I'm so hungry

I just started doing this again and I'm taking it very seriously due to some health concerns. The problem is I'm so hungry and I'm done with my food for the day. I'm eating 5-6 small meals a day including 1-2 small salads with beans or an egg as my protein as I'm a vegetarian. Trying to keep them between 200-300 calories. I'm aiming for 1500 calories a day,give or take 100-200. As of right now I have 1597 calories. These are my stats for the day.

Fat - 24% (44 grams)
Protein - 16.1% (66 grams)
Carbohydrates - 59.9% (244 grams)
Alcohol - 0%
Other - 0%

What can I do to stop the hunger? I'm chewing gum right now and taking small sips of water.

I am feeling the same if it makes you feel any better! And I'm also chewing gum and just had a big glass of ice water. Maybe suck on some ice? Or if you really need something, munch on some low cal veggeis. I plan on going to bed soon too.

up you protein. carbs burn relatively fast, whereas protein sustains you longer and therefore helps to minimize the hunger.

I eat protein with every meal. Also, it looks like I have a lot of carbs but with vegetarians, you have to combine foods to make a complete protein.

yes its harder for you, i get that, i have to do the same as i dont eat much meat.

shoot for 20% protein. your pie says only 16%. you wont feel so hungry.

Your chart also doesn't say anything about Fiber. I know there is fiber in vegetables, but I have found that foods like oatmeal or fiber one cereal are really filling and keep me from being as hungry throughout the day.

Are you sure that 1500 calories is enough for you to take in?   What is your BMR?

I gotta go with valkyrie and watergirl.  The secret is protein and fiber.  Get your 20% protein (more if you work out) and about 30g of fiber and you'll feel like a rock star. 

And like downdeep says, your body may need more than 1500 calories.  Sometimes the body really knows what it needs.  But since you did say you're just starting this again, maybe your body just needs to adjust to the change.

Good luck!

keep it up. same happens with me. try drinking low cal warm drinks, they fill your stomach. after a while your stomach doesnt feel the need to be quite as full.

+
Participants in a study recently published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition reported greater satisfaction, less hunger, and weight loss when fat was reduced to 20% of the total calories in their diets, protein was increased to 30%, and carbs accounted for 50%. The study participants ate some 441 fewer calories a day when they followed this high-protein diet and regulated their own calorie intake.

I wouldn't actually suggest bringing fat down to 20%, since mines usually at 30%, but it sounds good, from a relativly trustworthy website:http://www.webm d.com/diet/guide/high-protein-diet-for-weight -loss

Chewing gum is an appetite stimulant, it will make you feel more hungry, not less.  Try drinking a big glass of water or a cup of green tea along with the other excellent advise given by others.

best,

Karen

You may find this helpful...

I've always had problems controlling my hunger, so I searched for foods that have natural appetite suppressant qualities.  Here's what I found...

Pine nuts:  (I eat about 12 of these with each meal... Walmart and grocery stores sell them).  They really help stave-off my hunger pangs.  Some diet pills use pine nut oil in their products.  No pills for me.  I'll stick to food.  Pine nuts contain pinolenic acid, a naturally occurring polyunsaturated fat that actually stimulates two powerful hunger suppressing hormones.

Apples:  High-fiber foods like apples generally require more chewing time, giving your body extra time to register the fact that you're no longer hungry.

Flaxseed: Flaxseed oil is the best known plant source of omega-3 fats but raw flaxseeds are even better, especially for appetite control.

Whey Protein Powder:  Whey protein powder can help you lose weight and build muscle. New studies suggest that whey may have an impact on food intake through its effect on hormones that influence a feeling of fullness.

I use the above 4 daily, but there are more:  oatmeal, salad, soup (broth or vegetable),  Umeboshi plums, broccoli, tofu, kombucha mushroom tea, ginger root, Kimchi

Put a few of these in your daily routine and you'll have your hunger under control easily!

Good luck my friend,

Joe

I second the whey protein powder. Also, egg whites. My favorite breakfast consists of morningstar vegan meatless crumbles, egg whites, onions, and some herbs and spices. I toss in like 1 cup of egg whites (117 calories + 27g protein) and 2/3 cup of the crumbles (80 calories + 10g protein + 2g fiber) and my onions and spices, and scramble the whole thing. It has almost 40g of protein and only 200ish calories. It's really a tasty, filling breakfast.

For lunch, I might make myself a boca grilled vegetable patty (70 cals + 12g protein + 4g fiber) with an Arnold's sandwich thin (100 cals + 5g protein + 6g fiber) and some Laughing Cow Light Swiss Spread (35 cals + 2.5g protein). I add whatever veggies I want (lettuce, tomato, whatevs).

Dinner could be a veggie stir fry (70ish cals of veggies, depends on which ones you use) with seitan (130 cals + 24g protein + 3g fiber) and shirataki noodles (40 cals + 4g fiber).

Snacks could consist of a protein shake w/ almond milk (150 cals + 20g protein) or a high fiber tortilla (100 cal + 5g protein + 8g fiber) and some reduced fat swiss cheese (60 cal + 7g protein) melted into a quesadilla.

I usually have a fourth meal as well, but you get the idea.

The meal plan above has 950ish calories, 112.5g of protein, and 23g of fiber. It also leaves about 550 calories worth of room for whatever you want. Another meal, dessert, whatever you like.

There are a lot of options for high protein, high fiber vegetarian meals out there, you just have to explore them.

