Argghh Im so hungry!

kyrawolfe3
kyrawolfe3 Posts: 34
in Health and Weight Loss
So Im just starting up again trying to get fitter and eat better. The only problem is Im always so hungry!

I swear I could eat all day, its incredible. I currently weigh 65kgs and would love to drop a little bit of fat off my thighs and muffin tops and have started trying to exercise again (though Im not very fit)

Anyway - This morning I started the whole counting calories thing and all I can think about is food :/

Ive so far had:

A bowl of corn flakes with milk
4 wheat crackers
A tomato (lol)
a cinnamon tea (no milk or sugar)
A tonne of water.

And its only 10:15am - Planning on eggs or maybe chicken and veggies for lunch. How do I stop thinking about food all the time? Im home on a saturday with three small children who are also restless and driving me bonkers making mess everywhere and snacking a lot (me having to make them snacks)

I might have to take them outside but its overcast and rainy as well *pulls hair out*

Does anyone else just think about food all the time? Is that anyones main problem? Feel free to add me anyway.

Replies

  • shadow2soul
    shadow2soul Posts: 7,692 Member
    I see a lot of carbs. This could very well be why your hungry. Proteins and fats generally will keep you feeling full longer.
  • FatFreeFrolicking
    FatFreeFrolicking Posts: 4,252 Member
    You are hungry because you are eating a heavy-carb diet. You need to eat more protein and fat.

    Breakfast: 2 eggs and 2 slices of toast with butter.

    Morning snack: Nuts and a piece of fruit OR cottage cheese.

    Lunch: 3-4 oz lean protein, a medium sweet potato, and veggies.

    Afternoon snack: Greek yogurt OR cheese with crackers.

    Dinner: 3-4 oz lean protein, 1/2 cup brown rice, and veggies.

    Late night snack: Protein bar OR protein shake.
  • loribethrice
    loribethrice Posts: 620 Member
    I am always hungry also! I eat my allotted protein and fiber everyday and still feel like I haven't eaten. I get really shaky a lot because I feel so hungry. I also drink around 2 gallons of water most days, if not more. A lot of people on here say to eat a ton of protein because it's supposed to make you feel full, but it doesn't seem to help me so I assume that there are others like that to. Sorry you are so hungry! :( It definitely doesn't help keep you motivated!
  • diannethegeek
    diannethegeek Posts: 14,776 Member
    Make sure you're eating enough. That seems very low calorie so far.

    Get plenty of protein, fat, and fiber.

    Drink plenty of fluids.

    Play with meal timings. Some people do really wwell on six small meals and others prefer three larger meals and still othera do best on one large meal.

    If all else fails, you may just have to wait for your body to adjust.
  • Samby_v1
    Samby_v1 Posts: 202 Member
    From your pics you look like you're already in a healthy weight range. Perhaps cutting calories less aggressively would help? How much are you looking to lose per week?
  • twinsmomma02
    twinsmomma02 Posts: 79 Member
    Have some protein! We just made an eggbeaters omelet for "dinner" tonight with eggbeaters, green and red peppers, onions, and some turkey sausage patties, and some homemade fruit salad, and I am really full. Maybe some protein bars?
  • kyrawolfe3
    kyrawolfe3 Posts: 34
    THe full body shot is a very old pic and pretty much my goal weight. Im more trying to cut fat % which is about 30% atm. and trying to get Fitter and make healthier choices food wise.
  • Ready2Rock206
    Ready2Rock206 Posts: 9,487 Member
    Cold cereal doesn't fill me up at All!! Crackers aren't very filling either (but I seriously love crackers) I agree with the others more protein and fiber.

    Also I'm so hungry right now I could cry so I feel your pain....
  • Kevvboy
    Kevvboy Posts: 81 Member
    Maybe this is just a psych I've done on myself - but I find if I combine a protein with dark leafy greens as a snack - like a turkey patty, some tuna, chicken breast etc - with a handful of baby arugula or baby spinach or kale or spring mix - it keeps me from being hungry for hours. Maybe something about the nutrients is satisfying? Dont know why it works but it really works for me. Dark leafy greens!
  • nicsflyingcircus
    nicsflyingcircus Posts: 2,840 Member
    Switch up what you're eating for more calorie-dense option. 2% greek yogurt is rich and creamy and bursting with protein. A half cup of that plus berries is my breakfast/snack daily. I find cold cereal completely unfilling. Porridge/oatmeal, eggs, yogurt, whole grain bread w/peanut butter are so much more so. Same for snacks. I shoot for filling items.
  • Taiser
    Taiser Posts: 81 Member
    Yeah the carbs are bad for feeling full. For instance my breakfast during weekdays is a bowl of shredded wheat (the big monsters, not the little things covered in sugar) when I have that I HAVE to have something to eat around 10 am, usually a tomato sandwich or something or I get insane hungry!

