To never feel full?

[TroubleTremble]

I'm a healthy weight and I'm very active (gym, running, hiking etc) so I consider myself lucky to be fit and well.

It's just that I'm rarely ever full. I can always eat more. I can and have easily out-eat my DH who is three stone heavier and 6 inches taller than me. I don't seem to have that 'switch' that says yup, that's enough. Even if my stomach feels full, I could always keep going. Like there's another space the food isn't filling...

I eat a very balanced diet full of wholefoods, healthy good proteins/fats/carbs ratio. No junk, processed food or sugar. My diet is probably better than average (special interest in nutrition, ironically) with lots of variety, I cook from scratch and eat three meals a day, I drink lots of water and green tea too so it's not thirst.

I have to really watch my portion control and not snack so I don't put weight on.

I reckon I could do these super-food challenges if I wasn't worried about the calories! Maybe my stomach is supersize?!

I'm a bit like this. I can eat loads more than my much bigger husband at each meal. I'm always amazed when someone's enjoying a meal but feels full and leaves some food on their plate. It's never happened to me in my entire life! I went out with the family the other day. I ate my meal then both of the kids meals (they didn't like them) then finished off my husband's food. The only way I can control my appetite is to restrict myself to eating within a certain time period e.g. I will only eat between 10am and 6pm. Eating this way gives me a sense of control over my eating and has actually reduced my appetite.

Is this a new thing? There are some meds that can cause this as a side effect. If you are on them you have to have regular check ups and blood tests for liver function, so I wonder if its worth seeing your GP?

When you say you have good ratios how would that look?
When I followed the conventionally healthy diet is “healthy whole grains low fat lots of fruit and veg” I was starving.
In fact the more starch I eat the hungrier I become. Starch plays havoc with my blood sugar.
Whereas give me some eggs or pork belly and I’m full pretty quick.
I read “Why we get fat” and “The Obesity Code” which explain the role of insulin in weight gain. I now follow Low Carb High Fat and can go ages between meals. The % of fat is much higher than conventionally acceptable but it’s a revelation to never be hangry.
Another thing, the more active you are the more hungry you will be.

"Is this a new thing?*

Sadly not! I've always been able to scoff more than anyone else.

When I followed the conventionally healthy diet is “healthy whole grains low fat lots of fruit and veg” I was starving.

I hadn't even considered that - but the conventional ratios can't be spot on for everyone, perhaps? I'll try increasing my healthy fats; perhaps I need more. Starch wise I eat a lot of beans, lentils and oats actually (but no potatoes, rice or pasta).

I'd always considered it me being greedy rather than perhaps the perfect 'balance' may not suit me. Thank you!

leaves some food on their plate

Leave...food....? No. I don't understand.

Funny you should mention oats-they were one of the things that seemed to make me extremely hungry - and fall asleep!

I don’t eat any cereals at all or fruit (luckily I dislike it!!) and same as you no potatoes (😭) either.

I started off on keto which was like an induction to low carb. It’s not a long term diet but it works as a reset and from that point you can experiment with what your body can tolerate. I’ve reintroduced SMALL amounts of beans/hummus/starchy veg (carrot, peas, NOT sweet potato or squash mind you!)
My best results are when my fats are high, protein medium and carbs low (below 50g carbs a day). I’ve done a lot of experimenting to reach this conclusion. You can only try and see how you react but I would definitely recommend high fat because fat is extremely filling.
It is the most amazing thing to be liberated from this constant starvation!!

Siameasy That makes so much sense.

I have porridge most mornings (oats with almond milk & chia seeds etc) so I'm switching to eggs tomorrow! Usually fruit with lunch and loads of veg/beans with dinner. I don't eat much meat. I'll get some avocados or something for increased fat, too. Any dinner ideas?

I'm never satisfied and always hungry (stomach rumbling) an hour after dinner in particular, dinner is definitely my biggest veg input with leeks, broccoli, parsnips, etc in homemade curry, stew or with fish.

Sitting through entire evenings bloody hungry but knowing you've had enough kcals is NOT fun.

I'm so glad I posted; thank you!

Same here. I look at other people having small /normal portions, or stopping because they feel full, and think they must have some mystical super will power. Or be reeeeally secretly hungry.

