Hello everyone! New to MyFitness

53 here getting geared up for retirement. Losing weight is only a lot harder as you get older if like me, your activity level has severely decreased over the years. It's all in the math and that is what MFP is all about. Doing the math so you can see what your body really needs vs what your taking in. (yes metabolism decreases with age but if your weight went up your weight increases your resting metabolism). So ya gaining weight is a bit easier as you get older because your body uses less in general and a lot of people do less to burn what they take in. No change in eating habit + less being burned over a long period of time.... gain.

The I'm hungry now is about one of two thing.
1. Habit
2. you are hungry now

Habits can be changed. Once you change your eating pattern over time your body will get used to not eating when it is not time to eat. Unless you are not eating enough food and then you will be hungry because your body needs food. That said, you can try eating smaller amounts but with more frequency. I find it hard to be hungry while I am eating and for a short time later while i'm digesting. Add more water it will help a little and is vital when you drop caloric intake for digestion. Make sure you are getting enough calories in your day. Oddly exercise always... initially makes me less hungry.

That's all the thoughts I have.... welcome.

nanadee75 wrote: »

Ok so I signed up because I’m almost 50, can gain weight really fast but it’s so hard taking it off. Looking for tips on how to curb the “I’m hungry now” moments to avoid bad choices. Also need to avoid getting so hungry because once I hit that point it’s hard to cut back. Any pointers would help.

Avoiding problem appetite is fairly individual, I think. It may take some experimentation.

For starters, don't try to lose weight super fast. That just makes everything more difficult. Something like 0.5% of current weight per week is fine for most, maybe 1% if severely obese and under close medical supervision for deficiencies or complications.

As a basic strategy, notice times when you feel more or less crave-y, and think about why that might be so. Various things can affect appetite: Overall nutrition or timing of nutrition, relative sizes or timing of meals/snacks, type of food, type or intensity of exercise, sleep quality/quantity, stress, boredom, habits, social triggers, and more.

If you can identify things that seem to make cravings less, try intentional experiments to see if you can repeat the effect. If something seems to make it worse, try avoiding that thing for a few days.

If you think the root problem/trigger isn't needs for fuel or nutrition, then deal with the root issue. For example, if bored eating is happening, consider a new or resumed distracting hobby, ideally one that requires clean hands (sketching, needlework, playing a musical instrument, etc.) or creates dirty ones (gardening, carpentry, painting, etc.). If the problem is stress or other emotion, find non-food self-soothing methods like meditation/prayer, mild exercise, adult coloring books, warm shower or bubblebath, calming music, etc.

Most people do find so-called whole foods more filling than highly-processed ones. Some people find protein filling, some fats, some high-volume foods (such as lots of low cal veggies). Try some eating variations, see if any seem better.

Different people do well on everything from one (big) meal a day (OMAD) to all-day grazing on multiple snack-sized meals, and anything in between. There, too, you can try some experiments with number and timing of meals/snacks, see if something helps or hinders.

Experiments that don't work aren't "a failure", they're a step toward learning what does work. Learn from them, let it go. Try something else. As long as you keep going, you'll make progress. ou
On the food front, I'll give you an example of what I figured out for myself (even though your specifics will almost certainly differ): I found that I need a solid breakfast with plenty of protein, then protein through the day. At least one meal needs volume, usually a huge serving(s) of various veggies. Depending on my schedule, I eat varying numbers of meals and snacks. During weight loss, I carried pleasant (but not super tempting) snacks in my car or purse, because I found that if I nipped cravings quickly with a small nutritious snack, I was less likely to over-eat when I got home.

You will differ. But you can figure some things out, if you're willing to experiment and observe the results.

Best wishes!