How do you learn to not feel hungry when eating smaller meals?

[BigToque]

I think my 2 bigges problems are that I eat unhealthy food and I eat too much food (IE, big meals).

Every time I try to have a decent sized meal, I'm always left feeling hungry and unsatisfied.

How can I go about changing this? I already drink about 2L of water a day.

 

[illusion88]

Originally posted by: Stefan
I think my 2 bigges problems are that I eat unhealthy food and I eat too much food (IE, big meals).

Every time I try to have a decent sized meal, I'm always left feeling hungry and unsatisfied.

How can I go about changing this?

some sort of diet pill maybe?

 

[scorpmatt]

eat more smaller, healthier meals. bout the only way to do it.

 

[JackRipper]

eat slower, drinks lots of water with food, and take time to enjoy every bite lolz

 

[YetioDoom]

Eat slower, have some healthy snacks.

 

[Mucho]

drink lots of water

 

[JoeKing]

eat till you're not hungry not until you're full.

As soon as you feel not hungry anymore stop. Put the food away.

Sounds simple I know, but many people eat until they have that feeling of full. We do this because our bodies release endorphins once we hit the state of full making us feel good. This is our bodies way of telling us "Good job you've eaten enough to store away extra calories, we won't starve the next time food gets scarce". Obviously this is no longer the case since food for the majority of us are abundent.

 

[broon]

Eat healthier food, smaller portions more frequently. I'll eat something every couple of hours. Plus lots o' water.

 

[PawNtheSandman]

I had the same problem.

I haven't had fast food in over a month. I use to be an addict, but with my new diet i no longer crave it. I would eat 2 huge meals a day. Now I am eating 4-5 smaller meals.

I eat yogart for breakfast. Lean chicken, turkey or pork for lunch with a potato or vegatable, then a powerbar or granola bar for a snack. I also drink 2 liters of water a day. Then I have a dinner consisting of chicken, turkey, fish or pasta.

But I am also taking supplements, meal replacement shakes and am working out.

 

[ifoundthetao]

Originally posted by: JoeKing
eat till you're not hungry not until you're full.

As soon as you feel not hungry anymore stop. Put the food away.

Sounds simple I know, but many people eat until they have that feeling of full. We do this because our bodies release endorphins once we hit the state of full making us feel good. This is our bodies way of telling us "Good job you've eaten enough to store away extra calories, we won't starve the next time food gets scarce". Obviously this is no longer the case since food for the majority of us are abundent.

thats funny that you posted that, because that was going to be exactly what i was going to say. like, there is a difference between the two. also, dont eat before bed. that way you can burn calories while you sleep and have an appropriate appetite for breakfast, forcing you to start eating early, instead of just having like, one or two major meals a day.. you can have like 6 smaller meals a day, or just snack on trailmix with smaller meals.. thats a good way to go.. and not trail mix with m&m's and stuff.. like, natural trail mix.. i havent seen any m&m tree's in a while.. so i dont think they're part of that group.

 

[bradruth]

Originally posted by: illusion88

Originally posted by: Stefan
I think my 2 bigges problems are that I eat unhealthy food and I eat too much food (IE, big meals).

Every time I try to have a decent sized meal, I'm always left feeling hungry and unsatisfied.

How can I go about changing this?

some sort of diet pill maybe?

"Why go to the park and fly a kite, when you can just pop a pill?"

 

[BurnItDwn]

hmm .... Stefan, this problem perplexes me.
Therefore, I will continue to eat one or two huge meals per day. I will eat each meal like it's my last, and I will stuff my face in until I am in pain from so much eating. I will enjoy my food, every bite.

 

[igowerf]

Chew more and eat slowly.

 

[Nitemare]

eat rice cakes

 

[dullard]

I've posted long winded posts about this in the past. I won't repeat all of it. So here are highlights:
[*]Spoil your appetite. Protein is the best at spoiling an appetite (fat can be as well, and sugar if you have insulin problems). A small high protein snack 30 minutes before the meal is critical to eating a much smaller meal and still being satisfied.
[*]Make eating unpleasant. No not as in bad tasting food, but as in a bad atmosphere. Play music you hate whenever you eat. Use really uncomfortable chairs. Have the temperature too cold or too hot. Whatever you need to make your body focused on other things than stuffing every last bite into your mouth.
[*]We tend to eat until the plate is clean. Thus you need smaller portions. But a small portion on a big plate makes us feel like we are eating way too little and starving. Instead use very small plates which are overflowing. That way, you'll still have smaller portions than you eat now and your mind will think you just stuffed yourself.
[*]Eat foods that cause you to lose weight. Fiber, fiber, fiber, fiber, fiber, fiber, and then more fiber. You can eat as much fiber as you want, you cannot digest it so it passes freely through your body. In fact, as it passes through, it brings other food with it that you would have normally digested. The more fiber you eat, the fuller you feel and you lose weight at the same time. Do this gradually though (bad gas occurs if you suddenly increase fiber).
[*]Many small meals. The more and the smaller the better. Don't ever let yourself bet to the "famished" state. Because if you are famished, you'll pig out.

