getting past the hunger

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nicole_andan
nicole_andan Posts: 127
in Health and Weight Loss
So I'm hoping for help with 2 things really, here goes!

Background:
I am used to having a big evening meal. I don't think I eat a huge amount through out the day, I have a sensible breakfast at lunch and normally at least 1 snack. Altogether that normally equals 700 calories. I'm on 1500 calories so that leaves me with 800 to play with. But I'm finding that a decent portion of protein, carbs and veggies takes me easily to 700 calories. It's not unusual for me to have 200g pasta or 150g rice and honestly without it I really feel deprived. I have also found that I need at least 150 calories in the evening for a pudding or sweet snack.
I know that people use tickers a lot so just to be clear. Whilst I've lost 5lb on MFP I've lost 16lb in total since I started @ the end of October. I cook everything myself, I don't eat processed foods. And telling me to suck it up at this point won't help me!
I work full time and I'm on the road so I can't have my main meal during the day and normally I can create calories @ the gym but I've done my knee in and need a week off @ the worst possible time because I was overindulgent at Easter.

Question 1: is it just a case of portion control until my body gets used to a smaller quantity of food?
Question 2: I substitute swede and sweet potato for mash rather than normal potatoes, can anyone recommend similar for rice or pasta?

I would really appreciate any constructive advice because I'm having a low fortnight and any help would be great!
Thanks xx
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Replies

  • mfpcopine
    mfpcopine Posts: 3,093 Member
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    So I'm hoping for help with 2 things really, here goes!

    Background:
    I am used to having a big evening meal. I don't think I eat a huge amount through out the day, I have a sensible breakfast at lunch and normally at least 1 snack. Altogether that normally equals 700 calories. I'm on 1500 calories so that leaves me with 800 to play with. But I'm finding that a decent portion of protein, carbs and veggies takes me easily to 700 calories. It's not unusual for me to have 200g pasta or 150g rice and honestly without it I really feel deprived. I have also found that I need at least 150 calories in the evening for a pudding or sweet snack.
    I know that people use tickers a lot so just to be clear. Whilst I've lost 5lb on MFP I've lost 16lb in total since I started @ the end of October. I cook everything myself, I don't eat processed foods. And telling me to suck it up at this point won't help me!
    I work full time and I'm on the road so I can't have my main meal during the day and normally I can create calories @ the gym but I've done my knee in and need a week off @ the worst possible time because I was overindulgent at Easter.

    Question 1: is it just a case of portion control until my body gets used to a smaller quantity of food?
    Question 2: I substitute swede and sweet potato for mash rather than normal potatoes, can anyone recommend similar for rice or pasta?

    I would really appreciate any constructive advice because I'm having a low fortnight and any help would be great!
    Thanks xx

    You might want to look into Intermittent Fasting (IF). You would eat your 1500 calories but only in a specific eating window. Most people who do it are not ravenous, they might feel some mild pangs before their fast ends. I suggest trying a milder form, say one where you would fast 14 -16 hours every day with a 10 to 8 hour eating window. That usually results in people eating for the first time in the early afternoon. You can also ease into it, delaying your breakfast for 30 minutes each day until you reach your starting point. You still will have to track your calories to lose weight.

