How do you curb your hunger?

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Rainewind
Rainewind Posts: 3
in Introduce Yourself
i am on day 4 and doing okay, but after work I am very hungry. How are you getting through the hunger without eating too many calories? I am eating 1200 a day and working out every other day.
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Replies

  • ConnieSG
    ConnieSG Posts: 376
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    I too am on a 1200 calorie diet and my personal trainer gave me these ideas. I hope they help!!

    1. Almonds and other nuts (not salted or smoked)
    2. Beans and other legumes (not refried or baked)
    3. Spinach and other green vegetables (not fried and try not to use cheese) *my suggestion if you need flavor use different spices and no calorie butter spray
    4.Instant oatmeal (quaker weight loss is the best option. try to avoid cereals with added sugars and high fructose corn syrup)
    5. Eggs
    6. Turkey and other lean meats (refrain from sausage, bacon, cured meats, ham, fatty cuts of steak--high sodium high in fat)
    7.Natural PB (by serving- too much pb can lead to high in fat)
    8. Whole grain breads and cereals (Stay away from processed bakery products like white bread, bagels, and doughnuts) *make sure its 100% whole wheat, also light is preferable!
    9. Olive oil (try to stay away from vegetable and hydrogenated vegetable oils, trans fatty acids, margarine)
    10. Whey protein
    11.Rasberries and other berries
    12. Celery and pickles (great snacks)
  • morkiemama
    morkiemama Posts: 894 Member
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    Veggies are a great way to beat hunger with low calories. :)

    Edit: I like cucumbers for snacking! :D
  • morkiemama
    morkiemama Posts: 894 Member
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    Oh and reduced fat cheese sticks are a staple for me too.

    Edit: Look for "made with 2% milk" instead of the whole milk. That assures you it is probably still cheese and NOT plastic/chemicals. :P I like Sargento!
  • CelticChick2011
    CelticChick2011 Posts: 11
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    PROTEIN is your friend!!! LOTS of protein and fresh veggies/fruits will keep you full for hours. I eat about 1200 cals a day (not that I'm counting really because I'm on Paleo) and I'm never starving. No bread, no dairy, no pasta, no sugar...and it WORKS.
  • Jycooper
    Jycooper Posts: 195
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    increase your fiber and protein
  • XFitMojoMom
    XFitMojoMom Posts: 3,255 Member
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    water log myself
    mint tea
    or I just brush my teeth - I don't want to eat after flossing and cleaning my mouth.
  • ejhayes
    ejhayes Posts: 44 Member
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    It has taken me a little while to get used to it, but I finally can say that it's getting a little bit easier. At the beginning I was always hungry and I suggest you follow the suggestions that Connie's trainer gave her, they are excellent. I also chew gum sometimes and makes me forget that I'm hungry. Hope this helps
  • PoeRaven
    PoeRaven Posts: 433 Member
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    Divide your meals throughout the day instead of eating 3 meals, eat 6 small meals. This will keep you from getting hungry and boost your metabolism so your body will use the food more efficiently..
    have healthy low carb snacks handy for those times you just HAVE to have something. Also, drink plenty of plain water. Sometimes when you think you're hungry, you're actually thirsty.
    The main thing is to not get hungry.

    Good luck to ya!
  • shellybarbal
    shellybarbal Posts: 42
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    Make sure you are drinking enough water. Almonds are a great snack. Also, low-cal soup is very filling and also satisfying because it is warm. Steamed veggies are also great.
  • agthorn
    agthorn Posts: 1,844 Member
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    Can't see your diary, but if your goal is 1200 and you're only trying to lose 20 lbs, you should be eating your exercise calories back - especially if you're hungry. MFP builds your deficit in the calorie goal, so eating enough to meet your NET goal will keep you on track.
  • Lindz2323
    Lindz2323 Posts: 261 Member
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    Bump for later!
  • MyNewLeaf
    MyNewLeaf Posts: 40
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    Hi there. Great suggestions so far.

