Do you ever stop being hungry?

shortgurl410
shortgurl410 Posts: 3 Member
edited November 16 in Getting Started
I have just started counting and I'm always hungry! I know most of it is habit and because I'm bored but I always feel like I'm starving! Will that ever subside?
I love food but I want to be a smaller size and it's only my third day and I feel defeated! And sitting here looking at the calories and nutrient facts on food that I thought was ok (peanut butter crackers) will end up putting me over my calorie goal for the day or make my dinner a very small one... Does anyone have good food suggestions that will fill me up and doesn't have so many calories? I want to be successful so I'll take any suggestions I can get!
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Replies

  • sjmcc7
    sjmcc7 Posts: 6 Member
    I'm only day on day one but have lost before, you will feel hungry counting calories (in my experience) about a week. Just focus on it getting better and when your hungry drink water or chew gym!!!
  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member
    What are your stats and calorie goal?

    Are you eating enough fat, protein and fibre to keep you full?
  • paulalizzie
    paulalizzie Posts: 17 Member
    I think it'll get easier! But I am eating a lot of protein. For lunch I'm eating a wrap with a whole tin of tuna (and lots of very low fat Mayo) and some chopped celery. The chewing of the celery means I eat slower and am truly stuffed. Tonight I've had a HUGE chicken and bacon salad, bulked out with veggies, tomatoes, olives and other stuff. I love a good big plate and so far, I feel ok.
  • shortgurl410
    shortgurl410 Posts: 3 Member
    Thanks sjmcc7...
    @TavistockToad I dont know I keep looking and I apparently keep going over those.. I know this app isn't rocket science but I don't understand what everything means... Probably one of my problems I'm having!
  • becca5446
    becca5446 Posts: 14 Member
    You and I have the same goal of losing 40 pounds. Feel free to look at my diary, even though I don't eat anywhere near perfect. The thing that saves me is getting extra calories on exercise days. When I only get 1200, I starve.
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  • TeaBea
    TeaBea Posts: 14,517 Member
    edited April 2015
    Protein, fat, and fiber are all filling. Some people can eat lots of non-fat protein and stay full, not me. I find I need a combination. You will have to experiment.

    If you plan things out you should not be hungry (unless your weekly weight loss goal is too high for you).

    Breakfast (for me) is no longer high sugar cereal and skim milk. Instead I look to get the most bang out of my limited calories. Oatmeal made with milk and add chopped nuts....this has protein, fat, and fiber. Many people opt for eggs (not just the whites) and add sautéed veggies....again protein, fat, and fiber. Greek yogurt is much higher in protein than regular, I like to sprinkle in FiberOne cereal and a few nuts.

    I've swapped for whole wheat instead of white bread....because whole grains keep more protein and fiber.

    Instead of plain veggies....roast in a bit of olive oil.

    A decent regular water intake will keep you from feeling "hunger" when in fact you are really thirsty. Just keep making good swaps and the hunger should subside....unless your weekly goal is just too high.

