Need help, I am starving!

DrBorkBork

If possible, see if you can't divide your calories into 5 or 6 small meals (breakfast, lunch, dinner, and 2-3 snacks). Eat food that's high in fiber and protein. Grazing throughout the day is not only good for your metabolism, but will keep you fuller longer (and eating in check!)

lucky1ns

I am always hungry when I have cereal for breakfast. I think cereal is overrated. If it werent for the fiber I would give up on it.

I almost always have some sort of calcium snack mid morning. Usually crackers and cream cheese or with cottage cheese or even just plain cheese.

And some sort of fruit for a mid afternoon snack.

If I am starving when I get home I eat a pickle so I wont freak out before getting dinner ready.

But I am a salty person, not a sweet person so this works for me.

lucky1ns

Oops.

kkholmes

I would definitely eat food higher in fiber. I eat fiber one honey clusters for breakfast and it keeps me so full by lunch i end up eating something small because i'm still full but I know need to eat to keep my metabolism up. Also caffeine raises your glucose levels so the food your eating becomes stored as fat because of the excess glucose and starves your body of fuel it deserves. I found crystal light hunger satisfaction its only 30 calories per packet it has fiber and carbs in it. It taste like a strawberry banana smoothie be warned it does have milk and soy in it just in case you might have any allergies to either. I tried it yesterday at work an it curbed my appetite and my sweet tooth. If your a sandwich eater there is a new bread that I have found call orowheat double fiber it has 6g of fiber per slice and 70 calories per slice. I hope these tips help.

melodyg

her's my thing, I was not hungry until about 11:30. Then I ate at 12. I gelt more hungry after I ate. Is that normal? Now I still feel like I am starving. Like I didn't even eat anything at all.

I do have blood sugar issues (low) so when I get hungry, if I don't eat soon, my blood sugars usually seem to drop shortly after. How is it possible that I feel more hungry after eating? The smart ones I ate was rice and beans.

This happens to me as well. I don't quite understand why but I know it is better to eat than to skip meals! Did you eat Sante Fe Rice and Beans? That used to be my favorite when I was eating Smart Ones -- I need to go look for a recipe to make it on my own and I'll post if I can find it!

Can you run out somewhere and get an apple or even some almonds from a gas station? Also... if you can, keep some peanut butter at your desk at work... bring a piece of fruit from home each day and then you have a quick snack if you need it!

lilmissy2

her's my thing, I was not hungry until about 11:30. Then I ate at 12. I gelt more hungry after I ate. Is that normal? Now I still feel like I am starving. Like I didn't even eat anything at all.

I do have blood sugar issues (low) so when I get hungry, if I don't eat soon, my blood sugars usually seem to drop shortly after. How is it possible that I feel more hungry after eating? The smart ones I ate was rice and beans.

Usually that happens when your body isn't burning energy very efficiently because you have been hungry and ignored it (possibly subconsciously). I hate the way 'starvation mode' is thrown around in these forums but this is a classic example of it in action. Your body hasn't had enough fuel so it starts to slow down what you are burning, then you eat something and suddenly it remembers to tell you that you need more. Our bodies aren't particularly clever!

I agree that adding some protein to meals can help or eating low GI carbs (wholegrain breads, porridge for example). Also would definitely recommend planned mid-meal snacks!

Good luck!

blankiefinder

Fruits and vegies are your friends! The fiber will help fill you up, and they are very low cal. Have a boiled or steamed 1 cup serving of cauliflower topped with a sprinkle of apple cider vinegar for a grand total of 25 calories! (Or splurge and double it, I would! LOL) For an afternoon pick-up, I have a whole naval orange, for 69 calories.

lock0134

I often had the same problem. Although I don't feel like I'm starving I have the habit eating syndrome. After work at night is about the worst time for me. What I do to counteract that now is I choose better items to snack on when watching the late night tv. I have a glass of organic fat free milk and I grab a bag of mini carrots. The whole bag is about 135 calories and the milk is 90 calories. I started having a glass of milk and a protein shake for breakfast and that give me enough energy and fills me up till noon. So for me milk seems to be the best filler up for me.

Yurippe

If you are hungry, your body is telling you that you need to eat or drink something. Drink a big glass of water and see how you feel in 20 minutes. I try to eat a ton of protien and fiber early in the day. It really helps space out meal times comfortably.

I would personally exercise to earn more calories, but going over your calories a bit isn't the end of the world. It's much better than feeling hungry and deprived and giving up on your goals because of it.

Look at the math. If you have your goals set at 1 lb a week the site puts you at a 500 calorie deficit per day (3500 calories a week). If 3500 calories equals 1 lb of fat loss in a week then every 100 calories you exceed your goal equals a reduction .029 lbs of weight loss that week. Are you worried about .029 lbs?

July24Lioness

her's my thing, I was not hungry until about 11:30. Then I ate at 12. I gelt more hungry after I ate. Is that normal? Now I still feel like I am starving. Like I didn't even eat anything at all.

I do have blood sugar issues (low) so when I get hungry, if I don't eat soon, my blood sugars usually seem to drop shortly after. How is it possible that I feel more hungry after eating? The smart ones I ate was rice and beans.

if you have blood sugar issues, you should be eating more proteins and fats to stabilize the blood sugar. Carbs coming from cereal and rice are going to cause a spike in blood sugar and then a dip. That is what makes you sick............the crash part of it and then you get ravenously hungry.

