What are the number one foods to eat to not feel hungry?

This is the problem with a lot of people. Including me. We want to limit our calories and we try really hard. But just because you can count, doesn't mean that you're gonna be able to do it, if you have issues with your brain signaling hunger.

However.. why is it that people that have always been skinny and never worked out, never seem to be super hungry? Is it genetic? Do they have special hormones? Is it because their intestines are smaller? I'm really trying to figure this out. It's simply a matter of them making the choice to not eat as much. They aren't even aware.

So I started eating an apple before a meal. It does work somewhat well. It definitely makes my stomach full. But sometimes, my stomach will feel full but my brain needs something. And so eating fiber does help a little bit. I also do eat veggies, but again, they are not a magic bullet. They help satiate you a little bit. But how can we get it to the point where we don't crave food at all? Yes, water helps a little too. Yes, protein helps a little too. And yes fat helps too, however, the trade-off is that I'm eating more calories short term when I eat fat, so it's hard to say if it's worth it.

Do you see? I wish it was as easy as refueling your car. When you put gas in the tank, your brain is not craving more and more gas. People that shame others for having a hard time losing weight, don't understand that for some people it's a little bit harder to get full in their brains.

I just wish there was a food or supplement that could truly, truly regulate your appetite to the point where maybe you still crave enough to eat, but you don't want to eat that much. Fiber, water, protein, and fat only help so much.

Of course, I've tried things like l glutamine, gaba, or chromium. Don't feel anything. Right now I'm trying to start my day off with eggs, as I heard that helps. Who knows. I would do anything to figure this all out.

The good news is I have figured out how to make my stomach less hungry. That is through water and fiber. And some protein. It does work. Although sometimes, my stomach will feel so full, that it just makes me want food more because I'm paying attention. But most of the time it does work. I've significantly reduced my nighttime cravings. That's a good start.

So I've pretty much solved my stomach hunger. I think that's a win. Now, how do I solve my brain hunger? Yes, I take vitamins and omega 3s and all that. But perhaps someone may know something.

Do you see? My post is meant to be meaningful because I'm trying to get to the root of this. I'm not denying calorie in vs calorie out. But I'm trying to go deeper than that to figure out what causes cravings and what are the most non BS ways to deal with them. Advice is welcome, but please do not be one of those people who just say, ''Stop making excuses.''
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Replies

  • FiberousJ
    FiberousJ Posts: 82 Member
    crb426 wrote: »
    Most skinny people do actively work at being skinny. They make choices to eat the way they do. It just becomes a habit to live the way that keeps them skinny.

    After a while of using MFP (properly), you'll possibly start to feel that way too.

    One thing I remind myself is that it's ok to feel hunger. And it's ok to not be super full. It's also ok to not eat the entire helping. You need to listen to your body to figure out when you NEED food (and how much).


    I agree with most of what you said, but when you say skinny people are making the choices they do, they aren't as hungry. I know many of them who get full right away and admit it's hard to eat a lot. It's not just a matter of willpower, although that could be part of it.
  • gothchiq
    gothchiq Posts: 4,598 Member
    Big veggie salad (don't add croutons, cheese etc) with balsamic vinegar or apple cider vinegar with chives and herbs as dressing is a good hole-filler.
  • crb426
    crb426 Posts: 652 Member
    edited May 2021
    FiberousJ wrote: »
    crb426 wrote: »
    I agree with most of what you said, but when you say skinny people are making the choices they do, they aren't as hungry. I know many of them who get full right away and admit it's hard to eat a lot. It's not just a matter of willpower, although that could be part of it.

    Their stomachs are also smaller so they don't need as much food. Also, they consciously don't overeat.

    It's definitely not a completely unconscious thing to be naturally skinny. But, like I said, it's a habit they have formed.
  • cmriverside
    cmriverside Posts: 33,907 Member
    I agree that you need to be well nourished in all the nutrients in order to feel satisfied.

    So...do that. That is my suggestion. If I eat a well balanced three meals with the right combination of Protein, Fats, and Carbs and I am getting enough iron, magnesium, potassium, calcium, vitamin C, vitamin A, fiber, then I'm good. If I'm lacking something my brain will tell me to keep eating.

