So friggin hungry!!!

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2

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  • ALH1981
    ALH1981 Posts: 538 Member
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    more protein - you have none!!!
  • 2FattyXFatty4
    2FattyXFatty4 Posts: 215 Member
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    If you have thoughtfully decided you ARE hungry, then you should eat IMO

    ^ THIS!

    I don't fear hunger, it's my body telling me that I need more nutrients.
  • Karalopolous
    Karalopolous Posts: 574
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    YOu absolutely sound like me. I am always hungry, especially right before bed. Before factoring in exercise calories I net 1900 calories now up from MFP's suggested 1350. I also eat ALOT of protein and less carbs, and usually refined carbs are a no no, usually. I am getting the hang of the every 3 hours eating thing, and I try to eat about 300-400 per meal. This is honestly what has helped me. I feel so much more satiated this way. If you are hungry (and just not bored, lol) then that's good bc it means ur metabolism is getting warmed up. Keep up with the water and don't eat nothing if you are really truly hungry.
  • sun33082
    sun33082 Posts: 416 Member
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    Eat more protein, less carbs. And not all protein bars are full of sugar. Quest bars are very low in sugar and high in fiber.
  • Lost_Mermaid
    Lost_Mermaid Posts: 136
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    I find that it's only easy when you're on a diet that you become hungry because you're deprived of the calories you were once eating that no longer exist in your daily intake. Before this, you were just eating anything, because you were hungry, or at least your body was telling you that it was. Now you have to track every little thing you eat, and you're given a calorie limit, and you're now missing calories from your daily intake. Your body wants the calories you aren't eating, and it's telling you LOUDLY. There's a term for it, I read it in a magazine once, it's called hanger. Are you having trouble trying not to snap at people while you're hungry? When that's the case, it's because you're lacking essential calories, as in you could be eating too few for your needs. You might need to tweak your diet a bit if this is the case, or things could get ugly!!! :grumble:

    This happened to me. I went from eating a diet of a whole lot of junk to attempting to practically starve myself...and it was not pretty...

    ...but i'm doing it the healthy way now and i'm much more pleasant to be around lol
  • Elle_Jamaicangirl81
    Elle_Jamaicangirl81 Posts: 418 Member
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    i found carbs made me more hungry...

    try bumping up the protein.. i like Greek yogurt.. thing is THICK and filling....nuts when u're looking a snack.

    try lowering that sodium as well...


    Good luck :)
  • gypsykitchen
    gypsykitchen Posts: 34
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    I agree with everyone talking about the sugar/carb levels. I tried South Beach a while ago, and it overall didn't work for me, but it did teach me to tell the difference between carb/sugar-crashing and genuine hunger, and made me realize that a lot of times I think I'm hungry but I'm actually just crashing off the sugar. Some ideas to up your protein levels and make you less hungry: nuts, jerky (look for ones without added sugar - you'd be surprised how common that is!), yogurt, low-fat string cheese, seeds, beans. I noticed in your diary that you're snacking on Clif bars. Maybe try a handful of trail mix instead?
  • crimznrose
    crimznrose Posts: 282 Member
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    Thanks for the suggestion. Sugar is definitely a weakness for me. Guess I didn't even consider Slim Fast and protein bars to be a culprit!

    I LOVE LOVE LOVE the Fiber One 90 calorie snacks. I have an obsession with chocolate/peanut butter and they have a brownie and granola-like bar in that combo, both only 90 calories each. They're also packed with fiber - which helps you feel fuller longer. Another thing I battle with is getting in that 8 cups of water a day, but when I force myself to keep a regular pace on drinking water I notice I don't get as hungry. A lot of the time, what we think is hunger is actually dehydration. Try drinking a full glass of water and if you're still hungry 15-20 minutes later, eat a light snack high in fiber and low in carbs (fruit, veggies, fiber one for the sweet tooth, etc).
  • lnicosia
    lnicosia Posts: 2
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    Are you adding in your exercise into you diary? If you are active then you may need more calories.
  • sml1231
    sml1231 Posts: 10 Member
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    When I get super hungry like that, it's usually one of three things. First, I may actually need to eat. Even if I've already consumed my daily calorie goal, sometimes what I've eaten has been empty calories and my body is telling me it needs something else. I went through a phase where I craved peanut butter - and I HATED peanut butter then - but my body knew I needed the protein and healthy fats, because I wasn't getting them during the rest of my day. So, if it's something like that, I just listen to my body and try to figure out what I may be missing in my diet.

    The other thing for me is that I love eating. I love the taste of food, and I love the act of eating, so sometimes I just really want to eat. In that case, I try to eat something crunchy, because that makes me feel more like I'm actually doing some legit eating. I like Special K chips because you can eat quite a few for only 100 calories, and they are very crunchy (my weakness is totally chips).

