Eating makes me more hungry..

jqh23
jqh23 Posts: 311 Member
in Food and Nutrition
Sometimes I try and push back my breakfast or morning snack because once I start eating, I can't stop!

I waited until 830 to have breakfast (I get up at 430 am) and it's only 10:15 and have already had 2 snacks and want lunch already.

What do you do on days where eating only seems to make you more hungry?
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Replies

  • allshebe
    allshebe Posts: 423 Member
    I'm seeing a lot of "sweet" things in your food diary (both from sugar and artificial sweetener)> For some people, sweet tastes trigger appetite (try cutting back on both artificial sweetener products and things with added sugar). I also didn't see any recording for dinner meals - do you not eat after your afternoon snack or simply not record it. Carbs in general seem a little high relative to protein, but without knowing what if anything you eat for dinner, I don't have the complete picture. You're also eating more calories in many of your snacks than I eat in a meal (and our calorie levels are about the same). The only other thing I can think of is that nursing could be stimulating appetite - can't remember how it was for me - too long ago.
  • jqh23
    jqh23 Posts: 311 Member
    I'm seeing a lot of "sweet" things in your food diary (both from sugar and artificial sweetener)> For some people, sweet tastes trigger appetite (try cutting back on both artificial sweetener products and things with added sugar). I also didn't see any recording for dinner meals - do you not eat after your afternoon snack or simply not record it. Carbs in general seem a little high relative to protein, but without knowing what if anything you eat for dinner, I don't have the complete picture. You're also eating more calories in many of your snacks than I eat in a meal (and our calorie levels are about the same). The only other thing I can think of is that nursing could be stimulating appetite - can't remember how it was for me - too long ago.
    Yes, I have a real problem with sweets.. especially during my TOM which is what I am going through right now.

    I just changed the names of my meals to the breakdown it is at right now and so all the previous entries are now all off because of it (I wish they would just make the change from the day i did it =/, I may change it back).

    I typically try and limit my artificial sweetener to the 2 sweet and low I use in my morning coffee and then something at night. The last couple days have just not been good for me.
  • Vehicon
    Vehicon Posts: 22
    I'm seeing a lot of "sweet" things in your food diary (both from sugar and artificial sweetener)> For some people, sweet tastes trigger appetite (try cutting back on both artificial sweetener products and things with added sugar). I also didn't see any recording for dinner meals - do you not eat after your afternoon snack or simply not record it. Carbs in general seem a little high relative to protein, but without knowing what if anything you eat for dinner, I don't have the complete picture. You're also eating more calories in many of your snacks than I eat in a meal (and our calorie levels are about the same). The only other thing I can think of is that nursing could be stimulating appetite - can't remember how it was for me - too long ago.
    Yes, I have a real problem with sweets.. especially during my TOM which is what I am going through right now.

    I just changed the names of my meals to the breakdown it is at right now and so all the previous entries are now all off because of it (I wish they would just make the change from the day i did it =/, I may change it back).

    I typically try and limit my artificial sweetener to the 2 sweet and low I use in my morning coffee and then something at night. The last couple days have just not been good for me.

    I personally find consuming sugar at night makes me hungry an hour or two later. Maybe that's contributing to the problem a bit?
  • jqh23
    jqh23 Posts: 311 Member
    I went back and change the layout of my diary, so now you can get a better idea.

    All of my snacks are lumped into one now.. but I really eat that throughout the day. My average day begins at 430 am and ends at 930 pm. I don't eat past 7 pm though.

    I think i am just having a hungry day due to my TOM and a long nursing session with my son this morning, which usually doesn't happen on workdays.
  • jqh23
    jqh23 Posts: 311 Member


    I personally find consuming sugar at night makes me hungry an hour or two later. Maybe that's contributing to the problem a bit?
    If I consume sugar at night, I am asleep within 2-3 hours, so I do not eat after that.
  • dbmata
    dbmata Posts: 12,950 Member
    What do you do on days where eating only seems to make you more hungry?

    I eat more.

