How to deal with feeling hungry when fasting?

elphie754
elphie754 Posts: 7,574 Member
edited July 2017 in Health and Weight Loss
Starting last Sunday I have been fasting from sunrise to sunset (have food after sunset). Only problem is I am so hungry by that time I end up eating everything in sight. Anyone have any good suggestions on how to ward off the hungry feeling/how to stop raiding the pantry at night?
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Replies

  • elphie754
    elphie754 Posts: 7,574 Member
    elphie754 wrote: »
    Starting last Sunday I have been fasting from sunrise to sunset (have food after sunset). Only problem is I am so hungry by that time I end up eating everything in sight. Anyone have any good suggestions on how to ward off the hungry feeling/how to stop raiding the panty at night?

    Best misspelling ever.

    Are you fasting for religious reasons?

    Lol. And to think I actually reread my comments before posting and somehow missed that.
    Is there a particular reason you're fasting from sunrise to sunset (other than for weight loss I mean - religious reasons, etc)?

    Because my suggestion would be don't do it if it's not working for you.

    Yes it is for religious reasons.
  • tinkerbellang83
    tinkerbellang83 Posts: 9,122 Member
    elphie754 wrote: »
    Is there a particular reason you're fasting from sunrise to sunset (other than for weight loss I mean - religious reasons, etc)?

    Because my suggestion would be don't do it if it's not working for you.

    Yes it is for religious reasons.

    Are you able to drink anything or are you limited to water?
  • kommodevaran
    kommodevaran Posts: 17,890 Member
    Keep your hands out of your panties! :D

    Well, you'll be hungry when you aren't eating. How to go about it depends on why you are fasting. Is it for religious purpuses? If you're fasting to show devotion, or to give to the poor, it's supposed to be hard, and you're not supposed to eat more afterwards to make up for it.

    Are you eating for health issues or to lose weight? Regular meals is better. But regular can be a lot of different things. Two meals 12 hours apart can be a regular meal pattern. Feeling hungry is okay. Starving yourself is not. You'll starve yourself if you compensate for undereating with poor food choices. You'll have to plan your meals better to avoid that. Have a wide variety of healthy foods easily available, and don't buy junk food.

    Or are you eating like this because of work schedule? When you are too busy to eat, you can't eat. (So it's not that?)
  • tinkerbellang83
    tinkerbellang83 Posts: 9,122 Member
    elphie754 wrote: »
    Starting last Sunday I have been fasting from sunrise to sunset (have food after sunset). Only problem is I am so hungry by that time I end up eating everything in sight. Anyone have any good suggestions on how to ward off the hungry feeling/how to stop raiding the panty at night?

    Best misspelling ever.

    I was tempted to respond the problem of teenage boys everywhere lol

  • elphie754
    elphie754 Posts: 7,574 Member
    elphie754 wrote: »
    Is there a particular reason you're fasting from sunrise to sunset (other than for weight loss I mean - religious reasons, etc)?

    Because my suggestion would be don't do it if it's not working for you.

    Yes it is for religious reasons.

    Are you able to drink anything or are you limited to water?

    Supposed to be just water, but I usually put a hint of flavoring in it (like a lemon wedge). Drinkable meals (ensure) and soda is not permitted though.
  • jgnatca
    jgnatca Posts: 14,464 Member
    If you fast long enough your body gives up in despair and you enter a state of lethargy.

    I think the daily anticipation of the break-fast is sending your will-power in to a tailspin.

    What might work is a boring nutritional drink like Soylent to break your fast with. No anticipation, no raging hunger.
  • elphie754
    elphie754 Posts: 7,574 Member
    Keep your hands out of your panties! :D

    Well, you'll be hungry when you aren't eating. How to go about it depends on why you are fasting. Is it for religious purpuses? If you're fasting to show devotion, or to give to the poor, it's supposed to be hard, and you're not supposed to eat more afterwards to make up for it.

    Are you eating for health issues or to lose weight? Regular meals is better. But regular can be a lot of different things. Two meals 12 hours apart can be a regular meal pattern. Feeling hungry is okay. Starving yourself is not. You'll starve yourself if you compensate for undereating with poor food choices. You'll have to plan your meals better to avoid that. Have a wide variety of healthy foods easily available, and don't buy junk food.

