Always hungry...please help

jdtd1967
jdtd1967 Posts: 44 Member
edited September 20 in Introduce Yourself
It does not matter if I have just finsihed with breakfast,lunch,or dinner....it seems like I never get full...I have gained 20lbs in about 4-1/2 months. I was excercising at the gym and walking alot. Now it seems that I do not exercise and I am swelling like a dog tick. I feel so sluggish and tired all the time. This is my very first day on the site and I really like it so far. If anyone could give me advice on what I should do? I would greatly appreciate it. I have started to eat whole grains...and trying to eat in moderation.
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Replies

  • sindyb9
    sindyb9 Posts: 1,248 Member
    I drink lots of water before, during and after meals. it fills me up. If you are bloated the water will also flush your system of excess salt. I was hungry all the time when I first started but eat smaller meals more often it helps. :bigsmile: :drinker:
  • jdtd1967
    jdtd1967 Posts: 44 Member
    Thanks....I do have a problem it seems like I'm not drinking....enough when I'm eating....I will almost finish my meal before I start drinking any water....
  • ali258
    ali258 Posts: 403
    One trick that works for me is to have a bigger breakfast. When I get 200-300 calories for breakfast, I tend to not feel like I'm starving in the afternoon. Also, have a side salad with your lunch and dinner. It's really filling, but very low on calories, especially if you just put flavored vinegar on it or a little bit of light or low calorie dressing.

    But if you had a big weight gain suddenly and are swelling a lot and feeling tired and sluggish, you should probably go see a doctor. You might have a thyroid problem or some other sort of hormonal problem causing all of those other problems.

    Good luck getting everything sorted out!

    -Alison
  • One trick that works for me is to have a bigger breakfast. When I get 200-300 calories for breakfast, I tend to not feel like I'm starving in the afternoon.

    I agree with that. When I have a good breakfast I don't feel hungry again until about 2:00. I've been on this site for about a month now and in the beginning I always felt hungry like you. But now my hunger level went way down. :smile: I think your body starts to get used to the difference in food intake and adjusts. When I am hungry I try to think of it as fat being dissolved from my body. It kinda helps...a little :wink:
  • barbiecat
    barbiecat Posts: 17,206 Member
    :flowerforyou: :flowerforyou: If you see your doctor and your problem isn't medical, then consider that you probably have lost touch with what hungry and not hungry really feel like.

    When I started my weight loss journey in January my first step was to plan three meals and a snack the night before, then I stuck to the plan no matter what my body told me. The first days I had times when I watched the clock waiting for my next meal, but didn't stray from the plan. I looked for foods to eat that were more nutritious and more filling so I could eat a bigger meal.

    In time it got easier. There's no way to change feelings and behaviors overnight. Take baby steps. Add protein, eliminate empty calories, add exercise, eat slower. There are so many good behaviors to add gradually.

    And never, never, never give up:bigsmile:
  • NeNe967
    NeNe967 Posts: 3 Member
    jdtd1967,

    I think you need to go to the doctor. Your body may be giving you signs that something is wrong.
  • I'm the same. :grumble: Drinking water is good, and also, I've found that distracting yourself when you're got a craving really helps. I usually log onto MFP to boost my willpower, or play a quick online game to help me forget about it.
    I know it's hard, but you can do it! :D
  • Stay away from pops/sodas. Have ONE Diet drink at dinner as your "reward" for the day.

    Stay away from alcoholic beverages.

    Drink 64 oz of water a day.

    Stay away from bacon; but use chicken, fish (seafood), and lean meats.

    Continue to eat whole grain products: bread, cereal, pasta, etc.

    Use Extra Virgin Olive Oil [EVOO] (throw away your margarine and butter). Try Pam cooking spray, too.

    Put away the salt shaker. If you need it, use Morton's Lite salt.

    Buy and use fiber products. I LOVE Fiber One muffin mix, pancake mix, cereal, etc.

    Eat fruits & veggies.

    Chew gum all day.

    Stay away from fast food restaurants.

