Okay, so I've tried EVERYTHING to help my hunger..upping my protein, calories, carbs, fat, but NOTHING satisfies me like fast food and I don't UNDERSTAND THIS! If I'm not eating fast food, I just eat and eat all day. Is something wrong with me?

I'm not sure, but perhaps it could be a mindset thing? Anytime I've ever had fast food (and honestly I've probably had a mcdonald's burger 3 times in the past 10 years) I've found that I'm hungry in an hour. Perhaps when you eat fast food, you are no longer "mind hungry," but when you eat healthy food at home, although you are not actually hungry, you remain "mind hungry?"

My first guess is that it's something emotional that you need to figure out--fast food does something for you emotionally, and you need to figure out what that is and find a substitute.

If it's not that, could it be the sodium? It's the one thing about fast food that you haven't mentioned. Maybe try more salt on some of your healthy foods and see if they satisfy you.

My first thought when reading your post was that it might be emotional. My other thought would be that maybe its what you're craving, so maybe that's why nothing else is satisfying? If I am craving something and I eat something else, it doesn't satisfy the craving and I end up eating more and more until I finally eat that thing I was craving. Does that sound like how you are feeling?

I've noticed the same thing. Whatever I eat has to have oil (a small about of olive oil works great - or avacado) and salt. If it has neither I'm left hungry and craving them badly! It's so weird - I can eat whole wheat pasta with sauce and I'm starving still, but whole wheat pasta with olive oil and sea salt and I'm good to go!

It sounds like you are an ideal candidate for Primal Blueprint (we have a thread on low carb). Please come check us out -- all the olive oil and avocado you want.

I firmly believe that fast food has addictive properties, which if you eat it frequently can be habit forming. I think this is what you are dealing with, and you may just have to white knuckle it to break the addiction -- force yourself to go without for a week or so. Maybe you could eat low carb that week, so you could ensure getting lots of fats (eggs, meat, olive oil, avocado, etc.)

I use to be the same way!! Fast food makes me feel good some how... and then really really bad. I was a fast food employee through high school, that could be a big part of it if you also were around it constantly.

i've read in some books that fast food is addicting, and i truly believe that to be the case. everything is covered in cheese and grease and salt. I know i use to be addicted to eating that kind of stuff, with all those chemicals they put in the food, it tasted really delicious to me. It still does, on some level, but I know how terrible that kind of low quality food is for me (my digestive system, skin, and just from a nutritional standpoint.. it's useless)

I honestly think you should cut the habit right away, if that's not something that's feasible maybe transition to some healthier options (like subway, chipotle, or whatever) and start phasing them out slowly.

Read the book THE END OF OVEREATING. You can probably find it at your local library. It explains that the combination of fat, sugar, and salt in fast foods and even many restaurant foods does have addictive properties. And what's more, the food industry deliberately uses those combinations and is constantly refining them to keep people coming back.

So yes, you are going through withdrawal, and the only way out is through! The good news is, the longer you go not eating those foods, the less you will want them.

Jay

I think you could be confusing *satisfaction* with true hunger..

If you eat a meal of a bowl of vegetable soup, a chicken breast and a salad you mean to say that you are left hungry? - tummy grumbling and light headed? probably not..

If you say that you are not *satisfied*, that you didn't enjoy it and that you are still *looking for something*? - that's another story..

If that's the case I DO believe that it is most likely an *addiction* and plain old HABIT - what you are used to.. And that WILL take some time to change. And during that time, you very well may be left - unsatisfied. But like Jay said, the only way to get past that - is to go and get through it. You need to push yourself, challenge yourself, raise your standards and work through the temporary, initial discomfort of giving up a bad habit and incorporating new and good ones.

Set yourself up for success - make yourself some hard core rules - and stick to it NO MATTER WHAT. Don't make it an option TO give in - otherwise you make this MUCH harder than need be. Every time you *give in* and have the stuff - you keep the cycle going. You don't allow your wants, desires and needs for the *offending foods* to die down and dry up. Because you essentially need to detox from it.

Set yourself up for success once more by planning out your meals in advance, so that when it come time to eat, you will have a plan in place. You will know exactly what TO eat, so you don't have to contemplate whether or not to eat the fast food.

Eat good quality, truly satiating, healthy foods. Before you know it, THAT'S what you'll be craving and desiring. It CAN and WILL happen - if you allow it to.

When you're NOT eating fast food, what ARE you eating?

I can eat a dinner full of protein and veggies and go to bed satisfied and happy. Or I can eat something high carb and lower protein (like spaghetti last night) and be STARVING with a headache and the shakes before bedtime, with no calories left for the day. Are you eating too little when you're not eating fast food, calorie or protein-wise?