Always Hungry :(

kristyyoung
kristyyoung Posts: 30 Member
edited September 24 in Food and Nutrition
My goal is to eat about 1200 calories/day. Since I started tracking calories (about 2 weeks ago) I have always stayed below or right at my calorie limit. But...I am ALWAYS hungry! Whenever I am hungry, between meals, I try to drink water to fill me up. That's not working so well. I sometimes snack on low calorie bars, rice cakes, veggies, etc., but nothing satisfies my hunger.

Is this one of those things I'll just get used to? Or, does anyone have a suggestion for low calorie foods/snacks that are actually filling?

Replies

  • AdrianCountsToo
    AdrianCountsToo Posts: 20
    My g/f and I just tough it out and burn extra calories when we consume extra calories.

    I drink water to help with keeping something in my stomach, but sometimes an extra low calorie bar helps a lot, and you can just do an extra 10 minutes of cardio to make up for it :) Nobody wants to feel uncomfortable all day long :(
  • luv2ash
    luv2ash Posts: 1,903 Member
    what you eat is making you hungry. You must balance your protein and carbs to keep your blood sugar level and not cause a spike and crash situation which is what causes us to be hungry and then crave. I eat 6 meals a day, once every 2-3 hours. Each meal (except for my dinner, which has higher calories ) usually consists of 15 carbs, 100 calories, and about 11 grams of protein. At dinner, I have about 15 carbs, and 45 grams of very lean protein. But this constant feeding of a balance of carbs and protein is what has made me successful.
  • 3Heather24
    3Heather24 Posts: 49
    I was never a yogurt fan, until recently when I tried the greek yogurt. I buy Fage 0% Honey. It is surprisingly filling for yogurt.
  • goohan
    goohan Posts: 155
    protien and fiber fills you up, I eat a lot of that to help my hunger x
  • everyoung
    everyoung Posts: 67 Member
    I too have the same problem; tried to eat low calories snacks. My trainer said eat high fiber food should help. I bought some Fiber One Chewy Bars last night. Will have one before I'm heading to the gym.
  • ChristinaKY
    ChristinaKY Posts: 28 Member
    I am sorry that you are struggling and feel hungry so much. My calorie goal each day is 1290, but I always work out and try to burn at least 150-200, so I can have a little more food. I have found that the most filling things are veggies and beans. I love black beans mixed with other things. You should try some low cal black bean salsa. I also once ate an entire can of mustard greens with a little vinegar for very little calories. I love green beans and cooked carrots together also.
  • emdeegan
    emdeegan Posts: 219 Member
    try having a hardboiled egg as a snack (70 calories). i find that protien tends to keep me feeling full longer. i also have found that bulking up your meals with leafy greens and sprouts helps keep you feeling more full longer. if i am super hungry and dont have many calories left for the day i have a high fiber instant oatmeal. hope that helps!
  • Melisha82
    Melisha82 Posts: 243
    I started out this way and I won't lie, I still have occassional HUNGRY days... but for the most part they went away as time went on. I think my stomach was not used to the switch!

    On another note, I find that when I do not have oatmeal for breakfast, I am hungry all day long!
  • luv2ash
    luv2ash Posts: 1,903 Member
    Definitely reach for something that has protein--lean protein. Why not nibble on 2 ounces of extra lean roasted chicken or turkey every 2-3 hours?
  • tonisteedley
    tonisteedley Posts: 44
    what you eat is making you hungry. You must balance your protein and carbs to keep your blood sugar level and not cause a spike and crash situation which is what causes us to be hungry and then crave. I eat 6 meals a day, once every 2-3 hours. Each meal (except for my dinner, which has higher calories ) usually consists of 15 carbs, 100 calories, and about 11 grams of protein. At dinner, I have about 15 carbs, and 45 grams of very lean protein. But this constant feeding of a balance of carbs and protein is what has made me successful.

    I agree !!!
  • chicknlady
    chicknlady Posts: 2 Member
    Boy, I hope I'll get used to the lower calorie intake and be less hungry! I've been at it for a month. But I'm eating 1200 NET calories per day. So when I work out, I eat more. Vegies also seem to give more bulk and less calories, but they don't keep me full for long. I'm not one to exclude any foods from my diet, but using MFP has made it clear that I do better with more protein and less carbs. So far its working pretty well. Good luck!
  • Oompa_Loompa
    Oompa_Loompa Posts: 1,099 Member
    what you eat is making you hungry. You must balance your protein and carbs to keep your blood sugar level and not cause a spike and crash situation which is what causes us to be hungry and then crave. I eat 6 meals a day, once every 2-3 hours. Each meal (except for my dinner, which has higher calories ) usually consists of 15 carbs, 100 calories, and about 11 grams of protein. At dinner, I have about 15 carbs, and 45 grams of very lean protein. But this constant feeding of a balance of carbs and protein is what has made me successful.


