Never feeling satisfied?

LRH94
LRH94 Posts: 20 Member
in Goal: Maintaining Weight
I recently upped my calories to around 2000 a day to try and maintain my weight after loosing 27 pounds. This was great at first, I could finally enjoy food.
However, now the problem I face is that I never feel satisfied. Even after eating a huge dinner (I just had around 250g of mince in my bolognese I just cooked) I still want to carry on eating. Should I consider upping my calories further? I'm young, female, 20 y.o, and pretty active, I work out around 4 times per week, plus I walk about 3 miles around 3 times per week. I'm currently 125 pounds and 5"8. Is more calories the answer, or adding more protein and veggies to my diet? I'm probably eating too many sugary foods which I'm trying to cut down on
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Replies

  • spencerjshimon
    spencerjshimon Posts: 3
    Sounds like your body is craving something that it's not getting? I would consider eating more frequent meals to make yourself feel full. Eat foods high in fat (good fat) and protein. That should make you feel full. I try to remember to look at food as simply something to fuel up for my body. Hope that helps!
  • akolacz
    akolacz Posts: 13
    Perhaps upping your protein will help, I find that even after a Quest Bar I am full for the next few hours because of the amount of protein consumed. Try eating slower as well, chew your food and drink some water in between - helps for me!
  • dbmata
    dbmata Posts: 12,950 Member
    I'm NEVER satisfied!

    THIGHRUB.jpg
  • miss_jessiejane
    miss_jessiejane Posts: 2,819 Member
    I hate not being satisfied.
  • DeltaZero
    DeltaZero Posts: 1,197 Member
    Need more bacon. A big slab of salty meat should fill you up.
  • luvl42
    luvl42 Posts: 1
    For me, the only thing that satisfies me is to eat what I want, as long as I stay in my calorie limit. Right now I am in weightloss mode, 1200-1300 calories per day. If I want salame and cheese for dinner, that is what I eat, 1 oz each to keep in my goal. I drink wine with dinner, count every calorie. I lost 7 pounds in 3 weeks.

    Wanting to carry on eating is natural for most people. I think about food every waking minute. You just have to tell yourself no. In order to maintain your weightloss (congrats by the way) is to watch how much you eat for the rest of your life. But for me, never compromise. If I want it I will eat it. I found out a long time ago that for me, I need to eat what I crave, if not, I will eat the grilled chicken and then eat the pizza, its better to just eat the pizza as long as in your calorie goals.

    As far as what to eat, each person is different. I actually do better with high protein lots of veggies. My husband can eat cookies and nothing but cookies and lose weight.

    According to http://www.calculator.net/calorie-calculator.html, you should be eating 2361 to maintain your 125.

    Good luck to you.
  • CitizenXVIII
    CitizenXVIII Posts: 117 Member
    Are you drinking enough water?
  • allison_w1
    allison_w1 Posts: 2
    It depends on your definition of "satisfied." If you mean that you don't necessarily feel full, that's okay. However, if you still feel hungry, try and think about this the next time you eat, then it is totally fine to eat some more. I have a rule of thumb: never feel full or bloated. As long as you don't feel stuffed or bloated, and you don't see yourself gaining a lot of weight, sure, eat some more.
  • cwoyto123
    cwoyto123 Posts: 308
    It doesn't get any better.

    I eat 5000 calories a day and STILL starve.
  • LRH94
    LRH94 Posts: 20 Member
    Thanks for answering guys
    It doesn't get any better.

    I eat 5000 calories a day and STILL starve.
    Out of interest, what exersize do you do to eat 5000 a day?
  • cwoyto123
    cwoyto123 Posts: 308
    Out of interest, what exersize do you do to eat 5000 a day?
    Just weight lifting.
  • BigGamesJames1
    BigGamesJames1 Posts: 11
    Would love to have his metabolism!!!! OP....I have founded that since I have increased protein I have been more satisfied. Perhaps try that and also make sure you are hydrated, as sometimes you're body just needs water, but people mistake that for hunger. Good luck!
  • Spiderkeys
    Spiderkeys Posts: 338 Member
    I'm the same here, keeping at my maintenance level yet always feeling hungry all the time despite snacking more than 10 times a day, I always just feel like eating a horse, but just won't...
  • KarenJanine
    KarenJanine Posts: 3,497 Member
    Thanks for answering guys
    It doesn't get any better.

    I eat 5000 calories a day and STILL starve.
    Out of interest, what exersize do you do to eat 5000 a day?

    And he's only 18.

    OP, how is you weight currently? If you are maintaining then you have reached your maintenance calorie intake. If you are still finding yourself hungry, try altering your protein, fat and fibre intake. You may also want to play with different meal timings as some people prefer to eat 2 or 3 large meals per day, others prefer 5 or 6 small meals.

