Can you train your body not to be hungry?

[DrHarleenFrancesQuinzel]

And how long does it take?

Ive been out of work for 4 months and started a new job 3 weeks ago. Great I thought. New start can help me with new habits. I will not eat at my desk. I will not associate sitting at my desk with eating things. I will only eat at work during my lunch. Will obviously eat at home too. I just wont sit and eat all day.

However, Im hungry all the time. I do the usual tricks. Gulp water, take a toilet break, keep busy, tell myself that I can eat later and that I wont fade away.

How much longer before I stop being hungry all day? I have got the water drinking sorted. In fact I have not drank anything other than water while at work (home life is different) Im just hungry and have even put on a couple of pound too.

Is it going to get better? I have 2.5 stone to lose (would be happy with the 1 stone though)

Im fed up of being like this. I exercise too, but I just can't the eating sorted. 18 months ago I was down to 10 stone 10 and was starting to fit into size 12 clothing. Now I can't get below 12 stone. My size 16's are starting to feel snugg too. I need to do something. Do I carry on being hungry? Will my body learn that food will come at the right time?

The only thing that really stops me being hungry is cutting out carbs to a great extent (still eat loads of green veg plus some tomatoes, peppers etc) plus drinking loads of fizzy water. I drink coffee too - don't like tea.

What are you eating at breakfast and lunch? Could you have breakfast later, like in the office when you get in?

Could you take a load of healthy, low calorie snacks in to nibble on at your desk? Raw veg or something?

I found more protein and low GI carbs (brown bread/sweet potatoes etc) instead of starchy white carbs helps with my hunger. As does eating every couple of hours or so

Breakfast is usually smoothie made with Kale, Carrot, Avocado, berries and a banana. Sometimes some pineapple is added too.

Lunch is usually Ham and cheese wrap and a bag of crisps (usually something along the line of pom bears or similar - always the lower calorie type)

We usually have carb heavy evening meals as a family. Something like Spag Bol, Lasagne, Pasta Bake, Sausage and Mash, Burgers and chips, Stir Fry. DH does the cooking and we like to have things we all eat. I really dont want to pull away from the only meal we have together as a family. Plus I like pasta too much to give it up. Tonight it is Lamb, mash and veg with gravy.

Im not usually that hungry at home. Yesterday I didn't eat until lunch as I just wasn't hungry. Ive only had a banana today. Soup for lunch.

Are you sure you are actually eating enough?

Im trying not to eat too much during the day as I eat more on a night. I want to save my calories (not that Im actively counting) for later in the day.

It's tough because it's not about training yourself not to feel hungry, it's learning what hunger actually feels like.

I, like most people, can easily snack when idle. It's habit, boredom, pleasure.

Once you've worked out what hunger actually feels like (as opposed to the desire to eat), there's nothing at all wrong with snacking. If you are snacking on healthy food and it is part of a manageable and normal calorie count, it isn't necessarily problematic. Just as some babies eat little and often, some adults function better as grazers.

Would eating small amounts of healthy stuff little and often suit you better than three meals and misery in between?

Of course you may also actually be hungry and your food isn't providing what you need. Your breakfast doesn't sound sustaining at all. I'd get oats and protein and similar in there. Same with lunch. Crisps are empty calories. They won't actually make you feel full and satisfied or help you lose weight.

Problem is I dont actually like the taste of a lot of healthy stuff. I have all the intentions to eat fruit, carrots, grapes as snacks, but it very rarely works out like that.

So maybe put some protein in my smoothie?

What to take for my lunch then?

Definitely get more protein in imo.

What do you like to eat? There's no point me listing what I eat if you don't like any of it.

When I was at work, for lunch I would eat sandwiches or wraps sometimes as you do and there's nothing wrong with them but they'd have protein and veg in them usually. No crisps either. Things like homemade flapjack with lots of seeds, nuts, fruit etc. Or I'd take yoghurt with granola, nuts and seeds, healthy sugar free homemade wholemeal muffins (used to make pineapple, apple and raisin muffins which were utterly healthy but no different to cake).

