# Is it alright to be hungry?



## CyberSlag5k (Dec 22, 2008)

I'm overweight and, along with exercise, I am trying to cut back in how much I eat at lunch. I can eat a lot, and normally I'd eat 2-3 sandwiches along with 2 side items (things like fruit, salad, crackers, soup, cereal, etc.) for lunch, and I'm looking to scale that back to a single sandwich and the side items.

I'd never stop eating while I was still hungry, but eating just the sandwich with the sides leaves me satisfied, so I'm thinking it's a good amount. The thing is, eating this at noon, I get hungry again at 3:30-4:00. I leave work at 5, and I'm usually eating dinner by 6 or 6:30.

While I'm certainly not excited about it, I'm alright with being hungry for those 2-3 hours, but I want to make sure that it's not unhealthy or unproductive. I don't want my metabolism to slow down or anything, and I definitely don't want to do it if there are any negative health effects. But my thinking is that if I am going to burn fat, I've got to be hungry at least part of the time. Is this a good approach, or should I eat a little more at lunch or have a snack towards the end of the day?

I should point out that I'm 6'1 and weigh about 270 lbs. I'm definitely overweight, though I definitely don't look that obese. I'm not startving myself, or anything, I'm definitely eating well. I have a full breakfast and dinner, though I try not to eat more than I need to at dinner (all bets are off at breakfast, though I can't each too much in the morning).


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## elaine l (Dec 22, 2008)

Why not enjoy a small snack?  A piece of fruit or some almonds.  If I were to let myself get too hungry, I think I would overeat at my next meal.  I have little snacks all day.  A few pretzels , a few crackers or a handful of cereal.  My desk drawer looks like a pantry!


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## sattie (Dec 22, 2008)

Being hungry is ok and is sometimes encouraged by some doctors.  

Also, eating smaller more frequent meals is also a good way to start losing and maintaining your weight.


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## CyberSlag5k (Dec 22, 2008)

I may bring in some unsalted cashews, but I wanted to make sure for the times when I don't have a snack available.


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## Alix (Dec 22, 2008)

Being hungry is OK, but you'd do better to have a protein snack at 3ish if you aren't eating til 6. Your body is trying to work efficiently and the snack will help. Pack some nuts or trail mix if you can. That should do the trick.


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## DramaQueen (Dec 22, 2008)

Two or 3 sandwiches plus 2 sides is an awful lot of food for anyone, especially considering that you eat a large breakfast.  I suspect your hunger comes from eating too many carbohydrates and it's bringing your sugar level down. 

 Try to eat less, portion control is important here, and try to eat as much protien as you can.  Don't let yourself get hungry, that's what's making you overeat at the next meal.  Try eating snacks between small meals, nuts, cheese, a little meat.  Fruit has sugar and so do breads and crackers unless you eat protein with them. 
 I took off 52 lbs. in 1 year and I still eat this way.    It takes a while, don't try to do it all in one or two months.  If I can do it you can do it but do it right.  Exercise is extremely important.  You have to burn all those calories you're eating or they build up as fat.  Good luck.


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## Andy M. (Dec 22, 2008)

Divide your lunch into a lunch and a snack.  Eat the sandwich at lunch time and the sides for a snack.  That way, you are not adding calories, just spreading them around better.


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## snack_pack85 (Dec 22, 2008)

I loss 28 pounds in about six months by eating 6 times a day. I ate every two hours and each meal was 300 calories or less. I'd talk with your doctor and see if that might work better for you. I was never hungry and I consistantly lost atleast one pound a week. It was great seeing that progress each sunday. I also had a cheat day on fridays (which are now on sundays due to football) I'd eat a burger and a drink (but no fries) or a sundae after dinner. Something tasty and indulgent but I wouldn't make me feel too bad. 

After I met my target weight loss goal, I started adding back 100 calories a week I wasn't losing weight anymore. I've made some good habits (like splurgin only once a week and snacking through the day) and I my weight has been the same since I stopped "dieting".

Kudos to you for taking the right steps to a healthy lifestyle! Good luck!


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## bankai (Dec 22, 2008)

This isn't inteded on being spam but i followed a diet called 'body4life' ( there's a website, just google for it ) .. 

The diet promotes more or less the 80/20 way of eating, that is; good 80% of the time whilst indulging the other 20%.

The idea behind most weight loss is, as most people are saying, eat little but frequently. This, by theory, keeps your metabolism going throughout the day instead of bombarding it with few larger meals.

I feel great eating small meals, i don't feel bloated and i am rarely hungry. 

