Question about hunger and appetite

[Anonymous]

I'm someone who naturally has a big appetite. If I were to eat pizza I could absolutely eat 4 slices and not feel stuffed. I could have 2 eggs and 2 pancakes and bacon and hash browns and feel just fine.

I am 5'6 and weigh 147 right now. I was at a high of 158 a few years ago, got down to 136-138 but got sloppy on my eating and here I am.

This week I decided to try to dramatically reset my appetite and food intake. I have been skipping breakfast and eating very clean and light. For example I had about a half cup of chicken breast and raw vegetables for lunch and about 8 boiled shrimp, half a cup of black beans and broccoli (cooked in a bit of olive oil) for dinner.

Surprisingly though I am eating probably 1/3 of the calories I normally eat, I am only slightly hungrier than I was before. (I wasn't eating the huge meals I referenced before. I did try to stay away from simple carbs and sugar). I was often hungry before, and I was eating healthy fats and lots of protein. I think I am just a hungry person!

I know what I am doing now is not sustainable. It isn't enough fuel. But how do I transition into eating a more normal amount? I am actually finding that skipping breakfast is good for me because I eat less through the rest of the day. Even when I eat a high protein breakfast I am hungry again by 10:30 am and am not satisfied with a normal sized lunch.

Any advice on what to do next? Can I keep eating like this? Should I slowly transition to eating more? Skip breakfast?

[Anonymous]

I'm with you...have always had a huge appetite and need to eats lots of good or I feel hungry...and sometimes get hangry.

I don't have any advice. I'm 5'8", exercise regularly and look great at 145. Right now I'm 155 and look fine, but not great. I'm 43 and I'm just not sure I want to be hungry all the time to lose 5-10 pounds.

Do you have muscle?

[Anonymous]

I used to be like that, but I'm not anymore. I realized I was consuming so much only because I was used to doing so. I was always about 5-10 pounds overweight even though I ate a very healthy diet. I think a lot of the reason that it lasted so long is that I had done weight watchers a couple times to lose a few pounds, and I got used to the idea of being able to eat all the vegetables I wanted, so I would eat a ton of them and then need to eat that amount to feel satiated.

A few months ago, I decided to do a reset, and it is amazing how much less I eat now. I could not possibly eat four pieces of pizza now, whereas before, my norm was three and I certainly threw in a fourth and maybe an appetizer of some sort occasionally. Now 1 is sufficient.

For me, I started with juices cleanses. I did a series of two three-day juice cleanses. The week before I started, I cut out all sugar and grains to get my body ready, knowing that it would be too hard if I wasn't prepped. I also started to consciously limit the amount that I was eating by just a tad. For instance, I was eating 1 cup of frozen blueberries with 1 cup of greek yogurt in the mornings, and I just changed the amounts to 3/4 cups of each without even noticing it. Then I did the three days of just juice (I use jrink because I actually love the juices), then a week of eating very clean and having very small portions, basically only eating until I was full, which was much sooner, then another three days of juices. After that, my appetite was just smaller, and I work to keep it that way by not overindulging when the opportunity arises. I now have 1/2 cup of each in the morning. When I go to a cocktail party, I have just a few little things but then I don't go out to dinner after as I would before. Instead, I wait until I am home, and then if I am at all hungry, I might have a bite of something small. I realize before I was shoving in full extra meals that I didn't even want and certainly didn't need. Now I make a conscious effort to not do that because I realize that it won't just affect that meal but my appetite going forward.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm with you...have always had a huge appetite and need to eats lots of good or I feel hungry...and sometimes get hangry.

I don't have any advice. I'm 5'8", exercise regularly and look great at 145. Right now I'm 155 and look fine, but not great. I'm 43 and I'm just not sure I want to be hungry all the time to lose 5-10 pounds.

Do you have muscle?

Yes. I play a sport regularly and work out with a trainer 2x a week.

