Hi everyone

I'm on yet another diet. I've been on it about 10 days but am constantly hungry and overeating.... I have such a long way to go, I don't know how I am going to keep it up for the rest of my life.

Any ideas on how to beat the hunger?

It gets MUCH better, but that time when you start until your stomach shrinks back down to a reasonable size is horrible. I recommend lots of hot herbal tea. Fills your belly with no calories. And some flavor too! Just no sweeteners!

I'm not really a fan of herbal tea (at least without sweeteners >.<), so I just recommend maybe switching up some things? I mean, when I have a plate that is packed with veggies and chicken, I can manage to stay within my calorie count and I get pretty full! But if I try to add rice and beans, my plate gets a lot smaller and I'll be hungry very soon.

Maybe also invest in a hobby? It's helped me a lot, to kind of turn away from thinking about food.

Drinking lots of water during the day is also super helpful! People say that you can often confuse being thirsty with being hungry, and I've actually found it to be true. If I have the amount of water I need during the day, I'll be eating a lot less!

What worked wonders for me, too, is to make sure to buy only good food. If there isn't any cheat food around the house, I won't make the effort to get up and go buy something. So even if I technically overeat, I'll only be eating good stuff, so the calories I'm adding aren't in such a great quantity and I'm getting tons of nutrients in anyway.

Hunger is not something you beat, it's something you treat. With food. If you are under eating to the extreme your body will eventually revolt and overeat, it's a normal reaction that people are scared of but it's completely normal if you think about it. This is one of the major reasons it's better for you to lose slowly, so your body will adjust without freaking out.

Ahem, your stomach cannot "shrink" this is an old wives tale. You also cannot trick it into thinking its full of water or tea or celery. And let's face it, eating a whole bowl full of veggies might fill us up but may leave you feeling unsatisfied and over time that dissatisfaction can lead to binges. I know people hate conventional wisdom but moving more and eating a little less of a varied diet is the only way to stay truly balanced, because it's the definition of balance.

So here is some technical advice. You have to question your hunger a bit. What time of day are you finding yourself getting uncomfortably hungry? Have you tried rating your hunger? Is it a physical hunger (stomach growling,dizziness, unable to focus) or is it an emotional hunger (irritability, cravings, getting angry at others)? These are important questions to ask yourself. If you're truly hungry the. Why would you deprive yourself of food? And if you are experiencing emotional hunger then what other ways can you address that instead of food?

You need some lean protein. Chicken, fish and eggs.

Fills you up and low in calories.

Even if you eat too much, these foods won't make you fat.

Can you post a typical day's menu? Maybe we could help you tweak it a bit so you're not feeling so hungry.

Like Ian, I find protein pretty filling. I'm still a volume eater so I fill up on veggies like cauliflower, broccoli, baby carrots and cherry tomatoes as well.

I've always wondered about the stomach shrinking thing too! I don't think mine has shrunk much at all. I still love huge amounts of food and am lucky that veggies fill me up, leave me satisfied and don't make me want to binge.

ok this was what i ate yesterday:

breakfast: 200g swiss style plain yogurt, 10g raw almonds, 100g frozen blueberries.

lunch: 2 sushi rolls (the 3 inch ones) - tuna and prawn.

snacks: 27g low fat feta cheese, 200g tomato. 1 15g cheese slice. peanut butter and toast.

tea: roast lamb with mashed potato, steamed veggies and gravy.

8 cups of tea/coffee with skim milk.

Total calories : 2000

The afternoon was when I was ravenous.

I am not surprised. You had a teeny breakfast and lunch and a big dinner.

What about a big lunch and a small breakfast and a small dinner?

Or a big breakfast and a big lunch and no dinner? (that's what I do).

Breakfast: do you have a lower calorie version of your yogurt available?

Lunch: The fish is good...the sushi rice not so much. I agree w/ Ian in that you need a heartier lunch w/ more protein.

Snacks: Maybe find something else instead of PB and toast. It's good snack...but high in calories for a "snack". Perhaps a couple hard boiled eggs?

I'm thinking that might allow you a heartier lunch and some more substantial snacks to ward off the hunger.

I really like Vickie's suggestions.

Also, if yogurt is a breakfast staple for you, can you switch it to greek yogurt? It has lots more protein and is very filling!

I don't really agree with Vickie's suggestions. I think all the food you are eating is great, tasty and delicious, these are all healthy foods that do not have to be removed from your diet and doing so can set you up for unbearable cravings which can lead to unfortunate binges. And especially since you're eating such a small breakfast and lunch it makes sense to eat a hearty snack.

Real changes happened to my weightloss, focus and energy levels when I switched my meals around a bit. I used to eat in a similar manner as you when I was "dieting". But then I started eating breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince, dinner like a pauper. I don't count calories but I easily eat 500-600 calories at breakfast and by doing so I start my day completely satisfied, making me more likely to eat a reasonable lunch. If I have a measly breakfast I'm starting my day sort of hungry and very likely to choose something unhealthy for lunch. Big breakfast, big lunch, tiny dinner.

I wouldn't take away anything from your meal plan. Rice is great, fish is great, peanut butter is great, it's all good! Try not to get swayed by low carbers who villainize starches and carbs, it can really mess with your mind. As long as you're eating appropriate serving sizes you don't have anything to worry about. But try to find some more healthy things to add to your meals like raw veggies, cooked veggies, pulses, salads, hummus, nuts, fruit, and healthy fats like olive oil and avocado.

I should say also that once I started eating more substantial breakfast and a solid lunch my need for snacks disappeared which was great because I can go several hours without having to contemplate what to eat. Dinner for me it turns out is pretty light and usually has no carbs, I eat my carbs at morning and lunch, not sure why but it turned out that way after some experimenting. Find what is right for you!

Palestrina, FWIW I'm not a low carber. I do monitor my carbs and shoot for them mostly to be from whole grains and a LOT of fruit. However, last evening because I wanted it I had a small piece of chocolate cake and ice cream.

I made the suggestions I did because sonic specifically mentioned the number of calories. I rather assumed she was counting calories.

I do agree that what Sonic had was all healthy. BUT if you're counting calories it can be difficult to have all those things in one day AND get sufficient protein AND feel fulfilled. I do like my carbs...but my reality is also that I just don't stay feeling full when a substantial portion of my daily intake is carbs.

Sorry if I was suggesting you were a low carber, almost everyone around here seems to be. Sometimes I feel like people attack the carbs that people eat and it creates a lot of anxiety for the eater. A sushi roll really does not contain that much rice, and think of the healthy stuff in it like the seaweed and the fish, and the wasabi! I too keep my carbs in check but I'm quite rebellious and if someone tells me to stop eating something I'm very likely to go out and eat some right then and there, the part of me that loves food will always act like an immature teenager lol. My sushi meal includes one salmon avocado roll, 1 piece salmon sushi, 1 piece white tuna sushi and a couple of pieces of sashimi. If I eat toast for breakfast that is likely the only wheat I will eat all day. So yea, I'm conscious of carbs, I need just enough to make me feel full and satisfied but not enough to feel bloated and lethargic. It's a fine line but thankfully I found it.