    what do you eat for the meals during the day that only have 100 calories?
  • nursestewart
    nursestewart Posts: 229 Member
    add flax seed to your food (oatmeal,greek yogurt, soups, etc) it will help keep you full... may sure your drink plenty of fluids with the flax seed because it can cause you to be constipated if you don't .....
    make sure your eating enought protein...that is what helps keep you full too

    good luck
  • AngiMoss
    AngiMoss Posts: 77
    I also had to get use to the feeling of not eating until I was FULL, but you do get use it.
    Water is helpful....it sounds like you are making smart choices to me. One thing I would watch for is fiber. Fiber keeps you full longer. So, if you have a choice between a snack that has a 100 calories and 1 gm of fiber or a 100 calorie snack that has 3 gms of fiber, pick the high fiber option. You will get more out of your calories that way. I eat a high fiber oatmeal for breakfast (almost everyday) and it keeps me satisfied until lunch.
    Another fiber option would be to get some of that flavored fiber powder in the vitamin section and add a scoop to your water. That would be an option if you were finding it hard to eat your fiber...but really, it's not hard. Veggies are great for fiber and if you check your labels, you should find some filling options.
  • Cking86
    Cking86 Posts: 39 Member
    One trick that works for me is chewing gum.
  • TheNewJessieMae
    TheNewJessieMae Posts: 767
    what you eat is making you hungry. You must balance your protein and carbs to keep your blood sugar level and not cause a spike and crash situation which is what causes us to be hungry and then crave. I eat 6 meals a day, once every 2-3 hours. Each meal (except for my dinner, which has higher calories ) usually consists of 15 carbs, 100 calories, and about 11 grams of protein. At dinner, I have about 15 carbs, and 45 grams of very lean protein. But this constant feeding of a balance of carbs and protein is what has made me successful.

    I agree.
  • foreverjade
    foreverjade Posts: 213 Member
    It totally gets easier!! Trust me!! I love love LOVE food and eating in general, but once you start finding the right kind of snacks that you can slip in to your every day life, the hunger will go away. I eat as often as I ever did - which is honestly probably like 8 times a day, but now with the different kinds of foods I am eating, I can fit them all in my cals!

    Plus exercising totally helps. I exercise just so that I can eat more and often if I get a solid burn in, I can't even fill my cal count no matter how much I eat!
  • JaimeNay
    JaimeNay Posts: 80 Member
    Try eating a small handful of nuts: pecans, walnuts, almonds. It's about 1/4 cup. I grab some for a quick snack whenver I'm hungry and always seems to help. Be careful though, going overboard will rack up the calories. After you eat them, wait 20 minutes and see if your still hungry. Ususally they keep me till lunch or dinner. Like everyone else said, I have to agree, eating a high fiber/ high protein snack is the best to ward of hunger. Good luck.
  • kristyyoung
    kristyyoung Posts: 30 Member
    Wow! Thanks to everyone for all the great suggestions! I have complied a list of things to get on my next trip to the grocery store. Thanks again for all the feedback. I am sure it will help! :happy:
  • bsaxton763
    bsaxton763 Posts: 1
    I am struggling with exactly the same issue. I've been working out 5 to 6 days a week, at my goal heart rate and burning anywhere from 350-750 each day but it seems that I'm always playing catch up and my weight loss has plateaued over the last 2 months. I lost my job 3 months ago so I know that my lack of a full schedule every day contributes to my over eating but I sincerely feel hungry much of the time and can't seem to stay within my 1200 daily calorie goal. I not only eat the "earned" calories from my workouts, I have a hard time staying under 1,500 most days, if not even a little over that. :(

    I feel your frustration, Kristy, and I wish you the best of luck! I am going to try some of these suggestions as well. We can fight this! :)
  • proverbs31chick
    proverbs31chick Posts: 485 Member
    My goal is to eat about 1200 calories/day. Since I started tracking calories (about 2 weeks ago) I have always stayed below or right at my calorie limit. But...I am ALWAYS hungry! Whenever I am hungry, between meals, I try to drink water to fill me up. That's not working so well. I sometimes snack on low calorie bars, rice cakes, veggies, etc., but nothing satisfies my hunger.

    Is this one of those things I'll just get used to? Or, does anyone have a suggestion for low calorie foods/snacks that are actually filling?

    Hey I know exactly how you feel, but this is what an expert told me and I believe it is true, regardless of what others try to tell you. When you have been eating what you want and all the calories you want and then you go on a low cal lifestyle change, YOU are going to feel hungry its normal. Your body needs time to get use to the new change, its normal believe me.
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