What are your tricks for avoiding hunger?
pussingtonp
Posts: 59 Member
Hi everybody!
I am looking to loose some weight - I am about 81kg and 5ft 2, this puts my BMR at 1488 calories. I am eating in a 200 calorie deficit below this level, putting me at 1200 calories a day.
I have been on and off on this for about a year, but am really looking to focus and loose some poundage.
Anyway my question is, how do you stave off hunger when on a diet? I am feeling super hungry in the mornings and mid afternoon, and so far have refrained from snacking but I fear as this continues, I will only get weaker and cave.
What can I do to minimize my hunger? What are your techniques?
I am looking to loose some weight - I am about 81kg and 5ft 2, this puts my BMR at 1488 calories. I am eating in a 200 calorie deficit below this level, putting me at 1200 calories a day.
I have been on and off on this for about a year, but am really looking to focus and loose some poundage.
Anyway my question is, how do you stave off hunger when on a diet? I am feeling super hungry in the mornings and mid afternoon, and so far have refrained from snacking but I fear as this continues, I will only get weaker and cave.
What can I do to minimize my hunger? What are your techniques?
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Replies
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You don't need to eat a deficit BELOW your bmr.
Use mfp to give you a calorie goal0 -
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.0 -
Your BMR (the calories you earn just from being alive) is less important to weight loss than your TDEE (total daily energy expenditure -- which is your BMR plus all the other calories you burn from daily activity). You probably don't need a calorie goal that is so low to lose weight.
You've been eating 1,200 for a year? How much are you losing per week?0 -
You don't need to eat below your BMR...you BMR is the calories you burn by merely existing...you would burn them in a coma.
Personally, I never saw any point in having such an aggressive weight loss goal as to be hungry all of the time.0 -
if you are hungry ,eat something. Pick healthy low calorie snacks that fit into your diary, or snack on non starchy vegetables. Or split your meals up so you can have a few bites of something when you start to feel hungry.0
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I agree strongly. Undereating like that can only be done under perfect conditions (lots of sleep, no stress, no temptation etc). You are far more likely to fail. Plus you risk losing too much LBM in the process.0
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PS protein keeps me full. Make sure you are getting enough.0
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Thanks for the suggestions!! @diannethegeek great information!!
I will also calculate my TDEE but I don't think it would be much higher as I work a desk job, and have a long sit down and sleep commute every day.
@janejellyroll I think I sabotaged myself a lot due to inaccurate measuring, and then skipping logging on weekends, and generally sucking at keeping proper track of what went in my mouth! I started out at around 83kg and got down to 79kg, but now i'm back at 81kg - so still net loss, so that's a plus at least. I think lack of progress and backsliding makes me unmotivated, so this time I'm trying to get the best start possible so I can stay more focused and be less likely to give up.0 -
You're not supposed to create the deficit from your BMR, you're supposed to create the deficit from your TDEE (total daily energy expenditure). What is your age? You haven't been eating enough, and this is why you're hungry and caving in.Hi everybody!
I am looking to loose some weight - I am about 81kg and 5ft 2, this puts my BMR at 1488 calories. I am eating in a 200 calorie deficit below this level, putting me at 1200 calories a day.
I have been on and off on this for about a year, but am really looking to focus and loose some poundage.
Anyway my question is, how do you stave off hunger when on a diet? I am feeling super hungry in the mornings and mid afternoon, and so far have refrained from snacking but I fear as this continues, I will only get weaker and cave.
What can I do to minimize my hunger? What are your techniques?
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Carbs = Hunger. Cut the carbs, cut the hunger!
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Thanks for the suggestions!! @diannethegeek great information!!
I will also calculate my TDEE but I don't think it would be much higher as I work a desk job, and have a long sit down and sleep commute every day.
@janejellyroll I think I sabotaged myself a lot due to inaccurate measuring, and then skipping logging on weekends, and generally sucking at keeping proper track of what went in my mouth! I started out at around 83kg and got down to 79kg, but now i'm back at 81kg - so still net loss, so that's a plus at least. I think lack of progress and backsliding makes me unmotivated, so this time I'm trying to get the best start possible so I can stay more focused and be less likely to give up.
