What do YOU do when you feel hungry (but know you're not)?

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mp5girl
mp5girl Posts: 13 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I have been struggling with feelings of hunger. It seems constant. For example, this morning I was starving. Stomach was growling. That makes sense. So I had my morning coffee, I made scrambled eggs with spinach and a little parmesan. Then followed that up with two cups of water and here I am feeling 'hungry'. I just started my changes this week. It's a regular occurrence and I am just curious if anyone else feels like this and what do they do it.
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Replies

  • jkwolly
    jkwolly Posts: 3,049 Member
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    Eat more protein, it will keep you full longer :smile:
  • missdibs1
    missdibs1 Posts: 1,092 Member
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    Here are my reasons:

    Most of the time: I am thirsty/dehydrated

    sometimes: I am tipsy (oooh alcohol makes me eat)

    and other times:

    because I need more food lol!
  • TheVirgoddess
    TheVirgoddess Posts: 4,535 Member
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    If I feel hungry I drink water. If I still feel hungry I eat.
  • perseverance14
    perseverance14 Posts: 1,364 Member
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    1. Drink water
    2. Wait 20 minutes.
    3. If still hungry and not a meal time, eat some lean protein.
  • BigT555
    BigT555 Posts: 2,068 Member
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    drink more water. if you feel weak, eat. if not, fight it. unless of course its unbearable, but it will get easier
  • jennk5309
    jennk5309 Posts: 206 Member
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    I don't know what your weight is, but if you are a larger person and only ate 2 eggs with some spinach and parmesan, which is probably less than 200 calories, then of course you are hungry! I would be too. That's barely anything. Also, even though people are telling you to eat more protein, I am personally not sated until I also have a little bit of carbohydrates. Yes, protein helps keep you full, but we do also need carbohydrates.
  • BigT555
    BigT555 Posts: 2,068 Member
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    I don't know what your weight is, but if you are a larger person and only ate 2 eggs with some spinach and parmesan, which is probably less than 200 calories, then of course you are hungry! I would be too. That's barely anything. Also, even though people are telling you to eat more protein, I am personally not sated until I also have a little bit of carbohydrates. Yes, protein helps keep you full, but we do also need carbohydrates.
    honestly im starting to this this differs from person to person, i find protein most filling, i know a few who have said fats are most filling, youre the first ive heard to say carbs but im sure there are others
  • chelseafisher5648
    chelseafisher5648 Posts: 60 Member
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    I drink water if I don't feel hungry but want to eat. I know its in my head I am just wanting something or Ill have a glass of tea or apple cider then I feel like I got a s treat and the little sweet gets rid of craving. As for when I am still hungry. It takes a little while for your body to adjust to your smaller portions when u over eat u stretch your stomach out but it will shrink back an u will find yourself filling more full with less until then I love protein shakes. I buy the $20 powder from walmart gives like 20 grams of protein an has vitamins makes me fill full taste good mixed with skim milk and only 100 calories. It is a big tub of powder as well has lasted me couple months now I use one a day average an still have half left. I do recommend getting one of those travel cups with the little tubler inside to mix it u don't want it powdery. I started using this because I donate plasma twice a week an even though I was eating a lot of protein- mostly lean chicken an fish. I was regularly not able to donate because my protein an iron levels were not high enough they said if I am exercising my body was utilizing it as quick as I got it an I was lacking iron because I wasn't taking in red meat an not enough veggies. I hate vegetables an have to force myself to eat them. I drink one of these and I am good to go.
  • geekishgirl
    geekishgirl Posts: 117 Member
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    I drink water and chew gum. I have found for me that chewing gum fools my body into thinking it got what it wanted. My jaw muscles are working just like they would be if I was eating something but the water is actually what's going into my stomach. It does the trick every time as long as I am not ACTUALLY hungry.
  • mp5girl
    mp5girl Posts: 13 Member
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    I should have offered more detail. :) I never eat breakfast so eating a couple eggs is actually very good for me. I did follow it up with some water. I'm still fighting it but am not certain how to translate it. Some times I feel weak but it goes away. I'm averaging 1400 calories or so a day. If I get busy doing something, it seems to go away. Can caffeine play a roll??? I have started my day with a single cup of coffee for years. It isn't new for me. I can't chew gum. I've had jaw surgery and need to have another. I'm banned from gum. Any other ideas?
  • Go_Mizzou99
    Go_Mizzou99 Posts: 2,628 Member
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    1. Drink water
    2. Wait 20 minutes.
    3. If still hungry and not a meal time, eat some lean protein.

