I was a slim child and young adult.  Never had any weight issues.  I have always had a very healthy appetite.  In other words, I CAN EAT.  I love to eat.  I eat for the sheer pleasure of the food.  I am pretty much hungry all of the time.  Around the age of 30 I began to gain weight.  Now at the age of 44 I am at least 50 to 60 pounds overweight.  I just have continually gained the last 14 years.  I have half heartedly gone on diets and lost maybe 10 lbs at most only to gain it back once I went off the diet.  I am now afraid for my health and really want to lose the weight.  Anyone have any good ideas on how to deal with the hunger?  I truly feel that I could benefit from a prescription diet pill to curb hunger but my doctor has a reputation for not liking to prescribe drugs.  I  have an appointment with her on Monday on an unrelated issue and I may bite the bullet and ask her for something. 

Hi Sandra,

Diets and/or diet pills are really only a temporary solution.  I think that the best thing to do would be to change the way you eat everyday.  Try buying healthy snack foods, so that when you're hungry, all you have around to eat are healthy foods.  :)

Whatever you choose to do, good luck! 

Jocelyn

How often are you hungry?  Do you drink enough water? You can feel hungry if you're dehydradte.    You might need to change how you eat or what you're eating. 

Also, if you want to lose weight, exercise will help.  I am a fan of walking since it's free and easy.

I will say I'm on atkins, having great success, and I am never hungry.  

The same thing happened to me except that the weight started sticking when I was about 23 and now I'm 28.  Diet pills are only temporary and sometimes does more damage to your system.  The only way to keep the weight off is to make your dieting your lifestyle.  You could just start dieting and quit everything cold turkey or start make small changes and sticking to them.  Most important is to have a buddy so that when you feel that you can't continue they are there to keep you on track.  Research food that you should eat so that you know what it does for your body.  I watch the show You Are What You Eat on the BBC channel with Dr. Gillian McKeith and she will tell you what the different foods does to your body and shows you how to replace them with healthy foods.  When you understand what you are putting in your body I think it makes it a tiny bit easier to make different choices. Snacking throughout the day (small healthy snacks) might cut down on the urge to eat huge unhealthy meals. Something I notice when I start to lose some weight is that my knees don't hurt as much and I could move around easier.  Don't give up.  And all the best to you. 

Some things that have helped me--in no particular order.

Know what I'm going to eat at what times--don't graze...

Keeping track of what goes in my mouth--either write in a notebook or use an online food diary such as sparkpeople

Drinking a cup of tea or glass of water and waiting to see if I'm still hungry

THINK before you eat: for ex. Finding out how many calories are in the food I want and figuring out how much exercise it would require to burn them, then I feel it's not worth it to eat it.

Eating a large bowl of vegetables with only lemon or vinegar before I eat something like pizza that I have little resistance to.

Starting a meal with a salad and a brothy soup

Don't buy things that you have trouble resisting eating too much of- like ice cream or a bag of candy. I will actually walk a couple of miles to buy a small candy bar if I'm craving one. Most times, by the time I get to the store, I want a drink instead. And I'll get a seltzer or some other low cal drink.

Best of luck, it's not easy at first but after awhile, it becomes second nature.

.

There are a couple of Yogi teas that help suppress the appetite.  I've used Healthy Fasting and Blueberry Slim Life, and they both really work.  All herbal.  Sometimes you just need a little help to get you over a tough spot.  And of course, once you get your body accustomed to eating a little less, some of the hunger will go away.

You could follow the eat clean diet, there are multiple books about it by Tosca Reno.

It actually REQUIRES you to eat six meals a day.

Trust me, you can eat a LOT of food, and six times a day. It's all about the content of the food, and keeping your metabolism going.

It changed my life...I know it will change yours if you just give it a try.

I have so much energy now, that I never thought I'd have.

I lost a lot of weight, and my skin and hair are dramatically better looking. My eyes are even clearer. 

I never felt like I was dieting. It just felt like I was eating WAY TOO MUCH to be losing weight. In fact, I got to eat more than I'd ever eaten before.

And that's saying something.

Haha. But I really would check it out,and you can watch videos about it on YouTube.

I've never heard a single negative review about it, and believe me, I did my research before purchasing the book at my local Barns & Noble.

(That was before I found this site...I'm sure you could just order it from here.)

Anyway. It's the solution to any dieter's problem.

I'm not exaggerating.

