Help! I stay hungry all day

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MZMONA8203
MZMONA8203 Posts: 4
in Food and Nutrition
I started this diet yesterday, and I ate 3 meals and 2 snacks and I stayed hungry all day long... I am also seeing that It is very expensive to eat healthy. I have 3 children and one grandchild that I have to cook for. I really need help and tips with this please. I need to have kid friendly, healthy meals that want go over my calorie, fats, carbs and protein limits. Please help
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  • stfuriada
    stfuriada Posts: 445 Member
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    Try to keep your mind off your hunger/keep yourself occupied.

    I find that I eat when I'm bored or I notice my hunger more when I have nothing else to focus on. So when I read a book or w/e, I get so absorbed that hours pass and I don't even notice.
  • auddii
    auddii Posts: 15,357 Member
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    If you open up your diary so that we can see what you are eating we can provide more useful advice. Without knowing what you are eating, be sure that your are eating lean protein and healthy fats throughout the day as these keep you more satiated throughout the day. I have been snacking on hard boiled eggs lately because they provide both protein and fat, and are rather inexpensive. I initially raised my budget when I decided to eat healthy, but I came in under budget last month. There are several threads for saving money while eating healthy. Try using the search function in the forums.
  • Firefox7275
    Firefox7275 Posts: 2,040 Member
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    What diet? Exactly what did you eat and how much of it?

    It is not necessarily expensive to eat healthy it might be expensive to buy ready made products that are marketed as healthy or diet friendly. There are numerous highly nutritious wholefoods that are very reasonably priced - frozen veggies, beans, lentils, oats, canned oily fish, canned tomatoes, organ meats, eggs, fresh root vegetables and so on.

    For children add vegetables to soups, stews/ casseroles, bolognese, chilli con carne, curries, blended in pasta sauce, fruit salads, smoothies and so on. Switch from white refined carbs to whole ones, switch from processed meats to natural ones. Children have been eating healthy wholefoods for millenia because that is what their parents taught them to eat and put on their plates. Don't buy them junk, don't keep it in the house and they will get hungry soon enough.
  • Stdavis53
    Stdavis53 Posts: 233 Member
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    I can give you 3 bits of advice here. And i'm no expert, but they have helped me stay full all day with 1200-1500 calories.

    1) Start the day out with a lot of your carb/protein allowance. They will help you stay full longer, and give you the energy to deal with that grandkid!

    2) Water water water. A lot of people automatically think that they have hunger pains when in reality, sometimes they are just thirsty! If you don't enjoy water, make a big batch of no cal, sugar free green tea for the flavor and drink it through the day. The 8 cups on the food diary is just a baseline. The more the better!

    3) Huge green salads. I often have a HUGE salad for lunch. 3-4 cups of romaine and spinach, handful of chopped up carrots, any other fresh veggies, and a low calorie fat free dressing. (I use the 1 cal per spray spritzers) I am full for hours, and it only costs me 75 or so calories!

    Salad mixes may be expensive where you are, but if you have a Sams club membership, or heck, if you want to brave going to Walmart, just get actual heads of romaine. Cheaper than the mixes, and you can clean and prepare them in no time.

