If you're trying to lose, many of you are gonna feel hungry
ninerbuff
Posts: 49,026 Member
Hate to tell you that if you're on a calorie deficit to lose weight, you're going to feel hungry at times. Habitual behavior with eating led many here to lose weight. So in order to do that, you're going to have to change that habitual behavior. There will be so many times that you'll want to eat out of behavior rather than for physical need. Stress, peer pressure at parties, etc. will be things you deal with everyday to throw you off track. So what do you do? Well, you're going to have to learn to deal with that small hunger. I'm not talking ravenous (which for some happens because they eat too little due to trying to drop 2 or more pounds a week). But that hunger you may feel happens because it's supposed to. It takes time and discipline to learn how to understand and control your hunger as it's a behavior you're not used to. Over time you learn how to deal with small pangs of hunger and then really eat when you know you're gas tank is really low.
So remember if your stomach isn't growling and you're not weak, but you still "feel" like you need to eat something, remember that it's normal to feel that way if you're trying to lose pounds.
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So remember if your stomach isn't growling and you're not weak, but you still "feel" like you need to eat something, remember that it's normal to feel that way if you're trying to lose pounds.
A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
27
Replies
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Great post, and needs to be said (and is, in so many threads).
Learning to be a "little" hungry now and then is just part of being on a diet. Adjusting macros and meal times can help, but will not solve the problem that being in a calorie deficit means being hungry sometimes.
Learning to deal with it is the key. Learning to ignore it is best of all, because most hunger pangs go away in 10-15 minutes, something overweight people may have never in their lives found out, because of the habit of grabbing food at the slightest hint of hungriness.10 -
Yeah.
When I say I got to within 10lbs of goal and was suddenly hungry I meant 'gnaw my arm off starved'. At that point my calories got set to maintain and anything under that is good (still am mostly at 250-300 as a deficit most days).
Also, interestingly, I developed a stupid craving for avocado about then, though. Which may just mean I'd gone overboard removing fatty foods from my diet because I. Don't. Like. Avocado.
But you're GOING to be hungry sometimes.
It's okay.
Distraction is useful.3 -
This was a big learn for me, especially having a history of extremely restrictive eating that would lead to binges. I think a big part of me was scared if I didn't eat, I would end up bingeing, so I would eat even if not really all that hungry. Either way, I was overeating.
I still have snacks every day, but they're planned. It's rare when I eat something unplanned. Today, though, I was hungry like 2-2.5 hours after breakfast, like actual hunger pangs and stomach rumbling. I realized i probably didn't have enough fat and/or fiber to keep me fuller for longer. So, I decided to eat one of those Wasa crispbread things, and I was fine.4 -
It’s strange because I’ve been at a deficit losing for over a month, starting weight was roughly 176-178 depending on day that’s what I averaged and now I am between 168-170. I haven’t gone a day hungry, craving or anything. I do keep my protein very high between 130-180 and my calorie range has been around 1,900 give and take 100- I’m upping it now to 2,000-2,200 for fat lose.
I’ll see what happens, if I stall in fat lose then I can always cut back. All about being your own scientist!1 -
I will echo that I have also not been hungry since re-starting my diet 7 weeks ago. I’ve lost 9 pounds, but it seems my body is extremely happy with a protein-rich diet too. I often find myself looking for a few more calories to put in by the end of the day.4
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Iiiiii am going to say that I both hope people who aren't particularly hungry right now stay that way--
and that it took me until 6 months in and my body weight becoming very close to normal to 'REALLY ACTUALLY HUNGRY' to be a factor. I was VERY impressed with myself - this is so easy, why haven't I done it sooner! - for a while there.
My smug has gone away.11 -
Okay be honest though..........is there any supplementation also helping with that? Cause when I consume ECA, I had like NO HUNGER PANGS. But I don't want to be on ECA my whole life.Hamiltonfamily2018 wrote: »It’s strange because I’ve been at a deficit losing for over a month, starting weight was roughly 176-178 depending on day that’s what I averaged and now I am between 168-170. I haven’t gone a day hungry, craving or anything. I do keep my protein very high between 130-180 and my calorie range has been around 1,900 give and take 100- I’m upping it now to 2,000-2,200 for fat lose.
