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Original poster

What's the hungriest you have ever been?

86 replies

AbsentmindedWoman · 02/04/2019 21:15

Just finishing up dinner, feeling lucky that a) there was enough food in the cupboards to be able to cobble together something without going out as I'm struggling with fatigue today b) I'm well enough to eat unlike some friends with different chronic illnesses and c) I have enough money for food in general!

Hungriest I've ever been was as a child in hospital for a week after being diagnosed with type 1 diabetes. Really unwell but also very hungry after my body had been deprived of energy for so long when I was getting sick, and on a strict regime that needed the details working out. When I was allowed out for a few hours, we went to the cinema and the smell of the popcorn was torture, as I was starving. I was so grumpy Grin

What's the hungriest you have ever been?

OP posts:
PixieN · 04/04/2019 22:12

I did a 24 hour famine for charity when I was a teenager. The chicken nuggets, chips and beans I had at the end still ranks as the best meal I have ever tasted.

So sorry to read some of the stories about parents withholding food and those of you who have faced food poverty Flowers

AdoraBell · 04/04/2019 23:31

After I recovered from measles as a child. Sever blisters in my throat and 3 days only semi conscious. I came round on the evening of the day before my DM did the weekly shop. I ate everything. When my older brother got in from work he had to get a takeaway.

Rottencooking · 05/04/2019 02:25

When I had my wisdom tooth out and was bleeding for days and couldn't eat anything until it stopped. I had NEVER craved all sorts of food so badly in my life.

managedmis · 05/04/2019 02:26

I was crazily hunger when pregnant with DS. Waking in the night, starved, my grumbling tum would wake me up!

managedmis · 05/04/2019 02:27

Fuck me MitziK Flowers

Whatad · 05/04/2019 02:27

2 occasions

FlorencesHunger · 05/04/2019 07:33

Probably when I had an undiagnosed stomach ulcer, I went a good few weeks feeling sick all the time and couldn't stomach eating food as it made the nausia worse. Great for weightless but I wouldn't reccomend it.

Ragwort · 05/04/2019 07:37

Never, Blush, I honestly don’t think I’ve ever experienced real hunger. I am very greedy & have always had more than enough food to eat, even on strict calorie controlled diets I never felt genuine hunger.

wonkylegs · 05/04/2019 07:58

Birth of DS1
Waters broke early, leading to horrible 4day induced labour where I was only allowed fluids (& an ice lolly) as they weren't sure if I would need a c-section. I did need a section. Afterwards I was so tired and hungry I was barely conscious, in the photo of me & DS, I look so ill, I'm literally green.
I was brought toast and tea and it was literally the best meal I've ever had.

dancinfeet · 05/04/2019 08:10

2009 recession when I lost my business. I applied for benefits but they had to do a full investigation as to why my business closed, which took almost three months before any benefits could be sorted out and paid. We were living off just child benefit, and almost lost our home, and I am still repaying debts and credit cards now from back then. During those 3 months I only had enough money to buy food for the kids and I was living off the odd slice of bread, a handful of pasta or rice here and there and anything the kids left over on their plates. We were shamed by the school for me sending jam sandwiches in my daughter's pack ups, and they sent notes home about 'healthy food choices' on a daily basis, despite them knowing our desperate financial situation. I was also in a huge amount of pain, turned out I had 5 dental abscesses - which ironically I could not afford to go to the dentist when I was working, but eventually got help with once on benefits. I was hungry, miserable and could barely think straight for the pain I was in with my teeth.

What makes me sad is that I was only in these circumstances for a short time (a few months) and my heart goes out to anyone who goes hungry on a regular basis.

Bumbalaya · 05/04/2019 08:14

After my 3 day labour with DD1 I had a ham sandwich and it was the best thing I had ever ever eaten, I was on a lovely maternity ward where they kept bringing me shortbreads and tea and there was an area where I could make myself buttery toast- it was heaven pure heaven!

Minai · 05/04/2019 08:23

During/after giving birth to ds1. Went in to be induced on Monday evening and ate dinner. Wasn’t allowed to eat after that as I’d had an epidural so they didn’t want me eating in case of C-section. Ds1 wasn’t born until Wednesday morning so quite a long time without food and physical exertion of being in labour I was absolutely starving. I asked for tea and toast once he was born and they told me they couldn’t do toast because of hospital procedure so I had bloody crap white bread with butter and jam on. Not the best meal after all that 😂

Taffeta · 05/04/2019 08:29

Some of these stories are heartbreaking. Sad

I've never experienced anything like them.

