Hunger Pains
DestinyGEC
Posts: 3 Member
The biggest problem I've noticed having when trying to lose weight, is fighting hunger pains. It might only be day one, but I have had them twice today and it's only 2:30pm. I've taken in about 1200cal, and have 800 left to go, which I plan to splurge on at dinner, because I live with a very picky eater. I'm just having a hard time keeping these pains away, and I'm curious to know if they are something else entirely apposed to hunger. Is it dehydration? I don't normally feel this way when I am, and I've had two glasses of water today. (I don't drink a lot in the first place)
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Replies
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2 glasses of water is not enough.
You shouldn't be having hunger pangs on 2000 cals, do you eat a lot of carbs?3 -
I agree with upping the water, I've been fasting and I drink water and they go away, and for what it's worth I am absolutely not trying to be a jerk at all, but I think it's hunger pangs not pains, just a friendly fyi
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Drinking electrolyte solution can help. But, in the end, distracting yourself is the best remedy. Your body is designed to shelve hunger when there are other things to attend to. For me, even a brief cardio session staves off hunger for hours.3
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drink water and lots of it. hunger comes in waves but your body will adapt over time be-aware if you feed it every 2 hours it will expect to be fed every 2 hours. the harsh truth is unless your going long periods (16-72 hours) without food your not really hungry. hope this helps11
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Day one is always hard. Don’t stress if you go over your calories today. Just log it all in and use the data as a tool to replace higher calorie items with lower calorie items on future days. I consider the first few days part of the research process. It takes time to find what works for you.7
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evilsmudge wrote: »drink water and lots of it. hunger comes in waves but your body will adapt over time be-aware if you feed it every 2 hours it will expect to be fed every 2 hours. the harsh truth is unless your going long periods (16-72 hours) without food your not really hungry. hope this helps
Unless a person goes 3 days without food, they're not really hungry?
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People often find themselves feeling hungry the first couple of weeks of calorie restriction. I would say consider if your weekly weight loss goal is too aggressive, but if you've been given 2000 calories, that doesn't seem likely. As others have said, you may need to swap out some of your choices for more filling things & increase fluids. Some people benefit by delaying breakfast or skipping it altogether (intermittent fasting), but since it's only your first day, I wouldn't draw any conclusions just yet.
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72 hours is harsh lol, but technically around the time the body goes in starvation mode.evilsmudge wrote: »drink water and lots of it. hunger comes in waves but your body will adapt over time be-aware if you feed it every 2 hours it will expect to be fed every 2 hours. the harsh truth is unless your going long periods (16-72 hours) without food your not really hungry. hope this helps
Unless a person goes 3 days without food, they're not really hungry?21 -
evilsmudge wrote: »
72 hours is harsh lol, but technically around the time the body goes in starvation mode.evilsmudge wrote: »drink water and lots of it. hunger comes in waves but your body will adapt over time be-aware if you feed it every 2 hours it will expect to be fed every 2 hours. the harsh truth is unless your going long periods (16-72 hours) without food your not really hungry. hope this helps
Unless a person goes 3 days without food, they're not really hungry?
'Starvation mode' which isn't a thing, you mean?12 -
evilsmudge wrote: »
72 hours is harsh lol, but technically around the time the body goes in starvation mode.evilsmudge wrote: »drink water and lots of it. hunger comes in waves but your body will adapt over time be-aware if you feed it every 2 hours it will expect to be fed every 2 hours. the harsh truth is unless your going long periods (16-72 hours) without food your not really hungry. hope this helps
Unless a person goes 3 days without food, they're not really hungry?
I've fasted for 72 hours, there was no starvation mode.8 -
DestinyGEC wrote: »The biggest problem I've noticed having when trying to lose weight, is fighting hunger pains. It might only be day one, but I have had them twice today and it's only 2:30pm. I've taken in about 1200cal, and have 800 left to go, which I plan to splurge on at dinner, because I live with a very picky eater. I'm just having a hard time keeping these pains away, and I'm curious to know if they are something else entirely apposed to hunger. Is it dehydration? I don't normally feel this way when I am, and I've had two glasses of water today. (I don't drink a lot in the first place)
Try changing up your meal timing.