    OP - are you actually hungry, or is this a psychological need to eat? If it's a psychological need, then fixing it is probably beyond you and any anonymous internet forum.
  • sassafrascas
    sassafrascas Posts: 191 Member
    I have the same problem! I love breakfast but if I eat the wrong things in triggers me to eat more. I find eating breakfast later helps, But it is also what you eat, for breakfast I usually do a protein a carb and a fruit that leaves me feeling satisfied. And just because you feel the desire to eat doesn't mean you are hungry. So after you have had breakfast plan you snack for 3 hours later if you feel "hungry" in between drink some water wait 30 minutes and reassess.

    I have heard that about artificial sweeteners to it tells the body that calories are coming and when your body doesn't get anything it signals hunger, so just be aware of it.

    Good Luck
  • jqh23
    jqh23 Posts: 311 Member
    What do you do on days where eating only seems to make you more hungry?

    I eat more.

    OP - are you actually hungry, or is this a psychological need to eat? If it's a psychological need, then fixing it is probably beyond you and any anonymous internet forum.
    I am actually hungry.

    This isn't a daily struggle.. just something that happened every once in a while. I will have something to eat when I am moderately hungry and then all of a sudden it is gone and I am still hungry.

    Today I spaced out my snacks but still hungry.. tummy growling.
  • sassafrascas
    sassafrascas Posts: 191 Member
    Well I do not do hunger pains! If I feel the hunger in my stomach I ate. lol
    Next time it happens try eating something with more fiber, something that fills the tummy more.
  • goodtimezzzz
    goodtimezzzz Posts: 640 Member
    actually eating does make most people hungry! excellent point...not eating was my ticket!! So go longer in the morning with no food..changed my life!
  • jqh23
    jqh23 Posts: 311 Member
    actually eating does make most people hungry! excellent point...not eating was my ticket!! So go longer in the morning with no food..changed my life!
    I usually do.. I wait til around 9 or 10 to have breakfast when I am up at 4:30.
  • Heidi_11913
    Heidi_11913 Posts: 54
    Try eating something more than a yogurt---maybe try a few egg whites mixed with ham or cheese---or 2 egg whites, a piece of multi grain toast w/ pb... I like to eat egg whites for breakfast, so then I either switch it up with Southwest Simply Hashbrowns, laughing cow cheese, or a few sausages. I feel like the more protein I get in the morning, the better off I am :)
  • jqh23
    jqh23 Posts: 311 Member
    Try eating something more than a yogurt---maybe try a few egg whites mixed with ham or cheese---or 2 egg whites, a piece of multi grain toast w/ pb... I like to eat egg whites for breakfast, so then I either switch it up with Southwest Simply Hashbrowns, laughing cow cheese, or a few sausages. I feel like the more protein I get in the morning, the better off I am :)
    eggs make me sick... my tummy just can't handle them.

    It's greek yogurt, so it has protein in it.
  • jqh23
    jqh23 Posts: 311 Member
    I used to put 6 sweet n low in my coffee!!! 6!! I am down to 2! I am going to switch over to real sugar and drop the flavored creamer and use my son's whole milk. I wasn't tracking sugar and didn't realize how much was in the cream I was using.
  • Tanja_CHH
    Tanja_CHH Posts: 216 Member
    You might be a good candidate for something like 5:2 diet, and on your down day you could avoid eating anything till right before bed or just completely fast that day.
  • jqh23
    jqh23 Posts: 311 Member
    You might be a good candidate for something like 5:2 diet, and on your down day you could avoid eating anything till right before bed or just completely fast that day.
    I looked at that yesterday when I saw it mentioned on the boards, but it's not something that would work for me as I am a nursing mother.
  • peakholistichealth
    peakholistichealth Posts: 2
    "I used to put 6 sweet n low in my coffee!!! 6!! I am down to 2!"

    I was going to comment on the sweet and low, as artificial sugars can do things to your body to repress the "full" feeling and make you hungrier (as a previous poster commented). Ditching this is a great first step.
  • dbmata
    dbmata Posts: 12,950 Member
    What do you do on days where eating only seems to make you more hungry?

    I eat more.

    OP - are you actually hungry, or is this a psychological need to eat? If it's a psychological need, then fixing it is probably beyond you and any anonymous internet forum.
    I am actually hungry.

    This isn't a daily struggle.. just something that happened every once in a while. I will have something to eat when I am moderately hungry and then all of a sudden it is gone and I am still hungry.

    Today I spaced out my snacks but still hungry.. tummy growling.

    Oh, well, what I do then is eat more.

