starving

jerricutchall
jerricutchall Posts: 1 Member
edited November 17 in Motivation and Support
I just started doing this and it is WAY harder then i expected... I just got done eating lunch and im still pretty hungry. I have over 100# to loose and its overwhelming. I have zero will power when it comes to food, i dont tend to eat alot i just dont eat good. I think thats the issue

Replies

  • JojoInTheForks
    JojoInTheForks Posts: 134 Member
    Hi Jerri...it does take some getting used to, that's for sure. But you shouldn't be starving. Are you sure you have your numbers figured out correctly? The boards have been really good for me for finding foods that fill me up. Don't give up! Use this message board as a research tool! And there are tons of us out here that are just getting going (again in my case) that are around if you have any specific questions or comments or just need a good vent!
  • 3dogsrunning
    3dogsrunning Posts: 27,167 Member
    Is it possible your calorie goal is over aggressive?

    Also, what are you eating. i focus on getting protein and some fat in every meal as they help with satiety. I don't limit carbs but I do focus on the other two first. I find high carb melas tend to leave me hungry quicker.

    Sometimes it's a matter of playing around with meals to see what keeps you feeling fuller.

    Opening your diary would help people give more specific advice.
  • ProjectEm
    ProjectEm Posts: 130 Member
    Hi Jerri, I know for me it takes some time to get used to eating more nutritious foods when I've been eating nothing but junk for awhile. There's always an adjustment period, and for me, it's usually at least 2 weeks that I'm fighting myself on not consuming food that's nutritionally empty.

    What do you have your goal set at for weight loss per week? If it's 2 lbs, you might want to knock it down to maybe 1 lb to ease into your new lifestyle instead of restricting calorie counts too much at the beginning.

    I also have 100+ lbs to lose - feel free to friend me if you'd like.
  • Lounmoun
    Lounmoun Posts: 8,423 Member
    Is your calorie goal reasonable? Trying to lose no more than 2 pounds a week?
    Foods that might help you feel more satisfied are going to have protein, fats and fiber. If you are not getting enough of those you might still be feeling hungry even if you ate a large amount.
    You might try drinking a glass of water or chew some gum and wait 20 minutes to an hour to see if the hungry feeling goes away. Sometimes it takes awhile to register that you are full. Sometimes you are really thirsty instead of hungry. If the feeling doesn't go away then eat a little more.
    It might take a few weeks to adjust if you have lowered your calorie intake by a lot.
  • DearestWinter
    DearestWinter Posts: 595 Member
    Try to eat foods that are more satisfying and consider moving your goal loss down so you have more calories. You can always change it later once you're in the habit of weighing and logging your food.

    Also, something that really helped me was a nifty hunger scale chart. (Can't find it now - but maybe someone else has it?) It maps out when you should be eating and when you should stop eating. As in, don't eat unless you're actually hungry (not emotionally hungry or craving certain flavors) and stop eating before you're completely full.
  • Lizzy622
    Lizzy622 Posts: 3,705 Member
    edited April 2015
    I find I am most satisfied when I eat a balance of carbohydrates, protein and fat. For breakfast i like a smoothie with greens(kale, spinach or chard), fruit (banana, strawberries or blueberries), protein( unflavored,unsweetened whey powder, hemp protein powder, or peanut butter) and fat ( peanut butter, teaspoon coconut oil or chia seeds). Forgot the liquid - water, almond milk or coffee.
  • flippy1234
    flippy1234 Posts: 686 Member
    If you just started, give it some time. I know some don't believe in the shrinking stomach thing but I do. Also, your body will get use to less and better food. Right now you are hungry and that's because your body expects what it use to be fed. Now, it has to change it's way of thinking and habits so to speak. I'm in my third week and I was starving the first week. It got better the second week and now I'm fine. AND, I did not change or adjust my calorie intake. But I will tell you that protein works. Keeps you fuller longer.
    Good luck. You can do it. Make it a habit!!!
  • mistikal13
    mistikal13 Posts: 1,457 Member
    Don't try to do it all at once. Setting small goals and reaching them will help to keep your motivation up =) Maybe change one meal at a time until you get to where you want to me. If you are eating "not good" as you say then you will surely lose weight making small changes.
  • njitaliana
    njitaliana Posts: 809 Member
    edited April 2015
    Jerri, I have over 100 lbs to lose and I eat 1600 calories a day. Although the first week is hardest, if you are eating enough calories, plenty of protein and enough fat to keep you full, you shouldn't be hungry. I can't see your diary, so I'm not sure what you are eating. How many calories does MFP say you can have?
  • LifeInAWay
    LifeInAWay Posts: 50 Member
    A serving of water right before you eat, a balanced meal, and then another serving of water. Thats what helps me. I now actually have water with me at all times. Its incredibly helpful. I've come to realize that I'm not actually still hungry, I'm just trying to slip back in to old habits.
  • Out_of_Bubblegum
    Out_of_Bubblegum Posts: 2,220 Member
    Congratulations on making the effort! Celebrate it - because this effort is what will take you to your goals... You have some really great advice above on how to deal with the hunger. Take it to heart, and keep trying new foods until you find ones that can keep you in your goals for the day without leaving you feeling hungry all the time.

