Starving!!
SlothLikeMe
Posts: 6 Member
I keep messing up my daily goals because I'm hungry even after eating. I upped it to 1500, but already hit that after lunch. Suggestions? I am a vegetarian, by the way.
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Replies
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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.21 -
I get hungrier after I eat breakfast. So I don't eat breakfast. I am not even hungry until noon or 2 anyway but if have breakfast I always go over my calories because the hunger kicks in. If I only have 1200-1500 calories to play with it's much more filling for me personally to eat one or two meals of 600 or 700 calories (for me 12 noonish and 8pmish) than to try to eat three small 400-500 meals. Personal preference but it may help you stick to your goal. If you eat bigger meals less frequently.7
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If you're physically hungry. Why are you ignoring that hunger? Just eat. Being super strict to the point of not knowing whether or not to eat when hungry is flirting with an eating disorder. Just chill out and up your cals some more. Even eat at maintenance for a day or two.7
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SlothLikeMe wrote: »I keep messing up my daily goals because I'm hungry even after eating. I upped it to 1500, but already hit that after lunch. Suggestions? I am a vegetarian, by the way.
Try to start pre-logging your meals the day before so you know what you're going to eat and when. It has helped me in the long run.9 -
I'm hungrier if I don't eat enough protein and/or if I eat too many carbs at one sitting (much more so than just the total over the day, if that makes sense).
This is just me, but I assume you're asking what works for different people so you can maybe try different things.3 -
What does a typical day of meals look like for you?
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SlothLikeMe wrote: »I keep messing up my daily goals because I'm hungry even after eating. I upped it to 1500, but already hit that after lunch. Suggestions? I am a vegetarian, by the way.
Are you getting enough protein, fiber and fats? These three things can help you feel more satiated and might help you stay within your calorie goal more easily.2 -
Maybe just have some filler around? Low cal fruits and vegetables are good for this problem. I used to get really hungry. A bag of plain frozen veggies you can microwave will usually be about 150-200 calories and eating the whole thing is nearly impossible. It's like a buffet where you can stuff yourself, but there's no consequence. Just remember that sauces can turn it into something fattening, so just plain veggies.1
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- drink some water or tea (mate tea may suppresses your hunger signals) with your meals.
- try not to skip meals since it will slow down your metabolism.
- also try to eat very slowly and deliberately when you eat. don't rush it. it takes some time for your brain to get the "i am full notice".
-sometimes just having that cup of tea after a meal will help with that or call a friend to take your mind of the situation. if i am busy i am rarely thinking about food. the dangerous time starts when i sit down and relax.
- you can always eat smaller meals and have more frequent snacks. something you have to chew a little bit longer like carrots, broccoli or cauliflower will do wonders. just remember to eat a little bit of healthy fat with your carrots to get their full benefits. if you are not following a meal plan (i use cooking light but there are many others out there) try to find one that fits you and stick with it for a little while.
- another strategy that really works for me is being more active. first you are "earning" some extra calories, second while you are moving you are not eating, and finally my tummy usually doesn't want any food for some time after i work out, walk, or ride my bike.
good luck on your weight loss journey!2 -
All these.
And learn to cope with hunger. Hunger is not a bad thing. Learn to embrace and cope with it. Most of the time is mental.5 -
It really depends on what you eat, I swear. I'm on the opposite end right now, trying to gain weight after an aggressive stomach bug and emetophobia. Right now I'm eating all day long and I struggle to get to 1800 calories. (1500 does sound a bit harsh though by the way).
My dietary restrictions used to be hell but once you switch over, you get used to it. Dairy or anything creamy makes me ill so I avoid that and eat soups that are made with vegetable broth and no meat. Anything overly fatty again makes me ill so nothing fried in oil or butter, go for grilled, boiled, roasted or cooked. I barely eat meat, and when I do I can't eat much of it either so since you're vegetarian, no worries there. Instead of butter on toast I eat avocado (sprinkle dried basil on top of it) and I have one or two slices of deli turkey with it. Even when I was trying to lose weight, raw veggies were a free for all. I allowed myself to eat as many as I wanted without counting calories. In wraps and sandwiches I use cucumbers, baby spinach, red peppers and lettuce. For dinner, the heaviest thing I could eat was mashed potatoes. Things like cooked spinach, cabbage, roasted veggies (low on oil), eggs (little to no oil/fat), and broth veggie/legume stews (dairy free) are pretty filling and low in calories. Otherwise I would also eat things like rice and polenta which are also filling. For breakfast, I would just have toast with margarine, avocado, turkey or honey (sometimes a slice of cheese). My bigger breakfasts included either a hard boiled or scrambled eggs with toast or oatmeal (prepared with water) with an apple or banana and sweetened with raw honey.
I also had to avoid refined sugars for a good while high fiber, low processed foods (no white bread).
