tips on suppressing appetite?
Replies
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Honestly, looking to suppress your appetite is way less effective than a) finding things to eat that will satisfy your appetite while fitting into your calorie goals, and b) learning to sit with and tolerate hunger on occasion. Appetite suppression is temporary and has to be done and re-done constantly; learning how to eat in a satisfactory way, and learning that you won't die of being hungry now and then, are permanent.5
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For me, craving sugar isn't to do with anything it actually provides or hunger . Eating sweets I crave doesn't satisfy me in the way I always feel it will. (It has taken many years for this penny to drop... )
Realising this I had a real break from added sugar and limited anything that lifts bloodsugar too quickly. It took a few days and some willpower (a quality of which I have very limited supply) but killed my cravings. (It has been like magic) .
While doing this 'cold turkey', I stuck to my calorie allowance but replaced the sugar with 'good' fats and felt satisfied enough to be able to turn down sweet treats without feeling deprived. (Going really low-fat at such a time didn't work for me and just made me crave everything!) It got easier and easier.
I've lost 30lb without much struggle since realising all this last summer and have been like the slim people in my house: able to live with an open chocolate bar in my kitchen for weeks. It is like having turned off a switch. (I so hope the switch has been nailed over. Let us see what the next few seasons bring.)
As posted above - there are many other ways to tackle cravings:
-If you have a habit of eating sweet things in a certain place/time - deliberately make a new habit for those and stick to it... until it sticks by itself.
-Sorting out your mind could be most useful. (what is it that you really want: rest, diversion, comfort, love...).
-Keep occupied - or at least keep your body busy. (Exercise/fill your hands/paint your nails)
-If you are actually hungry then filling the space with a drink or shrinking it by tightening your belt can help.
Best though to avoid being hungry by eating within your calorie count but including filling foods (high fibre - wet things like soup - or slow-digesting ones like raw veg.)
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I have found that apples and cucumbers are my friends on this journey. I take the time to slice them both in small chunks and savor every chunk. It can sometimes take 30 minutes to eat an apple and 1/2 cucumber. By the time I finish, I am no longer hungry. couple that with a glass of water or two. You could also use mini chocolate chips for that chocolate craving. Again, the key is to weigh and log so you stay under your caloric goal.3
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Pop a mint in your mouth, chew on peppermint gum or brush your teeth. Most foods do not appeal to me after having mint. The craving will usually pass by the time the mint flavor is gone.3
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Lots of good advice above...
I'll add...
Eating a carb/protein/fat with each meal helps ME stay satisfied. Play with your macros to see if you can find a sweet spot.
Not buying the things I tend to overeat on in large quantities (big bag of chips, crackers, sweets). I buy a single serving (not 6 single servings in a box) once in a while.
These small changes helped me.2 -
I always need to eliminate sugar, alcohol and carbs when my cravings get out of control. I'm not the greatest with moderation so when I find myself craving sugar daily and I start to feel more highs and lows throughout the day, I go back to whole 30 or cutting back on sugar (reading all labels).
^^Totally agree with this. If I eat a lot of sugar and carbs, no amount of self-trickery is gonna get me off the roller coaster that is my blood sugar.
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Fiber, protein and fat for satiety.
Diet soda for the sweet cravings.
Pickles for the salty cravings.2 -
You sound bored. Get moving.2
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Like what has been said, it's all in the mind. If you know you're not starving. Feeling a bit of hunger is natural. Just go with it, drink plenty of water that will make you feel full. I'm on medication that make me REALLY hungry, I have deciplined myself to only have one cheat day a week, 6 days clean(6 days in the gym). Within those 6 days I feel motivated to eat clean because of the health benefits plus I also feel motivated to eat clean within those 6 days because I know I can reward myself on day 7! It's all in the mind!
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goodasgoldilox wrote: »For me, craving sugar isn't to do with anything it actually provides or hunger . Eating sweets I crave doesn't satisfy me in the way I always feel it will. (It has taken many years for this penny to drop... )
Realising this I had a real break from added sugar and limited anything that lifts bloodsugar too quickly. It took a few days and some willpower (a quality of which I have very limited supply) but killed my cravings. (It has been like magic) .
While doing this 'cold turkey', I stuck to my calorie allowance but replaced the sugar with 'good' fats and felt satisfied enough to be able to turn down sweet treats without feeling deprived. (Going really low-fat at such a time didn't work for me and just made me crave everything!) It got easier and easier.
