Anyone else have an insatiable appetite?

stephl81

If you only have 8-10 lbs left to lose, your deficit should be about 250 calories below TDEE, which is half a lb of weight loss per week.

oh awesome, thx

ya Im probably striving too low. But according to MFP (and we all know its not the golden grail) I should be eating 1450 cals a day with a sedentary lifestyle ( i have a desk job). Now I know based on that I could eat back exercise cals but even on the days I dont workout, 1450 just doesnt seem to be enough. Ill try to figure out what my TDEE really is and just subract 250 per day. Thanks.

BH_Holl

Have you thought about taking a break for a couple of weeks and eating at maintenance? Whenever I have been dieting hard for an extended period of time, eventually my body fights back and my hunger really intensifies. It doesn't seem to calm down until I have eaten at maintenance for one to two weeks and then I can drop calories again and start losing without the hunger.

auroranflash

Yup.

Eat a crapload of protein-rich foods. Grilled meat. LOTS OF MEAT. MEAT FOR BREAKFAST. MEAT FOR DESSERT.

M<MMMMMMEAT.,klklll

WendyTerry420

Before MFP, I was hungry all the time. I always had snacks everywhere just in case of hungry. Now that I understand nutrition better and have been eating better, I have found that I am rarely hungry, except when it's almost mealtime.

auroranflash

If you only have 8-10 lbs left to lose, your deficit should be about 250 calories below TDEE, which is half a lb of weight loss per week.

oh awesome, thx

ya Im probably striving too low. But according to MFP (and we all know its not the golden grail) I should be eating 1450 cals a day with a sedentary lifestyle ( i have a desk job). Now I know based on that I could eat back exercise cals but even on the days I dont workout, 1450 just doesnt seem to be enough. Ill try to figure out what my TDEE really is and just subract 250 per day. Thanks.

Try this:
http://www.fat2fitradio.com/tools/bmr/

Quibeful

Hunger to a degree is good, but it is also your body's way of saying that it is in need of food. I have noticed that after a few days of eating appropriately, I want to feast like a beast. I say eat back a predetermined amount of calories and see if that helps. It won't hurt you in the long run and you will feel good instantaneous! Be moderately happy...COMPLETE happiness is overated! at least when you are "dieting".

Akimajuktuq

Yup.

Eat a crapload of protein-rich foods. Grilled meat. LOTS OF MEAT. MEAT FOR BREAKFAST. MEAT FOR DESSERT.

M<MMMMMMEAT.,klklll

This^ but with lots of healthy fat too. 65% of my food is fat.

Since I stopped eating grains, legumes, sugar, etc. I no longer have food cravings or need to binge. Never. I eat terrific, fatty, filling, home-cooked foods and do not feel that I am "suffering" or "restricted". No urge to binge whatsoever. In fact, I usually have to eat at night just to get my calories up to goal. It's so great to not be hungry all the time!

I have a child too. And the way I think about it is: if it's unhealthy for me, it's unhealthy for her too. So I no longer buy junk. She gets enough unhealthy food at her school and daycare; I can't do much about that but I can control what I bring into the house.

katescurios

Try eating lots of small meals rather than 3 big meals.

If you have a sweet tooth and think that it may just be those cravings causing the hunger then try having things like low cal instant hot chocolate drinks to give you the chocolate hit without the calories.

Exercise in the evenings then have a snack like a protein bar or banana after to refill. That should keep you going till bed then you can sleep till your next meal and not need more food

I heard somewhere that sometimes our bodies think we're hungry when we're actually thirsty, no idea if it's true or not but I've been keeping a bottle of water with me at all times and sipping from it regularly and it seems to be helping.

Have low cal but really filling veg like mushrooms to bulk up your meals. One of my faves is mushroom omelette. 100g of mushrooms is something silly like 16 cals so you can go wild, I then have 1 whole egg and 2 egg whites and . use the spray oil stuff, I think a whole egg is about 100 cals and the white is about 25 so for under 200 calories you have a big plate of food.

