Always Hungry!

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Posts: 258
7/14/11 5:48 P

I read somewhere that food with a crunch makes yiu feel full faster. Maybe keep some crunchy health snacks on hand.

What the other poster said about eating larger portions/lower calorie substitutions for your favorite full fat food was spot on! Make sure you arent eating high calorie foods in tiny portions.

Posts: 338
7/14/11 4:32 P

Are you eating enough fat? Fat helps keep me satisfied. I agree with another poster that if you are just starting your journey, you may be hungry in the beginning as you adjust.

Posts: 1,416
7/14/11 4:10 P

I can only speak from my own experience but feeling hungry has always been an issue for me. I imagine it will always be. I used to weigh 350lbs and I can still conjure up the appetite of a 350lbs woman.

I find it interesting how often I read the phrase "everything in moderation" here...or read comments where people rave over being able to eat anything that might appeal to them as long as they keep in their macronutrient ranges.

I don't doubt that perspective can absolutely work for some people. It doesn't work for me. At all. The reason: it leaves me hungry.

I have no idea if this applies to your situation but I'll share anyway because it probably does apply to someone. I can't possible be alone in this lol.

For me "everything in moderation" means I can eat foods that have no nutritional value but are full of sugar and calories (I have a major sweet tooth!)...and I can do it frequently. "As long as I fit it into my tracking" means I have the option to skip (or really skimp on) breakfast and lunch so I can gorge on pizza....with dessert...at dinner time.

Truthfully, it would be difficult for me to keep dinner under 1500cal if I not only came to the table famished because I skipped eating earlier...but also because I had obsessed over it all day. For me "everything in moderation" is a pass to binge and starve.

Admittedly, I approach food these days much like a recovering alcoholic. There are things I know will trigger me and I just cannot go there. Denying myself can be difficult sometimes but it's easier than dealing with the aftermath of saying, "yes, but in moderation". Because I can't do moderation with certain foods. Alcoholics are not encouraged to abstain except for a little drink on special occasions. Not everyone dealing with food issues is able to dance with their demons.

Anyway, got off on a tangent there...

My original train of thought was to say that sometimes it really helps me to recreate old favorites (things I cannot handle in their original form) with ingredients that are not only acceptable to the way I now eat, but also allow for larger portions due to substitute ingredients.

For example- pasta. I no longer eat pasta. For me it's off limits for a few different reasons. One of my favorite foods is pasta with a creamy sauce and shrimp.

If I went the "moderation" route and allowed myself a portion that could fit into my day sensibly I'd have very little food on my plate. It would taste divine but I'd still be hungry. There's no way the leftovers wouldn't taunt me!!

In the end I am infinitely more satisfied recreating my favorite with different ingredients. I make mounds of "noodles" from zucchini with a spiral slicer. For 60calories I have a restaurant sized portion. I make an alfredo sauce by blending low or non fat cottage cheese and seasoning with garlic/salt/pepper...and I add some grated parmesan. And shrimp is totally fine but I might grill it rather than sauteing in butter. No, it's not exactly the same but I get to have a huge portion and it's much more nutritious than the original.

There are people who get almost indignant about the idea of giving up their favorites and cling to "moderation" as their reason. That's fine with me. Enjoy your tiny plate of food. Just know going in you will probably be hungry in an hour.

And that's where my ramble comes full circle. Sometimes having anything in moderation means tiny, unsatisfying portions. Sometimes cooking similar meals in different ways means you get more food. Quantity matters. For me vegetables play a gigantic role in making healthy meals that satisfy.

Posts: 281
7/14/11 2:53 P

Have you just started this journey? If so, it's normal to experience a lot of hunger at first as your body adjusts to "normal" portions. It begins to subside after a week and you should be fine by the 2 week mark.

Beyond that, we sometimes just have what I call "hungry days". For whatever reason, workout intensity, hormones, etc., I have some days when I just feel like I can't get enough to eat. The trick is to develop an arsenal of low calorie, filling meals.

