I had my routine physical this morning, which meant fasting blood draws. I didn't have a lab appointment, so I wasn't positive they'd be able to take my blood today.

I never wake up hungry, and routinely have nothing but coffee until after the time my appointment was scheduled for. I woke up ravenous.

Even when I'm hungry, I don't usually have problems waiting while I prepare a meal. I kept having nearly-overwhelming urges to shove bites of food in my mouth as I made breakfast and lunch for my family.

Days I don't drink coffee don't usually bother me. I don't get cravings or headaches until it's been several days, and frequently not even then. I was dying for a cup of coffee today.

I keep "emergency snacks", aka milky way midnight bars, on my bicycle, but tend to forget they're there. Today, I remembered. The whole bicycle ride to the doctor's office. When I was locking my bicycle up, I tried to rationalize that they probably wouldn't be able to do the blood draw today anyway, so I may as well have a candy bar!

As soon as the phlebotomist had taken my blood, I wasn't hungry and I didn't crave coffee.

I am reminded all over again how important it is to keep my subconscious from feeling threatened or deprived as I rectify my health.

I experience the same thing, also happens when I count calories and know I don't have anymore left lol. Definitely a pain to control but worth it

That's really interesting---sort of like forbidden fruit.

This is exactly why I have had zero success with diets like Weight Watchers where the focus is all on food. When I sit around and think about how much food I can eat, then my thoughts become so obsessive on it and I am so hungry.

I also think your blood sugar might be part of the culprit. Eat every 3 to 4 hours and eat something that is low in carbohydrates (not necessarily carb free - but don't just eat pretzels or a piece of fruit and yogurt). Some of my favorites are hard boiled eggs with a couple crackers or a protein bar or greek yogurt with fruit or grilled chicken with cut up veggies. Avoid the blood sugar spikes and eating less is a lot easier!

Once you aren't starving because your blood sugar is fluctuating, it's a lot easier to do the distraction method. Focus on exercise or a new way to do your hair or a new nail polish color you want to try or plans with a friend or a book you want to read or whatever. Just keep food in the distant background. Plan and prepare your food - make foods that will help you be successful and have them with you so its easy to stay on plan, but when it's not time to eat, it's not time to think about food either once your day is planned.

I had an ephiphany one day a few months ago - being hungry isn't a crisis. How many times have you had to pee and just told yourself to wait because you don't want to use the port-o-potty or because it's not convenient for some other reason? That signal is the same as hunger - it's the body saying it needs something. You won't die if you don't eat - RIGHT NOW! It really will be okay. Wait a while (if it's not your scheduled time to eat) and see how you're doing. Don't react to it - almost like a toddler throwing a temper tantrum. Ignore it and see if it settles out.

My last piece of advice is that it does get easier. Once you get into new habits, these things are not as hard. I promise!!

My mom introduced me to the idea of "diet hunger". The only time she would want/buy doughnuts was when she had decided she needed to lose some weight.

Yes. This is why I don't do Weight Watchers, or Atkins (ok, Atkins doesn't agree with me in other ways, either), or calorie counting... or any of the other ways I've discovered that my mind can get itself into a deprivation state.

Fortunately, fasting blood draws aren't a regular part of my life, and this is the first time in months I've hit that mindset. For the most part, I head it off at the pass with something that makes both my cravings and my food logs happy.

It's interesting what works for different people. If I followed your suggestions (and I've tried dieting like that in the past), I'd be miserable and cranky (and hungry) all the time. Planned meals don't work for me. Eating every few hours doesn't work for me. When I'm hungry, I look at my day's intake and see what I ought to add, and what I feel like.. and I putter in the kitchen, because I like cooking.

What works for me is to focus on EXACTLY what I want (something that both satisfies my nutritional goals and my desires) and then eat it. I eat as much of it as I need to be not-hungry, and stop. And I remind myself regularly that I can eat what I want, whenever I want, but that I deserve to eat the very best food.

I'll agree with you on hunger not being an emergency, though. I've been hungry for about an hour and a half now (it's almost 10 and I haven't had breakfast), but I can't settle on something that really makes me happy as a plan. I'll get there eventually, and then I'll make it and eat it. In the meantime, I have laundry to do!

I'm reminded of a conversation I had with my mother years ago. We agreed that when we felt "poor" - we would go out and buy stuff. Cheap stuff, but stuff. And things we didn't need, just because they were cheap and we were poor! And feeling poor had not so much to do with how much money we had.

I think it's the same as "I'm hungry and on a diet, and this is low calorie, so I'll eat it!"

I learned not to buy stuff that wasn't -exactly- what I wanted to buy, which mostly results in me not buying anything. I've been shoe shopping about six times without finding a pair to buy. I'm losing weight nicely now with working on not eating food that isn't -exactly- what I want to eat. Frequently it leads to "Eh, there's nothing here that's just right. I'll have a cup of coffee/tea and wait until later."

Just goes to show how there isn't one right way to lose weight. Everyone must find what works for them!

So glad you found your way!