That's my 2 cents anyway :laugh:

sarahrbraun

Do you eat any exercise calories back? Is 1500 your net?
I could have written this post myself! I have 10lbs to go and I also have a 2 1/2 year old who has snacks that get me in trouble... I also feel a lot better around 2000, but I don't lose.
Honestly, that hungry feeling never goes away for me. Some times I have the will power to ignore it, some times I don't. I could eat salads and vegetables all day long, as people recommend since they are lower and calories. I drink 120 oz of water per day. I know that I will never be one of those people who feels satisfied with a portion size of something.
One thing that helps me slightly to curb my appetite is green tea or any tea. If I am cooking or waiting for something to cook, I try to drink a cup of tea.
I just feel like feeling hungry is something I have to live with.

Sometimes I try not to eat back my exercise cals but those tend to be the days Im hungriest. I changed my settings in MFP back to sedentary (i have a desk job) just so i could eat my exercise calories lol because when it was set to active (which was accounting for my workouts) I was still eating my exercise cals anyway. I was hoping for a magic pill. I tried looking for a fiber supplement (which was recommended in Jiliian Michaels 30 day shred) but I couldnt find anything with a significant amount of fiber. Besides the pharmiscist just said I would poo more often with a fiber supplement.

I used to drink green tea at night. I will start doing that again. Thanks!

you are MEANT to eat back exercise calories to some extent. MFP builds a deficit into your calorie range, then you exercise and your body doesn't have enough fuel to take care of daily needs.

When I first started, it was HARD to stay in my calorie range. But lately it isn't as hard. I eat lots and lots of protein--I aim for 100g or more per day. Eggs, soy bacon, and cottage cheese or greek yogurt for breakfast. dinner leftovers or salads for lunch. Meat and veg for dinner. Almost never eat bread, make my sandwiches on low carb/high fiber tortillas ( 12g fiber each).

It takes great effort to eat more than about 1800 calories MAX. A few times I have managed to eat over 2400 calories.

missigus

I'm the same way. I am starving about every other day. One day I'm fine can stay on track, the next I could lick the wall paper off the walls. Probably why I am losing so slowly anymore. I too am tring to lose about 5 to 7 lbs more. My body seems really happy where it is at. I wish I had a remedy for this hunger appetite thing. I wish I didn't crave the wrong things too. Some one suggested drinking tea. I do that ocassionally, and it does seem to help curb my appetite some especially at night when I want to snack or I feel like I am getting hungry again. Sometimes a protein shake will do the trick too. But again that is adding calories when they are not wanted. I feel your frustration! I'll be interested in peoples suggestions as well....

CATindeeHAT

Are you getting enough rest? My appetite has a night and day difference depending on the amount of sleep I get. Also, your serotonin levels might be low. Recent studies have shown that low levels of serotonin are correlated with decreased leptin levels.

hendinerik

Yes, I am hungry a LOT. I find it motivates me to exercise to stay within my targets.
If you are selective you can have a lot of food - I find sometimes I crave processed food, that's what gets me in trouble.

I have to stay away from sweets... if you have a snack like plain greek yogurt and an apple - the calories are not too bad.

I try not to keep sweets and junk in the house.

Good luck, I think many people have been in this situation!

pattikake2

There is a theory that if you eat more calories for a week or two and even gain a few pouds it will jumpstart your weight loss when you go back to your weight loss food plan. It is supposed to replicate how a person looses more weight in their initial weeks of "dieting". Sorry, I don't know what other word to use for "dieting" - feel free to put your own "how I eat" word in there.

