Hunger - how do you cope?

[Jacklinger]

I so know I'm going to regret this, but ...


Show me exactly where anyone has suggested "Magic foods" and what they have suggested. Please provide exact quotes and links to the posts?

Anytime someone recommended a food I've probably already tried, swearing by it's amazing powers of appetite control, I know it won't work, because I've already tried it. You yourself, mention eating a "balance of proteins, healthy fats, and complex grains in each meal and snack" just below; magic foods. I have eaten that. I even had a health nut step-mother help me monitor my diet. I still got hungry. I don't know what else to say about that.

Because as near as I can tell, YOU are the one obsessed with magic foods. Everyone has recommended over and over that you try to get a balance of proteins, healthy fats, and complex grains in each meal and snack and instead you talk about things like eating baby carrots until you puke, 5 cups of oatmeal at a go, whole bags of granola, etc. ... as tho eating those things in simply ridiculous quantities is going to make you less hungry.

Well eating non-ridiculous quantities doesn't do anything for me.

We have suggested to you that carb loading will cause you to feel hungrier faster as it causes insulin spikes. You've rejected that.

I didn't reject that. I just didn't address it. I know what an insulin spike feels like. I'm diabetic. I take medication for it. The hunger I feel is not the result of an insulin spike. Insulin spikes give me cravings for pastries but I eventually learned to ignore those. But I was still hungry in general too.

We've suggested that balancing your carbs with protein and healthy fats helps satiety (a scientifically proven fact). You've rejected that.

Done that. Still got hungry. What works for others may not always work for all.

We've suggested that the fact that you feel "hunger" even though you feel that your stomach is full is indicative of the fact that what you're feeling is either emotional or habit driven. You've rejected that.

Doctors have removed the stomachs of patients who still report feeling hungry. Will you say every one of those patients had emotional hunger? I tend to feel hunger lower down in my abdomen and not always in the middle part where the stomach is. I'm not sure why. I just know it tends to move around.

We've suggested that, based on the description of the "pain" that you describe as hunger, you might actually be dealing with something else - an ulcer, diverticulitis, some kind of irritable bowel syndrome. You've rejected that.

I reject that based on the opinion of my doctor who said I have a healthy digestive tract. IBS doesn't usually cause hunger does it? My dad has that and it makes him burp but he doesn't complain with hunger.

You've rejected every option offered to you; not because you've actually tried/researched those options, but because you are simply determined that you're going to be hungry and no one is going to give you a reason not to be ... because then you wouldn't have anything to suffer for.

I've not rejected everything offered, just the things I've already tried that didn't work. You think I desire to suffer? ... Understandable seeing as how I continue to reply to your posts.

You are the only one obsessed with "magic foods" here. You are the one who REFUSES to attempt healthy eating. Not healthy eating according to YOUR definition (a bag of carrots until you puke and tofu soup) but REAL healthy eating - a balance of proteins, fats, and complex carbs.

I believe my original post was - how do you cope with hunger? Not, please tell me what the magic food is. And in the very next sentence, you recommend that magic balance again. Tried it. Does not stop hunger.

Quit trying to push your issues onto the people who are offering you real advice. You obviously don't really want advice. You want magic foods and sympathy.

Not gonna get either here.

I'm not certain how declining to retread old diets is the same as pushing issues onto people, but if you really feel that way, then I struggle to understand why you continue to pursue the issue. It was never my intention to cause anyone any distress by asking such a simple question. You're so passionate about your cure that you won't entertain the possibility that it may not work for all. What cure does?

It's taken years, but I've accepted that I'm just going to feel hungry most of the time. I've found some simple ways to cope, but eating, is just not one of them, regardless of the type of food, or any balance.

 

[ChefChiTown]

I thought you already recommended willpower in a previous post? I haven't forgotten already. Thanks though.

And yes, I am aware of the cortisol thing. That's why I mentioned it. I believe you're reading too much into an idle comment.

I think you're reading too far into your hunger "problem". But, hey...what would I know? I've only managed to successfully deal with it myself.

:rolls eyes:

Anyway, good luck on your quest for words you will never hear. I don't know what those words are, but you're deeeeefinitely not going to find them on this forum.

 

[Jacklinger]

I think you're reading too far into your hunger "problem". But, hey...what would I know? I've only managed to successfully deal with it myself.

:rolls eyes:

Anyway, good luck on your quest for words you will never hear. I don't know what those words are, but you're deeeeefinitely not going to find them on this forum.

How did you successfully deal with it? Willpower? As you suggested? Well I'm glad that's working for the both of us.

 

[ChefChiTown]

How did you successfully deal with it? Willpower? As you suggested? Well I'm glad that's working for the both of us.

It would work for you if you tried it. But, ironically, you need willpower in order to try things. So...I guess you're shit out of luck.

