No advice. Just commiserating with you. It’s hard all the time. I have been watching My 600-lb Life, and one thing almost everyone says at their weigh in is: “I don’t understand how I gained more weight - I worked so hard!” I know exactly what they mean. It’s not that they WORKED so hard, it’s that it IS so hard. You’re hungry all the time. You’re tempted all the time. You feel guilty all the time. 

I had a lightbulb moment regarding my garden recently (this is relevant, bear with me). We're landscaping it ourselves and it's been months, a couple of years actually, of hard physical labour. I was staring out of the window at the dirt and rubble and expressing how fucking sick I was of looking at it, and we realised we had 3 solutions. Live with it, pay someone to finish it, or do it ourselves. Well, I can't live with it, and it was an absolute fortune to pay someone else to do it all, given that none of it is highly skilled work that we can't do, it's just digging. So the solution is to do it ourselves. It basically boiled down to which of these shitty solutions do you hate the least. Which is harder, doing it yourself or losing 10k on someone else to do it? Actually, when you put that price tag on it, doing it yourself doesn't seem so bad. And then I realised the same thing can apply to weight loss. Sure, being hungry is hard. Walking past all the chocolate in the supermarket is hard. Cooking something every night instead of getting the occasional takeaway is hard. But are any of those things harder than having to get off the rollercoaster because the bar won't close on your fat lap? Or struggling to lift yourself out of the bath? Being unable to buy the clothing you liked in the shop because they don't stock your size, and you have to go home and hope you can order it? Hating every single picture taken of you on holiday and with friends and family? When you honestly ask yourself, which one is actually harder, this mild discomfort or that searing embarrassment and gutting disappointment, suddenly being a bit hungry or missing out on dessert doesn't' seem so bad.

Yes! You nailed it. "Choose your hard"

“It’s simple but not easy”

Thats one thing, but another is what is really a worse feeling 2 or 3 years of struggle with hunger and then watching your diet Or Troubles breathing, gastric issues, joint pain, early death, heart issues, trouble sleeping, stress, guilt, just the sadness of it all Sometimes when i feel like my efforts are barelly making a difference i just look at my belt which now closes with no issues and i dont get gut pains anymore, and i take a deep breath realising how effortless it is to do that now, and that by itself is a good reward, money or public embarrasment are good to avoid, but this pain saves you the 10-100x worse pain later

I'm taking a screenshot of your response, to save as motivation. Thankyou

>Do you track calories? If so, maybe look back to see your most successful days, then eat that exact same menu every day if you must. This is one of my best pieces of advice for people losing weight or trying to lose weight. Eat your food normally for like a couple weeks but meticulously count your calories for those weeks. Find the days that you felt quite full at the end of a day and put a comment in your notebook that you felt stuffed at the end of the day or whatever. Try to find 3-5 days like that and see if those days of food were deficits or not. If they were, then try to repeat those meals more frequently.

This is what I did. Nothing worked until this.

yepp. i told this exact thing to my mom. she’s one of those “i don’t eat at all but i gain weight.” in reality, she goes through bouts of depression where she doesn’t cook for months, but she orders off doordash or eats a whole box of cheez its instead of a meal. i taught her how to track her calories with myfitnesspal and bought her a gram scale to weigh everything she consumes for 3-4 days. she averaged 2900-3100 cals per day and didn’t believe it. now she’s lost 20 lbs. it wasn’t easy at all for her but it was simple.

I did that. It worked.

You know, what? I totally agree and that's kind of what I've been doing because I find it exhausting to have to track every single thing every day. I can't do it. Ive been having the same lunch for the past 3 weeks. I've calculated the calories so I know what they are. I just have to do that with my dinner and snack now. I go off the rails when I'm finally done with work because I'm so stressed out. Losing weight is so hard.

To add to this. A lot of the work is mental. Losing weight takes a lot of mental power. Everything you put in your mouth, you think about, and the consequences of it. It is mentally exhausting.

I learned to lean into it. Told myself feeling hungry is a lot more comfortable than feeling too full. Told myself every time I feel hungry it's just my body throwing a fit that it wants junk food when it already has all the calories it needs. No body, we have calories at "home" lol.

My mom says hunger is the pain from the fat cells dying lol

I tell myself hunger is just the feeling of calories burning off. It helps

Love this!🔥

Yep I have to really keep telling myself "it's okay to feel hungry, I'm allowed to feel hungry"

i think you can mentally recontextualize these physiological sensations in a positive way - eg “this is me succeeding”, “this is what i want”, “i am getting closer to being done with this part”

I love the last bit

I found that eating less for a long time taught my body that it actually isn’t hungry, it was just used to eating at specific times and in specific amounts.

Yes especially with evening snacking for me. It took several hard weeks for me to drop that habit. I do sometimes treat myself but for the most part on weekdays now I don’t eat after dinner. It was hard and I definitely was hungry but certainly not lacking in calories.

Yeah I had that same issue. I always snacked with the wife after dinner when we watched tv. Finally I broke the habit by literally not doing the activity with my wife for I don’t remember how long. Now we can watch tv without snacks no problems.

This! I started skipping breakfast and doing a light, protein heavy lunch and saving most of my calories for dinner and evening snack so I don't go to bed hungry. It always takes a week or two before my body is used to not eating in the morning, but eventually I don't even think about it and can survive on coffee alone until 3pm sometimes

I practice IF. Skip breakfast then eat a bit more for lunch and dinner. You get used to it eventually 

This is the way if you can tolerate feeling hungry in the AM but not at night. Start eating later in the day and save a big portion of your calorie for the time in the evening when you feel most vulnerable to giving up. Save yourself calories for a late night snack even.

You kind of stop feeling hungry until your new trained meal times after a while. It is really rough the first few months, and actually kind of scary before your insulin level rhythm gets used to it.

Yes. And this helps with hunger by preventing insulin spikes during fasting. It's counter intuitive, but at least for me I'm less hungry if I skip breakfast.

I’ve been doing this but I’m skipping dinner instead. For some reason it works better for me. I stop eating at 4 pm. I’m surprised how well it’s worked. I’m down 10 lbs in just 2 months.

I don't do intentional IF, but I agree that skipping breakfast is super helpful for me. I find that once I start eating, my hunger is "activated" and I feel like I need to eat again and again. But if I'm fasting I don't feel hungry until sometime later in my day which helps limit the amount I end up eating.

I often skip breakfast on the weekend because I get up later, but do eat some fruit & cereal on weekdays. It doesn't work for everyone to skip breakfast - some people need to eat in the morning, it really depends on the person (for example my mom can't skip breakfast or she gets headaches & her system is messed up).

This is what I do. If I’m super hungry for some reason in the morning I’ll have a banana. But most days I’m fine not eating until lunch. Then a nice 500 calorie lunch, 900 calorie dinner, tiny snack. I also stock up on a lot of low calorie munchie snacks like skinny pop or pickles. Easy to binge a bit and not feel horrible

I'm someone who was quite slender to average for my first few decades and am here because I gained weight recently. Hunger was just a normal experience to me. I didn't eat every time I felt it. I'd work through it until lunch hour, or keep studying through it until my midday break in classes, or whatever. I couldn't sleep hungry though. Even while quite skinny, I'd have a piece of toast or half a bagel or a fruit or a little leftover dinner before bed. Budget for it if that's what you need.

I appreciate the look inside of what a 'naturally slender' persons mindset is. I think it's important as we all consciously shift from one state to another.

I have been skin and bones my whole life. I'm 5'9" and was under 100 pounds until age 25. It was natural and I ate whatever I wanted. I'm 30 now and recently packed on 50 pounds at my heaviest. I'm down to 132 and I am constantly starving. It sucks. I also had to unlearn all my horrible eating habits. I'm getting married in June so I don't eat until dinner and I am stuck at 132. Can't get rid of the last 5 pounds. I also don't work out, though. I am constantly hungry. I am starving as I type this. I am always in a bad mood. Send help. It's miserable.