    The third thing for me is that I feel hungry when really I'm thirsty. I hate drinking water, and I typically don't drink much. I know you're supposed to drink 8 cups of water a day, but drinking water actually makes me sick to my stomach unless it's after a workout. What I've been doing lately when it's late and I'm feeling the urge to eat is drinking chai tea (not the latte kind, just plain tea), because I get the sweet and spicy flavors, which is really what I want, and the water, which I need and which fills me up, without all of the calories.

    Also, sometimes I just go out and get a bacon cheeseburger, because sometimes you just really need a bacon cheeseburger :-)
  • Christine1110
    Christine1110 Posts: 1,786 Member
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    How about eat a apple....it has fiber, juicy and will taste yummy!
  • gpstrucker
    gpstrucker Posts: 930 Member
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    I'm no expert, but it's possible there is something vital lacking from your diet that your body is needing. Someone else mentioned protein. It's possible you need to boost that to curb the craving your body is feeling.
  • blgerig
    blgerig Posts: 174 Member
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    I would suggest eating a more dense protein at dinner....chicken breast, turkey burger, lean beef, fish filet. It may hold you better in the evenings. Also check out these two groups. You can still eat over 2000 calories and lose weight.

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/groups/home/3817-eat-more-to-weigh-less
    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/groups/home/17-women-eating-2-000-calories-per-day

    I don't eat a lot of meat but I'll give it a try. :)

    I eat a lot of non meat protein... greek yogurt, cottage cheese, eggs (all the time as a quick dinner!) and beans. Also seafood is a great low calorie source of protein... salmon, tuna, shrimp, etc. Those things help fill me up!
  • tturley
    tturley Posts: 73 Member
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    Try Flax Seed Meal in your protein shake or Flax Seed Oil capsules. Let me know if it helps.
  • niss63
    niss63 Posts: 82 Member
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    http://www.mendosa.com/satiety.htm
  • student94
    student94 Posts: 120 Member
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    I know a bunch of people have said this, but try upping your protein. If I workout, I feel like I'm starving if I don't eat at least 100 grams of protein that day. Canned tuna and eggs are great for upping your protein intake.

    Also, MFP protein recommendations are pretty low. I've heard to shoot for about 1 gram for each pound of lean mass. You can use an online body fat calculator if you want a rough idea of how much lean mass you have.
  • magoch
    magoch Posts: 134
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    When I get hungry at night I use a similar technique to sml1231. I got some different teas from teavana (zocolatte spice is amazing -- and no caffeine, so ok before bed). I drink the tea, often with an ounce of almond milk. I've found both the ritual of making the tea (heat the water, use a tea strainer, let it steep the appropriate amount of time (zocolatte -- try 10-15 mins), add stevia or almond milk), as well as the warm coziness and delicious flavor of the beverage itself, nuture and satisfy me in a way that goes beyond what a (close to) 0 calorie beverage should. It feels really indulgent, especially if you sip it slowly and savor everything about the experience (the warmth, the scent, the flavor, the feel of the mug in your hand...). For me it fulfills my hunger in a different way.
  • Coyla
    Coyla Posts: 444 Member
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    You probably went from eating a lot to dramatically cutting your calories overnight. This is, simply, a bad idea. You should always lower your calories gradually. It will make so you're not as hungry during the first week of dieting.

    There's also a chance you're not eating enough.

    By all means, fiber, protein, and fat are the key components to feeling full. So make sure you get enough of those in your diet. Yes, that means fat, too.

    But also consider upping your calories by 300 - 400 a day. It may make you feel less deprived, and I betcha you'll still lose weight. :wink:
  • nursewhy
    nursewhy Posts: 17
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    I changed my activity level since I'm back to working out, so that allotted me a few more calories. I'm going to try to avoid the sugary stuff like slim fast and cliff bars and see what happens. I need to stock up on nuts and other good proteins! The sugar cravings are a lifelong issue though.
  • n8ugv
    n8ugv Posts: 1 Member
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    I haven't looked at your diary nor have I read all the responses... with that disclaimer in mind...

    I find myself often hungry when my calories, even when I am hitting my targets, are made up of low protein, higher carb items. When I try to hit the high fiber, lot fat diet I seem to gravitate away from the better proteins and into the foods that bring more carbs. Only recently have I really amp'ed up the lean proteins to where more of my caloric intake is from proteins than carbs and I seldom experience the all day hunger like I did. Seriously, I was easily taking in 40 g of fiber a day in the colorful veggie and fruit "groups" and meeting my calorie goals but I was finding myself hungry. Water didn't help long term.

    So, I recommend you take a look at your carb/protein balance, tip it toward the protein side, and see if that helps.

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