    There's a group here and there is a lot of information on the web.
  • dlcarroll13
    dlcarroll13 Posts: 65 Member
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    I know what your going thru...I went thru something similar as I started a new job. Was used to a big evening meal but then I was working til 6 every night and by the time I cooked it would easily be 7-7:30 and didn't want to be eating that much so late and then going to bed and having it sit. I shifted my calories to breakfast and lunch...now usually having a smoothie and a 3oz chicken breast for dinner. For the first 2 weeks I felt like I was starving at night, but made a point to drink alot of water and try to go for a walk to distract myself. It DID pass, and now I don't feel that way at all anymore. Your body will learn to re-adjust.
    Another yummy substitution for mashed potatoes is to mash up cauliflower...I know it sounds weird but it's great. As far as the rice and pasta, I shifted to using natural brown rice and whole wheat pasta, they seem to stick with me longer and I use far less than when I was eating the refined stuff. Hope this helps a little :) Feel free to add me if you like!
  • trin8ty75
    trin8ty75 Posts: 60 Member
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    Yes I think you need to tough it out while your body gets used to smaller portions. Drink a lot of water. I have used zero calorie miracle rice in place of white rice and spaghetti squash in place of pasta.Good luck to you
  • nicole_andan
    nicole_andan Posts: 127
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    Hi, thanks for posting. IF is not for me I'm afraid, history of low blood sugar and family diabetes does not a good IFer make!
    I have breakfast before I leave for work @ 7.30am, home made lunch whilst driving between appointments between 1-2pm (no lunch break for me!) And then I'm in and have dinner cooked and ready (on a non-gym day) by 6.30pm. On a gym day sometimes not til 7.30-8pm. So I'm sure you can see why I'm so hungry in the evenings!
  • clotho
    clotho Posts: 29 Member
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    What really worked for me was giving up sugar. I just don't eat any desserts or anything else with significant amounts of sugar, HFC, honey, etc. I also don't really eat sugar substitutes except in protein drinks. I do eat plenty of fruit. My cravings for sugar are gone. My hunger pains even when I have eaten plenty are gone. My almost daily headaches are now just a few days a month. I am not diabetic but my body just does not process sugar well. Without sugar, weight loss is so much easier. I know that other people's bodies are different than mine. But for me giving up sugar and counting calories are all I need to lose weight. I would also say that your stomach will shrink some if you eat smaller meals making the hunger pains less.
  • thisismeraw
    thisismeraw Posts: 1,264 Member
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    You should never be hungry. How much total protein are you getting? How much total fiber, fat and water?

    Could you up your protein and slightly lower your carbs that you have at your evening meal? For pasta, what about taking half the amount of pasta you normally would eat and add in very thinly slices carrots, zucchini, spaghetti squash, green peppers or another veggie? Works really well with spaghetti!

    Are you hungry early in the day? If you aren't hungry for breakfast save those calories for the evening. Can you go for a walk at lunch to gain you some extra calories for your evening meal?

    What do you eat for breakfast, lunch and snacks? You might be able to swap out some things there to save calories but add protein, fiber and fat so you stay full for longer.
  • addmorecloud
    addmorecloud Posts: 78 Member
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    I think if you reduce by 10 grams at a time you would get used to the smaller portions. Also google cauliflower rice, I doubted it, but quite like it. It's more hassle to cook than normal rice, but you can do big batches and freeze it.
  • teagirlmedium
    teagirlmedium Posts: 679 Member
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    I think part of it is the amount of what you eat, but I also think it might be what you eat. For calories, you could try eating brown rice or long grain white rice. You should look them up first to see the difference between them and what type of rice you are eating now.
  • nicole_andan
    nicole_andan Posts: 127
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    I'm replying quite generically so please bear with me. I am on a limited budget and my husband will only eat basmati rice so I cook for both of us.
    I love cauli mash and can thoroughly recommend it. I will def take a look @ cauli-rice!
    I've never heard of squash noodles but I will be googling.
    My job is visiting vulnerable families so I drive from appointment to appointment covering a very large geographical area so no lunch break and no walking! Hence the gym, hence the frustration @ not being fit to go @ the moment.
    I'm not sure but I don't think I eat a huge amount of sugar. I do use sweetner in tea and coffee, I eat quite a lot of fruit and I do eat dark chocolate (4 pieces) almost daily... Maybe I do? I'm not sure now!

    Anyway, loving some of these hints and tips including the 10g less a day - you are a GENIUS my friend! I can manage that and I shall start today!
  • JessHealthKick
    JessHealthKick Posts: 800 Member
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    Hard to comment without looking at your diary to be honest, maybe open it up?

    You say you don't eat processed foods, but then you like to have a sweet thing like pudding at night. That is usually processed... I don't mean to be picky, but just making sure you are fully aware.

    I find having enough protein helps a lot with my hunger (I used to eat so much more than I do now, I am amazed!). Portion control is absolute key, as well as staying hydrated and avoiding extra calories in things like dressings for example.

