Diet hunger

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geyres24688
geyres24688 Posts: 1 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Hi everyone, i recently started counting my calories and being more conscious about what i eat. But i've found myself to be very hungry between meals, even though i eat healthy foods and eat a normal amount. Does anyone have any tips about how to avoid hunger through out the day?

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  • TeaBea
    TeaBea Posts: 14,517 Member
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    Protein, fiber and fat are filling/satiating.....but it's different combinations for everyone.

    Play around with macros (protein, fat, carbs)

    Play around with meal and or snack timing

    Make sure your weekly weight loss goal isn't too aggressive. Too low calories (for your current size, activity) will leave you hungry.

    Make sure you stay hydrated. Sometimes people think they are hungry....when it's actually thirst.
  • ValeriePlz
    ValeriePlz Posts: 517 Member
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    I'm getting back into logging and experiencing the same issue. I have never been able to lose weight without basically feeling hungry all day. Building in snacks every few hours helps me, as does a hot drink like tea.
  • Treece68
    Treece68 Posts: 780 Member
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    I have snacks like cheese & fruits. A cheese stick is 80cal
  • Goober1142
    Goober1142 Posts: 219 Member
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    Pay attention to how long each food keeps you satiated. A banana is an hour..nuts two hours, oatmeal two hours..any simple carb about 20 seconds lol. The Kellogg meal bar lasts a long time even though it's not healthy. I find if I eat in the morning I'm hungrier all day so I just have two coffees with half and half. The fat tides me over.
    Coffee tea coffee tea. Apple cider vinegar with two big glasses of water. Matcha in warm water with lemon juice and cayenne pepper....works for me most of the time.
  • Theo166
    Theo166 Posts: 2,564 Member
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    geyres24688 wrote: »
    Hi everyone, i recently started counting my calories and being more conscious about what i eat. But i've found myself to be very hungry between meals, even though i eat healthy foods and eat a normal amount. Does anyone have any tips about how to avoid hunger through out the day?

    If it feels like torture, YOU ARE DOING IT WRONG.

    Start out eating closer to maintenance level. Focus on tracking everything you eat and your meal planning. In 1-2 weeks you'll be in a rhythm and can plan your meals to give you satiety. It's a journey of self discovery to figure out what macros keep you full and in weight loss calorie deficit.
  • amandatapar
    amandatapar Posts: 246 Member
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    Add some healthy fats into your snacks and meals. For me the perfect mix is more fat & protein, less processed carbs. You have to find what works for you.
  • candylilacs
    candylilacs Posts: 614 Member
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    Chunks of watermelon, strawberries, Granny Smith apple and peanut butter, Granny Smith apple and reduced-fat/full fat jack cheese -- peanut butter, honey, and wheat germ (it's delish!).

    It shouldn't be torture. It's going to take time, though.

  • nowine4me
    nowine4me Posts: 3,985 Member
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    Higher volume foods work best for me. Lots of greens, fruit, veggies, beans. A sprinkle of nuts and seeds for crunch. Then add in meat and dairy to hit my daily goal.
  • JeromeBarry1
    JeromeBarry1 Posts: 10,182 Member
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    What works for you is going to be almost unique to you.

    For me, what works is 1. Breakfast. I need at least 350 calories of protein, protein, protein for breakfast. Less, and I tend to binge later. There is no 2. With a good breakfast, I win the day.
  • clicketykeys
    clicketykeys Posts: 6,568 Member
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    Goober1142 wrote: »
    I find if I eat in the morning I'm hungrier all day so I just have two coffees with half and half. The fat tides me over.
    nowine4me wrote: »
    Higher volume foods work best for me. Lots of greens, fruit, veggies, beans. A sprinkle of nuts and seeds for crunch. Then add in meat and dairy to hit my daily goal.
    JeromeBarry1 wrote: »
    For me, what works is 1. Breakfast. I need at least 350 calories of protein, protein, protein for breakfast. Less, and I tend to binge later. There is no 2. With a good breakfast, I win the day.

    And voila! While the well-known "secret" to weight loss is CI<CO, there's no one best way to go about managing your deficit. Try some of the strategies listed here, and find out what works best for you.
  • bbell1985
    bbell1985 Posts: 4,572 Member
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    Like others have said, find what works for you. I like high volume and prefer to break up my macros. For example, instead of eating a whole egg and getting both fat and protein from it, I'll have egg whites so that I can also have avocado.

    I eat a crap ton of vegetables. People are shocked. I order two salads at the restaurant because 1 is not enough.

  • diannethegeek
    diannethegeek Posts: 14,776 Member
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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.
  • Aarjono
    Aarjono Posts: 228 Member
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    Theo166 wrote: »

    If it feels like torture, YOU ARE DOING IT WRONG.

    Start out eating closer to maintenance level. Focus on tracking everything you eat and your meal planning. In 1-2 weeks you'll be in a rhythm and can plan your meals to give you satiety. It's a journey of self discovery to figure out what macros keep you full and in weight loss calorie deficit.

    ^^^ This.

    I'll add, if you are used to snacking on calorie-dense things all day, try different snacks. Trade home-made hummus and carrots for chips. Pickles are a good snack. So is frozen fruit with cinnamon on top. Weigh out an ounce of nuts for an afternoon snack, and savor them. Use lots of spices when you cook. Plan what you will eat ahead of time, pre-log your food, and build in your snacks. And drink water, lots of water. Think mindful eating, not mindless eating.
  • niralvithlani
    niralvithlani Posts: 1 Member
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    For snacks that are "low" calorie, I usually have protein bar and coffee that ties me over to lunch or dinner while maintaining my calorie deficit. Drinking plenty of water helps too. If you can, go to the gym before dinner where dyou'll rink lots of water and end up eating less for dinner.. Hope this helps

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