Starving all day...

grigglipuff
grigglipuff Posts: 44 Member
edited December 2 in Health and Weight Loss
What do you guys do when you just can't seem to fill up? I have days where I use almost all of my calories by noon or 1pm just because I'm still hungry! And not just the "my mind wants to keep eating" kind of hungry. Like my stomach actually feels empty. I keep drinking water to fill up but damn.

Any tips?

Replies

  • kshama2001
    kshama2001 Posts: 28,052 Member
    I'd like to see your macros. Please change your Diary Sharing settings to Public: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/account/diary_settings
  • CattOfTheGarage
    CattOfTheGarage Posts: 2,745 Member
    I find I've pretty much worked out what to eat to stop that happening - it's taken quite some time to reach that point, it's a learning process. In my case, if I ate a lot of sugary stuff, white bread etc I would have that problem. What are you eating?

    Also, what is your calorie target? Any chance you're genuinely not eating enough?
  • dlkfox
    dlkfox Posts: 463 Member
    Hungry or just not full? Not full is something you will need to get used to. Feeling hungry can be mitigated somewhat by making sure you are not being too aggressive on your weight loss goal (2 pounds a week is usually too aggressive -- switch to .5 or 1 pound a week).

    Make sure you are eating carbs, fat, and protein at every meal. Fats are great at making you feel satiated. High fiber foods fill you up. Add lots of vegetables for bulk and fiber and nutrients. It really is amazing how filling vegetables can be and they fill the plate!
  • ponycyndi
    ponycyndi Posts: 858 Member
    I used to eat until I was uncomfortably full, on a daily basis. Not being over-full was something I had to get used to. I also have More frequently, due to cutting out things like bread and crackers, rice, potatoes, etc.
  • suzyjane1972
    suzyjane1972 Posts: 612 Member
    Vegetable soup is my saviour. ....big pan of veg broth, yes a few calories but not that many and it's something I can chow down on all day if I'm in one off those moods.
  • Francl27
    Francl27 Posts: 26,371 Member
    Impossible to say without seeing your diary. My guess is too many carbs/not enough protein and fat for breakfast.
  • Timshel_
    Timshel_ Posts: 22,834 Member
    grigglipuff wrote: »
    What do you guys do when you just can't seem to fill up?

    Make it a maintenance day or figure to go 500+ cals for the day. One day is no big thing.

  • RachelElser
    RachelElser Posts: 427 Member
    If I eat a couple cups of veggies before eating my 'good' food (whatever I brought for lunch) I feel fuller then just eating my lunch foods but I am left with the last thought of my yummy food. Carrots, broccoli and celery have very few calories so they are easy to fit in.
  • WBB55
    WBB55 Posts: 4,131 Member
    "fill up"? I don't know that I usually eat until I feel "full up." That feeling usually makes me feel terrible, and I actually try to avoid it. Except for holidays or special occasions. And even then, it's more of a daylong grazing event than a huge meal all at once.

    My "satisfaction" quotient from meals seems to come from a variety of textures and flavors. So I could eat 500 or 1000 calories of macaroni and cheese and never feel "satisfied." Eat 300 calories of it with some crunchy carrot sticks and salty nuts afterwards, BAM. Satisfied on 450 calories. Maybe it's the fiber and fat. But in my mind I think it's more having a variety of textures.
  • purposelywell
    purposelywell Posts: 1 Member
    Be sure you're drinking plenty of water, many people confuse thirst with hunger!
  • ShellyBell999
    ShellyBell999 Posts: 1,482 Member
    Eat more protein.
  • quiksylver296
    quiksylver296 Posts: 28,439 Member
    edited June 2016
    I find if I eat soon after getting up (5:00), I'm hungry all day. But if I delay breakfast until my stomach is actually growling, around 9:00 or 10:00, then I'm not. Plus I usually have plenty of calories for dinner and a small dessert, which are my favorite meals anyway. I also try to eat protein at every meal and snack.
  • zamphir66
    zamphir66 Posts: 582 Member
    WBB55 wrote: »
    "fill up"? I don't know that I usually eat until I feel "full up." That feeling usually makes me feel terrible, and I actually try to avoid it. Except for holidays or special occasions. And even then, it's more of a daylong grazing event than a huge meal all at once.

    This.

    There was a Taco Bell ad some years ago where the people in it were celebrating because they were "full." I think their stomachs even bulged out to show just how "full" they were. That one ad encapsulated everything wrong with our modern relationship to food. IMO, the point of eating is not to feel full, but to extinguish the sense of hunger.

