How do you deal with hunger?

Pretty much this:



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.

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.

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.

* 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.

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. 😊

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.

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.

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.

When I get sweet cravings in the evening, I brush my teeth and drink a good glass of water. I may have a smaller snack like some carrots or small salad. I try really hard to space out my snacks and meals at set times during the day and slam a glass of water afterwards.