Constantly Hungry

Ashf6539 · February 2015

It seems that no matter how much I eat I'm absolutely starving, especially when I'm at work.

For breakfast I have 2 egg whites with one slice of wheat toast with a little margarine on it. I eat breakfast at 6:30 am and that is about all I can eat, it fills me up. By 9:30 I'm starving and have to eat a snack, usually a granola bar. By 11:30 I have to eat again, I have 4 or 5 Reduced Fat Ritz crackers piled with tons of peanut butter. By lunch at 1 pm I'm so hungry I feel like I'm going to throw up. I have a salad (tons of lettuce, 2 pieces of bacon crumbled up, shredded cheese, croutons and full fat blue cheese dressing). Within an hour of eating lunch I'm starving and have to find something else to eat.

I don't know anyone IRL that eats like I do. My mom eats HALF a bagel at 5:30 am and goes until 12 pm with no snacks and doesn't get sick. I drink 2 16.9 oz bottles of water a day and don't think I'm dehydrated. I'm a female, in my mid-20's and I'm normal weight.

A few months ago I completely lost my appetite for no reason (I got a bad migraine one night, lost my appetite and it didn't come back for about a month). I barely ate for that entire month and lost about 10 pounds. I had bloodwork done and they found borderline high cholesterol (which I already knew about), high calcium (my dr said it could be hyperparathyroidism, but we're not sure yet) and my Vitamin D levels were very low. They tested my electrolytes, blood sugar, liver, kidneys, thyroid, complete metabolic panel and CBC. All of that was normal. My appetite eventually came back on its own and now it's out of control. It's the complete opposite of the problem I had a couple months ago. I can no longer eat the way I used to. I feel like if I don't eat every 2-3 hours I will get nauseous. It's extremely frustrating because I would like to drop a few pounds and will never be able to if I have to constantly eat. Sometimes I wake up in the morning and I'm so nauseous I don't even want to get out of bed. This was happening often for a few weeks, but now only happens once in awhile.

I've gone to my family dr numerous times about this and I've seen a gastroenterologist and neither have really had any answers. I do have very severe acid reflux and a hiatal hernia (it's bad enough that if I don't take medication for even one day I can't eat at all because food won't go down my throat). I'm not sure if all of this could be tied to the hernia/acid reflux. I was also diagnosed with mild gastritis via endoscope last March. I'm worried that I have diabetes (my dad and both of his parents are type 2) even though I've had several fasting blood glucose tests done. Does anyone have any suggestions or any expreience with something like this? Could my diet be to blame even though I've eaten like this my whole life?

cwolfman13 · February 2015

I would start by eating actual meals...I would hardly consider a couple of egg whites (all of 50 calories at the most) and some toast to be a meal...at most that's like 150ish calories...I'd be starving too.

Salads are great...but eating a huge bowl of lettuce isn't going to be particularly filling for very long, even with full fat dressing...maybe throw about 4-6 ounces of chicken on that bad boy and we'll talk.

On the other hand, there are a lot of people who eat every 3 hours or so...so I don't think you're in the minority there and so long as you're hitting your calorie goals, it really doesn't matter.

I eat about 6 times per day.

diannethegeek · February 2015

These are my really general tips for hunger:

1. Make sure that your calorie goals are actually set appropriately. Don't skip this step. A lot of people set goals that are too aggressive and then wonder why they're having a hard time. http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/819055/setting-your-calorie-and-macro-targets

2. Look for foods higher in protein, fat, and fiber. These help us stay full and more satisfied longer. If you're using MFP's default settings, try to consider protein, fat, and fiber as minimums to reach every day rather than maximums to stay below.

3. Drink plenty of fluids. Some people really do confuse thirst and hunger.

4. Get plenty of rest. This includes sleeping enough and taking rest days from the exercise. Sometimes our bodies look for food when they're exhausted.

5. Play around with your meal timings. Some people do really well on 5-6 small meals a day and others feel like they want to gnaw their own arm off eating like that. Skipping breakfast, eating breakfast, 16:8 fasting, 6 small meals, 3 larger meals, snacks, no snacks, meal timing won't make a big difference to your weight loss, but it may help your hunger levels, mood, concentration, gym performance, etc. throughout the day. Don't be afraid to try a different way and see if it helps.

6. Wait it out. If you know you're eating enough and the other steps above aren't helping, you may just have to wait it out. Our bodies send out hunger signals partially out of habit. If you eat at a certain time every day your body will start to get hungry at that time. The good news is that these signals can be retrained to stop telling you to be hungry all the time. The bad news is that you may just have to be hungry for a little bit while that happens.

7. I also think it's important to remember that there's a habitual component to hunger. This goes along with point #6, but if you eat because you're bored or you're used to eating in front of the TV or in the car or whatever it is, then you can replace those habits with others that are better for you. Things like keeping water on hand to sip instead of snacking or picking up hobbies that keep your hands busy or that get you out of the house more can help out a little while you're retraining your hunger cues. You might need to pay attention to why you're eating/hungry or what you're feeling when you eat and try to replace food with other things, but it can be really beneficial over time.

girlchemist1 · February 2015

If you're hungry, you should eat. Keep track of it. Not to sound snarky or rude, but did they run a pregnancy test with those tests? All that happened to me when I was pregnant, right down the the migraine and not hungry for more than a month followed by massive hunger.

r5d5 · February 2015

I definitely suggest what everyone else has mentioned, especially upping your fat and protein intake!