As 'Alix' was saying, protein snacks are really good mid-morning and mid-afternoon. I  usually had a piece of fruit and a protein bar or a protein shake. These things are great, especially if you work in an office.

Remember - drink lots of water. This helps not only keep you hydrated but if you drink when you eat you'll feel fuller. It's also great if you are feeling hungry.

I'd also like to reiterate that eating a large dinner isn't probably the best decision as your body doesn't have enough time to metabolise it. I'm not sure how true this is but going to bed on a pretty full stomach makes me feel awful :S

Good luck with it all


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## jennyema (Dec 23, 2008)

Like others have said, eating small amounts of nutritious foods frequently throughout the day is the key.

Being hungry usually is not a good thing.  It encourages overeating.

If you eat frequently and drink a lot of water, you won't be hungry and hopefully will not consume more calories than you should.

Remember though that you need to consume a certain amount of calories in order to lose weight.  If you don't, your body "hoardes" energy and you can't lose weight.  That's why starvation diets don't work.


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## Fisher's Mom (Dec 23, 2008)

I think there may be shades of hunger. Personally, if I am eating so frequently that I never feel _hungry_, I start gaining weight. But if I let myself get ravenous, I tend to eat too quickly and end up eating more than I would normally. So I wait until I actually get hungry before I eat but don't wait too long to do it. (Then again, maybe that's not the right way to go about it since I'm carrying around an extra 10-15 lbs. right now!)


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## GhettoRacingKid (Dec 23, 2008)

im a snacker or picker....  thing to do

Drink plenty of water.  It will supress the hunger and most times your body is jsut craving fluids not food.    I drink about 2 Liters a day if not more.

Snacks,

Roasted peanuts
Veggies
nuts
bananas (heavy and will keep you fuller longer)
carrots


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## jpmcgrew (Dec 23, 2008)

Start slowly reducing the size of your lunch if you cut back drasticaly it makes it harder .Give your stomach time to shrink so you you can feel fuller with less food. A good idea is to have a nice bowl of hot soup a simple soup no cream or heavy soups before you eat your meal. Eat slow it takes your stomach a full 20 minutes to realize it's full so it's easy to over eat when eating fast. A hot soup will slow you down. Once you are feeling satisfied stop eating and maybe save the rest for later. I also don't like to go to bed full. When you do it long enough you will get used to it and of course stay away from all the really high calorie foods like donuts, cakes etc.
The one main thing that will help is exercise all you need to do is walk more take the stairs take a brisk 20 minute walk on your lunch hour before you eat if you can. Walk every where you can and start burning up some of those calories.


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## Aria (Dec 23, 2008)

*Always want something to eat*

Most of us do want to enjoy eating.  And healthy eating is necessary.
I think Dr. OZ is a very smart MD.   This is some of his advise:  Don't drink soda.

Before your Dinner(usually the largest meal)....have ONE slice of Whole Grain Bread and break in small pieces and "dunk" (slightly) into EVOO and eat slowly.  This should help.   

I have more tips.  Let's try one for now.   Let us know how this helps.  Aria


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## elaine l (Dec 23, 2008)

I think it's okay to be hungry.  You have changed your eating pattern.  It takes time.  A long time.  Have a small snack and stay the course.  Good for you as you are on your way.  You're making better choices.  Different things work for different people and you seem determined to find what works best for you.  Good luck.


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## coookies (Dec 29, 2008)

Hmmm... I personally really like the Bolthouse Farms protein shakes (make sure you can keep them cold), little baggies with almonds or sunflower seeds, or a bowl of vegetable soup to keep me full on busy days.  If you make homemade veggie soup (which is wayyy better for you than canned, and tastes better!) load it up with things like small red beans, carrots, celery, onion, zucchini, green beans, corn, spinach, and little macaroni noodles (a lot of brands make the 'healthy' noodles now).  As a student trying to stay in shape, these sort of things help keep me from getting hungry, even after a 3 hour lab.


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## padams2359 (Dec 29, 2008)