I’ll see what happens, if I stall in fat lose then I can always cut back. All about being your own scientist!
A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
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Okay be honest though..........is there any supplementation also helping with that? Cause when I consume ECA, I had like NO HUNGER PANGS. But I don't want to be on ECA my whole life.Hamiltonfamily2018 wrote: »It’s strange because I’ve been at a deficit losing for over a month, starting weight was roughly 176-178 depending on day that’s what I averaged and now I am between 168-170. I haven’t gone a day hungry, craving or anything. I do keep my protein very high between 130-180 and my calorie range has been around 1,900 give and take 100- I’m upping it now to 2,000-2,200 for fat lose.
I’ll see what happens, if I stall in fat lose then I can always cut back. All about being your own scientist!
A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
Lol no- I only took that maybe twice a week. I’ve been off anything but caffeine for two weeks.
I mean realistically I’m eating at what will one day be the low end of maintenance calories- so it’s not too difficult; it’s just flipping the switch and putting as much flavor in every bite
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There is a different between physical hunger and emotional cravings. Part of weight loss is to differentiate them.
You don't have to feel physical hunger when you try to lose weight, but you will definitely need to endure many emotional cravings.3 -
Feeling a little hungry is so much better to me than overeating so much that I can’t move. I enjoy my meals a lot more. Very close to my goal after losing 50 lbs.4
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Maybe not universal, IMO. I'm not sure, as a pretty-fortunate developed-world kind of person, that I even know what hunger feels like, though I've had the occasional day where I didn't eat, or way out-worked my intake then felt replenished when I did eat.
I can't say that I experienced significant hunger during loss, or in the years of maintenance since. 🤷♀️
There was a short adaptation period when first losing (maybe 2-4 weeks, don't recall), which I experienced as more about habit change than about physical hunger or "emotional cravings". Periodically, especially in the first months, there were times when it made sense to experiment and tweak my routine to feel more satisfied more of the time. Anything remotely like hunger/appetite/craving seemed like a puzzle to be worked out, vs. something to be endured via motivation or willpower. That's paid off fine, so far.
I admit, it's entirely possible that my sensors are broken, and I mostly don't think I have many emotions at all, let alone emotions about food, so I'm probably the odd woman out here.
I don't dispute the idea that minor discomforts can be tolerated, and that learning to do so is useful, however. That "gnaw one's arm off" thing, though? That doesn't sound minor. Maybe individuals' body chemistries differ, maybe it's hormonal snap-back from over-restriction, don't know. Haven't experienced it.
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Maybe not universal, IMO. I'm not sure, as a pretty-fortunate developed-world kind of person, that I even know what hunger feels like, though I've had the occasional day where I didn't eat, or way out-worked my intake then felt replenished when I did eat.
I can't say that I experienced significant hunger during loss, or in the years of maintenance since. 🤷♀️
There was a short adaptation period when first losing (maybe 2-4 weeks, don't recall), which I experienced as more about habit change than about physical hunger or "emotional cravings". Periodically, especially in the first months, there were times when it made sense to experiment and tweak my routine to feel more satisfied more of the time. Anything remotely like hunger/appetite/craving seemed like a puzzle to be worked out, vs. something to be endured via motivation or willpower. That's paid off fine, so far.
I admit, it's entirely possible that my sensors are broken, and I mostly don't think I have many emotions at all, let alone emotions about food, so I'm probably the odd woman out here.
I don't dispute the idea that minor discomforts can be tolerated, and that learning to do so is useful, however. That "gnaw one's arm off" thing, though? That doesn't sound minor. Maybe individuals' body chemistries differ, maybe it's hormonal snap-back from over-restriction, don't know. Haven't experienced it.
