How to tell you're hungry?

After eating a big meal, I feel my stomach rumbling. It makes me feel hungry and drives me to eat, but I just did an hour ago? Am I feeling digestion or something and my body is just confusing my motivational drives?

Replies

  • christinacrisfield
    christinacrisfield Posts: 77 Member
    I'm a diabetic so I can base my hunger on my blood sugar levels. Another way is wait 20 minutes after you eat. If you still feel hungry, then eat something else or have maybe half a portion of what you just did. It's possible to be hungry again after that hour you mentioned.
  • brodi3man
    brodi3man Posts: 61 Member
    When i initially started MFP i fasted for one day so i could remember what hungry felt like. That helped me.
  • mermx
    mermx Posts: 976
    I used to get like that after eating food that had wheat flour in it. My stomach used to bloat and make all sorts of gurgles and rumbles. Maybe look at what you have eaten to see if it only happens after certain types of foods?
  • Martucha123
    Martucha123 Posts: 1,089 Member
    When i initially started MFP i fasted for one day so i could remember what hungry felt like. That helped me.

    this
    just don't eat
    reall hunger never goes away, the "fake" one does
  • adbohls
    adbohls Posts: 156 Member
    If you are eating the right amount of calories, it coul be either your blood sugar is too low or you have a stomach issue like an ulcer. Both of these will drive hunger pains despite having just eaten. It could also stem from the types of foods you are eating. More protein and complex carbs will help ease those hunger pangs.
  • drink lots of water. if u just ate, and u know u ate enough, u arent hungry
  • onikonor
    onikonor Posts: 473 Member
    Wait half an hour and drink a glass or two of water. If you are still hungry then eat, if you are not you were thirsty.
  • Blondehelmet
    Blondehelmet Posts: 32 Member
    Maybe try drinking a couple of glasses of water before you eat? Gives you a real 'uncomfortably full' feeling.
  • m60kaf
    m60kaf Posts: 421 Member
    I know I'm hungry when I start to pass out and remember I've forgotten to eat all day

    Much more preferable to the face stuffing I did years ago where I basically thought I was hungry if I didn't have food in my mouth
  • Promqueen_74932
    Promqueen_74932 Posts: 203 Member
    I always try to drink at least 2 CUPS of water per meal, that way at the end of the meal my stomach is full. I can easily mistake thirst for hunger.

    Hope that helps!

    Sara
  • darrensurrey
    darrensurrey Posts: 3,942 Member
    Might it be digestion noises? :D

    In any case, hunger is just another feeling. Providing you're hitting your (presumably, healthy) calorie goals, try ignoring the feeling.

    Also consider eating foods that take longer to digest.
  • I drink water - so if my belly rumbles, I'll drink some water, usually about 8z and if it still rumbles, then, I'll eat something. But i'm always conscious on if I can actually eat something based on calories left in my day...

    Also exercise - it helps with hunger pains.
  • Try having a few sips of water instead of eating - after about 20 or so mins the 'hunger' should go away.
  • Vansy
    Vansy Posts: 419 Member
    I honestly think that hunger [immediately after eating] is caused from the taste of food more then the actual need for food. I have had this happen to me and it makes me want to eat more even though I know I ate more then enough in my meal. The best thing you can do is have a set amount of food and stop once you're finished, have some water, and remember that you probably are full. Fasting really helps you realize what actual hunger feels like vs. fake hunger.
  • DeeVanderbles
    DeeVanderbles Posts: 589 Member
    One thing I heard that I like a lot is "If you can't tell whether or not you're hungry, chances are you're not."

    However, I do like the idea of fasting for a day to know what hunger feels like and start again from there. That's a neat idea.
  • recriger
    recriger Posts: 245 Member
    I know exactly how you feel. I believe that in my case it is boredom. I just started jogging so my body hurts and feels worn out a lot. Due to that i tend to just sit on the couch. As soon as my body eases off a bit, I'll take the baby girl out to play or something after dinner. If i am distracted i don't continue eating for no reason. So if you are getting all your calories in try more water and distraction. As someone else mentioned earlier, drink a big glass of water and wait 20 minutes before eating more.
  • AlsDonkBoxSquat
    AlsDonkBoxSquat Posts: 6,128 Member
    I rarely eat big meals, unless I need to satisfy my macros then it's usually a crap ton of protein. I find that big meals make me feel hungry and I want to snack, water usually helps this. I find that when I'm actually hungry I feel shaky, mean, anxious, and I can't think about what I'm eating I just have to get it in the pie hole . . . and that I can slow myself down when eating. I rarely actually get hungry and I try not to get over full because I don't like either of these feelings.
  • MoogieOh
    MoogieOh Posts: 141
    Thanks for the feedback. I know what real hunger feels like as I have some days when I have non-stop classes and I get incredibly hungry by the end of it all. Tonight I ate 200+g of mince with a lot of vegis! (long day!) I drank water with my food. I've also been getting terrible heartburn for the last couple of days so could this be the rumbling feeling? I honestly do feel hungry but I know that hunger drive is a conscious state thats driven by the body and I'm not understanding why my body wants me to eat? It's really annoying and makes it hard to stay on track.
  • Hunger and thirst are caused by the same chemical process in your brain. So often, when you "feel" hungry, you are actually thirsty.

    Your stomach making noise largely means it's just empty. And empty stomach does not mean that you are hungry. It means that food is no longer being processed in your stomach. But this is likely long after you've had your last meal.

    Stomach rumbling post-eating is likely caused simply by the process of digesting the food you just ate, but if it's excessive you should look into eliminating troublesome foods from your diet. (For many people this is gluten and dairy, but it could be something else entirely.) For me, high-gluten foods cause me unpleasant digestion, so I've eliminated them (it's not as hard as it sounds).
  • MoogieOh
    MoogieOh Posts: 141
    I'm usually okay during the day because I'm preoccupied by uni. I do usually only notice this at night when I'm winding down. I'm starting to think my body triggers my hunger from cues I would of been around prior to past binging
  • dovek11
    dovek11 Posts: 94 Member
    I used to be the same way. Then I found out I couldn't have gluten, I am Celiac, which means gluten was tearing up my guts. For me, the rumblings were my were my body protesting, and having a bad reaction to what I ate. (and it didn't have to be gluten I ate! My small intestine was damaged!)
    When I quit it, my body began healing, I had no more rumblings UNLESS I ate something that my body could not handle. The rumblings told me, do NOT eat that again.
    I now never have rumblings, or gas. I am also NEVER hungry. I have to look at the clock to see that its time to eat, and go eat.

    You could have a food intolerance, soy, dairy, corn, eggs or gluten. Something that has messed you up inside. When that is cut out of the diet, stomach issues go away on their own.