I've lost 30lb without much struggle since realising all this last summer and have been like the slim people in my house: able to live with an open chocolate bar in my kitchen for weeks. It is like having turned off a switch. (I so hope the switch has been nailed over. Let us see what the next few seasons bring.)
As posted above - there are many other ways to tackle cravings:
-If you have a habit of eating sweet things in a certain place/time - deliberately make a new habit for those and stick to it... until it sticks by itself.
-Sorting out your mind could be most useful. (what is it that you really want: rest, diversion, comfort, love...).
-Keep occupied - or at least keep your body busy. (Exercise/fill your hands/paint your nails)
-If you are actually hungry then filling the space with a drink or shrinking it by tightening your belt can help.
Best though to avoid being hungry by eating within your calorie count but including filling foods (high fibre - wet things like soup - or slow-digesting ones like raw veg.)
@goodasgoldilox Omgosh! I will continue to reread this, it's hit me in a way differently today. I've known some of these things but somehow it's coming together now after reading your post. That's exactly what happens to me, eat all the sugars and have to eat more, then more and on it goes. Simply because it raises the blood sugar and then you need more. Wow, so glad you posted and shared this... my penny hasn't dropped yet but at least I know more about why I keep craving sugar. Well, I guess I had a hint but hearing it more and more will help me retain it better.
I know when I steer clear of sugar even for a few days I don't even pay much attention to it, fruit and everything else tastes so much better to me. It's when I eat some sugar again that it begins all over again. But I'm working on it...
Looking about that penny staying put and yes it is like magic when I'm in that mode!
Thank you!0 -
I'm glad it was helpful Hearts_215
still working so far - despite Christmas.1 -
So, One option for appetite suppression that is OTC and not even a diet pil might be certain types of Sudafed, at least based on my experience this week...I had restarted my diet on Jan 1 and then of course caught a cold a few days in (which normally does not suppress my appetite), and for past 4 days I have been taking 12 hour Sudafed (120 mg extended release). I am very surprised at what an appetite suppressing effect this med has had on me and I'm a real night eater. Twice I have completely forgotten I have missed a meal, and at at meals I am satisfied with less food. I am. 5'3 woman who weighed 248.5 on 1/1 and I lost 6 lb this week... Also started 1/2 hour of exercise a day, but have major league stopped my nightly 400 calorie plus night eating and I feel like the Sudafed is playing a part (I don't take it until about 10 am)
I became curious if this was in my head, but I have googled use of 12 hour Sudafed as appetite suppressant and there are pages showing others see this effect, but only from this version of it, not from continually taking the regular 30 mg pills thru the day. I know it is somewhat of a stimulant, and in the old days the old school diet pills also are stimulants, so I wonder if that is why it is working. All I know is that it is working.
I don't want to continue this indefinitely, about while I have the cold I'm going to enjoy the effect and see if it helps me break night eating habits. So I may keep using for a few weeks. This is a safe medicine that know some folks use in smaller doses all the time due to allergies, so I would guess use of the extended release, which is basically same thing, is also OK. If your doctor ok's this for use where you have a cold, maybe you c old see of this helps.0 -
Appetite suppressant work for a time but can screw up your nervous system. Sugar free jello or halo top is good for your sweet tooth. Also fat free hot chocolate. Keeping busy physically can make you forget your hungry or talking to someone on the phone or in person.2
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Been there done that it fails every damn time. I ALWAYS come back to mfp and logging calories in everything i want to eat.. but its always better to eat what you want then eat less because you took something.. once i took something. I cant rememebr the name and didnt eat for 3 days! I was soo sick! Listen to your body. Masking it is prob the worst thing too do1
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I'm drinking a lot of hot tea lately. Some herbal, some green, just a cup here and there when I'm getting the itch to eat but want to wait a bit longer. My fave is decaf chai.1
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1. Wanting to eat more, especially in the beginning, is not neccessarily hunger. You are just not used to doing things differently.
2. Hunger won't kill you. When I was gaining weight, I never experienced hunger because I was eating all the damn time. It is nice to remember what hunger feels like.
3. Wait. You get more calories tomorrow. Use them wisely.
4. Stay really busy. You won't notice it as much.
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Most of what else I'd say has already been said but I find that when I need to stop eating for the day it helps to draw. Or write. Any hobby of that sort would probably help it just makes it such that I simply forget to eat for this time or else can just say something like 'I'll decide when I finish this drawing/doodle page/chapter' and push back the decision for often at least another hour or so which is usually enough time for it to pass unless I truly need food.0
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EC stack0
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