    A varied plan is the best. Nuts, legumes, a wide variety of whole fruit and vegetables, whole grains, lean protein including fish and dairy.

    I make it a goal to get 800g of fruit or vegetables every day. Start there. Lots of different ones. Apples are good, but what about berries, melons, tomatoes, spinach, lettuce, celery, carrots, bananas, broccoli and cauliflower, etc.? I have an apple maybe once a week and the rest of the time I'm busy trying to get a variety of other plants.
  • FiberousJ
    FiberousJ Posts: 82 Member
    I agree that you need to be well nourished in all the nutrients in order to feel satisfied.

    So...do that. That is my suggestion. If I eat a well balanced three meals with the right combination of Protein, Fats, and Carbs and I am getting enough iron, magnesium, potassium, calcium, vitamin C, vitamin A, fiber, then I'm good. If I'm lacking something my brain will tell me to keep eating.

    A varied plan is the best. Nuts, legumes, a wide variety of whole fruit and vegetables, whole grains, lean protein including fish and dairy.

    I make it a goal to get 800g of fruit or vegetables every day. Start there. Lots of different ones. Apples are good, but what about berries, melons, tomatoes, spinach, lettuce, celery, carrots, bananas, broccoli and cauliflower, etc.? I have an apple maybe once a week and the rest of the time I'm busy trying to get a variety of other plants.



    Interesting. I agree. Now, if I'm feeling a little hungry later at night, what do you think is the number one snack I can eat that still gives me all the nutrients, but prevents me from a binge? I heard dark chocolate was great. However, there's a problem with dark chocolate. I can't really stop eating it, so that defeats the purpose.

  • conniewilkins56
    conniewilkins56 Posts: 3,391 Member
    Soup.....lots of low calorie vegetable soup!
  • FiberousJ
    FiberousJ Posts: 82 Member
    gothchiq wrote: »
    Big veggie salad (don't add croutons, cheese etc) with balsamic vinegar or apple cider vinegar with chives and herbs as dressing is a good hole-filler.


    Eating a spinach salad with apple cider vinegar does work pretty well for me. But it doesn't necessarily stop all my brain cravings, mostly just fills my stomach up.
  • cmriverside
    cmriverside Posts: 33,907 Member
    I sympathize.
    I empathize.
    My family has an odd trait that runs through generations. We naturally eat very little for 7-10 days, then eat everything in sight for a day. Then back to very little. You can imagine how astounded and frightened my sisters-in-law were when they saw their babies eating like this for the first time, crying all day long and eating until their little tummies looked like they would burst and still crying because they were hungry.
    I’ve never found a way to be satisfied on my eating day. It got easier with time and better with experience. But I’m 71, have a goal of about 1500 calories a day and ate over 3000 calories yesterday. I still got it.
    I wish you luck finding an answer and I hope you will share.

    I actually think this is a valid evolutionary tactic.


    If back-in-the-day we traveled long distances to find and forage and hunt our food, it makes sense to me that when the hunt was successful we ate until...


    I've seen video of lions who just kill because the prey is there, not that they don't already have plenty to eat in front of them, but feast or famine, yeah?
  • cmriverside
    cmriverside Posts: 33,907 Member
    Oh, and...that's how I mostly eat too. About a week of regular calorie intake with a small deficit and then one day of double what I need. I've done that for years.
  • qclady2
    qclady2 Posts: 7 Member
    Hungry late at night? I was always taught to just go to bed....instead of giving in to cravings. But if its to early for me, I find that a sugar free chocolate pudding cup nix's that craving. Only 70 calories!! I also like grapes to snack on while I am watching my shows.
  • AnnPT77
    AnnPT77 Posts: 31,717 Member
    FiberousJ wrote: »
    I wish I had an answer. My stomach is currently full, but my head is saying 'feed me sweets!'. Sometimes I give in.
    Sometimes I tell my brain to shut up and do all those things we've all heard a million times (drink iced water/clean teeth/have a 'treat' drink like chocolate mint (the plant) and boiling water...)
    Sometimes sleep helps.
    Sometimes hormones make it worse. And stress. And exercise at the wrong time. And, and, and...
    I'm coming to the conclusion there's going to be no magic bullet, just as there's really no magically skinny peeps. They may SAY they have a fast metabolism, or 'forget' to eat... but those are just like my 'sometimes'.
    Bodies need fuel. Brains get confused or addicted or habit laden.
    We are more than either.
    I'm not saying 'stop making excuses ', cos the struggle is real. But I guess I am saying... we determine what course of action is right for this given moment. If I'm hungry, I should eat. If I'm bored/habit etc, I should find another hobby/distraction. I choose.


