Protein and fiber rich foods do not satiate me.
briannachristopherson
Posts: 6 Member
I'm confused. I swear, my body is just opposite from everyone else. I try to have a very rounded diet. I eat lots of fruits and vegetables and meet my protein intake every day. I also drink at least two litres of water every day. And I read that fiber and protein rich foods are supposed to keep hunger at bay for a few hours, but for me, 1-2 hours later, I'm starving. And no, it's not boredom or thirst disguised as hunger. I am very busy at work, and have no time to be bored (plus, I don't have any cravings). And when I get these hunger pains I chug water. Sometimes half a liter at a time, because I'm so desperate to get the feeling to go away. My stomach will be growling, and it gets to a point where I'm so hungry that it feels like someone punched me in the stomach. The feeling immediately goes away after putting food in my stomach. On a regular basis my diet usually features chicken breast, romaine, spinach, carrots, watermelon, 93% lean ground beef, strawberries, eggs, protein shakes, almond milk, blueberries, cucumbers, tomatoes, balsamic and apple cider vinegar, cracked whole wheat bread, and lots and lots of water. I've even tried those pills full of fiber that you take with tons of water that is supposed to help you feel full, and I saw no difference at all.
What can I do? What can I add? This feeling is awful, and when I'm at work and feel this extreme hunger, it is just torture.
Side note, mint does not work for me as an appetite suppressant. Any kind of mint makes me ravenous....another way I'm opposite from the majority of people.
Help!
What can I do? What can I add? This feeling is awful, and when I'm at work and feel this extreme hunger, it is just torture.
Side note, mint does not work for me as an appetite suppressant. Any kind of mint makes me ravenous....another way I'm opposite from the majority of people.
Help!
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Replies
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What are stats, height and weight? How many calories are eating everyday?0
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Are you eating enough calories at each meal?0
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queenliz99 wrote: »Are you eating enough calories at each meal?
I definitely am. And I'll feel nice and full for at least 30 minutes to 1 hour....But then the hunger starts creeping in.0 -
Christine_72 wrote: »What are stats, height and weight? How many calories are eating everyday?
5'4" and 130 lbs.
I'm eating 1000-1200 calories a day and I weigh and measure everything, as I'm not only trying to eat healthier, but trying to lose a bit of weight.0 -
briannachristopherson wrote: »Christine_72 wrote: »What are stats, height and weight? How many calories are eating everyday?
5'4" and 130 lbs.
I'm eating 1000-1200 calories a day and I weigh and measure everything, as I'm not only trying to eat healthier, but trying to lose a bit of weight.
That's your problem right there. 1000-1200 calories is just not enough to sustain most people.
You may also want to look into starches. Some people (like me) need a combination of protein and starches to feel full. Try adding potatoes to your meat and vegetables and bread to your eggs and see how you feel. Are you eating enough fat? Some people get hormonal hunger as a side effect when they go too low on fat. Have whole eggs and saute your vegetables in butter and see how you feel. Basically just experiment with different foods and see which foods are most filling to you.
Are you able to exercise at all? Or at least walk? If you increase your activity level you will have more calories to play with. A 300 calorie exercise session (about an hour of moderate cardio) will give you a 1500 calorie allowance at least which is easier to stick to.
Have you experimented with meal timing? Some people do better eating food within a small window, some feel better with many smaller meals, some do well with a larger breakfast, some do better with very light food throughout the day then a large meal at dinner. Just play around with the timing and see how you feel.
The best course of action would be to set your profile to lose 1/2 pound a week, exercise to get more calories, and experiment with different foods and meal timing.14 -
Try adding some healthy fats like avocado or some nuts, maybe an egg.
You're already at a healthy weight for your height and really aren't eating enough to sustain yourself. You'll end up losing lean body mass if you maintain this much of a deficit.
If you want to change how your body looks, if that's why you want to lose weight, have you thought about working on body composition?6 -
Eat more, drink more, perhaps increase your fat intake a bit.
2L is NOT a ton of water, particularly in the summer...especially if you are exercising.2 -
amusedmonkey wrote: »briannachristopherson wrote: »Christine_72 wrote: »What are stats, height and weight? How many calories are eating everyday?
5'4" and 130 lbs.
I'm eating 1000-1200 calories a day and I weigh and measure everything, as I'm not only trying to eat healthier, but trying to lose a bit of weight.
That's your problem right there. 1000-1200 calories is just not enough to sustain most people.
You may also want to look into starches. Some people (like me) need a combination of protein and starches to feel full. Try adding potatoes to your meat and vegetables and bread to your eggs and see how you feel. Are you eating enough fat? Some people get hormonal hunger as a side effect when they go too low on fat. Have whole eggs and saute your vegetables in butter and see how you feel. Basically just experiment with different foods and see which foods are most filling to you.
Are you able to exercise at all? Or at least walk? If you increase your activity level you will have more calories to play with. A 300 calorie exercise session (about an hour of moderate cardio) will give you a 1500 calorie allowance at least which is easier to stick to.
