Hi All,
This is my fourth day as a vegetarian. I have really been enjoying it and all the great posts I've been reading.

I wanted to know if anyone else has experienced being hungry all the time. When I've been eating I feel full, but maybe a half hour to an hour later I'm hungry again. I've been drinking water to help that, but I'm still really hungry.

I've been trying to eat some veggie snacks, but dang, I can't stop being hungry. Please help.

Are you eating enough? Typically, vegetarian foods have far fewer calories than meat (except for cheese, which you may or may not be eating.) If you're not getting enough calories, you're going to feel hungry no matter what you eat. You also want to make sure you're getting 10-20% of your calories from protein, 50-60% of your calories from carbs and the rest from fat (around 20-30%).

Are you eating enough? Typically, vegetarian foods have far fewer calories than meat (except for cheese, which you may or may not be eating.) If you're not getting enough calories, you're going to feel hungry no matter what you eat. You also want to make sure you're getting 10-20% of your calories from protein, 50-60% of your calories from carbs and the rest from fat (around 20-30%).

Protein and Carbohydrates have the same amount of calories per gram.

Hi All,
This is my fourth day as a vegetarian. I have really been enjoying it and all the great posts I've been reading.

I wanted to know if anyone else has experienced being hungry all the time. When I've been eating I feel full, but maybe a half hour to an hour later I'm hungry again. I've been drinking water to help that, but I'm still really hungry.

I've been trying to eat some veggie snacks, but dang, I can't stop being hungry. Please help.

are you eating a combination of fat, protein and carbs at each meal? fat keeps you satiated and protein takes longer to digest and helps you to feel full.

:yes: ^^ What she said :)

i find that whole grains keep me feeling full (or maybe its just in my head)...nuts, nut butters and beans are very filling, too...(i know those are carbs and proteins/fats which were already mentioned, but specifically, those things fill me up)

whole grains are a great food. They've got a pretty good balance of carbs and protein as well as fiber.

I have just discovered the joys of making garlic-free hummus. It's tasty, filling and not stinky!

Sometimes when I feel unsatisfied or hungry, what I really need is not a munchie, but a real meal. A big bean burrito with lots of salsa and toffuti sour cream, or a big bowl of pasta marinara with lots of sauteed veggies and a slice of bread. I find that being vegan, I tend to munch around a lot, and sometimes I just need to sit down and eat a real lunch!

Can you give us an example of what your diet has been since you turned veg so we can give you a better idea of how to make it more filling?

I had this problem more when I went vegan, not vegetarian. But that was only because I jumped into it quickly and wasn't prepared. Once I learned about all the great vegan foods out there, the constant hunger went away.

Eat more protein. It makes you feel more full than anything and it feeds your muscles. Carbs will fill you up for a while but in the end you'll end up hungrier.

Mmm, bread. Bean soup. Hummus. Pasta. Veggie burgers. HUGE salads loaded with vegetables. Nuts. Seeds. Whole wheat bagels. Veggie fajitas. So... full.... :tired:

I went through the same thing. It seemed like I was continually eating, but never feeling full??

I completely agree about the more protein thing, also keep alot of healthy snacks on hand. Nuts, protein bars, lots of different fruit, maybe fix a big bowl of salad and keep in the fridge for those in between snack attacks, and don't forget the fresh cut up veggies for a quick snack. I realized my body was going through sort of a detox if you will, and after about two weeks of this I started feeling a bit more satisfied and full throughout the day.:sunny:

If your eating carbs, please make sure that they are whole grain, brown rice, whole grain pastas, whole wheat breads, etc. I can no longer eat starchy white carbs, I hit a sugar high almost immediately and am starving an hour later. It really is amazing at how much better I feel when I'm eating better!!

Please keep us posted with your progress and let us know if things start to get better for you!:hug:

Congratulations on going veg.!!!

Michelle

Here's my two secrets. Beans: There's like 300 varieties so you can find something you like. The problem is not many veggie versions in cans. Make your own. Its easy, get a cock pot, when you get up in the morning, rinse your beans (you don't need to soak them), and put them in the crock pot. Add 3 times as much water as beans. Add you favorite seasonings except salt. Set on low and check again at dinner time. Add salt right before you are ready to eat (salt can make the beans tough). You can make a big batch and keep 'em in the fridge. I season mine with oregano, garlic, and veggie bullion.

The second secret is GORP. Its trail mix made of peanuts, rasins, and M&M's or Chocolate chips. When I get hungy, I have a bowl of this around. A handful is suprisingly filling.

... crock pot ^

;)

But cooking beans in a crock pot is a great idea... why didn't I think of that before?

it's clear to me that i've been eating way too many carbs. after reading all of your posts, I need more veggies with protein. i'm gonna try the crock pot idea so my meals will be more planned. i'm not really a bean eater but I have recently discover hummas. thanks everyone. this messsageboard has been a huge help.

I actually feel more 'full' now after every meal than I did after eating a meal with some kind of meat. For me, I think it is a different kind of 'full'. After I eat meals now, I don't feel the need to snack, but my energy levels remain pretty constant. Before, after eating a 'meat meal', it was an icky full feeling - bloated, lethargic, tired, etc. I agree that eating more whole grains is a good place to start. Also make sure that you are getting enough protein. Additionally, are you eating breakfast? It really is the most important meal of the day! I look forward to my breakfast every morning - a nice big bowl of Kashi Go Lean with soy milk and blueberries. I'm convinced that it keeps me going all day!

A note of caution when cooking beans in a crock pot, you MUST boil red kidney beans for 10 minutes first otherwise they are toxic - there have been cases of people being poisoned because they ate red kidney beans like this without boiling them first to get rid of the toxins.

A note of caution when cooking beans in a crock pot, you MUST boil red kidney beans for 10 minutes first otherwise they are toxic - there have been cases of people being poisoned because they ate red kidney beans like this without boiling them first to get rid of the toxins.

That's very interesting!

I always just buy beans canned, I'm lazy like that.

I don't really find I'm hungry alot. When I do get hungry, I eat until I'm full. It's one thing I love about being vegan. I can eat as much as I want, and I don't have to worry about gaining weight (as long as I get exercise, of course). I eat as much as I want, but I just watch WHAT I eat. I read alot of health magazines (because my mom buys them all the time), and I've noticed that most health magazines promote eating 5-6 smaller meals a day as opposed to 3 larger meals a day. They suggest eating at least every two hours. Apparently it prevents over-eating, by keeping you from getting too hungry.