    Right. So maybe it's about habits and developing distractions. However, distractions might only work once in a while. It's not a bulletproof strategy either. So I'm thinking that it may have to do more with habits.

    And I'm coming to the conclusion that going on extreme diets is not sustainable. Eventually, our bodies fight back and need the calories.

    Also, I'm starting to realize if you just be consistent, it's okay to slip up. It's not about what we do in one day, but what we did for that week or that month or that year.

    And patience is a virtue too. Part of the reason I work out so much is so that I'm not reliant on just one way. I don't care if it's a 90 percent diet or an 80 percent diet. 10 to 20 percent is still part of the puzzle. I don't necessarily find that exercise makes me hungrier. It makes me eat back some of the calories but not all of them.

    But right now I have a journal and I'm , writing down what's working and what's not. I've actually lost about 30 pounds in the pandemic. I'm wearing new clothes. But I'm not happy, I've actually lost confidence because I feel it's not enough. I still need to lose at least 15 more pounds.

    I think you're on the right track here.

    I do think a lot of it is about establishing habits and expectations about eating and exercise, and grooving those in until they're pretty automatic. To *some* extent, the body may follow behavior (not simply lead it), with respect to things like cravings.

    IMO, beyond that, part of the issue with what I think you're calling "brain hunger" is figuring out when and especially *why* it occurs. If it's not physical need for calories or nutrition, what is it? For example, there can be elements like a need for comfort, pleasure, stimulation (anti-boredom), reassurance, etc., or a need to combat fatigue, damp down emotions, counter stress, distract ourselves, etc.

    For some problems that manifest as "hunger", food is not the solution, because food is not the actual root cause.

    I can't say whether that's happening for you, but it's a thing that happens for some. If it is happening, figuring out the cause and working on it directly (not indirectly by looking for filling ways to eat) may be the solution.

    Keep in mind that though exercise as good, and we need some for best health (it's like food in those ways), it can also be something we use as a sort of placebo to paper over other problems. Don't get me wrong, I like exercise, think it has many benefits, and that the only "too much" is exercising beyond current safe limits or so much that it throws off overall good life balance (enough time and energy for job, family, nuturing social relationships, faith/spiritual activities for some, non-exercise hobbies, etc.).
  • gunshowgreg
    gunshowgreg Posts: 169 Member
    edited May 2021
    I find that cucumbers are very filling and extremely low calorie. watermelon is a great thing to eat also. very filling as others have said before a big salad is pretty filling just by itself. a low calorie dressing will (I like balsamic style) make more satisfactory to taste.

    this is how I make my salads (see attached picture)
    85u6c4f9tk5p.png


    I don't always use 2 dressings i was just using stuff up and added more than I needed adjust as you like and the salt intake is high because of the pickled jalapeños I usually use fresh

    after you eat that salad its about 780 calories, omit the avocado, the eggs (don't recommend it causes its gonna fill you up)or use a lighter dressing to make the calories lower for you or don't use any at all if that's your liking. but eat that salad like how I mentioned and tell me how you feel? you will more than likely feel very full and may not be able to eat it all.

    something else to consider is intermittent fasting. (lost near 20 lbs.) since you like to eat and snack late at night make your eating window smaller and towards the evening after work. people have an easier time staying full if they shorten their eating windows and consume more food in a short amount of time instead of spacing it out. this is what i do. ill start eating around 3pm till about 9pm. if I'm doing One Meal a Day OMAD then I eat dinner with my family and that's it. consume what i need in the hour. I don't take lunch breaks and I get more crap done.