The sooner I eat, the sooner my "hunger" for the day gets going. If I eat as soon as I get up, I get hungry again earlier. I'm normally not hungry first thing in the morning. So, I push breakfast back until 10:00 or so. Lunch around 1:00, snack about 3:00, dinner about 7:00 with plenty of calories to eat (about 800-1000).3 -
As other posters have said, you need to hydrate more. Your body needs water to function properly including digestion and brain activity. When you drink water before or during meals, it also makes you feel full much quicker.
Personally, I find that hunger pangs are a signal that I'm hungry so I eat. I normally eat 3 meals a day, plus snacks and still manage to stay under around 1800 calories. When I feel hungry between meals, I eat something. I don't have a full meal, just a little snack. You'd be surprised that a couple carrots with some hummus or a celery stalk with a teaspoon of peanut butter will satisfy for minimal calories. Be thoughtful about what you're eating and you can actually eat quite a lot.
It's also a bit of a brain game. If you're never used to actually being hungry then hunger pangs are a new experience. Many overweight people never allow themselves to get there because they are eating huge meals and having another one before the first one is fully digested. As I've been changing my way of eating for the past several years I recognized this in myself. You can begin to see the hunger pangs as a sign that your body is functioning as it should and relish (if not enjoy) the experience.
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Agree with being easy on yourself at first, and paying attention to see what causes you to feel more hungry or less hungry.
We can feel hungry not only because of actual need for calories, but also because of habit, stress, boredom, insufficient sleep, sub-optimal food choices, under-hydration, sub-optimal nutritional balance, and more. Try to figure out which is which, and deal with the non-food ones (habit, boredom, stress, sleep, hydration) in some way other than food.
Different people find different macronutrients (protein, fat, carbs) filling and satiating. Protein and fats are the most common satiators, but some people need carbs to feel full - often complex carbs like potatoes or grains, but not always. Other people get more cravings when they eat more carbs. We each have to experiment with our macros to figure it out. For some people, specific foods are necessary for satiation. Some common ones are things like veggies, oatmeal, apples, etc. Use your food log and daily experience to see what you've eaten when you feel more hungry or less hungry.
Some people find that high-volume foods are filling and satiating, even if they're low calorie. Some veggies are a good example of this, but there are other high-volume low-cal foods to try, like protein fluff. There's a volume eaters thread in the Food & Nutrition part of the forum that you can take a look at, if volume sounds good:
https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10563959/volume-eaters-thread
Another thing that can make a difference is timing of eating: 3 meals, 5 meals, one meal, snacks or not, which meal is biggest, that sort of thing. Again, no way to know except by experimenting, because it's very individual.
Some people feel more hungry when they exercise. Some feel less hungry when they exercise. For some people, the type of exercise makes a difference (say, hungry after running, but less hungry after weight training . . . or vice-versa). This is another thing to experiment with.
Sometimes, even things on the previous day seem to trigger hunger today, so think about that possibility as well.
What you're fundamentally trying to do is find a way of going through your day on fewer calories that works for you as an individual. We can give you ideas about what the variables may be, but since it's very individual, it'll require some thought and experimentation from you, for best results.
Best wishes!
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Grimmerick wrote: »evilsmudge wrote: »
72 hours is harsh lol, but technically around the time the body goes in starvation mode.evilsmudge wrote: »drink water and lots of it. hunger comes in waves but your body will adapt over time be-aware if you feed it every 2 hours it will expect to be fed every 2 hours. the harsh truth is unless your going long periods (16-72 hours) without food your not really hungry. hope this helps
Unless a person goes 3 days without food, they're not really hungry?
most likely a bad choice of words on my behalf, but i always thought that after several days of fasting, all cells in the body begin to break down protein. This releases amino acids into the bloodstream, which can be converted into glucose by the liver. Since much of our muscle mass is protein, this is responsible for the wasting away of muscle mass seen in starvation.1 -
evilsmudge wrote: »Grimmerick wrote: »evilsmudge wrote: »
72 hours is harsh lol, but technically around the time the body goes in starvation mode.evilsmudge wrote: »drink water and lots of it. hunger comes in waves but your body will adapt over time be-aware if you feed it every 2 hours it will expect to be fed every 2 hours. the harsh truth is unless your going long periods (16-72 hours) without food your not really hungry. hope this helps
Unless a person goes 3 days without food, they're not really hungry?
most likely a bad choice of words on my behalf, but i always thought that after several days of fasting, all cells in the body begin to break down protein. This releases amino acids into the bloodstream, which can be converted into glucose by the liver. Since much of our muscle mass is protein, this is responsible for the wasting away of muscle mass seen in starvation.
