This past week I seem to have been permanently hungry and I can't figure out why as my diet is no different to normal. I'd ideally like to lose around 10lb but this isn't me eating too few calories as I'm not 'dieting' at the moment and eating at least 2000 cals a day.

Typical foods I eat:
Breakfast: cereal and soya milk (usually cocoa pops or muesli)
Lunch: tin of soup or sandwiches (usually something like fake meat with salad)
Dinner: varies, but examples are pasta and veg and sauce, quorn chilli with rice and tortillas, vegetable or quorn pies with potatoes and veg, mushroom risotto.

I always have 2 or three snacks a day which vary in healthiness: fresh fruit, dried fruit, nuts, chocolate, cereal bar, cake. At least one of my snacks will be an unhealthy one.

Drinks I'm notriously bad with - I mostly drink tea (with soya milk, no sugar) and diet cola.

Is it maybe lack of water (msitaking thirst for hunger) or maybe I need more protein? Even after I've just eaten I seem to feel hungry at the moment (though my diet hasn't changed recently) and it doesn't matter if my day has been relatively healthy or if I've had a lot of junk.

Any suggestions on combatting the hunger? Preferably whilst allowing me to drop to 1500 cals so I can lose that 10lb but at very leasy by not increasing my current calorie intake.

I would add more grains to your diet at the meal before the time of day when you get hungry. (Rice for lunch. Oatmeal for breakfast.)

Cocoa pops may have too much sugar, (high glycemic index) and may make you feel hungrier faster, muesli is good.

Lunch sounds ok, you could probably do the soup and sandwich for more satiety.

If I eat pasta for dinner, I am usually ravenous the next morning, same thing goes with white potatoes. More protein: Pan fried tofu with peanut sauce, black bean recipes, steamed vegetables fill me up and Im not hungry in the am.

snacks sound good - yes, I drink 8 glasses of water a day and it made a world of difference with my appetite. I drink the low-cal (not no-cal) flavored water, I am addicted to it.

I found out that if I work out 30 mins 3X a week, at a furious pace (cant hold a conversation), my weight drops pretty quickly to my ideal. Hard to do always, though :wall:

go to www.nutritiondata.com for more - hope this helped a little.

Drop the cocoa pops and eat something whole grain. Maybe a whole wheat bagel with jam or shredded wheat?

Make yourself hardy salads with loads of stuff like nuts, seeds, veggies. You can even cut up those breaded fake chicken cutlets and throw them in (not knowing if your vegan).

At any rate..I go through spurts of "I cant get enough to eat" too so I do what I should be doing anyway..eat several small meals throughout the day instead of the 3 "regular" ones.

Thanks you guys. Yes, I think the coco pops have to go! They might taste nice but they're hardly the most nutritious thing out there. I'll give oatmeal or the wholemeal bagels a go - or at least stick with my muesli!

Some great lunch ideas there too from you all. I need more variety - it's easy to get stuck eating the same stuff all the while. I definitely need to experiment with salads more, ilovemydragon. I'm not vegan, no, though I don't eat a lot of dairy or eggs.

And I will ditch the diet cola and start drinking more water. We have a water cooler at work so there's no excuse! :bobo:

Love your Avatar btw sophia-cat :rockon:

jack,

salad possibilities are endless. Try this one..it's a keeper.

Baby Spinach
cut up apple
Baco's
walnuts
raisins

All tossed with a natural honey mustard dressing. It is so good!

jack,

salad possibilities are endless. Try this one..it's a keeper.

Baby Spinach
cut up apple
Baco's
walnuts
raisins

All tossed with a natural honey mustard dressing. It is so good!

Thanks for the suggestion :lick:

Is hunger a sign that your body needs more calories, or is your stomach just empty and wants something (low or high calorie) to fill it up?

Is hunger a sign that your body needs more calories, or is your stomach just empty and wants something (low or high calorie) to fill it up?

It depends. It can be both, or either or.

If you are weak, lightheaded, and your mood is being affected...then your body needs calories.

If your stomach is growling and feels "empty" and you are NOT feeling low on energy, then, in my opinion, it just needs volume to fill it up. However, if the volume lacks sufficent calories, you'll probably get truly hungry again shortly.

You might want to try drinking more water.

You might want to try drinking more water.

Drinking more water (or other liquids, though generally low-calorie is the best choice in this situation) does work.

Sometimes when I'm hungry, I drink a glass of water or diet somethingrather and it lets the hunger feeling subside for about an hour or so. And then when I get hungry AGAIN after drinking, I know it's truly time to eat.

Protein- and fiber-rich foods like beans and/or nuts at each meal. Healthy fats (nuts, seeds, flax or olive oil). More fruits and vegetables.

Thanks for all you suggestions guys! I definitely need to eat more fruit and veg. I've added a third snack each day too some I'm going less time between food and trying to up my water intake too.