Hunger

Just started the diet (two days), and I constantly feel hungry. Not feeling like eating, just hungry. I can tell actual physiological hunger from just a whim. Headache, mostly.

I eat first at 7, after aerobics. A rather fine meal, tho am used to overeating, a lot.

I have a fruit snack in-between.

Then I eat at 12-13. Also, a normal portion, though not as much as I used to stuff myself with.

Then a snack of fruit and a yogurt, before dinner at 7, which is the last meal of the day.

All that time, even sometimes straight after food, I feel hunger headaches, and a general overall hunger feeling.

No idea what to do with this. Maybe just wait, and see if it passes, since my body is used to a lot of food in each intake, and constant munching.

It could be dehydration.  Do you drink a lot of water?

You could also try eating more frequently.  Devide up your normal meal portions into smaller meals and eat every 2-3 hours.  That does not work for everyone but some people find it makes them feel like they are eating more.

Also, if there is something you eat often - you may be having an allergic reaction that is causing the headaches.  I used to suffer a slight wheeze and shortness of breath and migraines.  I thought it was because I was out of shape and the migraines were unrelated.  But one day I was eating a nut and my mouth and throat went totally numb.  This was unusual enough that I had it checked out and discovered that I am allergic to nuts.  I developed this allergy in my 30s after a lifetime of eating nuts!  Since I no longer eat nuts I have not had a true migraine in 5-6 years and I dont have shortness of breath any longer.  Just a thought. 

It sounds like sugar cravings from your insulin being boosted by the fruit and then dropping suddenly. Perhaps if you tried some low GI fruits/snacks instead you should notice quite a difference. Apples are the worse for me, make me desperate for carbs/sugar shortly after!

I drink tons of water. I can also.. Like, tell, dehydration from hunger? And this is definitely hunger. I describe it as headache, but it isn't really.. Just a strange feling in my head and throat. That is every time I'm hungry, which happened rarely lately :)

And well, it started with the diet, so no allergy, no. Just not getting as much calories as used to.

So you think it might be the grapes, then? O.o

Damn.  I will try. :/

Youve hit the nail on the head, or the grape. They are really high GI and even one sets me off. They are lovely though! (My mouth is watering now).

Original Post by leosapiens:

I eat first at 7, after aerobics. A rather fine meal, tho am used to overeating, a lot.

I take issue with this first statement.  You should never workout first thing in the morning without having SOMETHING to eat first.  Think of it as kick-starting your metabolism.  If your body thinks it's not getting any food, it will try and preserve every last bit of energy it can.  By eating something like a low fat yogurt cup with bran buds, you're promising it food which will allow your body to burn more calories during the work out.

Also, I should mention that you should wait about an hour after waking up before working out.  Something to do with your spine needed to dehydrate after a night of being vertical.

ok reading about work out times e.t.c i am a little confused...i could never eat before a work out in the morning and not need to eat after as well. I have a high motablism but still that would counter act any weight loss i was aiming for! So i get up at 7am and then go swimming and then have my breakfast would that not be ok? I dont wait a hour before swimming is this a actual issue regarding the spine?

: )

I think it depends on what your meals consist of.  Are you eating a good balance of good carbs (whole grain, vegetables), protein and fat?  The best way to balance your diet is to ensure that you are getting a balanced ratio of each of the macronutrients at each of your meals.  I think your hunger would stabilize if you added more protein... You don't describe what your meals consist of other than you snack on fruits and yogurt.  But I would eliminate the fruit & yogurt snacks in favor of something like a small serving of nuts, or something other form of protein, rather than a sugary carb.  Or maybe some veggies and hummus; whole wheat toast with a little peanut butter, or a slice of turkey.  Fruit is good for you, yes, but the sugary ones can cause a spike in blood sugar as others were saying before. 

Take a look at the questions in the Ask Mary section on advice on how to eat balanced throughout the day - I found it very helpful! 

I'm currently enrolled in a weight loss study at the local university.  I have 15 nutritionists and personal trainers (all with atleast Masters degrees) overseeing my weight loss.  When I started, they had me record a food log for a week.  I got YELLED at (literally) for starting my day off with sugar free Jell-O.  They were adament that I should not start my day without breakfast, let alone complete a morning work out.

As for the waiting an hour thing, I read that on here somewhere so I have no legitimate source to lean on.  I don't necessarily follow it myself, per say.  But if I eat right when I wake up, it gives me 45 minutes to start digesting the food before working out which seems like a good idea.

Okay, I see you already have tons of replys, so another one may just be noise at this point. 

But personally for me, I find that certain types of foods fill me up better then others.  I am also just restarting my diet, and have been feeling more hungry.  I find that when I fill my body with fiber, I am not as hungry.  So if I use a high fiber bread for my sandwich at lunch, or eat some hearty vegetables, that helps my hunger.  I know that for some people it's protein that fills them up. 

Maybe take a look at what your food intake consists of and try eating more fiber or protein to see if those things take away the hunger pains!

Also, I am a believer that that if your stomach is used to getting more food, then it's stretched out and needs to shrink in size.  As you eat less, it will shrink and get full faster.  So a week or 2 will probably help the hunger too.

Hi Leo,

If it's been only two days since you changed to healthier eating plan, then your body is probably still crying for all the added sugar you used to eat every day.  Give it a week or so, and these feelings should stop.  Your body will start to use the good carbs you give it instead of pure sugar for energy, and you'll feel better.

If you really did start a diet, as you say, two days ago, you might want to check that you're getting enough food.  The word diet, as you may have noticed, sets off alarm bells for many people on this site: for many it means not enough food, whereas a healthy eating plan is enough food, but with a calorie deficit of 300-700. 