But... I'm now pregnant and that has temporarily suppressed my super sized portions. I still want to but I paid the price a couple of times and now limit myself

kinda interesting.

Possibly you just need to re-calibrate your way of eating.

I don't restrict anything - but through experimentation I've found generally I like some protein, carb and fat at each meal to feel satisfied, sometimes something small and sweet afterwards e.g. youhourt or couple of pieces of chocolate.

Big carb meals e.g. massive bowls of porridge can play a bit of havoc with your appetite. I can actually feel sick after something like that now, because my body has lost its tolerance. P.S. I'm not against carbs - I just don't think really big carb meals are great for some people, and you may be one of them.

Your body may have got used to three big meals a day and it may be that a bit of experimentation might help with that e.g. a couple of meals and a couple of snacks instead?

Also, maybe eating as you do, very plentifully if healthily, you've lost what feeling genuinely physically hungry is? Ironically, eating less could help 'shrink your stomach' so to speak?

Fatty meat is good for filling you up (a little goes a long way) so I do use meat my fave being pork as it’s fattiest. Do you like fish or seafood? If you don’t eat much meat it is harder and you’re quite reliant on eggs but the low carb Bootcamp threads should have some vegetarian ideas.
One of my go-to things is tuna mayo mixed with olives and jalapeños
Another is rocket with shaved Parmesan and walnuts (olive oil dressing)
Mozzarella balls with pesto and pine nuts
Coconut!!
Prawns in garlic butter YUM
Cauliflower mash (drain it, mash with Boursin SO GOOD)
Fry your eggs in butter or goose fat

Siamese, stop it, yuo're making me hungry !

Looking at your food - too many carbs not enough fat. I would be starving too!

modernism i now want garlic butter too

slurp!

Are you sure you don't have reflux/acidity issues? The only time I feel like I'm never full is when I'm pregnant (right now) and my stomach acid goes through the roof meaning my food is digested very quickly and I have to keep eating often! It's so annoying and I hate it because normally I could easily live off 1500 kcal a day and maintain a size 6

I am one of those people who are usually hungry, and could always manage something. I have trouble balancing my blood sugars, especially when stressed, and often get low sugar and wobbly if I don’t include full fat dairy, such as cheese and yogurt, in my diet every day. I find they are absolutely the best thing to keep me on an even keel, and stop the hunger. Next best is fatty meat, as a pp said. A meal with only carbs and no protein? Absolute disaster. Low blood sugar and starving an hour later, regardless of the size of the meal or how many calories it contained.

Vagus nerve damage? I had a total vagotomy which stops you feeling full but I also have a medical condition which means I cannot feel hungry either thankfully.

I agree you need more healthy fats and less carbs. I’ve also started doing 16:8 intermittent fasting. I used to joke that I was like a baby & needed to eat every 3 hours. Since I started doing IF it has really helped with my appetite correction and I can easily do the 16 hour fasts and because I only eat in an 8 hour window it has totally stopped me snacking and I feel a lot less hungry than before weirdly.

I went on the fodmap diet a couple of years ago and found I have problems with a bunch of fruits (most fruits actually except berries and citrus). They were irritating my digestive system and I was mistaking this for hunger. I now eat less fruit and am less hungry

Another one here that used to feel like that all the time. I was eating a high carb low fat vegan diet, now I eat more fat and protein and often feel to full to finish my meal. I was actually headed for diabetes even though I thought I was eating healthily

Agree with IF-I have done 24hr fasts on high fat low carb. Pretty painless.
I did a meat only diet but it was horrific. I hardly ate anything as I felt so full up but I missed my veg so much. Don’t recommend that!!

Yea too many carbs of any kind = hunger for me. Higher fat, higher protein, lower carbs = satiated for me.

I'm going against the grain. If you only have oats and pulses, and you do all that exercise, I suspect you need more carbs, not less.

are you quite young OP?

I was like this in my 20s and early 30s. I think my appetite has really gone the other direction now. I eat half what I used to and feel full (BUT I AM NO SMALLER!)

If you're never full, then why do you stop eating?
I mean, why aren't you eating constantly like someone with PraderWilly, who can't stand the pain of hungry and nothing they eat stops the pain.

I think you are expecting a sensation that doesn't exist.
Do you get bored, or does the hunger pang stop sometimes? In which case, you do get full. You just thought it would feel different.