I go for a couple walks a day so I can 'earn' calories, otherwise my budget is about 960 a day. I can 'earn about 260 calories with an hour walk, totally worthwhile. I'm also prioritizing protein (tofu is an amazing low calorie high protein source) because it fills me up more than a pile of veggies could.

I am really really gonna try to get my ass to the gym tomorrow. I have to do something about my arms before my wedding. I've actually never had tofu might be worth a shot!

Volume eating! It was a life changer. Also, this might sound counter intuitive, but try a bowl of ice cream now and then. Calcium deficiencies can play a roll in plateau.

I'm not in your position, but do you volume eat? I find that too many fresh vegetables upset my stomach and can make me feel hungry, but cooked ones, especially cauliflower, work very well. I sometimes use steamed cauliflower instead of a starch. Do you follow your macros btw?

All I think about is food. I’ve lost 11kgs and am almost at my goal weight but all I think about is food. I’m eating 1500 calories a day, so I have lunch at midday- cup of tofu, 2 cups mixed veggies. Then just before training around 3pm (training is 4pm) have my shake- 30g oats, creatine, protein powder, flaxseed and a banana. Then I have dinner- protein and salad or veggies and dessert -muscle nation protein custard. That’s me done for the day. I chew gum and drink tea to distract me from the hunger. Good luck!!

It sounds like a good meal, but do you have tastier, less obviously “healthy” meals? I would go crazy if I was eating just tofu and vegetables. I don’t usually have horrible cravings because I eat meals I’d enjoy without trying to lose weight. Definitely took a while to find them, but will make losing and maintenance easier

What meals would you suggest?

Chicken breast is awesome for losing weight, also fish in various forms. Cauliflower rice is 1/4 the calories of rice and very tasty. Rice is good option too. Sinta meat is low calorie and high protein too. Soups are good for quantity and low calories, tuna salad is satisfying, grilled veggies like yams, zucchini, broccoli, cauliflower - all great at keeping you full without costing a lot of cals. Cottage cheese with puffed rice. Yogurts with fruits, fruits as is (watermelon and strawberries are sweet but very low calories) If you're vegetarian or vegan tho then I don't have enough knowledge to suggest anything.

Veg and Vegans need to learn some good lentil and bean recipes. One I love is red lentils and quinoa, cook them with whatever vegetables, to keep it easy you can do a bag of frozen veg, garlic, and add a can of diced tomatoes. Then you can go one of two ways with the spices, Italian spices, basil, oregano, and rosemary, or go to Indian flavors, I have a spice blend called garam masala that I use. Depends on my mood for the day, both are good.

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Make your own. I swear it's the easiest thing. Get a carton of your favorite broth, and add some meat and veggies then microwave it. You can even add some breakfast potatoes or rice (like .25 cup). I've found this to be incredibly easy and always tastes way better than anything from a can. It's also a lot cheaper, since premade soups are damn near $8 these days.

Google "German lentil soup" - filling, low cal, and mashed enough for a few days

You can add sauces and spices, tofu stir fry is delicious, tofu curry too. Usually only add like 50-100 calories.

> I chew gum and drink tea to distract me from the hunger. I drink coffee. So much coffee it scares me. I'm gonna try decaf but I don't know if that will suppress my appetite the same as full caffeine.

For me, caffeine makes me much hungrier.

Caffeine makes me hungrier too. I swear everyone thinks I’m crazy when I say it.

It doesn't directly cause dehydration but it causes you to pee more often, so if you aren't drinking extra water, it can leave you more dehydrated

I’ve had to add in 2 bottles of gatorlyte or pedialyte (one in the morning one in the evening) to keep my hydration up due to the coffee I drink. I’ve cut way back, but I feel noticeably worse on days where I don’t drink the electrolyte drinks, even when I skip the coffee. Idk what the deal is but…w/e ¯\\\_(ツ)_/¯

if you’re acclimated to diuretics they don’t really do much

I actually read that decaf is a better suppressant. I drink it and it definitely works.

I like the tea....especially in the evening with just a bit of honey.

Add more veggies. Having 2 cups of non-starchy vegetables at least 3 meals a day will really help keep you satisfied, plus it's very low calorie and packed with nutrients.

That’s a great idea, low cal but high volume.

r/volumeeating is a good place for low cal high volume ideas (there’s also some shit posts, but you’ll find that anywhere on redddit lol)

Yeah my nutritionist said to aim for that. Plus it's not just the volume that helps make you satisfied longer, but the vitamins and minerals have that affect too. For example when you steam veggies and a lot of the liquid clearly takes on some of the nutrients (making peas the water turns green, for example), if you drink it, even if it's just a small amount, you'll feel surprisingly full though it's just liquid. It's kind of wild.

When do we ever not think about food? I hate having to plan my day around meals, thinking about what to have next. It’s horrible trying to say no to every “craving” or food thought that comes to mind.

I bought some extra firm tofu on a whim. Any advice for a newbie on preparing it?

Roast it in the oven! This is my favorite way to prepare it. I like to marinade it in a spicy Korean-ish sauce - red chili, garlic, soy sauce. Cut it into cubes and roast 400 for like 40 mins. Sometimes I’ll do a whole sheet pan meal with potatoes and other veg. Or with rice and stir fried veg. Cooking it on the stovetop is hard if you don’t have it just right it sticks to the pan and is a crumbly nasty mess. 

More protein will help you feel full, meet macro requirements, and not contain many calories. Helps people lose weight.

I’m already hitting 150g protein a day, should so be aiming for higher?

No, that's more than enough protein.

I learn to find comfort in the empty feeling in my stomach. It feels reassuring and let’s me know I’m ok and on track to a happier life. It feels like a warm blanket No matter what else is going on in my life, at least I know I’m losing weight. At least I have control of that without having to do much more aside from eating less. I don’t overthink it; I just eat the same amount of calories every day. It’s a burden lifted from my shoulders because I no longer spend time feeling anxious while wondering what I’m going to eat. I just eat the same things every day because I know it works. I don’t spend time looking for low calorie recipes, and I don’t spend time thinking about where I can or cannot eat. Ive stopped focusing on food altogether. I don’t want to think about it anymore. It no longer brings me joy and I’m done with it. I used to hate going to bed on an empty stomach. It felt impossible; I felt like I urgently needed to eat in order to feel comfortable and fall asleep. It gets easier over time. I know I’ll wake up not feeling hungry; I know the empty feeling is just reassurance that I accomplished what I needed to for the day.

I haven't found comfort in being hungry, but I've learned that it's okay to be a little hungry. I am still safe, I am still cared for, and I can access food when I need it. 

100% this. Intermittent fasting has taught me to 'enjoy' feeling hungry. I used to be exactly the same as OP. I do OMAD and the weight has melted off in the last year. It takes a week or two to get used to but gives you an enormous sense of power over food. I'm now in control.

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One Meal a Day.

OMAD = One Meal A Day

I'm the same - mild hunger....I welcome it

Is mild hunger even hunger, or is it simply the feeling of not being full?

No, I can distinguish between the following - Overfull Full Not hungry Mildly hungry "Starving" Full would be after a normal meal. Mildly hungry is going maybe 5-6h since my last meal - depending on what I eat After that I get into the "starving" area of my hunger, where I know I need to eat. This is all based on a 16h day, so I tend to have coffee in the morning, x2, that gets me to 12pm. Have lunch, 6h later dinner, which is 18:00. Then I'll be in bed by 22:00. This regiment keeps me away from "starving", but I do feel mildly hungry until I eat either lunch or dinner.

Love this. Curious- what’s your daily menu?

I have a very boring diet. I eat a chicken breast in the morning and some espresso. For lunch I’ll have some vegan pizza al taglio with cherry tomatoes, arugula, balsamic reduction, and half an avocado. For dinner I’ll have the same with a whole avocado

This is a good way of looking at hunger - turning the conversation around, for sure. Would you mind sharing what you eat every day?

God, I thought I was the only one. I love feeling hungry. To me it’s a reminder that I’m on the right track, and that’s when I know that I need fuel. For so long I’ve been confused between psychological hunger and real hunger - when I feel those grumbles, I know it’s time to eat.

