To think you need to go hungry on a diet?

[username30473]

I didn't want to use the word diet it was just for the title. The last couple of years my diet has been appalling to say the least. I have always been a size 10 but now a size 12 touching 14. From the way I have eaten I actually think I could be a lot larger.
Anyway I am now trying to change my diet back to what it used to be and lose weight.

I actually started on Boxing Day so I am a week in and I am hungry all the time. I am not massively restricting myself either. Yesterday I have had yogurt/fruit for breakfast, beans and scrambled eggs on toast for lunch, fruit for afternoon snack and steak and chips for dinner with a couple of Jaffa cakes for dessert. I just think I am so use to eating so much now I just have to get use to be hungry until my body gets use to less food again.

Do others find this to be the case?

@Blossomtoes

That’s a diet? What on earth do you eat normally? Chips, toast, Jaffa Cakes all need to go.

This!

Yeah you definitely need to feel hungry. Also reducing carbs does reduce spikes in sugar but it doesn't stop you getting hungry! I massively reduced carbs and cut out sugar while upping protein with gestational diabetes. I managed to completely control my sugars this way through diet alone, but god was I hungry. I don't know how long it takes to reduce hunger pangs on a low carb diet, but longer than 3 months for sure as that's how long I had to do it!

It's interesting to read how many people are regularly hungry to either lose or maintain weight. It feels like it's normally taboo to say this. I'm back trying to lose weight after it creeping on over the last two years to the point where I can't ignore it now. I wonder if, psychologically, prepping myself to know to expect hunger and discomfort might actually make losing weight easier.

I lost nearly 5 stone many years ago, i used a side plate as a dinner plate, i had one treat a day, (small chocolate bar or crisps) but ate fruit or veg every couple of hours. I still had wine or spirts and diet coke. I was ever hungry and lost the weight in less than a year. The big change i made was 45 minutes on the cross trainer and weights every day. Eat less crap and move more, simple.

I think many people have forgotten what it feels like to be properly hungry. I enjoy food much more if I am hungry.
Don't snack and don't eat between meals. That means a good 5/6 hours between meals eating nothing, longer overnight obv. Then you can eat what you like and don't need to diet.

The best advice I can give is to join a support group, a slimming club. It makes all the difference having people going through the same thing to talk to. I joined Slimming World, didn't follow the eating plan as such but it helped shift the stone and a half that I was carrying. I counted calories and did 10k steps a day. As other PPs have said high protein keeps you fuller. You can do this, slowly slowly best.

It's not that you need to be hungry exactly. But two things you do need to be able to do is (a) recognise the difference between "hungry" and "a bit peckish" and (b) recognise that satisfying a feeling of "a bit peckish" with an instant snack isn't the best plan.

Think of early hunter-gatherer humans. For them, feeling "a bit peckish" was the signal that it was time to go out hunting or foraging for food. The sensation is an evolutionary signal to start taking action such that you can eat in an hour or two, as it might then take that long before enough food for a meal is available. If you have a larder full of readily available food it takes additional will-power not to just eat. If you have the leisure time then going out for a walk for an hour when you first feel "a bit peckish" is a good idea.

@username30473

I didn't want to use the word diet it was just for the title. The last couple of years my diet has been appalling to say the least. I have always been a size 10 but now a size 12 touching 14. From the way I have eaten I actually think I could be a lot larger. Anyway I am now trying to change my diet back to what it used to be and lose weight.

I actually started on Boxing Day so I am a week in and I am hungry all the time. I am not massively restricting myself either. Yesterday I have had yogurt/fruit for breakfast, beans and scrambled eggs on toast for lunch, fruit for afternoon snack and steak and chips for dinner with a couple of Jaffa cakes for dessert. I just think I am so use to eating so much now I just have to get use to be hungry until my body gets use to less food again.

Do others find this to be the case?

