No matter what I do, most days I need to eat and eat. I try just drinking lots and lots of water. Still hungry. I drink coffee and tea. Still hungry. I gorge myself on fruits and veggies and hummus. Still hungry. It is not until I totally go crazy on a mass amount of junk or carbs or something that I feel satisfied.
Yesterday I was doing so well. I had two eggs for breakfast. For lunch I had soup. I kept feeling hungry so I was like, "Okay, a sandwich." Still Hungry. Another sandwich. Still hungry after lots of water and coffee later. It wasn't even dinner time yet! I said eff it and ordered a pizza. I polished off half of it by myself. And this was not a small pizza. It was a big luxury pizza with seasoned beef, olives, lettuce, sour cream, 4 different cheeses, etc.
The thing is I don't stuff myself, when I'm done I never feel overly full. WHY?!?!?! What is it going to take to maintain my weight loss and then lose a couple extra pounds??? I'm so sad and feel like a gross disgusting failure. It's so hard because my bf is losing weight and I'm slowly gaining weight. I feel awful.
You may be cheating yourself a bit at breakfast. After experimenting a bit and talking with a nutritional therapist I realized I wasn't eating enough at breakfast time. I make sure my breakfast has protein, vegetables and some good carbs. I might have an egg with grilled mushrooms and peppers, half an english muffin, and a little bit of fruit. Sometimes 2 eggs. That keeps me pretty full until lunchtime with no need to snack. The whole purpose of this is to keep my mind off food between meals and it's working well.
If you're not giving yourself enough food your body rebels and binges. Many women do this by conserving their calories early in the day and then binging by nighttime.
Those out of control feelings are also very indicative of restriction, guilt and binging. Dieting only exacerbates those feelings which makes it nearly impossible to eat nutritionally. The only way I was able to address those feelings was with intuitive eating. Here's some intro to what that entails https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wPcySDVHMzg
Wannabe said it much nicer. I'm going to be blunt. You aren't eating enough. 2 eggs is about 140 calories. You need to do some reading on calorie requirements for your height and weight, then divide that up among 3 meals and 2 snacks. Wanna be is right, try to make your breakfast a little bigger. In other words if you are eating 1500 cals, breakfast can be 400, am snack 300, lunch 300, pm snack 200, dinner 300. If you are eating 2 egss for breakfast and only soup for lunch that tells me you haven't educated yourself on how much to eat before trying to lose weight. Do that.
I think the advice you've been giving is good. I have had times when I"ve felt like a bottomless pit. The things that lead me to feeling this way? For me, it's consumption of sugar and flour. I believe that these for me are like alcohol for an alcoholic. I also have to limit how much fruit I have...no more than 2 a day and if more then I struggle.
Sweeteners lead me to additional hunger...that means gum, diet soda, and even too much Stevia.
For some reason, more than one cup of coffee will lead me to have increased hunger.
Other things that make me hungry: sleep deprivation (which I struggle with) and stress/anxiety.
So, I think you need to determine what causes you to have increased hunger. Perhaps you're not eating enough. Perhaps you're eating foods which don't nourish your body. Maybe you need to start eating a lot more veggies? Maybe you're not getting enough healthy fats?
If none of these issues are the reason, then perhaps you need to see a doctor to rule out any medical conditions.
I know that my husband struggles a lot with huge hunger, as I call it. He has been this way since he was a baby. He consumed three times as much food as other babies. He wasn't heavy as a child though because he was incredibly active. However, he's overweight now because he's sedentary and he eats all the wrong foods. I believe he could do better if he chose foods that have no empty calories and if he exercised. It would be very difficult but worth it.
Also, I think that once you get into the groove of eating well in a way that gives your body what it needs (and perhaps you should see a nutritionist), over time, this will become much easier. I believe our gut bacteria does a lot to stimulate cravings and hunger. I've copied something short you might find of interest:
Hungry? It's All In Your Gut [Science Blog] There are already so many factors that can make hunger seem out of our control—emotions, a sweet tooth, that time of the month. Now, scientists are adding one more: Gut bacteria. Researchers reporting in the Journal of Bacteriology suggest that the millions of bacteria living in our stomachs and intestines respond to nutrients in the food we eat, and emit compounds that determine the timing and intensity of our hunger cues. This investigation is the latest in a series of studies that link gut bacteria to everything from type 2 diabetes to cancer. (For more info on gut bacteria, and how you can cultivate a healthy colony, check out What Belly Bacteria Says About Your Health.)
