Getting over the discomfort of "hunger"

Eidetica
Eidetica Posts: 8
in Getting Started
It seems to me that a lot of people who are trying to lose weight and become healthier give up early and often because they are really uncomfortable with "feeling hungry." For me, it used to be the case that I wasn't really ever satisfied unless I was stuffed full of food to the point where it was essentially uncomfortable. I know that in my first week or two of changing my eating habits for the better, I was CONSTANTLY experiencing a tight, rumbling stomach and some pretty significant distraction. It didn't matter how much of what macros I consumed, in what balance, or in what order. It didn't even really matter what time of day I ate or how large or frequent my individual meals were. What it came down to for me was just getting through that first week or two. At some point, your body adjusts and everything gets a little easier.

It's reasonable to assume your body isn't going to immediately get on board with a dramatic calorie reduction, especially if most of what you were in the habit of eating before was processed starch that kept you feeling "contentedly bloated" most of the day.

So, don't give up! You're probably going to feel hungry, and it's probably going to be inconvenient...uncomfortable...distracting.
It's a hurdle you need to get over so you can move on. Just find something to take your mind off of the complaining little fat man living in your belly. I'm rooting for you.

Replies

  • Joannesmith2818
    Joannesmith2818 Posts: 438 Member
    I never really felt hungry. sugar snap peas were my secret!
  • ChrisM8971
    ChrisM8971 Posts: 1,067 Member
    I think what you are describing is appetite rather than hunger.

    Since starting this I have been doing some reading up on nutrition and think that the following was a real eye opener for me:

    " Hunger is the need for food. It is

    A physical reaction that includes chemical changes in your body related to a naturally low level of glucose in your blood several hours after eating.

    An instinctive, protective mechanism that makes sure that your body gets the fuel it requires to function reasonably well.

    Appetite is the desire for food. It is

    A sensory or psychological reaction (looks good! smells good!) that stimulates an involuntary physiological response (salivation, stomach contractions).

    A conditioned response to food."

    The idea that your stomach can contract when you are not even hungry astounded me to start with but when you think about this it actually makes sense that you are more likely to break a psychological desire than your body changing when it feels hungry.

    And it took about 2 weeks before I stopped feeling discomfort from not eating
  • Mr_Bad_Example
    Mr_Bad_Example Posts: 2,403 Member
    Or, you know, you could eat lower calorie foods and feel full. That usually takes care of that pesky "hungry" feeling.
  • LVCeltGirl
    LVCeltGirl Posts: 473
    I usually feel hungry because I'm thirsty. So my test is to drink some water (at least 8 oz) before grabbing anything to eat. I also try to keep celery, snap peas, carrots, and protein (chicken, lunch meat, cheese, nuts) handy. I try to balance the snacks out, so veggies and hummus, celery and cream cheese, etc. Helps to keep me full longer. :-)
  • Eidetica
    Eidetica Posts: 8
    I knew there would be replies about simply eating different foods to avoid "feeling hungry". When I first started losing weight, I followed all of the most rational suggestions for what low-calorie foods to eat in order to feel full. I found that it really didn't matter how MUCH I ate- I was still having the psychological experience ChrisM8971 is describing simply because I wasn't overeating crappy food for every meal anymore. I believe there are probably others experiencing this as well. It's really not a problem for me these days, and sometimes people just starting out need to know that things get easier, and that right now they are their own worst enemy (or their brain and body chemistry are, at least.)
  • Krisydee103
    Krisydee103 Posts: 416 Member
    I hear ya! I know exactly what you're talking about. I just went through sugar and junk withdrawal about 3 weeks ago and it was NOT fun. But I did! Like a drug addiction I felt nauseas, I had migraines, and anxiety over telling myself no. Since than, its been A LOT easier! :) I've lost 11 lbs. in a month from cutting out all that crap. Thank you for writing this.
  • sansey
    sansey Posts: 113 Member
    I have the same problem. I don't necessarily feel uncomfortable but I think I need to eat to comfort myself. I am typically not hungry but I eat anyway. I think it is more difficult to keep your mind occupied and not thinking about food then eating the right foods and eating healthy. The more I do this the more I realize it is all mental.
  • bekahlou75
    bekahlou75 Posts: 304 Member
    Some days I am just hungry. Stomach growling hungry. Usually that happens when I had a big deficit the day before. It sucks when it happens but I have to remind myself that it was my own fault for not eating enough!
  • GuateMamaX2
    GuateMamaX2 Posts: 9
    I know how you feel. It's mostly in your mind but it's still annoying and sometimes even painful. "Hunger pains" my mom always called them.

    I hate it and have done a lot of stuff like eating carrots or celery sticks or drinking water but what I really want is pizza or ice cream or soda and my body is "mad" at me for not giving it what it wants.

    It does go away, but before it does it's annoying.
  • QuietBloom
    QuietBloom Posts: 5,413 Member
    Some days I am just hungry. Stomach growling hungry. Usually that happens when I had a big deficit the day before. It sucks when it happens but I have to remind myself that it was my own fault for not eating enough!