    As far as feeling overwhelmed.. This is what I do - I just work on losing 1 lb... That's all you I have to focus on is losing JUST 1 lb... when that one is done, then I can think about the next one... but right now.. this week... as long as I can get that 1 lb, then that's one step closer to my goal.



  • salembambi
    salembambi Posts: 5,585 Member
    what is your calorie goal?? probably is too restrictive if you have 100 pounds to lose

    I know that overwhelming feeling all too well its easier to just think of it as one day at a time . Try not to look ahead too much when you have a lot to lose. Think of a bunch of small goals for yourself as well and focus on them it will make it less daunting. Water can really help with hunger try to make sure you are drinking enough 2- 3 liters (you could even make it a minor goal to get your water intake up)
  • DirrtyH
    DirrtyH Posts: 664 Member
    Proteins, fats and fiber help with satiety.

    You might be able to get some more specific advice if you open your diary and share some more details about your goal. People could tell you if your calorie goal is too aggressive, or could suggest tweaks to what you're eating to make it easier.

    In my experience, the first few weeks are the hardest. Your body will adjust, you will develop new habits and it will get easier.
  • DirrtyH
    DirrtyH Posts: 664 Member
    Another thing I realized is that I used to suck at telling the difference between being hungry, and just wanting more food. Now, if I finish my dinner and I still want more, I make myself take a break. Wait ten minutes, drink some water, and if I still want more, I have it. A lot of times I find that I'm actually fine.
  • shadowfax_c11
    shadowfax_c11 Posts: 1,942 Member
    One of the things that helped me with the hunger issues was to split my meals up even more. So having 6 meals a day instead of three. My stomach was pretty angry for the first week or so that I started this. I still have those days. This morning I was really hungry, enough that it was a little distracting. And I am super hungry this afternoon. Sitting here waiting on dinner to cook. I was way under my allowance yesterday, mostly because it was telling em I could have about 1,000 more calories (due to exercise) than usual and I felt like that might be wrong. Mostly fr the past month I have not felt more than the slightest edge of hunger other than that first difficult week of adjustment. I'm down 14 pounds, so it's working. :)
  • healthnut050
    healthnut050 Posts: 26 Member
    stick with it, you can do this!
  • Amy4President
    Amy4President Posts: 165 Member
    I find that getting my 8 glasses of water in every day helps me feel full and curb sugar cravings. I aim for 4 glasses by lunch and then 4 glasses by dinner so I'm not up all night headed to the bathroom. Try downing the water for the next couple of days and see if it helps!
  • SassyCalyGirl
    SassyCalyGirl Posts: 1,932 Member
    you should be eating lots of protein and fiber to keep you fuller longer. If your not making good choices, eating empty carbs will only cause you to want to eat more.
  • JimFsfitnesspal
    JimFsfitnesspal Posts: 313 Member
    It is most likely mental... not actually starvation pains.