Ok, I'm back. The thing I"ve learned is that eating healthy can change our gut bacteria and that might be something you could look into. There's hope and you can find a way. It might not be simple, but it's attainable. I wish you all the best.
So, you did that sandwich and pizza thing. Quit beating yourself up. You stumbled, but remember, if you had not the courage and power to begin this journey, that stumble would be your every step, every day. Try this. Get up, Get over it, Get on with it. Period. Don't look left. Don't look right. Look straight ahead to your goal. Eat a bigger more protein breakfast, instead of a sandwich, try some walnuts in a Greek yogurt, or some edamame, steamed in the microwave w/ a sprinkle of sea salt. Drink a glass of low fat milk. Read up on nutritional stuff and choose smarter choices. Be respectful of yourself. You can do absolutely anything you set your mind and heart to. I promise. Just get up, get over it and get on with it, and smile. Happiness and positivitivity is a choice, choose it. I know you can do this. You can.
Here's an option: instead of dropping your calories to your target range all at once, you edge your way down slowly. (Also, eat more at breakfast as the previous posters suggested).
So say the for the last few months you've been "off plan" and eating about 4000 calories a day (or whatever your calorie estimate is - I have no idea what you weigh or how much you're eating so I'm just picking a number. I know *I* could easily sock away 4000 calories a day [or more] when I was off plan).
This week make a plan for about 300 calories less per day -- so 3,700 calories per day. Try to make the food you're eating healthy choices.
Then for the 2 weeks after that, drop them a further 200 or 300 per day.
And so on, verrrrrrry slowly, until you are in a slight calorie deficit. And see how that works for you.
But, Mrs. Snark, you may say, it is going to take me a forever to even GET in a deficit! It might take a couple of months, yes. But you might have a better shot at GETTING there and STAYING there with less pain and less struggle. How many months have gone by without being able to even get into the groove?
Think long term success. Some people's bodies really need a gradual lowering of calories at first -- otherwise the sheer hunger at the start is so overwhelming that they can't get on plan and STAY there. I think this is why so many "diets" are started and abandoned within a couple of days. The target calorie range chosen is such a drastic change from what the person has been eating that of course they are miserable and their body is suffering. Try gentle change. Gentle permanent change For The Win!
Everyone pretty much said what I would have said. You need to more evenly distribute your calories or insulin levels are going to trip you.
i eat avocado with my eggs and hot sauce, sometimes bacon. Even so Im still around 300 calories. I dont usually get to snack because of my work schedule but I do make my meals count.
These are all great notes and suggestions you're getting. I thought I'd add my two cents because I might have something useful to say about feeling full:
What you eat matters a lot, not just how much.
Try eating different things in the morning and seeing how long it is until you feel hungry again. For instance, try eating a cup (or more, even) of steel-cut oats (no sugar) in the morning. Another time, try having a cut of red meat in the morning (sounds weird, I know, but the combination of fat/protein might be helpful). Find out what works for you. For me, protein alone (eggs, for example, or lean meat like chicken breast) does not help me feel full for long.
Also, make sure you're drinking water when you're not eating. A medical clinic I frequent gave me this suggestion, and I've since discovered that drinking water to avoid eating doesn't work, and having water during meals can be problematic for me. It's best to have water at least an hour before or after eating. It's about staying hydrated, not about trying to feel full. But it does help with satiation in the long run. A lot.
And, importantly, learn the difference between "hungry" and "craving." If you feel hungry but you wouldn't eat vegetables and chicken breast (or tofu or beans or something if you're vegetarian, I guess), then you're not actually hungry. I think it's okay to give in to your cravings, but it needs to be on your terms. For me this means telling myself "alright, we can have some pizza later today. But for now let's have some veggies." Then later I can go down to the by-the-slice place and get two slices, which are easier to work into my daily calories.