That's a terrible diet all round - where are the fresh vegetables? Processed crap and a lot of calories and bad carbs. If you are serious, join Myfitnesspal (free) and log your food and exercise and meet people who are like-minded about losing fat and changing their diet for a healthy life. Loads of support there. Do a "before" photograph - this is what everyone says is very important for your motivation.

Ive been low carbing for a year. 3.5 stone gone.

I’ve never been hungry on this ‘diet’ it suits me perfectly and I’m always full. It’s the only one that’s ever worked for me.

I would never be able to get a collar or lead on any of my three cats, they hate things round their necks. They are all friendly normal cats, but just like to do their own things at home and in the garden etc., I have only ever seen someone walking a cat on a lead once, it was a lovely Siamese type of cat , walked in a park somewhere, maybe the owner didn't want the posh cat to run off somewhere.

Where I used to live a few years ago, I used to see a man doing his shopping in a little shopping precinct, he always had quite a large parrot on his shoulder, going in and out of the shops, and the parrot was always talking, saying hello and good morning and other stuff .(not swearing) so made most people laugh at least.

Yep I dislike being hungry, but do adjust to it when trying to lose weight. Currently a stone over which is a lot at 5 foot. Not looking forward to it.
Soup is your friend

I've found that cutting out/down on sugar and turning carbs into wholegrains is always the easiest way to diet.

Sugar is just there doing nothing apart from making you want to eat more of it. Carbs aren't the enemy but cutting down on processed food and eating more fibre and wholgrains definitely makes me fuller for longer and reduces portion sizes.

An example would be risotto is now made with spelt instead of risotto rice, portion is 50g not 75g. Snack is fruit not biscuits or chocolate.

I've also replaced all our plates with smaller ones.

Lost a stone and a half now and counting, only feeling hungry at mealtimes.

@SallyWD

I do 16/8 and am very rarely hungry - only a little hungry just before I break my fast and a black coffee kills the hunger. Apart from that, I'm always satisfied. This is why I've stuck at 16/8 for 6 years. The weight falls off without hunger. 16/8 great is also great for maintaining.

Absolutely this for me.

I do noon to 8pm and while I eat whatever I like in between, I'm sure that the time off shrinks the stomach a bit, so I do become full, quicker.

The trouble is with dieting (or just trying to eat healthier) is that it takes over your life, your constantly thinking about what your going to eat next, what you can eat, what you can’t eat….., how much longer until you can eat again. It’s tedious and you end up thinking about food non stop.

What works for me is moving more, keeping busy so I don’t think about food, when I feel hungry I have a drink. Stick to meal times, cut out snacking and just don’t buy unhealthy food so it’s not in the house.

I plan on going back to the gym this week, swim several times a week and walk every day (if I have time). I won’t think too much about what I’m eating, I do a online shop each week and only buy healthy food.

I’m a size 12/14 and aim to be a 10 by the summer (not a huge amount to lose).

As long as I cut carbs and increase protein and fruit/vegetables, I can lose weight and not be hungry

Try to aim for a good amount of protein in each meal, say aim for 25-30g per meal, it fills you up. I’ve starting to try to do this again, struggled to lose weight after DD little time to plan or cook tbh. But it helps you feel not so hungry. No off to try to take my own advice

Yes and No, OP. As someone who has lost about half their body weight through changing their eating habits, I can say there are things you can do to help with the hunger - having snacks like vegetables/lower sugar fruit or high protein ones like natural yogurt or lean meat.

BUT if you are anything like me it will often be carbs you are craving for snacks instead and it can be hard to force yourself to have the healthier alternatives. So yes, in which case you may have to be slightly hungry between your (hopefully balanced! veg/carb/protein) meals until your stomach "shrinks" - ie. your body gets used to slightly less calories.

You are doing the right thing btw - in my experience if you have significant weight to lose/ or want to keep it off permanently, the only way is to do it slowly while still allowing yourself "treats" so that you don't risk bingeing and can keep the "diet" up long term.

