I need help curbing my appetite.

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Replies

  • Try moving breakfast until later in the morning, say 2 hours after you get up, or skip it all together and have an earlier lunch if that suits your day better.

    And please don't dismiss it until you have tried it for a couple of days, it doesn't hurt to give it a go. It might work for you.
  • Lesa_Sass
    Lesa_Sass Posts: 2,213 Member
    Are you keeping an accurate diary? Because if so, you are hungry because you need to eat! You are not eating enough, simple as that.

    Calories are our friends. Calories=energy. It is when we eat more calories than we use for energy that we gain weight. WE NEED calories for fuel. So you need to eat to fuel your body.

    If you are wanting to cut and build muscle, you need to eat way more protein as well.

    Calculate how many calories per day that you burn(your TDEE) and then go from there.

    My diary is not completely accurate. I forget to log stuff, or skip days sometimes. I'm working on that too. Like yesterday, I completed my diary for the day but ended up snacking a couple more times after wards.

    And I haven't really started working out yet to build the muscle, just walking, jogging and some beginners workouts at home. (I tire easily.)

    I'm pretty tired all the time, and I'm trying to also battle that. Working on figuring out some vitamins or whatever is needed to help.

    I am willing to bet that you are tired all the time because you are not fueling your body properly.

    Calculate your BMR and TDEE here: http://thefitgirls.com/tdee-calculator.aspx Then let us know what the two numbers are.
  • astrampe
    astrampe Posts: 2,169 Member
    You are not going to build muscle on 1300 cals en 49 grams of protein a day...
    eat more, eat LOTS of protein - you burn 500-800 cals each day with exercise and then only eat 1300.....Of course you will be hungry.....
  • bserwack
    bserwack Posts: 51 Member
    When I'm feeling the urge to snack, and I know I'm not hungry, I'll drink a cup of tea. I don't know why, but it usually works for me. By the time I finish drinking it the cravings have pretty much gone away.
  • laurensayz
    laurensayz Posts: 67 Member
    You are not going to build muscle on 1300 cals en 49 grams of protein a day...
    eat more, eat LOTS of protein - you burn 500-800 cals each day with exercise and then only eat 1300.....Of course you will be hungry.....

    I literally JUST edited yesterday and added in the two things I didn't put in yesterday. I actually ate back all of my calories.

    I do normally eat almost double the 48 protein MFP has me set at.

    I'm not currently doing any kind of exercises to build muscle. Just jogging and playing baseball with my boyfriend. Just trying to get used to being active again before doing any kind of workout routine.
  • bpotts44
    bpotts44 Posts: 1,066 Member
    Okay, maybe it's not my appetite. All I know, is that I can eat a full breakfast (eggs, grits, toast) or even a footlong Subway, and not too long after, I will have the desire to snack, or possibly even eat more. I'm not overweight (125lbs at 5'4) but I am looking to cut off 10lbs, while building muscle (which obviously means I may lose no weight). I'm mostly concerned with inches around the middle, since having 2 kids didn't help me out there.

    If nothing else, I probably just eat for taste, because there are even sometimes I feel full, but finish those last few bites just because it tastes good.

    Anyways,

    What are some healthy, appetite curbing meals and snacks that are EASY. I already cook a completely different dinner for the rest of my family than what I eat, so I don't want to go too complicated.

    I'm a little picky, and if I find something I like, I tend to eat a lot of it for a while...

    Thanks!

    You could try intermittent fasting.
  • caitconk
    caitconk Posts: 1 Member
    I feel the most full when I get more protein with every meal. What are your macros set to?

    Not sure what you mean by Macros, but if you mean MFP goals.... MFP has my Protein goal at 49 for the day. I already got 30 with breakfast. I feel full and satisfied, but I do have the urge to snack, already. It's been about an hour and a half. I had 3 eggs and grits, with a glass of milk.

    If you're trying to build muscle you need to eat A LOT of protein. I believe I've read around 70% of your body weight. So don't listen to MFP if you really are trying to lose inches and gain muscle. I usually try to take in at least 100 g/ day if not a little more - every meal has lots of protien. I eat a lot of healthy fats as well - coconut oil, avocados, etc. I'm usually satisfied all day and don't get the sudden urge of "I AM STARVING" like I used to. I always stay under my calorie goal even with eating those so called high calorie fats. I do get hungry quickly after breakfast so I usually have a mid-morning snack of veggies -zucchini, peppers, etc. Fruit has too much sugar. I don't think you should be concerned though. If you're hungry, eat. As long as you're taking in things your body can burn and process easily you should be fine.
  • laurensayz
    laurensayz Posts: 67 Member
    Are you keeping an accurate diary? Because if so, you are hungry because you need to eat! You are not eating enough, simple as that.