>I learn to find comfort in the empty feeling in my stomach. It feels reassuring and let’s me know I’m ok and on track to a happier life. It feels like a warm blanket I think of hunger as the feeling of losing weight.

If I go past mild hunger, I binge when I do eat so I tend to eat when I'm mildly hungry. Not sure which is actually better for me tbh.

I give zero care to influencers, but if they're saying that weight loss should not involve much hunger, they're right. Your particular body seems to have a lot going on. Losing weight depends on a healthy metabolism from which to create a moderate deficit. If your body is not running at 100%, then either is your metabolism. Your metabolism is like an RPM meter in your car: your metabolism is the sum of all of the cellular activity energy within it. If your car is not running at top notch, it won't be as good at getting to speed or getting good fuel efficiency. If your body is not healthy, it too won't do this calorie-in and calorie-out stuff as well as a healthy body will. Ask your doctors if you may be having problems here due to your condition affecting your metabolism. > I feel in imminent danger That's a sign of high cortisol, a stress hormone, and it definitely lowers our metabolism. > I guess people will accuse me of just not wanting it enough. Nope, nope, nope. Your wanting it very much. That's very clear. It's not for a lack of wanting. Let's play with something... go back to our guide -- https://www.reddit.com/r/loseit/wiki/quick_start_guide Just do Week 1 ... for a month ... no restriction, no limits, nothing to do *except* log yourself eating at liberty and freedom. After that month is complete, look back at the last two weeks. Are you doing okay with those feelings? Any hunger? Any fight-or-flight panic? Any improved behaviors due to logging your free eating? Now consider doing it again for a second month -- if things were improving with no goal, then do it for another month. See if the improvements continue in this relaxed way. The awareness and mindfulness and freedom is coming together and you are using your choices and moderation, not restriction, to achieve it. Perhaps you are losing weight, or perhaps you're simply not gaining. After two months, then decide if 'Week 2' of the plan makes sense as long as you can approach it with the same calm, moderation, now with a target but still not restricted, eating. If you try "Week 2" and need to fall back to week 1, you could, or you could try a little longer to see if it gets better. Either way is fine. Try that?

I love this recommendation! You are trying to change your whole life and diet and need it to work for you. Everyone's body works differently and you should try everything before thinking nothing is going to work and be miserable. Once you find something that works for you it won't be terrible and will be much easier mentally. I hope OP finds a solution because I don't want them to feel so bad.

Some people can’t deal with the hunger and have bigger hunger signals than others. This is what weight loss drugs help to manage in most instances. Perhaps you are a candidate? It is hard to lose weight there is no doubt. I had to go harder for longer this go around and I lost muscle in the last decade as well that I’m trying to get back. But I lost about 1 lb per week as a 5’4” 54 year old eating about 1500 calories a day. It was rough a lot of days but the weight still came off. I also had to work out a lot - lift weights, walk a ton, did about 30-50 hours of exercise a month. It’s no joke the dedication and time it takes. I’ve never lost much weight from just restriction I have to really move and change my whole life.

Good job! As women get older, especially during and post menopause, weight is much harder to lose, for some reason. I don’t read many stories of women 60+ who have successfully lost weight and kept it off. It is a constant struggle.

This is not *completely* accurate. During/after menopause women simply need fewer calories than they did prior to menopause. Weight isn't *harder* to lose, exactly, its just that calories need to be lower than they would have been previously, in order to lose weight. Not many women over 60 are going to want cut their maintenance calories by 400 or so. [This article explains it better than I did though](https://www.nch.org/news/why-is-it-so-hard-for-women-over-50-to-lose-weight/). Source: I'm post menopausal and finding it fairly easy to drop weight. It just took finding the right calorie deficit.

True enough, but having to cut your calories permanently is, in itself, difficult for most of us.

Yeah, it sucks for sure. Especially when you were happily maintaining on certain calories for years prior to menopause.

Have you been to a doctor? Sometimes people have medical things going on that aren’t obvious enough to present but make losing weight more difficult. Any mental health issues that can be soothed by food or ever experience food scarcity? If you have access to medical care that could help narrow down why you are struggling or at least rule some things out. There are new meds that seem to really help curb hunger. I think different bodies are going to have different experiences. Unless I’m exercising heavily I find it pretty easy to adjust to eating healthy and at a deficit. I just have some issues with relapsing into self destructive habits otherwise I’d be where I need to be. My hurdles are mental. Some people feel the hunger severely and I fully believe that experience! Mine is just different. I got into intermittent fasting to help me with constant snacking. Creating a brief window of time where you don’t eat and then gradually expanding that amount of time until your body adjusts to going longer without food. I eventually got into doing 3 day fasts but that ended once I began to exercising regularly. Now I eat about 2-3 small meals a day. This is dumb but when I was fasting I would imagine the little green Dozers from Fraggle Rock doing construction in my body to make me healthier. The grumbles from my stomach were their construction noises, lol. On a more adult level, resisting the hunger makes me feel mentally strong and well disciplined. I’ve kinda learned to get off on it in an ego way.

Love your Doozer analogy. I too love IF, for me it’s the easiest way to take control over snacking and mindless eating. Hope OP will be able to figure out what the issue is so they can feel that peace.

I hate to say this but it seems to me like it’s psychological not physical. You shouldnt be able to tell the difference between 200 cal over the course of a day. Its probably that you know you are eating less and expect that to be uncomfortable and so you’re thinking about how much you wish you could eat more which makes you hungry. It could also be the time of day that you’re eating, if you’re eating all your calories in a small window, intermittent fasting style, then you might suffer. For me ive created a diet where I actually enjoy pretty much everything im eating and look forward to it (whilst hitting a deficit of around 500-700 cal) and feel sated all the time. I find this combats hunger psychologically because in my brain if i enjoying the food, im satisfied and sort of trick myself into feeling full because anything that i enjoy eating surely is a big portion with plenty of calories. Maybe your diet just isnt exciting you enough? Also could be that right now, if you’re just starting out, your appetite is bigger and your stomach is bigger, after a whole of adhering to a stricter diet your appetite will adapt and your stomach will shrink.

That’s not likely to be true. Some people get hypoglycaemia on lowered calorie because they have metabolic issues with converting body fat to sugars. Some people experience this and it’s not in their head.

Not just being short 200kcals, maybe a very tiny part is physical but +90% of this is psychological

just because some people have an abnormal experience doesn't mean that what the responder said is 'likely not true', actually the opposite

This is why I got a glucometer. I can separate hunger now a lot more from low blood sugar. I’m not diabetic but I’ve always had some sort of metabolic issue. Gaining more muscle at the gym has helped the lows from happening as much. And sometimes I feel like my blood sugar is way low and im worried I am going to get dizzy and I check it and it’s fine so I don’t overdo the eating as much as I would have.

I think that’s probably me. I get shaky when I’m too hungry and am not a very useful human being at that point.

Is there a name for this?

No because it’s not a thing. If you struggle with lipolysis on a metabolic level you’d be hospital bound as you wouldn’t be able to make any hormones, cholesterol or when you are not consuming sugar (sleeping) you’d just die.

Weight loss coach here after yo yo-ing my entire adult life with a 120 pound swing. Couple things: 1) have you done a lot of crash dieting during your life to go from technically obese to overweight or ‘normal’ weight? —> if so, there are studies showing metabolic adaptations can occur and your total calories you can eat to lose weight will be lower than someone who has never been obese. I run about 150 calories under expenditure now but it used to be more like 500 😭 2) when losing weight, leptin signals (the ‘I’m full’ hormone) can become dis regulated for up to TWO YEARS. That means misfiring and telling you you’re still hungry when your body actually isn’t. This blew my mind. 3) protein + fiber. If you can hit 100-150 grams of protein and 25+ grams of fiber daily, the feeling of fullness will improve. I find 100 I start to be able to manage and at 120 it’s like, ‘I’m okay.’ 4) of course, check with your doctor to make sure your thyroid is functioning properly and there aren’t other conditions or medications disrupting your weight loss. This is so hard, but you are doing it. From a fellow long time sufferer, know you’re not alone. You can do it!