Like you mentioned, lean protein can keep you full for a longer period. So can healthy fats like nuts and avocado. I love to grill chicken or fish and serve with grilled veggies and no starch. That will fill you up without a lot of calories. I recently discovered spaghetti squash. I use it instead of pasta and just pour my sauce over that with ground turkey and 1 tbsp. of high quality parmesan cheese. A big plate of that is about 260 calories and I am stuffed!

Another trick is to make low-cal vegetable soups and freeze them in individual portions that you can nuke when you need them.

The biggest thing is to try to build meals around vegetables since you get more bang for your buck.

Posts: 4,421
7/14/11 2:48 P

I'm also this way - and it stems from boredom (slow at work right now), and my running (I run a LOT). And my office has a treat drawer not 5 ft from me at all times. I have a very fine line to watch as to whether I'm hungry, thirsty, or bored... but at least I know it. I always try the same method:

1. Drink a cup of water. Did it help?
2. Get up and go for a small walk around the office. Did it help?
3. Try to find a 'make work project' for a bit. Did it help?
4. Chew a piece of gum. Did it help?
5. Eat a healthy snack from my cubicle. Did it help?

and if none of that helped at all - I get something small from the treat drawer. Some trail mix with M&Ms in it, some jelly beans, a small chocolate bar - everything is measured out and tracked. If that didn't help, then the work gods are telling me to get my @$$ home.

Posts: 247
7/14/11 1:41 P

This is me too- I eat very well balanced meals, have a morning snack and an afternoon snack and still feel STARVED! I didn't feel this way at first, just the past couple of weeks.

I wonder if your workouts require more calories? I am starting to think that is my hangup. I just need a bit more to fulfill that hunger. I know in my case, I am not bored, drink tons of water and try really hard to distinguish between false and real hunger. I know now that for me it is real hunger.

I wish I had better advice for you!

Posts: 961
7/14/11 1:27 P

There are a few reasons you could be experiencing constant hunger. One is that you're not eating enough calories to support your workouts. You could also be used to eating more calories than your body needs but your body is having a hard time adjusting. Another reason could be what someone has mentioned, you're bored and you think you're hungry but really aren't.

My suggestion would be for you to make sure to not under eat, track your calories and make sure to eat 5 times a day, 3 meals and 2 snacks. Stay within calories and keep at it for 2 weeks and your body should adjust.

If this doesnt do the trick then I would see a doctor and find out what else it could be. One time I had a stomach infection that was causing me to feel hungry when I wasn't. Good luck to you! Hope this works itself out!

Posts: 54
7/14/11 12:32 P

Are you eating enough? If you are, try placing a container of celery slices, stick carrots, orange slices, and grapes etc, on the counter for a quick "munchie" when you need it. Be in tune with your body-focus on you tummy for a few seconds, does your tummy feel hungry? Are you feeling stressed or fustrated, bored? The same nerves and hormones for hunger also regulate Thirst. Are you sure your getting enough to drink? When I began my diet at 310+ lbs, I noticed I wasn't Really hungry, it was because I was used to oversnacking on unhealthy food any time I felt like putting something in my mouth. Whenever the thought of eating entered my mind i found something else to focus on.

Posts: 2,699
7/14/11 12:11 P

Keep healthy snacks handy. I take fruit or veggies & yogurt to work to have when I get hungry. Also, I have recently discovered 100 calorie packs of almonds, although sometimes those just tease me because it's only lik9 almonds! I also eat granola bars or snackwell's or Fiber One bars and sometimes 100 calorie packs of chex mix or something, if I really need a crunch. I also pre-portion baggies of crackers to take to work to have with my lunch or as a snack.

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Posts: 29
7/14/11 12:02 P

I feel like no matter what I eat I still always feel hungry. I make sure to have plenty of fiber and protein most of the time. It just seems like every time about and hour after I eat I feel hungry again. I have tried to drink a glass of water or get up and move around to see if the feeling passes but it never does. Anybody have any suggestions on what I can do? Thank you!