    I'll take a head or two of romaine and make a salad with a little feta, and a bunch of veggies. Filling, low impact calorically, and then I'll use my favorite dressing on it and call it bueno. Or, a piece of meat.
  • jqh23
    jqh23 Posts: 311 Member
    "I used to put 6 sweet n low in my coffee!!! 6!! I am down to 2!"

    I was going to comment on the sweet and low, as artificial sugars can do things to your body to repress the "full" feeling and make you hungrier (as a previous poster commented). Ditching this is a great first step.
    I am so against artificial sweeteners, too! They just seem to be a guilty pleasure for me when it comes to my coffee!

    I have been working on getting rid of it.. I think it's time to totally ditch it. I didn't realize I would actual consume less sugar by doing whole milk + real sugar than flavored creamer + sweet n low
  • dbmata
    dbmata Posts: 12,950 Member
    actually eating does make most people hungry! excellent point...not eating was my ticket!! So go longer in the morning with no food..changed my life!

    This is also why I do occasional 2-3 day fasts. It's a mental challenge, and helps me readjust what hungry actually means. Most of us never really get hungry, we get mild discomfort that we then use as an excuse to get a little crazy. Or as the coolkids call it: hangry.
  • jqh23
    jqh23 Posts: 311 Member


    Oh, well, what I do then is eat more.

    I'll take a head or two of romaine and make a salad with a little feta, and a bunch of veggies. Filling, low impact calorically, and then I'll use my favorite dressing on it and call it bueno. Or, a piece of meat.
    I need to start keeping a big salad I can eat from all week at work. I am so unprepared today!

    I just finished lunch - fish (sauteed in coconut oil) and a sweet potato. Feeling better now.
  • weinbagel
    weinbagel Posts: 337 Member
    This happens to me, too, especially after lunch when I'm at work. I feel like it has to do with the environment I'm eating in too. For example, I only "feel" hungry after lunch when I'm at work. Usually bored...

    Ugh... endless cycle!!
  • noobletmcnugget
    noobletmcnugget Posts: 518 Member
    I have the exact same problem! If I eat breakfast before I leave for school (so around 7:30am) I find myself absolutely STARVING by 10:00am and just generally throughout the day. If I don't eat until I get home from school though (around 4pm) I don't find myself hungry during the day at all really. I guess eating protein, lots of veg (so you can have large volumes of food for few calories) and drinking plenty of water should help.
  • Goosiesnougs
    Goosiesnougs Posts: 420
    When I nursed my boys there was no off switch for hunger. I could eat so much. Try a couple of eggs in the morning with a piece of toast and greek yogurt.
  • stardancer7
    stardancer7 Posts: 276 Member
    An apple, or Cole slaw or romaine salad, with some sliced tomatoes...something that I can eat huge amounts of....but at the same time, i use full fat salad dressing. More satisfying and good for the fat-soluble vitamins. I got fat eating supersized portions of food and learning that I should finish eating before I feel stuffed is a challenge...
  • bnorris2013
    bnorris2013 Posts: 256 Member
    I find eating breakfast tringers hunger for the entire day - i made the big mistake of having a bbq'ed baked pork chop this morning and let met tell u i am starving today

    Normally i skip breakfast and wait til lunch to eat and then i am usually fine
  • zaftiggirl
    zaftiggirl Posts: 82 Member
    This happens to me too- sometimes even after eating 6-800 calories. I just ate a cup of berries, a cup of cottage cheese, and a scoop of whey protein powder about 20 minutes ago and I'm feeling more hungry than I was before I ate. I feel hunger, rather than satiety, 20 minutes after eating. And in my mind I know that I'm not actually hungry, so usually if I move on to a different activity I can forget about feeling hungry. I have heard the term "limbic eating" and I think that's what this is - it's not related to what you are actually eating, it's related to brain and hormone function.

    Intermittent fasting (I don't eat for 13-14 hours overnight, then I pack my eating into a 10-11 hour window) has helped this phenomenon a little bit.
  • castelluzzo99
    castelluzzo99 Posts: 313 Member
    Annoying... I was typing a reply and my computer rebooted to install an update. Grrr! Starting over...

    I have a few observations:

    1) How old is your baby? Mine is 10 months, and I'm calculating 300 calories a day. Under 6 months and you should add 500; over 12 months, and you're probably fine.