    But on the weekend I have a couple of eggs with low fat ham and don't feel hungry at all until lunch! They both have about the same calorie count, in fact the egg breakfast has a bit less but I'd rather sleep a bit more in the morning when I have to go to work then get up early and spend more time making breakfast! :)
  • h9dlb
    h9dlb Posts: 243 Member
    Eat protein as the others quite rightly say
    (and not shakes- real food!)
  • kyrawolfe3
    kyrawolfe3 Posts: 34
    Ill try eggs for breakfast tomorow
  • kyrawolfe3
    kyrawolfe3 Posts: 34
    I just made 4oz chicken breast, cup carrots, 1 cup sweet potato and a cup of onions into a soup for lunch and its 500cals. Jeez!
  • bravesfan01
    bravesfan01 Posts: 10 Member
    I just made 4oz chicken breast, cup carrots, 1 cup sweet potato and a cup of onions into a soup for lunch and its 500cals. Jeez!

    Sweet Potato

    Sweet = Many carbs and high calories.
  • sexymamadraeger
    sexymamadraeger Posts: 239 Member
    It's cravings! If you eat carbs you will crave carbs. When you first start you have to give up the bread and crackers and sugary stuff for a while. It took me about 3 weeks to stop craving the bad stuff. After that I didn't have any problems. Start your morning with protein. I eat a banana and a couple eggs every morning and big bottle of ice water. I'm good until lunch. It fills me up and doesn't stir up any cravings. After you've been losing a while you can start adding in your triggers.

    Also, I have kids at home too. Eating snacks is a coping mechanism. Plan what you're eating the night before and eat pretty much the same food at the same times for a while. You have to mentally drop the habit of grabbing snacks. It takes time. But it will happen. I can make my kids cinnamon toast and not even think about eating any. It doesn't bother me at all anymore.
  • LAT1963
    LAT1963 Posts: 1,375 Member
    Kyra,

    If you are on a low-fat diet and ravenous all the time, that may not be the right diet for your body.

    My personal experience is that I can't lose weight on a low-fat diet because I get too hungry to stay on it.

    I second the idea of eating more protein in the morning, but from a fat-unmonitored, carb-restricted viewpoint, eggs and *bacon* would be better than eggs and toast.

    That said, even if you remain on a low-fat diet, you are not eating enough protein to feel full. Carbs will only last you about 2 hours.

    Fiber helps some people feel full. If it helps you feel sated, try choosing or adding high-fiber foods. Chia is an easy way to do this.
  • MinMin97
    MinMin97 Posts: 2,674 Member
    So Im just starting up again trying to get fitter and eat better. The only problem is Im always so hungry!

    I swear I could eat all day, its incredible. I currently weigh 65kgs and would love to drop a little bit of fat off my thighs and muffin tops and have started trying to exercise again (though Im not very fit)

    Anyway - This morning I started the whole counting calories thing and all I can think about is food :/

    Ive so far had:

    A bowl of corn flakes with milk
    4 wheat crackers
    A tomato (lol)
    a cinnamon tea (no milk or sugar)
    A tonne of water.

    And its only 10:15am - Planning on eggs or maybe chicken and veggies for lunch. How do I stop thinking about food all the time? Im home on a saturday with three small children who are also restless and driving me bonkers making mess everywhere and snacking a lot (me having to make them snacks)

    I might have to take them outside but its overcast and rainy as well *pulls hair out*

    Does anyone else just think about food all the time? Is that anyones main problem? Feel free to add me anyway.
    I'm a mom at home with my children too. I finally learned the fine art of feeding them without always having to deal with the temptation/stimulation of food (as much). I have a bike just sitting out that I grab for a ride when I know it's not time to eat yet, but I'm going crazy. And I get up WAY earlier than my whole family does so I can exercise, and frankly this is essential to dissipating the stress. Higher stress for me = harder to lose weight.
  • curlygirl513
    curlygirl513 Posts: 199 Member
    Glad you posted. This hunger problem can get much better if you eat whole foods. The corn flakes and and wheat crackers are not going to fill you up for long.

    Let me start by saying there is plenty of protein in oatmeal.
    Trade your cereal for whole grain and no added sugar. I'm eating whole grain brown rice cereal as I write this. I only put unsweetened soymilk on top. I do season the water the cereal cooks in with salt. I also eat oatmeal. These stick with you for hours.

    Eat 80 grams (dry) of cooked oatmeal for breakfast and don't put any sugar in it. See how long it lasts.

    When I make oatmeal, I add extra water (1/2 cup to 3/4 of a cup for 2 servings) and cook it longer so it is really creamy and yummy. The extra time it takes is worth it. It tastes so much better. The kind of oats I eat are Quaker Old Fashioned Oatmeal.

