I'm Hungry ALL the Time

I don’t know what I’m doing wrong but my meals don’t seem to fill me up for very long. I usually have my breakfast at about 7am (usually always porridge with fruit) but I’m hungry again at about 10am. I try to choose healthy snacks for when I feel hunger pangs, like fruit or nuts but I don’t feel like they help that much. I eat lunch at 1ish and my stomach is rumbling by 4! What am I doing wrong?

I drink plenty of water so I doubt its dehydration. My diary is open so please feel free to have a look and see if I’m not eating enough or not eating the right foods? (Ignore the weekend just gone, it was the bf’s birthday). It’s mainly during the week when I’m working that I find it affects me most. When I’m at home I think because I know there’s food available to eat at any time I don’t get as hungry.
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Replies

  • sarahmoo12
    sarahmoo12 Posts: 756 Member
    Your diary is closed!
    You would maybe be better eating smaller portions more often or could maybe have a smoothie or something inbetween ?
  • knra_grl
    knra_grl Posts: 1,566 Member
    Your diary is closed. I find protein in the morning stays with me longer than carbs - there is nothing wrong with eating snacks frequently - depending on the day I will have 4 or 5 snacks. If I am hungry I eat something.
  • Ooops! Sorry it was open. I think it's public now again.
  • diannethegeek
    diannethegeek Posts: 14,776 Member
    1. Make sure that your calorie goal is actually appropriate for your body and activity level. Way too many people set an aggressive goal and then ignore what their body is trying to tell them.

    2. Look for foods that are higher in protein, fat, and fiber. These help keep you feeling fuller and more satisfied for a longer period of time.

    3. Drink plenty of water (or fluids of choice).

    4. Play around with your meal timings. When you eat won't make a difference to your weight loss. Some people do better with 6 small meals a day and some people prefer 2 large meals. Find what works for your schedule.

    5. Give you body some time to adjust. The hormones that control your hunger signals are sent out partially out of habit. As you eat less your body will catch up and stop telling you to be hungry as often. It takes a while, but your body will catch up with your brain if you're consistent.
  • Holly_Roman_Empire
    Holly_Roman_Empire Posts: 4,440 Member
    You are WAY low on protein. Aim for at least 100 grams a day.

    ETA: I'm sure you could raise your calories a bit and still lose weight, but that's totally up to you.
  • concordancia
    concordancia Posts: 5,320 Member
    It looks like you are consistently under your goal, rather than reaching it. Try eating all the food.

    You are also eating a lot of fruit and starchy foods: less sugar and more fiber and protein can be very useful in controlling hunger.
  • You are WAY low on protein. Aim for at least 100 grams a day.

    +1
    Please check out this thread:
    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1167386-review-of-dietary-protein-during-caloric-restriction?hl=1.1-1.4+g/lb+protein
  • WannabeStressFree
    WannabeStressFree Posts: 340 Member
    hi
    It looks like youre netting 900 cals! on onw day that I saw your diary for) That's low.
    I agree to go with higher protein and fiber and eat more on your goal calories.
  • Thanks for the tips! I think you're right about the meal timings, I always try to stick to the same meal times every day because I had been told not to eat after 8pm but I'm starting to realise that it's best just to eat when I'm hungry even if's late.
  • I would eat a more substantial breakfast with more protein.
  • echofm1
    echofm1 Posts: 471 Member
    Going to repeat the protein bit. Protein releases its energy slowly, giving you a fuller feeling for longer. I love my fruits as much as the next person, but fruits, vegetables, and grains (all of which are carbs) may be healthy, but they're for short bursts of energy and you'll feel hungry again in a couple hours.

    Eat eggs for breakfast, eat more peanut butter. If you aren't vegetarian, add a serving of meat to your salads. Timing your meals is helpful, but protein will probably help you even more than meal timing.
  • Phaedra2014
    Phaedra2014 Posts: 1,254 Member
    1. Insufficient calories.

    2. Low on protein.

    3. Food is not spread out evenly through the day.

    4. Eat more calorie dense foods.
  • You are WAY low on protein. Aim for at least 100 grams a day.

    ETA: I'm sure you could raise your calories a bit and still lose weight, but that's totally up to you.

    I'm trying to eat more protein (cottage cheese, greek yoghurt) but usually only eat meat for dinner because I'm on a bit of a budget.

    Does anyone have some cheaper suggestions for protein sources?

