Must READ! from experienced fitness pal...Hunger PANGS

When you run a calorie deficit you are actually denying your body what its asking for...during this period of denial it would be completely normal to feel hunger....with this in mind I looked up the word Pang and Hunger Pang....it’s these hunger pangs or feelings that you must overcome, through discipline, in order to lose those unwanted pounds.....so these are the words that define/describe "pang" or "hunger pang" - twinge, ache, throb, prick, stab, a sudden feeling of mental or emotional distress or longing: a pang of remorse; a pang of desire, a sudden, brief, sharp pain or physical sensation; spasm: hunger pangs, torture - anguish - throes, A sudden sharp feeling of emotional distress, distress acutely, pain, stab, sting, stitch, ache, wrench, prick, spasm, twinge, throe, gnawing, pains in the abdominal region which occur in the early stages of hunger or fasting and are correlated with contractions of the empty stomach or intestines

All of the above words are negative or bad...food stops the pangs and thus eliminating the negative/bad feelings....these negative/bad feelings must be voluntarily subjected/inflicted towards yourself in order to attain your weight loss goals....to endure these bad feelings and push through them and attain your goals, you all need to toughen up and stop being sissys.....if you’re not feeling these negative feelings/bad feeling you are likely not losing weight and likely not working towards your goals and you are likely a sissy (does not apply to mfpallers that are trying to gain weight)....toughen up and reach your goals sooner

I want to be brutally honest and go on the record stating that these hunger pangs will be a part of your life for the rest of your life if this little experiment is to become a lifestyle change....let me explain....at any given moment (a snapshot in time if you will) you are either in a state of weight gain or weight loss, there is no in between! in order to maintain your weight over any length of time you will endure the above bad feelings of hunger pangs for approximately the same amount of time that you don’t experience hunger pangs/bad feelings....now you need to ask yourself if your tough enough and disciplined enough to endure the anguish, the pain, the constant denial, the wrenching of your stomach, the aching, the emotional distress, for approximately HALF of the rest of your life??? you will be denying yourself what you really want to eat for the rest of your life, I know this is true because the "normal old you" the “you” in your natural state got you fat and rarely if ever denied yourself food (does not apply to people on mfp that are trying to gain weight)....only the continued denial of the foods you want in the quantities you want them will allow to reach your weight/fitness goals and then only a very similar denial of foods will allow you to maintain your weight/fitness goals once they are attained....if you’re not willing to accept this reality then you need to go eat a pizza or a chocolate cake or whatever you love right now and just enjoy life being fat…
Otherwise prepare for a lifetime of tremendous and continued discipline…
Agree? Disagree? Why?
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Replies

  • Emtabo01
    Emtabo01 Posts: 672
    Agree, I feel like all i do now is think about the food I can't eat
  • DiabolicBooger
    DiabolicBooger Posts: 198 Member
    Agree, I feel like all i do now is think about the food I can't eat

    I inspect the cakes at the bakery isle every time i go to the grocery store
  • Helloitsdan
    Helloitsdan Posts: 5,564 Member
    I've been intermittently fasting since january...I dont get hunger pangs anymore.

    Hugs!
  • Emtabo01
    Emtabo01 Posts: 672
    how's that work? IF, heard of it, haven't looked into it
  • DiabolicBooger
    DiabolicBooger Posts: 198 Member
    I've been intermittently fasting since january...I dont get hunger pangs anymore.

    Hugs!

    Being able to ignore the signs/feelings of hunger to the point that you claim to be able to suggests a very high level of discapline....good job
  • Wat. I'm never hungry. I struggle to reach my calorie goal most days so I've been eating cookies, pie, and ice cream lately to fill in the gap. I do 20/4 IF so I'm never hungry until dinner time (which is when I eat). I just eat a ton of vegetables, shirataki noodles, and oatmeal with a scoop of whey protein. All of this amounts to 500-600 calories so I'll eat baked goods, ice cream, etc. to bring my total up. You DO NOT need to be hungry to lose weight.
  • AlanisT
    AlanisT Posts: 46 Member
    thank you for this. :) and yes, i agree.
  • I started taking Glucomannan supplements (fiber) before meals and in the evening when I shouldn't be eating because I have no more calories to spend in order to mask that feeling because I was finding myself giving in to the pain and eating in the middle of the night. I know there's no magic pill, but it seems to help! LOL
  • withchaco
    withchaco Posts: 1,026 Member
    at any given moment (a snapshot in time if you will) you are either in a state of weight gain or weight loss, there is no in between! in order to maintain your weight over any length of time you will endure the above bad feelings of hunger pangs for approximately the same amount of time that you don’t experience hunger pangs/bad feelings....
    Think of a person who's always naturally been at a normal, healthy weight. Never been overweight (or underweight for that matter) in their entire life. Do they get hungry from time to time? Sure. Does that mean they're miserable? NO!