NShapeRunning

I used to be like you too but as long as I eat small protein rich food every two hours I'm fine. I might get a little hungry towards the end of the day but nothing too bad. (I'm eating in between 1200 -1300 calories) The days I do get hungry it's because I exercised a lot and I don't eat back my exercise calories.

stephl81

Do you eat any exercise calories back? Is 1500 your net?
I could have written this post myself! I have 10lbs to go and I also have a 2 1/2 year old who has snacks that get me in trouble... I also feel a lot better around 2000, but I don't lose.
Honestly, that hungry feeling never goes away for me. Some times I have the will power to ignore it, some times I don't. I could eat salads and vegetables all day long, as people recommend since they are lower and calories. I drink 120 oz of water per day. I know that I will never be one of those people who feels satisfied with a portion size of something.
One thing that helps me slightly to curb my appetite is green tea or any tea. If I am cooking or waiting for something to cook, I try to drink a cup of tea.
I just feel like feeling hungry is something I have to live with.

Sometimes I try not to eat back my exercise cals but those tend to be the days Im hungriest. I changed my settings in MFP back to sedentary (i have a desk job) just so i could eat my exercise calories lol because when it was set to active (which was accounting for my workouts) I was still eating my exercise cals anyway. I was hoping for a magic pill. I tried looking for a fiber supplement (which was recommended in Jiliian Michaels 30 day shred) but I couldnt find anything with a significant amount of fiber. Besides the pharmiscist just said I would poo more often with a fiber supplement.

I used to drink green tea at night. I will start doing that again. Thanks!

you are MEANT to eat back exercise calories to some extent. MFP builds a deficit into your calorie range, then you exercise and your body doesn't have enough fuel to take care of daily needs.

When I first started, it was HARD to stay in my calorie range. But lately it isn't as hard. I eat lots and lots of protein--I aim for 100g or more per day. Eggs, soy bacon, and cottage cheese or greek yogurt for breakfast. dinner leftovers or salads for lunch. Meat and veg for dinner. Almost never eat bread, make my sandwiches on low carb/high fiber tortillas ( 12g fiber each).

It takes great effort to eat more than about 1800 calories MAX. A few times I have managed to eat over 2400 calories.

I am meant to eat back calories if I have my settings at sedentary. But if I have it at lightly active (taking into consideration my hour work out a day) then technically my exercise calories are already calculated in and I shouldn’t eat them back. Still it’s not enough.

Im going to take advantage of my food notes to jot down how I feel when Im hungry. Maybe I can pinpoint the REAL reason why I am never satisfied.

monicalord

I feel you! On days when I feel super hungry ALL THE TIME, I make a hug batch of this salad

Kale
Tomatoes
Sea vegetable (Nori)
Lemon Juice
Braggs liquid Aminos

And eat it all day long. I just keep on eating it until the hunger leaves.

Another suggestion is SPICE. Third world countries are notorious for eating spicy meals to curb appetite.

Give it a try!

jus_in_bello

I used to be that way. I have Celiac, a gluten intolerance, and it manifested itself as a sort of wheat addiction, when I'd eat stuff with wheat in it I couldn't stop eating. Since going GF that's no longer a problem...except in the 3 days before my period when I eat like a Gluten free Cookie Monster then all but fast for a week because food repulses me...but that might be an overshare...

SherryR1971

I have been like that today for some reason...

RachelSRoach1

I feel like no matter how much I eat I am always hungry. Anyone else have that problem? I am trying to lose these last 8-10lbs but my body doesn’t want to function on 1500 cals a day. I’m happiest at around 2000 (if not more). So how am I supposed to keep full and lose weight based on that? I eat plenty of nuts, protein, and fiber, try to drink 60-80 oz of water a day. What else can I do? And if I try to hold off eating when Im hungry, the hunger pains get so bad that I binge. Like last night, I tried and tried to wait for dinner to finish cooking and thanks to my 3 year old son there was an opened bag of cookies right there and before I knew it I devoured them! I don’t even know how many I ate. Then of course I felt guilty, ate my dinner and went to bed at 845 feeling depressed. Help! Any constructive feedback would be appreciated. Thanks.