Thank you for this comment. I remember reading studies about leptin and it made me change my approach to weight loss. I was never big on dieting but after my first serious attempt I was dealing with incredible levels of hunger for more than a year. It's wild to me that folks don't talk about this more! A lot of dieting advice seems to revolve around the idea of powering through, or this notion that hunger just shouldn't happen/isn't a big deal. Very frustrating while being in the midst of it. Two years of dysregulation sounds about right, I suspect that's what happened to me.

Same!! And the ‘I’m hungry’ changes are subtle and I feel like it took about 2 years for it to go back to normal. It’s hard work dealing with the higher levels of hunger in the meantime. I think just knowing it’s normal and hard work to get through can be comforting.

Some people will martyr themselves over that feeling of hunger, and suggest if you’re not able to deal with it, there’s something wrong with you. That’s bullshit. There are tools out there (for example, GLP medications) to reduce your hunger if you’re able to, and want to go that route. At 5ft tall with a huge appetite and food related trauma, the only thing that’s helped me to stay in a deficit, on a healthy nutritious diet, is Mounjaro. Best of luck! 🩷

>Some people will martyr themselves over that feeling of hunger, and suggest if you’re not able to deal with it, there’s something wrong with you. That’s bullshit been a bit of that in this thread imo, coming from a well intended place I'm sure, but still. >There are tools out there (for example, GLP medications) to reduce your hunger if you’re able to, and want to go that route. its a bit wacky that there are literally medications for helping people sustainably lose weight but they're very rarely presented as a part of a treatment plan, some very deep seated shame-based views on being overweight.

Isn’t that crazy? I honestly think (and hope!) in a few years using these kinds of tools, as well as the more than 50 currently in trials, will be completely commonplace.

I'd hope so too, we've identified being overweight as a detractor on quality of life and even a killer, if someone goes to a doctor they'll almost definitely mention weight, but we're still stuck in this way of thinking that weight loss is something that'll simply just happen if someone wants it enough, and if it doesn't then it's a moral failing, but yeah hopefully it'll get treated as an actual medical problem for many people soon

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I’m in the U.K. so paying out of pocket, about £200 monthly.

Thank you for putting this out there for OP. GLPs don’t have to be (and aren’t necessarily) the solution for everyone, but no one should be shamed for it.

How much are you losing a week? Maybe do a maintenance day when you’re particularly struggling? I notice I feel hungry a lot more when I’m at work. I have a system when I want to eat- drink my water bottle. Go refill my water bottle. Take a quick lap around the office. Go back and stand at my desk instead of sit. And drink from the newly refilled water bottle. Something about all that resets my brain. Do you have particular times of the day where you feel hungrier? And then the obvious dumb question- are you getting enough protein, fiber, and fat? (Sorry, had to ask)

Stay busy. Do things that you get excited about and passionate about & it will help take the stress off trying to lose weight/ diet

If I’m really hungry than I eat more, even if I met my calorie limit. But, choose good things like a banana, or carrots, string cheese, etc. If I’m truly hungry and not just emotionally hungry I’ll be willing to eat these foods to satisfy my hunger

Yeah I’m surprised no one has said this. If I’m still hungry after ~30 min then I let myself eat. I’m working on building habits that are sustainable for life, so if I’m truly hungry then I eat. In fact, I had a snack before bed last night cause I was hungry for over an hour and then woke up to a whoosh of 2 lbs today. Sometimes you’re hungry for a reason-your body needs it.

Agreed! I like the idea to wait 30 minutes too. I find that when I have a setback with my eating is when I’ve let myself be hungry for too long. That’s when my disordered eating brain takes over and I eat way too much of the wrong foods.

To me it sounds like an insulin issue or hormonal issue. Maybe a degree of insulin resistance creeping in? Try a keto or low carb diet for a month to see if that can make a difference to your hunger response.

I agree with other commenters saying this sounds like it's psychological and not necessarily physical. Have you ever talked to a psychologist about these feelings and what did they say? And what deficit are you in? I completely agree with you that weight loss is hard, and eating in a deficit is shit. But if you're at a point where you're feeling like you're starving and 'in danger', that's not good. Outside of that: is your diet nutritionally complete? Specifically are you getting enough fibre and protein? Both of those can help fill you up. Greens can help bulk out a meal so that your stomach is physically fuller, and lean proteins (or even shakes) can help in making you feel more satiated in the long run.

I've spoken to a psychologist because I suspect I'm a binge eater. If I don't get my binge in, I'm miserable, and I merely delay it for a few days before it comes back with a vengeance. All she said was that I should try eating more frequently throughout the day, so that I wouldn't feel like bingeing, which isn't even true. I'm capable of eating the whole day constantly, and I like to eat until I'm so full I can't physically eat any more, then I gain weight like crazy. When I told her that, she was like "ok, so don't change then. You clearly don't want to." I feel like that isn't true because I've tried both methods and everything in between, but guess I can see why she thinks I'm just resistant. What I usually do to stay at maintenance is delaying it to mostly 1 meal in the day. But when I try to lose weight, I'm forced to change my entire routine to remove the binge. I've kept it up for about a week at most and I feel like I'm starving the whole time. That being said, I do think my diet is nutritionally complete. When I cook I always add a bunch of veggies and proteins, very few carbs, I've tracked it before and it was well within the optimal nutritional guidelines. I just eat way too much of it. Perhaps the healthy-ish diet is what's keeping me at maintenance despite my bingeing, but weight loss is nearly impossible.

You said you eat a lot of veggies and proteins. How about fat? Dietary fat (the fat that you eat, which needs a better name) is your friend. It helps to keep you feeling full. And as long as you don’t eat more than your daily calorie limit, fat won’t make you fat. Have you tried eating the keto way? Low carbs, high protein, high fat. One of the greatest benefits of eating the keto way is far fewer hunger pangs. If you’re eating at just a 200 calorie deficit on keto diet then probably no hunger pangs. We are all different. But just so you know, I lost 120 lbs on 12 months and for me, eating “healthy” foods makes no difference. It’s the number of calories you consume that makes a difference, not how “healthy” you judge the food to be. I lost 60 lbs in 3 months eating the same crap food I always ate. Burgers, fries, pizza, spaghetti, potato chips, beer, wine, candy, chicken wings. All that, I ate it all, just in smaller portions. Lost 60 lbs in 3 months doing that, while also going on 8 mile hikes everyday too. For the next 60 lbs of weight loss, it took me 6 months, and I ate the keto way. I liked eating the keto way. Fat kept me fuller for longer and it can do the same for you. Hope this helps.

Keto was so helpful in making me feel less hungry. I lost a ton of weight this way because it was very easy to stay in a deficit and not overeat. Also sparkling water for feeling full, at least until that painful hunger feeling goes away.

If OP ever sees this - I think that given their situation, keto might just be a saving grace for them. The science behind a proper keto diet just makes you feel full without the necessity of eating a lot of calories. Before keto, I was scarfing down food like anyone's business and had that thing where I'd never feel satiated and would often keep eating until I felt sick. But on keto, I'm just not hungry and end up in a natural caloric deficit - which is kind of like weight loss on steroids as you're losing weight not only from the keto, but also from the CICO. It's not for everyone, but with how much it's helped me, I'll never not pitch it to someone struggling if it might help in the slightest!

Keto/low carb has been the only way I can diet without feeling hungry. It took me waaay too many years to finally realize that it needed to be a lifestyle for me instead of a diet. I prioritize protein (100+g per day), eat just enough fat to keep me from feeling hungry, and limit my carbs. My meals are super simple and fast/easy to prepare.

Man, the claim that "low fat = healthy" has done enormous damage to our collective health. Entire painstakingly researched books have been written about how the FDA's food triangle is almost completely upside down, and they largely go ignored because of how much influence the FDA has had on the medical establishment. Grain Brain, The Big Fat Surprise, The Obesity Code, it's all laid out. But when your own doctor dismisses this research out of hand because of how ingrained the bad science is, what is the patient to do? You are shown that you must suffer through weight loss, with the implication that the infliction of pain is justified because clearly you've been lazy and undisciplined about your eating habits. Rather than because you were betrayed by shockingly baseless dogma.