    I have those days too. I go ahead and eat if I feel my body really needs it.
  • alexandriax03
    alexandriax03 Posts: 289 Member
    bump
  • MeesterHolt
    MeesterHolt Posts: 1
    I've learned that whenever i get "hungry" or crave something, chewing a piece of gum is a great way to suppress my appetite. Now if only I can remember that every time that I get hungry. . . . :D
  • elyelyse
    elyelyse Posts: 1,454 Member
    yup, I get exactly what you mean too. I used to feel unsatisfied unless I was stuffed...and you know what? sometimes even that wasn't enough to satisfy me. The very idea of an empty belly(or just a not-full belly) was uncomfortable.

    After a while of eating intelligently, understanding what my body actually needed as opposed to what I wanted...I came to realize that there isn't anything wrong with being empty for parts of the day. In fact, once I got used to it, I now LIKE that feeling. I feel literally lighter, and less sluggish. Don't get me wrong, I'm not starving myself to have an empty belly, I eat plenty, I just don't have to eat all the time, and until I am stuffed anymore.

    To the person who just said to eat lower calorie foods so we don't have to feel "hungry"...well..it's not really hunger, it's...something else. It's like a need to fill that empty space. We have to learn that that space doesn't need to always be full. Now, I usually eat one meal a day that leaves me with that "full" feeling, and usually in the evening when my day's activities are mostly done. I used to eat that way all day.
  • ZiezieO
    ZiezieO Posts: 228 Member
    appetites always get me. When your sick, you lose it and you actually feel when hunger comes and goes. but normally its your appetite that chimes in... I could do with a little less reminder that I like the way I feel when I eat.
  • NRSPAM
    NRSPAM Posts: 961 Member
    If I'm hungry, I eat. Maybe those who are feeling hungry all the time, aren't eating enough calories? I try to make sure that I never get too hungry, 'cuz if I do, I reach for the wrong things, then after a while of feeling hungry all the time, I tend to overeat...a lot...and for days or weeks, unless I truly fall off the wagon, and go back to my old ways. I've learned a lot about how my body works, after being on so many diets, and losing time and time again, just to gain it all back. I eat around 1,700-2,000 cal's/day, when I'm behaving, depending on my activity. This works for me, because I workout quite a bit.
  • lighteningjeanne855
    lighteningjeanne855 Posts: 566 Member
    I have been eating the Paleo/Primal way for nearly 6 months and a weight loss of 47+ pounds.
    Once I break my 14-hour daily fast, I never feel hungry, or have hunger pangs.
    Protein and fat are wonderful that way.
  • elyelyse
    elyelyse Posts: 1,454 Member
    If I'm hungry, I eat. Maybe those who are feeling hungry all the time, aren't eating enough calories?

    some of us start out with really screwed up hunger cues, caused by years of disordered eating. for a good part of my adult life, I was hungry most of the time, no matter how much I ate. Some of us have to learn that just because we feel some hunger, just because our belly is empty, does not mean we need food. After a while, our body changes and our mindset changes...and we can start to be a bit more intuitive about our eating, but it can take a while to learn the difference between needing fuel & nutrients, and just wanting to eat.
  • ecw3780
    ecw3780 Posts: 608 Member
    Some days I am just hungry. Stomach growling hungry. Usually that happens when I had a big deficit the day before. It sucks when it happens but I have to remind myself that it was my own fault for not eating enough!

    I have those days too. I go ahead and eat if I feel my body really needs it.

    your body doesn't reset at midnight. If I work out at night, I am not really hungry after, but I could eat a bear the next day. I almost always end up eating more the day after I workout than on days I do work out. It all evens out in the end.
  • super_secret_spy
    super_secret_spy Posts: 4
    Hey Eldetica, thank you so much for your post, that was exactly what I needed to hear..as I am about four days into this and have always done everything I could to avoid feeling hungry. I definitely needed to hear that it's okay and that it gets better! thank you so much! :)
  • sjp_511
    sjp_511 Posts: 476 Member
    I didn't read the other replies, but what your descirbe is like quitting calories cold turkey. It is very hard to go from consuming 3000+ calories/day to 2000 or fewer calories/day, but that is what so many people do when they start a diet. There are 2 options:

    1. Go for the drastic reduction, feel very hungry and miserable and have a hard time sticking to it. You may find yourself binging and/or quitting.
    2. Create a plan to ween yourself off calories. If you're used to 3000 calories/day, spend a week at 2800, then a week at 2600, and so on and so forth. It takes a bit more time but probably increases chances of success.

    Same thing with exercise. Often times a person sets a big goal (i.e. a non-exerciser deciding to start exercising for an hour a day everyday) and gets discouraged when they can't keep up with their plan.

    Baby steps are key. We are all trying to break a bad habits we have had for too long (maybe even a our whole life). It is incredibly difficult to break a habit overnight.

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