    Go to www.pillsbury.com and click on the products button. You can buy a pizza stone for $29.99 w/recipes on how to make your own pizzas at home again w/EVOO. I haven't had a pizza from Pizza Hut, Dominoes, etc., in 8 months!

    Stay away from Hydrogenated Oils (baked goods like: cookies, cheese cake, muffins, donuts, cakes, pies, etc., etc, etc!)

    Eat nuts. Any type!

    You need carbs to fill you up as well as protein.

    It's also called WILL POWER! If you're hungry, you'll have to reach for "healthy foods" instead of bad ones.

    Click on my POSTS. It will show you how I have answered other women in giving them TONS of tips and advice. I lost 20 pounds. If I did it, so can you! Blessings and good luck!

    Eva
  • kelly_a
    kelly_a Posts: 2,010 Member
    i might check with the Dr too, but here are some things that have helped me feel fuller, longer. eat only whole grains, and lower your sugar content ** no white flour **. eat a healthy fat with each meal, nuts fill me up, along with a healthy carb and lowfat protein. brkfst is my biggest meal, anywhere from 400-600 calories. somedays i am not hungry at all, but eat just b/c i need to. water helps too and sometimes our bodies are thirsty not hungry. hth, good luck!
  • nolachick
    nolachick Posts: 3,278 Member
    One trick that works for me is to have a bigger breakfast. When I get 200-300 calories for breakfast, I tend to not feel like I'm starving in the afternoon. Also, have a side salad with your lunch and dinner. It's really filling, but very low on calories, especially if you just put flavored vinegar on it or a little bit of light or low calorie dressing.

    But if you had a big weight gain suddenly and are swelling a lot and feeling tired and sluggish, you should probably go see a doctor. You might have a thyroid problem or some other sort of hormonal problem causing all of those other problems.

    Good luck getting everything sorted out!

    -Alison

    I agree! thryoid problem was the first thing that came to mind.
  • i might check with the Dr too, but here are some things that have helped me feel fuller, longer. eat only whole grains, and lower your sugar content ** no white flour **. eat a healthy fat with each meal, nuts fill me up, along with a healthy carb and lowfat protein. brkfst is my biggest meal, anywhere from 400-600 calories. somedays i am not hungry at all, but eat just b/c i need to. water helps too and sometimes our bodies are thirsty not hungry. hth, good luck!

    ^5 (high five!)

    Blessings! :flowerforyou:

    Eva
  • nolachick
    nolachick Posts: 3,278 Member

    Click on my POSTS. It will show you how I have answered other women in giving them TONS of tips and advice. I lost 20 pounds. If I did it, so can you! Blessings and good luck!

    Eva

    eva, i know u sent me a diet already, but can u make ur food diary public so I can get a better idea of what u are eating? thnx!
  • jdtd1967
    jdtd1967 Posts: 44 Member
    Thanks, to all that have responded..... I really need all the support and help that I can get.
  • mavsfan2009
    mavsfan2009 Posts: 261 Member
    I agree with drinking more water, that should definitely help. Also, eat slower - it makes you feel full longer.

    I didn't read all the posts, so I'm not sure if someone already said this. I know that extreme hunger and excessive weight gain is a sign of diabetes. I would definitely go get checked out, just to be absolutely sure this isnt the case. Good luck!

  • Click on my POSTS. It will show you how I have answered other women in giving them TONS of tips and advice. I lost 20 pounds. If I did it, so can you! Blessings and good luck!

    Eva

    eva, i know u sent me a diet already, but can u make ur food diary public so I can get a better idea of what u are eating? thnx!

    Hello Nola. I don't use a food diary :happy: :happy: :happy:

    I know what to eat and what not to eat. I don't rely on calories, but girl, I KNOW I'm eating 1,250 calories since I have lost 20 pounds. I am currently menstruating and I gained 2 pounds. That's okay! I BLOAT like a beached whale when my Aunt Emily visits me. When she's gone it's as if someone used a straight pin, popped my stomach, and I deflate like a balloon :happy: Even a guy I once dated said, "Eva, when you're on your period you BALLOON up!" and "Don't walk around on bare feet when you're on your period, put some socks on!". I will NEVER forget what he told me. As this is the body God gave me (and I'll balloon like a beached whale, I'll see it myself and feel it, too). Thus the #1 reason why I weigh myself once a month. PLEASE don't get mad at me when I type in a new number next month and that number will read "2-3 pounds" for my weight LOSS! (Eva smiling).