Umm I'm not sure why it says that I wrote the above quote, I think maybe you typed a little out of whack, no bigs, From what I have seen the definition of "starvation mode" is when your body starts burning less calories to conserve energy, which is not true. Hmm maybe my mfp is wonky because now it says that I wrote your quote.....weird.2 -
If I don't drink enough water I'm straving up your water.1
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MixedbarbieMOM1991 wrote: »If I don't drink enough water I'm straving up your water.
HUH? What does this mean?
It means people can't be bothered with spelling & punctuation on their phones. 5 -
DestinyGEC wrote: »The biggest problem I've noticed having when trying to lose weight, is fighting hunger pains. It might only be day one, but I have had them twice today and it's only 2:30pm. I've taken in about 1200cal, and have 800 left to go, which I plan to splurge on at dinner, because I live with a very picky eater. I'm just having a hard time keeping these pains away, and I'm curious to know if they are something else entirely apposed to hunger. Is it dehydration? I don't normally feel this way when I am, and I've had two glasses of water today. (I don't drink a lot in the first place)
2,000 cals should be plenty to keep you full throughout the day. I get hunger pains on prep, but I intake 1,400 and do 2-hours of lifts plus an hour of cardio some days. I usually quell them by drinking sparkling water or a Zevia cola because it's 0 cals and makes your stomach feel full. Definitely up your water, but the pains you're feeling don't really sound like hunger pain.0 -
You're doing better than me with 2 glasses of water. I'm alot worse. I literally have 3 drinks a day. Tea, juice and juice. Before it was a tea and diet coke. That sounds bad but for me that is pretty good. As before I ended up with kidney stones but drinking less than a cup of water per day. I find it so hard to drink when I'm not thirsty 1
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LynseyJane90 wrote: »You're doing better than me with 2 glasses of water. I'm alot worse. I literally have 3 drinks a day. Tea, juice and juice. Before it was a tea and diet coke. That sounds bad but for me that is pretty good. As before I ended up with kidney stones but drinking less than a cup of water per day. I find it so hard to drink when I'm not thirsty
you aren't 'not thirsty' you just don't recognise what thirst is.
there is nothing wrong with tea or diet coke by the way... its certainly better than nothing.2 -
I agree with everybody as far as the water is concerned, especially when you think you’re hungry and have a glass of water to truly know if you are, also having a glass of water half an hour before your meal. I have lost 150 pounds and a couple of my key things that helped me was when I felt hungry was I would take an antacid like tums. This would settle stomach acids and gave me a true feeling of whether I was actually hungry or not. I also did not drink any fluids with my meals Or within 40 minutes of eating, so that I would stay full longer.
Thought I would share maybe it will help you.
Good luck to you all4 -
DestinyGEC wrote: »The biggest problem I've noticed having when trying to lose weight, is fighting hunger pains. It might only be day one, but I have had them twice today and it's only 2:30pm. I've taken in about 1200cal, and have 800 left to go, which I plan to splurge on at dinner, because I live with a very picky eater. I'm just having a hard time keeping these pains away, and I'm curious to know if they are something else entirely apposed to hunger. Is it dehydration? I don't normally feel this way when I am, and I've had two glasses of water today. (I don't drink a lot in the first place)
I don't have any advice to give, but I can share what I've been through while losing 100+lbs.
Hunger was a problem for me too, in the beginning.
I had a very unhealthy relationship with the experience of hunger: I had avoided that 'hungry' feeling for so long that I actually started to fear feeling it.
And, if I felt hungry... look out! All I could think about was when I could shove something into my mouth next to make that scary feeling (a.k.a. 'hunger') go away. I was usually very irritable too until I got my food. (I laugh--and cringe--when I remember that.)
So, in order to get past my hunger problem,
I had to become more accepting and tolerant of the feeling of hunger---instead of always 'fighting' it.
At first I didn't believe I could become okay with my hunger, but it really did get much easier with practice.
It wasn't easy, I had to continually remind myself throughout the day(s) that:
a) I was not truly starving - I was getting an adequate amount calories.
b) feeling hungry is not that scary and I would not die if I didn't eat until my next meal.
c) after few weeks of tolerating my hunger, I would begin to notice it less and less.
These days, I still occasionally feel hungry, but the hunger doesn't have the impact on me that it did in the past.
I don't fear feeling hungry anymore.
Those times when I do feel hungry, I can now mentally dismiss that feeling and get on with my day without needing extra/unnecessary food and calories to get by.
