Huge appetite

I have a very big appetite especially for me to be a woman I can eat a lot. Only time I can eat not so much is when I eat pasta it fills me up fast. I need help on how to help my hunger.

Replies

  • kommodevaran
    kommodevaran Posts: 17,890 Member
    Is it hunger or appetite? Are you eating enough, or are underweight/losing weight/weak/sick?
  • Perhaps consider planning meals around foods that are higher on the Satiety Index (link)

    TLDR; potatoes, fish, oatmeal, oranges, apples, pasta, beef, beans

    TLDR+; adding a leafy green vegetable to your meals also helps you feel fuller and will help you obtain micronutrients your body needs, which can also help you feel satisfied.
  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member
    Perhaps consider planning meals around foods that are higher on the Satiety Index (link)

    TLDR; potatoes, fish, oatmeal, oranges, apples, pasta, beef, beans

    TLDR+; adding a leafy green vegetable to your meals also helps you feel fuller and will help you obtain micronutrients your body needs, which can also help you feel satisfied.

    interesting, apples and porridge do nothing to keep me full.
  • KiJoe
    KiJoe Posts: 7 Member
    Nope I’m over weight but I can eat a lot and do eat a lot
  • kommodevaran
    kommodevaran Posts: 17,890 Member
    Okay, then you just have to eat less, and maybe better, and accept that you have a healthy appetite.
  • kimothyschma
    kimothyschma Posts: 209 Member
    Funny, because I could eat plates of pasta and never feel full. OP, you have to try different foods and food combinations to see what makes you satisfied. It really is different for everyone. Some people are more satiated by carbs, some by fat. I think more might be sated by protein. This is assuming your calorie goal is appropriate. If it's too low, you will feel hungry no matter what foods you eat.
  • TribeHokie
    TribeHokie Posts: 711 Member
    I can eat a massive salad and not feel full or will be hungry an hour or two later. I figured out some foods that I can either include in the meal or snack on after that help me not feel like I'm starving. Specifically, a serving of whole grain bread or cheese or greek yogurt.
  • KiJoe
    KiJoe Posts: 7 Member
    Thanks for all the help!
  • FL_Hiker
    FL_Hiker Posts: 919 Member
    It is different for every one but for me protein makes me feel full! My favorite is 0% fat dannon fit & active vanilla greek yogurt, so yummy low cal and high protein !! :)
  • admaarie
    admaarie Posts: 4,297 Member
    I find myself more full when I have a balance of all three macros (carbs, protein, fats) so meals such as chilli where I have beans, chicken/turkey, etc help keep me full for around 2-3 hours.
    Also, I have larger meals in order to keep feeling full. So soup and a sandwich is more filling than just having the soup or the sandwich. Potatoes, chicken/fish bulk up on lots of veggies cuz they’re low cal and help with my fullness, drinking lots of water and tea as well!
    But my go to for fruits are:
    Bananas, apples, pears and peaches
    Veggies:
    Carrots, lettuce/spinach, peppers, broccoli, peas and green beans
    All beans/lentils
    Chicken/fish
    Also protein bars, Greek yogurt and cottage cheese help as well when I still feel hungry
  • DaintyWhisper
    DaintyWhisper Posts: 221 Member
    edited September 2018
    I also have a large appetite and like feeling full.. What works for me is eating a big portion of my calories in one meal. I generally have 1900 calories for my day and will eat about 500-700 of those calories throughout the day. I save the rest for dinner and enjoy a big, filling meal. I found that this method works best for me personally! You may have to go through some trial and error, but find what works for you and your schedule!
  • strongwouldbenice
    strongwouldbenice Posts: 153 Member
    IMHO You need to understand the difference between what your body wants and what it actually needs.

    It's easy to become accustom to always feeling full and, if your not, to immediately confuse this with hunger and start snacking/eating.

    By all means make it easy on yourself by eating high satiety foods but also learn to understand what your body needs and eat to that level.

    It honestly doesn't take long.

    Good luck.

    This. It took me a while to understand that just because I can eat more doesn't mean I'm still hungry. Learning to appreciate the feeling of being satisfied with food is a really good lesson, and will come with time when you're tracking and know for sure that your body is getting adequate calories and nutrition.
  • rosebarnalice
    rosebarnalice Posts: 3,488 Member
    I like soup because the water content fills me up without adding lots of calories.

    I'll make soup out of just about every kind of veggie that there is using either tomato or veggie stock as my base. It's more filling than a salad made from the same veggies!

    Following on to what some others have said, I also really had to work hard to learn the difference between between actually feeling satiated (e.g., "not hungry") and being "so-full-that-I-just-can't-possibly-eat-another-bite."

    Truth is, a lot of time when I said to myself "I'm still hungry" it was a lie and what I really meant was "I have not gorged myself to the point of being absolutely stuffed."