    If you are still losing weight, then you can afford to eat more calories as you are still eating below TDEE.
  • baba_helly
    baba_helly Posts: 810 Member
    I hate not being satisfied.

    Qft
  • SezxyStef
    SezxyStef Posts: 15,267 Member
    is it you aren't feeling satisfied or are you still hungry?

    There is a difference imho...

    If it's satisfied then that can be overcome, as most of that is mental or you are craving something you have denied yourself...I personally sometimes am not satisfied until I have a starchy carb...but it's not hunger.

    If it's hunger eat more fibre and protien.
  • littlecrystal
    littlecrystal Posts: 110 Member
    I too get that "never satisfied" feeling no matter how little or how many calories I eat. The only solution I have found so far is to have a fast day once in a while - 500kcal / day (the basis of 5:2 diet). I am not a fan of starving myself but I find it totally resets my hunger button, stops cravings, makes me to recognize when I actually had enough. It seems just like another way of balancing the weekly calories intake, so you could have more calories on you normal days - but in fact with the newly reset satiety button I only want eat when I really hungry.

    Good luck!
  • msf74
    msf74 Posts: 3,498 Member
    is it you aren't feeling satisfied or are you still hungry?

    There is a difference imho...

    If it's satisfied then that can be overcome, as most of that is mental or you are craving something you have denied yourself...I personally sometimes am not satisfied until I have a starchy carb...but it's not hunger.

    If it's hunger eat more fibre and protien.

    All of this.

    Hedonic v physical hunger...
  • einzweidrei
    einzweidrei Posts: 381 Member
    I recently upped my calories to around 2000 a day to try and maintain my weight after loosing 27 pounds. This was great at first, I could finally enjoy food.
    However, now the problem I face is that I never feel satisfied. Even after eating a huge dinner (I just had around 250g of mince in my bolognese I just cooked) I still want to carry on eating. Should I consider upping my calories further? I'm young, female, 20 y.o, and pretty active, I work out around 4 times per week, plus I walk about 3 miles around 3 times per week. I'm currently 125 pounds and 5"8. Is more calories the answer, or adding more protein and veggies to my diet? I'm probably eating too many sugary foods which I'm trying to cut down on

    IMO, you need to eat more. I'm only a little taller than you and maintain at 2,000 calories/day without exercise. And any "exercise" I do (ahem walking) I will log and eat back those calories. Are you at least eating those exercise calories back?
  • mamahannick
    mamahannick Posts: 322 Member
    Fat. Eat plenty of healthy fats. I have increased mine, and I have noticed a difference in being satisfied with my food and fuller for longer.
  • kwantlen2051
    kwantlen2051 Posts: 455 Member
    I had a similar problem. After logging my food consistently for 9 months now, I observed that if I had lots of carbs early in the day, I tended to crave more carbs and sweets as the day went on. So now I have more of protein at the start of my day and then add carbs in mid-day onwards. This seems to diminish my cravings esp for sweets. Also I spaced out my big meals into 6 smaller meals throughout the day. This helped keep my sugar levels steady and I didn't feel feel hungry all the time and didn't binge. Could this work for you too?
  • _lyndseybrooke_
    _lyndseybrooke_ Posts: 2,561 Member
    Out of interest, what exersize do you do to eat 5000 a day?
    Just weight lifting.

    My husband knows a guy that has to eat 7000 calories while bulking or he won't gain mass. My first reaction was, "lucky jerk," but it must cost a lot to feed him.
  • leodora1
    leodora1 Posts: 77 Member
    Check your macros, agreed, as everyone else has stated. I would only adjust your calories if you continue to lose weight while you try to maintain it. Another thought is that your body needs to adjust to the new caloric intake. This takes work on your part. Ghrelin is the hunger hormone and fluctuates based upon what you eat and when you eat it. It takes time to adjust the release of this hormone. This is why you feel hungry at the same time you eat; you have trained your body to release the hunger hormone at this specified time whether you intermittent fast or eat several times a day. You can use your prefrontal cortex functions (the executive control center of the brain) and refuse to give into the hormone. Eventually, your body will regulate it (4 - 6 weeks). This hormone is also the reason why appetizers increase appetite. A little food makes the hormone release teasing us and making us believe we are more hungry. It is also why we choose bad foods when we are too hungry. Ghrelin makes it difficult to make choices. Protein makes a huge difference in control and satisfaction. In the end though, it takes training and a diet that makes sense to you. Every time you tell yourself the feeling of hunger is not really you starving to death and just ghrelin, you teach your body to release less. This is primarily why eating more often works for many people but eventually your body adjusts to that as well. The body is smart. It knows.

