always hungry?

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YolandaSaez
YolandaSaez Posts: 59
in Health and Weight Loss
When ever i start back up on my diet I feel as if i'm always hungry. I eat small amounts of food. I don't over due it to the point that i'm full and can't get up. for instance i ate an hour ago and i'll be hungry again. Maybe because i'm "bored" So what keeps your mind off food?(i know that being active helps) but i wan't to know what you guys do. how long in between meals do you wait to eat? like you eat breakfast at 10am what time would you eat lunch? thanks!

Replies

  • beckajw
    beckajw Posts: 1,738 Member
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    Are you really hungry? Or just thinking about food? Sometimes when we go on a diet we are always hungry because we are thinking about the food we cannot eat. It's not real hunger.

    If you truly are hungry, you should eat something. I eat breakfast (around 6), a snack (around 10), lunch (around 1), a snack (around 4) and dinner around 7. I'm generally not hungry in between.
  • beckajw
    beckajw Posts: 1,738 Member
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    Also, make sure you are drinking enough water. Our bodies often confuse thirst with hunger.
  • Telugammayi87
    Telugammayi87 Posts: 170 Member
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    Too busy to type a lot now, but look into intermittent fasting.I had this problem. Big time. :)
  • Captain_Tightpants
    Captain_Tightpants Posts: 2,215 Member
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    Eat more protein and soluble fiber
    Eat less carbs and sugar
    Eat a moderate amount of fat
    Stay hydrated

    A combination of the above should improve your hunger issues.
  • cee134
    cee134 Posts: 33,711 Member
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    You might need more water, you might need to let you body get use to not snacking all the time (it is an addiction that has to be overcome), you might need to get more sleep (the less sleep you get, the more your body produces a chemical that makes it crave fatty foods), it might be you need more fiber and filling/healthy foods.

    As for me I've had weeks like you describe. At one point I just have to tell myself over and over, I can do this, I am not hungry.
  • YolandaSaez
    YolandaSaez Posts: 59
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    Are you really hungry? Or just thinking about food? Sometimes when we go on a diet we are always hungry because we are thinking about the food we cannot eat. It's not real hunger.

    If you truly are hungry, you should eat something. I eat breakfast (around 6), a snack (around 10), lunch (around 1), a snack (around 4) and dinner around 7. I'm generally not hungry in between.

    Interesting. That's a good question! I guess It would be that i'm THINKING about food. Everything seem's 100x more delicious when watching what i eat. lol thanks!
  • MinnieInMaine
    MinnieInMaine Posts: 6,400 Member
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    Eat more protein and soluble fiber
    Eat less carbs and sugar
    Eat a moderate amount of fat
    Stay hydrated

    A combination of the above should improve your hunger issues.

    Ditto
  • weeblex
    weeblex Posts: 412 Member
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    Protein and Water

    Any time I step up the exercise I'm famished, I was reminded of the protein shakes yesterday, they usually knock back hunger for a good few hours.
  • YolandaSaez
    YolandaSaez Posts: 59
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    You might need more water, you might need to let you body get use to not snacking all the time (it is an addiction that has to be overcome), you might need to get more sleep (the less sleep you get, the more your body produces a chemical that makes it crave fatty foods), it might be you need more fiber and filling/healthy foods.

    As for me I've had weeks like you describe. At one point I just have to tell myself over and over, I can do this, I am not hungry.

    I drink TONS of water everyday all day. I rarely drink juice's and once in a blue moon i'd drink pop. I only drink pop if there's a party because water is not provided..
  • MinnieInMaine
    MinnieInMaine Posts: 6,400 Member
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    And if you've gotten to the point where you think it's boredom, it probably is. We don't think of boredom as an emotion but it is as far as eating triggers go. I know it's one of my big ones, especially when paired with lonliness and watching cooking shows!

    You can go out for a walk or something but if that's not an option, how about finding something to occupy your time and/or hands. Find really good books to read, pick up some sort of craft - knitting, scrapbooking, cross stitch, even coloring. Whatever keeps your mind occupied so that you're not constantly thinking about food.
  • dabomb5198
    dabomb5198 Posts: 26
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    I eat small meals every 3 to 4 hours. This helps keep me from being really hungry and eating something that is not good for me.
  • brittmar25
    brittmar25 Posts: 71 Member
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    Whenever I start to feel like that I ask myself two questions:

    1. Have I had enough water today?
    2. Am I bored?

    A lot of times hunger is really thirst/boredom in disguise.
  • capriciousmoon
    capriciousmoon Posts: 1,263 Member
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    You may want to keep an eye on your net calories if you exercise. When mine are too low for a few days I usually end up starving and don't get full no matter how I eat.