Good luck crying over spilled milk though. Oh, should I not have said that? That could've made you hungry and I know how hard it is for you to cope with that.



*EDIT

I just noticed that your signature lists your weight. Dude, if what you're claiming to be your weight is true, then you've lost 100 fucking pounds already. Like it or not, it took willpower in order to do that. So, why can't you just use that same willpower to lose the last 32 pounds you're wishing to get rid off?

I don't get it. You did it once, just do it again.

 

[Jacklinger]

It would work for you if you tried it. But, ironically, you need willpower in order to try things. So...I guess you're shit out of luck.

Good luck crying over spilled milk though. Oh, should I not have said that? That could've made you hungry and I know how hard it is for you to cope with that.

No need for such vitriol. What did I ever do to you?

 

[Jericho]

Screw it. I'm putting an end to this right now.

Jack. Go see a doctor. Tell him, have him tell you something.

We are not doctors. We just have been on the same journey you are on. We have had the same damn problems you had. We are talking from experience. We are talking from SCIENTIFIC facts and we can link those case studies on things that Kara pointed out to you.

I don't know what you want an answer to anymore Jack because the answers to the question you seemed to ask was given many times over. Because of that, I'm giving one piece of advice and that should be it for this thread. It's page 7 of the same thing over and over to the point that this has overflowed into other threads and caused problems.

Go see a damn doctor.

 

[KaraCooks]

Doctors have removed the stomachs of patients who still report feeling hungry. Will you say every one of those patients had emotional hunger?

Um ... yes. Wouldn't you? If they dont' have a stomach to be empty, then what they're feeling can't be physical hunger, right? Therefore it has to be a mental/emotional hunger. A need/desire to eat vs. a physical emptiness of stomach. So ... uh ... do you really not get that?

 

[Jericho]

Try reading that. Maybe that will work.

 

[ChefChiTown]

No need for such vitriol. What did I ever do to you?

It's not "what you did to me" that's annoying; it's what you're doing to everybody that's annoying.

The fact that you chose to focus only the first half of my post, completely ignoring the rest of it (AKA - the part that was beneficial) just shows me that you're waiting around, hoping that someone will tell you what you want to hear - not what you need to hear, but what you want to hear. And, there are sooooo many people like that who come to this forum and each and every one of them ends up driving the helpful members of this board to the point of annoyance, because they refuse to listen. Instead of actually paying attention and taking in the advice that they are being given, people like you just doubt everything that everybody says, because it's not what you want to hear.

So, what do you want us to say? Just tell us, so we can get this over with. Because, as of now, this is just a big waste of everybody's time.

 

[Jacklinger]

Screw it. I'm putting an end to this right now.

Jack. Go see a doctor. Tell him, have him tell you something.

We are not doctors. We just have been on the same journey you are on. We have had the same damn problems you had. We are talking from experience. We are talking from SCIENTIFIC facts and we can link those case studies on things that Kara pointed out to you.

I don't know what you want an answer to anymore Jack because the answers to the question you seemed to ask was given many times over. Because of that, I'm giving one piece of advice and that should be it for this thread. It's page 7 of the same thing over and over to the point that this has overflowed into other threads and caused problems.

Go see a damn doctor.

I already saw a doctor. I see him every 3 months. He asked me to consider gastric bypass but I don't want that unless it's a last resort.

And I do have something, type 2 diabetes. It often causes increased appetite. And learning how to cope with that hunger is very important to surviving.

And I've looked at several scientific studies. I eat what they say to eat when they say to eat it and still get hungry. I'm not asking why that is. I just accept it. I'm asking if anyone knows some easy ways to cope with constant hunger other than eating, because I have to eat about 5000 cal per day to not feel hungry and that's too much.

I'm glad you don't experience that, but yelling at me that I can't possibly hungry when I am is just silly.

 

[Jacklinger]

Um ... yes. Wouldn't you? If they dont' have a stomach to be empty, then what they're feeling can't be physical hunger, right? Therefore it has to be a mental/emotional hunger. A need/desire to eat vs. a physical emptiness of stomach. So ... uh ... do you really not get that?

So how would you advise a stomach-less person to cope with their hunger? Just tell them to ignore it? They can't exactly eat anything with no stomach so no diet would help.

 

[Jacklinger]

It's not "what you did to me" that's annoying; it's what you're doing to everybody that's annoying.

The fact that you chose to focus only the first half of my post, completely ignoring the rest of it (AKA - the part that was beneficial) just shows me that you're waiting around, hoping that someone will tell you what you want to hear - not what you need to hear, but what you want to hear. And, there are sooooo many people like that who come to this forum and each and every one of them ends up driving the helpful members of this board to the point of annoyance, because they refuse to listen. Instead of actually paying attention and taking in the advice that they are being given, people like you just doubt everything that everybody says, because it's not what you want to hear.

