Can Anyone Offer Tips on Feeling "Full"

The absolute hardest part on this journey for me is not feeling like I've had enough to eat. Eating healthy and giving up the junk is easy for me! I love healthy food as much as junky food.. (I just love FOOD!) lol

Anyway- I'm not real big on sweets so sugar has never been an issue for me.. my problem lies in I never feel full!  When I was a kid my parents and their friends used to laugh at how I could eat them all under the table and keep coming back for more. I took those bad eating habits into adulthood and that is mainly my problem. I can eat 5 times what a normal person can eat before I even begin to feel satisfied. And while I can easily give up fried foods and fatty junk.. I still have issues with portion control. When I eat normal portions I still feel hungry..

Do I just go the rest of my life hungry all the time?  Isn't it part of our biology to want to feel satisfied after we eat?   I could really use some tips on helping me get that full feeling after a meal.

 

My advice would be to start cutting back slowly. Don't go from eating your normal sized portions to small meals and 1200 calories. It takes a while for your body to start realizing that you really do not need as much food as you think, and for your stomach to start contracting a little.

If you start by reducing portion sizes slowly and mixing in high protein foods that will help you stay fuller longer, I think you will be on the right track.

Once you get to that point, you will be able to re-evaluate your situation. Because yes, it is part of our biology to want to be nourished, but it is also our biology to not do what our body tells us is good for it. Which we do by being inactive and eating in excess. We really don't need as much as we think we do.

I dunno - I've just pretty much come to accept that I will not be able to eat until really full like I used to on a daily basis for the rest of my life.

I might have a special treat once in a month where I do eat enough to feel stuffed, but it really has to be rare, because although right now, my stomach has gotten smaller so that I get full from less food than I used to - I know that if I were to do it for several days in a row, my stomach capacity would quickly increase and it would take even more to get full - AND the cravings for food would be that much stronger.

So instead of "full" I simply have learned to accept "not famished". If I am really going nuts between meals I'll have a salad or boil up some lettuce/spinach/green pepper soup - they fill you up a while and don't add significantly to your daily calorie intake.

Good luck to you. Personally, I've just had to accept that I'll be "on a diet" for the rest of my life. It sucks, but it's so much better than the alternative of going back to being extremely overweight again. I like feeling light and comfortable and slim. I'm not full, but in every other way, I feel so much better.

I don't know how others feel about this guy, but I was reading Paul McKenna's website. My problem is emotional eating. I have no issues eating a balanced, healthy diet. I usually have no problems with daily calories. The problem is it doesn't take much to derail me with emotional eating.

It might just be some simple habits. Do some poking around on his site

I did a diet in the fall and lost about 15 lbs the whole time feeling VERY full.  It had a great "detox" phase where you stopped eating certain foods high in sugars and fat and stuck to fruits veggies, whole grains (no bread or pastas at that point though), some low fat diary and lots of BEANS.  Let me tell you, the more fiber-full your diet, the more full you will feel.

The only problem I have with the high fiber diet is that I tend to look and feel bloated, but I'm going to try out some Beano as advised by someone else on another thread I posted.  It definitely helps me with my desire to snack, though.  After eating a bowl of my 5 bean chili or my minestrone without pasta, I feel absolutely very well sated.

I'm in the same boat as you.  I hardly ever feel full.  It's gotten to the point where I hurt because I ate so much, but I still wanted more.  It's weird and really annoying.

One thing I do do is I log the calories in BEFORE I eat.  Then, because I'm lazy, that deters me from eating more.  I don't want to go in and add again (sometimes being lazy pays off ;)

I've been counting since early Jan and I can say that it has gotten easier.  I still want to eat more, but the cravings are not as bad and it's not quite as hard to stop eating at a reasonable amount.  One of my biggest struggles is at restaurants because I don't get to put the food on my plate.  Restaurant portions are huge and I will eat whatever is in front of me.

Good luck!!!

I'm just in my third week, but am also an I-love-to-eat kind of person.

Surprisingly, I've come to terms with the fact that to continue losing weight I have just a certain amount of calories to work with and try to use it to my advantage.

I "snack" for my meals so I'm eating almost every hour. While I never feel extremely full, I still don't feel as though I need to keep eating.

I think it'll take a while for your stomach to get used to it. Keep trying. Fill up on water and carbonated beverages (the bubbles help in filling you up, however temporary it may be).

Maybe try chewing gum between those meals. Might take your mind off eating?

do what i do. i eat a pound of broccoli or some other low cal veggy with all my meals. stuff like that will fill you up fast. and it usually bellow 200 cals for a pound.

Original Post by stewmama:

I did a diet in the fall and lost about 15 lbs the whole time feeling VERY full.  It had a great "detox" phase where you stopped eating certain foods high in sugars and fat and stuck to fruits veggies, whole grains (no bread or pastas at that point though), some low fat diary and lots of BEANS.  Let me tell you, the more fiber-full your diet, the more full you will feel.

The only problem I have with the high fiber diet is that I tend to look and feel bloated, but I'm going to try out some Beano as advised by someone else on another thread I posted.  It definitely helps me with my desire to snack, though.  After eating a bowl of my 5 bean chili or my minestrone without pasta, I feel absolutely very well sated.

what is beano?!

i dont know if this will help, but i started cutting back on carbs. carbs made me really hungry. like i would be in class and my stomach would growl so loud. then i found out that if i ate less carbs and more protein, it stopped. and i continued to eat this until it doesnt even growl anymore. also, part of it was that i didnt drink anything so i would have to get my water from the food i ate. so now i try to drink water and if i am still not full, try a protein. also, it can be a carb but with a protein or a little bit of fat in it. also try to enjoy every bite and avoid watching tv or doing another activity while eating :)

so maybe it will work for you? i hope so.. xoxo mia

your stomach is full of muscle fibres that have memory. the more you stretch them, the larger the capacity of your stomach will be, and the longer it will take to signal fullness. The good news is, the stomach can shrink, to do so eat small meals spaced throughout your day, and before long when you binge on a big meal, you will feel full faster, and you will actually feel uncomfortable full, not a comforting full.