    My protein intake usually exceeds 100g (which is should for anyone), and I achieve this with 1-2protein shakes in the day (one in the morning, one post-workout) as well as an egg at breakfast, usually 100g fish fillet at lunch and then tofu/chicken/beans at dinner. (Look at my diary if you like, it hasn't been so active recently as I was away but today is a good example for me).

    CARBS are good for you. Japanese are the longest living people and have 60% carb diet.

    Good luck :)

    p.s. yes I gave in to my black chocolate addiction tonight but totally deserved it!

    edit: replacement for refined things is... well... anything not refined? I have pasta once a week (gluten-free), with rice at breakfast then generally only sweet potatoes and vegetables for carbs after that. Weekends are 'bad' as I am at my boyfriend's place and we eat out. Still fresh food as Japanese chef's are amazing, but none-the-less lots of carbs. Crab tomato pasta... my new vice!
  • allshebe
    allshebe Posts: 423 Member
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    Can you reduce the potato/rice portion and fill your plate with non-starchy vegetables or salad greens? Such tend to be high fiber and increase satiety at very low calorie cost. As far as "sweets", could you substitute yogurt with fresh fruit or a dab of fruit preserves or a bit of baking cocoa powder for the more calorie heavy options. Oatmeal/porridge can also be "garnished" with fruit, cinnamon, chocolate, etc to where it is more like a "sweet" than a breakfast food without going crazy in the calories. The other strategy to take with sweets is to buy/cook something incredibly rich, so you can be satisfied with a smaller portion (a single chocolate truffle is WAY better than a large "hershey" chocolate bar).
  • thisismeraw
    thisismeraw Posts: 1,264 Member
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    I'm replying quite generically so please bear with me. I am on a limited budget and my husband will only eat basmati rice so I cook for both of us.
    I love cauli mash and can thoroughly recommend it. I will def take a look @ cauli-rice!
    I've never heard of squash noodles but I will be googling.
    My job is visiting vulnerable families so I drive from appointment to appointment covering a very large geographical area so no lunch break and no walking! Hence the gym, hence the frustration @ not being fit to go @ the moment.
    I'm not sure but I don't think I eat a huge amount of sugar. I do use sweetner in tea and coffee, I eat quite a lot of fruit and I do eat dark chocolate (4 pieces) almost daily... Maybe I do? I'm not sure now!

    Anyway, loving some of these hints and tips including the 10g less a day - you are a GENIUS my friend! I can manage that and I shall start today!

    If you drive between appointments what about if you arrive in the area early, park a bit away and walk? Or instead of sit in the car and review any notes take a walk around the block? Or even to the corner and back. Every little bit helps!! Sounds strange but to save time and get some exercise in, I do squats while I cook. Saves from having to do them later. I also get up and walk laps around my house during commericals if I am watching TV.

    Cauliflower rice is amazing so definately try that! Even if you sub half the normal amount of rice with cauliflower! I also agree with the poster who said to slowly lower portions... easiest way to get used to small amounts. Adding things like finely chopped veggies to your rice is great too... adds bulk without much extra cals.

    For sugar, I personally don't pay attention to the fruit sugars. I pay attention to added and refined sugars which I have for the most part cut out. Maybe do 2 squares of chocolate a day, half a piece of cake, one cookie instead of two kind of thing and eat them slowly so you can enjoy them. Than add in an apple or something.
  • 2FatToRun
    2FatToRun Posts: 810 Member
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    I had a too full experience one of my first days between breakfast and lunch. I was getting a rumbly in my tumbly and I drank my first green drink/nutriblast/smoothie whatever you want to label it.....I drank 16 oz not knowing it would really fill me beyond comfort and then when it was time for lunch I stupidly force ate it :( I would suggest if you cant eat a decent lunch due to your situation I would try a above mentioned drink as a substitute. You can use a blender you dont have to use a nutribullet just wont be as smooth is all. I grab an 8 oz one between meals if I get rumbly. So far has worked great adds protein/fiber with little or no fat/carbs and will give you that extra offset of nutrients you are missing to eat for breakfast or dinner in fat and carbs. Just an idea to try you dont have to add nuts to them but that will affect the protein in them your choice what you want to put in them really.
  • nicole_andan
    nicole_andan Posts: 127
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    You say you don't eat processed foods, but then you like to have a sweet thing like pudding at night. That is usually processed... I don't mean to be picky, but just making sure you are fully aware.