Basically I followed a slightly more restrictive GERD diet (look up recipes, they're low in fat and refined sugar).
Rice cakes, and healthier granola bars (no chocolate/peanut butter!) as well as apple sauce are good snacks. I have 2-4 servings of fruit a day to calm sugar cravings (go for watery fruit like grapes, watermelon, cantaloupes apples, oranges, grapefruit etc.)
I can't say you'll be happier eating like this, it was hell for me, but avoiding oil, and anything dairy or sugar sure cuts your calories... That being said fats do slow digestion so having dairy (like yogurt or a glass of milk) as a snack might help get you across to the next meal.
I also eat 3 meals and 3 snacks which are relatively close in caloric content (snacks 1-300 calories; meals (3-500).
Keep a water bottle on you and drink before meals.
Another thing that may help: Healthy bowel movements are AT LEAST once a day. Before even getting out of bed in the morning I slowly sip a glass of water for 15-25 minutes and then go to the bathroom. After that I eat lunch.1 -
Drink a lot of water throughout the day and add some kind of plant-based protein into your diet to help with satiety. You could also look into 16:8 fasting. It might seem counter-intuitive, but skipping breakfast and just eating bigger meals later in the day may help to alleviate your constant hunger.2
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What does a typical day of meals look like for you?
Using today as an example:
Drip coffee
Chobani greek yogurt peach
1/4 cup grape nuts
I was starving after this so I had snack I grabbed from the grocery with baby carrots, apples, cheese slice, almonds.
Lunch was a veggie sandwich on whole wheat. I cheated with a big cookie.
I just had a bunch of pomegranate seeds.
I am drinking water, but it keeps making me run to the bathroom, so that's annoying.
I'm not sure what I'll have for dinner. I'm already over calories.0 -
NatureOfThings17 wrote: »If you're physically hungry. Why are you ignoring that hunger? Just eat. Being super strict to the point of not knowing whether or not to eat when hungry is flirting with an eating disorder. Just chill out and up your cals some more. Even eat at maintenance for a day or two.
Oh, for sure! If I'm hungry, I eat. It's just frustrating that I can't seem to keep it under 1500. I guess it's a process. I'm hoping that eventually my body will not need to eat everything on the planet. I'm sure I must have a tapeworm. LOL!0 -
ent3rsandman wrote: »Drink a lot of water throughout the day and add some kind of plant-based protein into your diet to help with satiety. You could also look into 16:8 fasting. It might seem counter-intuitive, but skipping breakfast and just eating bigger meals later in the day may help to alleviate your constant hunger.
I'm not sure what this is, but I'll look into it.0 -
Honestly, based off of your example and my own personal experience... you're not eating enough good fat. I could eat 1000 calories worth of fruit and still be hungry or my lunch today for example was 1oz cheddar cheese, 1/2 avocado, hard boiled egg, 1 medium tomato and 4 wasa crackers. This was approximately 1/3 of my calories for the day and I was satisfied after eating it. Much more satisfied than after eating my double portion of oatmeal and a banana for breakfast.
Like a PP said, if you're not hungry for breakfast or if eating breakfast makes you hungrier earlier in the day, skip it. Recent studies are showing that "breakfast is the most important meal of the day" is actually BS.2 -
Looks like you're not eating enough fat! Especially for breakfast.0
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SlothLikeMe wrote: »What does a typical day of meals look like for you?
Using today as an example:
Drip coffee
Chobani greek yogurt peach
1/4 cup grape nuts
I was starving after this so I had snack I grabbed from the grocery with baby carrots, apples, cheese slice, almonds.
Lunch was a veggie sandwich on whole wheat. I cheated with a big cookie.
I just had a bunch of pomegranate seeds.
I am drinking water, but it keeps making me run to the bathroom, so that's annoying.
I'm not sure what I'll have for dinner. I'm already over calories.
For me, I eat as much protein with each meal/snack as I can since it keeps me the fullest the longest. Doesn't look like you have any sort of protein in there except the Greek yogurt and a cheese slice.2 -
SlothLikeMe wrote: »What does a typical day of meals look like for you?
Using today as an example:
Drip coffee
Chobani greek yogurt peach
1/4 cup grape nuts
I was starving after this so I had snack I grabbed from the grocery with baby carrots, apples, cheese slice, almonds.
Lunch was a veggie sandwich on whole wheat. I cheated with a big cookie.
I just had a bunch of pomegranate seeds.
I am drinking water, but it keeps making me run to the bathroom, so that's annoying.
I'm not sure what I'll have for dinner. I'm already over calories.
I don't see how you were over 1200 after lunch, are you being honest in counting?
Try more fat and protein, as others have suggested.4 -
SlothLikeMe wrote: »What does a typical day of meals look like for you?