    2) Do you have a juicer? If so, use it. I found during my last pregnancy that a glass of freshly juiced veggies would kill a craving, sugar or otherwise, instantly. It was like magic. If you don't have one, get some wheat grass. I used this: http://www.amazon.com/Amazing-Grass-Servings-17-Ounce-Container/dp/B0038B3AGO Mixed it with 100% fruit juice. It worked just as well as the fresh veggie juice, and this size qualifies for free shipping. At just over $.50 per serving, it's cheaper than a candy bar and way better for you. It will nourish your body and give it what it needs.

    3) My other thought is how much you are eating for breakfast. You might want to try upping the number of calories. I usually plan my meal before I eat it, so that I know how much of what I am going to eat, and I aim for 750-850 calories. Granted, I also aim for 2 full meals plus a snack-sized dinner if I'm hungry (you know the whole eat breakfast like a king and supper like a pauper thing). This will give your stomach something to do for a longer time, and if you've made it balanced, you should feel full longer. This will also limit how many calories you have left for candy bars.

    4) Also, if you can't do eggs, work on other sources of protein, and also try upping your fiber. I track fiber instead of sodium; you've been consistently under your sodium limit for several days. This tells me you probably don't need to worry about it. Eating more fiber will make you feel full longer, as long as the other macros are at reasonable levels. (I found out that high fiber and high fat does not equal full longer the way high fiber and high protein does.)

    So that's what I would do if I were you. Take it or leave it. :)
  • MinnieInMaine
    MinnieInMaine Posts: 6,400 Member
    A couple of thoughts...

    I have found for me that anything carb or sugar heavy earlier in the day just amps up my hunger. If you can't manage eggs, remember there are plenty of other things you can eat in the morning that are high in protein but may not be considered "breakfast" food. Think outside the box! Have a ham and cheese or tuna sandwich. Or maybe a protein bar or smoothie would be good for you. Or try to keep your carbs and sugars "clean" by going with whole grains like steel cut oats and fruits and veggies. I go through phases where I'll have a sweet potato for breakfast. Only take about 4 minutes to nuke in the microwave (make sure you poke it with a fork or knife first) and is SO good.

    It's good that you're accounting for breastfeeding calories but what you might now know is that TOM requires a little extra calories too. It's not a huge difference so no excuse to binge like crazy but it is something to keep in mind if you're having a hungry day. I see that you tend to leave 100-300 calories uneaten at the end of the day. Therefore if you end up going over 100-300 calories every once in a while, it's not going to hold you back. Your daily calorie goal is just that - a goal, something to shoot for - not something to stay under regularly unless you plan on using the surplus somewhere like hungry days or a night out with friends.
  • jqh23
    jqh23 Posts: 311 Member
    Thanks for all of the great tips and recommendations!

    My son is 21 months and nursing really inconsistently, based on how much I am with him. During my work days (I work 4 lonnggg days), I usually only nurse once, maybe twice a day, but the other 3 days I nurse 2-6x a day. I am sure I am not nursing -200 calories EVERY day, but somee days more and some days less so I do believe it evens itself out for the week.

    When I am home, I usually have a smoothie for breakfast - protein powder, almond milk, fruit & spinach, maybe with some ground flax and I just bought pb2 (today actually). The workdays are much more hectic and after making meals to go for my son and husband, I think of myself last and usually just grab something fast. I do keep a large tube of oatmeal at work, so I should try to go back to having that everyday for breakfast (at least on work days), as I could use the help to lower my cholesterol as well.

    I am not a big breakfast person in general, which I suppose is part of the problem. I don't like to eat right when I get up, or sometimes at all, and I do not like breakfast foods much. Oatmeal works, so does greek yogurt - more filling when I add in granola and maybe 1/2 banana.

    Did I mention I am allergic to all pitted fruits and veggies too? makes getting in low cal snacks difficult as well there and limits my options and therefore inhibits my creativity. I tend to spend a lot of time focusing on what to make for the healthiest dinners and lunches, but often don't put enough effort on snacks and breakfast.. so it looks like I found something else to work on :smile:

    Definitely like the idea of tracking my fiber. I used to take fiber-sure as a supplement because I know I wasn't getting enough. I will definitely tweak my settings so I can track that vs my sodium. ( I sure do wish we could see more than just those few at a time!)

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