How do you adjust to eating less?

Getting_Lean
Getting_Lean Posts: 28
edited January 30 in Health and Weight Loss
Hi there!
I am trying to learn to slowly eat less! How did you adjust to eating less? Did you feel that you were hungry all the time? And if so, how did you fix it? In other words, what kept you full?

Replies

  • Mokey41
    Mokey41 Posts: 5,769 Member
    Eat things that will keep you satiated, stay away from low fat, no fat diet products and carbs. Lean meats, full fat dairy, nuts, peanut butter, avocado, eggs and drink lots of water. Plan low calorie snacks between meals like baby carrots, celery, or a piece of fruit. Do some exercise to take your mind off food. Brush your teeth to get the nasty toothpaste taste.
  • BlueBombers
    BlueBombers Posts: 4,064 Member
    I'll be honest, the first few weeks were DEATH, I didn't think I was going to make it. Over time however your body does get used to it and now if I eat too much I feel sick. Try to eat healthy fibre-rich foods as they fill you up more and also drink lots of water! I also find eating 6 mini meals works better for me than 3 big meals throughout the day as you are constantly grazing.
  • VioletNightshade
    VioletNightshade Posts: 197
    First off, congratulations on making the decision and going for it!

    Yes, I felt hungry all the time for a while. There are times when I still do. At times like those, I switched it up for my next meal and added something high-volume / low calorie along with something bready like pasta or rice. A serving of pasta with some sauce and a large plate of roasted or steamed vegetables is quite filling. Now, I find that even when I'm quite hungry, I can't finish a meal like that and end up having to throw a bit away at the end, where before, I would've felt like crying had I eaten that little.

    It takes time, but your stomach does get used to the lower volume and adjust to it.

    If you feel hungry immediately following a proper meal, set an alarm for a couple of hours and when it goes off, try having a piece of fruit or some other small snack. For a little while, you might just have to stick it out and accept feeling hungry, but over time that will go away.
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
    Initially I had too large of a calorie deficit because I wanted to lose all of my weight fast...then I realized that was completely unmanageable for the long term that I would be doing this...so I scaled it back. Eating at a 1 Lb per week deficit was never really an issue for me. I also made sure the most of my food was satiating and stayed away from high calorie junk foods that left my completely unsatisfied particularly given the calories.
  • 9jenn9
    9jenn9 Posts: 309 Member
    First thing - make sure you're at a reasonable calorie target. Mfp recommended I net something like 1300 calories when I started. It was just not enough for me. I could stick to it for only a few days before I was feeling this gnawing hunger that no amount of water or veggies could fill. So I adjusted my goals so that I net between 1500-1700 cal/ day. I usually eat back exercise calories, but I never use mfp estimates for exercise. I use my heart rate monitor that programmed for my stats. Try to eat more protein. It'll stick with you longer. So will higher fiber foods. Try not to let yourself get so hungry that you fall off the wagon. While it's tempting to try to lose it as quickly as possible, it probably won't pay off in the long run.
  • matanner60
    matanner60 Posts: 1
    by learning that 60 calories for example can either be any one of these:

    2 oz. turkey breast
    3 whole medium tomatoes
    6 cups of lettuce
    2 cups of broccoli
    1/2 potato

    or these:

    3 half and half creamers
    5 oz. Coca Cola
    1 slice of bread
    1.5 oz. of pasta
    1 cu. in. of cheddar cheese
  • TribeHokie
    TribeHokie Posts: 711 Member
    It seems obvious but find things that you like that are low calorie density. Whether I have a salad or a wrap at lunchtime, I always use massive amounts of lettuce. For snacks I am happy with bell peppers and apples. Sometimes a few carrots and some hummus will also work. And I usually drink a glass of water when my tummy gets grumbly as well.
  • SkagitYogini
    SkagitYogini Posts: 112 Member
    Some days I'm super hungry all day, and I feel like I will go crazy! The days I'm the most satisfied are days where I've eaten lots of fiber and protein and have kept busy enough to not think about food.

    I also think I'm just getting used to being slightly hungry most of the time. It's kind of a relief not to feel overstuffed after meals.

    If you keep your blood sugar consistant, and avoid those spikes, you can make eating less more comfortable.
  • SkagitYogini
    SkagitYogini Posts: 112 Member
    Brush your teeth to get the nasty toothpaste taste.

    Good idea! I brush my teeth after lunch to take my mind off of food.
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