    MFP gives you a deficit before exercise...add some daily exercise and get more calories.
  • choconuts
    choconuts Posts: 208 Member
    I have days where I'm starving even eating all of my exercise calories, and I have days where I'm completely fine eating the lower end. I sent a friend request so you could look at my diary. My calorie goal,before exercise is around 1500. I'm 5'5" and 184, 37 years old.
  • MuayThaiMaMa1
    MuayThaiMaMa1 Posts: 37 Member
    Trying to drink 8 glasses of water a day is curbing my appetite quite a bit. Also, try snacking on raw almonds. The flavor is so bland and boring it kind of makes you not want to eat. Another thing you can try is eating every 3 hours or so -7 am Oatmeal for breakfast 10 am fruit for a snack 1 pm some type of protein for lunch 4 pm veggies or boiled egg for snack 7pm dinner. Something along those lines.
  • punkuate
    punkuate Posts: 127 Member
    It comes and goes. I'd say I'm satisfied most days but I do have occasional days when I just want all the food!
  • GuitarGirl99
    GuitarGirl99 Posts: 23 Member
    Keep going, it gets easier. You can load up your meals with sides of filling green veggies like broccoli, snap peas, etc. to get more bang for your caloric buck. Also, in addition to your veggies, add a small dark green (spinach or mixed greens) salad with a drizzle of low-cal dressing to your meal. All the chewing of the different flavors help you feel satisfied, your plate is visually full, and the sheer volume of food will help you feel full, but without a high calorie intake. The extra veggies are a positive because of the nutrients, fiber and water content too. Its a win-win. I took this tip from a friend when I was on weight-watchers several years ago and had confided to her that I was going to starve to death by lunchtime on my first day. It worked then and it works now, for me anyway! Best of luck!!!
  • blankiefinder
    blankiefinder Posts: 3,599 Member
    This is where it's important to make smart food choices that will fill you up without putting you over your calories. Up the sizes of your servings of veggies, make smart snack choices like cottage cheese or greek yogurt that has lots of protein and grams for not a lot of calories.
  • kendalslimmer
    kendalslimmer Posts: 579 Member
    Yes it will get easier, but like @GuitarGirl99 says, fill up on veggies. The fibre they contain will slow your digestion and keep you fuller for longer. They're also full of good stuff!
  • gle8442
    gle8442 Posts: 126 Member
    punkuate wrote: »
    It comes and goes. I'd say I'm satisfied most days but I do have occasional days when I just want all the food!

    Yup, me too. I tend to be hungrier on days when I'm less busy, I guess that boredom makes me think more about food. Certain times of the month I'm always starving, but generally, whenever I start to think about food TOO much, I take it as a signal to up my calories for a few days.
  • usmcmp
    usmcmp Posts: 21,219 Member
    shortgurl410 wrote: »
    Thanks sjmcc7...
    @TavistockToad I dont know I keep looking and I apparently keep going over those.. I know this app isn't rocket science but I don't understand what everything means... Probably one of my problems I'm having!

    TavistockToad was asking how tall you are, how much you weight, what sort of exercise you do, how active you are and what your calorie goal is set to.

    He was asking those things because it is possible that your calorie goal is too low for you. Most women pick 2 pounds per week, with under 50 pounds to lose that's a bit too aggressive for most of us and will give us about 1200 calories.
  • kimny72
    kimny72 Posts: 16,011 Member
    If you are set to two lbs per week loss, change to 1 lb per week. Yes it is slower, but you get more calories and it is easier to stick to. Better to take 40 weeks to lose the weight, than try to lose it in half the time and give up because you are miserable.

    As I think has already been mentioned, filling up on veggies is a great idea, and focus on getting enough protein and fat. Sometimes when we are trying to lose, we cut those back too much and they really help you feel satisfied. And if you know you have eaten enough but you still feel hungry, try drinking water or tea, and take a quick walk. I find a little not-to-strenuous activity actually helps get rid of those bored/hungry feelings. Good luck :drinker:
  • Queenmunchy
    Queenmunchy Posts: 3,380 Member
    edited April 2015
    kendalslimmer wrote: »
    Yes it will get easier, but like @GuitarGirl99 says, fill up on veggies. The fibre they contain will slow your digestion and keep you fuller for longer. They're also full of good stuff!