  • zyxst
    zyxst Posts: 9,149 Member
    My guess is your macro set-up isn't right for you. Some people feel full with more fat, some more protein, and some (me) more carbs. If you know it's hunger and not thirst, stop drinking water. I've done the drink to curb hunger (aka you confused hunger with thirst) and all it does is makes me pee way more and my stomach is a sloshy-filled bilge.
  • cb2bslim
    cb2bslim Posts: 153 Member
    I aim for foods that will benefit me and keep me fuller longer. I only had the "hunger" issue when I was following a prepared diet plan. Protein, fats and fiber are the only ones I look at, now. Some examples of what I eat. Breakfast is oatmeal with fruit and nuts/peanut butter or a bran cereal with fruit and milk. Morning and afternoon snacks are Greek yogurt, nuts, cheese & crackers or protein bar. Lunch is a veggie omelet with cheese, high fiber bread sandwich, or a broccoli cheddar potato. Dinner is usually a meat, carb and veggie. Night snack is usually an apple (with PB if I have the room) Hope this helps. :smiley:
  • LeslieB042812
    LeslieB042812 Posts: 1,799 Member
    zyxst wrote: »
    My guess is your macro set-up isn't right for you. Some people feel full with more fat, some more protein, and some (me) more carbs. If you know it's hunger and not thirst, stop drinking water. I've done the drink to curb hunger (aka you confused hunger with thirst) and all it does is makes me pee way more and my stomach is a sloshy-filled bilge.

    Oh my goodness! I just laughed out loud at "sloshy-filled bilge"!!!! I know EXACTLY what you mean by that--proof that you can definitely drink too much water.

    Overall, I think that everyone has given really good advice that really boils down to "know yourself". What makes one person hungry will make another person feel more full. Play around with it and see if you can find some patterns to the days that you're more hungry vs. less hungry.

    Some things to consider: Did you eat under your calories the day before? Did eat more/fewer carbs that day/early in the morning/late at night? Did you eat more/fewer whole foods or "treats"? How much protein/fat/fiber did you have? What was the timing of your food (e.g. first thing in the morning vs. late at night)? What was the spacing of your food (e.g. grazing or big meals)? Were there TOM issues going on? How about stress levels? How much sleep did you get? Had you been denying a craving?

    The list could go on.....the point is to really pay attention and find your own story. :smile:

    Good luck!
  • grigglipuff
    grigglipuff Posts: 44 Member
    Thanks everyone! My macros are okay I definitely ate enough protein for breakfast but today was a day where I had a lot of fruit early on and I think that might've contributed to the hungry feeling all day! I know I've had experiences before where I ate a lot of sugary carbs before bed and woke up with my stomach growling. I guess I've learned!

    I misused the term "fill up" when I should have just meant not be/feel hungry.
  • Francl27
    Francl27 Posts: 26,371 Member
    Is it PMS maybe? I'm always way hungrier the week before my period.
  • gothchiq
    gothchiq Posts: 4,590 Member
    Fill up on nonstarchy vegetables is what I do. Big veggie salads with light dressing (measure that, of course); spinach, green beans, and such. Also be sure to get enough protein throughout the day. That makes a big difference. Protein and complex carbs digest more slowly than simple carbs, so choose foods accordingly.
  • 90DaysToFit
    90DaysToFit Posts: 4 Member
    Eating more protein helps me feel fuller as well as eating lots of steamed veggies and drinking club soda.
  • endlessfall16
    endlessfall16 Posts: 932 Member
    zamphir66 wrote: »
    WBB55 wrote: »
    "fill up"? I don't know that I usually eat until I feel "full up." That feeling usually makes me feel terrible, and I actually try to avoid it. Except for holidays or special occasions. And even then, it's more of a daylong grazing event than a huge meal all at once.

    This.

    There was a Taco Bell ad some years ago where the people in it were celebrating because they were "full." I think their stomachs even bulged out to show just how "full" they were. That one ad encapsulated everything wrong with our modern relationship to food. IMO, the point of eating is not to feel full, but to extinguish the sense of hunger.
    Re the bold part..

    Are you talking about for dieting/losing weight? And/or on philosophical and biological basis?

    For me it's unnecessary to eat just enough to extinguish the sense of hunger. Depending on one's eating management strategy, a person can eat until he feels very full and happy. Eating can also be for pleasure, enjoyment other than nourishment.


    While I'm curing my eating disorder, I'm careful that I don't move from one disorder to another, well, many other disorders (losing the sense of feeling full eating pleasurably from years of moderation, picking up obsessive behaviors, developing guilt, negative emotions associated with eating).
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