I heard some good advice a while back. Most diets do not work because they change what you like to eat. The key?? Simply eat less. If you are overweight at all, it is because you are putting out less than you take in.

Drink as much water as you can before you eat, and eat half of what you like (normally eat).

James

James, despite what you may have heard, that is completely untrue. Eating half of what you normally do will cause you to lose weight in all the wrong areas. The goal is to burn the fat and keep the muscle. Eating half of what you normally do will rob you of all the nutrients and vitamins you need to maintain a healthy weight with lean muscle mass. What Sandra should do is continue eating at her regular caloric intake and increase the amount of exercise she does on a daily basis.

I think the "exercise to lose weight" myth has been pretty thoroughly debunked by now.   Even mainstream magazines like Time have caught on.  Some quotes from the 4 page article:

http://www.time.com/time/health/article/0,8599,1914857-1,00.html

"In general, for weight loss, exercise is pretty useless," says Eric Ravussin, chair in diabetes and metabolism at Louisiana State University and a prominent exercise researcher. Many recent studies have found that exercise isn't as important in helping people lose weight as you hear so regularly in gym advertisements or on shows like The Biggest Loser ? or, for that matter, from magazines like this one.  

The basic problem is that while it's true that exercise burns calories and that you must burn calories to lose weight, exercise has another effect: it can stimulate hunger. That causes us to eat more, which in turn can negate the weight-loss benefits we just accrued. Exercise, in other words, isn't necessarily helping us lose weight. It may even be making it harder. 

. . .

Yes, although the muscle-fat relationship is often misunderstood. According to calculations published in the journal Obesity Research by a Columbia University team in 2001, a pound of muscle burns approximately six calories a day in a resting body, compared with the two calories that a pound of fat burns. Which means that after you work out hard enough to convert, say, 10 lb. of fat to muscle ? a major achievement ? you would be able to eat only an extra 40 calories per day, about the amount in a teaspoon of butter, before beginning to gain weight. Good luck with that.

 . . . .
In short, it's what you eat, not how hard you try to work it off, that matters more in losing weight. You should exercise to improve your health, but be warned: fiery spurts of vigorous exercise could lead to weight gain. I love how exercise makes me feel, but tomorrow I might skip the VersaClimber ? and skip the blueberry bar that is my usual postexercise reward.


 

I had this problem combined with lotsa weight gain.  I found a doctor who diagnosed me with PCOS (polycystic ovarian syndrome) and insulin resistance.   Even though I wasn't diabetic, I was insulin resistant, a form of pre-diabetes.  Once I started taking metformin, my hunger reduced subtantially and I lost 60 pounds (not without effort), but at least it was possible to lose, whereas before it wasn't. 

What do you crave?  If you crave high carbohydrate foods, you could be insulin resistant.  I'd discuss this with your doctor.  There are fairly simple blood tests for insulin resistance.   A low carb diet (similar to Atkins) also helps.  The more carbs you eat, the hungrier you get.  It's a viscious cycle. 

That aside, I've found that avocado extract (if you can find it) helps tremendously with hunger cravings.  

Definitely don't look to diet pills for a solution--that's a dangerous fix that isn't sustainable long-term.  Look at what you are eating, and focus on foods that are lower in calories but are able to fill you up; fruits, veggies, air popped popcorn, oatmeal, etc.  I was on the weight watchers core program after my last baby was born, and it gets you really adjusted to eating lots and lots of nutrient dense whole foods that keep you filled up.  I also agree with the suggestion to drink lots of water.  Dehydration can really mimic hunger; the body knows it needs something, its just sending you signals for the wrong thing. 

Claudia, I had the same reaction to taking metformin for PCOS.  I dropped 15 pounds that I had gained after going off birth control pills.  I'm not sure how common that is, but certainly it is always worth looking at.  PCOS is often missed by doctors.

Have you had a comprehensive thyroid panel (free T4, free T3, total T4, total T3 and antibodies, etc. as well as TSH)?  Being hypothyroid can cause this symptom, big time.  Also...many docs only look at TSH and if you're "normal" they don't look farther.  BUT, if for some reason your TSH isn't right for you, but still within "normal" range, you will be misdiagnosed as "normal" using that method.  That's the reason for a comprehensive panel. TSH is a measure of pancreatic hormones, not thyroid...but many docs don't seem to understand this.

