Any good suggestions to curb the hunger pains

BryceMansfield
BryceMansfield Posts: 7
in Motivation and Support
Hi there...I'm new to this whole thing...and I've SERIOUSLY cutting down my calorie intake (down to 1500 per day from prob 5000+...I know right!!)

Well...I'm wondering if there is anything that help curb the hunger pains you feel between snacks...meals and so forth. I don't have to feel "stuffed" at all...but feeling hungry constantly isn't very comfortable either...

Any suggestions???

Thanks!
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Replies

  • stines72
    stines72 Posts: 853 Member
    I drink tons of water with all of my meals and snacks. Helps quite a bit. You can try chewing gum between meals or brushing your teeth. Also caffeine.
  • JENNTF
    JENNTF Posts: 78 Member
    When you feel hunger pains, but it is not time to eat a meal try dring water, wait 20 minutes and see if you are still hungry. It takes 20 minutes for the brain to tell the stomach that you are full. If that dosn't work then try eating a handful of almonds. If you do this 30 minutes before a meal it will also make you feel fullier then you wont eat as much.

    GOOD LUCK!!!
  • yeah_im_that_girl_
    yeah_im_that_girl_ Posts: 24
    Drink water lots of it! always always always! before meals with meals, after meals,
  • msacurrie
    msacurrie Posts: 144 Member
    Try eating :) haha I know that sounds silly - but if you're really in PAIN and not just bored, then your body is crying out. It looks like you're taking a HUGE step down, maybe try working your way there so your body can adjust? Try healthy snacks like carrot sticks, etc. just to give your body something to munch on and digest :) This is just my own opinion, nothing scientific or researched.
  • SquidgySquidge
    SquidgySquidge Posts: 239 Member
    Water
    Hot Drink
    Mint
    Satsuma

    I normally make a cup of tea and it does the trick.
  • ShellB8585
    ShellB8585 Posts: 42 Member
    Welcome to MFP!

    Definitely drinking water. I have started drinking a lot more and i'm never really hungry and it stops me getting a coke at lunch because i'm not thirsty so win win :)

    Good with your weight loss journey!
  • BeachGingerOnTheRocks
    BeachGingerOnTheRocks Posts: 3,927 Member
    Hi. I wouldn't recommend you drop all the way down to 1500 just yet. Your BMR might be higher than 1500, and if you try to be too ambitious, you might not be able to sustain that sort of way of eating.

    But even at 2000, you will lose. Stick to nutrient-dense, low and mid-calorie foods and proteins. Vegetables, chicken breast and fish, very lean beef and pork (check labels for 93% lean, or "extra lean"), avocados, certain whole grains (Joseph's pitas are very filling and reduced calorie, as are La Tortilla Factory Smart & Delicious tortillas), fat free dairy (yogurt, skim milk, cottage cheese).

    Don't make eating a chore or a misery. Explore, play with your food, and work down slowly.

    And try to walk as much as you can.

    Wishing you the best.
  • ultrahush
    ultrahush Posts: 23 Member
    I drink a ton of tea at night after dinner to help me with my late night sweet tooth :)
  • cobes24
    cobes24 Posts: 132 Member
    WATER. SO much water. Working out helps too--I'm always less hungry after I exercise.
  • tabinmaine
    tabinmaine Posts: 965 Member
    whenever I am hungry I like to eat food...... and lots of it !
  • aatuinn
    aatuinn Posts: 21 Member
    Vegetables make a great, low-cal snack. I'll take a bunch (broccoli, green beans, and a little corn) and stir-fry them in 1/2 tablespoon of olive oil.

    Also... water. I drink teas, personally.
  • Tats1000
    Tats1000 Posts: 36 Member
    I find chewing gum in moderation helps me. The chewing makes my brain think im eating. Usually about 3-5 cals per piece of gum i would say. Low fat yoghurts are quite good too, especially if you take ages eating it. I have a yoghurt for breakfast every morning and make it last like 15-20 mins by dipping the spoon in and out of the pot, not scooping it out. Mentally it makes me feel fuller cos its taken so long.
  • Jaulen
    Jaulen Posts: 468 Member
    OP is a 40 yr old male.....that used to eat, estimated 5000+ calories and has now dropped to 1500.

    Too far too fast. Just doing something like drinking water, tea, or chewing gum is not going to work.

    I'm a 40 yr old female, and eat more than 1500 calories.

    Calculate your BMR, and your TDEE.

    Do not eat below your BMR.
  • Vonwarr
    Vonwarr Posts: 390 Member
    Honestly, try a less aggressive calorie deficit. I don't know your height/weight or how much you have to lose, but generally if you're just starting out you may require more food than that in a day. When I started out I was losing weight steadily on 2400 a day. As you lose weight, you can adjust lower (I lose 1 lb a week at 1850 calories a day now).