Breakfast makes no difference for me whether I eat a big one or none at all. I just intermittent fast and then I can just eat more later. Gives me the satisfaction of a big meal.
Here's an option: instead of dropping your calories to your target range all at once, you edge your way down slowly. (Also, eat more at breakfast as the previous posters suggested).
So say the for the last few months you've been "off plan" and eating about 4000 calories a day (or whatever your calorie estimate is - I have no idea what you weigh or how much you're eating so I'm just picking a number. I know *I* could easily sock away 4000 calories a day [or more] when I was off plan).
This week make a plan for about 300 calories less per day -- so 3,700 calories per day. Try to make the food you're eating healthy choices.
Then for the 2 weeks after that, drop them a further 200 or 300 per day.
And so on, verrrrrrry slowly, until you are in a slight calorie deficit. And see how that works for you.
But, Mrs. Snark, you may say, it is going to take me a forever to even GET in a deficit! It might take a couple of months, yes. But you might have a better shot at GETTING there and STAYING there with less pain and less struggle. How many months have gone by without being able to even get into the groove?
Think long term success. Some people's bodies really need a gradual lowering of calories at first -- otherwise the sheer hunger at the start is so overwhelming that they can't get on plan and STAY there. I think this is why so many "diets" are started and abandoned within a couple of days. The target calorie range chosen is such a drastic change from what the person has been eating that of course they are miserable and their body is suffering. Try gentle change. Gentle permanent change For The Win!
Good luck!
I really like this response. A lot.
This is the advice I would follow, if I wasn't already aware of how many calories I need to eat to be in a slight deficit. I found out my BMR using a DXA scan, but that's an expensive option and if it wasn't available I would need another way to find out the truth about how many calories I need. This is it. This is the way to do it.
I think the advice you've been giving is good. I have had times when I"ve felt like a bottomless pit. The things that lead me to feeling this way? For me, it's consumption of sugar and flour. I believe that these for me are like alcohol for an alcoholic. I also have to limit how much fruit I have...no more than 2 a day and if more then I struggle.
Sweeteners lead me to additional hunger...that means gum, diet soda, and even too much Stevia.
For some reason, more than one cup of coffee will lead me to have increased hunger.
Other things that make me hungry: sleep deprivation (which I struggle with) and stress/anxiety.
So, I think you need to determine what causes you to have increased hunger. Perhaps you're not eating enough. Perhaps you're eating foods which don't nourish your body. Maybe you need to start eating a lot more veggies? Maybe you're not getting enough healthy fats?
If none of these issues are the reason, then perhaps you need to see a doctor to rule out any medical conditions.
I know that my husband struggles a lot with huge hunger, as I call it. He has been this way since he was a baby. He consumed three times as much food as other babies. He wasn't heavy as a child though because he was incredibly active. However, he's overweight now because he's sedentary and he eats all the wrong foods. I believe he could do better if he chose foods that have no empty calories and if he exercised. It would be very difficult but worth it.
Also, I think that once you get into the groove of eating well in a way that gives your body what it needs (and perhaps you should see a nutritionist), over time, this will become much easier. I believe our gut bacteria does a lot to stimulate cravings and hunger. I've copied something short you might find of interest:
Hungry? It's All In Your Gut [Science Blog] There are already so many factors that can make hunger seem out of our control—emotions, a sweet tooth, that time of the month. Now, scientists are adding one more: Gut bacteria. Researchers reporting in the Journal of Bacteriology suggest that the millions of bacteria living in our stomachs and intestines respond to nutrients in the food we eat, and emit compounds that determine the timing and intensity of our hunger cues. This investigation is the latest in a series of studies that link gut bacteria to everything from type 2 diabetes to cancer. (For more info on gut bacteria, and how you can cultivate a healthy colony, check out What Belly Bacteria Says About Your Health.)
Ok, I'm back. The thing I"ve learned is that eating healthy can change our gut bacteria and that might be something you could look into. There's hope and you can find a way. It might not be simple, but it's attainable. I wish you all the best.
