Why do I never feel full

bobbyrosegr2000

Hi All,

I don't know if it's just the way my brain thinks, or how well my body metabolises food.

I never feel full! Sadly I'm not a skinny me where having a fast metabolism is a bonus, I constantly eat and its really starting to show. I eat breakfast at 8am, followed by a snack prior to lunch, i eat lunch at 11.30 and am starving by 2pm.

I think it may be the way my brain functions. I don't know if im always feeling hungry, its more the fact I like eating and cant wait to eat the food I have prepared.

Im constantly browsing food blogging websites, food review sites and thinking about what i'll make food wise for the day.

Help!!!

YoungDoc2B

How much water are you drinking?

Koldnomore

You probably aren't eating enough. At age 19 there is no way that you have a BMR under 1200 calories. Your protein is also low. Read the newbie information at the top of the general forum and run your numbers. If your 'starving' you're doing it wrong

rubberbiscuit

It could be the foods that you are eating. If you eat more protein and fiber, it will help you to stay full, or at least satisfied, longer. Processed carbs, like sugar and white flour will give you quick energy, but will leave you feeling hungry soon after.

Something else that works to help change your thinking is, when you eat, try to rate your fullness on a scale from 1-10. I didn't want to mess this up (my recall for details sucks), so I took it from this page. http://medweb.mit.edu/pdf/hunger_scale.pdf

1. BEYOND HUNGRY: You may have a headache. You can’t concentrate and feel dizzy. You
may have trouble with coordination. You are totally out of energy and need to lie down. This
may happen during a very restrictive diet.
2. You can’t seem to tolerate anything. You’re irritable and cranky and very hungry, with little
energy. You may even feel nauseous. You are at the stage of being famished.
3. The urge to eat is strong. You are feeling an emptiness in your stomach. Your coordination
begins to wane.
4. You start to think about food. Your body is giving you the signal that you might want to eat.
You are a little hungry.
5. Your body has enough fuel to keep it going and is physically and psychologically just starting
to feel satisfied.
6. You’re fully at the point of satisfaction.
7. You’re past the point of satisfaction, yet you can still “find room” for a little more. Your body
says “no” and your mind says “yes” to a few more bites.
8. You are actually starting to hurt. Maybe you shouldn’t have had more, but it tasted so good.
Or, did you get caught up in the eating-is-the-thing-to-do syndrome because all of the activity
was centered around food?
9. The after-effects feel really uncomfortable. Maybe you didn’t eat all day to leave room for
this meal and you feel heavy, tired, and bloated. You no longer feel like socializing; you’d
rather be by yourself or go to bed. Did you miss out on the socializing because you felt
focused on the food?
10. BEYOND FULL: This is a typical Thanksgiving Dinner feeling – you are physically
miserable, don’t want to or can’t move, and feel like you never want to look at food again.

You should try to always stay in the 4-6 range. That means eat before you become famished and stop before you become uncomfortable. It requires some vigilance and really thinking about your eating, but this does work. Good luck.

bobbyrosegr2000

How much water are you drinking?

Alot! Atleast 5 x 500ml bottles a day!

bobbyrosegr2000

You probably aren't eating enough. At age 19 there is no way that you have a BMR under 1200 calories. Your protein is also low. Read the newbie information at the top of the general forum and run your numbers. If your 'starving' you're doing it wrong

Hi There,

I come from a very athletic background, competing internationally as an athletics athlete. Even then in my prime, I was never satisfied!

Having a 1200 calorie diet suits me well, I feel that I don't need to eat more, something in my head (Maybe boredom) instructs me to.

It's damn annoying as I am putting on KG's weekly because of it!

bobbyrosegr2000

It could be the foods that you are eating. If you eat more protein and fiber, it will help you to stay full, or at least satisfied, longer. Processed carbs, like sugar and white flour will give you quick energy, but will leave you feeling hungry soon after.

Something else that works to help change your thinking is, when you eat, try to rate your fullness on a scale from 1-10. I didn't want to mess this up (my recall for details sucks), so I took it from this page. http://medweb.mit.edu/pdf/hunger_scale.pdf

1. BEYOND HUNGRY: You may have a headache. You can’t concentrate and feel dizzy. You
may have trouble with coordination. You are totally out of energy and need to lie down. This
may happen during a very restrictive diet.
2. You can’t seem to tolerate anything. You’re irritable and cranky and very hungry, with little
energy. You may even feel nauseous. You are at the stage of being famished.
3. The urge to eat is strong. You are feeling an emptiness in your stomach. Your coordination
begins to wane.
4. You start to think about food. Your body is giving you the signal that you might want to eat.
You are a little hungry.
5. Your body has enough fuel to keep it going and is physically and psychologically just starting
to feel satisfied.
6. You’re fully at the point of satisfaction.
7. You’re past the point of satisfaction, yet you can still “find room” for a little more. Your body
says “no” and your mind says “yes” to a few more bites.
8. You are actually starting to hurt. Maybe you shouldn’t have had more, but it tasted so good.
Or, did you get caught up in the eating-is-the-thing-to-do syndrome because all of the activity
was centered around food?
9. The after-effects feel really uncomfortable. Maybe you didn’t eat all day to leave room for
this meal and you feel heavy, tired, and bloated. You no longer feel like socializing; you’d
rather be by yourself or go to bed. Did you miss out on the socializing because you felt
focused on the food?
10. BEYOND FULL: This is a typical Thanksgiving Dinner feeling – you are physically
miserable, don’t want to or can’t move, and feel like you never want to look at food again.

You should try to always stay in the 4-6 range. That means eat before you become famished and stop before you become uncomfortable. It requires some vigilance and really thinking about your eating, but this does work. Good luck.

I do try stay in those specific numbers! Its an odd feeling, I think my outlook on food is different to most. Its like I have an obsession which is the most annoying part. My mother was a chef and father a wine maker, maybe it was my upbringing that somehow determined the way I see food?

Audiejude

From what I know its because of your hormones. There's hormone that triggers hunger and another that triggers that full feeling in the stomach. In normal people there's a sharp increases and decreases in each, actually, this youtube segment explains it fantastically.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cBZQ8T141_o&list=PL3B810CE1987C83E0&index=2&feature=plpp_video

bobbyrosegr2000

One quick note - I have a desk job, 40 hours per week 8 am to 5pm, so i am sitting constantly!

nerakder

Excellent video on you tube, Thx for posting the link

LauraDotts

You probably aren't eating enough. At age 19 there is no way that you have a BMR under 1200 calories. Your protein is also low. Read the newbie information at the top of the general forum and run your numbers. If your 'starving' you're doing it wrong

Hi There,

I come from a very athletic background, competing internationally as an athletics athlete. Even then in my prime, I was never satisfied!

Having a 1200 calorie diet suits me well, I feel that I don't need to eat more, something in my head (Maybe boredom) instructs me to.

It's damn annoying as I am putting on KG's weekly because of it!

Obviously 1200 calories a day does not suit you. That something in your head telling you to eat more is your body telling you that you need more. Listen to it.