How do you deal with hunger?

24

Replies

  • elisa123gal
    elisa123gal Posts: 4,281 Member
    1. pay attention to what you're eating ...are you hungry soon after? Switch it up don't eat that thing that always leaves you hungry.
    2. protein will keep you full
    3. drink water it helps keep you full
    4. I heard that hunger and cravings pass in 15 minutes .. so.wait it out. it seems to work.
    5. make sure your calories are enough and that. you are not setting an unrealistic low calorie amount,
  • AnnPT77
    AnnPT77 Posts: 31,724 Member
    I agree with much (not all) of the above.

    I'd add that IME, the first couple of weeks are likely to be more difficult (sort of the initial habit-change corner-turning period), so sticking with a *reasonable* deficit through that may lead to a better phase pretty soon, whereas re-feeding to/above former levels every few days may never get you to that point. I'm not a big believer in general about relying on "willpower" or "motivation" (better to pick an easy process!), but IMO maybe a little more of those in the first couple of weeks has a payoff later. (I'm sure this is not true for *absolutely everyone* - some of these things are individual.)

    Second, I think this is really true for me, too - the solid breakfast with protein, not necessarily the specific foods, which can vary. An *implied* message in there is ultra-important, too, IMO: Since satiation is individual, experimenting can be very helpful.
    I struggle with hunger too.. i found if i ate more protein during breakfast and lunch, then I wasnt so ravenous during dinner and before bed which is when the Snack Monster comes out. I have this Cafe Latte Premier Protein shake that I mix with my black coffee at breakfast and it keeps me full. Eat more protein at each meal, and if you want to snack get some beef jerky or some mixed nuts...the chewiness is more satisfying with those type of foods.

    Notice which days you feel hungrier or relatively less hungry. What's the difference? Could be food choices, food timing, type/timing of exercise, adequacy of sleep, stress level, boredom, others. If the issue isn't food (like sleep, stress, boredom), deal with the thing itself, not via food. If it's food timing or choice, repeat the things that work, lose the things that don't.

    You can even experiment with strategies others use (like time-restricted eating, protein breakfast, lotsa veggies, etc.) one at a time, and see if they help you. Try each thing individually for at least a couple of days, so you can assess the effect. Again, keep what helps, lose what doesn't.

    It's like a science fair experiment for grown-ups, yaKnowWhatIMean?
    One way I AVOID hunger is to get a LOT of my calories from veggies. By bulking up on low-cal veg, it takes longer to digest, and I find I feel fuller longer.

    One way I RESPOND to hunger between meals or when I haven't had a chance to eat a proper meal is to eat a very small amount of something with a lot of protein (tsp of peanut butter or hummus, or HALF or THIRD of a larabar or other high-protein nutrition bar. Then I wait for AT LEAST 30 minutes before eating any more. About 80% of the time, that little hit of protein does the trick.

    After dinner during the "snack-attack" hours, when I know for fact that I have eaten my calorie allotment for the day and I really DON'T need to eat any more that day, if I feel a little noshy (which is probably not REALLY hunger but boredom or something else), I will chug 16-24 ounces of room-temp water (NOT cold) just as fast as I can--so fast that it actually makes me a little nauseous. That "water bomb" gives my system something to occupy it, and that slight feeling of nausea actually makes the thought of eating very unappetizing. That will usually get my mind off food until it's time to go to bed :-)

    I think drinking water is fine to counteract hunger sensations, but I'd hesitate to do it to the point of nausea, personally. 16-24oz shouldn't do it, but there actually is a way to poison yourself by over-consuming too much water, too fast (water toxemia, hyponatremia). It's an electrolyte imbalance, and in very rare cases it can be fatal. (Don't panic, death is very rare, usually under very unusual conditions.) Nausea is a possible symptom of electrolyte imbalance, though.

