Will this feeling ever change????
janisseshirley
Posts: 50 Member
About 3 months ago I was on a depression medicine which caused me to have a substantial weight gain of 18 pounds in one months time, mainly because It made me feel like I was always hungry, and so I ate... a lot. If I had to estimate (because I wasn't counting calories at that time) I would have to say I was probably consuming at least 3000 to 4000 calories a day. Thankfully, I am no longer on the medicine and I am now counting my calories and MFP put me at 1510 a day and I have also been losing weight, but it seems like a drastic drop to me from what I was eating, so while I am trying to stay under my 1510 daily goal, sometimes I still feel as if this is not enough and I'm still hungry which some days causes me to go over by 100-250 calories a day. I'm wondering if I am ever going to feel like I am satisfied on 1500 calories and as I lose weight and my daily allowance drops am I going to have a problem? I see on here where people feel like 1200-1300 calories is a lot of food...why can't I feel that way? Will I ever feel that way? Is this a thing in my mind or is it because I'm consuming so much less food than what I originally was?
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It is only a lot of food if you aren't eating things that are very calorie-dense. A single pop tart does not equal a full pound of nectarines in satiety (both are 200 cal; just an example to show calorie density vs amount of food). So we plan around having larger meals with 'bulking' ingredients. Much larger, for less calorie.2
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You won't necessarily have a lower allowance on a lower weight- you get a calorie target based on your stats and desired weightloss rate. If you pick a slower weightloss rate, you get more food. If you're hungry on 1510, at least don't try to eat below it. You can also track macros, in case you're eating unbalanced.
Hunger is not just a need for sustenance, it's a feeling, and feelings are individual, subjective, habitual, situational.1 -
It is only a lot of food if you aren't eating things that are very calorie-dense. A single pop tart does not equal a full pound of nectarines in satiety (both are 200 cal; just an example to show calorie density vs amount of food). So we plan around having larger meals with 'bulking' ingredients. Much larger, for less calorie.
So does anyone have a list of "bulking" foods? Most of the ones I know of seem to be mainly vegetables for salads, which I really don't mind but also don't want to eat every day.0 -
kommodevaran wrote: »You won't necessarily have a lower allowance on a lower weight- you get a calorie target based on your stats and desired weightloss rate. If you pick a slower weightloss rate, you get more food. If you're hungry on 1510, at least don't try to eat below it. You can also track macros, in case you're eating unbalanced.
Hunger is not just a need for sustenance, it's a feeling, and feelings are individual, subjective, habitual, situational.
I don't know if it's really a feeling of hunger (because I've never went hungry before) as much as it is a feeling of never being full or satisfied. It doesn't seem to matter what I eat, I never feel satisfied unless I am eating comfort foods, i.e. chicken and dumplings, mashed potatoes, chocolate cake...things in which are high in calories which for me would wipe away my calorie allowance in no time since I never feel like the recommended serving is "enough". Starting to think that this is psychological, however I did recently read an article which talks about people who have a condition that causes them to never feel satiated.0 -
Drink a protein smoothie when you get hungry......10 oz almond milk, yogurt, chocolate whey protein and ice in a blender. This will help ease the hunger pain. You are probably right with the psychological part. Celery and carrots also will help keep you full. I recommend 5-6 small meals a day.5
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Drink a protein smoothie when you get hungry......10 oz almond milk, yogurt, chocolate whey protein and ice in a blender. This will help ease the hunger pain. You are probably right with the psychological part. Celery and carrots also will help keep you full. I recommend 5-6 small meals a day.
I've been doing the celery and carrots thing a lot lately, but still find that I don't feel satisfied after. I thought it would help because I could bulk up my diet with low cal foods, but even after eating 8 celery sticks I didn't feel any different than before I started eating them. That's my problem, there is no difference in how I feel after I eat and so most times I keep overeating. That is why I googled to see if other people had the problem of never feeling full. Same thing with almonds, suppose to make you feel full but doesn't for me so I could eat a whole bag of them, because I like them and then I would be over my calorie count in no time because they are high in calories. I bought some whey protein and made me a smoothie,sadly it didn't help.0 -
You shouldn't trust blindly on the numbers MFP gives you as they are very generic. If you ate that much its very likely your metabolism sped up quite a bit, so even on 2000 you might loose weight. I would reccomend trying a higher number and see what happens for a few weeks.2
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You shouldn't trust blindly on the numbers MFP gives you as they are very generic. If you ate that much its very likely your metabolism sped up quite a bit, so even on 2000 you might loose weight. I would reccomend trying a higher number and see what happens for a few weeks.