I have the same problem. I love to feel full. But trust me, you get used to eating smaller amounts more frequently. This keeps your metabolism burning strong, and your stomach at a decent size!

Original Post by helloximhc:

i dont know if this will help, but i started cutting back on carbs. carbs made me really hungry. like i would be in class and my stomach would growl so loud. then i found out that if i ate less carbs and more protein, it stopped. and i continued to eat this until it doesnt even growl anymore. also, part of it was that i didnt drink anything so i would have to get my water from the food i ate. so now i try to drink water and if i am still not full, try a protein. also, it can be a carb but with a protein or a little bit of fat in it. also try to enjoy every bite and avoid watching tv or doing another activity while eating :)

so maybe it will work for you? i hope so.. xoxo mia

I would amend that to "simple carbs" -white bread, muffins, potatoes, etc.  They tend to be broken down and turned into energy rather quickly.  The carbs in beans, high-fiber cereals, whole wheat and brown rice take longer to break down, keep you feeling full longer and provide long-lasting energy throughout the day.

Carbs are not the enemy!

Original Post by nickiebabie

what is beano?!

It's a pill that counters the gassy effects of beans on the digestive system.

I'm used to big piggy portions too.  I'm eating big giant salads with lots of veggies in them and adding meat (mostly tuna).  Low cal soups also are filling. 

I agree with the high fiber comments here.  I eat a lot of beans too and they serve as carb, fiber and protein!  I never liked the idea of eating small portions, it would make me feel cheated.  I also grab pistachios to fill me up. 

Well...there are quite a few things that can be done to make yourself feel more "full."  If you cut just a few things from your diet, and add a few others, you can probably get closer to the "full" feeling that you're wanting.  First off, look out for high fructose corn syrup.  It is a super sweet, chemically processed sweetener that interferes with your stomach's ability to tell your brain that it is full.  If you are eating things with high fructose corn syrup in them, you are sabotaging your goal of "fullness" ...monosodium glutamate has been shown to potentially do the same thing.  ...Studies are mixed on whether or not it actually does, but I make a point to avoid it because it provides absolutely no nutritional value anyway. 

Now that we have the "fullness hijacking" at least on the right track, we can take care of actually getting you foods that will make you full.  Foods that have a low GI(glycemic index) value will help you fell full....the low GI value means that it takes longer for your body to digest them...basically putting your body on an internal "Caloric I-V" ...fruits, vegetables(but not potatoes), legumes, pasta, basmati rice are all "low GI" foods. 

Fruit pectin makes you feel fuller...apples, oranges, and carrots are chock full of it.  Fruit pectin is a soluble fiber that takes a long time for our intestinal bacteria to take care of.  Our intestinal bacteria have a hard time digesting anything high in fiber(soluble or insoluble) ....so naturally, foods that are high in fiber will help you feel "full"

But, above all...the number one important thing to remember to do to make yourself feel "full" when eating a meal is DRINK WATER.  ...Most of that feeling of a "need" for food is actually a need for water.  You are thirsty...and if you eat food without drinking, the only way you're going to really feel full is if you eat enough food that your body can pull enough water out of it that you aren't thirsty anymore. 

....I personally HATE the feeling that I think you're describing.  I hate having a full stomach...it feels disgusting to me.  But, to each his own.

Tricks to make you feel fuller, two or three bananas and a baked potato help me.  Also eating enough protein helps a lot.

Everyone is different, so what works for me might not work for you.

eat very very slowly.  its true what they say that it takes you 20 min to feel full.  i find that if i am eating a really delicious meal, i tend to eat it super slow because i like to really savor each bite.  when i do that i end up getting really full and satisfied because i enjoyed my food thoroughly and i ate it slowly.  i eat delicious food and i end up eating less. its a win-win situation!  as long as youre not eating super unhealthy fried or sugary foods this method works for me..

 

 

Original Post by beowulf34319:

do what i do. i eat a pound of broccoli or some other low cal veggy with all my meals. stuff like that will fill you up fast. and it usually bellow 200 cals for a pound.

Yep, thats my 'trick' too....I fix my meal and add a handful of baby carrots, two stalks of celery, broccoli, or any other vegetable. It helps fill me up, so I get that satisfied feeling at the end. Also, I drink between 16 and 24 oz. of water throughout the meal, so that helps too.

Well, i am a food lover. Its been hard for me to not eat some of the things that I love..but when i feel hungry, i go drink a big glass of water and that usually curbs the hunger for awhile...also i drink protein shakes and those really keep me feeling full for a few hours.

Wow- These are all great ideas! I'm going to try incorporate some of these tips into my routine and see how it works. Thank you all!!!!

Mary

It takes your brain longer to realize that you're full.  Try eating slower.  I read in a few articles that you should ALWAYS put your fork / spoon down after each bite.  That way it takes you longer to eat your meal and your brain will have more time to register that you're full.  Also, if you still feel hungry after a meal, wait 5-10 minutes before going for more.  Chances are... you’ll see that you're no longer hungry