Does hunger ever go away?

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  • kshama2001
    kshama2001 Posts: 27,996 Member
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    diannethegeek wrote: »
    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.

    @jt1807 - these are really good tips. 1-4 are especially important to me and I only get hungry right before meals.

    In the AM, I often feel hungry when I'm actually thirsty.
  • Jleigh225
    Jleigh225 Posts: 49 Member
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    I would get your vitamin levels checked to make sure you're not missing anything in your diet. Make sure you are eating enough fat. Protein is great but if you don't eat any fat and all protein, yes you will be hungry. Fat gets a bad rap but in moderation all macros are good. Of course, be sure you are drinking enough water. 8 glasses a day is a good rule for people but many people need more than that. I would also suggest getting a fitbit of sorts to make sure you are eating enough calories. If you're eating 1200 at 270 lbs, that is not enough and exceedingly low for no reason. You want to set your calories so that you're a little hungry but its manageable for the long haul even if you lose 1 lb a week. Consistency and enjoyment of the process are way more important than losing weight really fast.

    If your vitamin levels check out, youre eating enough fat and calories, and drinking enough water and still "hungry" I am going to say theres an emotional eating connection. If in the past, you've used food as a release from bordedom, or sadness, or frustration your brain will make a connection that food helps to lower the stresses of those situations. In turn, youll feel hungry when you actually want to eat to relieve the stress of emotions. Real hunger, as in your body's way of telling you to eat food because you need fuel, is gradual and steady. It doesn't become gnawing and unmanageable very quickly unless you are actually starving. If the hunger feels unmanageable and upsetting after not eating for just a few hours, it's most likely tied to emotional connections with food. I would grab a book on emotional eating or see a therapist specialized in it if your budget allows.
  • kschramm7
    kschramm7 Posts: 72 Member
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    Yes, you'll probably be hungry for the first 2 weeks. But it DOES get better. And keep in mind you should ALWAYS make sure you're not thirsty. That's got me LOTS of times....if you don't drink enough fluids, it can FEEL like being hungry.

    I've found that protein, fiber and small meals every few hours help with hunger. I'm at 1400 calories a day, so here's what my day today looks like:

    7:00 a.m. - Coffee with sweet N' low & 2 tbsp of fat free creamer, light english muffin with 1 tbsp Jif Whipped peanut butter and sugar free jelly.

    10:00 a.m. - 1 cup of cantaloupe cubes with 1/2 cup 2% Cottage Cheese

    11:00 a.m. - I get my first bottle of water (750ml)..I try to drink 3 of these a day

    12:00 noon - Home made Buffalo Chicken Wrap with 5 oz. chicken, 1 tbsp buffalo sauce, 1 tbsp light ranch dressing, Tumaro wrap (60 calories), lettuce tomato onion

    12:20 p.m. - 2 1/2 mile very brisk walk, weather permitting.

    2:00 p.m. - Sugar free jello with 2 tbsp fat free cool whip

    3:00 p.m. - 80 calorie nonfat greek yogurt

    4:30 p.m. - 45 minute spin class

    6:00 p.m. - 2 Chicken Fajitas (2 tumaro wraps, 5 oz. chicken, 1 tbsp breakstone sour cream, 1/4 cup of Kraft Fat Free Shredded cheddar, lettuce, tomato, onion, green pepper.

    8:00 p.m. - 321 cake with 1/2 cup of Breyers Fat Free Sugar Free Vanilla Ice Cream and 3 tbsp fat free cool whip.

    Times are all negotiable based on how hungry I am, but I graze most of the day. This leaves me with 150 or so daily calories + exercise calories to eat back. If I get truly hungry, I'll have enough calories left to grab a cup of cherries, another yogurt, an apple or a protein bar.

  • nvmomketo
    nvmomketo Posts: 12,019 Member
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    For me, cutting carbs helped with hunger, but I am insulin resistant and would go on the blood glucose roller coaster every time I ate. Within a couple of hours I needs something else or I was shaking, getting headaches, and very light headed. Now with fat as my fuel rather than carbs (LCHF diet) I don't get those false hypoglycemic lows and can go a lot longer between meals - minimum four hours - without hunger.

    Mentally though? I wanna snack. Bored? Wanna snack. Tired? Wanna snack. Wanting is a different sensation than needing though. It's easier to ignore.
  • enterdanger
    enterdanger Posts: 2,447 Member
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    @Gallowmere1984 is kinda right. I always felt hungry for the first couple of months too. It might also be useful to see your food diary if you've been keeping one. I find that I need a good balance of carbs and protein or I don't feel full. Like I can eat oatmeal for breakfast and be hungry an hour later, but if I eat oatmeal and an egg I'm good.

