. I spread it out. What I said will be my lunch will actually be eaten as a meal and one or two snacks. Hope this helps!

jodypaddy

OMG i thought it was just me - Im hungry all the time now - its soooo hard.... ALthough its highlighted how much crap I eat though not anymore... IM drinking lots of green tea between meals....

I hate that hungry feeling - are skinny people hungry all the time??? IM not huge but would like to loose a fair few kilos though

david_swinstead

I went from a gluttonous 2800 calories per day to a meagre 1600 per day. It took me a week or so fr my stomach to get used to it.

geebusuk

Consider what you're eating.
Apart from a recent case of Gastritis which I mistook for hunger (felt similar and feeling went away when eating ) I've been fairly lucky.
I do eat a lot of protein (meat, etc) which is considered to keep you fuller for longer.
Foods with a lot of fibre in should also be good I believe.

I'll often try to add a 'bed' of salad to main meals - seems to fill the stomach up a bit, despite having very low calories per 100g.

Bassgirl51

Subway sandwiches (why??).

Me too! I'll have a footlong and 20 minutes later I'm still unsatified, yet a teeny burger and small fries with hold me over for 4 hours.

As for the OP's question, depending on how bad your original diet it could be days, weeks, months, even years. I was and sometimes still am a person that eats as a hobby. I still have trouble with accepting my new portions, and I'm two month in the game. Yet I see people who had it much worse than me and they are skating by faster, so it's mental also.

A lot more fat in the burger and fries. Fat and protein will make you feel full longer.

lreyenga

Still working on that myself, but what I'm focusing on is the amount of water I drink (not enough .. apparently one should not live on coffee alone) and the portions of fat/protein/carbs. I had totally bought into the idea that you should eat a "low fat" diet to lose weight. I find I feel much more sustained if I eat less calories that include fat instead of more of nonfat items.

I had to move to a country where you cannot buy non-fat dairy to figure that one out. Reminds me to educate myself and keep an open mind.

Cant0na

I spent so many years eating too much and never feeling truly hungry, that when I started eating properly, feeling hungry was a bit of a novelty.
I have kind of embraced my hunger, it is a sign that I have made a change for the better.
Three months in and I still feel hungry sometimes, try chewing sugar free gum after a glass of water that works for me.
If it is a problem for you, you may need to eat every couple of hours, little and often. Best wishes on your journey.

Cookiedough9

I have to drink a lot, or distract myself.

If I really can't take the hunger I'll have a bit of cereal or cheese. Sometimes a carrot

jennivive83

I spent so many years eating too much and never feeling truly hungry, that when I started eating properly, feeling hungry was a bit of a novelty.
I have kind of embraced my hunger, it is a sign that I have made a change for the better.
Three months in and I still feel hungry sometimes, try chewing sugar free gum after a glass of water that works for me.
If it is a problem for you, you may need to eat every couple of hours, little and often. Best wishes on your journey.

THIS!!!!
I have been overeating for so many years, I too found it a novelty to "feel" that hungry feeling for once in my life. It really does remind you that you've made good change!!

jenneal89

It took a little over a week. I used to over eat badly! I'd have a medium pizza, 5 bread sticks, and 2 cokes from pizza hut TO MYSELF! I'm only 5'6" and was 145lbs at that time. I can't believe I wasnt 200lbs since I ate like that every day and had half of a cake before bed at least 4 nights a week. I started eating healthy but still big portion sizes and about a month ago I started eating several small meals per day, for me it was an attitude change--eating until I'm no longer hungry rather than until I'm very full. I drink water and exercise which makes me less 'hungry' although I wasn't truly hungry just not full all of the time.

jenneal89

It took a little over a week. I used to over eat badly! I'd have a medium pizza, 5 bread sticks, and 2 cokes from pizza hut TO MYSELF! I'm only 5'6" and was 145lbs at that time. I can't believe I wasnt 200lbs since I ate like that every day and had half of a cake before bed at least 4 nights a week. I started eating healthy but still big portion sizes and about a month ago I started eating several small meals per day, for me it was an attitude change--eating until I'm no longer hungry rather than until I'm very full. I drink water and exercise which makes me less 'hungry' although I wasn't truly hungry just not full all of the time.

Edit: I would say tho, if you are really truly hungry, don't drop so many calories all at once. Start with like 500 per day and go from there.

fstephanie4

IM drinking lots of green tea between meals....

Does green tea help with food craving? Because people say water helps and not gonna lie...water does not replace food for me. Whether that's a mind over matter thing or what but still.

geebusuk

Oh and I've always found subway really good on a staying full per calorie ratio.
Are you making sure there's loads of salad in there?
Might be worth going for wheat bread if you're not?

For around 300 calories, a 6' turkey breast and ham with a load of salad fills me up better than 'much anything else.
Infact, I might get one when I'm in town later, now that we've talked about it .

Off10h8ed

I have found if I snack a lot in between meals I am okay. I generally opt for fruit, beef jerky or a fiber or special K bar. I seem to be eating a lot and all the time but I am never really hungry and as long as you watch what you eat and log EVERYTHING you will be okay. I also chew a lot of gum (left over habit from 25 years of smoking ~ clean 3 years now) and I generally drink about a gallon of water a day. I give up after entering 9 or 10 cups or so. lol I have a quart container and generally drink 4+ every 24 hours.

missprincessgina

If I'm hungry, I'll eat ... fruit or vegetables. That helps me determine if I'm truly hungry or just bored. If I'm hungry enough to eat carrot sticks and 1/2 an apple then I am hungry. And extra calories worth of fruits and vegetables never hurt me any!!

