[smoothcoat]

I`m trying to lose a few lbs by cutting calories, but I have a broken "I`m Full-O-Meter" in my stomach, LOL! What lo-cal foods do you find really FILL you, and provide some amount of enjoyment too?

[Tamsin78]

I "layer" my lunch, usually a salad or sandwich. My sandwich would be: 1 small flour tortilla or pita (of course whole wheat is best if you can eat it); spead a teaspoon of roast red pepper hummus on it, fill with tuna or chicken salad made with one tsp of flavored mayo with olive oil, place 1/2 cup lettce or spinach on top and finish off with 4-5 snow pea pods. you can use roast beef or smoked turkey instead (about 3 pieces). This makes a big sandwich! I also "layer" my salads up with different colored veggies and 1/2 cup of black beans, (canned) drained and rinsed. I think of hummus as the no-cheese cheese spread! BTW-Tom Venuto (bodybuilder) advises in a paper on his site that small women close to goal need to watch everything and step up their movement to keep the metabolism running.
Also, in the morning I eat a variation of an oatcake recipe from his website:
3/4 C oatmeal
1 egg or 1 eggwhite
1 tsp nuts (in small pieces)
1 tsp raisins or dried cranberries
1/3 of a large delicous apple, chopped or 1/2 banana mashed
pinch of kosher salt if you need it
mixed together well, turn onto either non-stick pan or iron skillet
with olive oil spray
brown on each side
top with one tsp peanut butter, spead or 1/4 cup lite syrup
It doesn't look pretty but it tastes great and keeps you full until lunch!

[Tamsin78]

Oh, and per my nutrition course-usually the higer the fiber, the more filling, because it takes the body loger to process it!

[Nola Celeste]

There are such wide variations in what folks consider filling; I'm really interested in reading the answers to this thread because it's fascinating to me that we're all so different physiologically.

For me, getting full on volume alone is impossible. A salad that would fill a small bathtub wouldn't assuage my hunger. I know because I've tested it, and even the biggest pile of "rabbit food" leaves me miserably full--yet still hungry at the same time. But for other people, that volume trick really works, so if you're one of those people, eat huge amounts of veggies and you'll thrive.

I used to see only one "Full-O-Meter," but now I realize I have two: actual physical fullness is one, but the "Satiety-O-Meter" is just as important for me. In order to get sated as well as full, I have to eat at least two and preferably all three types of foods together--fat, protein, and carbohydrate. (I have to watch the "fat + carb" combos, though, because some of those taste too good to stop eating. )

I do find that some volume is necessary, though, so along with the at-least-two-food-types guideline, I also try to live up to a suggestion I read here: NO meal is complete without a fruit or vegetable, not even snacks. I don't always manage it, but most of the time I do find that topping all my wraps and sandwiches with vegetables or eating an orange with my breakfast eggs and toast makes me feel fuller longer. I also credit this new habit with feeling better in general; I think it's the first time in my adult life that I'm being truly well-nourished.

Some of my most satisfying meals include red beans and rice (I go light on the rice), vegetable-laden soups, vegetable pizzas, chili and a turkey wrap on the side, egg "McMuffins" with tomato instead of meat, omelets (with--yep, you guessed it--plenty of vegetables inside), mini fruit-and-cheese plates as snacks, hummus and vegetables to dip into it, black bean tacos and burritos, pulled pork with various vegetable sides, and popcorn.

What doesn't fill me up: any cereal that doesn't have plenty of protein and fiber (too much of one food type to stick to my ribs well), oatmeal by itself (ditto), a cup of yogurt (too little volume), salad as a meal unless they're loaded with nuts and chicken for protein, liquid calories from shakes or smoothies (I start full, but feel hollow quickly after finishing), most pre-packaged "diet" or "snack" bars (candy bars with a few vitamins sprinkled in--I'd rather eat a Snickers for the same caloreis), and non-fat cheese (tastes far too bad to use as food).

[beerab]

I find lots of protein along with veggies full of fiber help fill me up

IE grilled chicken meal along with roasted cauliflowe sprinkled with parmesan cheese. Usually I'll 1.5-2 cups of just the veggies alone and around 6 oz of the chicken

[lackadaisy]

I like to balance one protein and one (whole) carb with a bit of fat in every meal/snack -- I find that protein and fat gives me the sense of satiety, although I pursue and crave carbs.