    I'm trying not to eat too much peanut butter / nuts in general because of the high calorie count.
  • askeates
    askeates Posts: 1,490 Member
    1. Make sure that your calorie goal is actually appropriate for your body and activity level. Way too many people set an aggressive goal and then ignore what their body is trying to tell them.

    2. Look for foods that are higher in protein, fat, and fiber. These help keep you feeling fuller and more satisfied for a longer period of time.

    3. Drink plenty of water (or fluids of choice).

    4. Play around with your meal timings. When you eat won't make a difference to your weight loss. Some people do better with 6 small meals a day and some people prefer 2 large meals. Find what works for your schedule.

    5. Give you body some time to adjust. The hormones that control your hunger signals are sent out partially out of habit. As you eat less your body will catch up and stop telling you to be hungry as often. It takes a while, but your body will catch up with your brain if you're consistent.

    ^^ Very much this.... looking at your diary, you stay way too low on the protien. The other thing that a friend recently pointed out to me.... Maybe too much fruit. It is good for you, but doesn't stick around as long as you may be needing. I took my fruit down and my veggies up, added more protien and am rarely hungry now.
  • You don't have to be, and in my opinion, shouldn't be, hungry in order to lose weight. Keep your deficit small (TDEE-15%) and aim for 0.8-1g of protein per lb of body weight. Make sure not to use "diet" foods or "low cal" prepackaged foods and get enough fat, including saturated which is great for producing satiety and keeping you full.
  • beaches61
    beaches61 Posts: 154 Member
    I have to have protein in the morning or I get hungry quickly. Yogurt and hard-boiled eggs are favorites for me. If I eat cereal, I try to eat a high-fiber cereal.

    I'm not usually hungry right when I get up, so I have my coffee and then I have my actual breakfast later, around 10 or 10:30, when I start to feel hungry. If I'm hungry when I get up, though, I have something to eat.

    This usually helps me get to noon or 1 p.m.ish before I feel hungry for lunch.

    I have to have a small snack, and sometimes a few small snacks, in the afternoon to get from lunch to dinner. Sometimes I spread out my lunch, for example, eat a sandwich at noon, some nuts at 3 p.m. and maybe half a protein bar at 5 or 6 p.m. Spreading the food out like that helps me not get hungry.

    I agree that your body needs to get adjusted to eating less, so maybe you need to gradually reduce your calories.

    Also you need to eat foods that help you feel full longer. For me, almonds, cheese, eggs, a high-protein bar or something like that helps alot.
  • jenbroussard71
    jenbroussard71 Posts: 286 Member
    Eggs.
  • DebbieLyn63
    DebbieLyn63 Posts: 2,654 Member
    1. Make sure that your calorie goal is actually appropriate for your body and activity level. Way too many people set an aggressive goal and then ignore what their body is trying to tell them.

    2. Look for foods that are higher in protein, fat, and fiber. These help keep you feeling fuller and more satisfied for a longer period of time.

    3. Drink plenty of water (or fluids of choice).

    4. Play around with your meal timings. When you eat won't make a difference to your weight loss. Some people do better with 6 small meals a day and some people prefer 2 large meals. Find what works for your schedule.

    5. Give you body some time to adjust. The hormones that control your hunger signals are sent out partially out of habit. As you eat less your body will catch up and stop telling you to be hungry as often. It takes a while, but your body will catch up with your brain if you're consistent.

    ^^Perfect!
  • christinelyn
    christinelyn Posts: 85 Member
    Need more protein! If I don't eat enough I'm starving within an hour.
  • DebbieLyn63
    DebbieLyn63 Posts: 2,654 Member
    You are WAY low on protein. Aim for at least 100 grams a day.

    ETA: I'm sure you could raise your calories a bit and still lose weight, but that's totally up to you.

    I'm trying to eat more protein (cottage cheese, greek yoghurt) but usually only eat meat for dinner because I'm on a bit of a budget.

    Does anyone have some cheaper suggestions for protein sources?

    I'm trying not to eat too much peanut butter / nuts in general because of the high calorie count.

    Cant get much cheaper than eggs.

    ETA and canned tuna
  • I feel the same as you.
    I think alot of it is not having enough protein. I am on a different diet called Advocare. But it does say if your hungry to have snacks between all your meals. Its not good to sit there and be hungry. Your body uses up alot of energy no matter what your doing. Just always keep snacks with you even if your on the go. So at least it will help you until its time for breakfast, lunch or dinner!
  • CaitlinW19
    CaitlinW19 Posts: 431 Member
    I like snacks that take me a while to eat...light string cheese is one. Picking at it makes me slow down. I try to slow down everything I eat and this helps. I drink breakfast shakes, taking them to work and literally taking 1 or 2 sips every few minutes...sometimes it takes me an hour to finish a 10 oz shake.It is normal (and healthy) to have a snack between breakfast and lunch. More small meals during the day generally helps people from over eating and, as a bonus, it keeps your metabolism working faster more of the day, which can mean more weight loss.