    Calories are our friends. Calories=energy. It is when we eat more calories than we use for energy that we gain weight. WE NEED calories for fuel. So you need to eat to fuel your body.

    If you are wanting to cut and build muscle, you need to eat way more protein as well.

    Calculate how many calories per day that you burn(your TDEE) and then go from there.

    My diary is not completely accurate. I forget to log stuff, or skip days sometimes. I'm working on that too. Like yesterday, I completed my diary for the day but ended up snacking a couple more times after wards.

    And I haven't really started working out yet to build the muscle, just walking, jogging and some beginners workouts at home. (I tire easily.)

    I'm pretty tired all the time, and I'm trying to also battle that. Working on figuring out some vitamins or whatever is needed to help.

    I am willing to bet that you are tired all the time because you are not fueling your body properly.

    Calculate your BMR and TDEE here: http://thefitgirls.com/tdee-calculator.aspx Then let us know what the two numbers are.

    Give me a couple minutes, going to do it right now.
  • sandiki
    sandiki Posts: 454
    chug water before every meal.

    Often, dehydration is confused with hunger.
  • LokiOfAsgard
    LokiOfAsgard Posts: 378 Member
    Eat SLOW.
    It takes 20 minutes for your brain to get the message that your stomach is full, so the slower you eat, the more time your brain has to realize it, and the less you'll eat for breakfast. It's okay to still want to eat more later, it's actually healthier to eat 5 small meals a day, instead of three big ones.
    But I bet that if you eat slower, you'll eat less breakfast and snackage.
  • laurensayz
    laurensayz Posts: 67 Member
    The two numbers from the thing are:

    BMR: 1385
    TDEE: 1904

    That's with 1-3 days of exercise, since that is what I'm usually getting right now. I hope to eventually hit 3-5 days.
  • LindsayLL30
    LindsayLL30 Posts: 154 Member
    Sounds like it might be more mental than phisycal - are you hungry, or do you just feel like snacking? I know the very second I walk into my parent's house I want to eat... but it's not because I'm hungry, it's something psychological about that house. Which means it's a matter of self control and changing habits.

    I agree...and sometime boredome leads to eating too!
  • laurensayz
    laurensayz Posts: 67 Member
    Also, I am tired often because I am anemic. I am working on that as well. I can't take the iron tablets because they make me feel sick and all I do is lay in bed. So that doesn't help my exercise.
  • Reza151
    Reza151 Posts: 517 Member
    When I'm feeling the urge to snack, and I know I'm not hungry, I'll drink a cup of tea. I don't know why, but it usually works for me. By the time I finish drinking it the cravings have pretty much gone away.


    Ohhhh i think ill give this a go! :-) Not only does the hot water help fill you up, but it gives you time to deliberate if you're truly hungry. Good thinking!
  • Snack on pumpkin seeds. They carve your appetite and take a while to eat, before you know it you have snacked until your next meal without adding many calories.
  • Lesa_Sass
    Lesa_Sass Posts: 2,213 Member
    Also, I am tired often because I am anemic. I am working on that as well. I can't take the iron tablets because they make me feel sick and all I do is lay in bed. So that doesn't help my exercise.

    Okay, lets kill a couple of birds with one stone. First, start off by eating iron rich foods, such as spinach and beans. Red meat if you eat red meat. Up your calorie goal to 1600 per day, PLUS at least half of your exercise calories. Do this for a couple of weeks and see how you FEEL. Nutrition is more important than weight for you right now.