Would I see a result within a two week period? I was just wondering because I recently changed my calorie intake because I originally was losing 2-3 pounds a week and everyone said I should change it to losing 1 pound a week, so my calorie goal was set at 1510 for that, but since I changed it I haven't seen a weight reduction, but like I said some days I was over by 150-200 calories.0 -
janisseshirley wrote: »
I don't know if it's really a feeling of hunger (because I've never went hungry before) as much as it is a feeling of never being full or satisfied. It doesn't seem to matter what I eat, I never feel satisfied unless I am eating comfort foods, i.e. chicken and dumplings, mashed potatoes, chocolate cake...things in which are high in calories which for me would wipe away my calorie allowance in no time since I never feel like the recommended serving is "enough". Starting to think that this is psychological, however I did recently read an article which talks about people who have a condition that causes them to never feel satiated.kommodevaran wrote: »You won't necessarily have a lower allowance on a lower weight- you get a calorie target based on your stats and desired weightloss rate. If you pick a slower weightloss rate, you get more food. If you're hungry on 1510, at least don't try to eat below it. You can also track macros, in case you're eating unbalanced.
Hunger is not just a need for sustenance, it's a feeling, and feelings are individual, subjective, habitual, situational.
Yes, some of us don't have that certain "I'm full" feeling, and/or we've just ignored it and cleaned the plate. I wouldn't call it a "condition", just excess appetite, a vestigial evolutionary trait. Appetite isn't why we got fat, acting on it, was, and that's why we weigh and portion and log what we eat. Or maybe it's just a question of interpretation - what does "satisfied" really mean? Does it mean "I don't have room for anything more", "I don't want anything more", or just "I don't need more right now"?janisseshirley wrote: »
I've been doing the celery and carrots thing a lot lately, but still find that I don't feel satisfied after. I thought it would help because I could bulk up my diet with low cal foods, but even after eating 8 celery sticks I didn't feel any different than before I started eating them. That's my problem, there is no difference in how I feel after I eat and so most times I keep overeating. That is why I googled to see if other people had the problem of never feeling full. Same thing with almonds, suppose to make you feel full but doesn't for me so I could eat a whole bag of them, because I like them and then I would be over my calorie count in no time because they are high in calories. I bought some whey protein and made me a smoothie,sadly it didn't help.Drink a protein smoothie when you get hungry......10 oz almond milk, yogurt, chocolate whey protein and ice in a blender. This will help ease the hunger pain. You are probably right with the psychological part. Celery and carrots also will help keep you full. I recommend 5-6 small meals a day.
Vegetables and rice cakes may fill your belly, but for lasting satisfaction, you need fat and protein too. A perfectly healthy diet can be both filling and nutritious, but you'll still feel deprived if you long for that special flavor or mouth feel. And even after that chocolate cake, and chips, you might want some ice cream. What makes this a "journey" and a "lifestyle change" and not just a "cookiecutter diet", is the commitment and effort. In order to have permanent change, we will have to immerse ourselves, investigate how to make sustainable changes, priorities, compromises, that are unique to each of us.3 -
How long have you been dieting? Since you can get full on comfort foods, I'd say there's probably nothing medically wrong with you, your body is used to decades of eating a certain way. Unhealthy eating is just another habit, it takes time to kick it. I have trouble feeling full from salads and sweet meals (as in fruits, yogurts, oatmeal, etc., I'll eventually feel like I can't eat any more of them but still feel hungry at the same time), but I did notice that it's been gradually getting better the longer I go. For me it's definitely all in my head, so I'm making a conscious effort to trick my brain into thinking I'm eating the kinds of food that make me sated. Some of the things I do are substituting certain ingredients for healthier, lower cal alternatives, trying to rely on non-stick pans and reduce added fats and oils as much as I can, using smaller plates and eating something I like along with something bulky.