I would use MFP to create a goal for myself rather than use my BMR to create a goal (you can select "sedentary" as your activity level, so your activity will take taken into account). You can choose your own goal, an aggressive goal (2 pounds a week) will give you fewer calories than a more reasonable one -- so you can probably get more calories per day than 1,200. Having more calories makes it much easier for many people to stay on plan, so you may have an easier time with your hunger and your backsliding.0 -
Hi everybody!
I am looking to loose some weight - I am about 81kg and 5ft 2, this puts my BMR at 1488 calories. I am eating in a 200 calorie deficit below this level, putting me at 1200 calories a day.
I have been on and off on this for about a year, but am really looking to focus and loose some poundage.
Anyway my question is, how do you stave off hunger when on a diet? I am feeling super hungry in the mornings and mid afternoon, and so far have refrained from snacking but I fear as this continues, I will only get weaker and cave.
What can I do to minimize my hunger? What are your techniques?
I feel hungry in the AM, but am actually thirsty. YMMV.
Protein and fiber keeps me full.
Like others have said, use your TDEE not your BMR.
Or you could just put your stats into MFP.0 -
Thanks for the additional comments - going to work out my TDEE and readjust, more food is always better for me, and more motivating!!0
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Start my day with a protein rich omelet and something hot to drink. That usually staves off my appetite for quite a while. If I become hungry or just want to eat out of bordem, I chew peppermint gum, drink coffee, drink cold water (with flavor drops), Greek yogurt mixed with nuts and a chia/flax seed blend. I don't do these all at the same time, but some days I have to try several things.0
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First of all, yeah, if you're basing your deficit off your BMR, then you're eating too little, which is why you're hungry. Recalculate that or let MFP do it so you get a more accurate read. And when you do, be honest on your activity level. That makes a difference! Just putting in those basic stats and saying desk job gives you a BMR of 1500. That's how much your body needs to function if you're in a coma. The TDEE it gives me is 1811. I don't know what your activity level is, but when you figure that, focus on what you do EVERY DAY. If you don't walk every day, don't calculate that in. That can put in as extra, which will give you extra calories for your day. Granted, I had to guess on a few things, but overall, it looks like you've gotten a bad calculation somewhere. Correcting that will help you out a lot!
Once you've gotten that settled, you might look into splitting up your calories differently than you're doing. Some people do better on several small meals; you might be one. If you are, then you should do that. Time of day you eat has no bearing on weight loss. It can be necessary for medical reasons, such as timing of taking meds, but as far as weight loss goes, it doesn't matter.
What you can do is eat like normal for a week or so to learn your patterns of eating. When you're hungry, how much of what things you eat, what helps you stay full for longer, etc. Once you have that data, you can sit down and work out your daily calories.0 -
Stay busy! The more your mind is occupied on other things the less you will/should notice hunger. Also drink water/tea all day. The fuller your stomach is the less hunger signals will go to your brain.0
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250 calorie small meals (and balanced out with a little fat, for ex. Apple slices w/ almond butter) every 3 hours or so helps stave off major hunger moments.0
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What everybody has been saying about your calorie target being too low is right on. You're eating several hundred calories a day less than your body would need to function even if you just laid in bed all day without moving. Even with a desk job, getting out bed in the morning, moving yourself to work, walking here and there burns several hundred calories on top of that. So you're probably experiencing a level of hunger that it isn't possible to just push through easily for most people.
Eating at a more reasonable deficit, one that takes in to account your actual expenditure, might make a huge difference. Remember, a more moderate goal that you consistently achieve is better than an extreme one that you don't!
Once you've recalculated your actual needs and goal, you may find hunger isn't much of a concern. I'm smaller than you and eat ~1650 calories a day, lose steadily, and hunger above and beyond "time to eat a planned meal now" is not a frequent issue for me. When it does happen, I use some of the tips above (stay busy, eat something small and reduce calories elsewhere, chew gum, drink water). Other techniques I find helpful are:
Going for a walk to increase my daily calorie allowance so I can eat something else (particularly when I'm really craving something specific and I know it's probably not about real hunger but I can't stop thinking about it).