    If I gave YOU a grocery list, then that is also what I eat. Girl, I haven't been to Pizza Hut, Dominoes, etc., in 8 months!! I LOVE my pillsbury pizza stone (www.pillsbury.com). Click on the products and/or on the window type in pizza stone. It will cost you $29.99.

    I go to Mickey D's but eat a Hamburger Happy meal and sub the French fries for apple dippers, and my small Diet Coke.

    Blessings! :flowerforyou:

    Eva
  • nolachick
    nolachick Posts: 3,278 Member
    great that must be so liberating not to log food. I checked out the pizza stone but read bad reviews on it. also I'm not crazy about pizz a to make it all that often. but maybe one day.
  • great that must be so liberating not to log food. I checked out the pizza stone but read bad reviews on it. also I'm not crazy about pizz a to make it all that often. but maybe one day.

    Bad reviews on the Pizza Stone? Hmmmmmmmmmmm. Ladies look at my before and after pictures and please tell me how the Pizza Stone (sold throughout the United States of America) can have "bad reviews". Blessings! :flowerforyou: :flowerforyou:

    Eva
  • MPH2
    MPH2 Posts: 36 Member
    Focus on nutrient rich and caloric sparse foods and avoid caloric rich and nutrient sparse foods. Have an orange vs. orange juice. The orange contains a lot of fiber and half the calories as a glass of OJ. Have oatmeal with a bit of jam instead of breakfast cereal with milk, again much more sustaining fiber and fewer calories.

    Quite simply if the food comes out of a box, bag or a drive through window it should be consumed in serious moderation. These foods through processing are rich in calories, simple sugars, and salt will be very sparse in nutrients and fiber. Consume food close to the source e.g. fresh vegetables, fruit, bakery made whole grain bread, fresh cuts of meat from the butcher.

    Examine your hunger pain like a scientist. How does it feel? Is it really pain? How long does it last? Does it stop with water? Learn from your body instead of just having a feeling then rushing to the cupboard for some chips.
  • spinningmango
    spinningmango Posts: 197 Member
    welcome to mfp!

    Drink LOTS of water:drinker: :flowerforyou:
  • i started with the special k for two weeks. cereal for bfast and lunch with fruit, and then a regular dinner where you HAD to maintain willpower. after that my stomach shrinked a little. i drink 8 glasses of water a day. 1 before breakfast and 1 during/after. 2 between bfast and lunch. 1 before lunch and 1 during/after lunch. and 2 between lunch and bedtime, more spread out so i pee less! haha you'll go to the bathroom a lot but it really helps with the food thing. also, i eat throughout the day. snack on healthy stuff. even if you're just chewin on a piece of celery, you're occupying your mouth. it's like quitting smoking, it's purely habit. good luck to you, and welcome!!
  • plan snacks throughout the day. this way you are eating 6 - 7 smaller meals and will not be starving yourself till the next major meal.
  • jdtd1967
    jdtd1967 Posts: 44 Member
    Eva,

    Could you give me an example of your healthy meal plan.... I know I can do it....however it's the things I've been eating. I need to learn "what is really good for me" You are an inspiration of what we need...Thanks, for all your help.
  • ali258
    ali258 Posts: 403
    great that must be so liberating not to log food. I checked out the pizza stone but read bad reviews on it. also I'm not crazy about pizz a to make it all that often. but maybe one day.

    Bad reviews on the Pizza Stone? Hmmmmmmmmmmm. Ladies look at my before and after pictures and please tell me how the Pizza Stone (sold throughout the United States of America) can have "bad reviews". Blessings! :flowerforyou: :flowerforyou:

    Eva

    I don't think she meant that the pizza stone was unhealthy and would stop you from losing weight. I think she just meant other users didn't like the product for some reason. I have a pizza stone, and I personally never use it. I find it's easier to just use a cookie sheet when I want to make pizza because I don't like the clean up on the pizza stone.