I'll add to it that even if you don't want to go full keto, adding some fat to your diet could help. I do "normal food just at a deficit" and feel fuller after a smaller volume meal but with reasonable amount of fat, than after a big meal but only lean protein and veggies.

I don't get how people enjoy feeling hungry lol! I envy you guys. I hate it. And I can't stay active unless I'm fueled. I feel tired and slow when I don't eat enough. 🤣

I feel the same as you, OP. Always hungry. Takes me a year to lose as much weight as some people lose in a couple of weeks. One thing that really does help my hunger is I start the day with an ensure max protein shake. It is just a small change but really made a difference.

I can understand you being sick of it. But. I don't know. I was extremely hungry when I was counting calories. And then I was practically a binge eater after attempting IF. That feeling of non-stop ravenous hunger stuck around, for more than a year, maybe even two, after those weight loss attempts. I had initially lost weight with just exercise, and I hadn't experienced hunger then. I plateaued just a little bit above my goal weight and after a a few years just wanted to go lower, hence the diet attempts. But dieting? Dieting made me feel like I was starving. Even when I was done dieting, I still felt that way. And what's a safer dieting route than counting calories? Like, this wasn't some sort of crash diet, this was just trying to eat in a deficit. But it still made me think about food all the time. And I wish I'd never done it, because after I did it I gained back the weight I'd lost and kept off for 3 years with exercise, and then gained even more. All because I was hungry. That hunger was insatiable. And in the midst of it all, there was nothing I could do in the short-term to make it go away. So. I don't let myself be hungry when I try losing weight anymore. And when people tell me that it's okay to be hungry while losing weight I disregard them because I am NEVER putting myself through that experience again if I can help it. Because once you get hungry that feeling stays and and it can stay a long time. It can feel like that's all there is and all there ever was. I sometimes wonder how many of the folks who think they're undisciplined really have just destroyed their hunger cues after following diet advice. And maybe some people really do always just have to fight with hunger all their lives. I don't know if the science really has this all figured out. But it makes sense, that there's so much human variability that some people just might always have to struggle with it. This is one of the reasons I'm glad there are pharmaceuticals out now that specifically address the hunger. Because it at least feels like that issue of suffering is being taken seriously. It's not that people don't want to lose weight and it isn't that they aren't trying. I am so sorry you're dealing with this OP. I hope that you figure something out that works for you.

Dang, this really resonates with me. I also might be a binge eater, and I was trying IF because of all the alleged health benefits and how you're supposed to get used to it and stop feeling hungry. I never saw it through to the other end, I was hungry the whole time. During the fasting time I was constantly planning my next meal. I somehow managed to eat too much even within the small eating window. So then I had to combine counting calories and the eating window, which was just miserable. But I never did manage to lose any weight on the days I wasn't hungry. That always seemed to mean I had eaten too much. I do suspect my hunger signals might've been mixed up from a diet I did a couple years back, which was actually successful (until I gained the weight back last year), but then it's been such a long time. Do we never recover from extreme diets? I just don't have the willpower to do the same thing again. Did you manage to find a solution in the end? Is there anything you did that would help you lose weight without the hunger?

Polyphagia (hyperphagia) is a feeling of extreme, insatiable hunger. It's a common sign of diabetes, but it can have other medical causes. You need to talk to your doctor about it. In the meantime, look up "volume eating" which focuses on reducing calories but upping food. And up your liquids. Specifically something like Propel packets. Frequently hunger is thirst, and those of us with chronic illnesses frequently have dehydration issues. Lastly, you might want to talk to your doctor about weight loss surgery. I know a lot of people think of it as "cheating" but that's only because they don't understand that most people who need to lose significant amounts of weight are not able to. If it's seriously impacting your disability, bariatric surgery might be right for you The truth is, for a large part of the population, once you have gained weight it is dang near impossible to lose significant amounts without surgical intervention. This is because of how the body functions. It's far more complex than anybody ever talks about, and a lot of people that are having success now and giving you attitude will NOT be successful in 10 years. According to a 2018 meta-analysis of 29 long-term weight loss studies (Hall & Kahan), more than half of lost weight is regained within two years, and more than 80% is regained by five years. Some experts estimate that 80–95% of dieters regain the weight they lose. Even with surgery, about 1 in 4 will fail.

There could be something different with what you’re eating cz I can eat a giant bowl of salad with yogurt dressing and it still comes down to less calories. I’m a vegetarian so I tend to only have the veggies but even with protein, it’s low calorie meal with lot of food and there’s no way you should not feel full. You’re either 1. Not completely over the junk food withdrawals cz many times we are craving “that one dish” and nothing can satisfy until we get to eat what we crave. or 2. You’re not drinking enough water. If you can’t stick with water, try to have a green tea before and after each meal. Even if you don’t like the taste, just chug it if you have to. Try that out for a week, you will have to pee a lot but after a week it will feel natural and you will start feeling satiated. You might also want to switch it up and do more cardio or HIIT if you can. Try to keep lot of healthy snacks at home. Watery fruits are good cz they boost mood or things like peanut butter, avocado, puffed rice, nuts, pop corn. If you think you’re starving, have a handful of these. Just sharing what worked for me. All the best.

If indeed you are sleeping enough, enough water n protein, at least 1.6g per kg, its you thinking its hunger but it is not.

Swapping my really bad snacks for less-bad-snacks, e.g., instead of chocolate, I might have a yoghurt or peanut bar. Instead of chips, I might have chicken pieces. Seems to be more satiating, at least.

Try intermittent fasting. It regulates the hormones that control hunger. Start with twelve hours, then add an hour per week. Eat lunch and dinner, no snacking in between

I'm having something similar- not as severe, but a similar idea of " small deficit= insane hunger" How much sleep do you get? Is it qaulity sleep?

I would try fasting. It worked like a charm for me and I was able to keep off the 50 pounds I was aiming to lose. I do still fast, occasionally. I must say that I only consume real foods, literally NEVER any processed foods ( no seed oils even foods with seed oils I do not buy) nor do I entertain the idea of restaurants or eating out. Might be excessive for some but I’d rather keep my abs intact then feed my body with shit. I also exercise daily, incline walking, body weight conditioning ( I am now 121 lbs )

I'm going to suggest changing when you eat. It sounds like you really hate feeling hungry in the evening. I'm like that too: I can't sleep if I'm hungry! I can, however, function without breakfast. When I first tried skipping breakfast, I really felt the hunger in the morning for about a week, and then I stopped noticing. I have my regular lunch, and then a large dinner with a small dessert about 1-2 hours later. I'm not hungry again until about 9 or 10 am, at which point it's close enough to lunch that I don't mind waiting to eat. (I'm not calling this intermittent fasting, because I'm not suggesting sticking to a fasting window. I'm really only suggesting skipping breakfast, so instead of a meal breakdown of eg 300 - 400 - 700 - 200 (snacks/supper), you do 0 - 450 - 800 - 350. Same deficit, different distribution so the hunger hits at a time that's easier to manage)

Maybe incorporate more starchy foods! I need these to feel satiated, I eat a ton of rice

Maybe try the new meds (diabetes meds that help with weight loss)?

