Always hungry...and I eat, and eat and eat!

Good morning MFP! I hope everyone has been having a good week. I could really use some advice/help.

Every night during the work week I pack my breakfast/snacks/lunch for the next day. I start work between 6-7am and usually eat my breakfast (1 cup Get Balance - ALDI version of Kashi Go Lean and 1/2 cup of some version of ALDI brand Special K flavored cereals as a sweetener) between 6:30 and 8:30am. This serving contains 14g protein and 12g fiber. About an hour or so after i finish, I'm hungry again. I try to hold off until as close to 10am as possible and then i have a turkey sandwich on a sandwich skinny and 3oz of baby carrots all totaling 21g protein and 7g fiber. And I drink water through out the day. I'm 32oz in so far today and it's about 10:30am. AND I'M STILL HUNGRY!! The sandwich and carrots made no impact on my hunger. At this point in the day i try to hold off until about 11:30/12 when i had a serving of this great soup i found a recipe for which has 23g protein and 12g fiber. that will hold me over for an hour or 2 if im really luck...usually not. by the time i finish my soup i will have eaten throughout the work day almost 800 calories, 59g protein and 31g fiber (Between the hours of 6am and 3pm.) I really dont want to eat more while at work and eat ALL my calories (presently 1450) before I get to go home and eat dinner. my hunger is never truly satisfied. What am i doing wrong?? Why am I hungry ALL the time?? I'm not really working out right now. Last week i was doing 30DS, but my schedule this week has just not left me any time to do so. Please help!!

Thanks!!
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Replies

  • kr1stadee
    kr1stadee Posts: 1,774 Member
    My suggestion is to eat WAY more than 800 calories each day. Problem solved!
  • Kamnikar64
    Kamnikar64 Posts: 345 Member
    I don't have any great advice, but I know that feeling. There are days upon days where I feel like I am always hungry. I use popcorn cakes or rice cakes and publix or orville almost fat free popcorn. You get a lot of chewing for less calories. Generally the single serve popcorn will do the trick or 2 rice cakes.
  • For whatever reason, I find that I am often hungry during the day when I eat cereal for breakfast. What about higher protein, lower carb breakfast foods like eggs, turkey, etc? I even like to toss in some leftover broccoli or other veggies and cheese for an omelette to keep me full.

    Are you drinking enough water? Many times when I feel hungry, I will drink a big glass of water and that will actually help me get over the hump. When I want to chew/eat, but know I'm not really hungry, I have some sugar free jello or chew some gum.

    I'm a HUGE fan of Quest protein bars, too. Just had a chocolate peanut butter one for 160 calories and 20 grams of protein...it will keep me satisfied for the next couple hours before lunch.
  • apriltrainer
    apriltrainer Posts: 732 Member
    I used to be the same..it didn't matter what the macros were for my breakfast.

    If I ate a good protein rich breakfast of eggs and veggies and bacon here or there..still hungry 5min after I finished.

    If I ate oatmeal...still hungry...5 minutes arfter I finished.

    And by lunchtime I was just as hungry as if I didn't even eat breakfast.

    I solved that problem. But if I mention it on MFP, I'll probably get smacked down.

    But I conquered it.

    You can too.
  • rae_rae330
    rae_rae330 Posts: 39 Member
    My suggestion is to eat WAY more than 800 calories each day. Problem solved!

    Oh I do eat more than 800 calories. That's only how much I eat at work (Betweem the hours of 6am-3pm.) I then go home and eat dinner which is usually at least 650 calories or more.
  • SadKitty27
    SadKitty27 Posts: 416 Member
    I'm honestly not so sure (i'm not a dietitian,) but I can say that I have the exact opposite problem - I'm never hungry. Either way it's not as great as you'd think - I don't often eat as many calories as people say you should.