RockstarWilson · February 2015

fat satiates hunger. Carbohydrates satiate hunger less in greater quantities, but no matter what you eat, if you just nibble, you will always be hungry. Just based off the first response, if you keep eating food that doesn't have calories, you will be displeased very shortly. Calories are a necessity. If you think it is "out of control" because you ate an egg white twice in the same hour, then you are in for an awakening.

Eat more food. Instead of quantity, go for quality. Make your meals at least 350-400 calories, and have it be food that satiates. Fat is the way to go if you don't like eating frequently. Fat satiates hunger about 2.25 times longer than eating anything else. If you eat 400 calories of bacon or peanut butter, for instance, you will see that the hunger pangs are less frequent. But being dainty with the fat is not going to get it done.

I would suggest starting out your day with a regular egg (not egg whites), forget the bread, and use butter instead of margarine. I would also check out what bacon and avocados can do for you. Lettuce is about 15-25 calories per salad, as it is 99.999% water with virtually no sugar (chemists, don't quote me on that). It digests fasts because it breaks down fast.

Your body has been tricked into thinking it can't eat more than it can. That was the episode you had. Now, even if your stomach is not full, your brain tells you it is. I don't know why, but that is just my take. I would suggest eating to satiety on meals that are no and low carb and see how that treats you.

DsAdvocate · February 2015

We sound similar. I'm always hungry, I never feel full or satisfied and I also have bouts of nausea that's so bad I can't eat for weeks. No idea why.

I have no acid reflux problems.

Poodles56 · February 2015

Agree about adding good proteins, fat and complex carbs/fiber to diet.

nickatine · February 2015

more fat more fiber more protein more water. ditch any artificial sweeteners your using

MichaelaFry29 · February 2015

You need to eat more meals, that include alot more protien, fiber and veg. Try 3 meals and 2-3 decent snacks again including protien/fiber/fats/carbs.

gothchiq · February 2015

Have your Vitamin D levels been restored? And your calcium? If your vitamins are off, all sorts of things start going whack. I also would suggest fewer crackers and bread products/bagels/granola, which seem to be gone like half an hour after you eat them because simple carbohydrates are quickly digested, and more lean proteins, complex carbs which take much longer to digest, and fibrous vegetables. Take lots of raw veggies to work. A fruit or two also. Boiled eggs, (yolk is fine), part skim string cheese. Some almonds. Peanut butter is hella fatty so watch the portions on that; there's many sources of protein to be had with less fat. A reasonable serving of beans and rice has complete protein and should stay with you a good while. Baked potato with plain yogurt, salt, and chives.

Raynne413 · February 2015

Having higher levels of fat and protein is generally what keeps me from being hungry all the time. It seems the combo of both is most effective.

So, for example, maybe for breakfast try some cheese in your eggs and peanut butter on your toast?

ajarmold27 · February 2015

I'm not quite this bad, but I do find myself VERY hungry some days. I don't get sick, but I do get hangry. I really try to eat high protein and all complex carbs - brown rice, chicken, etc. After that, I think hitting the fresh veggies is about all that helps.
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Doctors can be frustrating, but please don't give up. Keep asking questions until you get answers.

Jolinia · February 2015

You need to experiment with different foods to find what keeps you full and energetic. For my sister a busy day of hiking and biking starts with coconut oil in coffee and homemade oatmeal fruit bars. My brother in law grazes on trail mix after having eggs and gluten free toast (he's celiac). For me, it's a ribeye steak, with the fat eaten. None of us are wrong, and if you come up with something entirely different you're not wrong, either.

AmazonMayan · February 2015

Eat the whole 2 eggs instead of just whites. I do egg whites sometimes, but only if I'm already having some whole eggs and I don't want to blow my calories for the day. I make sure that first meal is high protein and fat filled with a good carb thrown in. That might work for you since you are so hungry so fast and often.

Granola bars make me want more granola bars. I've never found them to be satisfying. Same with crackers. Maybe keep some string cheese available and something with fiber like an apple. Or, apple with PB is an awesome snack. Make some homemade bars with a more satisfying carb and some nuts and maybe dried fruit.

I eat every few hours usually, but when I start my day right with a full breakfast, I don't need huge snacks or meals the rest of the day as long as I keep protein and some fat in the mix.

I agree with those that said make meals into actual meals.

Ashf6539 · February 2015

Thanks for the replies everyone. I don't eat egg yolks because I am absolutely repulsed by the taste/texture. I don't think I could eat 500 calories for breakfast if I tried, simply because I just don't have the appetite when I first get up and I get full so quickly. I guess my new routine will be to eat several smaller meals throughout the day. I was worried about being hungry so often, but I supposed my body is just changing with age. Or perhaps I "messed it up" when I wasn't eating lol. I will try to add more protein and fat and see how it goes

Constantly Hungry

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