Those are very easy to do, yet are scientifically proven to be highly effective. You don't have to give up your favorite foods or feel like you are hungry all the time if you do those.

 

[NuclearNed]

Every time you feel hungry, fork yourself in the testicles. Nothing else will matter for a while.



*Sorry, but all the other answers in this thread were actually pretty good advice.

 

[NuclearNed]

Originally posted by: dullard
[*]Eat foods that cause you to lose weight. Fiber, fiber, fiber, fiber, fiber, fiber, and then more fiber. You can eat as much fiber as you want, you cannot digest it so it passes freely through your body. In fact, as it passes through, it brings other food with it that you would have normally digested. The more fiber you eat, the fuller you feel and you lose weight at the same time. Do this gradually though (bad gas occurs if you suddenly increase fiber).

I've recently read that too much fiber can be a bad thing because it can cause your body to not be able to absorb nutrients as well.

 

[Legend]

Well you don't learn it. It's all about biology.

If you eat certain foods, you're body's ability to determine when it is hungry or not will work properly.

When you eat unhealthy foods, it can screw things up. If you eat white flour/sugar/processed carbs a lot, you're body is not going to function properly. What happens when you eat processed carbs is your body quickly converts it to glucose in your blood. There's too much, and your body stores excess glucose in body fat.

When you eat whole grains, your body slowly absorbs it and you get energy is a stable amount over a period of time. It takes longer for you to feel empty again because the energy is sustained.

Because processed carbs do not release slowly, you end up with a burst of energy, body fat, and then after it is quickly processed you get cravings for more.

I had the same problem.

I haven't had fast food in over a month. I use to be an addict, but with my new diet i no longer crave it. I would eat 2 huge meals a day. Now I am eating 4-5 smaller meals.

I eat yogart for breakfast. Lean chicken, turkey or pork for lunch with a potato or vegatable, then a powerbar or granola bar for a snack. I also drink 2 liters of water a day. Then I have a dinner consisting of chicken, turkey, fish or pasta.

But I am also taking supplements, meal replacement shakes and am working out.

^ That is the solution. It's about what you eat, not about learning anything. Don't punish yourself over a normal biological response to the abomination of processed foods.

 

[purbeast0]

Well before I went to Aruba I was dieting pretty well while working out. During the work week this was my meal plan.

1. Protein shake when I wake up
2. Eat a turkey sandwich on wheat bread about 12 oclock.
3. Eat a ham sandwich on wheat bread around 3-3:30.
4a.If I went to the gym that day after work, I would eat a bowl of raisin bran before I work out.
4b.If I didn't go to the gym that day, I would eat a protein shake when I get home from work.
5a.If I went to the gym, I would come home from the gym and take a protein shake and eat another sandwich, or some fish, or some chicken, or some lean pockets.
5b.If I didn't go to the gym that day, I would eat a sandwich, chicken, fish, or lean pockets around 8pm.
6. I would have one more protein shake before going to sleep.

That spread out about 5-6 "meals" a day. Sure sometimes I felt hungry, but I never felt starving. And like these other guys said, I would eat until I was not hungry, not until I was full. At first, your body is going to feel hungry. You have to adapt to it. Then the week before I went to Aruba, for about 5 days, I ate high fat/protein and less than 30g of carbs a day.

I was pretty ripped when I got there.

Since I got back (last tuesday) I havn't been eating that well. but starting today, i'm eating a little better and going back to the gym. i completely took off the gym last week.

 

[nakedfrog]

Or you could just use willpower and deal with feeling hungry.

 

[shud]

Originally posted by: nakedfrog
Or you could just use willpower and deal with feeling hungry.

This is probably the best way. I struggle with it from time to time also, but just go look at pictures of hot chicks or do something else to motivate yourself. If you just sit there watching cartoons, you probably won't have any desire to NOT eat a late night snack. Watch some crap celebrity shows on VH1 which will make you feel shiatty about being fat.

 

[biostud]

chew some raw carrots, take some time and are healthy.

 

[iwantanewcomputer]

cellery? that whole takes more calories to digest than are in it thing

 

[Peetoeng]

Have a head of cabbage or cauliflour. See how full you can be?

 

[QuitBanningMe]

chew, cut out sugar and caffiene, lower carbs