we are not meant to be hungry!

gmove
gmove Posts: 81 Member
in Food and Nutrition
read this little piece of expert advice on another post,

"I know it seems hard and feeling hungry is not a nice feeling, but if you can stick with it you will see the results."

seriously, people! this is not the advice you want! (i'm sure the poster meant well)

we are not meant to be hungry! our bodies were devised to eat and burn. if your eat:burn ratio is unbalanced, you WILL be unhealthy, out of breath, fat, skinny, weak, whatever your issue.

in recap, live a healthy lifestyle and be weary of the advice you choose to follow.

rise and run! :D
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Replies

  • TheSwoleMinister_deleted
    TheSwoleMinister_deleted Posts: 540 Member
    Very good post! Finding a balance is really all there is to. it. No big secret, just get your body MOVIN!!
  • Pearsquared
    Pearsquared Posts: 1,656 Member
    Perhaps it's not a coincidence that foods which are full of vitamins (fruits and vegetables) are also not very calorie-dense. Maybe we're supposed to eat more of those to keep ourselves full throughout the day without overdoing it on the calories. x3 Foods that are very calorie-dense should be considered more decadent, as in, we should eat them in small portions, and they're not meant to sustain us.
  • MinnieInMaine
    MinnieInMaine Posts: 6,400 Member
    So true! It bothers me when I see posts where people advise others that they'll get used to the hunger or other such drivel. There's really no need to starve ourselves to lose weight, it's just a matter of finding the right foods to keep you satiated and getting the right portions so you stay within your calories.
  • gmove
    gmove Posts: 81 Member
    very good points!
  • SideSteel
    SideSteel Posts: 11,068 Member
    Unfortunately we are also not meant to be fat.

    At least not as fat as we are as a general population and in the context of the majority of users of this site.

    While I'm all for people doing whatever they can to both remain in a caloric deficit and stave off hunger by whatever various methods they choose, I think the idea that you can diet down to a point of leanness with NO hunger is a pipe-dream.

    Do what you can to reduce hunger, but at some point, it's going to happen and at some point and in some contexts the "sack up and deal with it" advice is spot on.
  • jwdieter
    jwdieter Posts: 2,582 Member
    Hunger is mental and physical. Sometimes the mental part is wrong.
  • EmmaKarney
    EmmaKarney Posts: 690 Member
    Yes but it is also ok to be a bit hungry if lunch is a couple of hours away - you're not going to die from sticking to set meals...

    It's easy to go over your calorie needs if you stick something in your mouth every time you feel the slightest twinge of hunger.

    I can see the sentiment of this... but also understand why people are concerned.
  • Vailara
    Vailara Posts: 2,472 Member
    I'm not going to give up just because I get hungry. I do get hungry, despite not having a big deficit, and despite eating supposedly satiating foods. But I'm aware that I seem to be geared to want more food than I need. It makes sense to me that I'm going to feel hungry sometimes while losing weight. I don't enjoy it, but it's not such a bad thing to feel hungry from time to time. One thing that has really helped me has been accepting that I will feel hungry at times.

    It seems to me that we ARE meant to be hungry sometimes, and that gives us a drive to eat enough. It can even be quite satisfying to get hungry before a meal and then enjoy eating it!
  • rml_16
    rml_16 Posts: 16,414 Member
    Hunger is mental and physical. Sometimes the mental part is wrong.
    Especially when you drop calories after years of overeating.

    As for the fruits and veggies post, many of them are actually calorie dense.
  • PlayerHatinDogooder
    PlayerHatinDogooder Posts: 1,018 Member
    Actually I'm fairly certain hunger was, is , and has been a huge part of our lives since the first human being began to walk on two legs.
  • EmmaKarney
    EmmaKarney Posts: 690 Member
    It can even be quite satisfying to get hungry before a meal and then enjoy eating it!

    THIS!

    I think a lot of over weight people have forgotten what hunger feels like so they can't eat intuitively according to their body's natural hunger cues.
  • teagirlmedium
    teagirlmedium Posts: 679 Member
    When I try to lose weight I end up being hungry for a while every time I have to lower the amount of calories I take in. After I get used to the new amount of food I can eat I am no longer hungry. I would rather go slow or keep the fat than be hungry.
  • BeachGingerOnTheRocks
    BeachGingerOnTheRocks Posts: 3,927 Member
    Unfortunately we are also not meant to be fat.

    At least not as fat as we are as a general population and in the context of the majority of users of this site.

    While I'm all for people doing whatever they can to both remain in a caloric deficit and stave off hunger by whatever various methods they choose, I think the idea that you can diet down to a point of leanness with NO hunger is a pipe-dream.

    Do what you can to reduce hunger, but at some point, it's going to happen and at some point and in some contexts the "sack up and deal with it" advice is spot on.

    Exactly.

    Hunger is usually my cue that it is time to eat. Except now that I am doing intermittent fasting with my cut, I get pretty hungry some mornings. I deal with it.
  • silvergurl518
    silvergurl518 Posts: 4,123 Member
    "I know it seems hard and feeling hungry is not a nice feeling, but if you can stick with it you will see the results."

    where did you find this vulcan?
  • Timshel_
    Timshel_ Posts: 22,834 Member
    "I know it seems hard and feeling hungry is not a nice feeling, but if you can stick with it you will see the results."

    Part of the problem is the socialized aspect of hunger that we have all been subject to. Most people cannot or do not differentiate from truly being hungry and just eating to satisfy a psychological desire to eat. That is at the center for most of us trying to change our lifestyle and eat healthier. It really is retraining your brain an body responses. And at times, you may have to "feel" hungry even though your body isn't really hungry.
  • Mainebikerchick
    Mainebikerchick Posts: 1,573 Member
    "I know it seems hard and feeling hungry is not a nice feeling, but if you can stick with it you will see the results."

    where did you find this vulcan?

