Does anyone else never feel full?!

[rowan]

This has ALWAYS been a problem for me. Even after eating an average meal of 400/500 cals I never feel full, or even close to being full. The ONLY time I ever feel full is when I eat a huge take away, and that's not often.

It gets really frustrating because I'm eating enough food, the foods have a good amount of fat, protein and carbs in and I eat 3 meals and 3 snacks a day. I eat upwards of 1600 cals a day depending on the amount of exercise I've done, and eat after exercise to replace the cals (I meet my fitbit deficit goals also so I'm confident I'm eating enough).

As I'm trying to lose weight it's just annoying, it makes things harder because I'm still hungry after my meals. I've been dieting for 4 years.. should my stomach not have shrunk inside by now and allow me to be full easier? online there was something about your brain not getting sent the hormones that make you feel full.

Anyone else have this problem or is it just me?!

(Side note, I also get really really hungry as soon as I lie down and feel like i havent eaten all day even if i've just eaten a meal.. also really annoying because sometimes I feel too hungry to sleep)

[betpchem]

I empathize. I feel that way too. Here are some things I've found that help:

1. I try not to let myself get too hungry. If I get ravenous, then that "I'm not full" feeling takes longer to go away.

2. Eat slowly. Give your body time to register it's full.

3. Get busy doing something else. That's hard, I know, but it is possible to stop thinking about it. 

4. Stop "dieting". In my mind, that just leads to wanting what you can't have. Instead, eat more sensibly all the time (lifestyle change, not a diet), and, if you have a craving, eat it. Just not much of it. 

I hope that helps. Good luck!

[Odyssey13]

@rowan  For me, it's the crunch factor. If I have something crunchy, it seems to make me feel as though I've eaten something. For meals or snacks where I don't need to chew much, I can easily feel as though I've not had enough to be full.

Example: a meal of a sandwich with lots of veggies on it, plus an apple, makes me feel fuller than a meal of yogurt or cottage cheese and a peach

There are times when I'm not thinking and feel hungry. Those are the times I try to get busy doing something to take my mind off the food. Once busy, the thoughts of food are no longer there.

It takes time to get used to all this, rowan, but you can do it. You're aware of it and that's part of the battle. When you get hungry, take a shower or a walk. Read on the forums or do something to keep your mind and/or body busy.

We're here for you. Just get on the forum and say "Help! I want to eat and know I shouldn't!" and there will be people to reply to your post.

[Antoinette_B]

Do you eat enough protein? When I don't eat enough, I stay ravenous! Maybe even a protein smoothie if you aren't up to meat, fish, poultry?

[rowan]

I'm a vegan so none of that, but my meals are largely protein based as I eat lots of tofu, soya, beans and nuts which are high in protein

[acass]

This may be a silly question but are you keeping up with your water consumption?

[eindon1]

Try squeezing 1/2 lemon and 1/2 lime into 32oz of water (Gatorade container). Add 1 to 2 tsp of stevia (trivia). Drink 16oz 10 min before your meal and 16oz during your meal.

[carl669]

are you getting enough fat?  i find getting enough fat helps keep me satiated longer.

[SunsetRunner]

Hi rowan!

As I've come to understand it, the underlying cause of feeling hungry especially shortly after having just eaten is that your body is needing some nutrient or another that you haven't provided.  Forget counting the macros (calories, proteins, etc.)...it's the macro nutrients that matter.

You got the 5-6x a day for eating which is good!!!

If you share with me a typical days foods, be happy to take a look.  What will matter too is also what you're eating when relative to your activities.  Eat based on what you just did or are going to do....fuel up when needed, eat for repair/replenishment afterwards.

Oddly,  I find a LOT on vegan bodybuilding.com there's a large group of veg/vegans who are still wrapped up in the protein myth, or even worse the low-carb/high-protein fable.  Many don't eat much by way of vegetables or fruits....going instead for sustinence from processed shakes and suppliments instead of learning how/what to eat.

Will add you as a friend, hit me up!  Will try to help!

