Hungry often

kellymoriarty82
kellymoriarty82 Posts: 5
in Health and Weight Loss
Hi everyone,

I started using MFP a few weeks ago and really enjoy it. I'm trying to loose about 7 - 8 lbs and I've noticed that I'm always hungry since I've been using this app. I'll have breakfast around 5:30 am and then by 8:30 am at work I'm hungry and need a snack. Normally I'll eat a piece of fruit or cheese stick at this time prior to eating lunch around 11:30 am. I'll normally have a snack around 2ish and then again around 3 pm - Apple and Peanut butter prior to the gym. Then I work out 3-4x per week pretty hard and then eat dinner around 7 pm. Any advice to stay fuller longer without adding too many extra calories?

I also am looking for advice to keep up tracking on the weekends, which is when I normally fall off the app.

Thanks you!

Replies

  • justmeg86
    justmeg86 Posts: 40 Member
    You should eat enough to be hungry about 3 hours later. In other words, it is perfectly normal to be hungry every 3 hours or so. I eat breakfast around 7:30, have a snack around 10 am, lunch between 12-12:30 and then a snack again around 3-3:30 before I go to the gym. Eat protein and fiber dense foods (fruits, veggies, PB, nuts, etc) to fill you up longer!
  • H_Factor
    H_Factor Posts: 1,722 Member
    There is nothing wrong with being healthy every 3 hours. That's pretty normal. As long as you're shoveling in the protein, fiber, and carbs with low glycemic index values....your food isn't being digested too quickly.

    Also, given that you have less than 10 pounds to lose, your goals should be set to "lose 0.5 pounds per week"....and NO MORE than "lose 1 pound per week".
  • 2013sk
    2013sk Posts: 1,318 Member
    Breakfast at 5.30am, that is really early....

    I have porridge oats for breakfast with some peanut butter.... Try it, Keeps me full for ages, if I am peckish I will snack on fruit/raw veggies/nuts etc

    I normally have breakfast say 8am, lunch 1pm, Dinner anywhere from 6pm

    Healthy snacks whenever peckish
  • MrsB123111
    MrsB123111 Posts: 535 Member
    I've found that eating little meals every 2 hours works best for me. For example, here is my plan for today: 8:00- high fiber oatmeal with egg whites and strawberries, 10:00- banana with 1 tbsp of natural PB, 12:00- left overs (chicken parm with tomato sauce), 2:00- 2 monterrey jack cheese sticks, 4:00- blueberry flax oatmeal with egg whites (FYI today is a workout day, so I try to eat something high carb/high protein 1 hour before my workout. On days I don't workout, I'll skip this meal or have something else with less calories), 6:00- Pacific cod and steamed veggies. All this adds up to about 1400 calories. Not sure of your caloric goal, but I wanted to give you an idea...
  • quirkytizzy
    quirkytizzy Posts: 4,052 Member
    What's your calorie goal and how close do you hit it most days? If you're working out hard, you'll need to eat more to fuel it.
  • amberpparsons
    amberpparsons Posts: 3
    I snack on peanuts throughout the day. I had the same problem. Peanuts are high in protein and low in calories and they are also a natural fat burner.
  • kellymoriarty82
    kellymoriarty82 Posts: 5
    My goal is 1440 calories a day to do the 0.5 per week loss to get to my goal. I will try to incorporate nuts thing more often .I struggle because the fat content at times, but they do help satisfy me longer. On the days I have the natural peanut butter it does help, but I didn't realize that 2 TBP is almost 200 calories, which can add up fast as well. I'm also a Pescatarian so with the exception of Fish, I get all my protein from beans, nuts and veggies.
  • jasonp_ritzert
    jasonp_ritzert Posts: 357 Member
    Avocado is another good form of protein, healthy fats, and fiber. Half an avocado has about 120 calories (less than the PB), provides a creamy texture and I use it in place of mayo on sandwiches or just eat it with a little salt and pepper.

    Also, I prefer almonds, but that may just be a personal preference. However, you need to watch to make sure you don't overeat nuts. I do it pretty easily unless I measure it out before hand and realize what a serving size looks like.
  • MinnieInMaine
    MinnieInMaine Posts: 6,400 Member
    Please try to let go of that old misconception that fat is bad for weight loss. Unless you're specifically avoiding fat for health reasons, it's very good for you (supports many functions including cell repair and vitamin absorption) and will actually help you feel full longer.

    Protein is also good for keeping you full longer so try to get more. FYI, the number MFP gives is a daily minimum and since you're active, going over that number is highly recommended. Try to get in more of those nuts, seeds and legumes and make sure you're getting the higher protein veggies. Some grains also have a nice punch of protein - I've seen 5-7 grams per serving for steel cut oats. It's not a ton but every little bit will help.

    Also, make sure you're eating back the calories earned from your exercise. That will help give you more calories and hopefully help stave off that hungry feeling.

    Good luck!

    P.S. As far as tracking on the weekend goes, planning out your days helps a lot. Most days I know exactly what I'm going to be eating so I log it in the morning and maybe tweak it again at night in case I change a thing or two. Obviously that's tough if you're out and about all weekend. In that case, just be sure to be mindful of your choices and pick the healthiest foods you can. If you're not getting on your phone or computer to access the app/website on the weekends, how about just jotting down what you're eating on your phone or in a little notepad and then whenever you get a chance, you can log the food.
  • megsmom2
    megsmom2 Posts: 2,362 Member
    If you're hungry....eat. Hunger is normal...your body is telling you it needs some fuel. The trick is...are you really hungry, or just want to eat? Drink some water, wait a bit....still hungry? Then have a healthy snack to tide you over til mealtimes. Something with some protein and a little fat will satisfy you longer than fruit...although fruit is a hood choice too.
  • __Di__
    __Di__ Posts: 1,659 Member
    I snack on peanuts throughout the day. I had the same problem. Peanuts are high in protein and low in calories and they are also a natural fat burner.
    The only problem with peanuts are they are high in calories - 622 calories per 100g :(
  • megsmom2
    megsmom2 Posts: 2,362 Member
    I snack on peanuts throughout the day. I had the same problem. Peanuts are high in protein and low in calories and they are also a natural fat burner.

    While peanuts are healthy and do have protein and good fats....they ARE NOT low in calories. A small handful can replace a whole meal...calorie wise. Id rather have a bit more volume than that, plus its easy to just mindlessly binge on peanuts.
  • __Di__
    __Di__ Posts: 1,659 Member
    I snack on peanuts throughout the day. I had the same problem. Peanuts are high in protein and low in calories and they are also a natural fat burner.

    While peanuts are healthy and do have protein and good fats....they ARE NOT low in calories. A small handful can replace a whole meal...calorie wise. Id rather have a bit more volume than that, plus its easy to just mindlessly binge on peanuts.

    exactly ^

    I adore peanuts and cashews just make my mouth water, but I would would end up just nibbling on them all day.
  • kellymoriarty82
    kellymoriarty82 Posts: 5
    So today I tried the below:

    5:30 am
    1 egg
    1 Ezekiel toast with 1 TB natural peanut butter
    1 banana
    Coffee with creamer

    I lasted 1 hour longer till I was hungry - 9:30 am vs. 8:30 am. Now I'm snacking on about 24 almonds so hopefully I will feel more satisfied today.

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