    Other things that will help are to eat a lot of vegetables - especially ones that are high in fiber. 2 cups of broccoli or cauliflower is like 30 calories, meaning you can get a good amount of food for your stomach to work on digesting (rather than gnawing on your spine).

    Drinking lots of water along with eating fibre will also help.

    Last but not least, avoid eating carb loaded snacks! Eating a meal with consists of just carbs or even mostly carbs tends to leave you feeling hungrier in a shorter amount of time. Eat more protein and some healthy fats to feel more satiated for longer. Some examples of things I use to stave off hunger pains - I will drink milk or a protein shake, eat some almonds, eat a serving of cheese with some roasted chicken, greek yogurt, or a couple of eggs.
  • swmarler
    swmarler Posts: 2 Member
    Embracing the hunger is an important part of dealing with hardship of dieting. Understand that it is your body's way of telling you it is in calorie deficit, and embrace the feeling as ongoing progress, as long as you are following through with your eating plan.

    I keep a bag of almonds at my desk and dole them out 1/4 cup at a time when the hunger gets to be too much. I typically do this twice each day.

    On the weekends, when I'm less busy and more likely to snack, I'll take a serving of sugar free metamucil along with a couple fish oil pills up to three times a day. It doesn't satisfy, but at least helps to feel a bit more full.

    Late at night I snack on dill pickles. This is another mental trick for myself, because I hate dill, but I won't let myself have anything else. Some nights I sit staring at a bowl of dill pickle spears, munching on one or two, with my wife laughing at this weird display of masochistic dieting. But it works as long as I have something in front of me I won't eat.
  • melaniecheeks
    melaniecheeks Posts: 6,349 Member
    Hunger pains go away. Do something else for 10 or 15 minutes, or make a herbal tea.

    It'll be hard for a while until your body gets used to this new regime - it will get better, I promise.
  • starlightsparrow
    starlightsparrow Posts: 4
    make sure you are drinking lots of water throughout the day, and eating 4-5 small meals instead of just three big meals. grapefruit is a natural appetite curber, cut up a grapefruit in the morning and tote it around with you all day, so when you feel hungry eat a couple pieces of it and drink a bottle of water :) those 100 calorie packs of plain almonds are a lifesaver to have in the car or in a travel bag as a go to when hunger strikes, too. i also try to make sure the carbs i eat are "good" carbs, they break down slower and keep you fuller longer (plain oatmeal, brown rice, quinoa, whole wheat bread and pasta, etc.). i cut down from a few thousand calories to 1200-1400 a day, and i dont starve myself. it is definitely doable if you make the right food choices and are exercising 45 minutes a day.
  • Ramberta
    Ramberta Posts: 1,312 Member
    Hi. I wouldn't recommend you drop all the way down to 1500 just yet. Your BMR might be higher than 1500, and if you try to be too ambitious, you might not be able to sustain that sort of way of eating.

    But even at 2000, you will lose. Stick to nutrient-dense, low and mid-calorie foods and proteins. Vegetables, chicken breast and fish, very lean beef and pork (check labels for 93% lean, or "extra lean"), avocados, certain whole grains (Joseph's pitas are very filling and reduced calorie, as are La Tortilla Factory Smart & Delicious tortillas), fat free dairy (yogurt, skim milk, cottage cheese).

    Don't make eating a chore or a misery. Explore, play with your food, and work down slowly.

    And try to walk as much as you can.

    Wishing you the best.