[Kibbles314]

I'm always hungry as well. The more water I drink the less intense it feels, but I rarely feel satisfied after meals. Unless I eat a huge meal (I'm talking nearly 800-1000 calories in one shot, I almost never feel full or, I feel hungry within an hour after I eat. Like I mentioned earlier, try drinking more water. Also try to keep busy. I'm a creature of cravings and grazing. I've found true hunger usually comes on relatively slowly and can be ignored for some time, whereas cravings just pop up and demand I eat a snickers.

[MathMan]

I have the same problem. It isn't as bad now as it used to be.  I started paying a LOT of attention to when and what I ate and why I was eating that particular food at that time.  I food that I confused "empty" with "hungry" and "full" with "satiated." It has taken time, and I am still working on it but I am getting better at it.

I also spend time figuring out WHY I am eating. I have found there that I am an emotional, opportunistic, habitual eater.  I eat on emotional highs and lows, if food is easily available and out of habit (lunch is at 11:30 so I have to eat).

I am trying various methods to change these but it is NEITHER easy NOR quick.

Good luck

[aprice3891]

I have issues feeling full as well. I started taking a max potency multi-vitamin and increased my water. This has helped dramatically. I think the issue was that I was missing something in my diet that I was able to get from the vitamin. The only down fall on taking this kind of vitamin is I take it 3 times a day. My aunt had gastric bypass and this is the type of vitamin they take. I get it from amazon for about $12.  

[JoJoBean]

Hey Rowan,

Not sure if you received the answers/replies you were looking for but thought to add my 2cents.  I have struggled with this too and it has taken me a long time to figure it out. If I don't eat enough protein or water the hunger never subsides and many have replied with this advice. However, the real trigger for me is processed foods. If I find myself eating more than my usual share of process foods (e.g. a crazy week with take-out galore or a chips bing or what have you) then it's hunger all the time. Processed food make you hungry. Trust me. It has taken me 20 years to figure it out. Lol. Check your food labels and eat food that have fewer ingredients.

Hope this helps.

Jo

[Donnie219]

I drink a full 8oz. Bottle of water first thing when I wake up,I have my coffee, then warm Lemon water, that is generally the start of my day. I also try to drink a full bottle of water before each meal, eat less, never take seconds and water after. Trust me I have be struggling as well, can't seem to lose, so I'm giving this a try. Don't give up, and I won't either. We got this!

[TMcD]

I really like this topic.  Many good suggestions and advice.  I struggle with the desire to feel full.  However, just last night I was reading in a book that suggested that the goal is not to feel full, but to feel satisfied.  I think I need to reset my internal clock to notice what is the difference between full and satisfied.  Immediately, what comes to my mind is smaller meals to take the hunger off so that I don't eat like there is no tomorrow, but also to eat something that is satisfying that does not feel like I just sacrificed pleasure from what I just ate (fake foods that have 0 flavor).    Hope this makes sense.  Good luck to you!

[Caity]

I had a friend who had a problem with this, she went to a doctor about it and they determined that she was producing too much stomach acid and basically digesting her food too quickly. She took some medications to help decrease the acid for a while but eventually had a surgery to help her produce less stomach acid. I would definitely try the diet changes mentioned above first but if changing up your diet doesn't work I would talk to your doctor about the possibility of an underlying medical cause.

[MissBDub]

I'm never full! If i didnt work in medicine I'd think I have the stomach of an elephant inside me lol Its even harder when you love to eat! 

[Gravity_Bug]

Another possability is a wheat/carb intollerence and an over production of insulin, insulin can make you ravenous.

Maybe try a day of low carbs and see if that helps.....

[fitnessobsessed]

Eat strictly fruits and veggies and overdose I water 😉 want carbs? lean to pizza with califlour crust,, squash speghetti,, substitute butter for applesauce. Substitute, Substitute!! keep goodies out of the house, and do not shop while hungry, shop on a full belly!!

YOU CAN eat all day! as long as its the right foods!!!

[HelenaFitbit]

That has happened to me too when I'm filling up with carbs; try incorporating more fruits and veggies into your diet and try a snack you wouldn't have every now and then; big restrictions cause big cravings