I actually look down at my stomach and say something like "shhh, I just fed you, or shhh, I'll feed you in a minute" like it's a kid or something! :D

Originally Posted by greeneggsandtam:
One of the things I realized when I finally lost a bit of weight a few years ago was that I actually felt hungry. I never let myself feel hunger before that. It was like I was walking around 'full' for my adult life.

I had this experience too! I'd always be snacking and grazing on food around the house, and like you, I almost never allowed myself to feel hungry. I never really had that wonderful feeling of hunger appearing just before when you are ready to eat a delicious meal.

I think that's why I've felt a sense of satisfaction when I've felt my stomach growl a bit - when I was much heavier and had worse eating habits, I never felt it. Obviously when it does growl I'll eat, and I'll eat before it growls if I feel hungry. But still, feeling hungry and having your stomach make a bit of noise is normal - I don't see it as starving myself, it's just letting my body tell me when it needs feeding, instead of forcing a schedule on it and topping it up with food before it feels ready.

Originally Posted by BornToFly:
I actually look down at my stomach and say something like "shhh, I just fed you, or shhh, I'll feed you in a minute" like it's a kid or something! :D

I do that sometimes! I think I get the most noise shortly after I eat...

I just can't or won't do "hungry". When I allow myself to get hungry it's a big mistake. It leads me to make very, very bad choices.

Nope, I do my best to avoid it. I eat very frequently. Every 2 hours or so. And I make sure they are foods that "stick" with me. The protein and the fiber.

In fact, even the "thought" of hungry starts to frighten me. It's an issue I still haven't gotten over. Luckily there are ways around it.

My stomach is growling right now! :)

My friend blew me off for lunch today, so I had to eat out. And I already ate a yogurt with berries and almonds for PM snack.

Me hungry! Need dinner!

wow!...having your stomach "self-digest" or "eat itself" is not a good thing.

Sometimes I like to pause and tell myself to "embrace the hunger" just because it gives me a connection to my own self and because it really truly shows me the difference between eating because you are hungry and eating for any other reason.

I've been on the diet roller coaster since my parents put me on my first diet at 5. When I'd complain that I was hungry, they'd tell me "that's good, that means you're losing weight."

I spent a good part of my weight loss life thinking I had to feel half-starved, in order to lose weight - and eventually I'd be unable to bear it and binge, get frustrated and give up. If I control carbs, I can eliminate hunger nearly completely (in fact, I can "forget to eat," on a very low carb diet, can't say I ever thought that would have been possible). My weight loss has been slow (mainly because I don't restrict my carbs enough), but it's been comfortable and even "easy" in the sense that I don't feel like a starved, caged animal.

A little hunger probably isn't a big deal, but on the other hand, there's no need to be hungry for weight loss, either.