    Now, I don't have to stuff myself to the point of discomfort to feel "full" because I have redefined in my head (not my stomach, but my head!) what "full" means.
  • Millicent3015
    Millicent3015 Posts: 374 Member
    KiJoe wrote: »
    I have a very big appetite especially for me to be a woman I can eat a lot. Only time I can eat not so much is when I eat pasta it fills me up fast. I need help on how to help my hunger.

    Is it hunger or craving? Do you mistake thirst for hunger? Are you getting enough fluids? Do you allow yourself to feel hungry, or do you have a fear of a rumbling tummy? You have to start somewhere if you want to start losing weight. You could try eating more vegetables and proteins with your pasta, and use beans and pulses in other meals. A little bit more fruit might keep you full between meals, too. You could also try some high protein shakes to see if they fill you up or keep you fuller for longer. Your stomach will adjust to smaller portions if you decide to cut down, or have a few smaller meals throughout the day rather than two or three large ones.
  • KiJoe
    KiJoe Posts: 7 Member
    KiJoe wrote: »
    I have a very big appetite especially for me to be a woman I can eat a lot. Only time I can eat not so much is when I eat pasta it fills me up fast. I need help on how to help my hunger.

    Is it hunger or craving? Do you mistake thirst for hunger? Are you getting enough fluids? Do you allow yourself to feel hungry, or do you have a fear of a rumbling tummy? You have to start somewhere if you want to start losing weight. You could try eating more vegetables and proteins with your pasta, and use beans and pulses in other meals. A little bit more fruit might keep you full between meals, too. You could also try some high protein shakes to see if they fill you up or keep you fuller for longer. Your stomach will adjust to smaller portions if you decide to cut down, or have a few smaller meals throughout the day rather than two or three large ones.
    KiJoe wrote: »
    I have a very big appetite especially for me to be a woman I can eat a lot. Only time I can eat not so much is when I eat pasta it fills me up fast. I need help on how to help my hunger.

    Is it hunger or craving? Do you mistake thirst for hunger? Are you getting enough fluids? Do you allow yourself to feel hungry, or do you have a fear of a rumbling tummy? You have to start somewhere if you want to start losing weight. You could try eating more vegetables and proteins with your pasta, and use beans and pulses in other meals. A little bit more fruit might keep you full between meals, too. You could also try some high protein shakes to see if they fill you up or keep you fuller for longer. Your stomach will adjust to smaller portions if you decide to cut down, or have a few smaller meals throughout the day rather than two or three large ones.
    KiJoe wrote: »
    I have a very big appetite especially for me to be a woman I can eat a lot. Only time I can eat not so much is when I eat pasta it fills me up fast. I need help on how to help my hunger.

    Is it hunger or craving? Do you mistake thirst for hunger? Are you getting enough fluids? Do you allow yourself to feel hungry, or do you have a fear of a rumbling tummy? You have to start somewhere if you want to start losing weight. You could try eating more vegetables and proteins with your pasta, and use beans and pulses in other meals. A little bit more fruit might keep you full between meals, too. You could also try some high protein shakes to see if they fill you up or keep you fuller for longer. Your stomach will adjust to smaller portions if you decide to cut down, or have a few smaller meals throughout the day rather than two or three large ones.

    I drink plenty of water I carry my gallon around with me wherever I go.
  • bioklutz
    bioklutz Posts: 1,365 Member
    I have a pretty big appetite too. I just solve that by adding a large volume of low calorie foods to my meal. Broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, green beans, cucumber, bell pepper, tomatoes, zucchini, watermelon, strawberries, cantaloupe, honeydew melon are some low calorie fruits and veggies that can be eaten in large volumes without adding many calories to a meal.

    Last night I had a chicken sandwich and filled my plate with broccoli. Or I have had a bowl of chili and added a pound of cauliflower to it.

    Here is a link to the volume eater thread that @psychod787 mentioned: https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10563959/volume-eaters-thread/p1
  • HoneyBadger302
    HoneyBadger302 Posts: 2,070 Member
    Lots of different ways of approaching it. I have always had a big appetite, and most of my life, that was just fine as I had active jobs and stayed busy. Got a desk job and started sitting around more and more and didn't adjust my eating.

    My "body" was used to eating, and I had learned to hate the feeling of being hungry (still do, TBH). I found an eating plan that works for me, and lets me enjoy a nice, full, "real" meal each day while keeping myself in a deficit.

    Figure out what works for you. What foods satisfy you, what works, and learn to be okay with being hungry (it sucks, can't lie, but it gets way easier to deal with). I think of my hungry-cues as my chance to really be losing weight (no scientific backing for that, just helps me get through it until mealtime).

    Plan your meals, too, so you have a good reason to wait knowing what you get to eat at x time.