How do you stay full on a diet?

jenncates
jenncates Posts: 9
edited November 2024 in Health and Weight Loss
I thought I had it all figured out because I've been doing an okay job of staying full without exceeding my caloric intake, but now im questioning what I did wrong or what I can do better. I can't seem to exercise enough to bank extra calories because of this stupid idiotic iron deficiency that I have, so now I'm just exhausted and hungry.

Before I decided I was wrong about everything, I was consuming a large amount of protein because I thought it would help.
What are some things you do to stay full throughout the day?

Replies

  • PeachyCarol
    PeachyCarol Posts: 8,029 Member
    What's your fat intake like? What's your current macro balance? Can you open your diary? Maybe if we look at your intake we can make some suggestions.
  • happyfeetrebel1
    happyfeetrebel1 Posts: 1,005 Member
    I was pretty seriously anemic for a while, but my doctor gave me a prescription for an iron supplement that I took once per week and that pretty much fixed me up. Now I simply take one over the counter iron supplement a day and that maintains my levels. Have you seen a doctor for this?
  • tiptoethruthetulips
    tiptoethruthetulips Posts: 3,372 Member
    You don't need to stay full or stuffed, the aim is to be satisfied.

    High fibre, lean protein as well as healthy fats help keep you sustained as well as feeling satisfied.

    Why is an iron deficiency causing you to consume too many calories?
  • rocknlotsofrolls
    rocknlotsofrolls Posts: 418 Member
    if the hunger is your only problem, I would suggest adding beans to your diet. They fill me up nicely. I think it's the fiber.
  • ogmomma2012
    ogmomma2012 Posts: 1,520 Member
    Buy a bottle of VitronC for your Iron deficiency. Then eat normally.
  • Cortneyrenee04
    Cortneyrenee04 Posts: 1,117 Member
    Don't be on a diet :)

    I agree with the comment about not needing to feel full. You shouldn't be hungry, but there's no need to be or stay full all the time.

    Lots of protein and fat will keep you full. And drink lots of water!
  • angelexperiment
    angelexperiment Posts: 1,917 Member
    Take a slow fe iron supplement (wont constipate) then eat at reg intervals 5 × a day w correct potions of fats and proteins. If you do that and walk daily with a deficit in cals you should notice loss. If you have pcos maybe low carbish is better. I have pcos so I can't lose on a standard diet.
  • jenncates
    jenncates Posts: 9
    tiptoethruthetulips wrote: »
    You don't need to stay full or stuffed, the aim is to be satisfied.

    High fibre, lean protein as well as healthy fats help keep you sustained as well as feeling satisfied.

    Why is an iron deficiency causing you to consume too many calories?

    I don't consume too many calories. Anemia is causing me to nor be able to exercise properly because of exhaustion. If I work too hard, my heart rate rises very quickly and it causes me to lose my vision or faint, so I don't get those extra bankable calories to eat more protein throughout the day.
  • ogmomma2012
    ogmomma2012 Posts: 1,520 Member
    jenncates wrote: »
    tiptoethruthetulips wrote: »
    You don't need to stay full or stuffed, the aim is to be satisfied.

    High fibre, lean protein as well as healthy fats help keep you sustained as well as feeling satisfied.

    Why is an iron deficiency causing you to consume too many calories?

    I don't consume too many calories. Anemia is causing me to nor be able to exercise properly because of exhaustion. If I work too hard, my heart rate rises very quickly and it causes me to lose my vision or faint, so I don't get those extra bankable calories to eat more protein throughout the day.

    And your doctor didn't suggest you take an iron supplement? That's very dangerous.
  • jenncates
    jenncates Posts: 9
    happyfeetrebel1 wrote: »
    I was pretty seriously anemic for a while, but my doctor gave me a prescription for an iron supplement that I took once per week and that pretty much fixed me up. Now I simply take one over the counter iron supplement a day and that maintains my levels. Have you seen a doctor fo
    happyfeetrebel1 wrote: »
    I was pretty seriously anemic for a while, but my doctor gave me a prescription for an iron supplement that I took once per week and that pretty much fixed me up. Now I simply take one over the counter iron supplement a day and that maintains my levels. Have you seen a doctor for this?
    Yes, actually! Once every two months for the last two years. I actually had a situation about two years ago where I became very sick and nobody could figure out what was wrong, so I did outpatient therapy for about a month and a half, and ever since then I have struggled to keep my iron up. I've been taking a doctor recommended dose of 600mg ferrous sulfate every day for the last couple of years, but sometimes that doesn't even help. I'm just tired of being tired!
  • jenncates
    jenncates Posts: 9
    ogmomma2012 wrote: »
    jenncates wrote: »
    tiptoethruthetulips wrote: »
    You don't need to stay full or stuffed, the aim is to be satisfied.