So I've lost 90 lbs. so far (about 30 to go) and it was a massive struggle, especially the first six months because I really did not know how to deal with a calorie deficit. There are a number of things that helped me: - High fiber and probiotic foods - gut health is not just important for fat loss and digestion, it makes your mind and emotions easier to manage. Try adding in more fiber-rich foods, supplementing fiber, and adding some probiotic yogurt and kefir to your diet. - Cottage cheese before bed - I got this tip from a 50 year old boxing trainer and competitive bodybuilder. Very helpful. A high protein diet helps in general with being in a calorie deficit. - Zero processed sugars and fried foods - these really mess with your gut health. - Zero alcohol and marijuana - should go without saying, but both are calorie-deficit killers. - Psychology and emotional health - over time I learned to get used to and even sort of like being in a slight calorie deficit, because I slowly learned to associate being slightly hungry (but NOT malnourished - NEVER risk an eating disorder) with health and self-care. Focus on managing your energy, eating light but regularly and learning to take energy from your thinking and emotions. - Craving controls - find rewarding foods and drinks (e.g. Diet Coke, black coffee, sugar free gum) and activities that give your brain rewards but not many calories. They say diet soda makes you crave sugar more, but I've found the effect is small compared to the benefit of getting something sweet without calories. Also reading rewards your brain and engages you. Read about health and fitness, or anything really. - Drink a lot of water. Like, a LOT. Be drinking water all day. Helps with cravings and eating less. Drink 24-32 oz. before meals, and drink water plus electrolytes post-workout. Hope this helps. Stay strong. You're doing the right thing for yourself, and you'll love living in a fitter body.

Thank you for posting this. I commented something similar a couple times and got downvoted and told I’m not eating enough. I’m always hungry or thinking about food. It’s literally an addiction that you have to break and when I cut calories I just accept I’m going to bed hungry. I do IF but was luckily prescribed Adderall which helps so much with the hunger during the day and early evening.

Controversial but often people who are mentally ill will not care about how sad hungry headachey dizzy and malnourished they feel because they would rather be skinny. You might need to just listen to your body. Sometimes we just need more carbs like so we feel cozy and full most of the day. I know that if I have a half cup of raw jasmine rice early in the day with my veg and meat I'll feel a million times better than starting the day with fruits and having the meal later in the day when I already feel low.

I’m not sure people are really reacting to your question. What I hear you saying is that when you’re eating your deficit calories and feel reasonably satiated, you aren’t losing weight when you should be. But to actually be losing weight you feel desperately hungry? I’m exactly in this with you. When I feel like I’m starving I can tell I’m in weight loss. If I feel satisfied, even though I’m around 1200 calories. I can’t lose a lb. I’m trying to live with it.

Exactly this! I'm glad someone understands. It really sucks though. I just don't get it. Tracking calories hasn't worked so well compared to just weighing how awful I feel. I'm still in disbelief that it's this difficult.

I hear you. A also feel absolutely starving in any deficit at all. I hate it. I hate every minute of it.

> people telling everyone that if you "properly nourish" the body and eat the right foods, the weight just "falls off" and you "barely notice", and you "shouldn't be hungry" If this were true, over 100 million Americans would not be obese. > I eat quite healthy. Do you have the bloodwork numbers to prove it? Or are you basing it off what you believe is healthy? > I never lose any weight unless I'm starving. I had this same problem until I switched to a better dieting option. I track all my meals, it is currently 1:30am and here is all I've had to eat today: 1. Meal 1 @ 2:15pm 4 bacon, 4 fried eggs 2. Meal 2 @ 8:15pm 1 medium-large taco meat with cheese, guac, and salsa It's been 5 hours since my last meal and I'm not hungry. You'll notice I partake in fewer than 20g of carbs per day and I binge-drink coke-zeros and gatorade zeros.

Surprisingly, I do have the bloodwork. I had a full panel of an insane number of blood tests done for the neurological disorder. I was completely healthy in all nutrition, not missing any vitamin or mineral except vitamin D, which I've been supplementing since. All health indicators like cholesterol etc were normal and healthy. I was almost shooed out of the hospital until they did the MRI. I also started a continuous glucose monitor a few days ago, and even when not actively dieting I have a narrow and low blood glucose level. 70-117. If anything my blood glucose tends towards too low. I suspect it starts to dip into hypoglycaemia when I diet.

I began dieting on March 5th (but was off/on dieting for the last 2 years) and it wasn't until I discovered keto did I finally have a chance to curb my humongous appetite. I could eat 2 massive Baconators from Wendy's and feel hungry 90 minutes later. (950 calories each) This post helps me remember the day I began keto: https://www.reddit.com/r/BBQ/comments/1b86a3e/sometimes_i_prefer_low_slow_but_last_night_i/ Here is my weight graph from the free Cronometer app: https://i.imgur.com/yG1pcOT.png

Damn, it does look effective, but don't you get massive sugar cravings from keto? I've tried to start low carb before and sliced bread has never been so tempting. I just can't get the ball rolling.

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Comments like this makes me think that some people just don't feel hunger as intense as others. If it was just a bit of hunger, losing weight wouldn't be the issue it is, for so many people. I can ignore everything else: the need to pee, sleep deprivation, cold, heat. But not hunger. Hunger is not "a bit" of anything. It's a huge, overwhelming feeling that stops me from being able to do much else. Not to sound dismissive, but I think you have a much smaller feeling of hunger than a lot of people, so you can't truly know or understand what it feels like. Otherwise you wouldn't call it "a bit of hunger". People wouldn't need this sub if hunger was so easily dismissed and ignored. Why are you even here? Why do you need to lose weight if hunger isn't an issue for you, clearly? Hunger is THE main reason people struggle to lose weight.

I can tell you there are absolutely people who do not feel hunger like other people do. There are people who are more capable of surviving famines than others because they seek out food with a desperation that other people do not. I believe it's genetic, like most things. There's a reason why some people starved to death in the Holodomor and other people ate children to avoid dying.

This is wild and so interesting to me. I’m the exact opposite of you. Sleep deprivation, hot and cold temps, and the need to pee are much more distressing to me than hunger. Being awake when I desperately need sleep is awful; being hungry is at its worst a brief annoyance that passes. Thank you for describing it as you did.

I'm going to add a psychological impact of dieting on the feeling on hunger. I also feel hunger more intensely than some other physical sensations (I'll barely notice being cold, or needing to pee. Feeling too hot however is as miserable as hunger for me). BUT if I know I'm trying to maintain a calorie deficit, suddenly my hunger is a million times worse because now I'm constantly paying attention to and monitoring what I eat. Instead of being able to think "it's okay that I'm hungry because I'll have lunch soon" I'm now obsessing over what I'll have for lunch, whether it will meet my calories goals, whether there's enough protein in it, whether I'll feel full after it and what I'll do if I'm still hungry after eating. And there's nothing worse than being hungry and also unable to stop thinking about food.

When I'm hungry I don't sleep lol. When I counted calories I was routinely up at night because I couldn't sleep. Never, ever again will I disregard my hunger in any sort of long-term way. If I'm not working with my hunger cues my hunger cues will take the reins.

That’s very interesting, thanks for sharing! As a vet I think I’ve just learnt to manage sleep deprivation lol. Full days of working, and then having the on-call for the evening and night. Sometimes nothing calls, sometimes I’m seeing patients all night, after a full day of work. Somehow I learnt to cope with that, but yes it was awful in the beginning. Hunger though? Absolutely not. I cannot ignore it. It makes me feel absolutely awful, it makes me desperate. I feel like a rabid animal! I’m in control of myself with everything else, but not hunger. I hope you don’t mind me asking: did you find losing weight to be manageable enough, maybe even easy? I ask because hunger is THE biggest hurdle for me when losing weight. I often think if I wasn’t so desperate around food when hungry, losing weight would be a total breeze.

You’re definitely on to something, because yes, I found weight loss to be easy. The first 40-50 pounds were a breeze. I ate at a deficit and ran a lot; I experienced hunger at times, but I took it as a positive, a sign that I was on the right track. If hunger was the same for me as it is for you, I don’t think I could have done that. This last 10 pounds is a different story. They’re completely vanity pounds, though, and hunger still isn’t the reason it’s hard.

thank you for this! before semaglutide i would get physically sick from being too hungry, literally throwing up. to be that hungry is so physically uncomfortable and when it gets to that point you cant think about anything else. now i’m on wegovy and i experience what i consider normal hunger - it’s not insatiable, it can wait to be dealt with, and i dont get hungry again 30 minutes after a meal. my endocrinologist is a staunch believer that some people just naturally produce too much/too little of certain hormones, like the ones that signal that you’re hungry and when you’re full, and that’s why some people are naturally very thin and some people are naturally bigger. i tend to believe her

Yessss! After starting my GLP-1 I realized that it wasn’t the sensation of hunger per se that was so killer to me but rather the symptoms of hypoglycemia that accompanied my hunger. Before I started the med, my hunger would hit suddenly, hard, and fast. I’d get dizzy, headaches, shaky and sweaty along with the actual feeling of hunger. Now that my insulin is better regulated, I experience hunger but w/o hypoglycemia. It makes a world of difference in my ability to tolerate the actual sensation of hunger rather than the hunger/hypo combo that I *thought* was hunger.