    You can also look into volume eating. There is a popular(ish) "diet" called volumetrics that basically just focuses on eating more for the same calories. Like you can eat 1 piece of toast with butter or 2 pieces plain. Personally, I like the butter but I'd feel fuller eating 2 pieces of toast in general. There are several people on here who do this one, but I can't remember who they are right now.
  • Francl27
    Francl27 Posts: 26,371 Member
    edited August 2016
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    Haven't read the replies but you have to eat 1) a sufficient amount, 2) a good balance of macros.

    The *only* thing that keeps me full is a balance of protein, fat, and fiber. An apple alone? Nope. An apple and a piece of cheese? Yup. Chicken breast and veggies rarely fills me up, I have to add some refried beans or a potato with a bit of butter etc. Typically though, adding an apple to a meal will keep me full longer and is definitely worth the 100 calories (I have an apple a day).

    That being said, I rarely feel full longer than 3 hours. I exercise quite a bit so I can eat more too... I never picked more than a 1lb a week loss, and I'll be pretty much hungry if I waste more than 300 calories a day on non filling foods (white bread, candy, chocolate, ice cream etc). I stopped drinking my calories too.

    But no, my hunger hasn't gone away as a whole and I still have to be very careful with what I eat.
  • kommodevaran
    kommodevaran Posts: 17,890 Member
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    Well, it goes away, but it comes back ;)
  • boolz
    boolz Posts: 61 Member
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    Are you always hungry, or just as mealtime approaches? For me, this is what worked:

    1) I played a lot with carb and protein balance. I found that I needed at least 90g proteing (on a 1200 cal diet) to feel full. I feel even better if it gets up to 110, but that pushes the carbs too far down so I can't sleep. This is something that I think is different for everyone, so you just need to experiment. It sounds like you do that already in some ways, but maybe looking it as macros might help.

    2) I made peace, even happiness, with feeling hungry as mealtime approached. Years ago, I read a book that said that chronic overeaters miss out on a fundamental source of security that we had (if we were among the lucky of the earth) as infants: the knowledge that when we grow hungry, someone will feed us. The idea is that this daily cycle of feeling hunger and feeding it is emotionally strong. I don't know how much of that I honestly buy into, but I decided to embrace it.

    3) I noticed that certain things I make just really make me feel full in ways that others don't, and that I can't explain scientifically. For example, my chili really sticks with me. I make big batches, freeze lunch size portions, and pull one out when I really am in the mood for that comfort food, super full feeling.
  • kommodevaran
    kommodevaran Posts: 17,890 Member
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    boolz wrote: »
    2) I made peace, even happiness, with feeling hungry as mealtime approached. Years ago, I read a book that said that chronic overeaters miss out on a fundamental source of security that we had (if we were among the lucky of the earth) as infants: the knowledge that when we grow hungry, someone will feed us. The idea is that this daily cycle of feeling hunger and feeding it is emotionally strong. I don't know how much of that I honestly buy into, but I decided to embrace it.

    I don't entirely buy all of that either, but the essence of it, that food deprivation leads to food insecurity, is blantant. We overfed westerners often impose it on ourselves, first, wanting to be slim, and when that fails, in an attempt to curb the overeating. My way of dealing with this, has been meal planning. Making it really really certain that I am going to be fed, and being detailed as to what I am going to eat, has made me, over time, very relaxed around eating. I even learnt to enjoy waiting for and anticipating a meal, much inspired by Allen Carr's book. The old adage "if you're hungry, eat a carrot - if you don't want a carrot, you aren't hungry" suddenly made sense to me - I had already decided that a meal consists of at least protein, fat and vegetables - most readymeals and "junk" food is easy to eat, practically predigested, whereas eating a real meal takes some effort - preparation, chewing, and I need to be motivated for that to bother. I will know for certain if I need fuel or something else.
  • tomteboda
    tomteboda Posts: 2,171 Member
    edited August 2016
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    I started in November 2014 at 270. I'm 175 now. At first I was soooooo hungry. I realized pretty quickly I needed to aim for 1lb/week , not the more aggressive 2. This worked very well for me. Yes, it made the loss take longer, but I wasn't miserable the whole way.

    Upping my fiber intake really helped. I also adjusted to eating 2 larger meals a day and a light snack between. Basically, most days I cut the third meal in favor of a piece of fruit and yogurt. I like a large (600-900) calories meal. I don't feel full on less. But a balanced meal with protein and fiber will keep me for hours.