Using today as an example:
Drip coffee
Chobani greek yogurt peach
1/4 cup grape nuts
I was starving after this so I had snack I grabbed from the grocery with baby carrots, apples, cheese slice, almonds.
Lunch was a veggie sandwich on whole wheat. I cheated with a big cookie.
I just had a bunch of pomegranate seeds.
I am drinking water, but it keeps making me run to the bathroom, so that's annoying.
I'm not sure what I'll have for dinner. I'm already over calories.
That breakfast would leave me starving too. That's only 180 calories, and they're packed small - meaning, that 1/4c Grape Nuts, really a tiny, tiny amount, is 100 calories. So, tiny and densely caloric. You're not physically bulking much with your food so you're starving afterward.
My suggestion (take it for what it is, just one suggestion) would be to up the protein of your breakfast and up the bulk as well by having the yogurt plus maybe one egg and two whites, scrambled (I'd use Pam), and stuffed with maybe some sauteed mushrooms, onions and green peppers, which will be less than 200 calories but a pretty physically good-sized plate of food; then add at least another 100 calories of something. You could have a honkin' amount of cantaloupe cubes for 100 calories, for example. Like 2 cups, I think?
You're starting your morning very hungry (people all differ on this but it sounds like for you, breakfast is a need for your body) and it's only going to go downhill from there. You snack but you're already "starving" so your mind is interpreting the almonds and so on as just little stop-gaps to keep you from expiring from lack of food.
It's just a pretty bad physical and psychological setup, IMO.
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Are you eating whole grains?1
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All your bullet points seem to be reasonable suggestions/advice, but thisgraybettina wrote: »- try not to skip meals since it will slow down your metabolism.
is incorrect. Its basically an old wive's tale with no evidence to support it.
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Thanks for the input! I'm getting there. I've noticed drip coffee makes me really hungry so I'm going back to my calorie laden nonfat no whip mochas. Not good, I know, but at least it fills me up for a couple hours. I did try to go 16 hours without eating, but I only made it 14. I'll try to eat more protein. Again, that's for all the advice.0
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SlothLikeMe wrote: »Thanks for the input! I'm getting there. I've noticed drip coffee makes me really hungry so I'm going back to my calorie laden nonfat no whip mochas. Not good, I know, but at least it fills me up for a couple hours. I did try to go 16 hours without eating, but I only made it 14. I'll try to eat more protein. Again, that's for all the advice.
Meh, I add 100 calories of sweetened coffee creamer to mine every morning. It's all about the balance. If you can fit it into your calorie and nutrition goals and it makes you feel better, then why wouldn't it be good?2 -
Drink Seltzer! ! It will keep you full1
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You have next to no volume, no fat and from the looks of it very little protein. Add in a bunch of veg, beans and legumes, eggs, cheese.
I need moderate volume and even on my not hungry days I would also be starving eating only what you do. It's very little food.
And if your mocha suppresses your appetite there's not a thing wrong with it if you eat an otherwise wide and varied diet.1 -
This is why I'm not counting calories. It immediately made me more hungry bc I was trying to stay within calories and all the concentrating on it was making me think I was hungry. I am not counting calories this time just eating clean when I'm hungry. Drinking water first to make sure it is hunger. When you put so much emphasis and daily concentration in it you will want to eat more. It is very possibly a mental thing/rebellion. The mind is a powerful thing. Just eat clean when hungry. You're building a lifestyle, not trending. You want to be able to keep going and always feeling hungry is not the way. Nutrient dense foods are best and often low on calories. I did figure up what in was eating yesterday and it was really under what it should have been, but the foods were nutrient dense and I wasn't hungry. If I'm hungry I will eat.2
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I eat vegetarian. You are welcome to look at my diary to get some ideas. It isn't perfect, but I'm also not hungry in the afternoons. (Keep in mind I do eat my exercise calories back.)0
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MotivatedMom17 wrote: »This is why I'm not counting calories. It immediately made me more hungry bc I was trying to stay within calories and all the concentrating on it was making me think I was hungry. I am not counting calories this time just eating clean when I'm hungry. Drinking water first to make sure it is hunger. When you put so much emphasis and daily concentration in it you will want to eat more. It is very possibly a mental thing/rebellion. The mind is a powerful thing. Just eat clean when hungry. You're building a lifestyle, not trending. You want to be able to keep going and always feeling hungry is not the way. Nutrient dense foods are best and often low on calories. I did figure up what in was eating yesterday and it was really under what it should have been, but the foods were nutrient dense and I wasn't hungry. If I'm hungry I will eat.
Curious and honest question. Since MFP is, basically, a calorie counting site... what is MFP offering to you if you're not counting calories?2 -
Are you eating back your exercise calories? If not, you should. I can never last long on strictly limited calories, but since I exercise every day, I can eat a lot more, which adds more options and more bulk to my meals.0
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