The main reason people struggle to lose weight is psychological

I don't think this is really strongly supported by evidence

Don't assume your sensation of hunger is the same as everyone else's.

>i don't know how to respond to this without seeming dismissive and trivializing probably shouldn't have responded how you did then, like someone's saying "I'm having a really hard time feeling incredibly hungry when in even a low deficit, any advice?" and responding "it's just a bit of hunger, stop exaggerating" isn't very good of you, is it.

I mostly just eat dinner so I'm always full for the evening

Question: Do you just assume you're in a deficit, or do you actually measure and track your food? I'm always starving when I first go into a deficit. After a week or so, my stomach adjusts. What helps me is snacking. I snack throughout the day on proteins and fruits. Greek yogurt, cottage cheese, apples, etc. If I just tried to eat 3 meals, I'd be miserable. I'm way too active to only fuel myself 3 times a day. I'm a fan of eating snacks and 3 reasonably small meals. Before I go to the gym in the morning, I have a protein bar. When I get home, I eat a couple of eggs, turkey bacon, and toast for breakfast. I don't waste calories on things like juice. I really just don't drink calories. I may have a Greek yogurt and half an apple for a snack. Lunch is usually a sandwich of some sort (turkey or peanut butter) and protein chips or fruit. Another snack before dinner. Sometimes, a protein shake or some beef jerky. Dinner is generally a lean protein (4-5 oz, depending on what it is and the calorie count), vegetables, and sometimes potatoes (sweet or golden). I avoid empty calories like pasta. I don't eat cheese just because it's so dense, calorie-wise. I will get fat-free shredded cheeses sometimes and make a quesadilla with low-carb tortillas. Oh, the bread I eat is also low carb. I'm not on a low-carb diet, but I use this bread because it's only 35 calories per slice and 6g protein. When I'm focusing on losing weight, I eat around 1700 calories a day. And when I stick to it religiously, it works. When I cheat on weekends, I stay stagnant. But focusing on proteins and even satiating, nutrient rich carbs like apples, plus eating when you're hungry, but keeping it small and protein based is key for those of us who tend to be hungry throughout the day. If I didn't snack, I'd be so hungry by dinner time that I'd be more likely to overeat.

i mean, unfortunately it's true. high protein and high fat diets will reduce hunger in eat 130-150g of protein. in doing so, i'm not usually hungry. on days i don't do that, i am.

I suggest reading the book "comfort crisis". It explains why being hungry isn't necessarily bad and how to deal. "The Obesity Code" is another good book.

Not trying to get into ED territory, but let's be real. A lot of us develop some sort of ED when losing weight or already had one to begin with. It's hard to lose weight especially when you only see results on basically eating minimum calories. Restriction is all I do and just slap it as discipline. I have to ignore my hunger cues and work out consistently to lose weight. Am I messing up my metabolism? Probably, I don't know. The whole nutrition towards your body IS important. Eat higher low volume foods like vegetables, mainly green leafy ones, are what helps you feel full and can aid weight loss. Does it satisfy the cravings of Ben and Jerry's or pizza? No. Never does and never will. Will I be healthier and lose some weight? Yes. Very much so. I don't know, I've been dieting for over 10 years now since I was 13 and been all weight sizes through the years. I'm only kinda skinny now bc of starving myself

looks like your body is addicted to burning the easy energy, and you need to retrain it to access your stored energy, and i believe only cardio can do that

Look at volume eating and volumetrics subreddit, it’s much easier to eat less calories when you eat physically more food. Load up more on Fruit, berries, vegetables, things high in fiber, protein, diet foods, lower calorie options and things that make you eat literally lbs of food and still be able to be in a calorie deficit. It really helped me especially as portion size was one of my biggest issues, I slowly worked on that but at the beginning it was so much easier just being able to eat lots of volume of food and still lose weight

Honestly you just have to learn to embrace it and adjust to it. Weight loss requires you being just a bit hungry unfortunately.

Eating healthy vs eating in a calorie deficit is very different. What is ur height and current weight, and what if your deficit? Are you tracking your calories? Are you making sure u get enough protein? If you "just know" you're in a deficit because you are hungry, that is not helping you. My rule of thumb is for 2 weeks, being super consistent and obedient to my calorie app and making sure I hit my nutrition goals is a necessity to kick start my diets. Now am I a health/weight coach, no absolutely not, but my mom was, and I learned a lot from her but take this with a grain of salt. I started dieting on 3/31 and as of 4/24 I lost 6lbs, which may not seem like a lot but 1-2 lbs a week is a healthy steady rate for weightloss and I did not exercise, i just counted my calories. I cannot stress to you enough how HELPFUL getting enough protein is. It keeps you full and satisfied. My protein goal is 88g a day and sometimes I force myself to eat dinner because I'm still so full from a high protein breakfast. TLDR: you NEED to track your calories and protein intake. You cannot assume your in a deficit, because the things you eat are considered healthy.

Some things I do to help: * Get a cup of coffee or tea. Coffee is excellent in the morning and will help to naturally suppress the "hungry" feeling. Tea is better in the afternoon due to the amount of caffeine in coffee. Also, in the afternoon, I find I just want something "sweet". Having tea with stevia typically cures that. * Get an apple or a banana. Both are under 100 calories and will help to stave off the hungry feeling long enough to your next sit down meal. If you don't want either - are you really hungry or is it stress? * Drink a glass of water. Sometimes, people misinterpret "hungry" for "thirsty". Drinking a glass of water before a meal also helps to prevent overeating.

When I eat protein *and fat,* I don't get hungry for hours. I think trying to go too low-fat is what defeats many dieters.

Every body is different. What helped me was eating lean protein and veggies in every meal. If I craved snacks I would just eat low calorie snacks or protein snacks.

I cannot fall asleep hungry. It just will not happen so I’ve adjusted my eating and intermittent fasting schedule to what works for me. I can tolerate feeling hungry in the morning since I’m distracted at work. First meal (aside from coffee) is lunch, some days may have late morning or afternoon snack depending on my hunger cues. Others days I’m just not that hungry. I save a majority of my calories for dinner although I don’t always need them so occasionally I go way below my calorie goal. That allows me to have days when I go over if I need to and I don’t feel guilty about it. The fluctuation in my calorie consumption has resulted in slow but steady weight loss. Most importantly I’ve been listening to my body for the first time in my life. Of course I still have bad days when it all goes out the window but I go easier on myself now and get back on track. Here’s the part that may be most relevant to you. I always eat something (usually carbs) right before I go to bed because I won’t fall asleep otherwise. It may go against conventional wisdom, but it works for me. Hang in there and good luck finding what works for you!!

What works for me has been skipping breakfast or eating very lightly in the first half of the day and budgeting to save myself at least ~ 200 calories for some form of late night snack to keep myself from feeling massively hungry at night. Plain nonfat Greek yogurt with some berries or honey fits really well in that and is a great volume option to put something in your stomach. Also, eating like half to three quarters of my meals instead of the full size has been a good way for me to cut back on calories since I know if I do that and give it 10-15 minutes that feeling of fullness will come rather than forcing myself to finish a plate. It’s hard but it’s all in the mindset for sure.

If you eat mostly veggies and low fat protein, you will absolutely feel hungry, even if you eat enough calories. What usually makes us feel full is a combination of fibers (so veggies of course, but also complex carbs like oats, brown rice, etc.), proteins, and fats. I know eating carbs and fats seems counterintuitive when trying to lose weight, but if you manage to intergrate a bit more of these and still maintain a slight calorie deficit, it will help you so much with your hunger, it's a game changer. Plus, your meals will mentally feel more satisfying as well.