I have never had a weight problem. I am 5’9, 160, 30w. I have been this size since I was 15. My wife on the other hand is a different story. We are just built differently, and process foods differently. She started on her diet (she only eats what I prepare for her, unless we talk about it), on October 1st. So far she has lost 50 lbs. You absolutely have to eat whatever you want sometimes, or you will never stick to your diet. What I have found is the worst things you can eat are cheeses (fats & sodium), processed meats (ham, salami, etc), and bread (whole grains early in the day are fine). I always keep salad in the fridge. They usually include Romaine, Bell Peppers, Radish, Cucumber, and Red Cabbage. I also cook boneless and skinless chicken breast. Slice it up, and keep it in the fridge. Her salad dressing is vinegar (red wine or balsamic) mixed with an all fruit preserve with garlic and black pepper. Also try taking fish oil tablets. Great for the heart and you would be surprise at what else, and how much it helps. It is not like the old fish oil that you tasted all day. You can still have a sundae, on Sunday. I closely monitored her diet, and told her to watch out. I usually gave her about 20% of her fats (she was not aware of this) left over just in case. I very rarely tell her that she cannot have something. With the diet she has been on, if she eats something she really should not have (roux based), she pays for it later, and then she is over it. You never want something as much as when someone tells you that you cannot have it. Change from ice cream to sherbet. Raspberry is great. You can do it. Just read the labels. If it says it is 10 to 20% of you fat intake for the day, it should be pretty close to an entire meal. The percentages on labels of fats are usually based on 2500 milligrams of fats diet. That is a cholesterol diet.  Also, try flax seed with yogurt.  It is a great sweet treat.  Sam's has a mix that is flax and pumpkin seed.  It has the consistance of granola.


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## ella/TO (Dec 29, 2008)

May I suggest that you go and see your family doctor. Get yourself a good, overall physical exam, and then have the doctor send you on to a dietician who will be able to give you a personal diet plan...Just had to put my 2 cents worth in....Good Luck!!!


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## Jeekinz (Dec 29, 2008)

sattie said:


> Also, eating smaller more frequent meals is also a good way to start losing and maintaining your weight.


 
That's what I was going to say.

I eat very fast, and when I do I could down a large pizza and not blink an eye.  Slow down your eating by chewing more, one bite at a time.  You'll see a big difference just from that.

You also need to change what you eat.  Cold-cut sanwiches aren't the best thing out there.  Look into low calorie options like canned soups.  I've been having Campbells Select Harvest soups at under 200 calories per can (broth based) for lunch.  Breakfast is a banana and maybe a bowl of cereal.

I'm also battling with severe hunger towards dinner.  When I get home at 5:30 I need to eat right away.  So I'm looking into some snack to curb that.

Good luck.  Rmember the two main things are calorie intake and excercise.


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## DramaQueen (Dec 29, 2008)

ella/TO said:


> May I suggest that you go and see your family doctor. Get yourself a good, overall physical exam, and then have the doctor send you on to a dietician who will be able to give you a personal diet plan...Just had to put my 2 cents worth in....Good Luck!!!



*Your "2 cents" worth is worth a lot more than 2 cents.  That's good advice.  His doctor needs to find a diet that will be healthy for a man his size and energy level.   *


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## GotGarlic (Dec 29, 2008)

A study showed that when people had a cup of soup or a salad 15 minutes before a meal, they ate less at the meal and were more satisfied. Bean, pea, and other hearty soups are really easy to make in a slow cooker, and the legumes are really good for you.

As others have said, it's a good idea to have a small, portion-controlled snack in the afternoon, as you're more likely to overeat if you're really hungry.

Also, rather than going on a diet, think of this as a lifestyle change that will make you healthier and give you more energy. The word diet has a temporary connotation, but this is something you want to maintain. Good luck.


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## bankai (Dec 29, 2008)

Jeekinz said:


> That's what I was going to say.
> 
> I eat very fast, and when I do I could down a large pizza and not blink an eye.  Slow down your eating by chewing more, one bite at a time.  You'll see a big difference just from that.



On this note of eating slower, have a read of this:


Chew on this: eating fast makes you fat!



> apanese scientists have discovered that eating your food quickly makes you three times more likely to be overweight. The research conducted by Professor Hiroyasu Iso and colleagues from Osaka University in Japan, showed that it's not just eating quickly that has an effect — it's the modern manner of eating until you're full that also plays a role in the obesity epidemic. Researchers believe that it's this combination of eating fast and until full that may override signals in the brain which would normally encourage more self control when it comes to eating patterns. And, according to the British Medical Journal Online First, the demise of the family meal and it's replacement with fast food and larger portions are to blame.
> Of the 3,200 Japanese men and women surveyed, half the men and 58 per cent of the women said they normally ate until they were full and just under half the men and a third of women said they ate quickly. A higher body mass index (BMI) was recorded in this group than those who didn't eat too quickly or until full.
> 
> *Why you should slow down at the dinner table...*
> ...


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## anatogonon (Jan 9, 2009)

I have heard that the most effective way of diet is eating several times in a day with small amount of foods, than eating the three major meals. I don't know if this is effective because I haven't tried but one of my friend says it works for her.