    +1
  • lemurcat12
    lemurcat12 Posts: 30,886 Member
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    There are various ways to make your meals more filling, as people are saying, but also it just takes adjustment. If your mind knows that you are eating less, lots of time you think about food more, think you are hungry, etc. One thing I found worked was just to have someone low calorie (carrots and celery work) to snack on at all times. After the first few days I stopped wanting them, since it was largely psychological.
  • lemurcat12
    lemurcat12 Posts: 30,886 Member
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    Oh, seeing your reply, I also sometimes have a cup of coffee if I'm hungry.

    And it going away when you are doing something might well mean that your mind is fighting back against the idea of eating less more than you are actually hungry. For me it helped to reframe it as eating healthier rather than less and focusing on all the additional stuff I was trying to eat. When I started wanting food I'd think about what I would make for dinner or the like. I also like to keep track of when I feel hungry and what else is going on, since I've always been a stress eater. I've found that dealing with the stress in some other way usually makes that hunger go away.
  • geekishgirl
    geekishgirl Posts: 117 Member
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    I can't chew gum. I've had jaw surgery and need to have another. I'm banned from gum. Any other ideas?

    Maybe you could try sucking on a sugar free hard candy? I've done that before also.
  • Aaron_K123
    Aaron_K123 Posts: 7,122 Member
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    Honestly I've never experienced this unreasonable hunger. My overeating was always due to just enjoying food, I had no issues with feeling hungry "when I wasn't supposed to".

    When I calorie restrict I still don't have issues with hunger. I know my personal experience does not reflect that of everyones personal experience but when I hear things like this my first thought it to question your macro balance and if you are getting all your micros. Your bodies hunger is driven by its need for things, not necessarily how many calories you have taken in. If you are say deprived of iron because you eat no red meats doesn't matter if you've eaten 3000 calories that day your body is going to tell you need to eat.

    My advice for what it is worth. Take a long hard look at WHAT you eat, figure out what your micros are and see if there is any huge gaps in your nutrition.
  • motivatenikki
    motivatenikki Posts: 19 Member
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    it's definitely an adjustment for the first few weeks. If I've eaten a well-balanced portion or snack, I just drink a big glass of ice water and tell myself to wait. inevitably, I will find something to keep me busy and the hunger thoughts (and sometimes grumbles) go away. if not, then I have a snack.

    on a side note - I have a morning snack between breakfast and lunch, and a snack between lunch and dinner. a few of my go to snacks:
    baby carrots
    greek yogurt
    almonds or pistachios
    a serving of pita chips (about 11-13 chips)
    cup of "no sugar added" hot chocolate
    a slice of cheese with a pickle
    granola bar
    apple (sometimes with 1TB peanut butter)
    a protein shake (like the powder someone else mentioned)
  • motivatenikki
    motivatenikki Posts: 19 Member
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    .
  • Francl27
    Francl27 Posts: 26,371 Member
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    I don't understand how someone can feel hungry but not be hungry... totally baffles me. I'm either hungry or not.
  • missomgitsica
    missomgitsica Posts: 496 Member
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    If I feel hungry I drink water. If I still feel hungry I eat.

    ^^Yep.
  • CallMeCupcakeDammit
    CallMeCupcakeDammit Posts: 9,375 Member
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    Your diary is closed, so I can't see how many calories were in your meal, but if I ate a low calorie meal, I would expect to be hungry pretty soon afterward. I notice when I don't get enough sleep I have the urge to eat, even though my stomach isn't growling, so I'll have water or flavored tea. Sometimes it's just out of boredom, or procrastination because I don't feel like doing something.

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