    Some foods are more filling than others, but it seems to differ per person. Foods high in fiber and protein may help. I mostly avoid rice and pasta because I end up even hungrier after eating them.
  • myfitnessnmhoy
    myfitnessnmhoy Posts: 2,105 Member
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    I had this exact same problem. I started tracking my carbohydrates, fat, and proteins and found out that I was eating way too many carbs and not nearly enough protein. Subtracted some fruit, added some lean meat, and like magic I was able to get by.

    Also, another thing that worked for me was to eat a decent breakfast then eat the rest of my food until supper as small snacks during the day. I still do this - I get peckish around 11AM, have a half my turkey wrap. Noon, a piece of fruit. 1PM, the other half of the turkey wrap and some vegetables. 2PM, my other piece of fruit. 3PM, a small thing of nuts. That holds me until supper.

    Edit to add: Also, cinnamon gum. Strong flavor helps with cravings, strong smell means you can't even smell Pizza Friday. It helps.
  • DanaDark
    DanaDark Posts: 2,187 Member
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    Honestly, if you just started picking up a new diet, you should experience hunger at many times. It will take time to get used to. It is your body telling you to feed it at the SAME level you were used to... but the goal of the diet is to NOT right?

    Many suggestions here are good. Drinking lots of water helps, so does coffee I find. Also, gaining a sort of competitive mentality with the body kind of helps, you get to smile at it and say "I'll beat you...".
  • YolandaSaez
    YolandaSaez Posts: 59
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    Very interesting. Thanks for all of the support everyone.
  • paulaviki
    paulaviki Posts: 678 Member
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    I'd make sure you are eating enough calories too, I've always thought dieting means eating really low calories but actually have lost 7lbs in 5 weeks eating about 1500 a day. Before I was aiming for 1200 and I was always hungry and thinking about food.
  • Laddiegirl
    Laddiegirl Posts: 382 Member
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    I second making sure your calorie goals aren't to low and make sure you get your water. I'm never hungry and in fact struggle to eat all my calories, which I think is due in part to drinking at least the 64oz of water (or more) a day which makes me feel full all the time. I never did this before and its such a change!
  • Goal_Line
    Goal_Line Posts: 474 Member
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    First of all, I eliminate the word "diet" from my vocabulary. I'm not on a diet, I just made a few minor yet permanent changes to what I eat. Diets are temp., lifestyle changes aren't.. Diets imply denial, lifestyle changes allow for a limited amount of indulgence.

    Here is what I've found works great for me:

    Eat lean protean with every meal.
    Eat all the veggies you want - this is your all u can eat food.
    Fruits are great but they are not all you can eat.
    Round out any remaining cals you have remaining with whole grains.

    I eat at least 6 times a day, sometimes 7 or 8. -

    Exercise is very important, it keeps the metabolism up and helps ward off hunger, and give you extra cals in your daily budget..

    Replace bad habits with good ones. If you have a habit of a certain snack (for me it was a good IPA before dinner), replace that trigger with a different reward. I started taking walks whenever I wanted a beer. Know yourself, know what triggers certain behaviors and replace bad behaviors with good.

    Eventually managing your behaviors around food WILL CHANGE HOW YOU THINK. You will look at food totally different. Instead of a source of comfort or enjoyment, food will become primarily a source of fuel - sure I enjoy food very much, but I think about it completely different now.
  • SuperSexyDork
    SuperSexyDork Posts: 1,669 Member
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    I am almost never hungry.

    How do I do it? I eat a diet that is 40% carbs, 30% protein, and 30% fat and I eat something small every 2-3 hours. I also drink a TON of water (at least 132 oz a day) and meet my daily fiber intake.

    If you feel constantly hungry, keep vegetables with you all day. Carrots, cucumber slices, etc. I've found that by the time I get hungry it's too late. I'll eat EVERYTHING.

    So... I don't pack meals to take with me to work, I pack snacks. If you're curious, take a look at my diary. It's public.

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