    I keep having to retool things to create more balance and get more tummy fullness out of my calories (which usually means more low cal vegetables). I am less hungry when i make sure to drink enough water, and also spread out my calories throughout the day, concentrating a larger percentage in the early part of the day. My pattern is to eat a lot late at night, and then overdo it, and that's because I didn't make sure to eat enough early on and my body gets panicky. Eat good protein and at least 300-350 calories at all three meals (since you're at 1200), starting early in the day with a full belly, with snacks filling up the remainder of cals.
  • VStar55
    VStar55 Posts: 75
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    When that happens, I'll have 1 or 2 spoonfuls of cottage cheese with Tapatio hot sauce mixed in it on GG crispbreads. Creamy/ crunchy/ salty & SPICY!!
  • lauradupree
    lauradupree Posts: 32
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    I eat protein to stave off hunger pains. Connie's trainer is correct for eating healthy, but the extra protein is what keeps my hunger at bay. I am on a 1200 per day caloric allotment, and I work out 5 days per week, and sometimes, I eat the extra calories, too. I eat baked chicken breast (boneless and skinless) pretty often, but usually 2 ounces is enough to keep the hunger away for 4 to 5 hours. I eat a half cup of low fat cottage cheese at breakfast time as well.
    Hope that helps!
  • Hoppymom
    Hoppymom Posts: 1,158 Member
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    Try fresh spinach leaves with peanut butter(spinach roll-ups). I tried these one day years ago, when I had day care kids. They loved it and ate two plates full after school. They often asked for these. The parents were amazed. Think of the nutritive value! Many of these other suggestions work great too. I heard on the radio that a study had been done and the time for greatest hunger is 4:39. I thought about it and that is when I am most often hungry. So...be prepared with good choices and put everything in your food diary. Make sure that you have a variety so that you can look at your food diary and plug in foods that you may be low on...fats, protiens etc. Nutritionists/trainers etc.all say get used to being hungry for a while. We are so used to feeling full/overfull all the time that it takes a while to retrain our brains to register normal cravings/hunger.
    Keep up the good work.
  • susanswan
    susanswan Posts: 1,194 Member
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    Cut yourself some slack. You are on day 4, so it is an adjustment period for sure. I hadn't been hungry for years so it was kind of scary for me. I know people say to drink water sometimes, but that is just so "thin" and doesn't seem to satisfy me. But what does satisfy me is when I make my own latte. I use soy milk from Trader joes so it has no additives such as sugar and what not. Just using half a cup in my 20 ounce travel mug with the rest being my decaf coffee, really does the trick for me. I don't know whether it is because it tastes so sinful or because the soy milk is thicker than non fat milk? 50 calories isn't much and it is a bit of fat and a bit of protein.

    Also my 12 almonds work nicely. Make sure you eat plenty of fiber so that will fill things up, too. These things work for me! You'll find out what works for you, too. Experiment with the different suggestions. But whatever you do get your snack and leave the kitchen. DO not stand up and eat it. Walk away from the rest of the food and get distracted with MFP message boards and next thing you know, you'll be thinking that you USED to be hungry!
  • Rainewind
    Rainewind Posts: 3
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    Thank you, I will give those a try. It concerns me that I am going to start stuffing my face after work due to hunger.
  • VVEXVVEX
    VVEXVVEX Posts: 132 Member
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    I'll second all of the above, especially the protein. Before you get hungry (or leave work), try a "defensive" protein snack such as:

    - 12 almonds + a string cheese stick
    - half a clif bar
    - 1/3 cup of cottage cheese with a bit of truvia, vanilla and/or cinnamon
    - a boiled egg
    - laughing cow cheese wedge and an apple
    - non-sugary yogurt

    You get the idea. It gets easier when you plan ahead for the hungry and squirrel away a snack or two in your bag. Hang in there.
  • Silverkittycat
    Silverkittycat Posts: 1,997 Member
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    Lots of great advice, welcome and good luck to you! :smile:
  • bhagavatilad1
    bhagavatilad1 Posts: 277
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    I had the same problem in the beginning but it was at night i couldn't go to sleep without eating someone suggested drinking water and a light snack a cookie etc. What worked for me was drinking water and if that didn't work a spoonful of nutella. Good Luck

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