What do you do to curb hunger?

snack on low cal non starchy vegetables. There is no reason to be hungry, in fact letting yourself get hungry will probably cause more problems for you when you make bad food choices. I always have bowls of roasted veggies, and salad kits at home to eat when i need some food.

the whole stomach shrinking think is nonsense. dont let yourself be hungry. losing weight is not about being hungry and starving yourself. its about eating the right amounts of the right foods.

zwang16 wrote: »

same… I was told I need to hold the hunger and not eat anything to wait for my stomach to shrink. Losing weight costs something !!

You'd wait a long time. Your stomach doesn't shrink.

If it's not "snack time," and in pretty sure I'm really just bored or looking for a break, or looking for a reason to procrastinate. I found that doing something else eventually had the same affect. For example, my trip to the break room usually was just a way to get up, walk around, and maybe chat with a coworker or two. So, taking a minute to walk my paperwork around or walking to ask a question rather than emailing. Or, getting up to get water with lemon was as effective as a Diet Coke and peanuts. Sometimes it took a few times for it to "click."

If you're hungry sooner than you feel you should be, try adding extra veggies or protein to your previous meal.

Or, chewing gum, drinking a big glass of water, taking a walk, eat an apple, etc.

hobbies are great...

but sometimes i just drink bourbon and smoke cigars.

I usually drink a big glass of water and if that doesn't help then I know it's my body telling me I'm actually hungry.

If I'm hungry, I eat.

blknred28 wrote: »

I've heard chewing bubble gum helps

Don't chew gum. All that does is fill your stomach up with air and makes you feel bloated.

The first couple of days that I changed my eating habits I felt ravenously hungry but I think that was more a kind of sugar/starch withdrawal. My lovely trainer suggested I increase the veggies in every meal and top up calories a little by adding a good fat, like a bit of cashew butter or if I was really hungry, a little extra quinoa/sweet potato. It took 3 days and then I realised that a lot of the hunger is just boredom. Nowadays I make sure I eat 3 meals and 2 snacks a day, so between the time I wake up and around 7pm, I don't go more than 2 hours without eating. It seems to have balanced my appetite and control my cravings pretty substantially. I'm only genuinely hungry if I've done a lot of extra exercise. In that case I up my calories a little to eat back about a quarter to half of what I burned. Break through the first week then find your balance. You may simply not be eating enough. The MFP generic 1200 calories a day suggestion (for a woman) is pretty low. Particularly if you have a lot to lose. Doesn't really give you anywhere to progress to. So start a little higher (depending on your activity levels and how much weight you have to lose). It may mean slower weightloss but you're much less likely to give up.

Just like jessakittyis and chulipa said: DRINK WATER!

Often times thirst/dehydration gets mistaken for hunger, drink a cup (8oz) of water and wait at LEAST 15, but preferably 20 minutes. If you're actually hungry, you will still feel it and you should definitely eat a little something. But if it subsides, even just a little bit, then you were probably just thirsty and should wait it out.

I also agree with Panda_Poptarts, trust your body and eat when you're hungry. Snacking on veggies and other high-fiber foods WITH the water helps with sudden hunger. The fiber makes you feel fuller and drinking water with it helps your body process the fiber easier.

Personally, I avoid anything carbonated as it just ends up filling my stomach with air and that makes me feel more bloated until I burp and am just hungry again. Trust yourself though!

I always drink water before I lay down at night and first thing when I wake up, a hydrated body works less during rest so you sleep sounder and rest better.

Deffo agree with drink more water, eat more veggies

eat

superfox12082 wrote: »

blknred28 wrote: »

I've heard chewing bubble gum helps

Don't chew gum. All that does is fill your stomach up with air and makes you feel bloated.

Where on earth did you hear that?

Chewing gum can help. If I am just bored and I know that is all it is I find something to do that will distract me. If I am truly feeling hungry I have a snack and log it.

I will say that early on in the weight loss journey I would sometimes feel like my stomach was trying to gnaw its way out. The first few weeks were hard. What I learned is that I was not eating enough. I dumped weight fast but being miserable means in the long run I would have given up. A smaller deficit keeps me comfortable and still losing weight.

The thought of hunger only lasts until you are not bored anymore, so go find a bag or a firm cushion, put on some mitts (or not) and start punching until the thought goes away - a few upper cuts and cross jabs later.... your Problem will be Solved!

Chewing gum does help me because it gets a good flavor in my mouth and if I'm not really hungry but just want something thats a great choice for me. I also love chicken broth which is low calorie. Eating some raw carrots or celery and then drinking chicken broth helps keep me satisfied between meals at times.