I know what you mean about being hungry, somedays I just cannot seem to stop eating! It is also worse if something has upset me, then I just tend to eat rubbish.

What works for me is distraction, I make myself do something like reading a really good book or playing Xbox. It doesn't always work but I find it helps.

First of all, welcome to the group!

I have been working on figuring out the difference between physical and emotional hunger for myself lately. It was helpful to research the difference between the two, as there are some physiological differences (for example, emotional hunger begins seemingly out of nowhere and develops very quickly).

I have also found it helpful to look at what I am eating. For me, if I eat too much sugar, I feel hungry all of the time. Drinking extra water helps, too, because it could be dehydration.

Hope some of that is helpful!

That's really helpful, thanks. I'm the same with sugar!

I'm also new to the group and am now realizing how emotional eating and physical eating are different.

Emotional eating can be talked down or distracted.
Were you watching a commercial that featured a burger or some desert you haven't had in forever? Are you upset at a friend and just want to eat some ice cream because at least it's sweeter than said friend? Do you feel defeated in your weight loss efforts and have that "Oh, screw it. I might as well anyway." thought in your head?

That is NOT physical hunger. And to be emotionally hungry does not mean you don't know how your stomach feels or you have no self control. It's natural during stressful times to want food because, as primitive beings, our body eats food during stress in case of famine.

Things that have worked for me are:

Wait it out: If you have a craving for something and start to fantasize about how good it'll be STOP. If you run out to get food on impulse like that, you might regret it later and bash on yourself. Just wait it out. Say "Wow, that would be good right now. But am I really hungry? Or am I just reminiscing on the taste of a food?" By the time you finish your interview with yourself, the feeling would have passed.

Drink water: We can easily confuse hunger with thirst. So, before you run out and get that Double Bacon Burger, drink some water, or even a cup of juice if you want some flavor. If you have a persistent craving, drink 2 cups. Our stomachs were designed to only hold 2 cups of food at a time anyway.

Think about the impact that would do (Pros / Cons): I think about my goals and how allowing myself to indulge all the time would impact my progress. In my head, I make a pro and con list. If you do this, you will see that 99% of the time, the cons will win. Do you really want Greasy, High in Calories, Too many Carbs, over Processed, Bad for my heart and vital organs to lose against It'll taste good?

Your mind is the greatest gift given to you. Use it to persuade yourself, give yourself willpower and strength to persevere your cravings. It'll be worth it when your results show your effort~

I struggle also with always feeling hungry. 5 yrs ago, I lost almost 40 lbs on Weight watchers. I still remember one of the things the leader told me. If you are hungry, eat a can of green beans. If green beans are not what you want - you are not hungry, its emotional. I know that I am an emotional eater. I eat for so many reasons, most of them not because I am hungry.

You are doing great to lost the 25 lbs! I have been on this site for over a year - joined last easter. While I never quit, I never seemed to be able to lose and stick with it. Even though I continued to write down what I was eating, on days I ate too much, I just didn't write it down.

For the past 2 months I am doing better, and I think the reason is my water bottle! I bought myself a water bottle, carry it with me everywhere. It is mostly in the evenings that I get hungry, and now, I have my popcorn (no longer cooking in oil, but air=popped), and I drink a diet root beer. If I still feel hungry, I drink water. That has helped me so much - just drinking the water. So maybe try that also. Drink water, and wait at least 10 minutes.

I also sent you a friend request if you would like to help me keep going, and I will do the same.