    I'm thinking of my dad. He's always been at a healthy weight. While he never had to try to maintain his weight, he's NOT one of those people who can eat ridiculous amounts of calories and still be thin. He eats like a normal person. He gets hungry three or four times a day. When it happens, he eats. Simple.

    Hunger is a natural thing. Hunger does not equal misery. I think of it like thirst: when you get thirsty, you drink water. Just because you get thirsty multiple times throughout the day doesn't mean your life is miserable.

    Now, the difference is that water doesn't make you fat, while excess calories can. IMO the key is training your body so you adapt to eating at maintenance. It's possible, I speak from experience. Now when I eat more than enough to maintain 125lbs, my body doesn't get hungry. (Only problem... I want to lose a few more pounds. I'll have to get there and train my body along the way to adapt to my goal weight.)
  • I've been intermittently fasting since january...I dont get hunger pangs anymore.

    Hugs!

    Bro knows what he's talking about. It changes your hormones. Your ghrelin doesn't peak multiple times during the day like most people's. It just peaks when your body expects food, which is at the beginning of your feeding window.
  • DiabolicBooger
    DiabolicBooger Posts: 198 Member
    Wat. I'm never hungry. I struggle to reach my calorie goal most days so I've been eating cookies, pie, and ice cream lately to fill in the gap. I do 20/4 IF so I'm never hungry until dinner time (which is when I eat). I just eat a ton of vegetables, shirataki noodles, and oatmeal with a scoop of whey protein. All of this amounts to 500-600 calories so I'll eat baked goods, ice cream, etc. to bring my total up. You DO NOT need to be hungry to lose weight.

    The feelings of hunger is part of the natural feedback your body gives you indicating that it needs something...perhaps your feed back system is very different than mine or you are just doing a fantastic job of ignoring the the hunger feedback that your body generates...either way, good job
  • Umeboshi
    Umeboshi Posts: 1,637 Member
    you need to go eat a pizza or a chocolate cake or whatever you love right now and just enjoy life being fat

    This is the only part anyone needs to read.
  • ablazeoflife
    ablazeoflife Posts: 169 Member
    I also disagree regarding 'always feeling hunger pangs'. Actually you don't have to feel hunger pangs to lose weight. You just have to make sure that you eat at regular intervals, and that the food you eat has slow-digesting sugars instead of fast ones, and that there's bulk in your food so it's not empty calories. Try to avoid drinking your cals... and instead have whole grains and lots of veggies. You don't have to live with hunger pangs. Your stomach will adjust in size eventually and your liver, bile duct, pancreas etc will also adjust their secretions... so that your body knows when to release those hormones and enzymes and in what amount... then your leptin and grelin situation will get under control. You *do not* have to live with hunger pangs.
  • DiabolicBooger
    DiabolicBooger Posts: 198 Member
    this lifetime of tremendous and continued discipline im talking about does not just apply to the dinner table, it also applies to the exercise and activity levels!
  • RunMyOregonBunsOff
    RunMyOregonBunsOff Posts: 862 Member
    If you are careful about the types of food that you put into your body, you can eat and feel full or at least satisfied on a calorie deficit. I am practically never over on my calories and rarely feel hungry. No more than the average person (maybe less than the average person) when it's getting close to dinner time and you don't want to spoil dinner with a snack while you are cooking. If you can make some healthy lifestyle changes you don't have to "feel hungry" but you may miss some of your favorite foods while you are still adjusting to your new lifestyle. I still even eat icecream, a little candy and baked goods but I just keep the portions small so that I can enjoy without any negative feelings. :D
  • DiabolicBooger
    DiabolicBooger Posts: 198 Member
    I also disagree regarding 'always feeling hunger pangs'. Actually you don't have to feel hunger pangs to lose weight. You just have to make sure that you eat at regular intervals, and that the food you eat has slow-digesting sugars instead of fast ones, and that there's bulk in your food so it's not empty calories. Try to avoid drinking your cals... and instead have whole grains and lots of veggies. You don't have to live with hunger pangs. Your stomach will adjust in size eventually and your liver, bile duct, pancreas etc will also adjust their secretions... so that your body knows when to release those hormones and enzymes and in what amount... then your leptin and grelin situation will get under control. You *do not* have to live with hunger pangs.

    I diasagree...hunger is the discomfort that caused you to over eat and gain weight in the first place....the denial of food must continue or else the natural you will over eat and you will gain the weight back....this is true because you are here and you use this website to control and monitor your denial of food...
  • withchaco
    withchaco Posts: 1,026 Member
    this lifetime of tremendous and continued discipline im talking about does not just apply to the dinner table, it also applies to the exercise and activity levels!
    I used to hate moving. Not just exercise... I'd happily sit at my desk ALL DAY and never go out (except to eat out), and that's exactly what I did almost every day.

