Head Hunger vs Stomach Hunger?

AlicePalice

Full Member
How do you get past this? I weighed in on Monday and lost 0.5lb which I was disappointed with, and ever since then I just feel HUNGRY the whole time. I have been eating fruit and staying within my syns to try to get rid of this - but I know it's not real hunger, it can't be because I'm eating big, proper meals - it's not like I need this extra food - it's just my head telling me "you want it, you want it, you want it, have it, have it".... and I know its because I didn't lose as much as I would have liked.

How do you tell your head to shut up when your motivation has been dented?
 
As long as you are sure that it's not real hunger, then I would say that it is willpower. Somedays I feel hungry, but I usually know that it is become I am tired/bored/emotional and somedays I feel hungry because I really am!!!!
Try and look at the reasons why you may be feeling hunger - it may help you to understand yourself better.
On those days when my hunger is not real, I try and distract myself, drink black coffee or fizzy water :-D
I also save myself a treat for the evening, just to satisfy my head!
Hope this helps - remember that 1/2lb is still good and that you should have no need to restrict yourself on this plan if your need to eat is real. Some weeks we just lose less than others!
Oh! And if you've got a goal or reason for losing weight, then remind yourself of what it was. Also, look through some ideas for meals - motivation will return!
 
Alice first of all congratulations on the 5lbs loss and focus on that.

My 'head hunger' comes from habit more than anything else. I am used to snacking on crap throughout the day and as with anything that is suddenly taken away it takes time to realise that things need to change. I need to find distractions until it seems natural for me not to snack and instead fill up on meals.

I know that when starting out before on diets the first few weeks are full of motivation and real determination but then suddenly its as if the novelty wears off and I just think 'what is the point'. I have to really battle this especially if the weight losses are not what I would expect or are used to.

Ultimately do not tell your head to shut up.... eat free foods, experiment mixing or making up recipes.... do not deprive yourself if your head hunger gets too much otherwise it may get so unbearable that you reach for high synned foods.

Good luck.
 
I know that when starting out before on diets the first few weeks are full of motivation and real determination but then suddenly its as if the novelty wears off and I just think 'what is the point'. I have to really battle this especially if the weight losses are not what I would expect or are used to.

That's so very true, and I'm sure it probably causes many people to give up. Thing is, it happens to everyone, pretty much - it's a normal part of the process of changing your habits. It's so tough but if you can just push through it, you find it all gets much easier.

I don't know if distraction tactics work for everyone, I found they didn't really help me. What helped most was simply acknowledging how I felt - saying to myself 'I am so miserable. I want to eat and eat and eat. I want the comfort of my old way of eating. I resent not being able to do that anymore. And I am entitled to feel that way.' Giving myself permission to have those feelings and not feel guilty or frustrated with myself for them was a first step to getting over it. Doing this helped me to grasp that it was MY CHOICE to change, and it was not going to be easy.
 
Fantastically put Elizabeth!!:love:

I'm struggling atm with feeling like a "failure" even though i am on plan 100%, because i'm so "hungry" all the time and wanting to just binge and "comfort" myself. I feel like i'm failing at the diet because of this. But you're so right! You've no idea how much what you've said has just helped me!
 
Fantastically put Elizabeth!!:love:

I'm struggling atm with feeling like a "failure" even though i am on plan 100%, because i'm so "hungry" all the time and wanting to just binge and "comfort" myself. I feel like i'm failing at the diet because of this. But you're so right! You've no idea how much what you've said has just helped me!

Aww, thanks hon, I'm glad it helps. :)

Letting yourself just feel those feelings, acknowledging them and giving yourself permission to feel that way can be such a powerful release of tension. Beating yourself up for them really doesn't help. You're doing something amazing, changing habits you've had for a long time, and it will be a painful process at times. Finding some compassion for yourself helps a lot.
 
This is such a big obstacle to overcome but it is doable! In a physcial sense, drinking syn-free drinks helps a lot - tea and coffee with sweetner, or my fave, no-added sugar squash.... Have a drink when you really can't resist eating something, see if it helps.

I think the longer you're on the plan, the smaller your stomach gets and you don't need as much to help you feel full - good luck, you're doing really well!!xx
 
Firstly don't forget that 0.5 lb is a good loss!

But as you're dissappointed try to remember this feeling next time you feel "head hungry" and think about what you would be happy with seeing next week on the scales. You could also try replacing your big meals with frequent smaller ones so that you eat more often which could help silence your head hunger.

If I still want to eat then, I go for speed food first and if I still want to eat then I tell myself that as long as I stay on plan I don't need to feel bad about it.

There days when you naturally want to eat more and others when you eats less just like there are some weeks when you will have a big loss and others when you gain. If you fight it or try to restrict yourself, you'll only end up having a syn binge and that 0.5lb loss could be a big gain!

We all have weeks when all we seem to do is eat but as long as you're eating the right things you shouldn't feel bad!
 