For example you mentioned you like mashed potatoes, you could try replacing the potatoes with cauliflower and see if it works for you. If you use it in cottage pie for example you might notice the difference even less. For chocolate cake, try making black bean brownies (I usually even skip half the chocolate and replace the oil found in many recipes with unsweetened applesauce and the result is still great and very satisfying). If you feel like eating pasta, go ahead but serve the actual pasta in a small bowl with a side of garden salad. It'll help you get your veggies and fiber, bulk up the meal, but you'll still feel like you're eating your comfort foods.
And last but not least, you should probably try to accept that you won't feel full for a while, and you'll crave calorie dense snacks, and you just have to have the willpower to tell yourself no. Eventually you will get somewhat used to it and it won't be so hard anymore, and once you dropped the weight you can up your calorie intake to maintenance, which will be easier to handle. In the meantime just try your best, include some exercise in your routine if your health allows it so you can go a bit above your limit, and adjust your goals if you must. Even if you don't keep to your limit every single day you're still working to lose weight and in the end that's what matters.3 -
Thanks Samybubu. Its good to know I am not alone in feeling this way, and that in time it might change. I am trying hard to trick my brain, just not working for me yet. I have never heard of blackbean brownies, but i think I will look up a recipe for them and try them. Currently I just have a few pieces of 90% chocolate and that seems to help in the chocolate category. I've been making soups and eating them because I get more, but my mind keeps telling me that I am being deprived somehow. I really wish I knew why. Does one talk to a psycologist or a dietician when it comes to food and the mind ( wondering in case this might be pshycological).0
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I have been dieting now for 3 months and have lost 10 pounds so far. The first 6 weeks no weight loss but lost inches around waist and other areas. Then I began losing 2-3 pounds a week and now I am at a stall again.
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Don't worry about the temporary stall. It is temporary. Just stay on your calorie budget. Be certain of your food logging. The scale will eventually confirm your cumulative calorie deficit.2
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Depression medicine that causes severe hunger and weight gain. Oh the story of my teen years. Never understood the point of trying to mask depression at the cost of becoming obese and more depressed. Glad you got off it.
I don't know why the guy saying to drink a protein drink got "Woo'd". They work wonders for hunger and the good ones are only 120-160 calories. I also recommend where he said 5-6 small meals a day instead of the typical 3 medium/large meals. It will make you feel fuller throughout the day.
1500 calories is enough to get pretty much any human being into a healthy weight range. You'd need to be very short and very inactive to be an exception.janisseshirley wrote: »I have been dieting now for 3 months and have lost 10 pounds so far. The first 6 weeks no weight loss but lost inches around waist and other areas. Then I began losing 2-3 pounds a week and now I am at a stall again.
3 months and 10 pounds means you are either close to goal (not much to lose), or you aren't actually eating 1500 calories in my opinion.0 -
Your mind will always keep telling you that you should eat more, try to trick you into feeling sorry for yourself, entitled to a reward, and so on - to make you eat. It's your instinct, necessary for survival, natural, designed to react on food cues. It's just on overdrive, because we're surrounded by food cues, and because of dieting, which is nothing but self-imposed food scarcity. You can't fight your feelings, but you can learn to tolerate them. Maybe you can alter your immediate surroundings, reduce the amount of temptations. Maybe you can build a predictable meal structure. Maybe you can find ways to soothe or entertain yourself without food.janisseshirley wrote: »I've been making soups and eating them because I get more, but my mind keeps telling me that I am being deprived somehow. I really wish I knew why.
Yes, that's what one does, if there is something one can't handle alone, but one also has to do the job oneself. A professional can only teach, guide, support.Does one talk to a psycologist or a dietician when it comes to food and the mind ( wondering in case this might be pshycological).0 -
Depression medicine that causes severe hunger and weight gain. Oh the story of my teen years. Never understood the point of trying to mask depression at the cost of becoming obese and more depressed. Glad you got off it.
I don't know why the guy saying to drink a protein drink got "Woo'd". They work wonders for hunger and the good ones are only 120-160 calories. I also recommend where he said 5-6 small meals a day instead of the typical 3 medium/large meals. It will make you feel fuller throughout the day.
