does fruit make you more hungry?

[fartyface]

Hi

I try to eat heathily and have about half a stone to drop, but my main food issues are that I am always hungry. Like if I have a low calorie day or do intermittant fasting for a period I wake up in the night most nights from hunger.

Im away from home and yesterday I only ate 3 normal meals and I wasnt hungry between meals nor in the night. I noticed that I didnt eat any fruit. I didnt have any other sweet stuff either - but that is reasonably normal

I recall this happening a few weeks ago too, is this plausible?
I welcome opinions

[BogRollBOGOF]

I don't snack on fruit as it makes me hungry. I suppose that being sweet, it triggers an insulin response for fairly few calories and when that settles again the hunger returns. I'd rather have it at the end of other food than on its own.

[Iamnotacerealkiller]

Bog has it exactly. Fruit is considered healthy and is in some ways but have a very high sugar content which spikes your blood sugar. If you aim for lower sugar fruit this should be better. Raspberries, strawberries and black berries are the lowest. Avoid tropical fruit in particular esp bananas!!

[DarkmilkAddict]

Yes! I’ve always found this but rarely has anyone agreed with me. If I was trying to increase my appetite I’d eat more fruit.

And it’s that sharp urgent hunger it causes, rather than the lower (?) more gradual one when your body’s had protein and fat at the last meal

[DarkmilkAddict]

Posted too soon, meant to add that if I eat fruit in the evening I wake up starving, whereas if I don’t I’m not hungry for breakfast till about 10am

I do suspect though that it depends a bit on a person’s gut bacteria, so I doubt it’s universally true

[BletheringHeights]

I think more and more the evidence is showing that people’s systems react completely differently to different foods. This is possibly related to different microbiomes. So one person could have big glycaemic response to certain foods and whoever’s sitting next to them would not. Which explains so much about why whoever sits next to me at work can chow through snacks permanently but be sylph like whereas as I get older I only have to look at processed carbs or sugar to pile on the dread middle weight BUT low carb/high veg/some fruit seems to be the golden ticket for me. Fruit I find really sating! Trying to stick to apples pears berries and the odd banana and clementine .

[bumpertobumper]

I really notice this with apples, get as pp says 'urgent hunger' soon after eating one.

[BletheringHeights]

Yes also eating fruit at the end of a meal so combined with fat and protein is better for me.

[lughnasadh]

Yes, I never 'snack on fruit' as I end up hungry when I wasn't before.

Same with porridge.

[fartyface]

this is fascinating.

I also think it is very interesting to hear that people's experiences of hungry are differnt. Hungry ready for a meal is completely different to me than the hunger I most often have which is that I can not easily function.

I am starting to realise that just a banana for breakfast seems to cause problems at 5pm ish too. I always thought bananas were a perfect foodstuff - healthy and filling.

[IToldYouThisBefore]

Yes I always feel starving if I have fruit for breakfast. It makes me feel sick and bloated too.

[DinosApple]

Yes! Fruit, especially apples, porridge and pasta all make me feel like this!

[Farcry66]

You really do have to experiment, different hormone responses in people means different food works in a different way. I can have a moderate amount of carbs if I mix them with protein and I feel good. Pineapple and bananas make me starving, apples are great and full of fibre so the sugar doesn't seem to have the same effect. I love yogurts but they make me hungry, I've been eating protein yogurts lately which have half the sugars and 4 times as much protein, I can't eat a whole lot without getting filled up.

I have been doing the fasting thing for 66 days and have lost an average of 2lbs a week over that time. It's really helped my appetite levels, but I find I really need to make sure I have an adequate amount of protein and fat to keep me going through the next 16 hours, although now I'm back at work, it's normally 20 hours.

There is no one size fits all diet, ultimately it all comes down to consuming less calories, but you need to experiment to find out which is the best way to consume fewer calories for you.

[DarkmilkAddict]

How fascinating that we can react so differently to the same food.

Definitely worth bearing in mind when trying to eat less. Like OP I want to lose the final half stone.

[fartyface]

Well interestingly I am on day 3 and have not experienced the terrible hunger. I also appear to have lost .5lb which is remarkable given the curry and ciders I had last night..

[lucysmam]

This is so interesting! Apples always have this effect on me so I rarely eat them these days.

If I'm talking to the kids at work about food (dinner lady) & mention it, they look at me as if I've grown an extra head

[xxxviii]

weird. I can't think of any food that makes me hungrier than before I ate it.

Alcohol drops my inhibitions so I think I tend to overeat after alcoholic calories, I suppose.

[MrsNotNice]

Yehhh!!!

I try to have fruit half an hour or less before meals.!

If they’re a snack then it’s apple with peanut butter or carrots with hummus, not on their own.

Especially grapes and oranges and low fiber fruits so on are particularly hunger inducing for me.

Dates however and nuts are filling.

[EmpressPenguin]

Interesting to see such varied responses. I find if I'm hungry - peckish, fruit fills me up, whereas if I'm roaringly hungry, genuinely empty, it doesn't go anywhere. It's a good test of whether I just think I'm hungry or am actually starved.

[fartyface]

@xxxviii - it doesnt make me hungry immediately after. it is more that the day is a rolling wave of starvation and hunger and eating.

My appetite has been just level the last few days. and I have eaten less. No snacks as I dont know what to eat if not fruit. one small bowl of cereal for brekkie, which would never normally touch the sides (rice crispies). I often have a banana and bowl of cereal before bed but am just not hungry since supper. I am hungry for meals, but just a normal amount. not the faint if I dont eat soon type of hunger.

[ImEatingVeryHealthilyOhYes]

OP, do you ever get the sharp hunger thing from vegetables, or just fruit?

I think I’m the same as you, and I don’t think I do so presumably it’s the sweetness of fruit that causes it.

I have very little fruit as a result, and I’m not great at getting enough veg... though an trying, as per username

[fartyface]

Hiya - I am still working through all this but it is remarkable. I dont think I have had this from veg at all.

Interestingly - I have now lost 2lb! and still eating cake like normal.
I never used to eat much fruit, but have tried as I have tried to loose weight, mostly to fill the dreadful hunger I have had.

I do need to up my veg, and I am missing fruit - but I am carrying along like this, at least now it seems to be going so well. I am trying harder with vitamins though.