If you are thin and watch intake, do you get hungry?

[flowersintheatticus]

I need to lose weight, I like the wrong things but get so incredibly hungry when I limit calories. Looking on instagram at fitness experts their portions are so tiny and I wonder if they are genuinely satisified or ravenous and just have great willpower to carry on until the next meal.
I need high fat foods such as yoghurt, hummus, cream cheese, read meat and so on, but I'm no where near satisfied when I restrict to the calorific ration. Salads/green veg does absolutely nothing for me, neither does pasta/rice/bread, so although my stomach is full I'm still hungry, if that makes sense?
I see these yoga women who eat a tiny chicken breast for dinner and 3 cashews as a snack and just cannot relate at all. I used saxenda back in the day and it's the only time I ever lost weight, but don't want to continue on injections as I know as soon as I stop it will be straight back on.
Any advice?

Being hungry is totally normal. And not harmful.

You don't need to act on it, just note that you're hungry, and you'll be eating and next mealtime and all is well.

As your body gets used to the new intake regime, it's very likely that your hunger patterns will change and reduce. Mine did and it only took a few days.

Another thing that helped was that if I felt a little moorish after a meal, I'd tell myself that if I still felt that way in an hour I could have something. And almost always, the urge just evaporates

I try where possible to avoid ultra processed foods, and so when I do feel hungry it comes on gradually and feels right, if that makes any sense.

Yes I'm often hungry an hour or two before next meal but I think that's normal and fine.... I want to feel hunger, I think it's very natural.... It doesn't alarm me or make me feel like oh my gosh I need to eat... I know I'll be eating dinner in two hours or whatever.

I realise this is probably not helpful and sorry but just to explain a different mindset. My son has insomnia so does wake a lot and I'm up through the night but for me this just isn't a time to eat.... It wouldn't be something I'd consider. So even if I felt hungry I would just wait until morning. If I was in severe pain with hungry that prevented me from sleeping I would have one slice of toast or a tiny bowl of cereal but not a proper eat.

@flowersintheatticus If you have Iplayer, may I suggest you watch a programme that went out last week - Irresistible ( was on BBC2 ) a total eye opener. It may help you get a handle on your hunger

not skinny, but middle of healthy bmi and fairly fit:
of course I get hungry. it's normal to become hungry around an hour before a meal.

raw or steamed veg are your friend for bulking out meals to add fibre & volume.
full fat means teeny portions for same volume of food.

https://www.webmd.com/mental-health/eating-disorders/binge-eating-disorder/what-is-night-eating-syndrome

Does this sound familiar?

Anyone who walks a lot everyday - how do you do it? I just don't have the time! And no way of building it into a commute as I used to do by walking to the station and back each way. Dark evenings limit the opportunity even further.

It won’t help but I’m at sahm often walking to school and back 3 times a day, that is 9,000 alone. I usually do between 15 and 20k a day but I’m still very over weight.

@lifeglowup that's great! My son is only at pre school but it's too far to walk, his school will be the same.

I managed a half hour walk today but am always so busy, I don't have time for more. I'm quite active my with son but I don't get to walk a dedicated 5 miles etc that some posters have mentioned.

@Returntotravail I have a dog and 2 young kids! I walk 2-4 hours every day and run 1-2 times a week too as half marathon training.

That's very interesting, especially about the genetic link. My grandmother (who was very slim) used to have to get up in the night for a cuppa soup, and when she had to go into hospital for surgery in her 80s my DF had to have a word with the nursing staff about her not being able to 'fast' throughout the night and they used to sort her out. I don't have any of the MH problems listed though, but otherwise it sounds very familiar.

You really don’t have to eat at night.
It’s ok to be hungry. It’s normal, not an emergency.

My DH is overweight and every time he feels the slightest pang, he eats. Even at night.
So he has conditioned himself to feel that hunger is a VERY BAD THING and must be avoided at all costs.

You need to allow your stomach time to shrink back to a normal size. Try to go a minimum of 5 hours between eating anything during the day and nothing at night time.
Have a pint of water and read a book to distract you if you wake feeling hungry.

What do you mean by the last paragraph please? Until when? I've heard this before.

@bakewellbride amazing! How do you find the time if you don't mind me asking?

@Returntotravail I'm a sahm which is a non stop active lifestyle, helps so much with staying slim. Today I did the school run on foot, took the dog for a nearly 2 hour walk with toddler on her bike, active in the afternoon playing with toddler / housework etc then the dog's afternoon walk. Then after that it was time for school pick up which again was on foot!

It's really tiring and non stop plus I'm up 1-5 times every single night dealing with waking children and dog. I also do a lot of food shopping by foot pushing a heavy buggy uphill. Also zero family support so I'd have to do some form of the above even if ill. When dh is off it is much easier as he is amazing but he works full time doing nhs shifts so it's not easy.