Josh2040

I fool my brain by drinking lots of water and chewing on gum.

sodaisy

I'm so glad I'm not alone. OH keeps saying I'm a food monster as I can't stop eating and feel hungery all the time!

I started eating healthy (not diet as such, I'm changed my life style) in April this year, I started running in May averaging 14 miles per week, I set my cal to 1700 here and need to eat my exercise cal otherwise I can't function.

Food is constantly in my mind, I'm hungry all the time, I drinks loads of water (at least 7 pints during work days, less at weekend), tried green tea etc. I found liquid doesn't fill me up. Tried increase protien %, then this push my cal over.

Since I feel hungry all the time, I started the 5:2 fasting this week to see if this will change the way I look at food, today is the 2nd day of this fast and I'm pretty hungry on just munching on celery sticks...

justjenn1977

So, how long did it take for each of you to finally not feel that tugging feeling when you were hungry from your trimmed calorie diet? I'm currently on week 3 of my diet and exercise plan and I still feel hungry at times. Right now my stomach is a bit achy even though I have almost met my limit for today and have been making decent choices.

Will I eventually get used to it?

I've never known... I never drastically cut calories... I figure out what I supposed to ready and gradually cut 200 ish per day until I got there... Then I cut it every two weeks... My first two weeks my cal goal was like 3600...

I do however get the munchies... That feeling where you want to eat but you aren't "hungry"but you gotta stuff something in your ... When that happens and I can't distract/redirect myself I eat an apple or pear or carrots... Crunchy to satisfy that desire to chew... Low cal to satisfy other desires

heatherloveslifting

How much and what are you eating? I think you should maybe join one of the groups here like " in place of a road map ". There are lots of people here successfully losing weight on 1200 cals a day, but right now I'm eating over 1500 cals a day and losing weight faster than I did at 1200. And I feel much better and am not generally hungry. I wish I had done it sooner. Increasing protein was hard for me, but it really does help. Good luck!

CassieReannan

A few weeks for me, I barely knew what hunger was before.

bluebug53

If you work out and eat a Plant Strong diet, It is very hard to eat enough! I never feel hungry, and I hardly ever get all my calories in! Engine 2 diet!!!!!! Give up the meat, the oil, and the dairy! Make a positive lifestyle change, and your body will reward you for it!

nxd10

I've been thinking about this a lot as my hunger feelings went away but now they are back, but in a good way.

I learned that when I lowed my carbs a tad (40%) and mixed high glycemic foods with proteins I didn't get hungry. So things like quick oats in the morning or waffles were filling, but I'd be starving 2 hours later. I just don't eat that any more. I have muesli with yoghurt, which takes longer to digest.

So once I figured out a lot of foods I liked that kept me satisfied, the hunger pains were absolutely gone for several months. If I got a bit peckish I'd grab a few cashews and that would make me happy until it was time for my next meal.

Then what happened was I just got too good at eating a lot without eating a lot of calories. So I would hit 11:30 and just absolutely want to have lunch. Or 4:00 and just want to eat. The problem was, I wasn't eating ENOUGH calories. Like the last two nights it was 9PM, I'd already had my meals and an ice cream snack and after my exercise calories (just an hour of walking) I was still netting 900.

Not surprising I was hungry! So I ate something.

Frankly, every single time I am hungry - from the beginning to the end of this - I eat something. Often, though, it's not very much - like a few cashews. I use that information to shape what I eat so that I am satisfied, eat enough, but stay within my goals.

Sorry for the complicated answer!

tistal

Im always hungry. No matter if I eat 1200 or 1800. I can eat like a pig and be hungry an hour later. One of the reasons I joined MFP. I just drink as much water as I can when I get hungry if I have just recently eaten. Not really an answer to your question but for me I am convinced that it will be never! lol

nxd10

Subway sandwiches (why??).

Me too! I'll have a footlong and 20 minutes later I'm still unsatified, yet a teeny burger and small fries with hold me over for 4 hours.

It's the huge roll. It has an incredibly high glycemic index. I split one with my son the other day (he had 4/5, me the rest) and I was SHOCKED to see it was over 700 calories for the whole thing. Wow!

The big roll and also the sauce and cheese all have high carbs so it spikes your blood sugar. You get a big insulin surge, which stores all that blood sugar in your cells as fat (temporarily). It also keeps you from burning fat while that's going on. But of course you need sugar to run your body. So you get hungry because your body can't use the fat it has stored.

Low blood sugar is what triggers hunger.

neverstray

If you eat good clean food, you won't feel hungry. Lots of fruit and veggies, add in some nuts, like raw almonds, and you will feel full. This idea of a calorie is a calorie is true. But, it leaves out very important details. One of the awesome side effects of eating clean and healthy foods is you are never hungry and it's kind of hard to eat all your calories.

Subway is not really good. It's not bad, but that's exactly the wrong type of food or a long term full feeling. It's good in a pinch, but I never eat there. The bread is horrible for you from a feeling full perspective.

It really requires a complete change in the type of foods you choose to eat everyday.

GeorgieLove708

I never felt hungry when I dropped the calories BUT most of my calories were from pop ( I got fat eating 1 meal a day for years), so when I cut my calories and cut out pop I was actually struggling to get enough calories for a while. Even now, when I "feel" hungry I drink a big glass of water and that usually makes the feeling go away. I've never had a healthy relationship with food and never really learned the difference in my bodies response to hunger vs thirst, so my first step is always a drink of water.

1holegrouper

Our bodies are amazing at what they can do and adjust to. But, you want to make sure you are still taking in a healthy amount of calories. I mean, that your calorie deficit is a reasonable one for you.

yoovie

You shouldnt ignore legitimate hunger. Ever.