    What you are doing to yourself is not healthy. The way you feel is proof. Make smoothies to get the greens in you if you have a hard time eating them. I have facebook page with lots of healthy recipes as well as great smoothie ideas if you would like to check it out: https://www.facebook.com/TheSassyGourmet
  • tndejong
    tndejong Posts: 463
    i know what your talking about! it is eating out of boredom. if there was a cure for this, many of us would not be on here. the water idea is a good idea and i never thought about trying that. i have not been working. so i trick myself and just grab a protein bar and go to the gym first thing in the morning. but with your baby, i understand that is not easy for you. but if im home in the morning, i make a pretty much the same things. oatmeal topped with half a thing of lowfat yogurt and then with fruit or granola. then i will have a low cal snack just a couple hours later. if i eat a little more often and plan my snacks it seems to work. but its a work in progress and im not perfect everyday.
  • Try Eboost it is the bomb, I drink a glass every morning it really helps with my daily vitamins and energy. Make sure you are sipping on water all day.
  • ldjames69
    ldjames69 Posts: 31 Member
    Try eating foods that have a good amount of fiber if you are just hungry. Snacking times fruits and veggies are good choices. For me I chew sugar free gum (still 5 calories) so I don't eat things like chips, etc. I think I just need to have something in my mouth so I alot for that in my caloric intake. I drink really cold water or water with flavoring. Being diabetic, I want something sweet at times so I use the gum mostly but when I want a chocolate fix, I eat small piece of dark chocolate. You can do a quick search for healthy snacks and see what you can find there as well. I am picky too.
  • hubtech
    hubtech Posts: 43 Member
    If it's not hunger, consider not eating rather than finding something else to eat. Drink some water and find something to do to keep your hands and mind busy.
  • WBB55
    WBB55 Posts: 4,131 Member
    Okay, lets kill a couple of birds with one stone. First, start off by eating iron rich foods, such as spinach and beans. Red meat if you eat red meat. Up your calorie goal to 1600 per day, PLUS at least half of your exercise calories. Do this for a couple of weeks and see how you FEEL. Nutrition is more important than weight for you right now.

    What you are doing to yourself is not healthy. The way you feel is proof.

    ^^this^^

    Step away from the scale. If you don't feel good and are hungry all the time and are anemic... it sounds like you're simply not eating enough healthy food to feed your body. If you eat 1600 calories per day, you won't gain weight. For now. For the next couple weeks, eat lots of vegies and whole grains and lean meats. Once you start feeling good, you'll have more energy to work out.
  • laurensayz
    laurensayz Posts: 67 Member
    Anyone want to look at todays diary and tell me how it looks so far? I haven't had dinner yet so it will definitely go up. I always have a decent sized dinner.
  • 2credneck208
    2credneck208 Posts: 501 Member
    water...lots of water
  • WBB55
    WBB55 Posts: 4,131 Member
    You tell us. How do you FEEL?
  • Lesa_Sass
    Lesa_Sass Posts: 2,213 Member
    Anyone want to look at todays diary and tell me how it looks so far? I haven't had dinner yet so it will definitely go up. I always have a decent sized dinner.

    Do you know how to cook from scratch? It does not look bad BUT, it would be better (and cheaper) if you made the things like grilled chicken and meat balls from scratch.

    Try to get some iron rich leafy greens in you if possible, like spinach and kale. If you do not like them, try to have them in a smoothie, you actually can not taste the greens in smoothies if you do it right.

    There are lots of great sites now that have good recipes with pictures with all the steps. If you need help, let me know, I will be happy to help you.

    L

    PS: check this page for lots of smoothie ideas as well as albums of pictorial recipes https://www.facebook.com/TheSassyGourmet
  • The thing that jumps out to me looking back over some of your diary (hard to know what some of the food is looking at it from the UK!) is the lack of veggies. Frozen peas are a great addition to meals, really quick and simple and always to hand. Go well with omlettes, chicken, stir fry, soups etc.
  • lieselLalor
    lieselLalor Posts: 169 Member
    Baby carrots! You can eat as many as you want and they are practically calorie free. I eat them all day long because I just want something to eat even if I'm not that hungry. That got me to stop eating so much in between meals.
  • _Peacebone_
    _Peacebone_ Posts: 229 Member
    I have a boredom eating problem, so I feel for you. Your diary looks ok to me. I mean, you could eat more veggies but eh that's a tough sell to some people. :wink: I agree with the people who say to drink water, chew gum, and eat 5 smaller meals throughout the day. Have scheduled meal and snack times. Some good boredom low cal snack ideas are raw veggies, frozen grapes, string cheese. If you feel the urge to snack, ask yourself if you are really hungry, or if you are just bored. Good luck!
  • One of the reasons I suggested peas is vitamin C. You say you ar aneamic, your body needs vitamin c to aid the absorbtion of iron.