Tips for overcoming appetite and cravings?

Hi all - I'm new here! I am 6' and 240 lbs - on my way to 185. I would appreciate any advice about controlling hunger - I get such bad cravings! I have read that in the first few weeks it takes your body a while to acclimate and then the hunger pains will ease up. I am still playing around with the right mix of foods - I am on 1800 calories, which is plenty - so I need to be choosing foods that make me feel full. I've never tried an appetite suppressent - don't know if these would work. I'm getting really cranky.

Thanks for any tips!

 

 

Hi(:

well I use to get really bad cravings and I still do from time to time but try to ALWAYS before going and eating drink at least a glass of water because sometimes you just need water but if you are still hungry chose a healthy food just eat in portions.

what I do is I plan my meals you can start by writing them down or just plan it on your mind but at night try to plan your snacks healthy one for sure so you don't end up doing bad choices(:

hope it helps

My tips would be these.....

- Base your diet around vegetables.  Vegetables are filling and low in calories so you can afford to eat several portions at each meal.  Fill half your plate with vegetables before you add anything else

- Eat some protein at each meal.... Protein takes quite a long time to digest which makes a meal more substantial.  Eggs, meat, fish, beans, lentils, pulses/legumes, tofu, nuts, seeds, dairy products..... 

- Choose wholegrain and unprocessed carbohydrates as they take longer to digest than refined starches.  Brown rice, high-fibre cereals, whole rolled oats, wholemeal bread and pasta.... all better choices than 'white', instant or refined equivalents.  Have a portion of wholegrains at each meal

- Avoid as best you can any food with more than 10g sugar per 100g, all processed/ready-made/instant foods, alcohol and foods with artificial sweetners.   These foods tend to trigger hunger-pangs and cravings.  Give them 'very occasional treat' status rather than 'dietary staple'!

- Eat & snack regularly.  By not allowing yourself to go too long between eating you'll keep your blood-sugars up and your hunger-pangs at bay.

- Finally... make sure you're eating enough.  1800 sounds very light for someone your size.  If you're male & reasonably active (even if you don't 'work out' especially) then you need more like 2200-2400 per day.   Eating too little does lead to crankiness and will put you at risk of giving up or overeating at some point.

Yes, filling up on water helps.  Eating regularly helps too because you are not as hungry.  I still get cravings - like for chocolate milk and macaroni and cheese.  What I do is:
-Don't keep it in the house.  This way you have to evaluate whether you really want it, whether it will help you reach your goal, etc.
-Find a healthy alternative if possible....chocolate soy milk?  (No thanks!  But sometimes there are healthy alternatives.)  For example, I have given up Pepsi (which I love!!!) but drink tons of Crystal Light and Diet Snapple.  I will wean off of those as well, but they are helping me for now and are virtually calorie free.

Drink green tea, coffee. Eat baby carrots, strawberries, apples.

Add some additional snacks in and increase your calorie intake by a few hundred and see if it changes anything for you.  You'll still lose weight at 2000 and if it's a less miserable experience you're more likely to keep it up and be successful.

My tips for curbing the cravings when you really DON'T need food (i.e. not hungry but just really want to put something in your mouth), are to drink some water or chew some gum.  If you actually are hungry, all of the other tips are good!  I just have the biggest problem with the just really wanting to keep my mouth busy.

Taking a multi-vitamin which includes Chromium will help you.  I take One-A-Day Weight Smart Advanced and Nature Made Multi Diet Wise (whichever one is on sale). Chromium helps to control Carb (and therefore sugar) cravings. Anywhere from 200 - 600 micrograms per day is good.

Thanks all! I am realizing that at 1800 calories I don't have ANY to spare on junk - part of the problem is that I have used 200-300 calories per day polishing off some bad snacks left over from a trip to the beach. I think if I make sure to put all those calories in healthy stuff it will help me feel fuller longer - really, 4 twizzlers aren't worth 150 calories - I'd rather have a kashi trail mix bar.

I appreciate all the suggestions!

 

I learned to eat veggies, or fresh fruit, and lot's of water....I haven't had may cravings but when I do I reach for pretzels without salt.

"- Choose wholegrain and unprocessed carbohydrates as they take longer to digest than refined starches.  Brown rice, high-fibre cereals, whole rolled oats, wholemeal bread and pasta.... all better choices than 'white', instant or refined equivalents.  Have a portion of wholegrains at each meal"

 

This one is totally key. Google something called the "GI" diet for more info about it, the principles have really helped me.  Basically what it says is that if your body is working for longer to burn off the food you ate (ie: whole grains, complex carbs, unrefined / unprocessed foods) it won't be looking for more right away.  The flip side to that is if you tend to eat things with really processed ingredients and sugars (ie: white bread vs. whole grain bread), your body digests them really quickly.

The downside is that as Americans, this is so contrary to the stuff we're normally eating. (of course I'm making a vast generalization here!) It's just taken me a few more mintues at the grocery store and a pause before I pick the bread my sandwich goes on at subway. (honey oat is the best, btw) :)

Good luck!!