And, I agree with a lot of the suggestions already made in this thread with regard to trying to ease the hunger pangs.
They don't all work for all people, but could work and might be worth a try.
Good on you for trying! Hang in there.4 -
walk a mile bthen eat an ounce of nuts0
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MixedbarbieMOM1991 wrote: »If I don't drink enough water I'm straving up your water.
Commas are important.
Meanwhile, she's not wrong. The body gives the same cues for thirst as hunger, and we tend to only recognize it as hunger and so we reach for the snacks. It's probably how we all ended up on MFP counting calories in the first place. If you're eating filling foods and you have hunger pangs, try water and give it some time and see if you're still hungry.0 -
Cut out the sugars and carbs. You can eat as many veggies as you want without increasing your calorie count much, and you will be able to fill yourself up.
I find that it's the sugars and carbs that leave me wanting more. Everyone is different, you'll have to find the right balance for you, and be willing to make some serious commitments to your goals, even if you have to reevaluate what that goal is.
I believe that the body is a whiner, I say, "so what...!" to hunger pangs, it doesn't mean there is something wrong that needs to be fixed. I don't dwell on it, I get a drink and move one. I know that there will be another meal soon, so remind your brain that you are not going to starve.
Good luck!8 -
Cschwarze45 wrote: »Cut out the sugars and carbs. You can eat as many veggies as you want without increasing your calorie count much, and you will be able to fill yourself up.
I find that it's the sugars and carbs that leave me wanting more. Everyone is different, you'll have to find the right balance for you, and be willing to make some serious commitments to your goals, even if you have to reevaluate what that goal is.
I believe that the body is a whiner, I say, "so what...!" to hunger pangs, it doesn't mean there is something wrong that needs to be fixed. I don't dwell on it, I get a drink and move one. I know that there will be another meal soon, so remind your brain that you are not going to starve.
Good luck!
veggies ARE carbs.3 -
Lots of protein and lemon water. That helps me.0
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Not all veggies or carbs are equalCharlieBeansmomTracey wrote: »Cschwarze45 wrote: »Cut out the sugars and carbs. You can eat as many veggies as you want without increasing your calorie count much, and you will be able to fill yourself up.
I find that it's the sugars and carbs that leave me wanting more. Everyone is different, you'll have to find the right balance for you, and be willing to make some serious commitments to your goals, even if you have to reevaluate what that goal is.
veggies ARE carbs.
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Not all veggies or carbs are equalCharlieBeansmomTracey wrote: »Cschwarze45 wrote: »Cut out the sugars and carbs. You can eat as many veggies as you want without increasing your calorie count much, and you will be able to fill yourself up.
I find that it's the sugars and carbs that leave me wanting more. Everyone is different, you'll have to find the right balance for you, and be willing to make some serious commitments to your goals, even if you have to reevaluate what that goal is.
veggies ARE carbs.
I can eat 3 bowls of cereal and be hungry 30 mins later. If I ate 3 bowls of broccoli that definitely would not happen.
Depends on the person, but for me grains are basically just throwing calories away, which is why I plan my meals packed with protein and fiber from veggies and then leftover calories are allotted to couscous and barley usually.0 -
Not all veggies or carbs are equalCharlieBeansmomTracey wrote: »Cschwarze45 wrote: »Cut out the sugars and carbs. You can eat as many veggies as you want without increasing your calorie count much, and you will be able to fill yourself up.
I find that it's the sugars and carbs that leave me wanting more. Everyone is different, you'll have to find the right balance for you, and be willing to make some serious commitments to your goals, even if you have to reevaluate what that goal is.
veggies ARE carbs.
what do you mean by not all veggies or carbs are equal? a calorie is a calorie. the nutrient/vitamin profiles of course will be different but 100 calories of broccoli and 100 calories of carrots will still be 100 calories. the carb contents for both are low,and the calorie counts for 100g of each is close by only 7 or so calories. now if you compare says broccoli to a candy bar of course there is going be a difference. the candy bar will have more fat of course and probably no fiber,and not have the vitamins or minerals the broccoli will have.
veggies are not filling for everyone though. I can eat a lot of veggies and still not be full and be hungry 15 min later. which is why some people do keto because for them fat is more satiating. some its protein. so its a mix of all macros
when it comes to hunger people need to find what fills them up whether it be fat,protein,fiber,carbs or a combo3
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