Good luck! 

I'll add my two cents! I can't snack on fruit - it always makes me hungrier! So, if I am going to have an apple or peach (or any other fruit) as a snack, I always pair it with a handful of almonds, a string cheese, or yoghurt. Eating something with a healthy amount of protein always keeps me feeling fuller for longer. Maybe this would help you with feeling hungry... oh, and make sure you are getting enought water! :-)

Original Post by nanuq905:

Original Post by leosapiens:

I eat first at 7, after aerobics. A rather fine meal, tho am used to overeating, a lot.

I take issue with this first statement.  You should never workout first thing in the morning without having SOMETHING to eat first.  Think of it as kick-starting your metabolism.  If your body thinks it's not getting any food, it will try and preserve every last bit of energy it can.  By eating something like a low fat yogurt cup with bran buds, you're promising it food which will allow your body to burn more calories during the work out.

Also, I should mention that you should wait about an hour after waking up before working out.  Something to do with your spine needed to dehydrate after a night of being vertical.

Unfortunately I already get up at 6 to go out to work at 7. An hour early, and I'll be looking at 5 as waking hour. I can hardly handle that and stay sane :)

So my spine will have to handle. *sigh*

You are right, I should start with something before the training too. Thank you :)

Original Post by erinread:

Hi Leo,

If it's been only two days since you changed to healthier eating plan, then your body is probably still crying for all the added sugar you used to eat every day.  Give it a week or so, and these feelings should stop.  Your body will start to use the good carbs you give it instead of pure sugar for energy, and you'll feel better.

If you really did start a diet, as you say, two days ago, you might want to check that you're getting enough food.  The word diet, as you may have noticed, sets off alarm bells for many people on this site: for many it means not enough food, whereas a healthy eating plan is enough food, but with a calorie deficit of 300-700. 

Good luck! 

 I sure hope it stops. 300-700? According to the site's counter, I am eating 1300 (as it recommended) and burning around 2450, as I've added some walking to the aerobics. Is this too much? I am scared to add calories.. I really want to lose the weight.

And 1kg a week sounds like it's so little, considering how much I weigh. But I've decided I do this for the fun and the energy, not counting towards weight loss, or I'll go crazy, as usual. Still, can't help but dread the slow results. :)

Original Post by lizzie6580:

I'll add my two cents! I can't snack on fruit - it always makes me hungrier! So, if I am going to have an apple or peach (or any other fruit) as a snack, I always pair it with a handful of almonds, a string cheese, or yoghurt. Eating something with a healthy amount of protein always keeps me feeling fuller for longer. Maybe this would help you with feeling hungry... oh, and make sure you are getting enought water! :-)

I just thought I needed the vitamins, because I had a very bad mood for a week before starting the diet, and I figured it might be lack of those. So grapes and oranges were my thing. For energy.

-----------

Thank you, everybody, for your response. It helps so much, the support. I don't feel alone struggling this.

Original Post by leosapiens:

Original Post by erinread:

Hi Leo,

If it's been only two days since you changed to healthier eating plan, then your body is probably still crying for all the added sugar you used to eat every day.  Give it a week or so, and these feelings should stop.  Your body will start to use the good carbs you give it instead of pure sugar for energy, and you'll feel better.

If you really did start a diet, as you say, two days ago, you might want to check that you're getting enough food.  The word diet, as you may have noticed, sets off alarm bells for many people on this site: for many it means not enough food, whereas a healthy eating plan is enough food, but with a calorie deficit of 300-700. 

Good luck! 

 I sure hope it stops. 300-700? According to the site's counter, I am eating 1300 (as it recommended) and burning around 2450, as I've added some walking to the aerobics. Is this too much? I am scared to add calories.. I really want to lose the weight.

And 1kg a week sounds like it's so little, considering how much I weigh. But I've decided I do this for the fun and the energy, not counting towards weight loss, or I'll go crazy, as usual. Still, can't help but dread the slow results. :)

Yes too much. If your burn is 2450, your intake should not be less than 1450. Safe deficit for weight loss is 500-1000 and 1000 is the extreme limit - 700 is the recommended limit.

You should probably aim for 1750 minimum calories.

This will prevent your body from freaking out and slowing your metabolism and eating your muscles and SABOTAGING all your efforts!!!

I see lots of replies but here are my 3-4 cents :) Take 'em or leave 'em.

First I would suggest combining your fruit snack with a protein- say an apple with 10 raw almonds or a TBSP of nut butter.

Second- are you eating ENOUGH?  ACSM recommends a safe and steady weight loss of 1-2 lbs per week. To lose 1 lb a week you need to create a 500 kcal per day deficit.

Third- It can be very difficult to eat so early in the am. No need to wait an hour after waking to exercise. True, it is best if you can eat prior to working out- perhaps a piece whole wheat toast with nut butter or a 1/2 banana- but as long as you are not lightheaded or shaky then a couple days a week should not hurt.

Fourth- Dehydration often does mimic the signs of hunger. 64 oz a day is a minimum for the general public. During vigirous exercise you should be getting an additional 6-10 oz for every 20 mins.

Good luck!

when I started I was hungry all the time too.  I found out it was a couple things: my stomach was still big and hadn't shrunk to new portion sizes and I was eating carbs as snacks (fruit and veggies mostly).  But after I would eat them I'd be hungrier!

So I started eating cheese and more protein and that satisfied my hunger while my stomach shrank to a smaller size. 

It's only been two days, right?  Give it a chance :)  Eat a little more then slowly cut back