[Anonymous]

Can you be thirsty instead? Try Having soup (not cream based) but brothy at the beginning of every meal, filling.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm with you...have always had a huge appetite and need to eats lots of good or I feel hungry...and sometimes get hangry.

I don't have any advice. I'm 5'8", exercise regularly and look great at 145. Right now I'm 155 and look fine, but not great. I'm 43 and I'm just not sure I want to be hungry all the time to lose 5-10 pounds.

Do you have muscle?

Yes. I play a sport regularly and work out with a trainer 2x a week.

I asked because I find that the only time my appetite diminishes is when I don't exercise a lot. But, exercise is my stress relief and. I look much better at 155 *with* muscle than 145 *without* muscle.

I could never do the three days of juice cleanse. My blood sugar is too wonky...I would either pass out or be unable to sleep. I do like the idea of cutting my portions back a little bit. Maybe start there, OP, and see how you do. I would also recommend adding some savory stuff to your menu. I tend to overeat at a certain point if I've only been eating clean and I think it's because my clean recipes are so bland. Even just adding herbs and spices seems to help.

[Anonymous]

Please don't do a juice cleanse or anything like that. You are essentially setting yourself up to binge, or cycle binging and starving.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Can you be thirsty instead? Try Having soup (not cream based) but brothy at the beginning of every meal, filling.

OMG, that would be so much sodium.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm someone who naturally has a big appetite. If I were to eat pizza I could absolutely eat 4 slices and not feel stuffed. I could have 2 eggs and 2 pancakes and bacon and hash browns and feel just fine.
I am 5'6 and weigh 147 right now. I was at a high of 158 a few years ago, got down to 136-138 but got sloppy on my eating and here I am.

This week I decided to try to dramatically reset my appetite and food intake. I have been skipping breakfast and eating very clean and light. For example I had about a half cup of chicken breast and raw vegetables for lunch and about 8 boiled shrimp, half a cup of black beans and broccoli (cooked in a bit of olive oil) for dinner.

Surprisingly though I am eating probably 1/3 of the calories I normally eat, I am only slightly hungrier than I was before. (I wasn't eating the huge meals I referenced before. I did try to stay away from simple carbs and sugar). I was often hungry before, and I was eating healthy fats and lots of protein. I think I am just a hungry person!

I know what I am doing now is not sustainable. It isn't enough fuel. But how do I transition into eating a more normal amount? I am actually finding that skipping breakfast is good for me because I eat less through the rest of the day. Even when I eat a high protein breakfast I am hungry again by 10:30 am and am not satisfied with a normal sized lunch.

Any advice on what to do next? Can I keep eating like this? Should I slowly transition to eating more? Skip breakfast?

You're likely hungry because your body is lacking nutrients. Also carbs aren't as satisfying as fat.

Do you normally order pizza? If so, it's all processed and is usually made up of fake shit and has few nutrients. At the very least, if you are having a pizza hankering, make it instead. You can buy pizza dough for $1 from Trader Joe's. Put in your own ingredients, and try to get some veges in there like zucchini or eggplant. Use real cheese. Pay attention to the labels. Some cheeses aren't even made from cheese nowadays - like the stuff that says sandwich slice.

[Anonymous]

How much water are you drinking during the day?

Ar your present weight, you should aim for at least 75 ounces of water. (Weight in pounds / 2 = # of ounces of water to intake)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Can you be thirsty instead? Try Having soup (not cream based) but brothy at the beginning of every meal, filling.

OMG, that would be so much sodium.

What are you even talking about? Why would soup have any more sodium than salad or a sandwich, or an omlette?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm with you...have always had a huge appetite and need to eats lots of good or I feel hungry...and sometimes get hangry.

I don't have any advice. I'm 5'8", exercise regularly and look great at 145. Right now I'm 155 and look fine, but not great. I'm 43 and I'm just not sure I want to be hungry all the time to lose 5-10 pounds.

Do you have muscle?

Yes. I play a sport regularly and work out with a trainer 2x a week.

