Why do so many people complain about...

...Being hungry/hunger pains?

I just don't get it? I rarely eat after 6 pm and usually stay up until 1 or 2 am and I definitely feel hungry and sometimes get a mild head/stomach ache but I just ignore it/deal with it.

The only REAL way to make hunger go away? BY EATING! So either eat something or just deal with it!

Sorry to be so blunt but, it's true!

Back when I was heavier, this was a huge reason (read: EXCUSE!) I gave myself for overeating.  Calorie reduction is impossible, its just sooo haaaarrdd, I'm just sooo huuunngrry all the time!  It's just so unfair, I refused to even do it.

I eventually realized that food doesn't actually owe me anything.  I'm not entitled to the feeling of satiation.  I'm not entitled to great taste.  Food's only job is to provide my body with what it needs, and its MY job to make sure I don't overdo it.  Eating for the sake of satiation when you know its more than your body needs is indulgence, and that has consequences.

some people are affected by hunger differently. If I dont eat for a long time, then I will literally start to feel ill and then get very cranky/unhappy. sometimes I don't realize the reason behind my behavior until I notice the behavior.. and then go "Oh, I ate a very early breakfast and its 1pm" or something like that.

"just deal with it" may be a great strategy for YOU. But remember everyone faces different challenges in life. something very hard that you deal with may also be very easy for someone else and vice versa.

ps. not eating after 6pm, especially if you stay up so late, is not great for your body and its also not even helping with weight loss. if it works for you then great, but since you say you get headaches you might want to look into spacing out meals differently while staying at the same calorie limit. i've lost 35lbs while having a snack before bed nearly every night.

Original Post by 4theloss:

some people are affected by hunger differently. If I dont eat for a long time, then I will literally start to feel ill and then get very cranky/unhappy. sometimes I don't realize the reason behind my behavior until I notice the behavior.. and then go "Oh, I ate a very early breakfast and its 1pm" or something like that.

"just deal with it" may be a great strategy for YOU. But remember everyone faces different challenges in life. something very hard that you deal with may also be very easy for someone else and vice versa.

 Sometimes I feel really sick too if its been a long time since I ate. I have also gotten migraine headaches because I was really hungry.

Personally, I can't abide being hungry and find it a miserable state to be in.  There are no medals for toughing it out through the hunger pangs.  Life's far too short.    I manage things mostly by making sure I choose wholesome, filling, highly flavoursome foods and that I eat regularly.  It also took me a while to understand that a 'big hunger' doesn't have to be met with 'big food'.... a small snack can do the job just as well.

Original Post by anie87:

...Being hungry/hunger pains?

I just don't get it? I rarely eat after 6 pm and usually stay up until 1 or 2 am and I definitely feel hungry and sometimes get a mild head/stomach ache but I just ignore it/deal with it.

The only REAL way to make hunger go away? BY EATING! So either eat something or just deal with it!

Sorry to be so blunt but, it's true!

Why do you think just because it is one way for you that for everyone else it is the same?  I don't get THAT.

Original Post by gi-jane:

Personally, I can't abide being hungry and find it a miserable state to be in.  There are no medals for toughing it out through the hunger pangs.  Life's far too short.    I manage things mostly by making sure I choose wholesome, filling, highly flavoursome foods and that I eat regularly.  It also took me a while to understand that a 'big hunger' doesn't have to be met with 'big food'.... a small snack can do the job just as well.

This is a very good point.

I personally love it when I get them- it's a sign my metabolism is alive & well after years of abuse. I spent so long living in starvation mode I now know what its like to feel hungry, eat, and enjoy food. And yes- I do eat something to alleviate them, I just smile when they happen!

first and most obvious as this is mainly a weight control site, these would likely be people who are COUNTING their CALORIES and, at the end of the day, are still having hunger ... either out of habit, or perhaps genuine hunger.  They don't "just go eat something" because they are trying to lose weight.

however, you also have to consider that unregulated, spotty eating, especially with wild variations (big heavy breafast, late lunch that is only a salad and water with lemon, etc.) affects blood sugar levels.  some people, obviously, are less prone to them, but if a person already has blood sugar issues (diabetes, pre-diabetic condition, hypoglycemia), it can be a very big medical deal.  not all people who feel sick, faint, or cranky when they don't eat are just a bunch of whiners. 

so perhaps NOW you "get it", in which case this forum has served its purpose.  if your body feels little or no stress from long stretches with no food, then just be grateful.

I actually don't even get hunger pains.I don't know I'm hungry until I can't focus,concentrate,am crabby,dizzy,and just feeling run down.I guess if hunger "pains" are a "pain" then I understand why ppl would complain.no pain is easy to live with and hunger brings far more discomfort than just a rumbly stomach.

Original Post by sick_of_fattie_me:

I'm not entitled to great taste.  Food's only job is to provide my body with what it needs, and its MY job to make sure I don't overdo it. 

i know my following comment is on "on topic" to the original post, but i just couldn't let this go by. personally i feel like i AM entitled to great taste and one of the reasons it took me so long to do something about my extra weight is because i didn't want to loose that. but i have found that you can loose weight without losing the "great taste".

food not only provides me with nutrition, but the wonderful smells and tastes that can go along with it. but i do agree that not overdoing it can be a full time job. 