Nuts are good snacking options for fat and protein and stabilizing the blood sugar. I keep almonds and macadamia nuts in my desk at work and grab a handful when needed. I also keep cheese in the breakroom refrigerator for those times also.

If you eat fruit, bread, you should always eat with adequate protein to slow the blood sugar spiking.

lucky1ns

The further I get in my weight loss journey the further away I get from frozen meals.

Despite the convenience, I have found that I can make the same thing and get to eat about twice as much for the same amount of calories. Not to mention the cost.

aippolito1

Not just fiber but also protein. And not just that...but healthier choices. Yes, a Smart ones meal is better than McDonald's but they are also high in sodium and usually the serving sizes are *kitten*. Try just baking some chicken breast and eating that with a vegetable and some nuts (almonds, pistachios, pumpkin seeds, etc.) Snack on fruits such as bananas, apples, oranges to get your fiber and keep yourself full longer. You can check out my diary for ideas.

kdiamond

No wonder you're hungry, you've put nothing but processed crap into your body today! You're gonna have to suck it up and eat some real food, something with protein in it, like cottage cheese and an apple or something like that. Please do yourself a favor and stop eating frozen meals, you won't do yourself any good, you may think you are by lowering calories but you're not putting nutrition in your body!

July24Lioness

No wonder you're hungry, you've put nothing but processed crap into your body today! You're gonna have to suck it up and eat some real food, something with protein in it, like cottage cheese and an apple or something like that. Please do yourself a favor and stop eating frozen meals, you won't do yourself any good, you may think you are by lowering calories but you're not putting nutrition in your body!

I totally agree with your statement as I made the same statement. Real food.

It is funny about this website, a lot of people think as long as they are under their calorie goal for the day and exercising that they have done what it takes to lose weight.

I know from experience that if "lifestyle changes" are not made, then the weight will not be maintained in the long run.

DrBorkBork

Um... eating processed food (healthy choice meals, protein bars, etc), exercising, and staying under cals has worked fine for me. But sticking to a calorie budget and not eating fast food all the time is pretty much a lifestyle change for me as well.

jelben

Here are two things to consider:

when you eat carbohydrates it helps to go for the whole-grain, unprocessed ones to stop your sugar levels from spiking. So - dark bread (as dark as you can get it), wholegrain pasta and rice, quinoa, etc. The other thing is to maybe eat less calories at dinner, so you can have more earlier on in the day. There is one website I use, bbcgoodfood.com, which has a whole section of recipes that are under 400 calories. The ones I have tried have been really tasty, and I have cooked extra rice or potatoes for the kids so they don't starve :-)

kdiamond

Um... eating processed food (healthy choice meals, protein bars, etc), exercising, and staying under cals has worked fine for me. But sticking to a calorie budget and not eating fast food all the time is pretty much a lifestyle change for me as well.

I'm not denying you won't lose weight eating under calorie goal - it is calories in vs calories out - but you will never get your body into tip top shape this way - healthy habits need to start early. I was 105 pounds of "skinny fat" until I learned how to eat correctly with real whole foods - now I am lean and muscular and can lift heavy weights and my body fat is lower - all thanks to a healthy diet of whole foods, veggies and I would say maybe 2% of my diet is made up of processed foods now. The sooner to start adapting the good habits the better! If you're hungry because you're eating unfulfilling processed foods you will be more likely to throw in the towel and give up!

jaerene

I agree that you need more protein and fat (well, I would need more anyway). I also struggle with low blood sugar, and when I've gone too long, it feels impossible to make good choices, and to stop eating! I totally understand what you mean by being hungrier after you ate. Now, this is not for everybody - I fully believe that everyone is different and you have to find what works for you, but I follow a 40/30/30 Protein/Carb/Fat Ratio, like the Zone Diet. I have a condition called PCOS, which is plagued by hormonal abnormalities (including blood sugar issues). A diet in this ratio has been recommended, and I have to say I feel so much better when I follow it! I do make sure that I eat at least every 3 to 4 hours, and when I eat, I make sure (to the best of my ability) that my foods are in the ratio I mentioned. I can really tell the difference if I have too many carbs - or the wrong kind. You have to find the right balance for you - I found Barry Sears Book "Mastering the Zone" to be helpful, as it talks about tailoring the diet to your needs based on how you feel 3 to 4 hours after a meal, based on hunger and mental clarity. If it's not optimal, you adjust a bit. Anyway - sorry to ramble on, but it has been very helpful for me, but may not be for you.

DrBorkBork

I haven't had the problem of hunger with processed food. I split up my calories into 3 meals, and 2-3 snacks daily. Grazing throughout the day has kept me feeling pretty full. I eat cereal for breakfast, frozen meals for lunch, and a homemade dinner. I think I eat pretty healthy. I wouldn't know what to do for 6 meals a day with hardly any processed food. *deer in the headlights*
I'm open to help though

ssmom

I find that if I eat a bigger lunch I do much better. Just have something small for dinner. The bigger lunch keeps me from snacking in between, and for dinner tonight I had a salad with a lean frozen lasagna and still have 230 cals left to have a snack later. I also don't do well with cereal for breakfast, I do better with eggs.