Without reading through everyone else's responses below this one...I need to say that FOR ME I have a lot less hunger monsters when I take probiotics on a regular basis....I feel less constantly hungry and less impulsive towards food when I'm regularly taking probiotics...It's odd and I wasn't expecting that when I started regular probiotics.
I started taking probiotics regularly because I've read about their connection to gut bacteria and overall health, not necessarily weight loss. I've also had about two rounds of antibiotics per year for several years now, due to pneumonia, bronchitis and repeated severe ear infections, and I know antibiotics can really mess up your gut. So I started a few months ago with regular probiotics.
I also find that when I cut out all obvious sources of wheat in my diet, that I am less bloated and seem to lose weight better. I'm not scouring labels for wheat hidden everywhere, just cutting out the obvious - anything made with wheat.
And between those two things - probiotics and much less wheat - I find that I'm able to make consistently better food choices, withstand hunger better, and keep my sugar intake much lower....I know that cutting out sugar completely will lead me straight into an ice cream tub...but I can have something sweet and not need 1873 more of them lol
Without reading through everyone else's responses below this one...I need to say that FOR ME I have a lot less hunger monsters when I take probiotics on a regular basis....I feel less constantly hungry and less impulsive towards food when I'm regularly taking probiotics...It's odd and I wasn't expecting that when I started regular probiotics.
I started taking probiotics regularly because I've read about their connection to gut bacteria and overall health, not necessarily weight loss. I've also had about two rounds of antibiotics per year for several years now, due to pneumonia, bronchitis and repeated severe ear infections, and I know antibiotics can really mess up your gut. So I started a few months ago with regular probiotics.
I also find that when I cut out all obvious sources of wheat in my diet, that I am less bloated and seem to lose weight better. I'm not scouring labels for wheat hidden everywhere, just cutting out the obvious - anything made with wheat.
And between those two things - probiotics and much less wheat - I find that I'm able to make consistently better food choices, withstand hunger better, and keep my sugar intake much lower....I know that cutting out sugar completely will lead me straight into an ice cream tub...but I can have something sweet and not need 1873 more of them lol
There is a whole field of study on this subject which is relatively new (in the past ~10 years only), and has already made significant discoveries, from what I understand.
It's an examination of Human Microbiota, which examines different "biomes" hosting bacteria throughout our bodies. We know that probiotics are helpful for a lot of people for digestion and gastrointestinal issues, but apparently we all have different bacterial biomes in our bodies, and we all may respond to different strains or types of bacteria differently. So "Probiotics" may someday be more personalized than the current "try and eat some yogurt" advice we're given now. It may also tell us why we react to certain foods, and what types of foods we need to eat for our systems to function well with the type of bacteria we have.
I think it's fascinating, but I haven't done more than surface research on the subject.
Breakfast makes no difference for me whether I eat a big one or none at all. I just intermittent fast and then I can just eat more later. Gives me the satisfaction of a big meal.
I find that I can do this, but only if I'm occupied in the morning. I teach, and if I have morning classes, I can easily breeze through them without feeling hunger or just not paying attention to it at all. When I get out of class at about 12:30 or so, I realize that I'm a bit hungry, and it feels kind of nice----normally, I eat without feeling real hunger.
To the OP, I know it's cliche, but I think it really does help to keep occupied. I took up the hobby of sewing, and that's a nice way of keeping me out of the kitchen when I'm at home.
Thank you for all the advice and suggestions! You are all very kind. This is what I have been doing in the past week:
Breakfast: Instead of just two eggs plain, I have been putting one egg each on a piece of toast that had a light coating of mayonnaise on it, and seasoning them with salt and pepper (so kind of like two open-faced breakfast sandwiches).
Lunch: I've still been eating soup, but I've paired it with eating a vegetarian wrap that has cream cheese, spinach, lettuce, cucumbers, broccoli sprouts, and shredded cheese inside of a big whole wheat tortilla.
Dinner: Dinners have stayed the same with me being able to whatever I want but I usually eat one plate of dinner and am totally satisfied (though sometimes I have hot cocoa afterwards).
I can't believe in doing these things, I've already been losing weight. I lost *six lbs*. I am absolutely floored. I don't know how this is possible but it's been working very well!
I Don't think I can do this :(