Before I came here I was starving all the time and I never felt like I was full, I was just perpetually hungry and accepted it as what I needed to do to lose weight.  It isn't as though I don't get hungry now sometimes but I found that I can still eat a reasonable amount and not starve all the time after coming here.  Me sucking it up lead me to have eating disorders for a long time, so it's better that I just eat something low-cal when that happens, you know?  Like, my mom, if she doesn't eat then she gets migraines so she has to eat often, sucking it up isn't even an option for her.

Most everyone agrees that everyone deals with their weight/diet/healthy diet situations differently. I for one came here for support and an outlet when losing weight became hard for me, so if any one hears any complaints from my side of the world, I hope some one answers with a better line than "just deal with it"!!And I thank you a million times.

I loose much better when I eat constantly. I'm also one that becomes physically ill if I do not eat for several hours, and just ask my DH about my mood!! I eat about every 3 hours, and I have lost 38lbs. I loose more the more frequently I eat. If I let myself get to the point that I realize I'm hungry, it's too late, I'm also one that doesnt realize I'm hungry, I go from thinking I'm fine to ravenous! That is where my overeating came from in the first place. I would be starving and over eat.... I personally think it is better for your body to eat many small meals throughout the day.

I just want to add, that I take about 3 hours to eat a meal.....so I really am eating All day long....Breakfast as I walk out the door I will grab an english muffin with cheese or somthing, some fruit and a yogurt....I eat the english muffin on the road, about an hour later I have a minute to sit down and eat the fruit or yogurt....and then I'm off and maybe an hour later the rest of my breakfast is eaten. I then move onto lunch....same thing...I usually bring 3 items for each meal. In the evening I eat a snack while preparing dinner, by bedtime around 11. I have eaten all day, I'm not hungry I havent over eaten and I feel great....

I think the best way to sabotage your weight loss program is to ignore hunger.

Hunger is your body's way of saying you need something. The key is to figure out what you need. I have eliminated most hunger issues by eating every 4 to 5 hours and being sure I am eating a balance diet of lean proteins, whole grains, healthy fats (YES FAT) and raw fruits and vegetables. If you do not have the proper amount of ALL of those things daily in your diet you WILL feel hungry and you often will just grab something and put it in your mouth to appease the hunger.

For example if a person is eating 3 or 4 servings of white over-processed grains or sugary things, and not getting the nutrition of whole grains or lean protein he or she will have food cravings. AND if you are in a place where you can't get something healthy to eat you will either binge or make poor food choices. That is the cycle of poor eating habits and its what is causing many people to have weight issues. Its not just over eating, its poor diet in general. THAT is where the diet goes haywire...mindless eating of bad food.

Calories are just one thing to consider. Nutrition is what should be the focus, not just calories.

Do not ignore hunger, deal with it by eating properly.

Original Post by irishmum:

I personally love it when I get them- it's a sign my metabolism is alive & well after years of abuse. I spent so long living in starvation mode I now know what its like to feel hungry, eat, and enjoy food. And yes- I do eat something to alleviate them, I just smile when they happen!

 Me too!  I think I can actually FEEL the fat being sucked from my body to be digested, esp at night when I'm trying to go to bed.  Makes me happy!  I guess its really weird, but its a power trip for me...lol.

i refuse to be hungry... lol... thats just me.. I use to have a ed when i was a teen,  i feel that i starved enough.. so ... I set my cals up so i can eat 1/2 of them at night...  im usually hungry during the day but im constantly moving so it doesnt bother me.. It wuld be impossible for me to not eat after 6 pm.. but im still losing weight so its working for me.. whatever works right?

there's nothing wrong with eating when you're hungry.  i think the mistake that a lot of people make is that they think the amount of food they eat should be proportional to the amount of hunger they feel.  just a little hungry?  have a snack.  absolutely famished?  have a four-course meal.

being very hungry doesn't translate into needing a lot of food.  it means you've probably neglected yourself. 

as for the nightime eating, i try not to eat after 8pm.  but if i'm genuinely hungry (and not just tired or restless or bored), i'll have something light.

i think this comes from people like me, who are ajusting to less food.  they just need a place to vent/get advice on how to curb their hunger.  after while (couple of weeks) i was fine, but it takes a while to adjust.

just my two cents...

Original Post by juleroo:

i think this comes from people like me, who are ajusting to less food.  they just need a place to vent/get advice on how to curb their hunger.  after while (couple of weeks) i was fine, but it takes a while to adjust.

just my two cents...

 I very much agree with this.  I know that first 2 weeks was hard, because my stomach was used to what I fed it before.  It's making tons of changes so that this is a lasting result.  If I hit my goal weight and I'm hungry all the time, what's the point?  I don't want that.  I want to get there and feel that I can eat normal without having to count every calorie for the rest of my life.

And I just have to add, Anie87, just deal with the fact that some of us complain of being hungry.  Doesn't sound like not eating after 6 is really healthy for you, not if it's giving you head/stomach aches.  Sometimes after I work out hard, I feel spent and know my body is telling me to feed it good, healthy food.  Not so much hunger as compared to being tired.  Listen to your body more.

I think everyone has pretty much said it all. I just want to say that I get really sick when I go a long time without eating. Migraines, dizziness, nausea, cramps. I get all that if it has been a couple of hours since I have eaten, and it gets bad fast. So bad that I can't eat, I am so nauseous that I get sick from eating, so I have to eat really slow until my stomach calms down. So its not a good idea for me to just deal with it.

I also try not to eat before bed time, but if I feel at all hungry I can't sleep so I usually drink a cup of milk right before bed.

We all have different bodies that deal with things differently, my husband can go all day without eating if he wants to, but that doesn't make it wrong that others of us can't handle that.