    High fibre, lean protein as well as healthy fats help keep you sustained as well as feeling satisfied.

    Why is an iron deficiency causing you to consume too many calories?

    I don't consume too many calories. Anemia is causing me to nor be able to exercise properly because of exhaustion. If I work too hard, my heart rate rises very quickly and it causes me to lose my vision or faint, so I don't get those extra bankable calories to eat more protein throughout the day.

    And your doctor didn't suggest you take an iron supplement? That's very dangerous.
    She did, I've been taking 600mg of ferrous sulfate for a while, but because my body hates me, sometimes that doesn't even help.

  • jenncates
    jenncates Posts: 9
    mamapeach910 wrote: »
    What's your fat intake like? What's your current macro balance? Can you open your diary? Maybe if we look at your intake we can make some suggestions.

    It's open! :)
    And as far as everything else, my goal is ultimately to be satisfied and not full.... but I'm starving, which isn't satisfying.
  • jenncates
    jenncates Posts: 9
    edited April 2015
    Typically, towards the end of the day I will get incredibly hangry. Like I can tell that my blood sugar had completely tanked because I will get really shaky and mean, and I'll start craving awful foods, like chocolate frosting or donuts. I have great self control, but it sucks because before I really started counting calories, I rarely craved sugar.
  • jetortola
    jetortola Posts: 198 Member
    edited April 2015
    Has your doctor looked for the cause of your iron deficiency? You are either having trouble absorbing nutrients or you are losing blood. Iron deficiency is a symptom of something else happening in your body.

    I was diagnosed with low iron so I'm being tested for celiac, ulcers (via an upper GI scope) and if that isn't the cause I'm having a colonoscopy.

    Meanwhile I am on iron supplements.

    ETA: I was referred to a gastroenterologist for all this.
  • pollypocket1021
    pollypocket1021 Posts: 533 Member
    This is something you need to talk about with your doctor. Has your iron been checked again since taking the supplements to make sure they are effective? If you are symptomatic, get checked.
  • tiptoethruthetulips
    tiptoethruthetulips Posts: 3,372 Member
    There is only two days worth of logging in your food diary that I could see, and both days your calories were significantly under daily allowance. Are you logging everything you eat? If so, it is no wonder you are hungry and tired.
  • ogmomma2012
    ogmomma2012 Posts: 1,520 Member
    Lots of spinach, Cream of Wheat has about 45% daily iron needs per packet. Drink a little OJ with it because Vitamin C helps absorb Iron.
  • MKEgal
    MKEgal Posts: 3,250 Member
    tiptoethruthetulips wrote:
    High fibre, lean protein as well as healthy fats help keep you sustained as well as feeling satisfied.
    jojo wrote:
    Has your doctor looked for the cause of your iron deficiency?
    These.
    Also, check with your doctor to see if you could try a higher dose of iron, or a different supplement.

    With only 11 lb to lose, your weight loss is going to be slow, and you should be aiming for maybe 0.5 lb per week
    or less, which is 250 cal/day below maintenance.
    It looks like your normal calorie goal is about 1900, which is probably reasonable, depending on your height.
    Eat at that level, and even without exercise you should lose weight if your intake is below your maintenance needs.
    My doctor & dietician both told me to ignore exercise or "net" calories anyway.

    Here's a calculator (from the Baylor College of Medicine) which will show you how many calories you need to
    maintain a particular weight, taking into account your age, height, and activity level. Either put in your numbers
    now, then subtract 250, or put in your healthy goal weight. For it to be the most accurate or helpful, I'd suggest
    going with the "inactive" calorie level and see how it works for you.
    https://www.bcm.edu/cnrc-apps/healthyeatingcalculator/eatingCal.html

    Here's a table showing healthy ranges for macros, from the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.
    http://ajcn.nutrition.org/content/88/1/1/T1.expansion.html

    And eating higher protein with lower fat leads to more weight loss. (Links to studies here.)