    as someone else also said (sorta) is that this is a phycological battle we have with ourselves. eating out of habit and things like that is difficult to break. not being honest with our intakes and not commit to our goals is hard. but it is do able (its in your head). shortening your eating windows makes this much easier, but do measure your food and note your calories. over nourishment is not gonna help you even if you are fasting.






    if you are not weighing your food, you are messing up. I got one of these and it was one of the best things i ever bought. screw measuring cups.
    https://www.amazon.com/Ozeri-Digital-Multifunction-Kitchen-Elegant/dp/B004164SRA/?tag=tdeecalc-20

    hope this helps
  • FiberousJ
    FiberousJ Posts: 82 Member
    AnnPT77 wrote: »
    FiberousJ wrote: »
    I wish I had an answer. My stomach is currently full, but my head is saying 'feed me sweets!'. Sometimes I give in.
    Sometimes I tell my brain to shut up and do all those things we've all heard a million times (drink iced water/clean teeth/have a 'treat' drink like chocolate mint (the plant) and boiling water...)
    Sometimes sleep helps.
    Sometimes hormones make it worse. And stress. And exercise at the wrong time. And, and, and...
    I'm coming to the conclusion there's going to be no magic bullet, just as there's really no magically skinny peeps. They may SAY they have a fast metabolism, or 'forget' to eat... but those are just like my 'sometimes'.
    Bodies need fuel. Brains get confused or addicted or habit laden.
    We are more than either.
    I'm not saying 'stop making excuses ', cos the struggle is real. But I guess I am saying... we determine what course of action is right for this given moment. If I'm hungry, I should eat. If I'm bored/habit etc, I should find another hobby/distraction. I choose.


    Right. So maybe it's about habits and developing distractions. However, distractions might only work once in a while. It's not a bulletproof strategy either. So I'm thinking that it may have to do more with habits.

    And I'm coming to the conclusion that going on extreme diets is not sustainable. Eventually, our bodies fight back and need the calories.

    Also, I'm starting to realize if you just be consistent, it's okay to slip up. It's not about what we do in one day, but what we did for that week or that month or that year.

    And patience is a virtue too. Part of the reason I work out so much is so that I'm not reliant on just one way. I don't care if it's a 90 percent diet or an 80 percent diet. 10 to 20 percent is still part of the puzzle. I don't necessarily find that exercise makes me hungrier. It makes me eat back some of the calories but not all of them.

    But right now I have a journal and I'm , writing down what's working and what's not. I've actually lost about 30 pounds in the pandemic. I'm wearing new clothes. But I'm not happy, I've actually lost confidence because I feel it's not enough. I still need to lose at least 15 more pounds.

    I think you're on the right track here.

    I do think a lot of it is about establishing habits and expectations about eating and exercise, and grooving those in until they're pretty automatic. To *some* extent, the body may follow behavior (not simply lead it), with respect to things like cravings.

    IMO, beyond that, part of the issue with what I think you're calling "brain hunger" is figuring out when and especially *why* it occurs. If it's not physical need for calories or nutrition, what is it? For example, there can be elements like a need for comfort, pleasure, stimulation (anti-boredom), reassurance, etc., or a need to combat fatigue, damp down emotions, counter stress, distract ourselves, etc.

    For some problems that manifest as "hunger", food is not the solution, because food is not the actual root cause.

    I can't say whether that's happening for you, but it's a thing that happens for some. If it is happening, figuring out the cause and working on it directly (not indirectly by looking for filling ways to eat) may be the solution.

    Keep in mind that though exercise as good, and we need some for best health (it's like food in those ways), it can also be something we use as a sort of placebo to paper over other problems. Don't get me wrong, I like exercise, think it has many benefits, and that the only "too much" is exercising beyond current safe limits or so much that it throws off overall good life balance (enough time and energy for job, family, nuturing social relationships, faith/spiritual activities for some, non-exercise hobbies, etc.).


    You mentioned combatting fatigue. At times yes, my brain does feel a bit fatigued. And when I have chocolate or something starchy like crackers, I usually feel energized again. What can give me the same boost that doesn't contain calories?