The contrast on this thread between posts is stark.

WhatNowRandy · 05/04/2019 09:04

I've had various forms of disordered eating for most of my life, and I think the hungriest I've ever been was in my teens, when severely limiting my food intake. I had 400 kcal a day, while also tried to keep up daily jogging. It was miserable.

My DM also somewhat limited our food when growing up, but nowhere to the extent of some of the PP. She was just very "health-focused", not actually intending to be mean. I do remember several occasions from childhood, though, of crying because my stomach hurt because I was so hungry. Luckily this would always lead to being allowed a snack, though!

I get a bit panicked as an adult as soon as I start to feel hungry. I'm overweight and could do with eating less, so I should get over this fear or not eating! A professional has recently recommended I go without food for a good long while to reconnect with what real hunger feels like, but the idea makes me incredibly anxious!

Upsydausy · 05/04/2019 09:15

Oh MitziK, that’s heartbreaking.

sashh · 05/04/2019 09:20

Every time I go into hospital they don't feed me. The longest was 6 days, but I was on a drip and didn't feel hungry.

Being hungry, probably as a child. We were not poor but meals were haphazard. On a weekend my parents would be in bed until mid day and then on Saturday we would go shopping and get a meal about 4 pm.

I was once a bridesmaid (I was about 8 or 9), we had no breakfast and the wedding was a full RC nuptial mass, then photos and I think I got something to eat at about 3pm.

yearinyearout · 05/04/2019 09:46

We went travelling and ran out of cash. We did a 27 hour train journey from Barcelona to get home, and walked straight out of the local train station to the chippy. Best fish and chips ever, ate them sat on the kerb outside the station!

SauvingnonBlanketyBlanc · 05/04/2019 09:59

When I did the cambridge diet,it was hardcore and I actually fainted

makeitalargegin · 05/04/2019 18:03

I was so ill a few years back that my taste buds died. For 3 months I lived on a brand of cereal and squash. I will never forget the headaches and the starvation pains. It was living hell. When I finally got the treatment I needed it took few weeks for my taste buds to come back. I lost 3 stone and looked like death warmed up.

PoptartPoptart · 05/04/2019 18:25

A bit like pp SauvingnonBlanketyBlanc.
Completely self inflicted as it was my choice to do a VLCD. I don’t think I’ve ever felt so hungry. It was miserable and never again!
I did lose three stone in three months though (two of which went straight back on Blush)

Lurkeycakewoman · 05/04/2019 18:45

I was nil by mouth for surgery a few years back my surgery got cancelled 6 days in a row after tea so my choices where toast or a dry sandwich by the 4th day I refused them Confused
My husband was busy with our two kids under 2 so didnt have time to bring me anything on an evening plus we where skint because he was the only one working.
Finally on the day of surgery I was took down late and wasnt brought back to the ward until after 11 that night. The nurse brought me a salad sandwich and i savaged it Grin 12 years on I work at the hospital and with that nurse but I always make sure there is something edible and not a sandwich kept for people going to surgery late

HawkeyeInConfusion · 05/04/2019 18:54

Flowers for many of those on this thread. Some of your stories are heartbreaking.

ifigoup · 05/04/2019 18:59

When I was a late teenager I spent the summer cadging lifts to various festivals. By the second to last one I’d totally run out of money and had one Pot Noodle a day for three days. I knew that at the final festival I was meeting some friends who would feed me! I ended up staying all night with a boy I’d just met eating an entire Entenmann’s chocolate fudge cake.

theluckiest · 05/04/2019 20:47

I know exactly where I was...

Gone into hospital for a routine checkup when pg with DS1. Thought I was in slow labour but nobody believed me.

Turns out I was so to cut a long story short, I was admitted having not packed a snack bag or anything. No food as they put me on a drip & considered me high risk. 20 hours later DS was born & I found myself on a ward at 3am, ravenous.

The moment when I found a slightly melted Crunchie at the bottom of my bag was a moment I will never forget. I may have cried a bit...

AdoraBell · 05/04/2019 22:08

MitziK that is fucking unbelievable Shock 💐