Hungry all the time

Help. I've constantly got the munchies. I need proper snacks not fruit.
What can I do to stop eating and eating

Replies

  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member
    Are you eating enough fat, protein and fibre?
  • TrinkySwanson
    TrinkySwanson Posts: 4 Member
    My dad calls that the hungry horrors.
    Can so relate!!
    I found that eating a whole a can of no salt green beans finally makes me feel full, and like I've eaten carbs.
  • ConcordDiet
    ConcordDiet Posts: 26 Member
    I personally found that cutting back on simple carbohydrates helps. Increasing protein seems to curb my cravings. My personal favorite is a couple of celery stalks with cream cheese.
  • mrsgoof
    mrsgoof Posts: 23 Member
    I feel your pain - it seems that when I am trying to lose weight - all I can think about is food!
  • vingogly
    vingogly Posts: 1,785 Member
    +1 for fat, protein and fiber.
  • rosiesshire
    rosiesshire Posts: 13 Member
    I love radishes, I keep them by me all the time plus sunflower seeds, hits the snacking w.o. too many calories...I think I'm the largest purchaser of radishes in Virginia. ;) I'm a binge eater so I need to munch, but it's helped me get to only 7 more lbs to lose!
  • Kev1234567
    Kev1234567 Posts: 19 Member
    Popcorn - I read that it is low fat. Is that right ?
  • dykask
    dykask Posts: 800 Member
    edited August 2016
    For me, cutting way back on added sugars greatly helped. I found out accidently by noticing when I cut deserts I had a lot less hunger. Since then I've experimented, recently I had sweet deserts two days in a row and the hunger came back. It seems I can get away with a high sugar day once in a while, but a couple in a row throws me back under the hunger bus.

    I've even done some short fasts without feeling too hungry. For example skip dinner so I basically fast from about 1pm to 7am. No way can I do that with the sugar fed hunger I used to have.
  • Trish1c
    Trish1c Posts: 549 Member
    Sometimes you feel hungry when you are actually thirsty. When you feel hungry drink a glass of water before you eat anything. Then see how you feel.

    Have filling low cal snacks on hand for when temptation does strike.

    Try changing when you eat or how frequently. I can't do only 3 meals per day on my 1200 calorie diet. I'm starving all the time. So I have learned to build in 2 snacks -- mid morning & mid afternoon. I eat something, just to take the edge off.
  • Kev1234567
    Kev1234567 Posts: 19 Member
    Trying to keep myself busy today. Have had loads of cravings but each time I get them I get on and do something. This evening will be the big test when Im sat in front of the TV.
  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member
    Kev1234567 wrote: »
    Trying to keep myself busy today. Have had loads of cravings but each time I get them I get on and do something. This evening will be the big test when Im sat in front of the TV.

    Answering our questions would help...

    How much fat, protein and fiber do you eat? How large is your deficit?
    Do you eat back exercise cals?
  • Kev1234567
    Kev1234567 Posts: 19 Member
    Not sure what you mean by back exercise cals. I eat regular meals. My problem is between meals and in the evening. I snack on biscuits, nuts, bread. All the nice but bad for you stuff.
    Ive started keeping a food diary so I can track exactly what it is I eat, which has made me really think about it and today Ive not snacked once. Fingers crossed.
  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member
    Kev1234567 wrote: »
    Not sure what you mean by back exercise cals. I eat regular meals. My problem is between meals and in the evening. I snack on biscuits, nuts, bread. All the nice but bad for you stuff.
    Ive started keeping a food diary so I can track exactly what it is I eat, which has made me really think about it and today Ive not snacked once. Fingers crossed.

    Ok... starting from the start....

    Do you weigh and measure everything you eat?

    When you set up mfp, how many pounds per week did you tell mfp you want to lose?

    Do you exercise regularly?
  • Kev1234567
    Kev1234567 Posts: 19 Member
    I dont weigh and measure everything I eat. Im going to be logging it on MFP from now.
    I want to lose 14 pounds in 4 weeks.
    Up to now Ive only ran 5k's once a week.
    I ran 7.4k's today - Yay.
  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member
    edited August 2016
    Kev1234567 wrote: »
    I dont weigh and measure everything I eat. Im going to be logging it on MFP from now.
    I want to lose 14 pounds in 4 weeks.
    Up to now Ive only ran 5k's once a week.
    I ran 7.4k's today - Yay.

    14 pounds in 4 weeks is crash diet territory. You should be aiming for 0.5 - 1lb per week max if you only have 14lbs to lose.

    Weigh, measure and log your food... ensure you hit or exceed your protein and fat.

    Log and eat back your exercise calories, though you may want to only eat a portion depending on how you measure them?
  • Trish1c
    Trish1c Posts: 549 Member
    You probably can't lose 14 pounds in 4 weeks. At best you can lose 8.