1500 calories is enough to get pretty much any human being into a healthy weight range. You'd need to be very short and very inactive to be an exception.janisseshirley wrote: »I have been dieting now for 3 months and have lost 10 pounds so far. The first 6 weeks no weight loss but lost inches around waist and other areas. Then I began losing 2-3 pounds a week and now I am at a stall again.
3 months and 10 pounds means you are either close to goal (not much to lose), or you aren't actually eating 1500 calories in my opinion.
Not near close to goal. I have 60 more pounds to lose. I had switched my calorie intake from 1350 to 1510 because I was having headaches. Everyone kept saying that 2 pounds a week was too aggressive and that I also probably wasn't eating enough, so I went to a 1 pound week loss and 1510 calories. Like I said earlier, some days I am 100-250 calories over, but I also use the MFP calorie counter and look up the calories, which could be off.0 -
kommodevaran wrote: »
Your mind will always keep telling you that you should eat more, try to trick you into feeling sorry for yourself, entitled to a reward, and so on - to make you eat. It's your instinct, necessary for survival, natural, designed to react on food cues. It's just on overdrive, because we're surrounded by food cues, and because of dieting, which is nothing but self-imposed food scarcity. You can't fight your feelings, but you can learn to tolerate them. Maybe you can alter your immediate surroundings, reduce the amount of temptations. Maybe you can build a predictable meal structure. Maybe you can find ways to soothe or entertain yourself without food.janisseshirley wrote: »I've been making soups and eating them because I get more, but my mind keeps telling me that I am being deprived somehow. I really wish I knew why.
Yes, that's what one does, if there is something one can't handle alone, but one also has to do the job oneself. A professional can only teach, guide, support.Does one talk to a psycologist or a dietician when it comes to food and the mind ( wondering in case this might be pshycological).
It doesn't help at all that I work in a grocery store as a cashier and therefore I am around food all day long. I don't buy my lunch there though, I pack it. It kind of makes it hard to not think about food.3 -
janisseshirley wrote: »It is only a lot of food if you aren't eating things that are very calorie-dense. A single pop tart does not equal a full pound of nectarines in satiety (both are 200 cal; just an example to show calorie density vs amount of food). So we plan around having larger meals with 'bulking' ingredients. Much larger, for less calorie.
So does anyone have a list of "bulking" foods? Most of the ones I know of seem to be mainly vegetables for salads, which I really don't mind but also don't want to eat every day.
Pretty much any lower-cal veg you can throw in. I'd still recommend weighing them, but they REALLY up your amount of food for few calories. Works especially well if you sub out something else for them instead. A few other things you can do to get more 'bang for your calorie buck' is go with chicken breast instead of beef, use cauliflower instead of rice, cooking spray instead of oil, leafy green wrap instead of bread, etc.
I *kitten* love food in leafy green wraps. I love the roughage of the raw greens, so I don't blanch them or anything, either. Kale, collard greens, mustard green, lettuce, cabbage, UNF. Wrap up some deli meat or grilled chicken, thin-sliced cheese (or light sprinkle of shredded), light mayo or drizzle of vinaigrette inside, tomato... If I'm feelin' fancy, maybe I'll add some sprouts, mushroom grilled onion... I'm hungry now.
My choices for extra veg when cooking meals, to help bulk the size of the meal:
Carrots, zucchini, onion, bell pepper, tomato, green beans, button mushroom (shiitake is high cal, be warned), broccoli, asparagus, cabbage... Radishes can make a good sub for potatoes in a stew, by the way! A little off, but fairly close in how it breaks down in your mouth. I'll occasionally do half radish/half potato.
(Sorry it took me so long to respond, errands. Now cleaning.)1 -
Activity is the only way I don't feel completely deprived. Yes, calories go down as you lose weight, but you have more energy and it's easier to move more too. Also, I never picked the '1.5 lb a week' setting, just 1 lb, so I didn't feel too deprived (although I did lose 1.5 lb a week at times).