    Maybe it's because I eat way more fat than you do (my fat intake is usually similar to my protein intake.) Our calorie intake is about the same, but I actually think I eat more than you. The only other difference is carb and sugar intake (I tend to consume less.)
  • LadyPakal
    LadyPakal Posts: 256 Member
    Extremely low fat and very low net calories. I'm not surprised you're always hungry.
  • quirkytizzy
    quirkytizzy Posts: 4,052 Member
    Uhm, yeah - any human being is going to be hungry eat just 800 calories. Eat more and you'll find you're actually full. No amount of protein is going to make the hunger go away at such a low count.

    By way of comparison, you are eating the calorie total of 4 pieces of white-bread a day and three apples. No wonder you're hungry.
  • kr1stadee
    kr1stadee Posts: 1,774 Member
    My suggestion is to eat WAY more than 800 calories each day. Problem solved!

    Oh I do eat more than 800 calories. That's only how much I eat at work (Betweem the hours of 6am-3pm.) I then go home and eat dinner which is usually at least 650 calories or more.

    Sorry, I assumed that your days were finished at ~800 judging by your diary entries.
  • rae_rae330
    rae_rae330 Posts: 39 Member
    For whatever reason, I find that I am often hungry during the day when I eat cereal for breakfast. What about higher protein, lower carb breakfast foods like eggs, turkey, etc? I even like to toss in some leftover broccoli or other veggies and cheese for an omelette to keep me full.

    Are you drinking enough water? Many times when I feel hungry, I will drink a big glass of water and that will actually help me get over the hump. When I want to chew/eat, but know I'm not really hungry, I have some sugar free jello or chew some gum.

    I'm a HUGE fan of Quest protein bars, too. Just had a chocolate peanut butter one for 160 calories and 20 grams of protein...it will keep me satisfied for the next couple hours before lunch.


    I don't have the time in the morning to cook breakfast. Even though I start the day with cereal I soon after have a turkey sandwich. In the past 4 hours I have eaten 36g of protein and am still hunger. I am on my 2nd 32oz bottle of water. I'll definitely look into the Quest bars tho!
  • My suggestion is to eat WAY more than 800 calories each day. Problem solved!

    WHAT SHE SAID! That is way too low
  • AngelsInThighHighs
    AngelsInThighHighs Posts: 247 Member
    Maybe try something a bit more filling, i usually eat a banana (active energy), im now adopting a nutrional carnation i stant breakfast drink with a cup of whole milk along with coffee, creamer, and multi vitamin this holds me over until lunch then i have a plain salad or an orange and i eat a big dinner :) are you getting hunger pain or are you just bored?
  • I agree, eat more calories...your body is in starvation mode. Extreme hunger can also be a sign of low blood sugar...possibly a side effect from eating so few calories?

    For myself, if I have more than a minute amount of refined sugar in my diet I start to get cravings like crazy!
  • bcattoes
    bcattoes Posts: 17,299 Member
    My suggestion is to eat WAY more than 800 calories each day. Problem solved!

    Agreed! You are eating too little. Of course you are hungry.
  • flutterbye811
    flutterbye811 Posts: 86 Member
    Guys, read the post, it isn't that long. She said she does, she just didn't log the calories from after she left work.
  • rae_rae330
    rae_rae330 Posts: 39 Member
    My suggestion is to eat WAY more than 800 calories each day. Problem solved!

    Oh I do eat more than 800 calories. That's only how much I eat at work (Betweem the hours of 6am-3pm.) I then go home and eat dinner which is usually at least 650 calories or more.

    Sorry, I assumed that your days were finished at ~800 judging by your diary entries.

    I haven't been really good at logging my dinner's this week. But the night time isn't really a problem. Just during the day.
  • whatjesseats
    whatjesseats Posts: 228 Member
    I feel more satisfied if my meal includes some fat in addition to protein and fiber. Try incorporating fats into your breakfast and lunch and see if that makes a difference.
  • 77tes
    77tes Posts: 8,491 Member
    Like others I would suggest more protein, especially in the morning. Do you like string cheese? It and Greek yogurt are my go-to snacks.

    Good luck! :flowerforyou:

    Oh, just looked at your diary. Definitely add some healthy fats. Peanut butter! (I'm always perscribing PB for everything, lol) .
  • tanyakay87
    tanyakay87 Posts: 223 Member
    Just an idea...

