Always hungry

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kezell83
kezell83 Posts: 112 Member
in Food and Nutrition
OK, I need some honest to goodness help. I am always hungry. Whether I eat oatmeal, eggs, toast and fruit. Or something else I get hungry withing a couple hours. Even at lunch, whether I eat a huge lunch or a small one I am constantly hungry. I just flat out don;t understand it. I hear people say that they if they eat oatmeal that they are full for hours, well I hate to say it, but not me. Am I just abnormal or what. And when I say im hungry, i mean starving. To where my stomach is growling and hurting, like I havent eaten in days. And yes I have been drinking water too, because I have heard we can mistake hunger for our bodies actually being thirsty. Can anyone help, or what is your experience with this? Surely im not alone in this.
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Replies

  • Spanaval
    Spanaval Posts: 1,200 Member
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    Can you open up your diary?
  • Gyllain
    Gyllain Posts: 39 Member
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    Perhaps you could split your daily calories into smaller more frequent meals?
  • kezell83
    kezell83 Posts: 112 Member
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    To be completely honest, I havent been as diligent with keeping my food logged in there. Which I know is key and I am trying to do better. I am starting the Tapout program tonight also.
  • Yellerie
    Yellerie Posts: 221 Member
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    My personal trainer just sent out an email & said "Make sure you are hitting your "eat every 3 hour" and balanced protein, carb, fat ratios - Because if you aren't you'll see the bad patterns emerge. & Looking at my journal I realized how low my carbs were by the time the afternoon rolled around compared to everything else. This was also after my workout so of course my appetite was greater. Seeing how high in fat my sandwich was I switched it up to a Banana, ezekiel bread, turkey, mustard, banana peppers on "friday lunch". I was amazed at how full I felt and did not pick at anything and at much better in the afternoon." So maybe you need to make sure you are eating every 3 hrs (he wants me to eat between 300-400 cal every 3 hrs yours may differ) with higher "good carbs" ( like whole fruits, beans, legumes, nuts, seeds, whole cereal,whole grains, whole vegetables) & lower fat.

    Hope this helps
  • kezell83
    kezell83 Posts: 112 Member
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    Thank you, this makes sense. I just get so frustrated. Its like im trying to lose weight, like alot of weight. and it feels like my body is against me. Aggrivates me to death. The feeling hungry all the time is getting to me. I also started Lipo 6. Mainly for the energy.
  • betrayalunknown
    betrayalunknown Posts: 63
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    Me too..... this is why I need to do cardio for at least one and a half to two hours a day. Because I. Eat. So. Gosh.Darn. MUCH. Every hour that I'm awake, to be quite honest. Maybe it's turned habitual, and my stomach growls because it's wondering why an hour and twenty minutes has gone by and it hasn't gotten a snack yet.

    I can tell you honestly that protein doesn't fill me up... fat doesn't fill me up.... fiber doesn't fill me up....

    what DOES fill me up, however is quantity. Four bagels. A whole bag of grapes. A three pound bag of baby carrots, two heads of broccoli. I think you get my point. I didn't used to be this way.... but I'd be hard-pressed to find the last time I felt genuinely full, without overdoing it.

    I'm sorry I cannot give you any concrete advice. Because for me, if I don't eat when I feel completely hungry (which can honestly be 15 minutes after eating a good portion), I feel like I am depriving myself.

    Just know that you're not alone in this, I guess is what I'm ultimately trying to say. xo
  • bizorra
    bizorra Posts: 151 Member
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    I really REALLY struggle with my hunger... this is what I have learned that works for me.
    - I have to eat small, frequent meals. I eat at least 6x/day. I have no shame, and crunch carrots while people are in my office.
    - I have to eat BEFORE I feel really hungry. You know that rule "it takes 20 minutes to feel full"? Well, the hungrier I am, the longer it takes. If I wait too long, I can feel even hungrier after eating which leads to over-eating, or a miserable hour of waiting for my stomach to realise there's food in there and it should stop growling already.
    - I have to plan my food and exercise together. If I go work out (particularly going for a swim) and don't have a snack to eat afterwards, I will get ravenous and eat everything in sight. It's awful - I hit my max weight training for long distance biking because of poor food planning.