    Or are you eating like this because of work schedule? When you are too busy to eat, you can't eat. (So it's not that?)

    Yes for religious reasons-have been trying to plan meals out but then I end up not following the plan lol.
    Could you wake up early and have a pre-sunrise meal too? It might help (it would probably make me more hungry, but perhaps worth a try?)

    I find when I eat breakfast I tend to be hungrier through out the day as opposed to no breakfast.
  • tinkerbellang83
    tinkerbellang83 Posts: 9,122 Member
    elphie754 wrote: »
    elphie754 wrote: »
    Is there a particular reason you're fasting from sunrise to sunset (other than for weight loss I mean - religious reasons, etc)?

    Because my suggestion would be don't do it if it's not working for you.

    Yes it is for religious reasons.

    Are you able to drink anything or are you limited to water?

    Supposed to be just water, but I usually put a hint of flavoring in it (like a lemon wedge). Drinkable meals (ensure) and soda is not permitted though.

    Coffee can reduce appetite (if you're not a fan of drinking coffee you could try caffeine tablets)
  • amusedmonkey
    amusedmonkey Posts: 10,330 Member
    Muslims do that in Ramadan, and going by what my Muslim friends say, it's supposed to be hard at first. They just have to tough it at first and then they just get used to it and aren't as hungry after a while. Most people I know who observe Ramadan tell me that having a pre-dawn meal makes things easier. A few say it makes it harder, so you will have to experiment. I'm sorry this doesn't solve the problem, I just thought knowing that it's normal to struggle at first may put your mind at ease and help you not be so hard on yourself.
  • elphie754
    elphie754 Posts: 7,574 Member
    I knew it was going to be hard, but I didn't realize it would be this hard.
  • stanmann571
    stanmann571 Posts: 5,728 Member
    Muslims do that in Ramadan, and going by what my Muslim friends say, it's supposed to be hard at first. They just have to tough it at first and then they just get used to it and aren't as hungry after a while. Most people I know who observe Ramadan tell me that having a pre-dawn meal makes things easier. A few say it makes it harder, so you will have to experiment. I'm sorry this doesn't solve the problem, I just thought knowing that it's normal to struggle at first may put your mind at ease and help you not be so hard on yourself.

    I was in a Muslim country a few years back and since I was working closely with the Local Nationals, I kept Ramadan with them. Eating a quality breakfast with a good balance of protein and high fiber carbs definitely helped. The first week was definitely the hardest... although the last week was also challenging.
  • elphie754
    elphie754 Posts: 7,574 Member
    jgnatca wrote: »
    If you fast long enough your body gives up in despair and you enter a state of lethargy.

    I think the daily anticipation of the break-fast is sending your will-power in to a tailspin.

    What might work is a boring nutritional drink like Soylent to break your fast with. No anticipation, no raging hunger.

    Unfortunately many shakes have ingredients I'm allergic too or have been cross contaminated. Any one Have a suggestion for a good gluten, wheat, barley and oat free shake?



  • bogwoppt1
    bogwoppt1 Posts: 159 Member
    Vega one is perfect for you.
  • elphie754
    elphie754 Posts: 7,574 Member
    bogwoppt1 wrote: »
    Vega one is perfect for you.

    Thank you, will look into it. Does it have they disgusting chalky texture/taste?
  • amusedmonkey
    amusedmonkey Posts: 10,330 Member
    elphie754 wrote: »
    bogwoppt1 wrote: »
    Vega one is perfect for you.

    Thank you, will look into it. Does it have they disgusting chalky texture/taste?

    I would be careful. It has hemp protein.
  • elphie754
    elphie754 Posts: 7,574 Member
    elphie754 wrote: »
    bogwoppt1 wrote: »
    Vega one is perfect for you.

    Thank you, will look into it. Does it have they disgusting chalky texture/taste?

    I would be careful. It has hemp protein.

    Then nope-no good.
  • H_Ock12
    H_Ock12 Posts: 1,152 Member
    Black coffee, tea, or caffeine tablets can be appetite suppressants. Try shifting your focus throughout the day...when you start to feel hungry, drink a glass of water while doing something productive that takes your mind off of food (I can get so into things sometimes that I actually forget to eat). Particularly later in the day, focus on your goals for fasting and your spirituality, and remind yourself why you're fasting while you're consuming your food.