How do you curb that hungry feeling?

This is my first post so please be kind to me…

I am a 5’4” 36 yrs old female trying to lose weight.  I started out with 141.5 lbs and now weight 137.5.  My goal is to reach 120 lbs…though I don’t have a strict timeline for reaching this goal, but I am aiming to lose about 2 lbs per week. 

For exercise, I walk about 3 miles (in 60 minutes) approximately 5 times a week.  I am consuming about 1,400 calories per day.  I am a vegetarian and below is a sample of what I eat on a regular day:

Breakfast: smoothie (made with 8 oz milk, fruit, and 1 scoop of whey protein).  On the weekends, I splurge and have an omelette breakfast made with veggies and egg beaters, and a piece of toast with butter.

Snack 1: Tea or coffee with fat free cream and a piece of toast

Lunch: Salad with greens, tomato, onions, cilantro, tofu, soy nuts and fat free ranch dressing.

Snack 2: a cup of decaf herbal tea to curb the hunger

Snack 3: 4 oz of cottage cheese and a piece of fruit

Dinner: Boca Burger with stir fry veggies (using very little oil).  Or, I will have lentils, bean, tofu or other protein products with veggies.

If I have any calories left over, I will have healthy or unhealthy snacks…such as half of a cookie, Swiss cheese, peanut butter, or a few pieces of almonds so that I’m in the 1,400 range.

Lately, I feel like I am hungry all the time.  Sometimes hunger is confused with thirst, so I drink water in hope that the “hungry” feeling would go away.  Unfortunately, that is not the case…even after chugging down water, I’m still hungry. 

My question is….am I consuming too many calories? Too little calories?  Is there any advice that you can offer to curb hunger?  I am making good progress so far and I don’t want to get discouraged this early in my attempt to lose weight.  Any advice you can offer would be helpful and is very much appreciated…

Thanks, Rose

Hi Rose,

I'm 37 and trying to stick to eating 1550 cal/day to lose a few pounds - so far so good!

For me, I have found it really helps to have some wholegrains in every meal.  I'll have oats for breakfast, brown rice in my lunch, and wholegrain pasta with my dinner.  To keep the calories down I keep the portions reasonably small (that's where I find the log great - I can work out what is a good amount before I eat them).  I also prepare them with very little or no fat.

The other thing I find makes me feel fuller is eating more protein.  I find beans (eg kidney in a salad) and soy milk really stave off the hunger pangs.  I also eat South Beach Protein Cereal Bars (not sure if you would be allowed them on your diet).  Once again I check the log to decide how much protein to add.   I also look at the analysis to see how I'm going with regard to my percentage intake of carbs, protein and fat.  This seems to work really well. 

I think it's normal to feel a bit hungry when you are burning quite a bit more than you are eating.  

Also, a natural appetite suppressant that I used a while ago and worked quite well was Hoodia.

Hope this helps,

Rachelle

High fiber foods do wonders for keeping you full. They take longer to break down in your system, so you are less likely to feel hungry. For example, my breakfast in the morning is 3/4 cup of plain oatmeal prepared with water, splenda brown, and blueberries or a banana. This is only about 300 or so calories, and it totally keeps me going from 8am until sometime around 1 in the afternoon.

I highly recommend oats, flax seeds for your salad, and agar powder (it's a seaweed product that is a great gelatin replacement for baking and can be mixed with tea in the mornings or afternoons). I use about 1/2 tsp for a 7oz cup of tea.

I just started using this website. I'm 5'1", medium frame, and currently 139 trying to get to 125 or 120. I like that this offers the community support and resources to take off 15lbs of college induced laziness, ice cream, beer, midnight snacks, and simple bad habits.

Hope this was of any help

-Steph

Hi Steph,

Thanks for the suggestions.  I didn't think of oatmeal (which I love BTW) ....I will incorporate it into my diet and hope it helps with curbing the hunger. Also, I am going to buy some agar power for my tea...perhaps subsituting it for honey will do the trick.

Thanks again,

Rose

Hi Rachelle,

Yes, your advice is also very helpful.  I focus so much on calories that I sometimes forget about other factors...such as protein and wholegrains keeps you feeling full for a longer period of time. 

Thanks,

Rose

Hi, Rose!

Foods with white flour and refined sugar make me feel like I'm starving. So I have completely eliminated them from my food lineup.  It sounds like a sacrifice, but it's really worth it.  I contribute lack of cravings to the elimination of white flour and sugar from my diet.