    My pudding normally consists of chopped up fruit, a peice of home made cake or granola bar or dark chocolate. So if it is processed it's processed by me!!!
  • JessHealthKick
    JessHealthKick Posts: 800 Member
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    You say you don't eat processed foods, but then you like to have a sweet thing like pudding at night. That is usually processed... I don't mean to be picky, but just making sure you are fully aware.


    My pudding normally consists of chopped up fruit, a peice of home made cake or granola bar or dark chocolate. So if it is processed it's processed by me!!!

    lol that wasn't really the point of my post but yeah. Just stick to more protein!!!!!! and lots of fluids. You will find your stomach shrinks, and what you think is 'full' feeling is actually grossly full. I find I eat to about 70% of 'full' capacity and feel very satisfied now. Pasta bowl half of what it used to be and I eat it much more slowly. No I am not severely under eating or anything like that, I simply adjusted to what a normal person should be eating.

    I go on about this in other posts, but I live in Japan and see how they eat. I understand why we (Westerners) are all such fat ****s compared to Asians. So please heed my advice!
  • nicole_andan
    nicole_andan Posts: 127
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    My diary is now public.
  • nicole_andan
    nicole_andan Posts: 127
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    [/quote]

    lol that wasn't really the point of my post but yeah. Just stick to more protein!!!!!! and lots of fluids. You will find your stomach shrinks, and what you think is 'full' feeling is actually grossly full. I find I eat to about 70% of 'full' capacity and feel very satisfied now. Pasta bowl half of what it used to be and I eat it much more slowly. No I am not severely under eating or anything like that, I simply adjusted to what a normal person should be eating.

    I go on about this in other posts, but I live in Japan and see how they eat. I understand why we (Westerners) are all such fat ****s compared to Asians. So please heed my advice!
    [/quote]

    I can def try and up my protein a bit, increase my veg and lower my pasta / rice carbs so that it's balanced.
    There are some things I def can't do... and fish is definitely one of them!!!!

    But I will igive an omlette in the morning a go, it'd be a good variety to my oats!

    Thank you x
  • ljmiller11
    ljmiller11 Posts: 67 Member
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    Hi Nicole,

    I just wanted to post to say I totally feel your pain. I don't care what people say, even though I eat a good amount of protein, eat eggs most days, eat loads of fruit and veggies and drink lots of water, I am also ALWAYS hungry! I eat 1,500 cals a day, sometimes more when I've worked out, 90% of which is good, home cooked foods (never processed) and I still think about food all day! I also love my carbs and although I have cut right down, it's still the thing I crave the most. Dinner just doesn't feel right without pasta or potato!

    For me, it is in my head. I know I am not physically hungry, my stomach doesn't rumble and I don't feel weak or anything. I just love food and want to eat more. I have accepted I just need to live with it and try to win the war with my brain more often than it wins!

    Good luck hun. Add me if you like x
  • nicoleknapp754
    nicoleknapp754 Posts: 53
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    Try using a fiber supplement like PGX ..it will help you feel follow and keep your blood sugar from spiking with a big meal with lots of carbs in it. Drink more water before your meal ...that will also help you feel fuller.
  • b4u386
    b4u386 Posts: 14 Member
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    Had a look at your food diary - try substituting your milk for water with oat so simple - that'll give you 100 more calories in the evening to play with.

    Also - I eat on the go too but tend to eat 'no bread' sandwiches - I see you like ham and cheese. If you grab a whole cos lettuce then you can tear off the leaves and use them as bread - that'll give you an extra 100 calories. Alternatives for lunch are some ham, carrots and a be good to yourself houmous - can have on the go and very low cal.


    I'm not sure what the flapjacks you eat for breakfast are but mayeb cut those out as on those days your breakfast averages 400. If you do the oat so simple with water that'll bring it down to 143 calories only. And if you could bear it - you could use the original flavour which I think are only 99 calories then add some blueberries - that would bring it down even more.....

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