How do you deal with hunger?

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AmyG1982
AmyG1982 Posts: 1,040 Member
in Motivation and Support
How do you deal with your hunger when you drastically change your eating habits?

Typically if I’m eating low carb all my cravings are gone and I’m significantly less hungry. I have been on a 6 month binge (yikes that feels awful to write) so moving to any healthier way of eating is a lot less food than I’m currently used to...

I know you should drink water, eat lots of protein, fat and fibre etc. just wondering what your strategies are for dealing with hunger while you adjust to eating less?
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Replies

  • cmriverside
    cmriverside Posts: 33,960 Member
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    Exercise. It's the one thing that helps me the most. Bonus = I get to eat a little more if I do it, too. It only takes me a few days for my appetite to (mostly) reset. If it doesn't for you, maybe look at a less aggressive weight loss goal. If I try to eat under 1500 (even when I was in weight loss mode) I couldn't stick to it. There is a sweet spot, depending on how much weight you need to lose.


  • MikePTY
    MikePTY Posts: 3,814 Member
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    Pretty much this:

    qa8udlzm4an3.jpg

    Kidding, mostly, but one thing I have learned about hunger is that for me, a lot of it is mental. It's not actually related to the foods I eat, but if I am bored or thinking about food, I find myself hungry even if my body doesn't need food, so I try to keep myself busy and engaged throughout the day. This is where exercise helps me a lot too, because it interrupts my hunger cylce and keeps me busy. I actually find it easier to control my eating on exercise days than non-exercise days. Other times, I just bear through it if I know it's mental hunger. I've been at this long enough to learn the difference from my body about what is real hunger vs mental hunger.

  • hesn92
    hesn92 Posts: 5,967 Member
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    Usually drinking some type of beverage helps. Like hot tea. Sort of fills my stomach enough to take the edge off. Or I just stay busy.
  • nighthawk584
    nighthawk584 Posts: 1,994 Member
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    I have a voracious appetite but I echo the working out. I work out 6-7 days a week, 30-45 mins per time and it seriously helps with most hunger. And yes, it allows me to eat more too, which is a bonus.
  • Marqiiz
    Marqiiz Posts: 707 Member
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    I eat...
  • Kathryn247
    Kathryn247 Posts: 570 Member
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    I was hungry all the time whether I was eating whatever I wanted or not. So I try to remember that I'd rather be hungry and losing/maintaining than hungry and gaining.
    I also plan a lot of snacks throughout the day so I don't go too long without eating something.
  • vggb
    vggb Posts: 132 Member
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    My hunger adjusted finally, it took a while, a few months. I decided that I like to eat all I want at times without counting things out. So I stock and use what I call 'free choice' food, it's all fresh fruit and vegetables but it works for me when I get that way. It's been over a year now and I seldom get that craving to just "eat" anymore.
  • 777Gemma888
    777Gemma888 Posts: 9,578 Member
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    * Reassess my menu, cooking method and snacks
    * Workout ... For me timing. I'm usually not hungry for 2 hours at least after a good bout. Usually on an empty stomach, just water.
  • freda666
    freda666 Posts: 338 Member
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    Black coffee.
  • LyndaBSS
    LyndaBSS Posts: 6,964 Member
    edited October 2019
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    I had been considering keto when I first started mfp. I realized that it wouldn't be sustainable for me. I didn't want drastic food changes on top of staying in a calorie deficit. Common sense told me that that would be a recipe for disaster.

    I eat the foods I love, the foods I loved before mfp, just in more reasonable quantities. This means I'm not depriving myself which can lead to false hunger signs.

    I hope you figure things out. 💙
  • RockstarRae45
    RockstarRae45 Posts: 124 Member
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    I make batches of spinach mango smoothie & freeze. I drink at least equal parts 32oz smoothie & water during the day. Keeps blood sugar up, helps me meet my daily calorie goal and I focus on getting protein for breakfast & dinner. I have a sedentary office job so this helps me curb appetite & boredom during the day and also lets me eat a bit more for other meals without always feeling like I eat salad. 😊
  • hestandley
    hestandley Posts: 3 Member
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    In the past, tried low carb, high carb, low fat, high fat, low protein, high protein, glucomannan, ashwagandha, and nothing really seems to quell the hunger. It's not psychological, as I can hear my stomach growling. Fell off the nutrition wagon a bit due to hunger, trying to get back on now. Any tips?
  • LivingtheLeanDream
    LivingtheLeanDream Posts: 13,345 Member
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    You need to change up your macros, for some people more protein helps with satiety, others will find its fat, fibre.
    Or a good mix of all macros at each meal.
    It takes our bodies/stomachs a while to adjust to lower intake but usually after 3 or 4 days it feels easier, possibly because we get into the right mindset? at least that's how I find it.
  • AmyG1982
    AmyG1982 Posts: 1,040 Member
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    hestandley wrote: »
    In the past, tried low carb, high carb, low fat, high fat, low protein, high protein, glucomannan, ashwagandha, and nothing really seems to quell the hunger. It's not psychological, as I can hear my stomach growling. Fell off the nutrition wagon a bit due to hunger, trying to get back on now. Any tips?

    So far for me I’m finding it to be a combination of a few things:
    •low carb, high fat
    •consistent meal timing
    •drinking lots of water
    •drinking coffee
    •distraction

    I’m also finding intermittent fasting is helping, I’ll be a little hungry in the morning but if I can drink coffee and distract myself till lunch then I do much better throughout the rest of the day. It leaves me enough calories to eat slightly larger meals for lunch and dinner and have a snack after dinner and still be slightly under my calories for the day. I find it easier to deal with hunger before I’ve eaten anything, once I eat it seems like the next time I’m hungry is impossible to ignore lol
  • jhanleybrown
    jhanleybrown Posts: 240 Member
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    Think you already hit on the answer in your question:
    - lot of fruit/veg
    - whole grains with lots of fiber
    - I'm a big advocate for healthy fats (nuts, avocados). Can be high cal but very filling.
    - pears, apples etc are your friend. Eat a large apple plus a glass of water before a particularly appealing meal

    Processed foods leave me super hungry.
  • elisa123gal
    elisa123gal Posts: 4,287 Member
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    If I'm hungry in a reasonable window before a meal.. I suck it up knowing .."hey, I'm eating in one hour." If I have a few hours to go to eat.. COFFEE. does the trick.

    If I'm so hungry I feel horrible and not well? I eat. cause if the body needs fuel.. it needs fuel.
  • Katmary71
    Katmary71 Posts: 6,579 Member
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    When first starting out I think it's normal to be hungrier as your body isn't used to a deficit. I'm on a medication that increases hunger so it's a daily struggle to figure out if I'm wanting food because of that, if my body needs more fuel, or if it's emotional. If I can wait 20 minutes after eating I can usually tell. Because I'm always feeling hungry I schedule my meals around the same times, I can usually hold out a couple hours in between. I eat a lot of fiber. I focus on protein for each meal with a lot of vegetables, the latter makes me feel like I'm eating a lot because I am and protein keeps me full. The only time I'm not hungry is after working out, not sure why. Having hot tea after dinner helps me from snacking.

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