    Perhaps have a look at what you are eating. If there is no nutritional value in something, chances are your body is not going to get anything from it and therefore you will be hungry shortly after. I can quite easily go to a fast food takeaway, eat like a maniac, and then we hungry an hour later. When I eat non-processed, healthy food however, I tend not to be hungry and actually skip meals sometimes because I genuinely don't want anything. I have just finished the Dax Moy 30 Day Elimination Diet, cut out all crappy foods for a month and I was never hungry.

    Just my personal opinion, knowing my body. Seeing as I don't know yours though (sounds pervy lol) I don't know if that really is the case or not. x
  • I apologize on behalf of everyone who just read (and didn't comprehend) "800 calories" and responded you need to eat more.

    My advice is to try to eat something with healthy fats such as nuts. Maybe some wheat bread with natural peanut butter would help. Even dairy products can help stave off hunger, so some cheese might do you some good.
  • brookehe
    brookehe Posts: 413 Member
    I've been on 1200 cals/day for 5 weeks or so and in looking at your post I'm thinking you need more protein and fiber. These both keep one fuller longer. It's worked for me thus far = I'm losing slow and steady and I'm not hungry. Hope this helps, good luck on your journey.
  • AllonsYtotheTardis
    AllonsYtotheTardis Posts: 16,947 Member
    I find that adding a lot of fresh veggies to my lunch helps me feel more full without a huge calorie hit. It's pretty easy to have a container of these at your desk for snacking on.

    If your suppers are as low fat as your day time meals, you might want to add in some things like avocado to your lunch - the healthy fats can help you feel more satisfied.
  • Evachiquita
    Evachiquita Posts: 223 Member
    Try to eat more of your calories earlier in the day. That has really helped me out. Some recommendations are to eat 25% of your daily calories for breakfast. I often eat 4 times a day with the first two meals being the largest. Try reducing carbs, especially in your first meal. Eating carbs early in the day sets you up for blood sugar spikes, feelings of hunger, and cravings. I have been cutting back on carbs and eating lots more fat. I find that I'm not that hungry at the end of the day when I get home from work.
  • Italianyc84
    Italianyc84 Posts: 192 Member
    Some of you have very VERY poor reading comprehension. She said she eats 800 calories WHILE AT WORK, then goes home to eat dinner and altogether eats about 1450 calories a day. OMG.
  • More sleep can help as well. If you are not getting enough sleep it can affect the hormones that control appetite, (leptin and ghrelin). Shoot for 7 or 8 hours if you can. Also, use the bmr tool on the website to determine how many calories you need per day to create a deficit. Lets say you burn 2000 kcals per day through activity etc. You can shoot for 1500 or 1750 as you adust. 500 calories per day equates to about a pound per week loss (3500 kcals) and half a pound for 1750. Take your time and be patient with the number on the scale, it may take up to 3 weeks for the body to adjust. Be patient and consistent. Good luck!
  • I definitely agree with the previous posts. More protein and Fiber is definitely needed.
  • LokiOfAsgard
    LokiOfAsgard Posts: 378 Member
    Eat more!
    You need at least 1,200 calories a day and it looks like you're only getting 800.

    I eat 800 before dinner.

    So, eat more breakfast, like 400-700 calories is plenty. Eat a snack, have some lunch, another snack, then dinner. Eat at least 1,200 (Even after exercise) and I think you won't be as hungry :)
  • staciarose13
    staciarose13 Posts: 51 Member
    Guys, read the post, it isn't that long. She said she does, she just didn't log the calories from after she left work.

    ^^^This. She has said multiple times that she eats way more than 800 cals in a whole day. Geesh, people.
  • Sweet_Potato
    Sweet_Potato Posts: 1,119 Member
    The soup's a good idea but I know I would be starving all the time if I ate cereal for breakfast and sandwiches for lunch. They just aren't very satisfying.
  • kr1stadee
    kr1stadee Posts: 1,774 Member
    It's not so much my ability to read. When there's a giant block of words, some tend to be glanced over. This is why I went to the diary.