How is it so easy for so many people to eat less?

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  • kommodevaran
    kommodevaran Posts: 17,890 Member
    WendyLeigh1119's answer really resonated with me. It's what I think of as MFP's spirit. I came in here again to say that you can't think of "eating less" as "eating too little", you have to think about it as "not eating too much". It's still going to be difficult sometimes, but soooo much less difficult when you frame it like that. Being kind to oneself doesn't mean always saying yes. But when you say no to that extra cookie (or, potato, or whatever), you are saying yes to YOU.
  • CommanderEmily
    CommanderEmily Posts: 68 Member
    It's not easy at all. For me, I try and counteract it with fiber supplements, tons of water(sometimes you think you are hungry when you are thirsty), and eating low cal foods that are easy to eat tons of like lettuce.
    One tip I can suggest is trying low carb. Just picking a diet with foods low on the glycemic index. Blood sugar is pretty key, if you look uo how fluctuations in its levels affect how you eat. Also, eat more protein. It will make you feel fuller. Lean cuts are preferable. And eat slower. A lot of times we gobble up food before the body can say it's done.
    I understand how you feel, I've struggled with it too.
  • kommodevaran
    kommodevaran Posts: 17,890 Member
    CommanderEmily wrote: »
    It's not easy at all. For me, I try and counteract it with fiber supplements, tons of water(sometimes you think you are hungry when you are thirsty), and eating low cal foods that are easy to eat tons of like lettuce.
    One tip I can suggest is trying low carb. Just picking a diet with foods low on the glycemic index. Blood sugar is pretty key, if you look uo how fluctuations in its levels affect how you eat. Also, eat more protein. It will make you feel fuller. Lean cuts are preferable. And eat slower. A lot of times we gobble up food before the body can say it's done.
    I understand how you feel, I've struggled with it too.
    I tried to do all these things, and I struggled all the time until I stopped.
    Now I eat normal foods, almost always full fat varieties. Plenty of fruit, vegs and whole grains provide fiber as well as a range of nutrients.
    I accept that I can't eat large amounts, but I don't even like to overeat (it was just a bad habit).
    Instead I pick foods that have a lot of taste and nutrition and are a little difficult to eat (need cooking, or at least some real chewing).
    I also drink enough water, but don't chug it down.
    I don't eat low carb, but I do aim to balance my meals. I get enough protein just be eating normal food and meals.
    I look at my diet as a whole, so the glycemic index of each food isn't important.
    Blood sugar level in healthy individuals is amazingly stable.
    Semi-set meal times makes it easier to decide whether to eat or not to eat. Eating every time I wanted to eat would make me tremendously fat.
    I eat fast, but I do notice that satiety often sets in some time after a meal, and sometimes not at all. That is OK too.
  • ccsernica
    ccsernica Posts: 1,040 Member
    ccsernica wrote: »
    nosebag1212 wrote: »
    Cardio/being active is invaluable for me, a lot of people seem to be dieting off calorie restriction alone, no idea how they do it because I would be starving all day.

    Perhaps, but for myself I definitely feel hungrier on days I run. So while I can eat more, I also need to relay more.

    *kitten* autocorrect...
  • kshama2001
    kshama2001 Posts: 28,052 Member
    tlasublime83 wrote: »
    I just started working out 9 days ago and this is a big issue for me. I just recently stopped breastfeeding and have been used to eating a lot to maintain my milk supply. My stomach growls all day long.

    What percentage of the calories that you earned from exercise are you eating back?
  • kshama2001
    kshama2001 Posts: 28,052 Member
    nosebag1212 wrote: »
    Cardio/being active is invaluable for me, a lot of people seem to be dieting off calorie restriction alone, no idea how they do it because I would be starving all day.

    Me too, not earning and eating exercise calories is simply not an option for me.
  • hesn92
    hesn92 Posts: 5,966 Member
    edited June 2017
    I guess for me I just got tired of not being happy with how I looked. I had been saying i needed to lose weight for a year and a half up until that point but I finally just decided to do something about it. When I feel hungry I remind myself I have eaten enough food for the day to sustain myself, I don't need any more. Being a little hungry isn't going to kill you. And after a while your body/stomach gets used to smaller amounts of food.

    Sometimes I think of food as being fuel for my body, period. You only need so much to sustain yourself. You don't need to eat more than that. It's actually kinda wasteful when you think about how many people overeat. That extra food could have gone to someone else who can't afford it.
  • senorajoselina
    senorajoselina Posts: 19 Member
    For me, I had to white knuckle it through the first month. Sheer minute to minute will power. After that, it's MUCH easier. Also it helps to reprogram yourself that feeling hungry is not an EMERGENCY. LOL
  • tabletop_joe
    tabletop_joe Posts: 455 Member
    It's hard for me too. The "it gets easier" phase doesn't always come for all of us. I just have to tell myself that it's a software issue for me, and I'll be okay NOT doing my favorite thing (eating a lot of whatever whenever). I just have to plan what I'm going to eat, recognize when I do well and to treat myself to keep myself from totally despairing! It's tough but we can do what we set our minds to!
  • kenyonhaff
    kenyonhaff Posts: 1,377 Member
    Um... who said this was easy? It's not.

    Just because I'm succeeding doesn't mean it's easy or that I don't struggle. Or even that I do this perfectly.

    And that's actually part of the plan here. It's not a "here's your meal replacement shake" diet in which someone else figures things out for you. And that's good, because on those plans you don't learn what works for you and what does not. If you don't mess up once in a while and realize it, or don't figure out calories for yourself, you don't learn. And if you don't learn, you won't make meaningful changes. In the long run that's more important than whether or not you went over your calorie allotment on Tuesday.

    Struggling doesn't mean failure. Often it means just the opposite. It means you are active, involved, and dedicated. Just because you are feeling like you are struggling does not mean you are failure-bound.
  • WayTooHonest
    WayTooHonest Posts: 144 Member
    edited June 2017
    I have never met anyone who said it was easy.
  • RosslynP
    RosslynP Posts: 8 Member
    I'd also like to add something that I've found effective: to make sure you are incorporating a mixture of healthy fats in your diet. Fat is calorie dense but filling - by choosing to add moderate amounts of things like olive oil, avocado, butter, nuts, full fat dairy etc. into your meals rather than low fat substitutes (which are generally not as nutritious and add sugar for taste, anyway). While you'll have to be careful to ensure this fits within your calories (and portion control!), you don't need a lot to make meals much more satisfying and provide slow burning energy.
  • pbbananacoffeechocolate
    pbbananacoffeechocolate Posts: 44 Member
    It gets easier if you stick with it. Your stomach and your brain will get used to eating less. Start with a small calorie deficit and increase the gap after a few days. Also, eat plenty of high volume, filling foods so that your plate looks plentiful, like a big green salad and a cut up apple with your sandwich at lunch, a cut up banana on your oatmeal, etc. It's visually pleasing and much more satisfying!
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