    I now get about 30g fiber a day (up from appx 11 last year).
  • LPflaum
    LPflaum Posts: 174 Member
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    The longer I eat 1300 cals a day, the more my body has adjusted. I eat a high protein, mod fat, very low carb diet with almost no refined carbs. I typically find myself choking down my meals. I cheated a few times last weekend, went to a vietnamese restaurant and ordered two bahn mis (they're small and $4), I ate a little more than one and had to quit. The next day I had a cheeseburger and fries, probably around 1000-1100 calories. I wasn't hungry again for 10 hours, ate a small dinner, and that was it.

    My body adjusted and I find that i'm rarely hungry now. I do find that eating less calorie dense foods helps that feeling though.
  • kermax39
    kermax39 Posts: 149 Member
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    Check your eating all the fat that mfp sets for u. I was only eating 30 grams of fat per day thinking I was doing well to eat a lower fat diet. I was always hungry. When I upped it to 50 I felt more satisfied. As long as stil within calorie goal obviously. My worst time for hunger is 10am because im up so early with my toddler and we have breakfast 6-7am, so I make time to sit and have a small chocolate bar (150 cals) with a cup of tea.....this keeps me full till lunch, if I used that 150 cals on some strawberries and a banana id still be hungry. Fruit doesnt do anything for me, chocolate does!!!
  • ogtmama
    ogtmama Posts: 1,403 Member
    edited August 2016
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    One thing I read that helped me too was to remember that hunger is not a pain to be avoided at all costs, but a reminder from your body that it's time to start planning the next meal. That makes it a little easier to feel the rumble, realize you know what you are having next (or plan it), then let it go.
  • johnnylakis
    johnnylakis Posts: 812 Member
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    jt1807 wrote: »
    When you lose weight like 50lbs. Does the hunger ever go away? I mean, can you eat less and feel fuller? Or is it just stuck with you for life? Doctor told me it's just sort of an addiction to food, and if I eat less sweets it should go away. It hasn't went away.
    Hunger comes from an empty stomach. The bigger the stomach, the harder it is to fill. As you lose weight, your stomach shrinks. Does the hunger ever go away? Yes. As you lose weight, you will feel less and less hunger and finally when your stomach reaches it optimum size, the hunger will go away.

  • battyfitch
    battyfitch Posts: 117 Member
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    Sometimes I think I'm OMG SO HUNGRY! But I'm actually just bored and want to eat out of habit. Let's face it - most of us who are fat have no idea what it feels like to be genuinely hungry. We're used to topping ourselves up through the day, as and when we feel like it. So no, feeling hungry won't go away, but you'll eventually learn to understand and differentiate your body's different cues.
  • Angierae75
    Angierae75 Posts: 417 Member
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    First, as others have said, are you hungry, or do you just want to eat? For me, if it's not either a mealtime, or my stomach is actually growling, I don't eat. I don't eat because I remembered I have something tasty in the fridge and now I want it, which was a huge issue for me before.

    Also, although I have enough to lose to "justify" a 2# per week loss, I honestly just can't lose that fast. Eating at 1200-1250 calories is just too much for me. I am losing 1# a week (7.8# in the last 7 weeks) and that's eating around 1600-1700 calories at my activity level. I am rarely hungry except maybe an hour before meals.

    (I eat three meals + 2 snacks plus occasionally an evening snack.)
  • OhMsDiva
    OhMsDiva Posts: 1,073 Member
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    I am too lazy to read to read the other posts, so if I am repeating I am sorry. I am not necessarily hungry all the time, but I think about food all the time. If I am genuinely hungry then I eat. I follow a program and I try to eat every few hours. That is what works for me. I drink plenty of water everyday. What seems to fill me up is eating veggies. Plus I have a pretty regular schedule for eating so my body is used to it.
  • caroldavison332
    caroldavison332 Posts: 864 Member
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    I'm still a little hungry but have lost 30 pounds. Being a little hungry is better than carrying the extra weight.
  • Sloth2016
    Sloth2016 Posts: 846 Member
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    It did for me - but it took time. I've been reducing body fat for about 4 years now, going from 275lbs to 188lbs. When I reduced my caloric intake, the weight came off and I felt hungry for awhile. Over time, I acclimated to my new intake at that calorie level. Then, it was possible to reduce calories lower again. Lather, rinse and repeat as they say :)

    Four years in, I feel stuffed on a small fraction of the portions that I used to eat. So, I will say yes, at least for me, with patience and time, the body's hunger signals "normalized" to my reduced intake.

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