How can I stop the hunger pains?

Complex carbs? Steel-cut oatmeal with a few trimmings like nuts and dried fruits, quinoa, faro, bulgur (make into tabouli), brown rice with a light vinaigrette and crunchy vegetables, slice of serious toast with a thin film of nut butter?

Grains can be cooked and then kept for 4–5 days in the refrig.

You probably need to increase your protein intake. Try snacking on a handful of nuts or 3–4 pieces of cheese.

Grapefruit juice.

More leafy greens and some nuts. No preparation really, just buy a spring mix, throw on some nuts and a simple dressing. Or, a small portion of a legume soup like black bean soup or lentil. Another choice is hot broth (very low calorie). I find hot drinks to be filling, and the chicken broth (my usual choice) is like eating soup, so it feels more like a meal to me than just a drink. I also really like Morning stars original veggie patties. I make a sandwich with a thin piece of bread and some ketchup.

Water.

Healthy vegetables like carrots.

OP did say, I’ve tried fruits and veggies for snacks but it does nothing.

Increase your lean proteins. They stave off hunger better than anything.
I don’t agree with @marinelife though. Nuts and cheese are high in fat. Stick with grilled chicken breast, fish, or low calorie protein drinks.

@gailcalled Maybe she isn’t eating enough of them? Not enough information. Green leafy veggies have as much protein per calorie as meat more or less. And, it won’t clog her arteries as fast, if that is a concern for her. Add in some nuts more filling still.

My moms friend lost over 75lbs just eating a certain kind of cheese, can’t remember the name, but that’s all she ate for a few months, I still can’t believe that shit worked though.

@cheebdragon Lack of variety in a diet tends to help people lose weight. I think they consume less overtime out of boredom. LOL.

I think @marinelife and @Judi may have hit the nail on the head. I am not a huge protein eater and I had forgotten that protein actually takes longer to break down so it should make me feel fuller for longer stretches of time.
I guess nuts and cheeses and eggs should do. Meats are something I go through phases with. I love them for a week and then I have to force myself to eat it for the next 3 weeks. I have been eating less protein this week. Just haven’t been yearning it at all this week.
The oats was also a good suggestion. I do love oats but forget to eat them often. They do hold back the hunger for a good while as well.

Thank you all for your answers.

Protein and fats.

If you’re hungry, you need to eat. Simple as that. I agree that protein is a good idea.

As for adding an extra meal a day, that really tells us nothing about your diet. How many calories do you eat per day? You could be eating 4 200-calorie meals per day and that wouldn’t be nearly enough. That would certainly explain your hunger.

If you’re working out like crazy, you should be eating even more. Weight loss happens in the kitchen; fitness happens in the gym. I’m not sure what you mean by “getting in shape” (losing weight? gaining muscle? both?), but your body requires a certain number of calories and eating less is unhealthy. Your body is telling you you’re not eating enough.

Find out what your TDEE is and tailor that to accommodate your goals.

Continuing with @livelaughlove21 ‘s comments, can you tell us what items are in the 4 meals that you are eating?

@livelaughlove21 I don’t count calories but I always eat 3 meals normally. I use to count my calories when I was on weight watchers years ago, but I keep my meals pretty balances with the exception of fats and meats. I can digest too many fats or fried food because of my acid reflux. It is why I try to eat little meals. If I ate at any time in my life 4200 calories, I wouldn’t fit in the front door. LOL

I’m going for muscle gain but I’m not looking to compete. I don’t want to gain a lot of weight from over eating. That is why I want to be careful. I want whatever weight I put on to come from denser muscles not from overeating.

I actually ate a whole chicken breast today and I found that it worked in suppressing the hunger and helped my energy stay up.

I am planning a vacation next spring that may involve some pretty athletic stuff and I don’t want to wimp out because I don’t have the strength or the stamina, so I am trying to get ready. Two years back I went scuba diving and it was fun the first day. The second day, my legs were wiped and so was my back.
Unfortunately I am young at heart but my insides say otherwise, so I want to get in good shape so I can be a bit daring and have a good time on my trip.

Get your vitamin D checked next time you are at the doctor if you don’t let your skin get tanned. D helps my muscle stamina significantly.

