Hungry, Hungry Hi... Ahmed

**71-hour Ahmed** · 01-14-2006, 23:44

OK, for a while now I've found myself with a problem that is preventing my attempts to start losing weight from getting going properly. Its my all emcompassing hunger.

I eat breakfast at about 8am, then go to work. Breakfast is a quite big bowl (Sometimes two) of cereal (i.e. two weetabix) with semi-skimmed milk, toast with margarine, and coffee.

Yet by 11am I am always hungry again, and need to eat an apple if I want to avoid the affects of quite strong hunger. This seems a little disturbing. In 3 hours I feel really hungry.

So I eat my lunch - typically 4 slices bread in the form of sandwiches, with meat, and maybe a yoghourt or crisps as dessert. Accompanied by a drink.

This lasts till 3pm. Now I'm hungry again. So I eat another apple.

This keeps me going till 6pm. Now I'm hungry AGAIN.

So I eat my tea - a main course, bread (unless the main course is very big or I have soup) and a cup of tea (I'm british after all).

By 9 pm I need something else to eat, so I have a bowl of cereal again usually. Otherwise I'm hungry when I try to sleep.

Now, can someone please explain why the h*** I am needing to eat so much? What changes to my lifestyle might help?

It seemed to start back when I reached the end of school (about 17 to 18 years old), when I found myself hungry at night and needed to eat a supper. But I used to go till one pm without eating and not get hungry. Its seriously annoying and also I can't feasibly try to cut down on unhealthy foods and become healthier when I am needing to eat all the time.

**Alexanderofmacedon** · 01-14-2006, 23:46

Didn't read almost any of that, but here are the things I do.

1. Excersise very intensely in a sport you really love.
2. Eat as much food you like (as long as its semi-healthy)

Go for it man...

**Sasaki Kojiro** · 01-15-2006, 00:16

Originally Posted by 71-hour Ahmed

OK, for a while now I've found myself with a problem that is preventing my attempts to start losing weight from getting going properly. Its my all emcompassing hunger.

I eat breakfast at about 8am, then go to work. Breakfast is a quite big bowl (Sometimes two) of cereal (i.e. two weetabix) with semi-skimmed milk, toast with margarine, and coffee.

Yet by 11am I am always hungry again, and need to eat an apple if I want to avoid the affects of quite strong hunger. This seems a little disturbing. In 3 hours I feel really hungry.

So I eat my lunch - typically 4 slices bread in the form of sandwiches, with meat, and maybe a yoghourt or crisps as dessert. Accompanied by a drink.

This lasts till 3pm. Now I'm hungry again. So I eat another apple.

This keeps me going till 6pm. Now I'm hungry AGAIN.

So I eat my tea - a main course, bread (unless the main course is very big or I have soup) and a cup of tea (I'm british after all).

By 9 pm I need something else to eat, so I have a bowl of cereal again usually. Otherwise I'm hungry when I try to sleep.

Now, can someone please explain why the h*** I am needing to eat so much? What changes to my lifestyle might help?

It seemed to start back when I reached the end of school (about 17 to 18 years old), when I found myself hungry at night and needed to eat a supper. But I used to go till one pm without eating and not get hungry. Its seriously annoying and also I can't feasibly try to cut down on unhealthy foods and become healthier when I am needing to eat all the time.

It looks like you're eating way too much bread&cereal. Carbohydrates are fattening and you burn them up very quickly. Get more protein, fiber, and good fat in your diet and you will be hungry less often. Actually eating 6 times a day is ideal, but it should be good foods.

**Beirut** · 01-15-2006, 00:21

Sounds normal to me.

I eat breakfast at 6 (organic cereal with fruit and a whole wheat bagel with peanut butter and jelly - every morning!), power bar and muffin and coffee at 8 on the way to work, fruit and nuts all morning, lunch at 12, fruit and nuts and coffee all afternoon, a sandwich or something around 3 or 4, dinner at 7, dessert at 8, second dessert around 10. Add to this at least six cups of tea, any cookies lying around during the day, and one or two beer.

Food is to be eaten. Always.

("Because you never really know if you're going to get any more." Snoopy.)

Never eat less - just exercise more.

**Big King Sanctaphrax** · 01-15-2006, 01:13

I find that if you can hold off eating in the morning, the hunger pangs only last an hour or so before disappearing until about teatime.

Of course, this probably isn't very healthy.

**Zalmoxis** · 01-15-2006, 01:31

I only eat three meals a day, I hardly exercise, but I'm generally skinny.

**Kaiser of Arabia** · 01-15-2006, 01:53

Originally Posted by Alexanderofmacedon

Didn't read almost any of that, but here are the things I do.