    We tend to think of water as neutral, benign. Mostly, in normal quantities, sure. But not in an absolute sense.
  • ChickenKillerPuppy
    ChickenKillerPuppy Posts: 297 Member
    Agree with the above - I switched my breakfast and lunch to be more protein heavy, and even added a little fat. For example, I have egg beaters and turkey sausage for breakfast, but I added half an english muffin. If I add 1 tsp light butter it's only 17 calories, whereas if I add 10g of peanut butter it's 59 calories. However, I always feel more full with the peanut butter so I don't mind using extra calories for that. I also just switched my turkey sandwich for lunch from 3oz turkey on 2 light slices of bread (90 cal), to 4oz turkey on a high-fiber wrap (60 cal) and I am finding I feel more full for longer with the extra protein.
  • sarahlrolla1687
    sarahlrolla1687 Posts: 1 Member
    I eat foods that are not as dense in calories. You can fill up with much more food if you eat a salad rather than a bowl of cereal; for example.
    I also make sure I have my next day foods planned out and tracked ahead of time. It helps me to know what I'm having when..I love food so if I know at I'm looking forward to it helps..seems silly but it works.
    I also make sure my pantry is stocked with healthier options that I know I will enjoy. If I dont enjoy what I am eating I will find myself munching on foods that are unhealthy. I personally enjoy raw veggies with 1 serving of veggie dip, 1 serving of pita chips and hummus, pistachios, and frozen banana slices with peanut butter. Incorporating snacks in my plan helps because I then dont feel like I'm having to wait so long in between meals.
  • DavWillTry
    DavWillTry Posts: 76 Member
    I really don't think many here really understand (as in empathize). I was 'fit' in my 30s-40's. I was ALWAYS hungry. For 25 years I've been stable at 60-70 lbs overweight and rarely hungry.

    I'm at 1 lb a week, sedentary, for 1850 calories. Hardly a low number. Once again I am constantly hungry.

    For me, it is learning to live with it. It is a fact of life. Again, for me. Being my goal weight means being hungry.
  • nytrifisoul
    nytrifisoul Posts: 500 Member
    spicy pickles, and spicy pickled peppers.
  • sweetheart1399
    sweetheart1399 Posts: 3 Member
    I have dinner at 6-630 )
    A couple of hours later like 930-10pm I get hungry again ugh I usually just have a little cereal with milk to kill the hunger. Could it be I need eat more during the day?
  • L1zardQueen
    L1zardQueen Posts: 8,754 Member
    edited February 2021
    DavWillTry wrote: »
    I really don't think many here really understand (as in empathize). I was 'fit' in my 30s-40's. I was ALWAYS hungry. For 25 years I've been stable at 60-70 lbs overweight and rarely hungry.

    I'm at 1 lb a week, sedentary, for 1850 calories. Hardly a low number. Once again I am constantly hungry.

    For me, it is learning to live with it. It is a fact of life. Again, for me. Being my goal weight means being hungry.

    @DavWillTry
    Have you tried eating at maintenance calories for a week? In the following week, see if you can make any small changes to your intake. Being hungry all the time is really hard on the soul.
  • elisa123gal
    elisa123gal Posts: 4,281 Member
    DavWillTry wrote: »
    I really don't think many here really understand (as in empathize). I was 'fit' in my 30s-40's. I was ALWAYS hungry. For 25 years I've been stable at 60-70 lbs overweight and rarely hungry.

    I'm at 1 lb a week, sedentary, for 1850 calories. Hardly a low number. Once again I am constantly hungry.

    For me, it is learning to live with it. It is a fact of life. Again, for me. Being my goal weight means being hungry.
    My husband was the same as you.. he always said skinny people just are not hungry all the time like I am.

    However, he finally found a diet that works for him and he is so excited that he is not hungry and is losing weight. so, maybe you could just switch things around and find a diet that keeps you satisfied. There are also a few posts I've seen where people lose super slow so they don't have to cut a lot of calories and just take longer to lose. So, maybe just cutting 200 calories or 100 calories a day would work for you.

    We all hate that you suffer in your fitness journey.
  • HoneyBadger302
    HoneyBadger302 Posts: 1,983 Member
    Lots of good advice so far in terms of calorie allotment, trying different diets, etc.

    For me, similar to a poster above, reality is, I have to live with being hungry. My entire life, well into my mid-late 30's I had very active jobs and lifestyle and stayed slim eating pretty much what I wanted and a rather high calorie intake the times I tracked it. I wasn't hungry, and my weight was good, and I didn't really have to watch things too closely (simply "trimming back" on "bad" things would put me right back where I should be).

    Now, with a mostly desk job, even with a fair bit of working out, my calorie needs are far below what my body is used to intaking. Certain diets (higher protein, and volume veggies) help, but the reality is unless I want to be about 25 pounds overweight, I just have to deal with being hungry much of the day. More exercise helps since I can eat more, too much cardio, however, tends to make the hangries worse. Diet (aka deficit) breaks every ~8 weeks help. None of it makes it where I'm not hungry much of the day, but does make it a "tolerable" hunger rather than "ready to gnaw my own arm off" hunger LOL.
  • SunnyBunBun79
    SunnyBunBun79 Posts: 2,228 Member
    Eat more protein at every meal :)
  • OliveSalt
    OliveSalt Posts: 47 Member
    edited February 2021
    spicy pickles, and spicy pickled peppers.