Have you experimented with meal timing? Some people do better eating food within a small window, some do well with a larger breakfast, some do better with very light food throughout the day then a large meal at dinner. Just play around with the timing and see how you feel.
The best course of action would be to set your profile to lose 1/2 pound a week, exercise to get more calories, and experiment with different foods and meal timing.
I'm probably not eating enough fat. And I try to avoid starches. So that may be the problem. I just have a hard time knowing which fats and starches to choose. And as for the meal timing, I try to eat three big meals and two snacks. I have hypothyroidism and that is the way my doctor has said works best for that condition. As for the calories being the problem....it's frustrating. My thyroid makes me gain like mad when I'm not restricting calories. So I have to live on the calorie range I stated, or else my weight climbs steadily, and it's ridiculously hard to get it back down. It's taken me months to lose just ten lbs. I do exercise. I try to get a minimum of thirty minutes of cardio, and thirty of weights. I work out about five days a week. And on the days I work out, I do allow the appropriate calorie adjustment.
The hunger just kills me.1 -
Try adding some healthy fats like avocado or some nuts, maybe an egg.
You're already at a healthy weight for your height and really aren't eating enough to sustain yourself. You'll end up losing lean body mass if you maintain this much of a deficit.
If you want to change how your body looks, if that's why you want to lose weight, have you thought about working on body composition?
I know that's I'm at a healthy weight, but so far, according to the body composition analysis I've done while maintaining this diet, I've not lost any of my lean body mass, and have an excess of visceral fat. My motivation for this is mostly because of my genetic predisposition for diabetes and the fact that my A1C is borderline diabetic. I also have hypothyroidism, and gain weight like mad if I eat more than 1500 a day, even if it's all fresh produce and lean protein. I want to get this under control before it's too late. A dietician suggested the calorie restriction.
Another important factor, even when I was eating above 1500 calories, I was never filled up with fiber or protein. I don't know how many times I was super hungry, and decided to reach for a pear or hard boiled eggs to satiate myself, only to feel no different afterward. So weird and infuriating.0 -
Try the fat. Extra virgin olive oil is one most people seem to agree on, and avocados. I am personally a fan of non-lean meat and eggs and full fat dairy but that doesn't work for everyone. Nuts are also a good source of fat, and so are green olives (lots of sodium though, which is fine for me because I live in a state of salt deprivation for medical reasons, but again not for everyone). Try different foods and write down your reactions and how long you're full - it's tedious, but it only takes a few minutes a day really, and over time you'll be able to tailor your way of eating so that you can enjoy your food, feel full, and not gain weight. What works for me is LCHF/keto, and even then I had to learn what my responses were going to be to specific foods, so I could, like, learn what to eat when I just need a snack to hold me over, or when I'm not going to be able to eat for several hours.
Another thing that helped was to stop viewing food as the enemy, but that's a post the size of War and Peace, so I'll spare you.
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azulvioleta6 wrote: »Eat more, drink more, perhaps increase your fat intake a bit.
2L is NOT a ton of water, particularly in the summer...especially if you are exercising.
2 litres is my minimum lol I live in Fresno, Ca, where it's an oven all summer long. So, I'm not too worried about the water being an issue when I feel like I'm drinking non-stop all day.
I hear ya on the fat increase. I've been getting that advice from everyone. It's probably one I'll be implementing immediately.1 -
briannachristopherson wrote: »amusedmonkey wrote: »briannachristopherson wrote: »Christine_72 wrote: »What are stats, height and weight? How many calories are eating everyday?
5'4" and 130 lbs.
I'm eating 1000-1200 calories a day and I weigh and measure everything, as I'm not only trying to eat healthier, but trying to lose a bit of weight.
That's your problem right there. 1000-1200 calories is just not enough to sustain most people.
You may also want to look into starches. Some people (like me) need a combination of protein and starches to feel full. Try adding potatoes to your meat and vegetables and bread to your eggs and see how you feel. Are you eating enough fat? Some people get hormonal hunger as a side effect when they go too low on fat. Have whole eggs and saute your vegetables in butter and see how you feel. Basically just experiment with different foods and see which foods are most filling to you.
Are you able to exercise at all? Or at least walk? If you increase your activity level you will have more calories to play with. A 300 calorie exercise session (about an hour of moderate cardio) will give you a 1500 calorie allowance at least which is easier to stick to.
Have you experimented with meal timing? Some people do better eating food within a small window, some do well with a larger breakfast, some do better with very light food throughout the day then a large meal at dinner. Just play around with the timing and see how you feel.
The best course of action would be to set your profile to lose 1/2 pound a week, exercise to get more calories, and experiment with different foods and meal timing.
