HELP

I've heard chewing a flavorful gum works or sugar free hard candy

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.

The 7 E's* - Exercise Early, Eat Early, End Eating Early. (start day with exercise, eat light breakfast early, go to bed early so you don't eat late at night)

*I've only been doing this for 2.5 days, so take my recommendations with a big fat grain of salt... But so far, I'm noticing a decrease in appetite - so, I think these tips might just work!

Also, I'm tracking my food and making healthy choices - and so far staying 'just under' my allotted calories per day without feeling deprived.

Still got to drink water though - not as an appetite suppressant but to stay hydrated so your body can function.

Also, I've noticed if I eat anything remotely "crappy" - even if in the correct calorie range - I get cravings for more of the same or other junky food and then I'm OFF and running. I'm avoiding that by just saying no to: chips, candy, ice cream (although I'm having fruit Popsicle,) and other starchy type foods like pasta, bagels, etc that make me not satisfied after ONE CUP.

I'm running out of food though, which means I better go shopping.

My favorite discovery: Trader Joe's Chicken Sausage. 150 calories per sausage (delicious) and if I heat one sausage up, slice and add to a handful of arugula (as a lunch) or a cup of Fage Greek Yogurt for breakfast, it hits the spot.

I still have a bucket (or so it seems - 4 cups) of air-popped popcorn at night just to feel full, but I'm doing it without the butter (using Dill Weed and a little salt.)

I'd like to break that habit soon, because it makes me a little constipated, and too much salt.

Also, I bought an alarm. Set it for 5am. Been getting up earlier, and thus going to be earlier.

My father use to always say, "Early to bed and early to rise, makes a man healthy, wealthy and wise."

I'll go for healthy.

Good luck!

ncboiler89 wrote: »

queenliz99 wrote: »

coffee? or tea?

Tea works for me as well.

I don't take coffee I take tea my dear.

You don't necessarily HAVE to suppress your appetite

Spread your calories adequately throughout the day, add in your snacks when you find yourself at your hungriest (for many - this is night time!) and don't deprive. If hunger is a real problem, drink some water. Coffee is my personal go-to!

I eat light/low calorie breakfasts and lunches and save most of my calories for dinner. I find having a big meal to look forward to gets me through the day and it's nice to go to bed with a full stomach.

I have glucose problems, but if I eat carbs that raise blood sugar too quickly, I really do get moody-dizzy-hungry too soon. I still eat slow carbs, and small treats of quick ones before exercise (that clears out the glucose rather than having it go so high), and that helps so, so much!

My levels never were hypoglycemic when I felt so hungry, btw. It's just that the spike and drop made me feel similar, and I had to eat something else when they were at the lower point because I felt so bad.

I get hungry and feel similar when I have too few calories for long stretches (without lower BG levels), so now I eat more earlier than I feel like having much food, too. That might not be a common problem here, but I'm one of those folks who likes to eat later in the day rather than much breakfast and lunch. Milk works great for that for me and helps me get more protein and calcium.

Fennel is apparently a natural appetite suppressant. I think I read the Roman army use to eat the seeds during long marches. I don't know if it's just a placebo but I find it does curb hunger pangs for me.