    I regularly eat meals of 200-300 calories without feeling hungry. It gets better once you get in the habit. I also regularly snack on carrots, celery, etc

    I do agree with several others about the water consumption too. It helped me in the beginning to kill a full glass of water right before a meal.
  • JimFsfitnesspal
    JimFsfitnesspal Posts: 313 Member
    you should be eating lots of protein and fiber to keep you fuller longer. If your not making good choices, eating empty carbs will only cause you to want to eat more.

    I agree with that too.
  • jmichaelminton
    jmichaelminton Posts: 47 Member
    From my experience -- as a rule of thumb -- if you're going to bed hungry, you aren't eating enough.
  • Beccajayn
    Beccajayn Posts: 22 Member
    I agree with all the above, but I will add that for me, "bulk it up," is what has helped me the most. A salad with a low calorie dressing BEFORE my dinner. Green beans, broccoli, carrots, etc. with my meals or for snacks. Cut carrots into 1/2 inch chunks and nibble. I was a binge eater for years. I ate healthy in between binges, so healthy eating wasn't anything new. I had to be very careful to be satisfied when I started MFP. I have not binged now for four months and counting.
  • FrostAyy
    FrostAyy Posts: 23 Member
    edited April 2015
    Edit: Wrong thread...
  • SnuggleSmacks
    SnuggleSmacks Posts: 3,731 Member
    It definitely takes some getting used to, but think about these things:

    1. Don't be too aggressive. If you set MFP for losing 2 lbs per week, try setting it instead for 1 lb or even .5 lb. You'll have a smaller deficit, and it will take longer, but you will also be happier, and less likely to give up. Even if it takes a couple of years of slow, steady loss, that's better than losing 10 lbs in a week and then giving up because it's way too hard.

    2. Pay attention to what you're eating. Things with sugar and starch contain more calories for the amount of bulk...or in other words, 400 calories of doughnut will take up a lot less stomach space than 400 calories of salad with grilled chicken, and it will keep you feeling full a lot less time than the salad. It will also contain fewer building blocks for keeping your body and muscles healthy. That's not to say that doughnuts are bad (although some people might tell you that they are.) That's just to say that eating high bulk, high protein foods are more important in order to satisfy your appetite and meet your macros, and then if you have calories leftover for the day, that's when you might consider a doughnut.

    3. When you first eat at a calorie deficit, even if you do everything right, you still might feel hungry. Being hungry is not the worst thing in the world. As long as you're using common sense, making sure you eat enough, and eating things which will allow you more bulk for fewer calories and meet your macro needs, then you might just have to expect to be hungry sometimes. Sometimes you're really thirsty, but it feels like hunger. Sometimes you're actually bored and used to snacking to alleviate boredom. Sometimes you're used to snacking at a certain time of day and your body is just expecting it. It might take a few days or a few weeks, but it will pass. Really, it will. In the meantime, distract yourself. Brush your teeth, take a nap, take a bubble bath, take a walk, learn to knit or crochet or do something else with your hands, look up an old friend and and have a nice phone chat...but know that the hungry feeling will pass, and feeling hungry is not the worst thing in the world.
  • mwyvr
    mwyvr Posts: 1,883 Member
    Also, what are you eating. i focus on getting protein and some fat in every meal as they help with satiety. I don't limit carbs but I do focus on the other two first. I find high carb melas tend to leave me hungry quicker.

    ^ This works for me too.

    Another thing that works for me is thinking about what I'm reaching for before I grab it. Is this the best choice I can make? Sure, a big 270+ calorie bagel will fill me up, for a while, but maybe a 2 egg omelette would be a better choice if I haven't had eggs in a few days. Or a salad with 1/2 a can of tuna. Or some black beans + rice from last nights dinner on some shredded lettuce with salsa and just 1 handful of tortilla chips. Or an apple, some cheese, and 1/2 a chicken breast from leftovers. Or 1/2 cup blueberries with some Greek yoghurt and 1/4 cup granola. Or... well you get the idea, there's an entire world of food out there.

    I find foods that are packed with flavour make it easier, perhaps because I don't feel I am giving up anything.
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