My mom struggles with the exact same issue. Hungry ALL the time. But then again, I think she just tells herself she's hungry and isn't really. They say a sign of depression is eating. I think she struggles with that - but I have no clue about your situation. They say when people get bored they eat just to have something to do, too. I'd make sure that I stayed busy. Sometimes going on diets can stimulate your hunger..simply because you're cutting back on what you're used to so your body thinks you need more. I say just get into a routine and find the motivation to keep doing it. I've got a friend who lost over 80 pounds..still has a good way to go. Simply by taking a picture of herself naked and looking at it every day. Just a suggestion.. Good luck!!

I might agree with Lynn, I was thinking you might have hypothyroidism but you'll have to check with your doctor about that. or its could be some other illnes tht can cause increase hunger. another thought that comes to my mind is your lifestyle change. Maybe you were more active as a child and teen years but became sedentary?

I hope you get it figured out.

I think a lot of it is a mind thing too. You controlling what goes in your mouth..you being your conscience... it's an inner battle that a LOT of people are struggling with today. I'm going to say sit down and decide how you want to look... and then look at yourself in the mirror. Set mini-goals. Nothing too extravagant. Here's something to inspire you:

I went to college with a girl who weighed over 300 lbs. She went through a bad divorce..her ex-husband kept telling her she was fat and ugly [one reason why she left him], so she decided to change. She weighed in last week and in a year...she has lost over 100 pounds. She is now under 200LBS.

I myself am struggling with eating/etc... mainly because I moved back home after college and find myself bored. I just need to occupy my time better. I'd say find some hobbies and don't result to eating just because you're bored. Try drinking tea/coffee and then seeing if you're still hungry. Most of the time you're not.

check out these simple tips. Alot of them  are useful and work.

http://www.nowloss.com/natural-ways-to-curb-your-cravings-without-appetite-suppressants-pills.htm

About 5 years ago I started my weight loss journey.  I lost am 5'4" and lost 35 pounds and have kept it off for the past 2 years.  It is the result of changing my lifestyle.  I eat less  and I exercise more.  Simple but not easy.

First of all, get control of what you are eating.  Figure out how many calories  you need to eat to lose weight.  For me it was about 1200- 1400 calories depending on what I did that day.  I used http://caloriecount.about.com to log everything I ate.  It's free.  This site will help you figure out what your current BMI is, and based on your age, sex and health will calculate how many calories you need to lose weight.  High fiber food will fill you up and process refined sugars won't.  Eat an apple sprinkled with cinnamon.  Stay away from cookies and cakes.  I have a sweet tooth and do indulge in 1/2 cup of slow churned ice cream.  Not 3 cups mind you.  I purchased the small glass custard cups which hold about 1/2 a cup.  Portion control is very important.

Get plenty of sleep.  If you are sleepy, you'll be looking for something to make you feel better.  For a lot of us, that means comfort food.  Make sleeping a priority.

Start moving regularly.  I joined a gym.  Not fun when you are fat.  I hated how my stomach hit my legs when I rode the bicycle but stick with it.  I started at just 5 minutes on the elliptical ( I have arthritis in my spine).  Slowly I built up to 15 min and then 30.  Now I am on the elliptical for 50 min 3 times a week.  I break it up with weight lifting.  I have completely changed my body.  I'm still a 45 year woman who has had 2 children, but I am slimmer and toner.  Calorie count also estimates how much you are burning and you can even log your activity.  Loved that. 

Each day is a new start.  If you have a bad day, just tell yourself you can do it and start anew at the very next meal. Do not fall into the trap of telling yourself you'll start on Monday or next month or after the holidays.  Do not tell yourself that one little cookie won't hurt you.  If you want the cookie, log it into your diary and make sure you make allowances for it during the day or burn it off with activity. 

Good luck

I would echo the calorie counting idea.  Write down EVERYTHING you eat.  There are apps and websites which will do that. 

Set a caloric goal for each day (the apps and websites do that too).  The one I used (LoseIt) would turn red if you went over the limit. 

Once you find out how many calories are in different items of food it becomes easier to make good choices.

Some times you can have the best of intentions, but if you are hungry...then you are hungry! One thing that I find really helps is finding something to help control blood sugar. Like Chromium. I have one made by "NOW" and its Tri-Chromium. It wasn't expensive and I bought it from Swanson Vitamins online and it really really helps me with cravings and I no longer have the afternoon tiredness. It helps me to say no to the junk.