    Keep your food diary on this site not in a notebook. Log everything. Do weigh / measure it. You are probably eating more then you think you are.

    What they mean by eating back your calories is this: If you are supposed to eat 1200 calories but you exercise and burn 200 calories by doing so you should eat 1400 calories (eating back your exercise calories). At the very least you should eat back half because your body needs fuel.
  • soultraveler13
    soultraveler13 Posts: 2 Member
    a good rule of thumb is when you're craving something sweet, you need more carbs. when you have the munchies, you need more water. I found that trick helpful. I drink loads more water now. apple with peanut butter is not a bad substitute either.
  • Kev1234567
    Kev1234567 Posts: 19 Member
    Trish1c wrote: »
    You probably can't lose 14 pounds in 4 weeks. At best you can lose 8.

    Keep your food diary on this site not in a notebook. Log everything. Do weigh / measure it. You are probably eating more then you think you are.

    What they mean by eating back your calories is this: If you are supposed to eat 1200 calories but you exercise and burn 200 calories by doing so you should eat 1400 calories (eating back your exercise calories). At the very least you should eat back half because your body needs fuel.

    Thanks for the explanation Trish. I thought to lose weight you had to burn off more calories than you ate.
  • Kev1234567
    Kev1234567 Posts: 19 Member
    a good rule of thumb is when you're craving something sweet, you need more carbs. when you have the munchies, you need more water. I found that trick helpful. I drink loads more water now. apple with peanut butter is not a bad substitute either.

    Loving the sound of apple and peanut butter :-)
  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member
    Kev1234567 wrote: »
    a good rule of thumb is when you're craving something sweet, you need more carbs. when you have the munchies, you need more water. I found that trick helpful. I drink loads more water now. apple with peanut butter is not a bad substitute either.

    Loving the sound of apple and peanut butter :-)

    Make sure you weigh the PB though!
  • Pete1964AK
    Pete1964AK Posts: 85 Member
    Kev1234567 wrote: »
    a good rule of thumb is when you're craving something sweet, you need more carbs. when you have the munchies, you need more water. I found that trick helpful. I drink loads more water now. apple with peanut butter is not a bad substitute either.

    Loving the sound of apple and peanut butter :-)

    Make sure you weigh the PB though!

    Yeah, because my idea of what a tablespoon of peanut butter looked like and what is actually is - was frighteningly different !
  • TeaBea
    TeaBea Posts: 14,517 Member
    edited August 2016
    Kev1234567 wrote: »
    Popcorn - I read that it is low fat. Is that right ?

    Can be............there are higher fat versions of microwave or pre-popped.

    Popcorn has lots of fiber....that's good for satiating hunger for many people. Air pop your corn, add butter (amount that you control) to give it some fat and (probably) more staying power. Plus salt/toppings actually stick when popcorn has some moisture.
  • Trish1c
    Trish1c Posts: 549 Member
    Kev1234567 wrote: »
    Thanks for the explanation Trish. I thought to lose weight you had to burn off more calories than you ate.

    You do. That is why you have to set up MFP correctly. There's a link on the getting started thread that explains it better then I can.

    First you figure out how much food you need to just be -- to stay at the exact same weight. I think they call it your TDEE total daily energy expenditure. That's your "normal" calorie intake. To lose weight you have to eat less that that, preferably by 3500 calories per week or 500 calories per day to lose 1 pound per week.

    So for me, my TDEE is around 1700. I have to eat 1200 calories to lose weight (assuming my sedentary lifestyle). When I exercise, it doesn't change my lifestyle because I still sit all day for work but exercise does burn calories. Because I'm already at a low calorie intake goal, if I work out & don't eat my calories back I could pass out. That doesn't help either. If you have bigger numbers & more wiggle room, you eat back fewer of your exercise calories because you still have stores to burn through. But as as an adult it's not a brilliant idea to consistently fall below 1,000 - 1,200 calories per day.

  • brenn24179
    brenn24179 Posts: 2,144 Member
    I eat that 100 calorie popcorn, I have trouble with night eating so if I am starved I eat me some protein, peanut butter, tuna, ham. Seems to fill me up.
  • dykask
    dykask Posts: 800 Member
    Kev1234567 wrote: »
    Not sure what you mean by back exercise cals. I eat regular meals. My problem is between meals and in the evening. I snack on biscuits, nuts, bread. All the nice but bad for you stuff.
    Ive started keeping a food diary so I can track exactly what it is I eat, which has made me really think about it and today Ive not snacked once. Fingers crossed.

    Nuts are actually a pretty reasonable snack. Biscuits and bread might be causing more hunger. I found when I started avoiding added sugar I could make it through the day without snacking. Everyone is different but avoiding refined sugar might help you.