How do you deal with hunger?

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Replies

  • Biker_SuzCO
    Biker_SuzCO Posts: 54 Member
    It took me many months to get over the hungry feeling that hits between meals. Eating a fruit or veggie and a small cheese stick usually gets me by when I'm starving in the afternoon before dinner. Also I try to stay busy and out of the house as much as possible. I work from home so I started bringing my computer to our library to work to avoid the pantry temptations!
  • TeaBea
    TeaBea Posts: 14,517 Member
    von66 wrote: »
    I don't eat under 1200 calories. I tend not to eat exercise calories because even though I've got fitness band I don't always trust the amount of calories they say you have burned.

    I'm scared to eat quite a lot of things like nuts etc because it's ingrained in me that they are bad because of being high in fat even though it's good fat.

    I'm hoping it gets easier.

    Even though your fitness band may not be spot-on accurate.......is zero closer to the real calorie burn than say 50%?

    Instead of wearing a tracker.....and then ignoring the results.......start eating back some exercise calories with consistency (even if it's 25%). Start to get a handle on what calorie burns actually are. Tweak the % up or down based on actual results.

    I find that a little fat with meals keeps me full longer. I'll buy 2% Greek yogurt not fat-free. A few chopped nuts or shredded cheese in a salad. Nut butter smeared on apple slices.
  • sazattack
    sazattack Posts: 7 Member
    Black coffee is a godsend.
  • ZeetaFit
    ZeetaFit Posts: 24 Member
    Make sure you are drinking enough water. Many people think they are hungry when they are actually dehydrated. http://archive.spright.com/news/how-to-tell-if-youre-hungry-or-thirsty/
    Also, what are you eating? I can make a salad the size of my head and take 90 minutes to eat it that only has 150 calories (including the dressing). I can also eat an icecream bar in 90 seconds that is 150 calories. One is WAY less filling than the other although the calories are the same.
  • stanmann571
    stanmann571 Posts: 5,728 Member
    Make sure you're getting enough protein, fat and fiber in your meals. Also be sure you're not over restricting - set a reasonable calorie goal instead of trying to lose as much as possible as fast as possible.

    Play with your Macros. Some people need more protein to feel full, some need more carbs or more fat. It's highly personal, and you'll have to find the sweet spot.
  • laurabadams
    laurabadams Posts: 201 Member
    Ensure your caloric goal is appropriate (including whether or not you're including exercise calories).
    Be mindful of what foods/macronutrients tend to satisfy you longer & which ones leave you feeling hungry a short time later.
    If you're strictly eating 3 meals a day, perhaps try a small mid morning or mid afternoon snack. If you're already eating lots of small meals, maybe try fewer, larger ones.

    But for me, the most important thing was learning to distinguish between hunger & cravings. Cravings I tend to ignore. Hunger I tend to reflect on...including evaluating what I've eaten that day, as mentioned above. But also, I keep in mind that my hunger is not an indication that I'm starving to death or in any imminent danger (again, assuming my caloric goals are appropriate). Hunger is a good sensation (for me) to experience on a regular basis. Waiting a little longer to eat when slightly hungry allows me to strengthen my resistance to giving in to overeating & binging, when I choose to control it appropriately & mindfully.

    But that's where I am in my journey. I know others may be triggered into binging when they're hangry, so there's some fear of even getting hungry in the first place. It takes time & practice. Keep tracking & reviewing your logs for what works & what doesn't.
  • Soopatt
    Soopatt Posts: 563 Member
    I find that eating small meals often makes me more hungry- not less - I don't do that nor do a lot of people who find intermittent fasting a helpful aid. I reduce my calories drastically to 500 2 days a week which gives me more freedom the rest of the week. I eat to 1200 but it's my weekly average I track.

    I am not at all hungry on the low calorie days, but even if I do get hungry it doesn't bother me - I am eating at a deficit - I should feel a little hungry- there is no feeling full all day - even at maintenance. Feeling full all day is the road to getting fat. When you feel full your body is telling you that you have overfed! (most times). Maintaining should give you a neutral feeling and deficit requires gentle hunger that won't kill you.

    When it bugs me I distract myself with diet drinks, coffee (no sugar, tiny amount of milk) or going to bed early- those things push me into neutral.
  • CSARdiver
    CSARdiver Posts: 6,257 Member
    You need to find out what good satiate you - the right portions, the right spices, etc. For me this is eggs and oatmeal. Each around 160-200 kcals (2 eggs). That holds me over for hours. I also learned to drink 16 oz water ~30mins prior to meals to help this early on.

    Spend a good deal of time differentiating between boredom eating and actual hunger.
  • von66
    von66 Posts: 55 Member
    I suppose I've got to the full feeling. I'm weighing everything I eat and some of the portions are about a third less than I used to eat. Got into bad habits of eating huge portions of potatoes, rice and pasta which hasn't helped. Also the whole ageing thing I probably don't exercise as much as I used to and realistically eat more than I used too.
  • DebLaBounty
    DebLaBounty Posts: 1,172 Member
    When I'm hungry, I will eat half a banana, maybe with peanut butter. Or an apple with 1 oz. of cheddar cheese. You may not be exercising very much, but you will need to eat back at least 50% of your exercise calories, or you will continue to be hungry, fatigued and have headaches. Two scrambled eggs is about 160 calories and packs some protein. Add in some broccoli if you want to. As almost everyone has recommended, eat.
  • MiViVe
    MiViVe Posts: 13 Member
    I pound down some water.
  • ElleHeart22
    ElleHeart22 Posts: 27 Member
    Eat something that you know will fill you rather than filler foods, and for me exercising can make the hunger go away.