By not liking the taste of healthy stuff, what do you mean? Fruit and veg? Fruit and veg are not by definition healthy. What is healthy is a mixed, varied, balanced diet. Fruit and veg are v important in that but believing you have to eat like a rabbit is what often scuppers diets. Fruit and veg can also be tarted up massively. A couple of dry carrot sticks and some anaemic grapes appeal to few people tbh. Not long term anyway.

Why not log your calories and see what you're actually consuming too? It might help and if you see that you're taking in too many calories for exercise levels, then maybe your portion size is what needs adjusting too.

I like cakes, biscuits and ice cream

I like peas, carrots and sweetcorn when it comes to veg. Don't like Broccoli, cauliflower, asparagus, sprouts. Ive tried I really have, but I dont like them unless they are smothered with cheese (ie cauliflower cheese) I just can't get into them. Although Im happy with most veg in soups or smoothies.

I dont like nuts or anything with a nutty taste. I dont like seeds as such either. Never tried granola, but I just know its not going to be liked.

Im so fussy

I like most fruit (not oranges though), but I just never get round to eating it. Its uncomfortable to eat apples unless they are cut up first, but doable. Maybe I should take an apple and a knife to work for a snack.

I like pasta (as said previously) Could I perhaps take a pasta pot to work or a mug shot? Would that fill me up more?

I obviously dont want to take anything too stinky. Wouldn't want to smell out the office.

Ive tried logging calories (I have 3 accounts on MFP as I keep forgetting my log in details), but I want to do it right so when I dont cook and meals are made at home its hard to be able to log my evening meals. Also I have no idea how many calories Im burning in Metafit or Insanity. Its too faffy and I will only end up over or under estimating calories in and out.

Sorry I feel like Im being a right PITA. I want to lose weight, I just dont know how to and be happy. Im miserable when hungry, Im miserable when I have to eat something (or not eat something) when I really dont want to.

No, pasta won't fill you in a sustaining way, and if you regularly have carb-heavy evening meals, you don't need any more of those. I think it sounds as if you're stuck on the classic diet treadmill of self-deprivation where you try to eat as little as possible in a way that isn't sustainable - and you're vaguely trying to save calories for a heavy evening meal whose calorie content you don't really know, so you're not eating enough to keep you going in the daytime.

I would eat a considerably smaller portion of your evening meal if you feel you really can't make yourself something lighter, cut out snacks and low-fat diet products entirely, and base your breakfast and lunch on protein and vegetables/fruit.

OP you need to eat 5 small meals a day: don't have such a heavy meal late at night, make sure you have high protein and healthy carbs (no Pom bears) with every small meal, take omega oils as the good fats help with fat burning, take calcium and magnesium in the evening as they also aid with fat loss, keep really hydrated, keep sugar to a minimum, bring in big snack boxes of cooked mixed veg with a little salt and margarine to snack on anytime if the day (v low calories), make sure you are getting decent fibre, don't leave for work in the mornings without first having necked a whisky.

The last one was made up but the other stuff will work

I couldn't eat what you eat and lose weight -unless I cut calories from that food to about 1200 (1500 when I was younger) and I would find the diet hard, as wouldn't be able to control the hunger. Honestly, more protein and veg and less carbs (or rather less starchy carbs) would help if you really do want to lose weight.

Ive seen those apple corer things before. I want one. I took a knife in today.

I dont like tea or coffee. I have tried time and time again to like tea (mint, fruit, herbal, normal) and just can't. I can drink it to be polite, but its not something that I can just ever fancy or have the desire to drink and coffee I dont like at all.

Ive done slimming world in the past as it allows pasta. Problem is I really dont want to go down a dieting route like SW or WW etc.

My biggest downfall is my DH. He does the cooking and always dishes up large portions. I have told him time and time again that I need smaller portions, but he just tells me to leave some. That's not always that easy. I really dont want to bring it up again, but I fear I may need to. Just wish he would be more supportive in me wanting to lose weight. He doesn't force feed me, but he does give the impression that I would be stupid not to eat cake/biscuits/large portions of heavy carbs if that is what I want.

I know what I need to do, I just dont know how much I really want to, but it upsets me seeing my weight and dress sizes creep up the way they have been doing over the last 18 months. I have conflicting thoughts in my head. I wish I had stronger will-power.