[Andrea85]

Any ideas on how to tell the difference between hunger pains and other stomach pains? I'm trying to watch my calories, but I am having the hardest time due to my feelings of hunger! Could I be mistaking hunger pains for something else?

Everything I research says I should aim for 1700 calories for a 1lb a week weight loss, but when I eat 1700 calories, I still feel hungry! I can eat 1700 calories by 4pm (when I go back for my second shift at work), and we're talking lots of veggies, lean proteins, some whole grain/complex carbs, and a little fruit. I drink a lot of water, all my food is nutrition dense and well balanced....but like right now, I just ate a whole wheat tuna sandwich...it's been 25 minutes and while the pains have diminished, they are still there. Is it possible I'm still hungry? Or could these feelings be something else? That sandwich put my calorie total at about 1150 so far today! It's only 230pm, that's a lot of day left!

Plus I try not to eat as soon as I feel hungry. I try to leave it for an hour or so and find that window between slight hunger and totally ravenous.

I do a lot of strength training, so I guess it's possible that my body just demolishes calories to rebuild my muscles. I've tried to calorie count because it stops my snacking, but keeping at my supposed calorie level leaves me pretty hungry...maybe I need to try something else? Any suggestions?

(I'm not asking for medical advice, I'm just curious to see if anyone has felt the hunger feeling after eating and has any suggestions to differentiate it from anything else! It doesn't happen often that I am still hungry after I eat, just today it's worse than normal).

[IanG]

I'll be honest. I ALWAYS get a pain in my stomach when I am losing.

I have got used to it and quite like it now as it is a sign that what I am doing will have a positive impact on the scale the next day.

It's not a hunger pain though. More like a stitch or someone punched me in the tummy.

With real hunger, my head goes light and then IT IS TIME TO EAT!

[joefla70]

I never experience any actual pain from hunger. Even when I don't eat all day. But then when I do start eating, I could eat everything in sight if I am not careful. For me, its all in my head.

[Andrea85]

Oh man, when I'm hungry, I get all kinds of symptoms! I get headaches, tiredness, and stomach pains/aches....that's probably one of the reasons I gained weight. I hated feeling that uncomfortable, so I made sure to eat enough to never feel that way.

I try to deal with it, but only to some extent. I don't see how it's healthy to *need* to be super hungry, constantly, in order to lose weight. A little bit is understandable, but like that?

On another note, I ate a little bit more, and now the pain is totally gone. I guess it was hunger this time!