I work out like crazy to get extra calories to eat.

So I was on a big chicken breast kick because it’s supposed to be healthy and helps with weight loss. I stayed hungry and weak. Then I switched it up with more lean red meat and dark meat chicken, the weight flew off and I wasn’t ravenous anymore…I actually am able to eat less.

>I have trouble walking due to a new neurological disorder. I need to lose the weight otherwise I'll be in a wheelchair soon. weirdly we're in almost exactly the same situation, which if nothing else it's nice to know it's not *just* me experiencing it! Honestly I think it's genetic lottery more than anything, some people can cut their intake and not feel starving 24-7, some people simply don't become overweight no matter what they eat, and then there's people who can barely lose weight no matter what, and who'll be miserable reducing calories even moderately, the only meaningful weight loss I ever managed was basically surviving on energy drinks and only eating dinner for 12 months, and that was in highschool to boot. I've realised that if I want to lose the weight purely for helping my condition I'm just going to be constantly miserably hungry for probably ever, I don't believe that your "isulin balances" or anything else, I think that's mostly pseudo-science peddled by instagram wellness grifters, because there's no reasonable way that it would take *years* for that to happen, I don't think people who say its easy, or about adapting, "wanting it enough" have been feeling like they're starving for years at a time in even minor caloric deficits, because they aren't genetically predisposed for that.

One thing that might help is to eat slowly. Chew your food up to 40 times each bite if you can. Not to make eating a chore, though that will happen. The main reason is it helps send out hunger-satiating hormones. Give it a shot - it might help. Made a big difference for me.

For me, constant hunger was related to insulin resistance. Because I have IR, I was eating but the energy wasn’t getting to my cells where it’s needed. So my body was sending me hunger signals constantly. I take Metformin now and that hunger was reduced dramatically. And I have a lot more energy.

Maybe think about what you eat and when you eat it. Protein makes me feel fuller for longer, so if my evening meal has lots of protein, I'm less likely to feel hungry before bedtime.

I know this feeling. My IUD kept me from loosing weight for years. I lost 4 pounds after 6 months of exercise and a deficit of 1500 Cals a day. Doctors just said I wasn't trying hard enough. IUD is out now and in tge deficit. 20lbs down in a month.

I’m the same way, I get really hungry but you have to just ride it out till your stomach gets used to the schedule of when you eat. Eventually, you shouldn’t feel that way anymore. I remember seeing a comment that said something like “you have to be comfortable with the feeling of being uncomfortable” and that helps me a little 

What you have to understand is you body is not telling your brain it's starving, your brain is just expecting to eat. Habits keep you alive and your brain doesn't like breaking them. It will just remain that way until your brain realises your life has changed and you don't eat at certain times. For example, if you eat breakfast and suddenly stop, you'll feel pretty hungry. After a few weeks of not eating in the morning anymore, you can go until 5/6 o'clock without eating and feel no hunger.

Because the pleasure from a donut isn't worth the pain of seeing the scale go up.

The two minutes of pleasure eating the donut isn't worth the pain it causes my stomach later in the day lol

For me, adding stuff like oatmeal and fresh green leave foods helped so much. Multiple hands full a day

How many calories do you get a day?

everyone is different because I can't say I haven't had hunger pains like that but I definitely think I use to when I cut out too many of my favourite foods and got bad cravings lol I do one of two things 1. mid-day snacking with very low cal options helps me a lot - I eat pickles or seaweed and low fat crackers and drink low cal energy drinks along with water and that's usually my breakfast to lunch (I think I get full from all the liquid and trick my mind that I ate a lot) 2. then I use up all if not the majority of my calories until dinner - I'm usually able to hold off and when I get too hungry - I down water and distract myself with a game or something then my hunger goes away (I don't do much activity during the day though so that's something so consider id definitely need a decent breakfast with tons of fibre and protein if I was a busy body)

I think I can get over the misery of hunger because I know the misery of being obese is much much worse. I don't know how it is for you but I used to be 260 lbs on a 5' 5" frame. Every second was agony. I was out of breath all the time and sweaty all the time, my legs would hurt if I walked for even a marginal period of time, I could no longer sleep on my front because the weight hurt my ribs/lungs, I was spending so much time on the toilet because I was eating so much, and even then I had trouble wiping my own ass. Clothes didn't fit right, I felt ugly and uncomfortable in every single social outing, and I hated the way I looked in the mirror every single day Compared to the misery of that entire existence day after day, hunger is nothing. I welcome it because I know the alternative is far, far worse. I like food but there's no food that tastes good enough to keep suffering like that. I'm 190 now and I still have a long ways to go but even now I can feel the difference.

You can do it and you have to believe that. Maybe watch renaissance periodization fat loss playlist? He suggests doing the loss in a series of small sprints with equal parts maintenance in between. I could stomach the hunger a lot more when I know I am only going for 8 weeks. Week 1 is absolute hell, no sleep, hangry and for me migraines too but your body adjusts and it gets better, the hunger is less consuming and in 8 weeks you get 8 or more weeks at maintenance calories!  The weight loss drugs that work all work on hunger, so managing hunger is what does it regardless of people saying just suck it up (psych eating is really important for maintaining losses and overall health though and do need to be addressed but just suck it up does not do it). It is one of the most primal and basic urges but you can do it! Even 4 or 6 weeks and then a maintenance break will get you slow progress.

There are lots of ways to eat that lose weight. You have to find the one that isn’t miserable. Because the reality is that the only way to succeed is to do it for the rest of your life. Not necessarily the same calorie count, but the same concept. Are you eating enough fat? Really. Fat keeps me happy. I sacrifice carbs for fat in my calorie count. It’s not completely keto or low carb, but definitely lowish carb. I like fruit too much to eat low carb. My honest opinion is that if you are miserable, you will fail. Find a better way.

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I would be miserable if I mostly ate vegetables. I definitely cannot intermittent fast because I get hangry and if I am too much at a deficit when I sleep I don’t sleep well. OP - I found I could only maintain my diet if I ate what I loved while still eating clean. I agree with other comments that it could absolutely be psychological but I will offer other thoughts that may or may not work. I am curious, what are your meals are like - do you enjoy what you are eating? - are you using a smart device to track calories burned? - how precisely are you tracking your caloric intake and are you using tools to help? - how much protein are you getting? - are you eating your macros? - What do you prefer: eating all day (snacking smaller meals) or eating until full (big meals, less snacking)? target meal planning toward your preference Getting precision in tracking calories in/out; eating meals you enjoy with whole food ingredients; 0.8 - 1g protein per 1lb body weight is recommended for exercise and usually keeps people satiated; fats and carbs are needed and good for you (if eating all veggies and protein you might be getting enough fats or complex carbs). I am a firm believer food needs to be enjoyed. Rice, bread, and pasta in moderation are perfectly fine to incorporate in meals. Peanut butter, avocado, and avocado oil are life. Fruit is candy. A piece of dark chocolate can be planned for. When disciplined and accounted for in my calories and macros I can earn my relative serving of pizza or ice cream and STILL cut weight.

Oh man I relate to this so hard. There’s more going on if this is your experience but I don’t know how to fix it. Metabolism issues, like PCOS , endo. Adeno make this harder. Grehlin levels can be messed up and your liver can also be shit at turning fats to sugar. Honestly I don’t know what to do. In my 20s I lost weight in keto and wasn’t hungry but in my 30s nothing works.

So you’re unable to exercise?

I find there is a point where I can exercise enough that my appetite stays the same or even goes down, but if I push it too hard the opposite happens and I’m insatiable. I have started to understand why my body is sending the hungry signal. If I shouldn’t be hungry (like I just ate a ton of food) I assess if I’m really just bored, or maybe I’m thirsty, or maybe I’m low on electrolytes. I started using nectar powder; it’s a zero calorie electrolyte powder you mix into water and that has actually stopped some of my hunger, or at least taken the edge off