Don't fear hunger

[suzie]

One of the main problems with diets is we think we should never feel hungry. REALLY hungry and a little bit hungry are two different things. If you’re a touch hungry, drink some water and keep yourself distracted. You don’t need to be a slave to the slightest hunger pang

[Beth]

That's a really good point but it's also easier said than done.

For all my life I've learned that when I'm hungry, I am supposed to go and eat. It's probably instinct because your body feels that it should be eating now just in case there isn't anything to have in the future. The thing is that we DO know that there will be something to eat later on so those signals aren't doing us any good.

Our bodies give us early warning signs so that we know to head out now to pick berries or hunt animals, before the situation gets dire. But when your food is only as far away as a refrigerator, we don't need to be warned so early.

It takes a long time to "shrink" your appetite and learn to completely ignore hunger until it gets strong.

[tracy1976]

I have really tried to take on that attitude and to think of a little bit of hunger as actually a good thing because it means that I have not been eating too frequently. But I can't help it, I'm miserable when I'm hungry. I really feel like I need to eat something or I won't be able to be happy.

Does anyone have any tips to get past that?

[jan]

Suzie, I think that it's really cool if you are able to do that, but honestly, I don't know how you do. It is really hard for me to get past hunger. I can usually rise above pain, itches, and other types of discomfort and just ignore them, but hunger just plagues at you. The only thing that i find gets rid of hunger is when I exercise, but I don't like exercising when I'm hungry because it makes me weak and light headed!

[bhollytba]

Hunger is just miserable even light hunger. Sometimes I think "well good, I'm not eating too much!" but then I think "oh no, but I'm about to have to eat again!" often when I'm just a touch hungry I obsess about it until I make myself ravenous!

One thing that seems to help on weekends is when I'm lightly hungry I try to distract myself. Usually I like to go shopping for things I like that do not involve food (such as shopping for craft supplies or fabrics, happy day!). This both helps me distract myself and get some extra walking in. Has to be something I REALLY enjoy though... Can't do the grocery store, shopping when hungry makes you buy junk you don't need, I've found that out!

Sometimes during the week I drink a cup of unsweetened chocolate almond milk. I love that stuff and it's super low calories. It's pleasing, makes me feel a little more full, and doesn't derail my calories.