    So for 1900 cal/day, staying within the healthy ranges, try:
    45% carbs = 855 cal, 214g
    25% fat = 475 cal, 53g
    35% protein = 665 cal, 166g

    For the last 2 days (all you've logged), you show:
    1280 cal, 172c, 49f, 70p
    1489 cal, 219c, 40f, 63p

    So you're OK (or a little low) on carbs and fat, way low on protein and overall calories.
    Try more fruits, veggies, lean proteins, beans... and calories. And water or other non-caloric drinks.
    All of that should help you feel fuller longer.

    And stop being "on a diet". Diets are temporary. When you go back to how you ate & acted before the diet,
    you'll go back to the weight you were. Make a permanent change for the better, in your food & activity.
  • diannethegeek
    diannethegeek Posts: 14,776 Member
    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.
  • KrunchyMama
    KrunchyMama Posts: 420 Member
    Have you talked to your doctor to see if taking a B12 supplement or folate will help with your anaemia?
  • TimothyFish
    TimothyFish Posts: 4,925 Member
    The point isn't to stay full. Staying full leads to acid reflux.
  • livingleanlivingclean
    livingleanlivingclean Posts: 11,751 Member
    If you're in a deficit and trying to lose weight you are going to feel hungry at times. You can choose to fill your macros with less calorie dense foods so you have more volume, but even then you will feel hungry and you need to suck it up and deal with it or eat more and lose weight slower (or just maintain)
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  • KingofWisdom
    KingofWisdom Posts: 229 Member
    You want naturally high fiber foods like fresh fruits and veggies. Protein doesn't do it for me, at least not without the fiber.
  • Sued0nim
    Sued0nim Posts: 17,456 Member
    Your medical issue needs medical help

    To the poster above - the reason people think spinach is full of iron is because of a misplaced decimal place years ago...it's not bad but not brilliant
  • kellyjellybellyjelly
    kellyjellybellyjelly Posts: 9,480 Member
    Since you're younger & according to your profile you only have 11 pounds to lose why are you looking to net lower calories? How much do you plan to lose a week? I would aim for half a pound since you don't seem to have much to lose. Do you weigh your food on a digital food scale? If not then you can get one fairly cheaply at Wal-Mart that measures in grams & ounces.

    How I usually stay satisfied with my eating plan is by eating a decent amount of veggies (usually iceberg lettuce, broccoli, spaghetti squash, cucumbers, & tomatoes), usually a lot of protein (tilapia, chicken, steak, protein bars, & yogurts), & try to hit decent fiber. I've just recently skipped eating breakfast right when I get up in the morning since I've found I'm not hungrier sometimes till an hour later or up to 3-4 hours later. It seems at least with me if I eat earlier it makes me seem like I am hungrier throughout the whole day.

    For your medical issues you need to talk to a doctor & possibly a registered dietician that could help you with your low iron levels.
  • KimiSteinbach
    KimiSteinbach Posts: 224 Member
    I eat protein
  • NotQuiteNorm
    NotQuiteNorm Posts: 283 Member
    jenncates wrote: »
    tiptoethruthetulips wrote: »
    You don't need to stay full or stuffed, the aim is to be satisfied.

    High fibre, lean protein as well as healthy fats help keep you sustained as well as feeling satisfied.

    Why is an iron deficiency causing you to consume too many calories?

    I don't consume too many calories. Anemia is causing me to nor be able to exercise properly because of exhaustion. If I work too hard, my heart rate rises very quickly and it causes me to lose my vision or faint, so I don't get those extra bankable calories to eat more protein throughout the day.

    I have Anemia which I don't treat properly because I'm really absent minded about taking my iron, but do plenty of exercise! Try lower intensities like breaststroke, yoga and I've found I can cope with this FitnessBlender workout which burns 500-1000 calories depending on your height/weight/etc - just follow the intermediate versions of steps and pause during active rests if you need to! https://youtube.com/watch?v=rtHEcT38JHc&lc=z124szrqtkzvjxg2023wh5yzwnf1dthfw

    In terms of eating I probably am a bit carb-heavy because I eat LOADs of veg to keep full, but also like my bag of crisps most nights as long as my calories allow! I try to make veg a priority, then meat, then maybe add a little oil or butter if my fats are low (not often!).

    If you like you can add me and have a look in my diary whenever as it's open to friends - I am wary of public as some people can be horribly sceptical and even downright mean. I like helpful criticism, but jerks can be jerks!
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