Cutting calories and dealing with the hunger...how do you do it?

[Anonymous]

I have found foods I can eat in large volumes that mean I'm less hungry. On the sweet side, oatmeal is very filling and I add fruit and/or plain yogurt but no other sweeteners. I also drink iced tea (sometimes I make chai and add skim milk but no sugar...shake it up with some ice cubes and it's really tasty; coffee works the same way) and water and a lot of whole fruit, especially watermelon. For dessert instead of ice cream, I slice and freeze bananas and berries, then I warm up a tablespoon of nutella and/or peanut butter so it gets melty and use it to dip the fruit. I get a lot of enjoyment out of that one spoonful rather than needing a whole scoop of ice cream, and figure I'm getting some good fat and vitamins and fiber as well.

On the savory side, I eat a lot of vegetables (kale salad with a dressing that is heavy on mustard and light on honey and oil is a go-to this time of year, as are cherry tomatoes and roasted zucchini). Cucumbers dipped in plain yogurt (add hot sauce to the yogurt, or black pepper and dill, or other seasonings), no-sugar-added pickles, and air-popped popcorn without any (or much) butter.

I try to clean the kitchen and then walk away from it it for the night. I try not to eat between 10pm and 10am--if I'm hungry after 10pm I try to brush my teeth and go to sleep instead of eating. Then in the morning I bring my breakfast to work and wait til 10 to eat it. Even if I'm hungry for a while, I have stuff to distract me and I can drink water.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Remember that hunger PASSES. If you don’t eat immediately upon that hanger feeling, it will actually go away/diminish until you are at your next mealtime.

Also don’t make the mistake of eating giant servings of low cal food, you’re just training your body to want tons of food. Infrequent giant meals of salad and chugging tons of water is exactly how competitive eaters train. So unless you’re going for 40 hot dogs in 10 minutes, it’s not how you want to eat. You’re better off with a small portion of something good, even if it’s not super healthy and adjusting to smaller more satisfying portions.

I've found eating a ton of fruit and vegetables and drinking a lot of water to be very sustainable, though. Yes, I want to eat often and in large quantities. So I fill most of my eating opportunities with lots of healthy foods and non-caloric drinks. I rarely eat a hot dog and never 40 of them. I'm not trying to change over to eating smaller portions because I've gotten to a healthy weight this way. I actually eat more often than I did when I weighed more.

Different things work for different people.

[Anonymous]

Bone Broth when you feel starved!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I hate hate hate feeling hungry.

Here are some questions for you: Why are you so afraid of feeling hungry? What do you think is going to happen? Do you think your body is really in some danger? Do you understand that the hungry feeling typically passes in 10-15 minutes if you just ride it out? Do you really believe that your body is unable to make it between meals without eating? Have you considered that you have some emotional issues tied up with eating that make the slightest feeling of hunger into an emergency for you?

Your hunger doesn’t work like mine. Once I am hungry, I stay hungry until I eat again. Do other people really just atop being hungry after 10 minutes? That is so weird to me.

PP didn’t say that the slightest bit of hunger is an emergency. You are putting words into her mouth.

Usually the first day of, let's say, skipping dinner, you will be hungry till you fall asleep. At least I will. But, next day you will not be that hungry in the morning after skipping dinner. It really works. Then you will be a lot less hungry as days pass by and you don't eat dinner(or breakfast, choose your meal). So, yes, it works different for different people. But, if you actually try not eating for 24 hours, you will wake up the morning when hitting 36 hours without food completely void of any hunger pains or any desire to eat. Try it. You will be surprised. We are meant to go without food and function for long period of time.

That may be true, but it's entirely different from "just wait 10 minutes and you won't feel hungry".

I know for me, that changing to a lower carb, whole foods diet, and including more fat in my diet have meant that it takes much longer for me to get hungry. But once I'm hungry I stay hungry. Perhaps if I waited for 24 hours it would change in 36 hours, but it certainly doesn't change within the next few hours.

[Anonymous]

*Lots of nonstarch vegetables (cukes, bell peppers, red onion, zucchini, bok choy, broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, etc.....limited to no carrots, corn, beans, pototoes, and maybe occasional tomatoes, rutabaga).
*Half your body weight in water
*No sugary drinks (no soda, sweeteners with aspartame, alcohol)
*Frequent protein throughout the day
*limited to no grains (e.g., watch your net carbs closely)
*limited to no added sugars
*Watch fruit intake (yes yes it's good for you, but too much will inhibit weight loss)
*Good fats are good! (e.g., don't feel like you need to drink skim milk or have margarine)

If I eat something with too much sugar or carbs, I get super hungry as a rebound. I do the best when I'm eating vegetables, protein, and drinking lots of water.