    This. Be careful going down to such a low calorie goal-- unless you have a sedentary job and have absolutely no activity on a daily basis other than walking around the house, you probably burn at least 1500 already. Eating below your BMR will give you quick results at first but then you'll be losing lean muscle mass instead of fat. Try changing it to 2000 or even 2500 at first. If you're getting headaches, feeling lightheaded/dizzy, or getting severe stomach pains, you need to eat!!
  • saralayne42
    saralayne42 Posts: 27 Member
    If I've ruled out thirst or boredom, I like to have a bowl of broth based soup. Chicken noodle with some extra veggies thrown in is very filling and low calorie. Even just a cup of broth or miso will help. Good luck!
  • karielsie
    karielsie Posts: 6 Member
    Coffee and water works for me! Oh, and some crunches :)
  • tam_ham
    tam_ham Posts: 2 Member
    I'd watch it with the almonds. They are super high in calories. About an 1/8 cup is 80 - 100. That is maybe 10 - 12 almonds. Water helps, yes, but protein helps me feel full for longer. I also think halving every week or so to 1500 might be easier, unless you were drinking most of those 5000 calories with beer or sugary soda. By the way, I cut out all alcohol because I'd rather be able to eat calories than get boozy.
    The point isn't to lose as much as weight as possible, it's to lose it and keep it off. Don't get discouraged and good luck.
  • maybabier
    maybabier Posts: 32 Member
    EAT when you're hungry, not when you're bored. Always listen to your body.
  • JennKie1
    JennKie1 Posts: 200 Member
    If you're really hungry, then you need to eat something. Just pick something healthy like a low fat yogurt, fresh veggies, string cheese, almonds. It's silly to deprive yourself (if you're legitimately hungry) just because you don't think it's "time" to eat yet. Your body will tell you what it needs. As long as you are making "good" choices, you'll be just fine. Another thing to consider: Are you getting enough protein? I notice that on the days where I'm feeling extra hungry, it's usually because my protein intake has been on the low side. Veggies are great and can be filling, but it doesn't usually stick with you very long. Protein seems to hold me over a little better.
  • Erienneb
    Erienneb Posts: 592 Member
    I've never felt "hunger pains" per say. I cut down from a diet that had to have been upwards 3500 a day to 1750 a day. It's hard. I get hungry. But never unbearably. When I first feel like I'm hungry I drink a glass of water and wait 20 minutes to make sure I'm not tricking myself into thinking I'm hungry when I'm really bored. A lot of times, this helps clear the issue up. If I still find myself hungry then I get a snack. I keep a lot of things in my desk at work for this occasion. But honestly, it doesn't happen that often once you learn to tell the difference between hungry and bored/thirsty/tired/etc.
  • Jaulen
    Jaulen Posts: 468 Member
    "Embracing the hunger is an important part of dealing with hardship of dieting"

    What?

    Dieting is not a hardship if done correctly. To me, that's the wrong mentality. If you go at it as a hardship, you're setting yourself up for failure.
  • Lilyyy7
    Lilyyy7 Posts: 41
    When you go from eating 5000 calories a day to 1500 calories a day it's going to be quite the adjustment.

    What I do is try to drink a lot of water before my meal and throughout the day. Like, a lot!

    Try eating veggies before you meal, and chew them up really nice. Maybe even take a brake for a minute, and start eating again. It takes a while for your metabolism to kick in, so give it some time. It really doesn't take too much food to fill you up. It's a matter of how fast you eat. If you eat too fast, you'll eat everything, and be hungry again later. If you eat slow, you may get full faster. In my experience anyway. Make sure you are eating breakfast, snack, lunch, snack, dinner. One thing that keeps my hunger under control is eating foods with tons of protein.

    Hope all works out! :)
  • hearthemelody
    hearthemelody Posts: 1,025 Member
    "Embracing the hunger is an important part of dealing with hardship of dieting"

    What?

    Dieting is not a hardship if done correctly. To me, that's the wrong mentality. If you go at it as a hardship, you're setting yourself up for failure.

    ^This^
  • Windy_
    Windy_ Posts: 1,012 Member
    Eat more.
  • GoTeamMeaghan
    GoTeamMeaghan Posts: 347 Member
    Embracing the hunger is an important part of dealing with hardship of dieting. Understand that it is your body's way of telling you it is in calorie deficit, and embrace the feeling as ongoing progress, as long as you are following through with your eating plan.

    I keep a bag of almonds at my desk and dole them out 1/4 cup at a time when the hunger gets to be too much. I typically do this twice each day.

    On the weekends, when I'm less busy and more likely to snack, I'll take a serving of sugar free metamucil along with a couple fish oil pills up to three times a day. It doesn't satisfy, but at least helps to feel a bit more full.

    Late at night I snack on dill pickles. This is another mental trick for myself, because I hate dill, but I won't let myself have anything else. Some nights I sit staring at a bowl of dill pickle spears, munching on one or two, with my wife laughing at this weird display of masochistic dieting. But it works as long as I have something in front of me I won't eat.

    Diets are temporary. If long term weight loss is your goal, then you need to change your lifestyle, not just "diet to lose weight". I eat close to 2,000 calories a day and continue to lose weight. You have to give your body enough fuel to run on. If you're hungry, then eat. Space your meals out into 5 or 6 smaller meals so you're eating more often.

    I would definitely agree with other posters that 5000 to 1500 is a big jump. I suggest you calculate your BMR and Total Daily Calorie Needs (I like the calculators at bmi-calculator.net), then just subtract 20% or 500 calories per day instead of just picking a random number of 1500.
  • astrampe
    astrampe Posts: 2,169 Member
    "Embracing the hunger is an important part of dealing with hardship of dieting"

    What?

    Dieting is not a hardship if done correctly. To me, that's the wrong mentality. If you go at it as a hardship, you're setting yourself up for failure.

    I never "embraced any hardships" and I lost 60lbs....Never hungry...If you are really hungry and not just craving something, eat...And as a 40 year old man you are probably starving on 1500 calories, so please eat more.....

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