I asked because I find that the only time my appetite diminishes is when I don't exercise a lot. But, exercise is my stress relief and. I look much better at 155 *with* muscle than 145 *without* muscle.

I could never do the three days of juice cleanse. My blood sugar is too wonky...I would either pass out or be unable to sleep. I do like the idea of cutting my portions back a little bit. Maybe start there, OP, and see how you do. I would also recommend adding some savory stuff to your menu. I tend to overeat at a certain point if I've only been eating clean and I think it's because my clean recipes are so bland. Even just adding herbs and spices seems to help.

The cleanse I do is actually very balanced. It is 1400 calories consumed fairly evenly every 2-3 hours with a heavier, nut based juice at the end of the day that makes me fall asleep almost instantly. I never feel or sleep better than when I am on it. I also never binge after. It has been over a month since my last one, and I am still lying weight by eating smaller portions of clean food.

[Anonymous]

5:03 - a lot of canned soups are high in sodium because it's a preservative, plus it adds flavor, especially to soups that are lower in calories.

A salad won't have sodium unless you salt it or add a salty dressing or croutons. A sandwich might not have much sodium, depending on the bread and fillings. An omelette will have as much salt as you put in.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:5:03 - a lot of canned soups are high in sodium because it's a preservative, plus it adds flavor, especially to soups that are lower in calories.

A salad won't have sodium unless you salt it or add a salty dressing or croutons. A sandwich might not have much sodium, depending on the bread and fillings. An omelette will have as much salt as you put in.

The PP did NOT say she was eating canned soup. The fact that you assumed it says a lot about your dietary choices and mistakes.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm someone who naturally has a big appetite. If I were to eat pizza I could absolutely eat 4 slices and not feel stuffed. I could have 2 eggs and 2 pancakes and bacon and hash browns and feel just fine.
I am 5'6 and weigh 147 right now. I was at a high of 158 a few years ago, got down to 136-138 but got sloppy on my eating and here I am.

This week I decided to try to dramatically reset my appetite and food intake. I have been skipping breakfast and eating very clean and light. For example I had about a half cup of chicken breast and raw vegetables for lunch and about 8 boiled shrimp, half a cup of black beans and broccoli (cooked in a bit of olive oil) for dinner.

Surprisingly though I am eating probably 1/3 of the calories I normally eat, I am only slightly hungrier than I was before. (I wasn't eating the huge meals I referenced before. I did try to stay away from simple carbs and sugar). I was often hungry before, and I was eating healthy fats and lots of protein. I think I am just a hungry person!

I know what I am doing now is not sustainable. It isn't enough fuel. But how do I transition into eating a more normal amount? I am actually finding that skipping breakfast is good for me because I eat less through the rest of the day. Even when I eat a high protein breakfast I am hungry again by 10:30 am and am not satisfied with a normal sized lunch.

Any advice on what to do next? Can I keep eating like this? Should I slowly transition to eating more? Skip breakfast?

You're likely hungry because your body is lacking nutrients. Also carbs aren't as satisfying as fat.

Do you normally order pizza? If so, it's all processed and is usually made up of fake shit and has few nutrients. At the very least, if you are having a pizza hankering, make it instead. You can buy pizza dough for $1 from Trader Joe's. Put in your own ingredients, and try to get some veges in there like zucchini or eggplant. Use real cheese. Pay attention to the labels. Some cheeses aren't even made from cheese nowadays - like the stuff that says sandwich slice.

No, I don't normally eat pizza. I think I have pizza once a year. I was just using it as an easy to understand example of how much I can eat. I eat a very nutrient rich diet, actually. Typically eggs with vegetables in them in the morning. Lunch is usually meat and vegetables (like from whole foods bar) or a salad with some kind of protein and low-fat dressing. Dinner would be something like salmon and black beans and broccoli or other vegetable. I eat fruit pretty regularly too. I could just eat a lot of everything -- like a big steak with a big serving of brussels sprouts and strawberries. And then could still eat dessert, which for me would be sugar-free ice cream or very dark chocolate.