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MyFitnessPal Community

Hunger

Hannahmac8

I keep getting hunger pangs at frustrating times throughout the day.. I have breakfast at about 7.15 and then I am hungry again by 10am, I then have lunch between 12 & 1 but get hungry again about 3-4 but don't have tea till 7 sometimes even later if I have gone to an exercise class or to the gym, how do I avoid these irritating hunger pangs? Any ideas?

Replies

kimberliiw

I've always eaten small meals and snacked. I decided to start eating larger meals and rarely snack now, plus my weight loss has increased.

escloflowneCHANGED

It's because you're 17. Once you're 18 you'll never be hungry again.

Yeah what she said!

lilmisfit

I keep getting hunger pangs at frustrating times throughout the day.. I have breakfast at about 7.15 and then I am hungry again by 10am, I then have lunch between 12 & 1 but get hungry again about 3-4 but don't have tea till 7 sometimes even later if I have gone to an exercise class or to the gym, how do I avoid these irritating hunger pangs? Any ideas?

Losing weight is hard. There is no way around it. You are going to feel some hunger on a deficit.

Being on a calorie deficit is hard. You can't do this journey on will power alone. You must set up your environment for success. Have a team around you in your real life, not just online. Get trigger foods out of the house. It will take some sacrifice and it's not easy. You might have to say no to some social events sometimes.

Too many changes at once can be hard on some people. I've always eaten healthy so it easy for me to simply eat less. Eating at a calorie deficit is hard on people; even a small deficit puts your body in a state of flux with hormones and such. Everyone is different. Some people can handle a deeper calorie deficit than others, this is not right or wrong, it just is. Stress in your life affects your hunger hormones; lack of sleep, fatigue, job stress, family stress, financial stress, etc. Add in emotional eating issues and it gets even more complicated. Most people can only handle so much change/stress at once, they try to do too much and fail. Sometimes it might be a better strategy to eat at maintenance and make some small changes first, it really depends on how much stress you are taking in at the moment.

Yup for me it's all about a calorie budget. I had less of a budget available when I was losing weight, more to spend now that I'm maintaining and all the tools I used for weight loss come into play for the rest of my life maintaining.

When you have accumulated excess fat, you have accumulated a debt. It is hard to pay off the debt (you have less calories to spend). If you are sitting next to someone your same gender and height and they are not overweight and you are, they get to eat more than you (have more calories to spend) because they are debt free. You have less calories to spend because you are paying off your debt.

There is no mystery to weight loss, everyone thinks something is wrong, their metabolism is broken, they have low thyroid, they have menopause or whatever issue, they are as unique as a snowflake, whatever. I thought a lot of these things once too but once the doctor helped resolve the health issues for me I learned there is still no magic pill. Most people eat more than they need to and are not at good at estimating calories as they think they are. Most people have a lower BMR than they think they do. The only way to know for sure is to go to a lab and have it tested. It doesn't seem fair to have to eat less and feel a little hunger. It's hard to face the truth of it, very hard. It's not fun. It's drudgery at times. But if you learn to enjoy your smaller amounts of food (necessary to lose weight, since the reason we got fat in the first place was eating too much whether we knew it or not), and rejoice in your victories it can be done.

Funny thing..it seems I've read this before...or maybe twice in some configuration. Interesting points--although you didn't address the OP in the slightest.

I've read it multiple times, on different posts, all over the board. Same standard cookie cutter answer. :yawn:

SoDamnHungry

Have a snack. Most people get hungry after a few hours.

ZoeLifts

Healthy fats won't make you fat, so don't worry about that.

I'm fascinated by this gif and can't stop watching it!!!

castlerobber

It does depend on what you eat. For example, I had a small piece of home-baked pumpkin cake with a large pear this morning at 8. I was hungry by 9:30. Things high in sugar just don't "stick to the ribs". Oh well, I'll correct with protein and fiber next meal (11).

However, I do expect to be hungry by the time the next meal rolls around. I think that's natural.

^^^^ This. ^^^

I had two eggs, a couple of pieces of bacon, and a mug of coffee with cream at 6:30. I wasn't hungry again until 10:30 or 10:45, and lunchtime is at 11:00. I'll have a small protein shake mid-afternoon that will hold me until suppertime, so I can exercise after work.

When I used to eat whole-grain cereal or a granola bar, with fruit or juice, for breakfast, I was always ready for a snack by 9:00 or 9:30, and starving again by lunchtime.

lipglossjunky73

My guess is that not only you get hungry, you get cranky too. This may have been posted during that rumbly in the tumbly moment?

VelociMama

jofjltncb6

He wasn't being sarcastic. It's hard to help you when we can't see what you eat.

Jeesh, the one time I'm not being sarcastic

FR, I hope you learned a valuable lesson here.

YaGigi

I keep getting hunger pangs at frustrating times throughout the day.. I have breakfast at about 7.15 and then I am hungry again by 10am, I then have lunch between 12 & 1 but get hungry again about 3-4 but don't have tea till 7 sometimes even later if I have gone to an exercise class or to the gym, how do I avoid these irritating hunger pangs? Any ideas?