@Pandora I’m almost positive you’re not eating enough. First, you said you eat 3 meals and then you said they were small meals. That’s not enough food, most likely. Secondly, you said “I actually ate a whole chicken breast” as if eating the entire piece of chicken was an accomplishment. It shouldn’t be.

You need to track your calories for a few days to see how much you’re really eating. Counting calories doesn’t mean you’re “dieting,” it means you’re aware of what you’re putting in your body. Oh, and WeightWatchers doesnt track calories; it tracks points. My guess is that you’re eating way less than you should be. Hence, hunger pains.

If you’re looking to gain muscle, you need to eat enough calories. If you don’t, you won’t get results. My guess is that your idea of “overeating,” in reality, is normal eating. You’re not going to be able to meet your fitness goals without fueling your body with food.

I think the problem is being unaware of proper nutritional needs and I’m getting the impression that you’re not willing to be educated on those needs. No one is telling you to scarf down fried chicken and ice cream, but you need to listen to your body and feed it when you’re hungry instead of searching for new ways to deny yourself the nutrition.

Oh, the chicken thing is that I haven’t been eating lot of meat this week. I just wasn’t in the mood. I get tired of meat from time to time and then there are times when all I want is meat. I was surprised that I ate the whole chicken breast because I had pasta with it which is pretty heavy for me. I was surprised because the whole meal in general was heavy. Usually I would eat the pasta and not finish the meat because I would feel full. I say it is small because other people think it is small compared to what they normally eat. I don’t believe we have to eat a large plate of food at every meal. It simply is too much for me. I end up with indigestion.

So that is why I have gone from 3 (of my regular meals) to 4. I have just never been a big eater, but I am only 5 ft tall. My whole family eats that way. I eat at 530 am then 1030, then 2 pm then again by 6. It just feels like such a bother. I do have a full plate of food if I have a bowl of salad or a fruit with my meals. Usually at either the 1030 or the 2pm but it still goes through me like a glass of water. Within an hour or two my stomach was growling again. But I will try to find the time one day to monitor and see if I am getting enough calories. I know at 1800 while working out, I usually did well.
But my mistake was not eating enough meat during my work outs. I was making sure I was taking in enough carbs for my muscles so they don’t get fatigue but forgot I need protein just as well.

@JLeslie I take vitamin D supplements regularly. My body doesn’t produce enough and I have started to get arthritis. Since being on D supplements for two years, my joints have stopped hurting. I can now work out without fearing the joint pain that use to follow. I actually get a lot of sun but the doctor told me it is not unusual for our bodies to stop producing D as we age.

@Pandora I’m glad D helped you. Interesting that you felt it in your joints. I don’t have joint pain, except what I perceive as tendon pain at the joint. The only thing I recommend is actually look at your number. That the total is above 40. I like to stay around 50. I have to take a ton of D to reach that. About 60,000 IU’s a week if I am not getting any sun. I once switched down to 2,000 daily to maintain my level and I plummeted like a rock in 3 months, I was in so much pain I could not exercise for half the time I usually did. I’ve been in the sun a lot the last two months and my level is way way up. I don’t know if I buy into the not producing D thing, because I know plenty of 20 something year olds that are extremely deficient. We just don’t let the sun hit our bodies anymore. All our make-up has SPF in it, we work indoors during daylight hours, etc.

You say you aren’t a big eater, I also wonder how many calories you are actually eating, but what I wonder more is how much you way, and how much you are losing every week? You make it sound like you don’t eat much in general, not even before this diet. Also, how many hours are you exercising daily?

It’s a sure sign your diet is not balanced. Nuts, beans, small amounts of whole grain rice and small portions of protein and fat are probably lacking. If your eating all that then you’ll probably need to try getting plenty of micro-nutrients from leafy greens and other various sources. Removing all processed foods usually makes a huge difference as well.

The vitamin D thing I’ll echo, It’s VERY important. We don’t produce enough because of our indoor/clothed lifestyle and the latitude in which we live. Weather matters also, I have to take supplements and get checked regularly. Almost all of us are deficient and don’ realize it. I have not had so much as a cold in the four years I have had healthy levels.