Always hungry

billchambers3
billchambers3 Posts: 10 Member
edited November 17 in Health and Weight Loss
Hello out there. I'm just getting started again and my biggest problem is that I am always hungry. Any suggestions?

Replies

  • janjunie
    janjunie Posts: 1,200 Member
    how many calories are you eating?
  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member
    Make sure you're eating enough fat and protein.

    And that your calorie goal is reasonable.
  • 85Cardinals
    85Cardinals Posts: 733 Member
    They say you gotta stay hungry
    Hey baby, I'm just about starving tonight!

    -Bruce Springsteen, noted weight loss authority

    I get crazy hungry too, especially late at night when I can't sleep. I try to fend off the pangs with carby snacks around 200 calories or so, then concentrate on distracting myself before I eat more.
  • daniel_parrett
    daniel_parrett Posts: 30 Member
    its harder at first, but after a while you get used to it. I started when I was at 360, and I think my body still craved all the crap I was throwing at it. after a while of being under your calorie goal consistently you will know if you are actually hungry, or if it is an emotional response. one thing that takes some getting used to is not feeling stuffed all the time from poor eating habits. I am usually on the edge of hungry and eating smaller meals helps me with my portion control.

    give it a couple weeks and it will be better.
  • Christine_72
    Christine_72 Posts: 16,049 Member
    You should do a search OP. This exact same title and question from new poster(s) has been popping up every few days lately.... :huh:
  • billglitch
    billglitch Posts: 538 Member
    I started low carb high fat ( LCHF) or keto in Jan 2016 and have lost 120 pounds and have not been hungry. Do what you want but perhaps more fat and or protein in your diet. Of course i dont know how many cals you are eating
  • kq1981
    kq1981 Posts: 1,098 Member
    Drink more water and set yr goal loss at a less agressive pace. No idea how to help as u haven't told us any stats.
  • cbelc2
    cbelc2 Posts: 762 Member
    You may not be getting enough protein, fiber, or fat. Try not to fill your calorie bank with sugar or refined grains. Those will fill it too fast and leave you very hungry.
  • IrisFlute
    IrisFlute Posts: 88 Member
    Yes to many of the suggestions above, especially the ones about making sure to use your calorie allowance for plenty of fat, protein and fiber. Also, for me, sometimes eating a plain stalk of celery distracts my body from hunger for a while. And plain hot tea helps me too. And sometimes just waiting it out helps, too.

    BUT: I feel like being hungry is the third rail in conversations about weight loss. Like if you're doing it right, you're not supposed to be hungry... that as long as you're eating the right number of calories, using the right formula, you won't have to experience that sensation. I think the search for hunger-free weight loss can sidetrack people from success.

    Losing weight means that you are consuming fewer calories than your body is using. If you kept eating at a calorie deficit forever, you would eventually starve to death. Your body is turning on its warning sirens to let you know about this situation.

    Learning to function effectively in the presence of mild to moderate hunger is a skill that's every bit as important to weight loss as learning how to count calories and develop new eating habits.

    (If your hunger is overwhelming, literally painful, and/or constant, however, even after getting enough protein and fat and fiber, then you may simply have to eat more.)

  • lemurcat12
    lemurcat12 Posts: 30,886 Member
    diannethegeek wrote: »
    These are my really generic 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.

    These are really great suggestions and I think pretty much cover it.
  • pinuplove
    pinuplove Posts: 12,871 Member
    I agree with the sentiment that we've been erroneously led to believe that we must be doing something wrong if we ever get hungry. Sometimes I get hungry a bit before it's time for my next meal. Sometimes I wake up hungry. Since I'm eating in a calorie deficit this makes sense to me.

    If you're experiencing gnawing, all-encompassing, can't think about anything else hunger on a regular basis (you did say all the time, after all) it's certainly worth considering causes (too large a deficit, macro split, meal/snack timing, etc.) I was hungry a lot early on too, but it settled down as my body adjusted.
  • menotyou56
    menotyou56 Posts: 178 Member
    billglitch wrote: »
    I started low carb high fat ( LCHF) or keto in Jan 2016 and have lost 120 pounds and have not been hungry. Do what you want but perhaps more fat and or protein in your diet. Of course i dont know how many cals you are eating

    Bingo...keto killed my hunger too.
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