    Absolutely. Vegetables don't need to be relegated to the side, either. You can shred them into burgers, meatloaf, meatballs, nuggets, throw more into one pot meals like chili or stew, eat more stuffed vegetables or noodle or rice them.
  • dballen07
    dballen07 Posts: 8 Member
    The goals MFP automatically sets are generally low - especially if you're not working out everyday. I would set your own custom goals to a reasonable amount of calories/macros each day. But no, I've been tracking for a year, I'm on 1800 calories a day and I'm still always hungry.
  • burtnyks
    burtnyks Posts: 124 Member
    I feel like it comes in waves. I'll be fine or maybe a little hungry and then all of a sudden one week I'm ravenous out of nowhere. I tend to drink coffee and chew gum, its my crutch. But I feel like I sometimes chew a pack of gum a day. I have heard lemon water with cayenne pepper is supposed to help curb hunger so I'm trying it. It seems to work, but then again it may all be in my head.
  • farfromthetree
    farfromthetree Posts: 982 Member
    veggies dont fill me up at all. I need fat or protein. fat such as olive oil, butter, avocado, olives. That or lots of protein!
  • kristen6350
    kristen6350 Posts: 1,094 Member
    Yes. Hunger does "slow down" but being hungry is a good thing. Your body needs food. So feed it. Just don't over feed it.
  • Ilikelamps
    Ilikelamps Posts: 482 Member
    Im always something else that starts with an H.....

    Happy!!! Im always happy to be doing weight loss!! :#
  • sarahrosheen
    sarahrosheen Posts: 82 Member
    i never stop being hungry I just learned to ignore it!
  • akdetweiler
    akdetweiler Posts: 38 Member
    It will get easier. It took me about two weeks to not have cravings and be hungry all the time. but i absolutely go through days where I am starving and could eat everything in sight! I am focusing now on adding more healthy volume to my meals. Say veggies and apples versus a serving of pita chips. I use raw sugar snap peas (40 cals per serving), apples, cucumbers, etc. all very low calorie and they give me something to much on for a while so I feel full. Plus they fill up a whole plate! Makes me feel like I am eating a ton of food. these things also help me stay full in the long run. Don't give up, its tough to start, but so worth it once you get over the hump.
  • Lrdoflamancha
    Lrdoflamancha Posts: 1,280 Member
    asflatasapancake wrote: »
    No. A person stops being hungry when they are dead.

    Wow... Very helpful.... Thanks for being a fountain of knowledge.
  • shifterbrainz
    shifterbrainz Posts: 245 Member
    The RD that saved my life emphasized fat intake to avoid hunger and wanted 40% of my calories to come from fat. Controlling calories is a lot easier without having to deal with hunger. Dealing with the supposed risks of high fat diet was far less concerning than the risk of giving in to constant hunger, too. Worked well for me as weight loss was top priority and any "fears" from a 40% fat diet have not materialized.
  • MaVieEntiere
    MaVieEntiere Posts: 135 Member
    Macronutrients! Plant Carbs, Lean Protein and a good fat (nuts or olive oil).... Fill up on veggies.
  • farfromthetree
    farfromthetree Posts: 982 Member
    shifterbrainz wrote: »
    The RD that saved my life emphasized fat intake to avoid hunger and wanted 40% of my calories to come from fat. Controlling calories is a lot easier without having to deal with hunger. Dealing with the supposed risks of high fat diet was far less concerning than the risk of giving in to constant hunger, too. Worked well for me as weight loss was top priority and any "fears" from a 40% fat diet have not materialized.

    This!!!!

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  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
    shortgurl410 wrote: »
    I have just started counting and I'm always hungry! I know most of it is habit and because I'm bored but I always feel like I'm starving! Will that ever subside?
    I love food but I want to be a smaller size and it's only my third day and I feel defeated! And sitting here looking at the calories and nutrient facts on food that I thought was ok (peanut butter crackers) will end up putting me over my calorie goal for the day or make my dinner a very small one... Does anyone have good food suggestions that will fill me up and doesn't have so many calories? I want to be successful so I'll take any suggestions I can get!

    If it's because you're bored, that's not hunger....

    I am hardly ever actually hungry...like experiencing hunger pangs...when I was dieting I maintained a reasonable deficit...it wasn't aggressive...it was only 500 calories less than my maintenance and I accounted for exercise activity appropriately. Basically, that's a couple of snacks per day and I easily and steadily lost about 1 Lb per week.

    If you're truly hungry, I would suggest that your goals are likely too aggressive...I would also wonder if you're appropriately accounting for exercise...when you exercise you get to eat more.
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