I used to snack on cereal when hungry. My taste in cereal is moderately healthy -- we're talking cleaner than Cheerios -- but I could binge on 400+ calories of the stuff easily and not feel full. On the other hand, avoiding refined carbs like I have all day today has been really helpful for controlling cravings.

Definitely get in high-fiber carbs when you eat carbs, clean plant fats when you eat fats, avoid sodium (which stimulates hunger). All those "clean living" things people talk about aren't just healthful because of their ingredients, they seriously help you manage your self-control. I've never been so hungry and grumpy about weight loss as the last few days when I let myself fill my calorie budget with cookies.

[Joy2MeNu]

Proteins, Veggies, Fruit, avoiding carbs and dairy (as they just make you hungrier).

[MonicaM]

High fiber bread toasted and covered lightly with peanut butter or almond butter and a small banana; the same bread with a poached egg and tomatoes; a salad with spinach or Romaine lettuce, chicken or another lean protein, a fruit such as strawberries or pears, and nuts or sesame or sunflower seeds with a dressing of GOOD vinegar and olive oil; light cheese on toasted high fiber bread and vegetable soup all fill me. My problem comes at night; breakfast and lunch are easy for me.

[Nola Celeste]

That's what I knew I'd find so interesting about this thread--so many different physiologies. I would go nuts if I left dairy products out of my diet and consider them some of the most satiating foods around, yet for others they're rotten little diet-killers.

Your best bet is to keep a food journal, try some of the suggestions you read here, and make a note of stuff that leaves you especially full or hollow-feeling. I've never had such an easy time losing weight as I have this time because I've paid attention to my journal to find out why I'm super-hungry this day and really satiated the next. Otherwise I wouldn't ever have discovered that eating an apple makes me crave something more substantial while eating an apple and a cheese stick totally satisfies.

[lackadaisy]

I think Nola's totally right, especially about the apple. I find squash and green beans really satisfying and carrots not at all. Carrots to me are like eating ice chips, which makes them a terrible caloric deal.

I like the intuitive eating theory on this: What's most filling is exactly what you're hungry for. So when you want to eat, ask yourself, "What do I want to eat right now?" And then you interpret it into its healthy alternatives.

If I "want" a burger I eat a bit of lean turkey. If I "want" ice cream I reach for a bit of cottage cheese or almond milk. These are legitimate cravings for certain nutrients that your body will rephrase into really intense versions that you really don't need. If you want a burger and eat an apple, you will still want that burger, but if you eat an bit of turkey wrapped around asparagus, you will find yourself satisfied and actually happy you went for that turkey, which won't leave you feeling as weighted down with saturated fats.

I too have done the "eat TONS of things" approach to being full, but volumetrics just do not work for me. My body will be like, "don't you go on pretending this pound of carrots is the same as a chicken nugget, cuz it's NOT." So the most filling food is the whole, unprocessed, mostly-lean-with-hints-of-fat version of whatever it is you're craving at the moment.

[pjh]

@ Tamsin78-- I tried your oatcake variation. Not bad!!!

[krampus]

Apples. They are a time commitment and all the acid sort of keeps me from wanting to eat anything else.

Cherry tomatoes and a piece of cheese, alternating bites.

BEANS.

I can't do nuts or peanut butter; it just makes me manic for more and leads to overdoing it/binging.

[Kaspara]

Oatmeal!

I have 30g of Quaker Oats (the plain kind) with 85g of skim milk, cinnamon, and splenda AT LEAST twice a day (140 calories for a huggggeeeeeee bowl)

I've also picked up some tricks for oatmeal from hungry girl. If you cook the oatmeal with extra water (so it's runny and soup-like when you finish cooking it) and let it sit for an hour or so, it thickens completely and is about 1/3 more in bulk and more creamy

[beth4365]

Protein seems to satisfy and fill me. No idea why... but.. 3 boiled egg whites almost always does the trick. I keep boiled eggs in the fridge because if I'm reallllllly hungry and need something quick, it takes just a few seconds to peel that egg. And, they're so low in calories that I can eat lots of them!

Not too expensive, either.

Another thing I like is frozen fruit. My current favs are frozen peaches (150 calories for the whole bag) and mango (240 calories for the whole bag). They take a while to eat and I can read for up to two hours as I gnosh on the fruit.

Great thread. Thanks mucho.