I have been stuggling with the same. I'm doing okay now and I have promised myself to follow my calories for a week. Sometimes it's a mental thing for me and I need to focus on the baby steps. Also.. for me it was the food I was eating.. healthy food fills me up more.. and I introduced coffee to my diet and for some reason that fills me up really well. Maybe you could find something like that.. something that fills you up until the next meal?

I also try to occupy my mind with other things. I am a boredom eater so if I am watching a movie I'm craving cookies or ice creams or something bad.. so I try to keep myself doing something with my hands or even chewing gum.

Best of luck! You're welcome to friend me and we can keep each other accountable

threeohtwo

Hah!

I do... when I eat chilli, so it would make sense to avoid chilli right?

Nope, no siree... I LOVE chilli, without chilli I would die, the hotter and stronger the better, the more chilli I eat the more I want, and it must be substantial... not like can't chew it... I NEED to chew the hell outta the chilli... like a compelling story or pringles! Once you pop you can't stop! Or was that virgins? Anyway you get the point!

Chilli is my weakness I can avoid and not eat without an issue... introduce chilli, and I'm a monster with chilli on this, chilli on that, heck I love chilli wine or chocolate... Hell... as long as it is spicy I guess I would eat it.

Ate maggots in Thailand, grasshoppers too, and even some frog in their bar made stew!

This made me giggle.

mistikal13

I don't feel this way all the time, but I do have days where I'm just starving! If it's a day that I just feel hungry with no extra exercise, I curb my appetite with coffee, gum, or some pb until my next snack or meal. If I have had a hard workout and that's why I'm hungry, I'll eat an extra mini meal or snack with protein for the day.

kiachu

Meeeee!!! My stomach is a black hole. . Is why I gain wait so quickly and easily.

sharronlam

I do too feel hungry often. I am starting to realize that certain things trigger my hunger more than others though....for example, an afternoon cup of coffee with caffeine has me ravenous before dinner! ALso, carbs and sweets make you crave more carbs and sweets so if you can resist them and snack on proteins, those cravings should diminish.
How about sipping some broth while cooking or chewing gum> both have helped me!

elisa123gal

hot chicken broth with a dash of hot sauce curbs my appetite. I buy the low sodium bullion cubes.

Play with the layout of your calories. For one week...try saving most of the your calories for lunch onward...see if that works. Also try a week of eating more at breakfast and see if that keeps you from eating the rest of the day.

add exercise in the early evening if you see that you'll overeat.

Coffee...curbs my appetite a lot.

bemott

Steel Cut oats for breakfast has helped my hunger tons!

cbrrabbit25

I think you're feeling sugar cravings more than anything else, and you need to reset that craving. Try to eat things with more protein and fiber, so they fill you up longer. And although it's tough with kids around, I'm sure, try not to keep the overly tempting stuff in the house. If it's not immediately available, you're much less likely to binge on it. 'If you're trying to eat more healthy, maybe your kids can help by eating healthier themselves, and trying not to keep the sugary foods on hand.

Im sugar cravings have EVERYTHING to do with it as I have a HUGE sweet tooth. I typically dont buy cookies but it was an impulse buy at the register. :grumble:

this...even sugary fruit can cause me to eat more throughout the day so i try to be carefull with it.

Meghansnana

Aren't all of us on this page?

curlygirl513

I'm a whole foods vegan who gave up sugar. I'm not hungry. I couldn't handle being hungry. Seriously. I would cave in so fast. I'm a weakling when it comes to being hungry.

Meghansnana

Help get rid of the sugsr cravings. My cal intake has prob reached 3500 today. I am desperate.

aedreana

Insatiable? No. However, I have to consume enormous quantities of greasy starchy food in order to feel satisfied. My immense vanity is more powerful than my appetite. My intense aversion to exercise is even more powerful than my vanity. I stay hungry. I am o.k. with it.