Also, sugars and starchy carbs tend to make me feel more hungry, not less. I usually feel full after a carb-y meal, but the fullness only lasts for a little while before my blood glucose crashes and I'm ravenous again.

This certainly won't chart in as top ten on the healthiest solutions, but it works for me when I am hungry and have no calories left...two things, really.

1.  Pickles and water.  I am a FAN of pickles, and while they are wrought with sodium, they can be quite filling and seriously LOW cal.  The water fills you up and flushes the sodium.

2.  "CHIPS" AND SALSA:  I make homemade salsa and slice cucumbers... eat the cucumber chips with salsa...again--LOW calorie and may have sodium due to adding salt to salsa or eating premade salsa.

These two ideas curb hunger and also fight the craving to just eat for eating's sake.

Hope it helps.

second the pickles idea!  when i have a high-calorie, small-portioned meal, i add 2 or 3 pickle spears to the mix.

i eat celery with salsa, cucumbers with salsa is a great idea!

lots of awesome ideas here, this is a great thread :D

where can i find whey protein powder?

I usually eat about 1,100 calories a day. I know it's not a lot but really I'm NEVER hungry. And as terrible as this sounds I think it's because I have diet soda or seltzer water with every meal and it fills me right up! Usually I drink seltzer water but sometimes I will have a diet coke with meals. I always alternate between taking a bite of food and then drinking. And I drink it right from the can. . .if you put it in a cup with ice a lot of the bubbles go away and that's what fills your stomach! Try this with meals and I guarantee you will eat less, saving calories for other times throughout the day. Usually I have three meals throughout the day (small because I usually get full pretty quickly) and then three or four snacks as well (maybe 200 calories each). Try it for a day, and see how you feel.

Hope I was of some help :)

Original Post by orangecls:

where can i find whey protein powder?

A lot of places carry it... Most stores with a pharmacy section.
Shopper's Drugmart, Walmart... Health food stores and even some bulk food stores (Bulk Barn for the win)

@Alexandramr: Your body needs a lot more then 1100 calories. 1200 is the minimum that a very petite, completely bed-ridden woman needs to -survive- ... Assuming you get up in the morning, move around, hopefully shower and the like, you need to eat more.

Here's a snack that will make you feel full (total calories: 140):

2 Weetabix bisquits and 1 fiber water (Kellogg's makes it--it's powdered and comes in 2 flavors, Pink Lemonade and Iced Tea)).

Before eating the Weetabix, take a drink of the water and then take small bites and have a sip of water between each one.  It's very filling.  (Also, very healthy).

You can also add some yummy berries (they are low calorie and healthy).

Tomatoes: a large one (plain) is very low in calories and filling.

:)

Original Post by sulfyr:

Original Post by orangecls:

where can i find whey protein powder?

A lot of places carry it... Most stores with a pharmacy section.
Shopper's Drugmart, Walmart... Health food stores and even some bulk food stores (Bulk Barn for the win)

 Thank you!  I'll get right on that :D

Original Post by orangecls:

Original Post by sulfyr:

Original Post by orangecls:

where can i find whey protein powder?

A lot of places carry it... Most stores with a pharmacy section.
Shopper's Drugmart, Walmart... Health food stores and even some bulk food stores (Bulk Barn for the win)

 Thank you!  I'll get right on that :D

The best kind of whey protein powder is the unsweetened unflavored kind mostly found at health food stores, by using the unsweetened/unflavored you can sprinkle it on your food as well as flavor it any way you like in fruit smoothies. also by using this type, you reduce the amount of chemicals that you take into your body, Also concider adding essential fatty acids, probiotics, digestive enzymes and a multi vitamin/mineral, sometimes its not the amount of what we eat but if our bodies can assimalate what we have eaten by adding these as a minimum you ensure that your body will take in more of the nutrients from the food that you are eating. just as a note, the body doesnt produce omega 3 fatty acids, the body must get this essential oil from outside sources. Flax seed oil/seeds is the best, diamond walnuts are next. the body needs between 5-10 grams of this essential fatty acid each day and if the body is deficient in this oil it usually takes 6 months of never missing a dose to "catch" up.  Also include more "live" foods into your diet. fresh vegetables, and fruits (organic if possible) I know you are a vegan, but if you decide to add fish or meats to your diet these are the best kind: grass fed beef, range chicken, organic eggs (brown are best), and fresh water fish. These types of foods bring vital nutrients to our bodies, one of the main reasons for hunger is the fact that our bodies are not assimalating the nutrients that we do eat. cut out as many of the processed/refined foods as possible as these are just dead calories that our bodies dont know what to do with. drink plenty of good quality water: steam distilled or spring water make sure that the water you drink doesnt come from a "municiple water supply" as this type of water contains chlorine. Hope this helps

Trish

How much water are you drinking?  Many times when our bodies are dehydrated we feel hungry.  Try to get at least 8 - 8oz glasses a day.

Stay away from diet sodas and artificial sweetners, they will make you feel hungry.

I'm vegeterian too and recently added egg protein powder to choc almond milk for a smoothie.  (I am allergic to dairy, whey and soy so getting enough protein for me can be a challenge - especially when I don't like eggs :p   but the powder doesn't taste lilke anything in a drink) 

Just wanted to point out to those that suggested the OP consume whey protein powder and egg whites to increase her protein levels, that the girl is a VEGETARIAN. Although some vegetarians are actually lacto ovo vegs, I understood from her posts that she is not so whey and eggs may be out of the question.

I would suggest looking for soy based protein powders to increase your protein intake.