Remembering that as a well-nourished, slightly overweight first world person with access to plenty of food, my hunger is not an emergency, and that I can safely wait it out for an hour or two. Generally, either the sensation passes, especially if I distract myself with an activity, or it becomes time to eat again. Or it intensifies and lingers and I know that it's real, and I eat something.0 -
What just about everyone is saying about the BMR is spot on. Just remember that slow and steady wins the race. You don’t want to starve yourself to lose weight that will backfire and is why many people/diets fail.
Just to try and put things in perspective, 1.5 years ago I weighed almost 250 eating on average 1800-2000 calories daily I have gotten down to 180. I had a setback due to an injury which alone was not the cause, I failed to track my intake and adjust accordingly to my activity level but I ballooned back up to 198. I am working slowly back down the scale but more important than the scale is the measurements, my waistline is decreasing.
Using me as an example I have my goal set to 1600 calories and then I also eat back most of my workout calories. This usually ends up putting me around 1800-2000 calories a day. Using this model, with lifting and aerobic exercising I have lost over all 60 pounds, 30ish since joining MFP.
As far what do I do when I am hungry well I eat, I keep low carb, high protein snacks with me such as almonds, protein bars, I drink lots of water and eat a high in protein and fiber diet. This usually keeps the hunger down. But you have to learn how to interpret what your body is saying.
I hope that I didn’t go to far down the rabbit hole and that something that I have said may actually be of use to you.
Good luck and best fishes!
V/r,
DW.
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I agree on several small meals throughout the day. I'm totally in favour of mindless snacking...on celery, cauliflower, baby spinach, etc. I'm BIG on soups and protein such as meat, eggs, and lentils. Diet jelly is my hero. And I drink copious amounts of tea.0
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Drink a lot of water and eat raw veggies.0
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First, quit eating at a deficit. Your body thinks your starving and wants to hoard every last calorie. Make sure you have at least 5 servings of vegetables, 3 servings of fruit. AND make sure you have enough fiber, and drink 8 glasses of water a day.0
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First, quit eating at a deficit. Your body thinks your starving and wants to hoard every last calorie. Make sure you have at least 5 servings of vegetables, 3 servings of fruit. AND make sure you have enough fiber, and drink 8 glasses of water a day.
If OP wants to lose weight, some sort of deficit will be necessary.0 -
eating food. works 100% of the time.0
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Chew sugar free gum when you have cravings but aren't really hungry.0
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First, quit eating at a deficit. Your body thinks your starving and wants to hoard every last calorie. Make sure you have at least 5 servings of vegetables, 3 servings of fruit. AND make sure you have enough fiber, and drink 8 glasses of water a day.
Starvation mode is a myth. If you're at a deficit, you will lose weight. Now, if you're at too much of a deficit for too long, you'll start losing muscle mass as your body starts converting everything for fuel, but you will still lose weight.bmhorton12 wrote: »Chew sugar free gum when you have cravings but aren't really hungry.
You know, that never worked for me. Maybe because I don't crave sweets?0 -
Carbonated water, like la criox0
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Hi everybody!
I am looking to loose some weight - I am about 81kg and 5ft 2, this puts my BMR at 1488 calories. I am eating in a 200 calorie deficit below this level, putting me at 1200 calories a day.
I have been on and off on this for about a year, but am really looking to focus and loose some poundage.
Anyway my question is, how do you stave off hunger when on a diet? I am feeling super hungry in the mornings and mid afternoon, and so far have refrained from snacking but I fear as this continues, I will only get weaker and cave.
What can I do to minimize my hunger? What are your techniques?
eat lol no serious i go for a walk or drink water0 -
It's natural for many people confuse thirst with hunger. I found this mini post really helpful... https://www.missouriwestern.edu/hr/wp-content/uploads/sites/254/2013/12/BCBS-Newsletter-September-2014.pdf
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I drink tea or water if I'm a little hungry otherwise I'll actually eat if able (I. E. At work and out of food I've brought then I'll wait until I'm home). But have a play around with you calorie goal of if your hungry all the time don't forget 0.25lbs or 0.5lb loss is still a loss and better than nothing.0
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