So, what do you want us to say? Just tell us, so we can get this over with. Because, as of now, this is just a big waste of everybody's time.

I didn't ignore the helpful part of your post. You said to use willpower and I said I already do that. So why are you saying I'm not taking your advice? I've not ignored anyones advice. I've already tried controlling hunger through diet and it doesn't work. Why should I try again? All of you sound like frustrated religious folk trying to convert an atheist that can't see the god you're repeatedly pointing at.

What do I want you to say? Say, the answer to this question: It's 3:00pm, you've already had all the calories you're allowed for the day and you're extremely hungry, how do you cope?

Of course if you never have that problem, then I don't expect you to be able to answer the question. You just say, "I don't know." Or, if you are so inclined, may hurl several more insults my way which you seem very fond of doing.

 

[ChefChiTown]

What do I want you to say? Say, the answer to this question: It's 3:00pm, you've already had all the calories you're allowed for the day and you're extremely hungry, how do you cope?

Step 1: Stop eating your allotted calories for the day by 3PM.
Step 2: Follow Step 1

/THREAD

 

[Jacklinger]

Step 1: Stop eating your allotted calories for the day by 3PM.
Step 2: Follow Step 1

/THREAD

Thanks for the advice.

 

[Jericho]

Jack,
The simple fact is this, you have to learn to control your hunger. If you feel like you are eating all your calroies by 3, then spread your calories out more. You are not experiencing physical hunger. It is emotional. You do not need 5000 calories a day to stop feeling hunger. You have to control your emotions and you have to control yourself. We cannot do that for you. We have given you the answers that we know of. You disregard them so, to be honest, I don't think we can help you. We are not frustrated religious folks trying to show you God because we aren't saying this out of some faith. We are saying this out of science. We can't help you, that has been shown.

Because I don't really believe you want to help yourself. You want excuses, not reality.

 

[Jacklinger]

Jack,
The simple fact is this, you have to learn to control your hunger. If you feel like you are eating all your calroies by 3, then spread your calories out more. You are not experiencing physical hunger. It is emotional. You do not need 5000 calories a day to stop feeling hunger. You have to control your emotions and you have to control yourself. We cannot do that for you. We have given you the answers that we know of. You disregard them so, to be honest, I don't think we can help you. We are not frustrated religious folks trying to show you God because we aren't saying this out of some faith. We are saying this out of science. We can't help you, that has been shown.

Because I don't really believe you want to help yourself. You want excuses, not reality.

Of course I have to control my hunger. That's why I asked how to cope with it in the first place. You're just restating my first post really. I can try spreading out my calories but then I just get hungry earlier in the day.

I'm not sure why you keep saying I disregard everything you say. I've told you I've already tried eating special foods and using special diets and they still leave me feeling hungry. That's actually quite a common occurrence and the reason why most people don't bother trying to diet at all. According to Weight Watchers, most diets (even theirs, so they don't like to admit this) fail in the first year of being tried. And the number of diets that succeed at keeping weight off after 3 years or more is a number so small it approaches zero. Nothing against Weight Watchers specifically though, just using their data. So why should it be a surprise that someone like me, who's been trying every diet under the sun for the past 15 years, is skeptical about your advice of just eating healthy and spreading out calories. That was actually the very first thing I tried.

Let's use an analogy. You're trying to build a bridge out of plastic widgets, but it doesn't work. You go and ask someone how to build a bridge. They insist you should use plastic widgets. But you've already tried those. Maybe widgets worked for them. Maybe their specific bridge had different specs that were better suited for plastic widgets while yours doesn't. You say, "Thanks but I've already tried widgets." And they insist you're disregarding their scientifically backed advice.

And if science has closed the book on how to lose weight. Why are so many people still so fat and getting fatter? Why don't they simply start using the scientific solution to lose their weight? It can't be because they want to be fat. Ask those people, "why don't you lose weight?" And most of them say "because I'm always hungry, I never feel full." Maybe some would benefit from changing diets, but most have already tried dieting. Maybe they lose a few pounds permanently, or shed many pounds in the short term. But they nearly always gain it back.

After my years of dieting, I believe the only way to lose weight and keep it off reliably is to simply find ways to cope with being hungry. If one can do that, then diets don't matter, one simply eats less until they reach their desired weight. It's simple, it costs nothing, there are no plans or recipes and there is only one obstacle: hunger. If that one thing can be conquered, then there is no issue with how to lose weight.

Ergo, I am brought back to my original question: how do you cope with feeling hungry? If you never feel hungry, then you are either fortunate, or in denial.

 

[Jericho]

*sigh*

the problem is you are trying 'every diet under the sun'. Ever try just normally cutting your calories? Here are some questions for you...height, weight, age. Let's get your BMR and find out how many calories you need to eat. Then let's find out how many calories and foods you are eating now.