    http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17212793
  • IsabellaGiano
    IsabellaGiano Posts: 158 Member
    I recently upped my calories to around 2000 a day to try and maintain my weight after loosing 27 pounds. This was great at first, I could finally enjoy food.
    However, now the problem I face is that I never feel satisfied. Even after eating a huge dinner (I just had around 250g of mince in my bolognese I just cooked) I still want to carry on eating. Should I consider upping my calories further? I'm young, female, 20 y.o, and pretty active, I work out around 4 times per week, plus I walk about 3 miles around 3 times per week. I'm currently 125 pounds and 5"8. Is more calories the answer, or adding more protein and veggies to my diet? I'm probably eating too many sugary foods which I'm trying to cut down on

    I'm 36 year old, 5ft 2", 132 lb (if I'm correct). I have a desk job.
    Anyway, I have a fitbit, and walking, moving around whenever is possible, and playing with my daughter, I reach easily 2000 cals. (and I think that's correct because, with 500 cals of deficit, I'm losing)
    So, maybe you need more calories.

    Wait for a couple weeks/one month (and meanwhile eat more protein, drink water etc): if you still lose weight, you need more calories.
    Otherwise, is just your body craving for something (proteins, salt, etc, like they said)
  • tq33702
    tq33702 Posts: 121 Member
    I recently upped my calories to around 2000 a day to try and maintain my weight after loosing 27 pounds. This was great at first, I could finally enjoy food.
    However, now the problem I face is that I never feel satisfied. Even after eating a huge dinner (I just had around 250g of mince in my bolognese I just cooked) I still want to carry on eating. Should I consider upping my calories further? I'm young, female, 20 y.o, and pretty active, I work out around 4 times per week, plus I walk about 3 miles around 3 times per week. I'm currently 125 pounds and 5"8. Is more calories the answer, or adding more protein and veggies to my diet? I'm probably eating too many sugary foods which I'm trying to cut down on

    Good question...
    and you may have guessed
    the right answer: sugar/carbs.

    Here's a search result::
    LCHF Health Without Hunger
    http://tinyurl.com/k8h4s5w

    Success :smile:
  • jeanstudies
    jeanstudies Posts: 81 Member
    Great question, thanks for posting (and for all the great information in the other replies)! If you want "fullness" satisfaction, one book, 'Volumetrics', talks about the calorie density (CD) of foods, with lower CD the best. Calculated by diving the grams by the number of calories, per serving. I.e., most vegetables would have a very low CD but very filling, whereas cake or cookies have a very high CD.

    Or, are you craving crunchy, sweet, or savory foods? Look for lower-calorie versions of these. Crunchy is important for me, and I found Popcakes (in the U.S.). A 5" disk is only about 15 calories.

    Sometimes I will decide that only a lot of what makes me happy will do, and then I have to decide if it is worth the hit on my waistline...most of the time it isn't, so I am continually looking for lower-calorie versions of those.
  • pander101
    pander101 Posts: 677 Member
    If you are actually hungry than I would think more protein/healthy fats would help. I'm trying to lose weight and have added protein and have noticed a HUGE difference. I no longer feel hungrier an hour later.

    Now if you're just not 'satisfied' as in you want more food because you're craving a certain type of food or it's mental hunger because your now able to eat more then give it time and see it if goes away and push through it. I'm not sure how long you have been in maintenance mode. But maybe it takes time to adjust? I agree with what some people have said on here already, that the sugar foods could also be part of the problem.

    Good luck!
  • cebreisch
    cebreisch Posts: 1,340 Member
    When I met with my dietician and said the same thing, she said to up my fiber intake, and it worked wonders.

    I get chocolite protein bars from www.healthsmartfoods.com - they have about 10g protein, 10g fiber, and are sugar/gluten free.


    Also make sure you're drinking plenty of water.
  • leodora1
    leodora1 Posts: 77 Member
    When I met with my dietician and said the same thing, she said to up my fiber intake, and it worked wonders.

    I get chocolite protein bars from www.healthsmartfoods.com - they have about 10g protein, 10g fiber, and are sugar/gluten free.


    Also make sure you're drinking plenty of water.

    Agreed! I drink psyllium husk every evening about two hours before bed, after dinner. This helps me feel satisfied.
  • Nazy1343
    Nazy1343 Posts: 54 Member
    Few tips that i tend to use:
    1) drink 2 cups of water before a balanced meal
    2) after eating a meal drink a shot of espresso (during the day)
    3) eat ice chips when you feel hungry but you know you had already too much
    4) start playing candy crush. games like this take your mind off the food

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