1. Excersise very intensely in a sport you really love.
2. Eat as much food you like (as long as its semi-healthy)

Go for it man...

I may give that a go. I like beating up freshmen, is that a sport

**71-hour Ahmed** · 01-15-2006, 02:05

Well, I just had a yoghourt, because I'm too hungry to sleep. Now hopefully I can go to bed.

Don't know what I can do to cut down on my cereal eating, but I can certainly eat more healthy fat. I assume you mean fish? (Mackerel and tuna...)

**KukriKhan** · 01-15-2006, 02:19

I'm no nutritional expert. Lots of guys here know way more than me about what to eat & drink. But I can say this:

For me, hunger is manageable. I live in a 1st world country and have a decent income, so obtaining food is not the problem it is in other parts of the world. My trick to stave off hunger "pangs": caffeine. Many, if not all, over-the-counter diet aids have that as either an accelerant or as the primary ingredient. Save a couple bucks & drink coffee/tea, instead, I say.

Also tobacco (but I don't recommend that as a therapy, due to the side effects).

It sounds like you consume quite a high volume of food, and frequently. So I conclude that rather than actually physically 'hungry', your body is sending you the signal - often - that it is 'no longer full', and your mind interprets that as 'hungry'.

It's like driving your car, and stopping at every gas station you see, because the 'almost-empty' gas tank warning light, comes on as soon as you're down a quarter-tank.

So it's about controlling that false warning light. At least, it is for me.

**Samurai Waki** · 01-15-2006, 02:27

I eat once...maybe twice per day. When I was training for the Army I learned how to discipline myself, excerise is key...also if you don't want your body to turn starches and carbs into sugar (and therefore fat) avoid eating at least four hours before you go to bed.

**Big King Sanctaphrax** · 01-15-2006, 02:51

also if you don't want your body to turn starches and carbs into sugar

Your body always breaks down carbohydrates into simple sugars as part of digestion. You couldn't absorb them otherwise, they'd be too large.

**Samurai Waki** · 01-15-2006, 02:54

Originally Posted by Big King Sanctaphrax

Your body always breaks down carbohydrates into simple sugars as part of digestion. You couldn't absorb them otherwise, they'd be too large.

I should've said your body tends to break down Carbohydrates quicker, and turn them into fat while your sleeping. haha

**Fragony** · 01-15-2006, 13:26

Eating a lot of healthy stuff won't do you any harm.

**Duke Malcolm** · 01-15-2006, 14:18

I see you have the same problem as I... I end up getting too hungry at lunch at start eating various tit-bits, and in the evening it is the same... I used to go to the gym, but am too busy doing homework and studying now...

I shall be paying much attention to this thread.

**Alexanderofmacedon** · 01-15-2006, 19:11

Just have some carrot sticks, yogurt or fruits with you when you get hungry. Snack on healthy items such as those all day and then have one big meal being dinner. I'm sure with some excersise during your lunch hour, you'd do great...

**Somebody Else** · 01-16-2006, 12:35

Sometimes I get confused and think I'm hungry when I'm actually thirsty/tired/bored...

Have a drink of water or something next time. And make sure you have something entertaining to do.

**Adrian II** · 01-16-2006, 17:25

Kukrikhan is right: what works for one guy does not necessarily work for another. If you want to drastically lose some weight, you should consult an expert, for instance your GP. Not because dieting is hazardous per se, but because (1) you have to exclude any possible underlying causes such as intestinal parasites, organ failure, blood sugar problems, psychological issues, etcetera, and (2) he can advise you as to the best diet for your age, weight, sports habits, family circumstance, life style, shoe size, haircut, you name it.
Anyway, that would be the modern, responsible approach.

Or you can just eat less and not whine about it.

**Alexanderofmacedon** · 01-17-2006, 00:59

Originally Posted by Somebody Else

Sometimes I get confused and think I'm hungry when I'm actually bored/bored/bored...

I find that too...

**Reverend Joe** · 01-17-2006, 04:46

Eat some meat! Damn, man!

And, no, little sandwiches don't count- eat a real cheeseburger with something on the side for lunch. You won't be hungry until much later. Also, have some eggs for breakfast- they stay with you a lot longer than cereal.

Yes, I know, it isn't the healthiest diet- but it tastes good, and it's filling. Just keep exercising, and you will be okay.

**Papewaio** · 01-17-2006, 06:03

Weetbix are a good choice (and they beat all sugared cereals, and even a lot of bran cereals for fibre hands down).

Add more protein to your meals/snacks. Eggs, almonds, peanut butter are a good choice there.

Eat more snacks with high protein in them. Have an apple with a yogurt, or a sandwich with peanut butter or turkey.

Also check how much water you are drinking, you may be mistaking thirst for hunger.