Hunger pangs

twolilladybugs
twolilladybugs Posts: 1
in Health and Weight Loss
Do hunger pangs indicate I need more calories? Thanks everyone!

Replies

  • diannethegeek
    diannethegeek Posts: 14,776 Member
    Possibly.
  • TminusFitnessN321
    TminusFitnessN321 Posts: 58 Member
    Sometimes you need to intake more water. If you're really hungry, eat more, but don't over eat.
  • skinterz
    skinterz Posts: 11
    I like to think there is a difference between hunger, and normal rumbles of your food being digested.
  • kommodevaran
    kommodevaran Posts: 17,890 Member
    First of all, you should find out if it's really hunger pangs, or just normal "gut feeling", the contents of the stomach emptying into the duodenum can have a superficial resemblance to hunger. Many people today will eat whenever they feel their tummy rumbling, never get to experience what hunger feels like, and thus get overweight.

    There are more cues as to whether this is hunger or not: How long ago since you ate? What did you eat then? Are you tired, dizzy and grumpy? Or do you just want something sweet or salty?

    How many calories are you eating below your estimated TDEE? Are you losing weight too rapidly?

    Are you getting all the nutrients you need - do you eat a well balanced and varied diet?

    Many people get less hungry on a diet with a smaller proportion of carbohydrates, especially sugar. Some people prefer some kind of intermittent fasting ("skipping meals"), others have to eat every three hours.

    You have to experiment to find out what is right for you.
  • Kalikel
    Kalikel Posts: 9,603 Member
    Learning to eat when you're hungry is an acquired skill for some people. It's a good habit to learn, if it isn't something you have done in the past. :)

    However, it's okay to be hungry and not eat when you're dieting. It happens. Wait half an hour and it'll pass. :)
  • ILiftHeavyAcrylics
    ILiftHeavyAcrylics Posts: 27,732 Member
    I'd say if it happens once or twice, probably not. Consider whether your food choices caused an issue (part of this is figuring out what foods work best for satiety). If it happens regularly in spite of making choices that should result in satiety then that's a problem and could indicate that your goal is too low.
  • BusyRaeNOTBusty
    BusyRaeNOTBusty Posts: 7,166 Member
    Depends on how many calories you are eating and how many calories you are burning. Some people can control their weight by following hunger cues but I'd venture most of us on this site cannot (or we would not be using this site).
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