    :laugh:
  • AllonsYtotheTardis
    AllonsYtotheTardis Posts: 16,947 Member
    It took me a couple weeks at the beginning to find my balance with food. But I did, and now I'm only hungry when I should be - right before a meal!

    This doesn't have to feel like a penance. If you're hungry all the time - take another look at your choice of foods, and see where you can tweak it - it makes a difference. And this whole process is easier if you don't feel like your being punished.
  • BeachIron
    BeachIron Posts: 6,490 Member
    I'm not sure many people even know what hunger feels like. When I was overweight, I remember eating when I thought I was hungry but it's clear to me now that my stomach was simply empty, I wasn't really hungry. "Not full" may even be a better description.

    For example, I've tried intermittent fasting recently, basically meaning I don't eat during certain parts of the day and I often run without eating for 14+ hours beforehand. I still eat the allotted calories but I now know that our stomachs do not need to be full all the time. I know this isn't for everyone, and I'm a big proponent of doing what works for you, but I do believe that many people do not understand what hunger feels like.

    That said, I agree you do not need to STARVE yourself to lose weight. TDEE - 10 or 20% is plenty to lose weight at a nice, gradual pace.
  • DatMurse
    DatMurse Posts: 1,501 Member
    I am a big advocate of IIFYM, but I am a big advocate of unprocessed foods for appetite control.

    hunger is big factor because the more processed a food is the ****ty filling it has
  • shannashannabobana
    shannashannabobana Posts: 625 Member
    we are not meant to be hungry!

    I actually think we are meant to be hungry, at least occasionally. Our bodies are designed to store fat to get us through periods of hunger.

    There are different kinds of hunger, though. I think I do best when I am occasionally a little bit hungry (like skipping dinner or something like that). I think it helps me distinguish between actual hunger and mindless eating. I do not think we should be constantly ravenous, but if I eat enough protein and fat that doesn't seem to happen.
  • Laces_0ut
    Laces_0ut Posts: 3,750 Member
    when i changed my eating habits i was hungry a lot of the time. i didnt eat every time i was hungry and over a couple months that started to dissipate as my body went from eating 4k(maybe more who knows...) calories a day to around 2k.
  • longtimeterp
    longtimeterp Posts: 614 Member


    Hunger is usually my cue that it is time to eat. Except now that I am doing intermittent fasting with my cut, I get pretty hungry some mornings. I deal with it.

    Right, i'm hungry right now, got 2 hrs to go, just made my second pot of coffee and i dont think all my muscle is getting eaten away!
  • shannashannabobana
    shannashannabobana Posts: 625 Member
    whoops
  • Natihilator
    Natihilator Posts: 1,778 Member
    I'm not sure many people even know what hunger feels like. When I was overweight, I remember eating when I thought I was hungry but it's clear to me now that my stomach was simply empty, I wasn't really hungry. "Not full" may even be a better description.

    This. Hunger =/= starvation =/= "there was food in my belly and now I feel that the food is no longer in my belly" feeling.
    when i changed my eating habits i was hungry a lot of the time. i didnt eat every time i was hungry and over a couple months that started to dissipate as my body went from eating 4k(maybe more who knows...) calories a day to around 2k.

    Also this. Hunger can be a confusing state until you know why your body is giving you the signals it gives you, which is a learning process for some. I think it's a bit careless to say that we were never meant to experience hunger.
  • micheabr
    micheabr Posts: 72
    Not entirely true. Take a look at the 5:2 diet :)
  • BrianSharpe
    BrianSharpe Posts: 9,248 Member
    we are not meant to be hungry!

    It's exactly this kind of thinking that got most of us to where we are now (or at least, were...) We don't need to satisfy every little craving at the first twinge of hunger, there's nothing wrong with delaying gratification in favour of eating a balanced nutritious diet.

    Our bodies have evolved to store energy, whether it's glycogen in muscle or stored fat. Unlike your car which will grind to a halt the moment it's out of gas we can actually function for reasonable amounts of time between meals......a gift from our hunter gatherer ancestors who couldn't go the fridge and grab a snack.
  • toaster6
    toaster6 Posts: 703 Member
    If you go from habitually over-eating to feel satiated to eating a healthier amount, then you are going to feel some level of hunger when you switch over. There's not really any getting around that.
  • sleepingtodream
    sleepingtodream Posts: 304 Member
    It can even be quite satisfying to get hungry before a meal and then enjoy eating it!

    THIS!

    I think a lot of over weight people have forgotten what hunger feels like so they can't eat intuitively according to their body's natural hunger cues.

    ^^^

    I agree.
  • fooninie
    fooninie Posts: 291 Member
    Hi!

    You raise a great point! Balance is the key!! (I have not read the article which you reference BTW)

    Balance is achieved once you are at your goal weight and can maintain it safely and in a healthy way. The problem is not that people are actually hungry, it's that we have developed food dependencies and addictions which cause our bodys to peak and crash. This might trigger hunger pangs, but do not indicate a need to eat.

    The only way to lose weight is to manage your caloric intake. When you begin a weight loss journey, you will be hungry. Ensure that you are eating the caloric value that you need to (no less than 1200 normally), exercising moderately on a regular basis and your body will learn to use fat stores to gain energy, ergo, lose fat/lbs/inches.

    We were not meant to eat processed foods, but we all do and need to learn the good from the bad and that all in moderation can work.

    Have a great day!
  • rosemaryhon
    rosemaryhon Posts: 507 Member

    ...It seems to me that we ARE meant to be hungry sometimes, and that gives us a drive to eat enough. It can even be quite satisfying to get hungry before a meal and then enjoy eating it!


    This ^^ rings so very true for me too.

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