Could you try planking in the evening? Or yoga before work? With planking you could start with 30 secs and build up. These 2 things can be squeezed into a hectic day, I did 3 mins 30 secs this afternoon. It can be done anywhere with no prep or equipment.

Good luck, working must be tough In other ways! X

I live in the country, no streetlights, no pavements, and at the moment Im out the door at 5am for my first mile with the dog - thats as far as he will go that time of day . Then Im on my feet for 4 hours back and forth at work - I work in a kitchen so moving constantly, home, take the dog for two miles, then a later walk with my friend, - up to 3 miles. I also go park run on Saturdays and try to get 5 miles in on a Sunday. Yes I walk in the dark, I have a hi vis vest, beanie with headlight and fluorescent snap bands on wrists and dog. The only time I dont chance it is when the fog is bad

There are days when the weather is that bad only ducks are out, so I just try to keep moving - throw a few squats and lunges whilst cooking dinner, have a wee boogie in the living room whilst doing the house work. Just basically sitting as little as possible ( knees hurt if I sit too long ) What also helps me is my living room is upstairs from my kitchen so Im up and down like a yo yo

" although my stomach is full I'm still hungry, if that makes sense? "

I'm sorry but kindly that doesn't make sense to me at all. It's probably not hunger but a craving / compulsion for more food.

I have an 18.7 bmi and the biggest, biggest thing for me is mindset. I enjoy healthy living so can know ill keep it up for life and its not a 'chore'. I can't fall off the band wagon if there is no band wagon if you see what I mean.

Things that keep me In shape.

• vegan
• keeping active. I am half marathon training and have a greyhound who needs walking
• drink lots of water
• I used to binge eat chocolate daily but got it down now to Sundays only. That was hard i can't lie but it feels more like a treat now and cheaper too daily adventure calendar doesn't count----
• I'm teetotal
• I eat 3 healthy meals a day and 1 afternoon snack and on a normal day that's it. Then if I want to eat more on the occasional day it doesn't affect things e.g Sunday o had a roast and on my birthday I stuffed my face with dominoes
• I fast twice a week 3pm - 7am the next day, I promise you I don't feel hungry at 7am, just really refreshed and energised, it's amazing.

I know it probably seems like a lot but even just one of the above would help you.

Whatever you do it has your be sustainable otherwise it's not worth it.

Di you enjoy porridge? I find that fills me up until lunch really nicely and you can add peanut butter / banana / berries or whatever to it to make it delicious and varied. Carrot cake porridge is my favourite.

Do not di!

As far as I’m aware the research only followed people for around 2 to 3 years post weight loss and the excess horomone was found until then. They maybe research following these people for longer.

The best (only) advice that has worked for me in terms of losing weight, which I read on here, is to accept going through bed hungry.

I’m sure others will say this doesn’t have to be the case but once I accepted this and made it happen, I lost weight.

You need to learn to embrace hunger. It isn't an unpleasant feeling. Once your stomach shrinks it's easier. The goal feels better than a biscuit.

"I can make you thin". I know, I can feel your eyes rolling from where I type. However, it worked for me after 20 years of being overweight and going on countless of controlled intake diets. I had been on so many controlled intake diets I knew that a 20,000 calorie reduced intake would lose me 1 stone, I would reach the target weight and then put it all back on again. "I can make you thin" worked for me, it was a complete revelation. I've been at my target weight for the last 18 months. I never felt I was dieting, I kept to the rules and listened to my body. I've lost 1 1/2 stone and kept it off.

I am an ED sufferer in recovery. Lots of this thread is like being in an ED therapy group.
Your body is used to a certain amount of calories, and it sounds like that's a large amount at the moment. But once you start being careful with portions and eating less, you'll feel hungry for a few weeks. Then it will settle and you'll find yourself feeling satiated for longer.

Hunger is literally your body's signal that it wants to be fed, just like tiredness means that your body needs rest. Feeling hungry doesn't mean that you need to eat loads of fatty foods immediately, it means that you need something balanced in the near future. You shouldn't punish your body when it's giving you signals that it needs nourishment. Hunger is not a reward. Your body is not the enemy.

I think the mistake you’re (and a lot of people) are making is assuming that “slim people” are one homogeneous group. Just like there are many reasons someone can be overweight, there are many reasons someone can be slim.

Full disclosure, I’ve had an eating disorder since I was 15 but yes I am always hungry. I know what I can/ need to eat now to keep me a) alive and b) the weight that I want to be and that’s what I eat. If I’m hungry outside of that, tough luck.

There is definitely some element of luck/ genetics/ whatever as even when I’m “well”, I’ve never been over a size 10 but if I want to maintain my body how I want it to be, it takes an awful lot of discipline. That works in both directions actually, not eating whatever I want but also not giving in totally to my eating disorder.

I was awake at 3am this morning with the dog and I was hungry but it’s tough, I had a glass of water and went back to sleep. Now it’s breakfast time, I’ll have yoghurt and fruit after my coffee just like every morning.