    This is what's worked for me, I really encourage you to listen to your body and try different things to figure out what works for you.
  • Momjogger
    Momjogger Posts: 750 Member
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    The first two weeks were HORRIBLE. I equate it to quiting smoking - the cravings are hard and made me feel like crap, but in the long run, I knew it was better for me and eventually I was A NONSMOKER! AND Eventually I lost 55 POUNDS! You have to trust your plan and the process. Track food every day, eat breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snack on fruit and low cal veggies, work out every day, only have food in your house that is on your plan. Have cucumbers, carrots, broccoli, zucchini, celery around all the time to eat if you "feel hungry".... I am telling you - your body will lie to you and it lies MORE when it starts to lose weight. This part is hard and stinks. A sample of what I eat on a good day.... coffee with one percent milk, 1/4 cup oatmeal, 1/2 cup water with 2 T dried fruit, 1 T cold pressed ground flax seed. I bring boiled eggs/egg whites or a piece of fruit to snack, salad with dressing and chicken and 2 T dressing for lunch with more fruit or a yogurt or a small bag of chips, afternoon snack is fruit or a salad or a handful of pretzel crackers with a wedge of Laughing Cow, and dinner is a serving of protein, carbs, tons of veggies and then a snack - fiber one brownie, fruit, or one cookie, pudding, etc. It is seooooo hard at first, and I have overeating days for sure, but the next day I just go back to my plan. Good Luck!
  • Momjogger
    Momjogger Posts: 750 Member
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    I really REALLY struggle with my hunger... this is what I have learned that works for me.
    - I have to eat small, frequent meals. I eat at least 6x/day. I have no shame, and crunch carrots while people are in my office.
    - I have to eat BEFORE I feel really hungry. You know that rule "it takes 20 minutes to feel full"? Well, the hungrier I am, the longer it takes. If I wait too long, I can feel even hungrier after eating which leads to over-eating, or a miserable hour of waiting for my stomach to realise there's food in there and it should stop growling already.
    - I have to plan my food and exercise together. If I go work out (particularly going for a swim) and don't have a snack to eat afterwards, I will get ravenous and eat everything in sight. It's awful - I hit my max weight training for long distance biking because of poor food planning.

    This is what's worked for me, I really encourage you to listen to your body and try different things to figure out what works for you.

    Sososososo agree with ALL of this!! (except the listening to the lying body part - LOL! ) Planning and eating before you get too hungry helps ALOT.
  • kezell83
    kezell83 Posts: 112 Member
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    Well I can't tell you how happy I am to see that I am not the only one that has this problem. Not happy about you all being hungry, lol, but that I am not alone. Thank everyone so much for your advice and support. I know that I will have to tough the hungry part out until my body gets adjusted. It is so easy to quit. But I am not going to. I also need to learn that food is fuel and not for pleasure. Curse the one that made it so blasted good though, lol. But that is what has gotten me here to begin with. I was small 12 years ago. Size 6 when I got married. Now 3 kids and alot of weight later, a size 18. I am saddened that I have let this get this far. But I have my mind made up that I am going to win this battle.
  • bizorra
    bizorra Posts: 151 Member
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    One more tip for you... if you're REALLY struggling, maybe take it slow. If you're eating 3000 calories at your current weight maybe going down to 1200 might be too drastic (I don't know your actual numbers, just a for instance). It can be tempting to think that making a drastic cut will mean faster weight loss, but that's only true if you can stick to your plan.

    Oh, and learn to trick your lying body, teehee. If I'm hungry and I think I shouldn't be, I have a mug of tea with a tiny bit of sugar or honey. If body if lying, this shuts it up. If I'm still hungry after the tea, its real, and I go eat something! There are so many reasons your body can ask for food that aren't hunger (boredom, emotions, confusion, boredom, cravings, boredom...) you gotta feel out what's real!

    Friend me if you want some motivation. I'm no expert or scientist but I can tell you what's worked for me :)
  • rahrahrita
    rahrahrita Posts: 225 Member
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    Assuming your food intake is fine, drink a glass of water before your meal, drink water while you're eating, and drink water just to drink water.
  • missworld95
    missworld95 Posts: 131 Member
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    Low fat/fat free is a myth, it's what keeps you full. Maybe all you're eating is low fat/fat free stuff? Just a guess... it happened to me until someone told me to eat more fat.
  • marathon64
    marathon64 Posts: 378 Member
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    Drink a lot of water and eat foods that are high in fiber. Make sure you are getting adequate nutrition and calories. Protein can be helpful. Hard to be more specific without an open diary. good luck :)
  • toaster6
    toaster6 Posts: 703 Member
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    Try upping your protein intake? I find that if I eat something high in protein like a bit of fish or chicken, I'm full for a long time. Also, have you tried running? After I run, my appetite really becomes suppressed-- I won't even want to look at food for hours after my workouts. Good luck!
  • TheVimFuego
    TheVimFuego Posts: 2,412 Member
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    Low fat/fat free is a myth, it's what keeps you full. Maybe all you're eating is low fat/fat free stuff? Just a guess... it happened to me until someone told me to eat more fat.

    I was yer typical every 2 hours snacker and constantly hungry on the "low fat" thing. And gaining fat.

    Since cutting the carbs (no sugar, bread, pasta, grains (whole or otherwise)), getting adequate protein and upping the fat I have to remind myself to eat enough.

    And I'm losing fat despite consuming the same number of calories.