What works for some doesn't work for others. For example, one PP mentioned oatmeal. I could never eat oatmeal and lose weight, it has way too many carbs. I need to stay around net 20-30 grams/day to lose weight effectively.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:*Lots of nonstarch vegetables (cukes, bell peppers, red onion, zucchini, bok choy, broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, etc.....limited to no carrots, corn, beans, pototoes, and maybe occasional tomatoes, rutabaga).
*Half your body weight in water
*No sugary drinks (no soda, sweeteners with aspartame, alcohol)
*Frequent protein throughout the day
*limited to no grains (e.g., watch your net carbs closely)
*limited to no added sugars
*Watch fruit intake (yes yes it's good for you, but too much will inhibit weight loss)
*Good fats are good! (e.g., don't feel like you need to drink skim milk or have margarine)

If I eat something with too much sugar or carbs, I get super hungry as a rebound. I do the best when I'm eating vegetables, protein, and drinking lots of water.

What works for some doesn't work for others. For example, one PP mentioned oatmeal. I could never eat oatmeal and lose weight, it has way too many carbs. I need to stay around net 20-30 grams/day to lose weight effectively.[/quote

Are you saying drink half your body weight in water each day? That would be almost 8.5 gallons of water for me. That doesn't sound healthy.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:*Lots of nonstarch vegetables (cukes, bell peppers, red onion, zucchini, bok choy, broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, etc.....limited to no carrots, corn, beans, pototoes, and maybe occasional tomatoes, rutabaga).
*Half your body weight in water
*No sugary drinks (no soda, sweeteners with aspartame, alcohol)
*Frequent protein throughout the day
*limited to no grains (e.g., watch your net carbs closely)
*limited to no added sugars
*Watch fruit intake (yes yes it's good for you, but too much will inhibit weight loss)
*Good fats are good! (e.g., don't feel like you need to drink skim milk or have margarine)

If I eat something with too much sugar or carbs, I get super hungry as a rebound. I do the best when I'm eating vegetables, protein, and drinking lots of water.

What works for some doesn't work for others. For example, one PP mentioned oatmeal. I could never eat oatmeal and lose weight, it has way too many carbs. I need to stay around net 20-30 grams/day to lose weight effectively.[/quote

Are you saying drink half your body weight in water each day? That would be almost 8.5 gallons of water for me. That doesn't sound healthy.

I assumed that is In ounces. For example: 120pounds/2 = 60 ounces/8= 7.5 cups of water

[Anonymous]

If I'm feeling especially hungry between my planned meals and snacks I will eat pickles, carrot sticks, or another raw veggie. Also, when I'm craving chocolate now I will eat a piece of fruit, which I've found is more satisfying.

[Anonymous]

Diet Coke, Diet Coke, and more Diet Coke.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:*Lots of nonstarch vegetables (cukes, bell peppers, red onion, zucchini, bok choy, broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, etc.....limited to no carrots, corn, beans, pototoes, and maybe occasional tomatoes, rutabaga).
*Half your body weight in water
*No sugary drinks (no soda, sweeteners with aspartame, alcohol)
*Frequent protein throughout the day
*limited to no grains (e.g., watch your net carbs closely)
*limited to no added sugars
*Watch fruit intake (yes yes it's good for you, but too much will inhibit weight loss)
*Good fats are good! (e.g., don't feel like you need to drink skim milk or have margarine)

If I eat something with too much sugar or carbs, I get super hungry as a rebound. I do the best when I'm eating vegetables, protein, and drinking lots of water.

What works for some doesn't work for others. For example, one PP mentioned oatmeal. I could never eat oatmeal and lose weight, it has way too many carbs. I need to stay around net 20-30 grams/day to lose weight effectively.[/quote

Are you saying drink half your body weight in water each day? That would be almost 8.5 gallons of water for me. That doesn't sound healthy.

I assumed that is In ounces. For example: 120pounds/2 = 60 ounces/8= 7.5 cups of water

PP here - yes, sorry, I meant in ounces I have a nalgene bottle that I fill up 3x/day. Throw in lemon or lime slice in there occasionally. Sipping through a straw also helps me drink more, randomly.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Diet Coke, Diet Coke, and more Diet Coke.

Just...no.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Diet Coke, Diet Coke, and more Diet Coke.

Just...no.

You do you; I just answered the question for myself.

[Anonymous]

Get a lot of protein. I munch on vegetables when I'm hungry.

[Anonymous]

I think you have to figure out your hungriest times and plan for that. For me, I am hungriest in the morning from the time I get up until 10-11. If I eat a full, balanced dinner with a good portion of protein the night before, it helps me keep my calories low the next morning. I'm doing meal replacement shakes for breakfast and lunch and eating a healthy dinner and it's working well for me. I make sure the shakes have a good amount of protein in them so they keep me satiated during the day.

[Anonymous]

I find that when I cut out sugar and limit my carbs my hunger is much more controlled. I can go much longer between meals without feeling hungry. Eat lots of vegis, limit your fruit to one serving a day, curb your straight up carbs and starchy vegis, and eat lots of protein. Also try tracking your calories on MyFitnessPal. I lost the last 10 pounds of my baby weight this way.