For breakfast try Irish oatmeal, takes half an hour to cook, no microwave available, is slightly crunch in texture.  I put a tablespoon of chopped nuts on it for additional flavor ... delicious and satisfying.  It holds me from about 7 AM until 1 PM.

I snack on delicious in-season fruits like strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, mangos, kiwis

Also HOT green tea ... don't know why, but it makes me feel full.  I add a spritz of lemon to the hot tea ...

Hi everyone,

All the advice here is great. I've discovered that if I eat a high protein breakfast - an egg fried in cooking spray with some Yves veggie sausage patties, I tend to stay fuller longer than if I eat a carb rich breakfast (even if it's oatmeal). I agree, though, that having a dense piece of whole grain bread, some rice or some beans with a meal high in vegetables (like a salad) really makes a difference.

But also I've discovered that small amounts of foods with monounsaturated fatty acids help me feel full and satisfied as well. I bought some dark chocolate bars that are 72% cocaoa. I eat a square or two after a meal for about 23-46 calories & it helps me feel full. I'm also a sugar junkie & I find that this helps curb my craving for sweets. I also eat a few raw almonds & try to add a small amount of avocado to salads,maybe not all on the same day though. It's funny, but I've found that on days when I don't eat these items I tend to go over my 1500 calorie limit.

Also, when I'm hungry between meals or in the evenings I cut up carrots, celery, cucumber and other veggies and snack on those. They are low in calories but still make me feel more full; plus they fill the need just to be munching on something. I'm one of those people who has gained weight because I eat because I find it comforting.

In terms of exercise, I've discovered that riding a stationary bike or swimming is much more efficient than walking. Still it's hard for me to get those in, so I've been trying to do just a few minutes a day of stationary bike to build my stamina, in addition to walks. It seems like losing weight & keeping it off (I'm trying to drop the 15 lbs. I put on when I stopped following weight watchers) is really a lifestyle change, which I find a bit difficult after so many years of different habits - like not exercising. But, at least I only put on 15 lbs., instead of the 40 I lost!

Anyway, I hope these ideas are useful. Good luck to us all with our weight loss goals!

Lisa Ann

Could it be that you just need to chew something?

I went on a juice detox awhile ago and I realized that sometimes I think i'm hungry but really i just need something to do with my mouth like chew gum or eat some hard candy. You could give that a try as well

Rose

Great question! I found the replies really helpful to me!

I recently went to a class on "better foods for better moods" and she talked about how we were affected by the foods we eat, and also how we start out our day food well effect the rest of the day i.e food cravings, hunger. It was interesting to find out that 90% of our amino acids is made in our stomach. Maybe your asking.. why does that matter?  Amino acids feed neurotransmitters, neurotransmitters  allow for more serotonin(feel good hormone). Also how it controls cravings. With that being said.. How you create more amino acids is by having a breakfast high in protein. Egg's, veggies. She was explaining that even tho toast and orange juice and oatmeal are good for you, it breaks down to sugar and higher sugar levels is what makes for highs and lows and cravings..

I hope you found this useful.. I just wanted to share.

Sarah

Hi all,

Thanks so much for the helpful advice.  I have already implemented some of the suggestions into my routine and it is making a differnece already.  Yesterday, I had a few pieces of almonds and a slice of cheese when I got the munchies...it held me up for a while and got rid of that aweful "hungry" feeling.   I will add more green tea to my diet as it also helps me stay full.  Even though I'm eating alot less since I'm trying to lose weight, I am happy to say that I have alot more energy now than I did before...maybe its a combination of healthy eating and exercise...

You all have been wonderful with the great ideas you've posted for my question.  I wish all of you the best in reaching your weight loss goals.  This website is awesome and has really helps me stay focused.

Rose

you might not be having enough calories and especially fat in your diet.  having fat and protein helps you feel full if you're eating enough calories also.  maybe add some peanut butter to your toast, and definitely add more whole grains.

I use grits to curb my cravings. Fill me up good, they do. I like them more than oatmeal.

Something that really works for me is a protein powder called Spiru-Tein. It has spirulina in it, which gives it a kind of weird texture. I generally substitute one meal for it with a cup of milk, and it really helps me stay full longer than anything else I've been eating.

I found that chewing gum helps. Also replaced any sugar/honey with raw agave. It releases into your system slowly so no sugar crash or hunger pangs. 

Try the 100 calorie packs. They have sweet stuff like Chips Ahoy and somewhat salty snacks like Doritos.