    Now? I actually enjoy exercise. I'd be seriously unhappy if I were forced to not work out for more than a few days in a row.

    People can and do change. Sometimes it's about discipline... Other times, it's about learning to enjoy something different.
  • withchaco
    withchaco Posts: 1,026 Member
    I also disagree regarding 'always feeling hunger pangs'. Actually you don't have to feel hunger pangs to lose weight. You just have to make sure that you eat at regular intervals, and that the food you eat has slow-digesting sugars instead of fast ones, and that there's bulk in your food so it's not empty calories. Try to avoid drinking your cals... and instead have whole grains and lots of veggies. You don't have to live with hunger pangs. Your stomach will adjust in size eventually and your liver, bile duct, pancreas etc will also adjust their secretions... so that your body knows when to release those hormones and enzymes and in what amount... then your leptin and grelin situation will get under control. You *do not* have to live with hunger pangs.

    I diasagree...hunger is the discomfort that caused you to over eat and gain weight in the first place....the denial of food must continue or else the natural you will over eat and you will gain the weight back....this is true because you are here and you use this website to control and monitor your denial of food...
    Um... are you trolling? Because what you've written here directly contradicts what you wrote in your profile.
  • DiabolicBooger
    DiabolicBooger Posts: 198 Member
    this lifetime of tremendous and continued discipline im talking about does not just apply to the dinner table, it also applies to the exercise and activity levels!
    I used to hate moving. Not just exercise... I'd happily sit at my desk ALL DAY and never go out (except to eat out), and that's exactly what I did almost every day.

    Now? I actually enjoy exercise. I'd be seriously unhappy if I were forced to not work out for more than a few days in a row.

    People can and do change. Sometimes it's about discipline... Other times, it's about learning to enjoy something different.

    Learning to enjoy something different is key....enjoying your food can place you on a slippery slope back to over eating and being fat...i wish eating food was as meaningless, joyless and automatic of an experience as breathing or my heart beating....then i could focus on finding more joy in other aspects of life
  • DiabolicBooger
    DiabolicBooger Posts: 198 Member
    I also disagree regarding 'always feeling hunger pangs'. Actually you don't have to feel hunger pangs to lose weight. You just have to make sure that you eat at regular intervals, and that the food you eat has slow-digesting sugars instead of fast ones, and that there's bulk in your food so it's not empty calories. Try to avoid drinking your cals... and instead have whole grains and lots of veggies. You don't have to live with hunger pangs. Your stomach will adjust in size eventually and your liver, bile duct, pancreas etc will also adjust their secretions... so that your body knows when to release those hormones and enzymes and in what amount... then your leptin and grelin situation will get under control. You *do not* have to live with hunger pangs.

    I diasagree...hunger is the discomfort that caused you to over eat and gain weight in the first place....the denial of food must continue or else the natural you will over eat and you will gain the weight back....this is true because you are here and you use this website to control and monitor your denial of food...
    Um... are you trolling? Because what you've written here directly contradicts what you wrote in your profile.

    ummm....first off no, im not trolling, im heart attack serious...secondly, more clearly explain this contradiction you speak of...
  • unsuspectingfish
    unsuspectingfish Posts: 1,176 Member
    I disagree. I'm currently in a state of weight loss and I only ever have to endure hunger on work days, about an hour before I leave, because I can't take a break to eat something in between lunch and leaving. Otherwise, I eat often enough that I rarely experience feelings of hunger. Usually, it's fruit or almonds in between meals, but I eat chocolate and baked goods, too. I feel like denying yourself everything you like is a recipe for failure, so I don't, and I've done pretty well that way.

    Also, eating at the same time every day is important. I've read a couple articles that basically said, even if you're eating enough, if you're used to eating at a certain time and you don't, your brain is going to tell you that you should be eating, even if you're not hungry. My own experience has shown this to be true, at least in my case.
  • Natihilator
    Natihilator Posts: 1,778 Member
    I want to be brutally honest and go on the record stating that these hunger pangs will be a part of your life for the rest of your life if this little experiment is to become a lifestyle change.

    :laugh:
    LOL no.

    I can't even remember the last time I've felt a hunger pang (over a year ago probably), and I've lost 30lbs. And i used to LOVE feeling them (in my disordered eating days).

    If you are feeling HUNGRY you are doing it WRONG.
  • DiabolicBooger
    DiabolicBooger Posts: 198 Member
    Hunger pangs aren't a necessary part of weight loss. Eat foods with a low calorie density(less calories per volume) such as vegetables, instead of eating high calorie foods. foods loaded with a lot of fat and low in fiber.