    Just my $0.02
  • annebubbles
    annebubbles Posts: 83 Member
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    Eat more PROTEIN & you won't be hungry. Eat less carbs & you won't crave carbs. Eat as many vegetables as you want. Eat fruit if you want something sweet. NEVER eat anything that contains sugar! I lost 80 pounds with this program!
  • Yaya1976
    Yaya1976 Posts: 357 Member
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    When I feel hungry. I drink a huge glass of water and a hand full of almonds or peanuts or any kind of nuts. Healthy eating doesn't have to be expensive, trust me I'm on a budget as well. Eat lots of fruits and veggies and again lots and lots of water! :drinker:
  • MinnieInMaine
    MinnieInMaine Posts: 6,400 Member
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    Just wanted to point out that there's nothing wrong with going over your protein goals. Protein is actually very filling so getting more in during the day will help with that hunger. Pay attention to how your body reacts to the foods you eat and work your daily eating around that. For instance, I know a bowl of cheerios with some milk and a banana might seem like a nice big meal but with all that sugar that zooms through my system, I'm hungry and shaky in a couple hours. It's much better for me to eat things like eggs or even a tuna sandwich for breakfast as the protein keeps me full longer.
  • andreaamsden3
    andreaamsden3 Posts: 1
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    Stick it out. I felt hungry for the first 2 weeks. It eventually goes away. But i feel ya. You just gotta stick it out. To save moneyI buy canned veggies and those fruit cups you buy for your kids? Get a couple extra for you. Im super broke so I get it. Canned tuna is pretty inexpensive. Whole grain crackers. I buy the big bag of chicken breasts cuz its cheaper than the smaller packs. Hope this helps girly :)
  • BrJenks
    BrJenks Posts: 2
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    Hi. No easy answer. Hate to sound cliche but take one day at a time. Research foods that are satiating. Load up on vegetables and enjoy a little meat. Exercise can curb your appetite or increase it but it's necessary. You're in the early stages so don't worry and don't give up. It can be costly initially trying to purchase healthy foods for a family but you will learn over time how to bring that cost down. Hope this does not sound callous but begin with you. Reduce intake of processed foods as much as possible. Choose frozen over canned if you can, or reduce your portion size. Do what you can afford to do, and yes we have to exercise discipline. Be encouraged and Drink Plenty Water!!!
  • Starfish1125
    Starfish1125 Posts: 169 Member
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    The first week or so SUCKS. I hear you. You will be hungry - but that is because your body is "thinking" you're hungry. Unless you're eating empty calories (candy, chips) - then you truly aren't hungry.

    This is how I've been handling my first week so far - and I'm happy to say, it's working.

    7-8 a.m. - 16 oz of water (I drink this on my way to work)
    9:30 a.m. - high fiber cereal with coconut milk (I can't eat first thing in the a.m.)
    10:00 a.m. - 16 oz water
    11:00 a.m. - hard boiled egg
    12:00 p.m. - sandwich on whole wheat bread, celery sticks or cucumbers - 16 oz water
    2:30 p.m. - hard boiled egg
    3:00 p.m. - 16 oz water
    5-6pm - 16 oz water
    6:00 p.m. - dinner and 8 oz water

    I don't eat after dinner unless I have extra calories left for the day and if I do, I try to choose protein or veggies.

    And yes, I pee ALL THE TIME, but I have found that after only 4 days of this routine, I am less hungry and more satisfied. Sometimes I am finding myself not hungry at all, but I make sure I eat because I am the type of person who will fall off the wagon if I am "over" hungry.

    Good luck to you!
  • tsh0ck
    tsh0ck Posts: 1,970 Member
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    I started this diet yesterday, and I ate 3 meals and 2 snacks and I stayed hungry all day long... I am also seeing that It is very expensive to eat healthy. I have 3 children and one grandchild that I have to cook for. I really need help and tips with this please. I need to have kid friendly, healthy meals that want go over my calorie, fats, carbs and protein limits. Please help

    first, don't think of this as a diet -- it isn't. a diet implies something short-term. this is a lifestyle change.

    second, the only unhealthy food is one eaten in excess.

    if you are hungry, find low-cal food/snacks that fit in your limits. and increase protein intake -- that generally helps folks stay full for longer.

    and make sure you set your macros at a level that works for you. the MFP default generally seems to be off for most people.
  • Jacwhite22
    Jacwhite22 Posts: 7,012 Member
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    Part of being in a deficit is being hungry. It is worse at first.....and some days are worse than others. But if you want to lose the weight you might be hungry sometimes.
  • tsh0ck
    tsh0ck Posts: 1,970 Member
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    (and you could well be eating too little. folks first signing up often want to go all-out, so go for 2 lbs loss a week. set it at 1 or 1.5 -- you will still lose and you will be happier and more full while doing it. so what if it takes a few extra weeks to lose that half pound? you're still headed in the right direction and you'll still get there soon enough.)
  • carla1958
    carla1958 Posts: 30
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    frozen vegetables and berries are just as healthy as fresh and much cheaper.
  • dangerxbadger
    dangerxbadger Posts: 396 Member
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    Eat more PROTEIN & you won't be hungry. Eat less carbs & you won't crave carbs. Eat as many vegetables as you want. Eat fruit if you want something sweet. NEVER eat anything that contains sugar! I lost 80 pounds with this program!


