Cannot stop eating

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leenites
leenites Posts: 166 Member
in Food and Nutrition
Hi friends.

I am supposed to be: NET CALORIES of 1200.
However, I find myself wanting to eat constantly. It is really hard to control myself though I did manage to do it half of the time.

It is somewhat weird because it is not like I am feeling hungry, so I get the urge to eat. I will still eat despite being full. I try drinking more water but despite feeling "full", it is hard to not think of food and wanting to eat.

Is this something I should be wary about? I did not use to have such strong craving for food until these past 2 months.

Replies

  • purplepollypops
    purplepollypops Posts: 323 Member
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    How much exercise do you do and do you eat back your exercise cals?
    When you feel the urge to eat go out for a walk and burn off some cals so that if you are still feeling the same when you get back you can eat back what you have just burned and still net 1200.
    I always do this when I really want something that I know will take me over my net.
  • Dunkirk
    Dunkirk Posts: 465 Member
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    Hi there. Have you thought about raising your calorie limit to 1500? This not only gives you more you can eat, but also the option of reducing your calorie intake further along your weightloss journey. God bless, Dunkirk
  • Ralphrabbit
    Ralphrabbit Posts: 351 Member
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    I also feel this way when I get started on a "diet". This last week has been particularly bad.
    Mostly my reason for eating has nothing to do with how hungry I feel. It has more to do with the fact it is "time" for food or I need the comfort of food. I have spent some time looking honestly at my reasons for eating & concluded that I have a warped view of food!!
    Mostly I find distraction & keeping busy the best thing to do. Exercise is good but you can not eat if you are sewing or doing craft work. Gardening also keeps you at it as whenever you feel like stopping to eat something, there is usually something that you can "just do first" then you get going & forget for a while. The fact is that we can stop eating if we choose to. However, it is hard work & discipline if we want to succeed.
    Keep at it & take it one day at a time. If you mess up, start again tomorrow & the mess will belong to yesterday.
  • EmmaRankmore
    EmmaRankmore Posts: 125
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    I do the same as purplepollypops - I check my net calories, and if its going to take me over, I do more exercise then eat back the calories afterwards. I have a problem with eating for comfort or eating because its time to, or whatever - so I try and distract myself by exercising, then I can still eat if I want to and not feel bad. :)
  • Amy911Gray
    Amy911Gray Posts: 685 Member
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    Kosher Dill Pickles....

    This is a 0 calorie food. I don't know why, but it will move the "hunger" that you are feeling for about 30 minutes to 1 hour. I get the baby kosher dills and put about 4 on a small saucer on Saturdays (my very worst hungry day).

    You should know that before I started this chapter in my life, I was a bag a day kettle chip eater. And sometimes I miss that. But I'm seeing so much more success in my life and not just in shrinking either. I actually feel better and I'm enjoying it way more than the kettle chips.

    Find your own 0 calorie food, and make sure you have back ups in the pantry. I had a manager once who said, "Failing to plan is planning to fail." I'm planning to succeed.

    Another thing is granola bars and Quaker Oats makes a 90 calorie bar without high fructose corn syrup that are very tasty. These can fill you up for 1 to 2 hours. Not 0 calories, but a lot less work.
  • engineman312
    engineman312 Posts: 3,450 Member
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    restricting yourself to such few calories in the beginning can be very very tough. best to have more, like others said, and ween your way into it. i did that, and three months later i'm still here, and still losing, and feeling great.
  • piratepiet
    piratepiet Posts: 45 Member
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    I would recommend eating stuff that is low on calories. Whenever I'm hungry I eat stuff like green beans (50 cals per can), or the classic apple a day (about 80 calories). Canned tomatoe soup is great too (about 130 cals per can) and for cold turkey on sweets try a popsicle (somewhere between 40 and 70 calories).
  • leenites
    leenites Posts: 166 Member
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    Thanks for all the advice. You can look at my food diary to see the kind of food I eat.
    I do INSANITY 6 times a week and since I could not find it in the database, I just entered "aerobics, high impact" or something like that (whatever the database has).

    Every day, I earn 200+ to 300+ calories back and I eat back most if not all. Still, I just keep wanting to eat more. I guess extra workout may help but I need to find time for that to actually happen. haha.
  • Redladystl
    Redladystl Posts: 351 Member
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    Chew gum.
  • SueGeer
    SueGeer Posts: 1,169 Member
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    Chew gum.

    Gross!!!! lol
  • Amo_Angelus
    Amo_Angelus Posts: 604 Member
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    Occupy your fingers and mind.

    I often get the "munchies" not through feeling hungry, but because my hand are idle and my mind gets a food thought and clings to it, within five minutes I'm raiding the kitchen unless I take action. Personally I knit and Cross stitch, as well as bead crafting and cardmaking, drawing and writing...so when I get the munchies I work on something that uses my hands, that I enjoy and occupies my mind too. Don't know if you've ever done cross stitch for example, but it's impossible to eat while doing it, and working the intricate details of the piece I'm currently working on means it's impossible to think about anything but the detailing and thus the munchies pass.
  • hannahlbur
    hannahlbur Posts: 221 Member
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    I had the same problem and I adjusted my goal to losing 1 lb a week instead of 2 so my net target is 1500. I find this bit of leeway has helped me mentally rather than stressing about being over most days, I now feel proud to be hitting my goal. Since doing this I have found that with exercise my net is quite often around the 1200 mark.
    I have a big appetite so cutting down on my cals is a slow process for me otherwise I end up super hungry and even more grouchy than normal!
  • leenites
    leenites Posts: 166 Member
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    Occupy your fingers and mind.

    I often get the "munchies" not through feeling hungry, but because my hand are idle and my mind gets a food thought and clings to it, within five minutes I'm raiding the kitchen unless I take action. Personally I knit and Cross stitch, as well as bead crafting and cardmaking, drawing and writing...so when I get the munchies I work on something that uses my hands, that I enjoy and occupies my mind too. Don't know if you've ever done cross stitch for example, but it's impossible to eat while doing it, and working the intricate details of the piece I'm currently working on means it's impossible to think about anything but the detailing and thus the munchies pass.

    I shall try this one, friend!

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