[superherothin]

I've gone in and out of dieting for a while now, and one thing I've noticed is that for the first few weeks I seem to ALWAYS be hungry, even after I've just eaten or drank lots of water. Do other people have this problem, and how do you deal with it?

[luckymommy]

I think it's common. Some of it is probably psychological...the focus is on the restriction, so it's only natural to feel deprived. Another part (which research is now figuring out) is there is a change in our gut bacteria and as we eat less sugary and starchy food, there can be unpleasant feelings of nausea or hunger. Take a look at this article: http://www.neomatica.com/2014/10/08/...d-gut-microbe/

Hang in there. Try to eat high fiber, whole, nutritious foods. Drink lots of water, distract yourself. It takes a month to create a new habit. Hang in there! It's so worth it.

[Palestrina]

Luckymommy is right, when your focus is on restriction you have no choice but to feel deprived. Hunger is and should be a normal part of daily life. It shouldn't feel upsetting. I found it very beneficial to me to learn how to identify the difference between physical hunger and emotional hunger. It's hard to gauge whether your hunger is real or perceived. Feeding perceived hunger is what leads to weight gain. True physical hunger is rather simple to treat.

[superherothin]

Thanks! That was a great article And I know that some of it is just in my head, so that DOES help me somewhat in resisting my hunger. I think part of it might even be that I'm not used to feeling hungry at all--I spent so much of my day snacking/overeating that I didn't actually have a chance to feel hungry, so I'm not as tolerant.

It has gotten a little easier, though, and I'm getting a chance to try out new recipies, so... Silver Lining! Haha

[apo9]

I was hungry in the beginning but I whiteknuckled it and got through it and hunger lessened.I found low carb decreased my hunger and often if really bad I would have a scoop of whey protein powder in water to hold me over till my next meal.I also ate lettuce a lot.My hunger was not really any worse than it was when I was overeating .
I now maintain by not eating between meals and timing my meals.

[faiora]

I'd say to make sure you're eating enough. Get your body fat percent checked so you have an idea of what your lean mass is. Then figure out your metabolic rate. That is, if you're calorie counting. You might be able to lose weight on higher calories than you think.

(I'm eating net 2100 calories a day, and losing weight. Net, as in, after accounting for any exercise I do. But I have about 140 lbs of lean mass which is pretty high for a woman, even at 5'10.)

Another thing you could try if you're calorie-counting: Just count your calories without restricting them to any official amount. When I've done this is makes me eat less just because I'm shocked by how many calories some things are... so I'm not saying "I can't have that" so much as "wow I don't even want that." Of course, it doesn't work if you REALLY want to eat half a pizza, but at least it makes you mindful of what you're eating.

I don't feel hungry most of the time. I mean, I do sometimes (less than one evening a week so far) but I don't think I could deal with it if it was constant. I've been thinking a lot about what foods make me feel full and which ones make me feel even hungrier, which has helped me feel satisfied throughout each day.

Whole grains help me, as long as they're not too processed. Fatty foods seem to make me feel the most full. I'm not sure yet what effect protein has on satiety for me, but I'm trying to eat lots of it to maintain my lean mass. Staying hydrated helps keep me feeling full, but drinking water does NOT solve hunger for me once I feel hungry.

I haven't found out much more than that about myself... but really, just make sure you're eating enough. I think a lot of people (even here) go on 1200-1400 calorie diets thinking that's the way to go. If you're starving all the time of course you're going to binge. Your body will override you eventually...

(No idea what route you're taking for weight loss, just rambling about my thoughts on calorie counting)