    Its the fiber in the whole grains that keeps us full for a LONG time. The fiber slows down the digestion so the sugar in our blood doesn't spike and crash, like it will with refined grains and foods with sugar. So cut out refined sugar while you are at it. They put it in nearly everything so you gotta read labels.

    Personally, I will not be eating crackers until I go to the store and and get the whole grain rye crackers from Sweden or Norway. The brand I like is Wasa and another brand. Whole rye and water and salt. No sugar.

    I wanted crackers and I looked at what is in the cupboards and couldn't believe how much fat and sugar and refined flour is in all of the crackers.
  • kyrawolfe3
    kyrawolfe3 Posts: 34
    Ive decided to go the higher fat/protien route like many have suggested but I think I will still eat carbs, just not as much - I think the issue is carbs are generally not as time consuming to prepare so its a bit like a cop out of cooking etc.

    Ive also decided to up my daily limit from 1200 to 1450cals a day. It says on MFP as long as I stay active I will still lose fat, just at a slower rate. Probably better to lose slower and be able to feel OK with it and not starving than it would be to attempt to lose faster and ragequit because I feel like Im starving myself.

    So a bit more calories, slower progression (but more sustainable) and higher protien/fat choices - less carbs..

    What does every one think?

    To the moms/mums who have commented about the stress of kids=eating. Youre so right! Its nice to hear from others who know how it is! Thank you x :)
  • tamihanksbaughman
    tamihanksbaughman Posts: 4
    On the advice of my sister who has gone from a size 16 to a 4, I don't count fruits and veggies in my calories. That encourages me to eat more of them, getting more nutrition and I stay full longer.
  • sexymamadraeger
    sexymamadraeger Posts: 239 Member
    It just depends on what you want. I wanted to make a big change and start dropping a lot of weight. So the only carbs I ate was rice and potatoes. I ate chicken, fish, eggs, veggies and fruit and lots of water. I dropped 40 lbs in 10 weeks. Now I'm starting to feel restless and want more variety in my diet. So I've starting eating more and adding in treats and losing slower.
  • nixxthirteen
    nixxthirteen Posts: 280 Member
    You honestly just have to find what works best for you. I feel best with 3 big meals a day and a large snack before bed.

    Nearly every single morning I have a breakfast sandwich (light rye bread, one egg, one slice chicken bacon, some spinach, one tbsp salsa, half a serving of low fat cream cheese) and some fruit. This combo keeps me full for HOURS!
  • eric5577
    eric5577 Posts: 65 Member
    When ever I get that feeling of "aww man, I am hungry" I have a PB sandwhich. I use the multi-grain sandwhich bread (100 cal?) and all natural Skippy PB (2tbsp)...not sure of the cal in each, I ate one yesterday and usualy eat at least 2 of them a day. If I am really hungry, then I add greek yogurt to the sandwhich. It does the job for me, and keeps me feeling full till I eat dinner...

    Skippy all natural PB = 190cal for 2 tbsp
    Mulitgrain Sandwhich Thins = 100cal
  • FitMelody4Life
    FitMelody4Life Posts: 106 Member
    On the advice of my sister who has gone from a size 16 to a 4, I don't count fruits and veggies in my calories. That encourages me to eat more of them, getting more nutrition and I stay full longer.

    I don't recommend this, its still a matter of calories in vs. out and not tracking how much you are eating can take you right out of a deficit.I would try and eat a lot of vegetables as they are low calorie, filling and full of vitamins and fruit has its place, but going overboard on fruit isn't a good plan, and not tracking your food defeats the purpose of using a tool like MFP.
  • kweenie71
    kweenie71 Posts: 2
    I found that eating 5 times a day stops the hunger.. I eat a lot of fruits and vegies with some lean meats. lots of chicken and fish... I allow myself a treat with some of those 100 calorie snack packs or on hot days, a real fruit Popsicle... because of my sleeping schedule, I am able to eat every 3 hours and it's going great!
  • shadow2soul
    shadow2soul Posts: 7,692 Member
    On the advice of my sister who has gone from a size 16 to a 4, I don't count fruits and veggies in my calories. That encourages me to eat more of them, getting more nutrition and I stay full longer.

    I don't recommend this, its still a matter of calories in vs. out and not tracking how much you are eating can take you right out of a deficit.I would try and eat a lot of vegetables as they are low calorie, filling and full of vitamins and fruit has its place, but going overboard on fruit isn't a good plan, and not tracking your food defeats the purpose of using a tool like MFP.

    I have to agree with FitMeldoy on this one. Veggies are generally low calorie and you can easily fit a bunch within your calorie goal.

    Fruits however are generally higher in calories. The banana (109g) I ate at breakfast was 97cals. Avocado has 160 calories in 100g.

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