A portion of oven chips and a couple of jaffa cakes afterwards are fine as long as you are only having them once a day as part of a balanced meal of veg and lean protein (so your blood sugar doesn't get too raised from them). Equally there is nothing wrong with wholemeal toast (or 50/50 if you are trying to make the change from white bread) if you are having it with protein food like scrambled egg and beans.

Good luck!

I’ve also lost half of my body weight in the last 15 months. Size 20/22 to a size 8. I could only do it by strict meal replacement shakes, and cutting out 100% “naughty snacks” and treats.

I find it easier to have no sugary foods than “a little bit”, as a little bit leaves me craving more sugar and it deteriorates into 4 times the amount of sugar I should have.

I was hungry when I was being strict, but it’s surprising how quickly you get used to it and don’t feel so hungry. You’ve got to really want it though. You’ve got to want it more than you want the sugary snacks.

@CaffeineAndCrochet

Don’t know if this is helpful but rather than ‘prepping yourself for hunger and discomfort’ I would try and reframe your attitude to hunger. If you’re going into it thinking oh this will be rubbish I’ll be so hungry and miserable I think you’re putting a negative attitude to if from the get go.

I try to reframe it like waiting for the new episode of a favourite programme eg ‘oh x is out on Thursday I’ll enjoy that’ so I would think ‘ooh I’m hungry I’ll have x for tea I’ll really enjoy it.’

@Lemons1571

I’ve also lost half of my body weight in the last 15 months. Size 20/22 to a size 8. I could only do it by strict meal replacement shakes, and cutting out 100% “naughty snacks” and treats.

I find it easier to have no sugary foods than “a little bit”, as a little bit leaves me craving more sugar and it deteriorates into 4 times the amount of sugar I should have.

I was hungry when I was being strict, but it’s surprising how quickly you get used to it and don’t feel so hungry. You’ve got to really want it though. You’ve got to want it more than you want the sugary snacks.

Is this sustainable for the rest of your life?

I think some hunger is normal right? I’m quite hungry now but I won’t eat again before my tea ar about 7pm. I think there’s this idea that hunger = bad and needs to be avoided at all costs.

Also for what it’s worth, I’d much rather be a bit hungry sometimes and eat carbs, than go low carb and never feel hungry. It’s just not sustainable for me.

Eating sweet things is fine, but best after a meal or paired with protein/fat. I love the glucose goddess on insta - she shows how just changing the order we eat things can impact how our bodies respond to what we eat.

If you want to cut carbs, fine, go for it, but don’t make out it’s the only way to lose weight.

@Blossomtoes

That’s a diet? What on earth do you eat normally? Chips, toast, Jaffa Cakes all need to go.

That’s such a bad attitude to have re food. All those foods are acceptable on a diet. It’s how they’re cooked and the quantities which are an issue. A couple of Jaffa cakes with a well balanced daily menu is harmless. It’s deprivation of foods deemed to be “naughty” which leads to diet failure.

We're so conditioned with "snacks" these days that we've forgotten that actually the world won't end if we're hungry for an hour or two

@Sparklfairy I don't think we should have to feel hungry, it's unnecessary. The world won't end if we're hungry, but it's not a pleasant sensation and arguably, even on a diet, can be avoided to some extent.

@SkeletonSkins

I think some hunger is normal right? I’m quite hungry now but I won’t eat again before my tea ar about 7pm. I think there’s this idea that hunger = bad and needs to be avoided at all costs.

Agree. There’s nothing wrong with a little hunger to be ready for our meal. Too hungry though, leads to excessive snacking. It takes a while to get a balance. I know my worst time of the day is getting home from work before I’ve started on dinner. I now always have a piece of fruit or a plain biscuit with a cup of tea about 5.00pm at work, and that helps me to get to dinner time around 6.30/7.00pm. Also, plenty of water to be drunk.