How does one learn to be OK with being hungry?

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tonyguitarbyz
tonyguitarbyz Posts: 3
in Motivation and Support
Bottom line: To lose weight you have to burn more calories than you take in. But what no one has ever explained to me is how to go about your day while being hungry. I know people say you have to drink water or snack on veggies. And I'm sorry, but those things do not take care of the hunger pains. So to lose weight we have to take it as given that we're going to feel hungry all the time and I just don't know how to deal with that. Suggestions?
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  • Slove009
    Slove009 Posts: 364 Member
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    Honestly, If I have the calories/time left in the day to burn some of those calories off, I'll just eat for one! I have been going to a place called Tru Meals and they have small plates of food that are under 200 calories. Or look for the baked potatoe chips. there's also popcorn. You can snack and munch on things other than veggies.
  • Chief_Rocka
    Chief_Rocka Posts: 4,710 Member
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    I take my frustrations out on other people.

    Kids are a good target, they rarely fight back.
  • tonyguitarbyz
    tonyguitarbyz Posts: 3
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    Awesome. LOL
  • maricash
    maricash Posts: 280 Member
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    You don't have to be hungry all the time in order to lose weight. If you are eating at a reasonable caloric deficit for your size, and mainly choosing lower calorie nutrient dense foods, then you should be able to feel full while staying within your calorie range.

    When I feel hungry, I eat something, I just make sure that what I choose to eat doesn't take up a huge number of my daily calories. I might have veggies for a snack, but usually I'll go for something like nuts or cheese -- something with a bit of protein and fat that will fill me up quicker and leave me feeling full longer. I try to save the veggies for actual meals when I can eat them along with something more substantial.

    When I started out eating lower calorie meals, I did feel hungry more often, but I got used to having small snacks to take the hunger away. If you feel hungry all the time, you might have chosen too low a calorie target or be eating too many empty calories (soda was always my downfall) that use up a lot of calories without giving you much in return.
  • DenyseMarieL
    DenyseMarieL Posts: 673 Member
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    I think our bodies have to learn that we are feeding it what it NEEDS as opposed to how we used to eat before. Whenever and as much as we wanted.
  • kelly_e_montana
    kelly_e_montana Posts: 1,999 Member
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    I'm never hungry if I follow a particular formula of how I eat. First, combine lean proteins and complex carbs at the same meal. Eat 5-6 small meals throughout the day so your blood sugar stays level. Make sure the foods you do eat are nutrient-dense and high fiber. Check out Tosca Reno's Eat Clean books for more info. You will not be hungry. Don't under-eat your MFP calorie goals. I eat more protein than it recommends, too.
  • Yanicka1
    Yanicka1 Posts: 4,564 Member
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    if you are hungry you are doing it wrong. Hungry, low energy, irritable.......your body is telling you something, time to reasses.
  • kelsully
    kelsully Posts: 1,008 Member
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    If you are often really hungry you may need to tweak things....ie more protein in a meal to keep you feel satisfied etc...also I wonder if you are eating enough...can you add a snack midday and still have a nice deficit and thus not feel hungry???then you are more likely to stick with this
  • Evey_bee
    Evey_bee Posts: 77 Member
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    Drinking water (or my preference is green tea) is great because often people are just thirsty when they think they're hungry.
    You need to learn to decipher whether you are actually hungry and whether you are just craving/bored/other reasons people eat.
    Eat things that will keep you fuller for longer on fewer calories, I've found protein shakes are actually great for this!
    If you are genuinely hungry a lot of the time then maybe think about increasing your calorie limit, but try the other things first. Veggies are good because they're low calorie, but eating lettuce all day isn't going to fill anybody up and we all know it!
  • zaph0d
    zaph0d Posts: 1,172 Member
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    if you are hungry you are doing it wrong. Hungry, low energy, irritable.......your body is telling you something, time to reasses.
    agreed
  • robin52077
    robin52077 Posts: 4,383 Member
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    If you're going around hungry all the time, you are probably trying to cut too many calories. The key is to have a reasonable deficit.