    Great job on the weight loss though, Eva!

    -Alison
  • mika24
    mika24 Posts: 15
    If your GP rules out a medical problem, then I would suggest eating a good breakfast, drinking a glass of water half an hour before each meal, and having lots of healthy snacks ready so you can eat when you want to. Things like carrot sticks in the fridge, lots of fruit, low fat yoghurt's, etc. Also try to savour each bite and do not rush your meals, giving you more time to feel full.

    Good luck with your lifestyle change!
  • jdtd1967
    jdtd1967 Posts: 44 Member
    Mika:

    My GP says I do not have any medical conditions. I know that I'm always done eating and everyone else is still eating.....I do know that I need to sloooow way down and take more time to eat the foods....I believe that could be one of my problems. I could eat dinner and then in about an hour it seems I'm nibbling on something. I know that I 'm trying to drink more water...and more grains...it is so hard....I really need to stick with it this time.....Thanks.
  • ali258
    ali258 Posts: 403
    Ok, this is going to sound a little crazy, but it did give me a little boost to help me break some of my bad eating habits. Have you tried hypnosis? I downloaded a weigh loss hypnosis CD on itunes (for about $10) and it actually did help change my thinking. I got Aubrey Nye's Weight Loss Hypnosis. Before you think I'm totally nuts, I'll tell you how my experience was using the CD.

    So, this type of hypnosis doesn't make you a zombie and didn't even put me to sleep. But it did make me feel really relaxed, and the suggestions she uses are just basically the opposite of the kind of thinking that got a lot of us needing to lose weight. Things like - you don't have to clear your plate, starving children are not going to benefit by you finishing all of your food, and you can have whatever food you want but only have a bite or two and savor it - the third bite doesn't taste any better and you've already had the taste. Other than the fact that she sounds a little like a party line operator, I thought it was well worth the $10 even though it didn't make me lose 100 lbs or anything. When I was listening to it every couple of days, it helped me change my way of thinking. When I would reach for food out of habit, one of her little sayings would pop in my head and remind me that I don't need to eat unless I'm hungry. Even though I don't really use the CD much anymore, when I am slipping back into just eating all day long, I will listen to it a few days in a row, and it serves as a reminder to stick to better habits.

    Good luck breaking your habits.

    -Alison
  • nolachick
    nolachick Posts: 3,278 Member
    I don't think it's crazy, I've actually been wanting to do smething like that to change my mentality about eating. And you are sooo right, when I was a kid my mom used to force feed me by saying that there are a lot of kids out there who are starving, and up to day I still think about that when eating food. She always made me clean my plate, so I feel soooo guilty now leaving anything to be thrown away.

    I'd really like to change that.
  • 34at35
    34at35 Posts: 318
    Mika:

    My GP says I do not have any medical conditions. I know that I'm always done eating and everyone else is still eating.....I do know that I need to sloooow way down and take more time to eat the foods....I believe that could be one of my problems. I could eat dinner and then in about an hour it seems I'm nibbling on something. I know that I 'm trying to drink more water...and more grains...it is so hard....I really need to stick with it this time.....Thanks.

    I had terrible problems with this during my first month on my journey. I had "hunger headaches", nausea & even dry heaves, and was always in a nasty mood. I was a "bear" to be around, to put it mildly. So when I saw my doc after the first month (I had lost 8 lbs but was miserable), I asked him if could prescribe anything to kill my appetite. He prescribed Meridia and the difference has been amazing! I've been on it for almost a year now. He's even going to keep me on it for 6 months after I reach my goal in order to give my Leptin levels (the fullness hormone) time to rebuild to the level needed to maintain my new weight. He says that the body stops producing that hormone when you are losing weight and that's why so many people regain their weight after they stop dieting.

    Its not for everyone and doesn't work for everyone but you may want to ask about it. It has sure worked for me!
  • April0815
    April0815 Posts: 780 Member
    Nolachick what part of New Orleans do you live?
  • nolachick
    nolachick Posts: 3,278 Member
    I live by the lakefront but my bf is from Marrero :smile:
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