    Protein, protein protein. Exactly. Only, vegetables have carbs in them, so you need to watch what KINDS of veggies you are eating, but try to eat a serving of protein (4oz or less) every three hours (in addition to your 4-6oz within your meals) and I promise you you will not feel that aching hunger!
  • MaraDiaz
    MaraDiaz Posts: 4,604 Member
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    If you have a crock pot you can feed yourself and your family on cheaper cuts of meat. The crock pot tenderizes it and you can throw some healthy veggies and whatever spices in to add some more flavors.

    The only thing I found to be a complete disaster when I tried it was chicken. Oh, and a cake, but the cake was only a disaster because I ate too much of it!
  • mercymarque
    mercymarque Posts: 450
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    Have protein with every meal and load up on water. Have three healthy snacks in between ur meals (one snack mid morning, one mid afternoon and one at least 1 1/2 before going to bed). Take a look at other's diary and see what they are eating to get some ideas as well.
  • jakidb
    jakidb Posts: 1,010 Member
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    Drink plenty of water; water fills you up! Also indulge in raw veggies, fruits like apples and any kind of "berry" fruit, and nuts. You'd be surprise at how fulfililng a "hand full" of cashews/almonds/etc. satisfies.
  • kerrisreadings
    kerrisreadings Posts: 1
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    Water is a dieter's best friend. Try and drink a gallon of it per day. Better yet, try drinking a really large glass of water with psyllium husks before every single meal. I challenge you to be hungry after that.

    We don't have much money here, living off of disability, but we manage to eat very healthy. I have a price I will not go above, $1.00 per pound, for nearly anything we buy. Walmart has some prices that are consistently low, but they are not the best on everything. Supermarkets sometimes have those deals. For instance, at a time when apple prices are really high, the local supermarket here had a deal going for apples and oranges, $5 for eight pounds! We bought six bags and are still living off of them.

    The other thing we do is make at least one salad daily around here. They don't have to be complicated, and I never buy bottled dressing. They taste gross and are full of fat and sugar. I do much better with my spices and a bit of olive oil and balsamic vinegar.

    Fresh foods are actually cheaper per pound than processed foods, hands down. Processed foods have more calories in them, but they aren't calories the body can use. Processed foods are not healthy, no matter what they claim.

    You absolutely must, and have to get yourself off of processed foods. They all have unhealthy fat, salt, and sugar in them, which is actually keeping you hungry rather than satisfying your appetite.

    You may also want to look into a detox.
  • MsLee502000
    MsLee502000 Posts: 9
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    If you are hungry EAT MORE FOOD!!! But make sure it is healthy food like fruits veggies grains and protein and not sugar starches or fats.
    I read that cold water is best when you are thirsty or dehydrated but room temp water helps to you to feel full.
    3500 calories equals a pound. To figure how many calories you need to consume to maintain your current weight take your weight divided by 2.2 then times 25 (for sedentary life style) or times 30 for a more active lifestyle. At my current weight I consume 2680 calories to maintain my weight. So if I drop to 1400 calories a day it will take me about 3 days to lose 1 pound. That is a weight loss of a bit more than 2 pounds a week.
    Some weeks you will have a lesser weight loss. Some weeks more.
    Also it depends on the types of foods you are eating. Fatty food (cheese is in this category) can slow down your metabolism causing you to lose weight slower.
    Increase your protein, decrease your fats and carbs. Remember starches convert to sugar in the body.
    GO to the goals section on this website and adjust your goals to 40% protein, 30% carbs and 30% fats. That should be your target for each day. Also their sodium goal is way too high. MFP has the default setting at 2500 mg. Sodium consumption should be at 1500mg.
    Remember to eat breakfast!!! Grains and proteins to start the day. Oatmeal stays with you a long time so you don't get as hungry as fast.
    The 5 serving of fruits and veggies are vital to a healthy diet.
    Just because you can get in sugary snacks and stay within your calorie goals does not mean that is a smart choice. Limit your consumption of sugar.
    I would add exercise slowly. Trouble with lots of dieters are they are gung ho at first and burn themselves out by setting too strict goals when it comes to exercise. Start slowly and work your way up.
    Do not allow your calorie consumption to go below 1200 calories a day (for a man 1600 calories) because your body will go into starvation mode and your metabolism will slow down.

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