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## DramaQueen (Jan 10, 2009)

anatogonon said:


> I have heard that the most effective way of diet is eating several times in a day with small amount of foods, than eating the three major meals. I don't know if this is effective because I haven't tried but one of my friend says it works for her.



*I've been doing that for 2 yrs.  Cut portions, cut fat and eat 6 times a day.  Three meals, and a snack between.  I keep my total calorie count (I don't get paranoid with this)  to about 1400 to 1500 a day.  I took off 52 pounds in 13 months and am never hungry.  Great appetite at meal times, but never uncomfortably hungry. *


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## Angel30 (Jan 13, 2009)

*Cutting Back Can Be Easier Than You Thought!*

It's really not good to let yourself go hungry especially if you're trying to loose weight because your body begins to think your starving yourself and will store fat.

If you have a habit of eating all the time, that's okay. All you need to do is replace all the unhealthy snacks for healthy ones. You might even want to focus on the negative calorie snacks like, apples, oranges, cabbage, carrots, etc.

Try never to go more than four hours without eating and also try drinking a glass of water before your meal... it will help you feel fuller.


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## discost3w (Jan 13, 2009)

The stomac is a muscular organ, that means if you are used to eat a lot, it will become larger. If you want to lose wait you'll need to learn to stay hungry. As jennyema drinking water helps you because it will fill you up and you will not have a urge to eat. If water gets boring, you could add a slice of lemon in it. It will make it taste better and it's good for you. Having snack could be good if you don't eat things that are filled with calories, if you look around I think you can find things that are made to fill you up and that don't have a lot of calories.

I hope that helped you.


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## CyberSlag5k (Jan 14, 2009)

Thanks for everyone's replies.

I've been adapting my eating habbits, as suggested, and it's going well. I can't say, nor do I expect, that I've lost a significant amount of weight yet, as I haven't really checked, but I find myself eating FAR less, while never really being hungry. I've cut my lunch down to a single sandwich, with maybe (not even always) a small snack, and then packing another snack for about 3-4 hours later. My dinners are half of what they used to be, and I find myself being satisfied by far less food.

So thank you, everyone. I feel this is really going to change my life for the better.


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## missielover (Jan 21, 2009)

Weight watchers is really a really good plan to keep you full and help you loose weight


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## The Z (Jan 21, 2009)

ella/TO said:


> May I suggest that you go and see your family doctor. Get yourself a good, overall physical exam, and then have the doctor send you on to a dietician who will be able to give you a personal diet plan...Just had to put my 2 cents worth in....Good Luck!!!


Geez... are you trying to ruin all our fun and take away all of our "_expert_" advice?  Spoil-sport .  Heh.  I agree with most of the advice given here (yes, even this one ella/TO).

CyberSlag5k -> I'm glad you've reduced the size of your evening meal and that things are going well for you.  I applaud your attitude of not expecting significant changes in the short-term.  Stick with it.  A little at a time, you (and others) will see 'significant' results.  Slow and steady...  "LIFESTYLE".  As a 6'1" man myself, I have healthily reduced my weight over time from 248 (at my largest and, like you, didn't _feel _obese) to my current weight of 178 lbs.  I exercise.  I eat appropriate portion sizes and nutritious foods.  I drink water.  You can do it.


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## Claire (Jan 26, 2009)

While there is nothing wrong with actually being hungry when you eat, you do run into the danger of binge eating because you are hungry.  When you learn diabetes control, one rule is that you eat a little often through the day.  What I'm getting at here is that if you are truly hungry at 3 p.m., then  you are more likely to give in to temptations you might not consider otherwise.  Rather than two or three sandwiches at lunch, make your sandwich for lunch, and a half sandwich to eat at mid-afternoon.


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## nicoleSmith08 (Jan 27, 2009)

You don't have to be hungry to lose weight. The key is that you need to take everything in moderation.. eat slow, avoid fatty foods, drink lots of water, exercise, eat small bites between/during meals.


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## Aparichit (Jan 29, 2009)

Life is the gift of god to us, To be hungry is a good things so that we can eat more and enjoy it but there is a danger of Obesity or overweight. We can tackle the same by doing regular exercise. Even banana and water can do a trick for you.


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## Saphellae (Jan 29, 2009)

Nuts are only good if you have a small quantity, and although they are a good source of protein, they are also a good source of fat - good fats, but they are fats all the same. A 1/4 cup of nuts are good. More than that is a little much.. and unsalted.

If you're scaling down portions and you're hungry, your stomach will adjust. It's expanded to make room for what you're used to eating. It will shrink and you will find yourself getting full with the smaller portions soon. If you are hungry, your intake of fruit and vegetables are limitless. Eat as many as you want!


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