    I agree with everyone else, you absolutly should be eating a minimum of 1200 calories a day unless you have a doctors order to do less. There is a reason MFP doesn't give anyone less than a 1200 calorie a day diet. If you are skeptical, find out your BMI ( the amount of calories you burn daily just by physically living a breathing even if you stayed in bed all day) using an online calculator. I did this the otherday and I burn 1500 calories a day without doing a thing but breathing. On a weight loss regimine, I am eating 1340 calories a day and more when I excercise. You do your body more harm than good by depriving...your body chooses to destroy muscle vs. fat because muscles burn more calories...your body is trying to survive on a calorie budget, esentially, and cuts out the biggest spenders first to make what you give it last longer. That's just one of the many negatives of extremely low calorie diets, and one of the trickiest ones because you may see the number on the scale drop and think what you are doing is working.
  • mary190136
    mary190136 Posts: 44 Member
    I have a similar problem with hunger. What I do is, I fill my desk at work and my pantry at home with tons of options for various fruit and black and green tea. The hot liquid makes it seem more substantial to me than drinking water. The variety of flavors keeps it interesting, and tea keeps me from snacking. This might help you too!

    If you don't like tea, try fruit-infused water.
  • imjolly
    imjolly Posts: 176 Member
    Just taking a quick look at your diet, you may need more protein. I was eating oatmeal in the morning and it wasn't enough. My doctor told me I needed to eat more protein for breakfast. You could try that.
  • knra_grl
    knra_grl Posts: 1,566 Member
    Just taking a quick look at your diet, you may need more protein. I was eating oatmeal in the morning and it wasn't enough. My doctor told me I needed to eat more protein for breakfast. You could try that.

    I also find that when I have egg whites with a bit of low sodium bacon or turkey bacon/sausage in a breakfast sandwich it was fewer calories and more satisfying than the refriderator oatmeal I had this morning.
  • Francl27
    Francl27 Posts: 26,371 Member
    I'm the same way. I typically need a snack in the morning and the afternoon or I'm starving by meal time... and fruit and nuts just don't cut it for me, it's got to be Greek yogurt or a protein bar. I have to eat over 500 calories to tide me over for 5 hours... and at least 20g of protein.
  • Danny_Boy13
    Danny_Boy13 Posts: 2,094 Member
    1. Insufficient calories.

    2. Low on protein.

    3. Food is not spread out evenly through the day.

    4. Eat more calorie dense foods.

    ^^^ This...
  • mllev87
    mllev87 Posts: 8 Member
    I put some cottage cheese in my porridge and then yoghurt on top. With some berries and a teensy bit of maple syrup it's yummy and a lot more protein than just regular porridge! Keeps me full a lot longer.
  • writergeek313
    writergeek313 Posts: 390 Member
    If you're eating on a budget, it's important to prioritize. I see that there are a lot of packaged foods in your diary. I spend the majority of my grocery money on proteins and produce. I try to buy my complex carbs like brown rice in bulk, since I know if I store them correctly they'll be good for a long time. I haven't cut out packaged foods entirely, but they're my lowest priority, meaning I only buy them when I have money left after I've gotten the other things I need. I do the same thing with going out to eat.

    Also, don't get into the mindset that things that are high in calories or fats are necessarily bad for you. For instance, yes, a tablespoon of peanut butter has 95 calories in it (at least the brand I use does), but the fats in it are healthy, and it could add some protein and additional calories that it seems like you need for your breakfasts.

    As far as affordable sources of protein go, my staples are chicken and turkey, canned tuna, Greek yogurt, cottage cheese, quinoa, lentils and beans, and protein powder/shakes (usually only after workouts).
  • kingscrown
    kingscrown Posts: 615 Member
    My diet is a lot more balanced now and I'm not so hungry. I also make sure I have a morning and afternoon snack. Can't make it through the day without one. Make sure you're eating enough protein and not a lot of simple carbs. Also something might be triggering the hungry. For me I found artificial sweeteners trigger a simple carb craving for me. Once I cut them out my craving for candy, bread, cookies etc. greatly diminished.