I am NOT hungry! Repeat...

[GraciebytheBay]

I am trying to lose weight and realize that most of my problem is portion control and eating when I am not actually hungry. I had a nice supper a little over an hour ago, balanced with a good amount of fiber and enough protein. I swear I feel hungry, but that isn't possible. Sigh.

 

I googled this problem and and have read countless books and articles on the subject of assessing hunger. I know I am not bored or emotional (right now, anyway:)). I have had enough water. I feel like I need more food to feel satisfied than most people, but unfortunately, that has translated into me needing to lose 50 pounds.:tongue_smilie: Obviously, I don't need it, I just want it.

 

I guess I am just venting frustration with feeling hungry all the time. I guess it isn't terrible not to feel full, but I am so much more comfortable that way! Yikes, I sound like a glutton here! If you have any tips and/or have overcome this problem or have learned to live with it, please let me know. I desperately need to get this weight off!

[Lang Syne Boardie]

I have two ideas:

 

Do you monitor your blood sugar? You might need smaller, more frequent meals to keep hunger at bay.

 

If your blood sugar and metabolism are fine, have you ever heard of the NoS Diet? The guy who came up with it was working on the same notion, that most people are just eating too much and too often. So you eat three squares a day and nothing else, no matter what, and your appetite adjusts. If you are very, very blessed. LOL It works for some people, certainly.

[Melissa in Australia]

Have you tried chewing gum? It helps me ignore the hunger.

[FaithManor]

I am trying to lose weight and realize that most of my problem is portion control and eating when I am not actually hungry. I had a nice supper a little over an hour ago, balanced with a good amount of fiber and enough protein. I swear I feel hungry, but that isn't possible. Sigh.

 

I googled this problem and and have read countless books and articles on the subject of assessing hunger. I know I am not bored or emotional (right now, anyway:)). I have had enough water. I feel like I need more food to feel satisfied than most people, but unfortunately, that has translated into me needing to lose 50 pounds.:tongue_smilie: Obviously, I don't need it, I just want it.

 

I guess I am just venting frustration with feeling hungry all the time. I guess it isn't terrible not to feel full, but I am so much more comfortable that way! Yikes, I sound like a glutton here! If you have any tips and/or have overcome this problem or have learned to live with it, please let me know. I desperately need to get this weight off!

 

 

I try to drink coffee, hot tea, or iced tea when that feeling comes over me. Sometimes the warm beverage works better than the cold, but usually I can compensate by sipping at something.

 

:grouphug: It's really hard and I completely understand. My metabolism was tanked for many, many years from undiagnosed thyroid and pituitary issues and now it's soooo hard to get ahead on the weight issue. Try not to beat yourself up...the cortisol released in the brain from the stress is counterproductive.

 

The other thing I do is eat a couple of celery sticks. The calories are negligible, the fiber fills you up rapidly and sticks around for a while, and the chemical make-up of celery helps regulate blood sugar. It's kind of a win, win snack and really doesn't harm any diet or nutrition plan.

 

Faith

[Twilight Woods]

Drink a big glass of water that might help.

[tammieb]

Have you just started your weight loss program recently (I don't like that dreaded word diet!!)?? If so, you might need to reassess your caloric intake. Your body knows what it needs. A true test is drink a large, cold glass of water. Wait about 15 minutes. If you're still hungry, that's not in your head. It's your body telling you its running on fumes.

 

If after 15 minutes you need to eat, choose something small with plenty of protein. String cheese, peanut butter on celery, cottage cheese, or nuts are good for curbing hunger.

 

I feel your pain!! I've lost 40 lbs. Got 10 more to go!!

 

You can do it :)

[Remudamom]

There's nothing wrong with being hungry. Why do we think we can't be hungry?? If I don't go to bed a bit empty then I've eaten too much and there will be zip weight loss the next day.

[jhschool]

I need to lose 70 lb.

Pretty urgently since the extra weight is causing other (bad) health problems.

I struggle with hunger also, and like

the OP I seem to need more food than most people to feel satisfied.

I just started counting calories 3 days ago and I feel pretty blah.

So I will be watching this thread!

[Anne in CA]

I struggle with hunger when I lose weight myself. One thing that I do is take up an absorbing project right after a meal and lose myself in it. That may not be an option for you, but my dh is an introvert and lets me get away with it, lol.

[happypamama]

If I feel hungry, I generally try one of three things, if it's not the kind of hunger that can be ignored.

 

One, water. Sometimes thirst masquerades as hunger.

 

Two, a small protein snack, like a bit of cheese or a few nuts. That helps if the blood sugar hasn't completely crashed, but it'll keep it from crashing all the way. (If it's crashed terribly, I'll feel sick, and I'll need something carby to fix it. Better to keep it from getting that low.)

 

Three, sliced cucumbers add a nice crunch and take a while to eat, so they're more satisfying but with fewer calories/carbs.

 

Also, I do want to say that I think DH said that when he first started losing a lot of weight, he was hungry for a while.

[tammieb]

I need to lose 70 lb.

Pretty urgently since the extra weight is causing other (bad) health problems.

I struggle with hunger also, and like

the OP I seem to need more food than most people to feel satisfied.

I just started counting calories 3 days ago and I feel pretty blah.

So I will be watching this thread!

 

The key is take it one step at a time!

 

I've battled weight issues all my life. I can't tell you how many fad diets I've tried. All of them that I'm aware of!

 

Finally took hubby's advice to relax! Learn to eat healthy and get a little bit of that dreaded word -- exercise!! It's taken me about 7 months, but I feel so much better! I actually got out and played ball with my kids the other day! That was a first for me.

 

Take it slow. Drink lots of water! And keep your eye on the correct goal -- being healthy, not necessarily 'skinny.'

 

Good luck :)

[Luvmy3kids]

If you are more of a volume eater, then the best thing to do would be to bulk up your "small" portion with A LOT of veggies to make a larger portion that is still in line with your weight loss goals. I'm sure you might do that now, but make it A LOT of veggies. Double the amount you already use. If you have oatmeal in the morning, add an entire diced apple with skin to it plus some cinnamon. If you have a sandwich, load it with veggies (raw, roasted, sauteed, etc.) plus have some veggie based soup on the side and some veggies to dip into a little hummus. Think volume = lots of veggies....any way you like them.

 

HTH a little bit :)

[redsquirrel]

Fiber, fiber, fiber

 

Repeat after me: Low calorie, High volume!

 

Veggies and veggies and veggies. Beans! Beans have tons of fiber. Fiber one cereal is great! Every day at 3pm or so I have .5 cup of fiber one and .25 cup of unsweetened almond milk. It keeps me from eating the entire fridge and is less than 100 calories. In the evening I have a cup of no sodium added vegetable juice, celery and some hummus.

 

Now, obviously, you have to get used to eating more fiber. Don't go crazy all at one or you will not be happy. But, make a point of finding ways to get more. I think the medical people recommend something like 25 or 26 grams of fiber a day and most people don't get nearly anywhere near that much. However, we can eat a lot more and be just fine. The 25 isn't a maximum by any means.

 

I eat vegetables with every meal, even breakfast.