    The pallers that claim to not feel hunger concern me....are you guys so outta touch with your bodies that you ligitamitly dont feel hunger? i would suggest that if your running a deficit and you dont feel hunger or the subtle, more soft versions of hunger pangs then i would say your feedback system is broken and you might have a medical condition....if not for hunger or the feelings of hunger then how would you know when its time to eat? looking at the clock?
  • I've been loosing weight pretty slowly over the last 2 years...46 lbs so far. I love white chocolate mochas so instead of cutting them out completely I get it skinny. Can I drink one everyday...no, but I have them when I want them and adjust accordingly for the day. More exercise...different meal choices etc. Where am I going with this. Ah yes! You don't need to starve yourself! You can still have treats! You can eat more than enough food in the day to NOT feel hunger pangs constantly! There are tons of good foods out there that are filling and low calorie or hell high calorie for that matter but better for you than french fries. Anyway...2 years and here I am still happy still drinking my skinny WCM and still loosing weight. Do I need to use self control...ah yea, but 'always feeling hunger pangs'? Ya no. I wouldn't be able to maintain for such a long time if I was.

    'hunger is the discomfort that caused you to over eat and gain weight in the first place' IMO completely WRONG. People eat for all sorts of reasons that vary rarely have anything to do with hunger. Mine would most likely be boredom and this crazy feeling that I need to snack in front of the stinking TV! That later has been a hard HABIT to break.
  • Helloitsdan
    Helloitsdan Posts: 5,564 Member
    I've been intermittently fasting since january...I dont get hunger pangs anymore.

    Hugs!

    Bro knows what he's talking about. It changes your hormones. Your ghrelin doesn't peak multiple times during the day like most people's. It just peaks when your body expects food, which is at the beginning of your feeding window.

    Holy ****!
    Rockville?
    Were neighbors!

    Truth is I get hungry at 2, 6 and 9pm.
    Thats it.

    Easy.
  • Natihilator
    Natihilator Posts: 1,778 Member
    And honestly, I avoided trying to lose weight because for the longest time, the thought of having to restrict what I ate and "go on a diet" forever terrified me. I couldn't accept that I had to eat rice cakes and broth and raw carrots for the rest of my life in order to "get skinny". Because I thought that was the only way to reach that goal

    And then I learned.

    I learned that I can still eat the things I like. And that my goal isn't just to get skinny, it's to get healthy and strong in body and mind. I accepted the fact that I will always struggle with food and my weight for the rest of my life, and at times it will be a DAMN struggle, and at times it will be easier. That's just how it is.
  • I tend to agree. An instructor at my gym (who is a bit of a maniac - but an awesome trainer nonetheless) says that in order to get fitter and stronger, you have to learn to be uncomfortable and be okay with it. I think, that for me, it has been the same for the hunger. For the first 6 weeks I was always hungry. And it gradually improved, and now I am seldom hungry. And when I am, it is manageable. Your body does adjust. I hated feeling hungry for that first 6 weeks. I am far more capable of tolerating discomfort associated with exercise, than discomfort associated with hunger.
  • VelociMama
    VelociMama Posts: 3,119 Member
    I lost my first 10 lbs when I was running a deficit far larger than I should've been (trying to eat 1200 calories per day and not eat my workout calories), and yes, I was starving, miserable, lethargic, and as a result, was prone to binge eating when I got stressed out. I was also physically exhausted and close to passing out trying to do cardio a few times. When I figured out I could eat 500 more calories per day, still lose, and not be hungry, I lost 32 more. My binges disappeared, and my fitness improved dramatically. More importantly, I had the control over my eating habits I never had before which has carried into my pregnancy and will carry into my post-partum weight loss as well. Learning how to do this made weight loss and fitness much easier too. It became a positive spiral in the right direction.

    I fill my day with good-quality fiber-rich food with a healthy amount of fats and protein, and I don't get hungry anymore. It's not because I'm broken. It's because I figured out how to eat well and have a healthy relationship with food and my body.
  • Natihilator
    Natihilator Posts: 1,778 Member
    The pallers that claim to not feel hunger concern me....are you guys so outta touch with your bodies that you ligitamitly dont feel hunger? i would suggest that if your running a deficit and you dont feel hunger or the subtle, more soft versions of hunger pangs then i would say your feedback system is broken and you might have a medical condition....if not for hunger or the feelings of hunger then how would you know when its time to eat? looking at the clock?

    Tell us more, doctor.

    Hunger pangs DO NOT equal regular hunger. Hunger pangs are painful and powerful. You don't need to feel pain to know that your body needs food. How do you not know this?
  • Elleinnz
    Elleinnz Posts: 1,661 Member
    I've been intermittently fasting since january...I dont get hunger pangs anymore.

    Hugs!

    ^^^^^ This - have not had a hunger pang in a year, and I fast 16 hours a day!!!