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

[Anonymous]

Long time lurker, first time poster. This site is great!

I went to the doctor today and long story short, I need to lose about 15 pounds.

I'm determined to start eating healthier and reduce my portions but need a plan in place to deal with the hunger pangs.

What do you all do or eat when cutting calories? Do you get used to the hungry feeling or does it go away?

I've been drinking more water today when I get hungry but after I pee it out, I get hungry again.

Wishing everyone success in their workout routines and eating habits today!

[Anonymous]

Limit starchy/sugary carbs. Have lean protein - fish, chicken, eggs and veggies.

[Anonymous]

Im just super bitch and hangry for the first 30 days. Its like PMS x 100.

[Anonymous]

Keep it moving

[Anonymous]

Op, it doesn't have to be that bad. Today I had grilled shrimp and scallop skewers along with a side garden salad w/some slivered almonds (no croutons, light dressing on the side) and steamed veggies. Carbonated water with a slice of lime to drink.

I'm full and don't feel that I've sacrificed anything.

[Anonymous]

Increase your volume through vegetables, broth based soups, etc. there is really no reason ever to be hungry.

[Anonymous]

Cut carbs as low as you can while keeping it livable, focus on higher fat. Also, decide when hunger is most bearable for you. I’m ok eating light during the day if I can eat a bigger meal at night and go to bed feeling full.

[Anonymous]

I am 7 days into cutting out bread, pasta, sugar, fruit, sweets and honestly am way less hungry now that I used to be day by day (and when I first started this). I don't really miss any of it so far although I do feel like crap bc my body is adjusting to life without it. A good sign that it was time to make a change!

[Anonymous]

Learn the difference between hunger and boredom. Very few of us actually feel hunger throughout the day -- we don't go long enough without eating for that to happen. Mostly, the desire to snack is either thirst (drink a glass of water) or boredom. You have to find another way to deal with the long, tedious slogs of the day without consuming calories. Ideally, you'd address the oral fixation, that deeply ingrained desire to reach for something to keep your mouth busy. Barring that, have a ready supply of low-calorie, crunch foods like celery or carrots to munch on.

[Anonymous]

For me, cutting carbs, and especially cutting carbs in the a.m. was critical to not feeling hungry. I don't think I've cut carbs enough that I'm in "keto", and I'm not sure I want to be, but I have definitely cut enough carbs that I am no longer nearly as hungry.

I usually have something with a fair amount of fat, and almost no carbs for breakfast. If I have time to cook, I might have some turkey sausage, or scrambled eggs with cheese. If I'm on the run, a handful of almonds or cashews, or some sliced cheese and meat. Not a huge amount, maybe 200 - 250 calories worth.

Then for lunch, I'll have either a protein and some veggies, or a salad with a fair amount of protein.

Then for dinner, I can include more carbs, usually things like fruit or legumes rather than grains or sugar. If I ate the same things earlier in the day, then 4 or 5 hours later I'd be starving and I'd lose self control, but if I eat them for dinner, then I'll be asleep so I don't get hungry.

I tried other models, that had me eating low fat/higher carb, and I was hungry all the time. I lost weight if the calories were controlled, but I was miserable. With high fat/lower carb I don't feel bad at all.

[Anonymous]

For me, the best advice came from the books by Judith Beck (The Beck Diet Solution by Judith S. Beck): hunger is not an emergency.

fwiw, any diet works in the short term. Maintaining the weight loss is the real challenge and I find Beck's approach to be the best. It's an ongoing thing to maintain the habits that helped you lose the weight and to not regain.

[Anonymous]

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.

[Anonymous]

I eat 5 small meals per day, and I eat vegetables at every single one. The vegetables add volume, and it’s much easier to tell myself I only have an hour to go, versus another 3 everytime I’m hungry.

[Anonymous]

Just skip dinner, stop eating around 2pm or so, eat regular lunch and breakfast. If you skip dinner you won't be as hungry in the morning.

[Anonymous]

I cut carbs instead. I know it's trendy but within 2 weeks of being keto I am super svelte.