Unfortunately, you have to make better choices - more protein, more veggies, more fiber. It really helps to figure out ways to make things you love with less calories too (mashed potatoes - I can make a satisfying serving for 160 calories by using chicken broth and light sour cream instead of butter and cream, for example). And it really helps to have a good balance at every meal - for me it includes carbs too.
About your question though - I've been in maintenance for 3 years now and I ended up gaining some weight back, because for me, the feeling never went away (and I'm always hungry except maybe one week a month). The only reason I only gained back 15 lbs is because I try very hard to get 15k steps a day - eating less than 1800 calories is just not doable for me, and I still can't waste calories on 1800. Probably doesn't help that I just really don't care for veggies either.1 -
janisseshirley wrote: »I'm wondering if I am ever going to feel like I am satisfied on 1500 calories and as I lose weight and my daily allowance drops am I going to have a problem? I see on here where people feel like 1200-1300 calories is a lot of food...why can't I feel that way? Will I ever feel that way? Is this a thing in my mind or is it because I'm consuming so much less food than what I originally was?
If I read your post right, you’ve cut your intake about in half, at least for some days. Gotta be a shock.
Deal with what’s in front of you and don’t worry about the future. Don’t let your brain undermine you by saying it’s hopeless down the road.
Try not to compare yourself to others. Don’t let what others say they are doing influence what you do. You need to be the expert on you and weight loss.
I’ve been maintaining 11 years. I’m amazed at how much I eat in a day. No, I don’t exercise a lot, I’d describe my activity as moderate. I’m 67.
I think my strategy tends to be low fat and volume. With this caveat, if I don’t get sufficient dietary fat, I don’t feel satisfied. Not suggesting you need to get all the way into it, but maybe you should look at your macros.
Things I find helpful are oatmeal, apples, broccoli, broccoli slaw, eggs, egg whites, grilled fish and chicken breast, protein pasta, olive and canola oil, LF ice cream. The ice cream is my defense against feeling deprived. I also snack on a few nuts, (watch out), protein bars ( usually cut in half), fresh fruit, rarely banana. When I was in losing mode I ate 3 meals, and 4 snacks, I tried to not let myself get too hungry.
Keep your food diary as if everything depends on it. Good days, and days that could be better, log them all. The process is more important than the numbers. Know this- eating in a moderate calorie deficit monitored with a food diary will work. And if you can accept some reasonable limits, you can live with it. If your plan doesn’t work for a particular day or situation, make a better plan next time. Keep problem solving. If you are miserable in your pursuit of weight loss, you can either change your plan or change your mind.
It’s all doable and you can do it. Good luck.
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I am one of those people who will bargain with my calorie allotment in order to fit in as much comfort food as I can get, lol (an insatiable sweet tooth here). For me, I think the key to not feeling deprived is to NOT deprive myself at all - just reel in my sweet tooth a little bit. I am eating between 1450 and 1660 calories per day (depending on activity level), losing about .5 lbs per week, and I eat dessert every.single.day. If I know I get my comforting sweet treat at the end of the day, it makes it so much easier for me to stay on track.
The bulky food that helps me feel satisfied until said dessert is leafy greens - and lots of them - spinach in particular. I do scrambled egg whites every morning and throw in a handful of spinach. My lunch-time salad is mostly spinach and other veggies. When in doubt with dinner, I add spinach. It's easy and fairly cheap to buy a big bag of pre-washed spinach and have it handy to throw into everything.
I also do the celery and carrots trick, BUT I need something to dip them in - can't do them plain. So I whip up a batch of homemade dip at the beginning of every week, made of Knorr vegetable soup mix, greek yogurt, and a couple of tbsps of mayo for tang. It's healthy (yogurt!!), and for 4 oz., it's only a 110 calories! Hummus is also a good dip for the veggies - the chickpeas have a good dose of protein, which helps with feeling full.
I'm also a big fan of low-fat cottage cheese. When I am feeling the tummy grumbles, a serving of low-fat cottage cheese (only 90 calories for a half a cup) seems to get my mind off food.
And after all of that, I get my sweet treat at the end of the day - a 100 calorie serving of full fat ice cream and a homemade chocolate chip cookie (just under 200 calories total for dessert) is my current favorite :-)1
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