    What is your calorie goal set to?
  • cmriverside
    cmriverside Posts: 34,029 Member
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    I agree with Yanicka. You should not be hungry. You're doing something wrong, maybe not enough protein or fat, or just not enough food in general. You shouldn't be hungry...not actual hunger. If you are, eat.
  • deksgrl
    deksgrl Posts: 7,237 Member
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    To lose 1 pound per week, you have to have a 3,500 calorie deficit per week from your total daily energy expenditure, which works out to 500 cals per day. You can achieve this by restricting calories alone, or by restricting calories plus exercising. So, in a perfect world, eat 250 cals less and burn 250 by exercising. You aren't going to be starving, if you are eating right.

    MFP calculates so that you will lose only by restricting your calories. Then when you exercise, you need to eat that fuel so that you are not too much at a deficit.

    If you choose "lose 2 pounds per week", it is going to restrict you by 1,000 cals per day. If you are too hungry doing this, then choose to lose the weight slower and eat a little more.
  • aussiemegs82
    aussiemegs82 Posts: 29
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    I agree with with what the others have said. In addition, I use to feel hungry all the time but now I realise that I was use to feeling 'over-full'. If you are an over-eater than you are simply re-training your body AND mind to be eating the right amount.
  • tonyguitarbyz
    tonyguitarbyz Posts: 3
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    I don't think you guys are getting it. It's not just when I'm dieting (although it is much worse then). I am always hungry. For example,I could eat two double-cheeseburgers with fries and still be hungry. The only reason I stop eating is because I think I'm supposed to. I'm always hungry. I mean ALWAYS. Have any of you ever actually been obese?
  • LorinaLynn
    LorinaLynn Posts: 13,248 Member
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    if you are hungry you are doing it wrong. Hungry, low energy, irritable.......your body is telling you something, time to reasses.

    Yep.

    I'm hungry when it's time for a meal or snack. Then I eat. Then I'm not hungry anymore.

    I did, however, have to learn the difference between hunger and eating out of boredom, or sadness, or happiness, etc.

    And if you're talking about McD's two double cheeseburgers and fries, hell, I'd be hungry after that, too. It's a lot of calories and not a lot of nutrition. But give me two of my own homemade burgers with real beef instead of that medium density fiberboard they call meat, and baked steak fries, and I'm happy.
  • acpgee
    acpgee Posts: 7,661 Member
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    When I first started on the weight loss program I did 5:2 intermittent fasting (mostly for other health benefits like improved insulin sensitivity) so hunger was a given on the down days of 500 Cals. Did find that hunger came and went in waves and that it was useful to learn what physical hunger actually was, as opposed to habitual hunger dictated by the clock. Can now distinguish the two. I did find the 5:2 program easy to manage psychologically since occasional extreme deprivation was easier to deal with than constant low level deprivation.
  • BCSMama
    BCSMama Posts: 348
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    I don't think it's necessary to be hungry all the time to loose weight. I would recommend eating every 2-4 hours during the day; just small portions of 200-300 calories. I usually eat breakfast around 7am, a snack at 10am, lunch at noon, another snack around 3, dinner around 7pm and a snack around 9pm. Plus, if you work out, you can eat more. I know there are different opinions on eating back exercise calories, but if you're hungry, go ahead and eat at least half of them back. Also, try to eat filling foods and drink plenty of water. If none of that works, consider reevaluating your weight loss goals and adjusting them to a slower loss. The reality is, if you're hungry all the time, this won't be a good experience and you likely won't be as successful in the long run.
  • BrockNRoll
    BrockNRoll Posts: 11 Member
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    I feel like I'm eating all day long and I still can't manage to consume 1200 dang calories a day. I think it's what you're eating that's the problem. I also drink a lot of water, close to a gallon a day, which makes you feel full. You can eat sooo much more when what you're eating is healthy (endless veges, etc). Sounds like you just need to re-evaluate your menu :) Hang in there!!!
  • WeekndOVOXO
    WeekndOVOXO Posts: 779 Member
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    Eat slowly, more calories, water, chewing gum, snacks, workout, benefibre.

    Usually when I'm hungry I know it's just that I ate too fast. I like to drink water before and after. I also like to take benefibre. Used to eat 6 meals a day cut it down to 4 so it was tough for the first couple weeks, but it's been much easier now.

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