    Yes same! Little pickles and pepperoncinis. Or kimchi.
  • mpkpbk2015
    mpkpbk2015 Posts: 766 Member
    The way I deal with hunger is by making sure I am getting my 100 to 120 oz of water in a day. I drink 16 to 32 oz of water with every meal. I stopped drink carbonated drinks because they made me hungry because of all the sodium in the drinks. I also try and eat low sodium foods because and this may just be me but the higher the sodium in the food I eat the more I crave food. I also notice the higher the carbs in my food more food I want. Hope this helps.
  • 4Phoenix
    4Phoenix Posts: 236 Member
    I agree with many of the comments posted; however, you have to find what will work for you. Hopefully, you have gathered a few ideas offered that you might like to try.

    For me, I rarely suffer hunger and if it is true hunger then I keep cut veggies/fresh fruit/rarely eat but I keep frozen bags of broccoli steamed with balsamic always available. I IF 18:6 and eat nutrient dense unprocessed low-calorie food....lots of it but twice a day. I don't want the insulin release and continual digestive process with lots of mini meals and I'm after health/regeneration (and autophagy). If I'm truly hungry (rarely-I eat lots of food) at any time, I eat but staying within my deficit for the day. I eat high fiber fresh whole foods...no sugar, salt oil. I chose my fat for the day - selecting from avocado, nuts, seeds/tahini. I stay low fat. I enjoy my lifestyle and love what I eat, I don't feel a sense of deprivation, restriction, or hunger. Eating this way has evolved over the years and it makes me happy, healthy, and at peace.

    You usually find "disagree" with these kinds of questions because each of us has found a unique solution even though there are common themes (i.e., calorie deficit, tracking macros/micros). My way may not be right for you, and I respect that each of us is different. Through experimenting, I'm sure you will you own path for success. Wishing you the best health!
  • DancingMoosie
    DancingMoosie Posts: 8,613 Member
    So it took me a long time to learn I am a volume eater, mini meals will never work for me bc I’m always starving. What I do is with every meal I incorporate a high volume low calorie food and they add little to my calorie intake but make me feel full bc my stomach is full. Some example are slices of zucchini and season and bake for a few minutes, you can also zoodle it but that takes more time, I slice a cucumber and add kernal seasonings white cheddar and EBTB seasoning, an entire pepper sliced in half with 30 g of fat free cream cheese and EBTB seasoning, I also eat sliced and seasoned eggplant or riced cauliflower (a whole bag) which I even add to my wraps and oatmeal.... sounds weird but I swear it’s good! When I say I add an entire giant cucumber or zucchini or even eggplant I’m not lying. It works great for micronutrients and satiation!

    I never thought of eggplant! Is it really low calorie? I do lettuce, squash, and onion/peppers a lot to add bulk and nutrition.
  • 4Phoenix
    4Phoenix Posts: 236 Member
    edited February 2021
    @dancingMoosie....eggplant is great as long as you don't bake/fry it in oil!
  • AnnPT77
    AnnPT77 Posts: 31,724 Member
    So it took me a long time to learn I am a volume eater, mini meals will never work for me bc I’m always starving. What I do is with every meal I incorporate a high volume low calorie food and they add little to my calorie intake but make me feel full bc my stomach is full. Some example are slices of zucchini and season and bake for a few minutes, you can also zoodle it but that takes more time, I slice a cucumber and add kernal seasonings white cheddar and EBTB seasoning, an entire pepper sliced in half with 30 g of fat free cream cheese and EBTB seasoning, I also eat sliced and seasoned eggplant or riced cauliflower (a whole bag) which I even add to my wraps and oatmeal.... sounds weird but I swear it’s good! When I say I add an entire giant cucumber or zucchini or even eggplant I’m not lying. It works great for micronutrients and satiation!

    I never thought of eggplant! Is it really low calorie? I do lettuce, squash, and onion/peppers a lot to add bulk and nutrition.

    115-137 calories for a whole pound and a quarter eggplant (weighed raw, per USDA), depending on whether peeled or unpeeled.
  • DancingMoosie
    DancingMoosie Posts: 8,613 Member
    So...do I just bake/roast it???