ANSWER 1: You are cutting too many calories.

You have connected the urge to eat with emotions such as stress (you already mentioned your stress level), sadness, depression, anger or boredom. Until you break that link, which first requires understanding what it is that you linked, you will never escape it. Write a food diet that includes the emotion you have when you eat. When you start feeling hungry, grab a pen and paper and just write. It's not the words that are important, it is the action to break the link.

ANSWER 2: You, like most people, have an emotional connection to eating and hunger.

The reason people get fat is because it takes discipline to break the cycle. You can only do it when you are truely ready. You have to accept your weaknesses before you can fight them. You think you are the only person who keeps getting hungry when trying to lose weight? Of course you aren't. Those who lose weight learn that they just have to push through it. Damn, I'm a bit hungry right now but part of that I know is simply I am at a boring moment in my work day. I have some things I can snack on but I'm holding off. It's not easy. You just have to keep forward.

ANSWER 3: Quit your bitching, grow some balls and push ahead. Quit looking to blame anything but yourself.

Mod or not, I'm seeing the same thing over and over. 'what you say doesn't work for me'. We keep giving different answer, we keep giving the same answer. Why? CAUSE IT IS TRUE. It has come to the point that someone has to hit you over the head with a 2x4 with the word CLUE burned into it. You have not accepted the simple fact YOU WILL BE HUNGRY. Don't look for a special food or plan, just know you will get hungry and distract yourself with something else to do.

Oh and if your doctor is suggesting a gastric bypass, get a better damn doctor cause he is an idiot. Weight loss surgery has 0 to do with hunger. You think you are going to not still have an emotional tie to eating with a lapband? You think you are hungry now...


And yes, I'm being blunt and rude right now cause maybe, just maybe, you will realize that the only persona who can control your hunger is you. Show some inner strength. I know you have it, now show it and stop being a slave to your self-indulging emotions.

 

[Kayshiz]

Yes I did the healthy diet. It was my very first attempt at weight loss back as a teenager. I was a vegetarian except for low fat cheese and skim milk. And you know what? Lost a ton of weight. Lost about 80 pounds. Then something strange happened. Without changing my diet, I gained it all back. My appetite got way out of hand and I was consuming massive amounts of food. Whatever changes the diet affected to make me lose weight in the first place, got undone as my body adjusted itself to the diet and I began overeating again. I kept a food log also and detailed every calorie.

You were a kid! That was like what? 17 years ago? Your body was changing, you were growing, of course you started to feel hungry and you ate more. No one is saying you didn't try, but is it not LOGICAL that perhaps what you were doing as a kid to lose weight wasn't perfect and maybe using the knowledge you gained in the last like...17 more years of your life... might actually help you accomplish your goal in a way that doesn't make you feel insane "hunger" all the time?
Is it not even worth giving it one more shot to do it the way that you yourself know is successful for literally hundreds of thousands of people, and will help you keep it off the longest compared to other ways of losing weight?
Really?
Not even a little?

Really?

Let's use an analogy. You're trying to build a bridge out of plastic widgets, but it doesn't work. You go and ask someone how to build a bridge. They insist you should use plastic widgets. But you've already tried those. Maybe widgets worked for them. Maybe their specific bridge had different specs that were better suited for plastic widgets while yours doesn't. You say, "Thanks but I've already tried widgets." And they insist you're disregarding their scientifically backed advice.

Worst analogy ever.

Everything in that statement explains how you feel about weight loss and how stubborn you are! You look at everything from a completely backwards perspective.

If someone told me they made a bridge out of widgets after I explained I could not make a bridge out of widgets, yes, I would call shenanigans.

If that person then showed me the bridge that had been there for years, maybe a few before and after pictures of it's construction, and then gave me a detailed blueprint of how to construct my own widget bridge (with room for modification because yes, my valley is slightly different shaped then their valley was before he started) I would believe that a widget bridge was possible. Nay, I would be even more concerned at their obvious ability to construct a widget when I could not AND after looking back I'd realize all I did was stand around bitching, drinking Guinness and throwing widgets into my valley...

 

[KaraCooks]

If that person then showed me the bridge that had been there for years, maybe a few before and after pictures of it's construction, and then gave me a detailed blueprint of how to construct my own widget bridge (with room for modification because yes, my valley is slightly different shaped then their valley was before he started) I would believe that a widget bridge was possible. Nay, I would be even more concerned at their obvious ability to construct a widget when I could not AND after looking back I'd realize all I did was stand around bitching, drinking Guinness and throwing widgets into my valley...

Best. Analogy. Ever.

Can I have a Guinness now?

 

[Jericho]

how many calories does widget tossing burn anyways?