Losing weight is hard. There is no way around it. You are going to feel some hunger on a deficit.

Being on a calorie deficit is hard. You can't do this journey on will power alone. You must set up your environment for success. Have a team around you in your real life, not just online. Get trigger foods out of the house. It will take some sacrifice and it's not easy. You might have to say no to some social events sometimes.

Too many changes at once can be hard on some people. I've always eaten healthy so it easy for me to simply eat less. Eating at a calorie deficit is hard on people; even a small deficit puts your body in a state of flux with hormones and such. Everyone is different. Some people can handle a deeper calorie deficit than others, this is not right or wrong, it just is. Stress in your life affects your hunger hormones; lack of sleep, fatigue, job stress, family stress, financial stress, etc. Add in emotional eating issues and it gets even more complicated. Most people can only handle so much change/stress at once, they try to do too much and fail. Sometimes it might be a better strategy to eat at maintenance and make some small changes first, it really depends on how much stress you are taking in at the moment.

Yup for me it's all about a calorie budget. I had less of a budget available when I was losing weight, more to spend now that I'm maintaining and all the tools I used for weight loss come into play for the rest of my life maintaining.

When you have accumulated excess fat, you have accumulated a debt. It is hard to pay off the debt (you have less calories to spend). If you are sitting next to someone your same gender and height and they are not overweight and you are, they get to eat more than you (have more calories to spend) because they are debt free. You have less calories to spend because you are paying off your debt.

There is no mystery to weight loss, everyone thinks something is wrong, their metabolism is broken, they have low thyroid, they have menopause or whatever issue, they are as unique as a snowflake, whatever. I thought a lot of these things once too but once the doctor helped resolve the health issues for me I learned there is still no magic pill. Most people eat more than they need to and are not at good at estimating calories as they think they are. Most people have a lower BMR than they think they do. The only way to know for sure is to go to a lab and have it tested. It doesn't seem fair to have to eat less and feel a little hunger. It's hard to face the truth of it, very hard. It's not fun. It's drudgery at times. But if you learn to enjoy your smaller amounts of food (necessary to lose weight, since the reason we got fat in the first place was eating too much whether we knew it or not), and rejoice in your victories it can be done.

Funny thing..it seems I've read this before...or maybe twice in some configuration. Interesting points--although you didn't address the OP in the slightest.

Thank you.
I've been having these déjà vu for quite a while...

illuminatedms

I find that hot tea helps me in those moments. It works as an appetite suppressant, and it's pretty low-calorie even with some milk and sugar. It also helps you get in your eight glasses of water.

Alternatively, you could think about upping your calorie allowance per day, and just losing the weight more slowly. I started out on the strictest regime (2lb a week), and soon realized I was hungry and miserable. Rather than staying that way, I changed to a less strict regime (1 lb a week), and am much happier now. I find I can eat pretty well on the 1800 calories I get per day. . . and I do use all of them most days.

Chief_Rocka

He wasn't being sarcastic. It's hard to help you when we can't see what you eat.

Jeesh, the one time I'm not being sarcastic

FR, I hope you learned a valuable lesson here.

ha ha, right

sweetpeas4l

I go through the same thing, and when the morning munchies hit, I'll try and have an extra piece of fruit in the morning, and in the afternoon, I keep my favorite fresh salsa and carrots on hand. The carrots that are sliced like chips are great, because you can dip them in the salsa and the crunch seems gratifying.

vjohn04

....good suggestions here. Opening the diary would be the first step.

miadhail

I think the timing when your hunger pangs start is very normal. When I first started lowering my calorie intake, I'd get hungry every 3-4 hours because my body was used to such high calorie intake. So I made sure to eat every 3-4 hours.

It helps.

Edit: Wanted to add that i'd be ravenous after intense workouts, so I eat accordingly and reasonably of course

Types of food also affect satiety, but it all depends on the person.

Boocakes08

I keep my dairy open because I want people to be my support in case they see something that could help me if I am doing something wrong. This is one of the reasons why people don't want to help others because when they do they get lashed at.

Zangpakto

Ok, seem as your original posting was rude and too the point... Mine is simple...

Deal with it, chances are if your not hungry, your likely eating too much, in time you get used to hunger, it drives you, makes you happy...

Hell I realised I am thirsty and not ACTUALLY hungry..

I can eat 10-15 pieces of chicken though without trouble.. then not eat for 12-16hrs or so because not hungry....

I mean, I got 251g of protein today... Ohhhh yea......

Sure I didn't HAVE to eat that chicken, but man, sometimes chickens are like virgins and pringles... once you pop you can't stop...

marialleras

He wasn't being sarcastic. It's hard to help you when we can't see what you eat.

Jeesh, the one time I'm not being sarcastic

:laugh:

:laugh:

_Elemenopee_

Healthy fats won't make you fat, so don't worry about that.

