Always HUNGRY

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KVS1985
KVS1985 Posts: 29 Member
edited February 2016 in Food and Nutrition
I am in need of some serious advice or guidance. Everyday at work around 2:30-3 pm I start to get super hungry and fell that hunger headache coming on. I eat a snack, high in protein or fiber, like cottage cheese and fruit but I'm still hungry an hour or so later. By the time I get home around 5:30 I'm starving and eat a snack then have no desire to work out because I just pigged out on snacks. I eat a 400 calorie breakfast with about 24 g of protein. My lunch is about the same maybe pushing 30 g of protein for that meal. I try to stay around 1500 all day since I don't work out that much. What is my problem? Is this just because I have food on the brain all the time? HELP!!

Replies

  • goldthistime
    goldthistime Posts: 3,214 Member
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    Your afternoon snack sounds pretty good already, but what if you added veggies for a little lo-cal volume?
  • CassidyScaglione
    CassidyScaglione Posts: 673 Member
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    Yes, find something you can eat a lot of to snack on. Carrots are super low cal... You can eat an entire 200 g bag and not do much damage. Also try some complex carbs. They take longer to digest so you will feel full longer.
  • Francl27
    Francl27 Posts: 26,371 Member
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    Is your period due soon? That's pretty much my issue every time I get very hungry.

    Otherwise, yeah... exercise so you can eat more. I would never have lost so much weight if I didn't exercise, because 1500 calories would just never have cut it for me.
  • Lizzy622
    Lizzy622 Posts: 3,705 Member
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    Adding some healthy fats to the mix with chia seeds or something like that may help.
  • KVS1985
    KVS1985 Posts: 29 Member
    edited February 2016
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    Sometimes I do baby carrots or cucumbers with hummus. I also keep a stock of mamma chia pouches on hand too. I honeslty think this is all in my head. Mind over matter maybe?
  • squatdeadrun
    squatdeadrun Posts: 22 Member
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    Can you plan your pre-workout snack in advance? Assuming a second snack fits your calories. For example maybe a banana you can eat on the way home or a small cup of oatmeal just before leaving work.
  • ladipoet
    ladipoet Posts: 4,180 Member
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    KVS1985 wrote: »
    I honeslty think this is all in my head. Mind over matter maybe?

    Nope, it's your body telling you to eat more healthy fat. Sounds like you are already eating plenty of protein and fiber. Fat is the only thing missing which also help with satiety.

  • SueSueDio
    SueSueDio Posts: 4,796 Member
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    It might just be a habit. For many years I was used to having a snack at about 10:30am, except at weekends, so I felt hungry every weekday at about 10:30am. Now that I've finally broken that habit, I don't feel hungry mid-morning unless I had a lighter breakfast than usual.

    It sounds like your breakfast and lunch ought to be keeping you going, but you could maybe try adding a little more fat to those and see if that helps at all?

    I'm not sure what else to suggest, sorry! It sucks to get those headaches, I often used to get headachey and shaky if I didn't eat for 3-4 hours. I hadn't really thought about it much, but it seems like that's improved tremendously now that I'm eating better!

    I do hate feeling hungry so I sympathise, but perhaps you could try just gritting your teeth and not snacking again when you get home, or try and avoid the mid-afternoon one? Maybe drink more water when you feel hungry, too, and see if that helps.

    Good luck! :smile:
  • jacquifrench304
    jacquifrench304 Posts: 131 Member
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    The other thing might be the afternoon tired that lots of people get , perhaps a little more sleep could help? I often go looking for food when I am tired
  • KVS1985
    KVS1985 Posts: 29 Member
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    Thanks all. I recently tried starting my days with coconut oil coffee. 12 oz brewed coffee, a tsp of sugar, 1 tbs of half and half and 2 tsp of coconut oil all blended. It's only been a week. I thought it would be a good way to incorporate coconut oil to my diet. I've read about all the benefits of CO so I wanted to try it. Am I over doing it if I'm also trying to lose weight?
  • MsBuzzkillington
    MsBuzzkillington Posts: 171 Member
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    I will agree with a couple of the others and suggest adding some fats in. When my meals lack fats I end up being hungry a lot sooner than normal. It doesn't matter how much protein is in the meal, for me, I need those fats.

  • ElizabethOakes2
    ElizabethOakes2 Posts: 1,038 Member
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    Hot tea, even herbal ones, can help soothe the hunger beast, too. They fill your tummy with warmth and stave off the desire to gobble everything in sight. :)
  • Expatmommy79
    Expatmommy79 Posts: 940 Member
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    Are you sure it's not thirst? Drink water throughout your day. You may find you aren't as hungry.
  • KVS1985
    KVS1985 Posts: 29 Member
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    Expatmommy79 wrote: »
    Are you sure it's not thirst? Drink water throughout your day. You may find you aren't as hungry.

    I keep a 1L bottle at my desk and drink and refil it at least twice throughout the work day. Thirsty has definitely crossed my mind.
  • pseudandry
    pseudandry Posts: 41 Member
    edited February 2016
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    People frequently mistake thirst for hunger. Try some of these suggestions... From https://missouriwestern.edu/hr/wp-content/uploads/sites/254/2013/12/BCBS-Newsletter-September-2014.pdf vbhb09zq1yw7.jpeg
  • KVS1985
    KVS1985 Posts: 29 Member
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    sunparakeet wrote: »
    1500 calories is not a lot. I maintain my weight of 115 pounds with 1700 calories and basically no exercise. Are you trying to lost two pounds a week? If you change your settings to lose 1.5 or even 1 pound per week you will get a few hundred more calories per day, and you will still lose weight.

    Ever since I turned 30 this year it has gotten harder and harder to lose weight. I try to limit my calories during the week and splurge a bit in the wkd.
  • caseylizbeth
    caseylizbeth Posts: 112 Member
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    You could try spacing your calories out over the day a little more. I was having the same problem at work, crazy hungry and headachy every afternoon, and eating around the same calories you are, but then I started having "mini-meals". I'll eat around 200 calories for breakfast, and then no more than two hours later eat the other 200 calories. A little later is lunch, about 300 calories, and then about an hour later 100 calories. Later in the day my snack, and then the moment I get home I eat a piece of fruit or some veggies and hummus, and that tides me over till dinner.
  • Francl27
    Francl27 Posts: 26,371 Member
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    KVS1985 wrote: »
    sunparakeet wrote: »
    1500 calories is not a lot. I maintain my weight of 115 pounds with 1700 calories and basically no exercise. Are you trying to lost two pounds a week? If you change your settings to lose 1.5 or even 1 pound per week you will get a few hundred more calories per day, and you will still lose weight.

    Ever since I turned 30 this year it has gotten harder and harder to lose weight. I try to limit my calories during the week and splurge a bit in the wkd.

    That's really an excuse. 30 isn't old. But if you want to splurge too much on the week end, yeah, I guess you'll have to be hungry during the week. Or you could just eat a bit more during the week, be satisfied, manage to fit more of the things you like in your days, and be reasonable on week ends.
  • shaumom
    shaumom Posts: 1,003 Member
    edited February 2016
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    One thing that might help is checking your nutrient intake.

    The body will give you hunger signals if you aren't eating enough calories, but it will ALSO make you feel hungry if you are not getting enough nutrients, too.

    So if you are low in fat, or carbs, or even, say, vitamin A - you feel hungry. The lower you are in a nutrient, the hungrier you feel. I used to get this when I was really low in iron, and once when I was really low in calcium for a few months. Keeping a food journal for a few days, and checking it out somewhere that you can look at your nutrients (nutritiondata.self.com is a good one), can help you figure out if that might be a problem, you know?

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