    So much for 'a calorie is a calorie' ;)
  • vtachycardia
    vtachycardia Posts: 374
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    1) Imagine you are in a place where hunger is your only option. Get a different perspective.
    2) Increase fats and protein - especially dairy protein
    3) Do not drink water too close to a meal or just after. Wait at least 30 minutes till drinking water
    4) To contradict 3, liquidize a solid meal with water. (get back to this)
    5) If you have a sandwich, most people cut it in half. You will cut it into 1/8ths.
    6) Chew your food for longer, enjoy the food and do not look at food as something that must be done.
    7) Exercise more
    8) Sleep longer

    Liquidize Food - all this documentary is good. The liquidise part is from 30 minutes.

    http://watchdocumentary.com/watch/10-things-you-need-to-know-about-losing-weight-video_f1290cb0d.html
  • Pebble321
    Pebble321 Posts: 6,554 Member
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    Almost everytime someone posts this kind of message, it is because they have cut their calories ridiculously low and aren't eating nearly enough. So, it may just be that you are genuinely hungry because you aren't eating enough... but if you aren't logging your food you won't know whether you are or not.

    Try logging accurately for a few days and see how your calories are looking. Remember that the number MFP recommends is a target, not a minimum, you don't have to try to eat less. And that if you are using MFP to calculate your daily calorie allowance, then it is assumed that you will eat more on days that you exercise.

    If you are eating enough, then start experimenting with what foods you are eating when. The whole "eat lots of small meals" doesn't really work for me, that just makes me hungrier. I feel better if I have a substantial breakfast and lunch with just a little snack in the morning and a larger one in the afternoon. You have to see what is right for you.
  • meagalayne
    meagalayne Posts: 3,382 Member
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    OK, I need some honest to goodness help. I am always hungry. Whether I eat oatmeal, eggs, toast and fruit. Or something else I get hungry withing a couple hours. Even at lunch, whether I eat a huge lunch or a small one I am constantly hungry. I just flat out don;t understand it. I hear people say that they if they eat oatmeal that they are full for hours, well I hate to say it, but not me. Am I just abnormal or what. And when I say im hungry, i mean starving. To where my stomach is growling and hurting, like I havent eaten in days. And yes I have been drinking water too, because I have heard we can mistake hunger for our bodies actually being thirsty. Can anyone help, or what is your experience with this? Surely im not alone in this.
    If you eat and are then hungry in a few hours - that's normal. Perfectly. We all get hungry every few hours. Why wouldn't we? Our bodies are working, burning cals, we need to fuel it.

    Do you need to eat every 2-3 hours to stave off hunger? No. Your body just needs to adjust.

    The absolute KEY to weight loss is to eat a reasonable number of calories (not cut your calories dramatically), and eat them at intervals that work for your schedule, lifestyle and when your body needs them. The hardest part about changing your lifestyle really is learning to adjust to being uncomfortable in those transitional phases. Most people who have spent their lifetimes not eating mindfully have a lot of trouble in the first weeks/months of this change because thinking about food finally makes them FEEL hungry, when really it's boredom or fixation or something else. Or simply habit from eating often and never really recognizing what "hungry" feels like. It's actually OK to feel hungry!

    The reality is that if you are getting enough calories (seriously, eat enough calories to lose weight) you need to check your hunger. You may think you're hungry but it could be something else entirely.That being said, if you ARE hungry it's because your body needs to refuel. There is absolutely nothing wrong with eating every 3 hours and frankly, people who say oatmeal keeps them full for 5+ hours are just accustomed to long periods of time without re-fueling (some people fast for a large portion of their day and then compensate with very large, satisfying and calorie dense meals, but it takes time for your body to adjust to that kind of regime). I eat every few hours, though I recognize that I don't need to do so to be "healthy", because that is what works for me. If you are USED to eating often, then your body is expecting to be fed. Makes perfect sense.

    Open your diary for help/advice, get your calories straight, and eat when you are getting hungry. And yes, your body WILL get hungry. No matter how filling and nutritious your meals are :wink:
  • alpine1994
    alpine1994 Posts: 1,915 Member
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    OK, I need some honest to goodness help. I am always hungry. Whether I eat oatmeal, eggs, toast and fruit. Or something else I get hungry withing a couple hours. Even at lunch, whether I eat a huge lunch or a small one I am constantly hungry. I just flat out don;t understand it. I hear people say that they if they eat oatmeal that they are full for hours, well I hate to say it, but not me. Am I just abnormal or what. And when I say im hungry, i mean starving. To where my stomach is growling and hurting, like I havent eaten in days. And yes I have been drinking water too, because I have heard we can mistake hunger for our bodies actually being thirsty. Can anyone help, or what is your experience with this? Surely im not alone in this.

    You are definitely not alone! I am always hungry too, but I make sure to eat smaller meals every 2-3 hours. Yesterday I skipped my afternoon snack/meal of Chobani and fruit. By the time I got home I hadn't eaten anything in about 6 hours and I was ravenous and cleaned out the cabinets basically. I know myself, and I know I need to eat frequently so I don't mess up. I also make sure to get a lot of protein because it tends to keep me full longer.

    And yeah, the oatmeal thing. I eat a packet of low sugar instant oatmeal and about an hour and a half later my stomach is screaming! I have a banana at that point and wait another hour and a half til lunch.

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