I'm probably not eating enough fat. And I try to avoid starches. So that may be the problem. I just have a hard time knowing which fats and starches to choose. And as for the meal timing, I try to eat three big meals and two snacks. I have hypothyroidism and that is the way my doctor has said works best for that condition. As for the calories being the problem....it's frustrating. My thyroid makes me gain like mad when I'm not restricting calories. So I have to live on the calorie range I stated, or else my weight climbs steadily, and it's ridiculously hard to get it back down. It's taken me months to lose just ten lbs. I do exercise. I try to get a minimum of thirty minutes of cardio, and thirty of weights. I work out about five days a week. And on the days I work out, I do allow the appropriate calorie adjustment.
The hunger just kills me.
At your height and weight it takes months to lose 10 lb for almost anyone, let alone someone with thyroid issues. A healthy woman with your stats would have a sedentary maintenance of around 1500-1600 calories so creating enough of a deficit to lose faster than that is increasingly hard. Patience is paramount in this case, but you do need to deal with the constant hunger in some way. Have you shared your issues with your doctor? They may be able to refer you to someone who specializes in nutrition for people with your condition. Some of that hunger might have to do with your medications or certain parameters of your condition, so exploring solutions with a specialist would you be your best bet if you fail for reach a solution on your own.4 -
For me its fat. I tend to eat carb heavy - sugars mostly as i dont eat grains.
I found that coffee with creamed coconut ( as opposed to coconut milk) instead of a sugary snacks really helps and tastes delicious. Its the only way i can enjoy coffee.0 -
OP how do you think you'd go on a low carb diet, like 100g or less carbs per day? The constant hunger and prediabetes is making me want to recommend a Low Carb-High Fat diet, LCHF. But if you really love carbs and would struggle to give them up, then it may be a non starter for you. One of the benefits of LCHF for most people is reduced hunger and squelched cravings.3
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Christine_72 wrote: »OP how do you think you'd go on a low carb diet, like 100g or less carbs per day? The constant hunger and prediabetes is making me want to recommend a Low Carb-High Fat diet, LCHF. But if you really love carbs and would struggle to give them up, then it may be a non starter for you. One of the benefits of LCHF for most people is reduced hunger and squelched cravings.
She would have to ask her doctor first though. Low carb affects the levels of T3 and could backfire if she isn't careful.1 -
Also make sure you're getting enough sleep.2
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I am 5'3'' and started at 133 a month ago. I am eating 1500 calories a day, plus eating back exercise calories. My profile pic is be yesterday after exercising. Eat more, and you will still lose weight, and you will be less hungry b1
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I'm also 5'4 and currently 132lbs. I usually aim for 1200cals/day but rarely stay that low. I'm usually at 1400-1500 but it's ok cus I work out most days and it takes care of those extra calories. High fat foods definitely keep me full for the longest amount of time. I'm always surprised at how long I stay full off of a tiny bit of nuts (like 15g of peanuts or something). I also have a small amount of high fat yogurt (usually 50g of 10% yogurt) with some fruit and some all bran buds for breakfast and that keeps me decently full for the few hours til lunchtime. And sidenote: The last 10lbs I've lost took me about 3 months I think, and I don't have any thyroid issues. So don't worry about the slow loss.0
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Is there a way for you to get a second opinion and maybe some more medical tests? Are you seeing an endocrinologist? I'm hypothyroid and have lost about 100 pounds. With all the doctors I've seen, I've never heard the three meals and two snacks things being the best meal plan.
Are you sure your TSH, Free T3 and Free T4 levels are right for you? There's a normal range for a reason. Just because you're in it doesn't mean you're at your normal. And be sure to get the actual numbers, not just a "you're normal" summary from the doc. And know what ranges your doc/lab/insurance use for "normal." With a condition like this, you really need to be your own best advocate!
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As a fellow hypothyroid, I'll +1 several things above: Experiment more with your meal timing/composition; get your T3/T4 checked not just TSH and get a copy of the lab report; and do get enough healthy fat (avocados, olive oil, nuts & nut butters) as well as plenty of protein & fiber.
It helped me to eat a small protein-rich snack if I got hungry between scheduled eating opportunities, and work it into my calorie goal for the day. Hot herb tea or some similar thing also helped at times. But something different could work better for you - satiation seems to be very individual.1 -
Ugh way too little food. And fat keeps me full more than protein most times, honestly.2
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Reduce your carbs and add fat.1
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Eat more calories. Eat more fats.4
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Way too little Calories + fairly active (per OP, " am very busy at work, and have no time to be bored") = hungry.
Solution: eat more.2 -
I started having bad hunger issues right before pain hit me. Turns out I have an ulcer. Have you had issues with getting ulcers before?0
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2L of water is arbitrary. You should drink 1/2 your weight in ounces. 200lb. person = 100ozs. water/day.
Also, what's wrong with eating every two hours. A lot of diabetics do it and if that's what it takes, then go for it. Take your normal medal & divide it in two & eat the balance in another 1.5-2 hours.
Keep low calorie/no fat fruits & veggies handy to help with anything in-between. Good luck & keep at it!0
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