I suspect, after some experimentation, that mostly it was that I wasn't eating enough fat, to be honest. I don't usually, typically, find it satiating in a general way but after a bit of that 'so hungry I'd have eaten anything, it hurts' stuff I got a really strong avocado craving.
I. Don't. Like. Avocado. Never have. Actively dislike it. Historically called it 'greasy grass'.
I ate a whole one a day for about a week.
It's better now. (And I went back to full fat on some of my stuff - like cottage cheese and yogurt). Seems to be better now, though I still definitely get reasonably hungry more than I did early on, but it was BAD.
But my calories typically sit around 1700 most days and I'm fairly sedentary and mildly short.3 -
I really needed to hear this today, thank you!3
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I mentioned this in another thread but I'll repeat part of it here:
When I first lost weight 10 years ago I was hungry a lot. It wasn't until I was in maintenance that I learned that protein and fats are far more satiating than carbs, especially simple carbs. I also learned that volume foods (especially veggies) can help with hunger just due to the space they take up.
The next thing I learned was that the need for snacking was not a need at all -- I'm assuming this must have been a marketing gimmick created by the food industry that many of us fell for. I thought I needed to snack because I was hungry between meals -- but I was hungry between meals because I snacked. I stopped snacking and switched to 3 larger meals instead. It took 2 to 3 weeks for my body to adjust and afterwards no more mid meal hunger.
So, this time around I've eaten completely differently than my first weight loss -- I use lots of healthy fats and protein and limit (but not eliminate) simple carbs. Even at a 750 calorie per day deficit, I usually only begin getting hungry near meal time. I'm not against eating simple carbs completely -- I still have pizza once per week or a burger with fries etc... but it's no longer a staple in my meals.
BTW, my weight loss was the same (high carb vs lower carb) -- it always matches the CICO model -- I would never claim it was advantageous for me in that regard -- only in satiety.6 -
I hate to tell you, (actually i love to tell you) that i feel less hungry if i skip breakfast and lunch. Every body is different, don't assume your experience is universal.4
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I'm a breakfast skipper. I train fasted. I'm not hungry in the morning and don't eat till after 11:30am-12pm. But I do feel a little hungry just before dinner.nytrifisoul wrote: »I hate to tell you, (actually i love to tell you) that i feel less hungry if i skip breakfast and lunch. Every body is different, don't assume your experience is universal.
If you're saying you never feel hungry, then that's good for you. This thread doesn't apply to you. Notice the title, it's says MANY not ALL.
A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
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Feeling a little hungry is so much better to me than overeating so much that I can’t move. I enjoy my meals a lot more. Very close to my goal after losing 50 lbs.
So true. It's amazing to me that I was emotionally/ behaviourally wired for so long to cope with (and actively seek out) the uncomfortable feeling of gut-busting fullness, but not mild hunger pangs. Certainly takes some adjustment.2 -
@FitAgainBy55 - Very true on the veggies. I did not realize until this time around what a difference that makes. I have steamed cauliflower and broccoli ready all the time. Low cal and filling.0
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Someone posted this on another thread, and I found it really helpful for assessing feelings of hunger:
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Some should copy this and post it on their fridge and pantry.Someone posted this on another thread, and I found it really helpful for assessing feelings of hunger:
A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
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Similarly, I've had to get used to eating enough to be no longer hungry, not enough to be full.4
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I'm a breakfast skipper. I train fasted. I'm not hungry in the morning and don't eat till after 11:30am-12pm. But I do feel a little hungry just before dinner.nytrifisoul wrote: »I hate to tell you, (actually i love to tell you) that i feel less hungry if i skip breakfast and lunch. Every body is different, don't assume your experience is universal.
If you're saying you never feel hungry, then that's good for you. This thread doesn't apply to you. Notice the title, it's says MANY not ALL.