That is on of the most horrifying gifs I have ever seen!

_Elemenopee_

That looks like FUN!

AteATomata

I struggled with hunger as well until it was confirmed by a nutritionist that I seriously needed to increase my protein intake. Fiber will do this too, but I find protein is more filling. For your snacks, my favorites are string cheese, nuts, yogurt or a protein shake.

Also if you think you may be too hungry all the time, make sure you are drinking enough water. Many of us mistake thirst for hunger.

jofjltncb6

That looks like FUN!

No thanks. I'm nearly hyperventilating just thinking about being trapped in one of those suffocating bubbles.

LadyQueefsalot

It's because you're 17. Once you're 18 you'll never be hungry again.

^^This. I was sooooo hungry from birth to 18. Now I just want beer.

CarolinaGirlinVA

That looks like FUN!

No thanks. I'm nearly hyperventilating just thinking about being trapped in one of those suffocating bubbles.

I'm with you... ***gasp!**

Hannahmac8

He wasn't being sarcastic. It's hard to help you when we can't see what you eat.

Jeesh, the one time I'm not being sarcastic

I think everyone got the complete wrong impression of me, I was by no means being rude to him, I thought he was being sarcastic because I don't really understand myfitnesspal yet as i've just registered today, I thought he meant it literally as in "go and open your diary at home and cry about it there" I didn't realise you could actually show your diary on here for others to see- however I don't think I'd feel comfortable with that as I recovered from an eating disorder a year or so ago and even though I'm eating healthier I still feel a bit vulnerable for people to look at every little thing i've eaten, that's just because I'm selfconcious and worried that someone may criticize it and call me fat or something, I still have the mindset from having the disorder. I think the main issue with me is I begin to eat more as the day progresses, I don't eat enough for breakfast to set me up for the day and then I want to snack more because my meals aren't filling enough.

Zangpakto

He wasn't being sarcastic. It's hard to help you when we can't see what you eat.

Jeesh, the one time I'm not being sarcastic

I think everyone got the complete wrong impression of me, I was by no means being rude to him, I thought he was being sarcastic because I don't really understand myfitnesspal yet as i've just registered today, I thought he meant it literally as in "go and open your diary at home and cry about it there" I didn't realise you could actually show your diary on here for others to see- however I don't think I'd feel comfortable with that as I recovered from an eating disorder a year or so ago and even though I'm eating healthier I still feel a bit vulnerable for people to look at every little thing i've eaten, that's just because I'm selfconcious and worried that someone may criticize it and call me fat or something, I still have the mindset from having the disorder. I think the main issue with me is I begin to eat more as the day progresses, I don't eat enough for breakfast to set me up for the day and then I want to snack more because my meals aren't filling enough.

True, that was my problem also... That is why now I follow eating windows rather than traditional patterns... works much better for me... You should try it..

Say an 8-10hr window where you can eat your days calories in, after and before that window, you can't consume calories. Say I eat from 2pm till usually 10pm each day, then I don't eat from 10pm till 2pm again. However I change that to 4pm when drinking so can drink till 12am etc...

Takes care of the cravings for sure! I'm never really hungry anymore, more thirsty I find... I can eat a lot if I want, and if I don't then I don't, but I can still have snacks etc and it just works.. Best thing I ever did really...

And yea, if you have had an ED, then do what ever feels more comfortable regarding the site

Also, if you did go into a treatment centre, you can be rest assured that what they tell you how the "normal" way to eat is, is actually something they preach and says everyone does but in reality no one does it lol! Quite funny

Anyway, give my way a try for a few days and see what happens, if you don't like, then it's a few days you've wasted, but if it works, then you might have found something worth the few days of risk

Hannahmac8

Thankyou Mr Wolf! That has really helped, it's interesting seeing different ways to try eating and anything that could help me to get away from ever relapsing back to an ED is worth trying so thankyou muchly lovely man!

Also i've changed my diary so only friends on here could see it, but I don't have any so that's a bit awkward....

victorious27

arent you precious?

^ this... :drinker:

ETA: My apologies... I didn't see that you didn't understand. But I still think you could've handled it better. And I still like the comment that Crank made, lol

sarahisme18

I keep getting hunger pangs at frustrating times throughout the day.. I have breakfast at about 7.15 and then I am hungry again by 10am, I then have lunch between 12 & 1 but get hungry again about 3-4 but don't have tea till 7 sometimes even later if I have gone to an exercise class or to the gym, how do I avoid these irritating hunger pangs? Any ideas?

I am the same way.... so, breakfast 8am, snack 10:30, lunch 12, snack 3:30, snack again 5:30, workout, snack again after, dinner 7:30, sometimes a snack before bed 9.

When I workout in the mornings, same thing.... pre-workout snack 6:30, workout, breakfast 8, snack 10:30, lunch 12, snack 3:30, dinner 5:30 snack 7:30.

Check out my diary if you want. There's nothing wrong with eating all throughout the day if you're hungry.