I feel a little hungry before I eat (I currently just eat lunch and dinner, but that was true when I ate 3 meals too). I never perceived that as meaning losing weight was making me "hungry," as it just seemed normal. It's not like I was feeling super hungry all the time, which is what I think people worry about. When I was losing in 2014-15, I would often have lunch at noon and dinner not 'til 9 (work and commute and sometimes exercise) and I'd maybe feel somewhat hungry at 6 or 7, but I'd remind myself I had a great dinner to eat at 9 and focused on something else, and was fine. Never did I perceive this as "feeling hungry" as some sort of unpleasant state associated with dieting.
I like being a bit hungry before eating -- I call it being ready to eat.3 -
True hunger, habit, emotional hunger. Out of those 3 I think true hunger is much easier for me to recognize and ignore.
Emotional hunger is such a tricky thing because it feels like it comes with a switch and if you can't shut it off, it can get the best of you. It's hard to find something that'll replace food when you're emotionally needy. Habit's not easy either. 
Personally, I'd rather listen to my stomach growling than my head talking. I feel that for habit and emotions, it takes a lot more work to ignore the want/need for food and many people(myself included) just do not have the energy to put forth the effort to change things. 4 -
Yep. I'm learning to get used to being a little hungry and not panicking. At the same time there is a point at which going hungry backfires and that's probably different for everyone.
If I go too long without eating and get too hungry, it's very hard to stop eating once I start. I know breakfast is not popular around here, but if I don't eat it I am prone to overeating later. It's different for everyone. But yes, I affirm the original post. Finding the balance of allowing some hunger while not being overly restrictive has been necessary to my 30 lb weight loss so far. 25 more to go. I'm still adjusting as I go.
Some days it's harder to stretch that hunger than others. I have very difficult menstrual cycles and certain times of the month it's much more mentally and emotionally taxing to push past the hunger.0 -
This is why low carb has worked so well for me in the past and is doing so again. Hunger is hardly ever a thing, and if it is... It's usually just before Dinner time and mild at that.
I do eat breakfast every morning though, and have a number of snacks (usually 3) before lunch at 12pm to 1:30 pm. So I pretty much keep the conveyor belt going fairly steady most days.
Although I suspect hunger will become more of an issue as I get closer to goal weight. :P0 -
True hunger, habit, emotional hunger. Out of those 3 I think true hunger is much easier for me to recognize and ignore. Emotional hunger is such a tricky thing because it feels like it comes with a switch and if you can't shut it off, it can get the best of you. It's hard to find something that'll replace food when you're emotionally needy. Habit's not easy either. Personally, I'd rather listen to my stomach growling than my head talking. I feel that for habit and emotions, it takes a lot more work to ignore the want/need for food and many people(myself included) just do not have the energy to put forth the effort to change things.
Emotional hunger is by far the hardest for me too. Actual hunger isn't really an issue (I eat in a pretty sating way, and don't think I've ever overeaten over time due to physical hunger). Habit can be difficult, but it also can be changed over a reasonably short period of time, IME--at least I've found getting into positive food-related habits and ended bad ones (i.e., snacking at work)--to be not too bad. The emotional stuff is what trips me up, and why this covid period has been difficult, I suspect.
I really do way better with the emotional eating when I am really mindful and when I'm journaling and forcing myself to deal with whatever it is I'm stuffing with the food.2 -
I know breakfast is not popular around here, but if I don't eat it I am prone to overeating later. It's different for everyone.
It's interesting that you perceive this place as being anti breakfast. I'd say it's mostly neutral about breakfast (or any eating pattern other than multi-day fasts), with likely more posters eating breakfast than not.
I ate breakfast the entire time I was losing 90 lbs in 2014 and 2015, and from then until 2020. I was a big fan of the traditional 3 meals, and did not snack (I often had a little dessert or other indulgence immediately after dinner if I had the cals). I liked eating breakfast and disliked eating snacks or between meals, but I also think that was just me and as you say everyone has a different preferred pattern for eating.
Right now my workout schedule is different (I tend not to workout first thing in the morning), so I've been experimenting with skipping breakfast and liking it (I now have only 2 meals), but that doesn't mean I'm not pro breakfast for others, or for me once again someday (likely when I'm back to going to the office daily and working out first thing in the morning again).2
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