I had chocolate cravings the other night and one member suggested waiting 15 minutes and to see how it was then, wait another 15 mins etc. Would that work? I did WW years ago and one reason I stopped was that I was obsessing all day about what I could eat. Only done a week of SW but there seems to be so much you can eat without feeling guilty iykwim.
 
i drink loads-especially water. Spend so much time having a wee and moaning about going AGAIN that it takes your mind off it.
 
Thank you all so much for your replies - you're all right and there's been some fab advice here.

Zombiecakes, thats EXACTLY how I feel.

As well I've been menu-planning for the week 5 mins before ordering my shopping, and therefore not checking out lovely scrummy things. I will try to take some time out to menu plan properly this week.

I drink LOADS of squash - I don't drink alcohol so this is a bonus when syns are concerned. Its far too hot for hot drinks - but every time I've felt hungry today I've been trying to drink first. Tomorrow I might try brushing my teeth, because nothing will taste nice after that!

Thanks so much, lots to think about.
 
I binge and emotionally eat and a thing that has helped me is to recognise the difference between emotional hunger and actual hunger. Emotional hunger is recognised by the following:
  1. Wanting food NOW (real hunger slowly creeps up on you, emotional is instant)
  2. Not being mindful of what your body is saying e.g. carrying on eating even though you are full
  3. Wanting a very specific type of food (usually fatty or sweet- as the saying goes "If you are not hungry for free food, you are not really hungry"
  4. Feeling guilty after eating- there would be no reason to feel guilty if you were simply eating to satisfy physical hunger
  5. The trigger for the eating was something emotional (and not necessarily bad emotions- I have often binged when I am happy/excited too)
Once you have identified that you are not really hungry it makes it easier to deal with the issue. Distractions usually work for me- do anything that will take your mind off it- have a bath, do your nails, clean out the wardrobe, go for a walk- otherwise (if you are like me) you will sit and just think about food until you crack under the pressure and have a stupid binge

xxx
 
I keep some of the very small Green and Blacks choc bars in the fridge. The highest value syn for one is 4.5 and also cadburys highlights in the pantry as thats 2 syns.
I tell myself that if I behave myself, I can get an early night with a book and my choccy treats. (I have a young child so get up at 6.30am every day to start my jobs/fix breakfasts/do workout/sort animals etc, so an early night is a BIG treat! lol) I end up not really wanting them so most days am syn free which leaves me plenty for a 'treat night'. Its kind of like when I stopped smoking. I just tell myself that if I just manage another half hour without a cig, or in this case breaking the diet, I will be Ok. And after that half hour, I'll try another and so on, because the treat is available at the end of the day. If I still want it! :)
xx
 
I binge and emotionally eat and a thing that has helped me is to recognise the difference between emotional hunger and actual hunger. Emotional hunger is recognised by the following:
  1. Wanting food NOW (real hunger slowly creeps up on you, emotional is instant)
  2. Not being mindful of what your body is saying e.g. carrying on eating even though you are full
  3. Wanting a very specific type of food (usually fatty or sweet- as the saying goes "If you are not hungry for free food, you are not really hungry"
  4. Feeling guilty after eating- there would be no reason to feel guilty if you were simply eating to satisfy physical hunger
  5. The trigger for the eating was something emotional (and not necessarily bad emotions- I have often binged when I am happy/excited too)
Once you have identified that you are not really hungry it makes it easier to deal with the issue. Distractions usually work for me- do anything that will take your mind off it- have a bath, do your nails, clean out the wardrobe, go for a walk- otherwise (if you are like me) you will sit and just think about food until you crack under the pressure and have a stupid binge

xxx

That is very useful, thank you! I had second helpings of my lush dinner last night and definitely it was numbers 2 & 4!

I admitted in class this week that I eat TONS after dinner. It can be something like a fruit salad, 3 clementines, some corn beef and my B choice (usually cereal bar). Although it's all within plan, my C pointed out that I am not food optimising because I am eating hwen I'm not hungry and that is not what SW is about.

This really kind of shocked me and made me realise that I DO need to address this issue. This week I'm making a real effort to have my dinner and have a small 'dessert' after - be it my B choice, a fruit salad or a piece of fruit and no more!

Really hoping this will help my loss this week.
 
That is very useful, thank you! I had second helpings of my lush dinner last night and definitely it was numbers 2 & 4!

I admitted in class this week that I eat TONS after dinner. It can be something like a fruit salad, 3 clementines, some corn beef and my B choice (usually cereal bar). Although it's all within plan, my C pointed out that I am not food optimising because I am eating hwen I'm not hungry and that is not what SW is about.

This really kind of shocked me and made me realise that I DO need to address this issue. This week I'm making a real effort to have my dinner and have a small 'dessert' after - be it my B choice, a fruit salad or a piece of fruit and no more!

Really hoping this will help my loss this week.


:eek: What your consultant has said has shocked me too. I don't usually have any of my syns during the day, so I have them in an evening on things like maltesers etc. That means I'm not following the plan 100% either! Oops! :eek:

Sian xxx
 
What if you're not hungry during the day, but actually physically hungry in the evening
 
I don't know, a bigger tea would not get rid of my hunger later. :/ I don't see how it's not on plan if it's free food or within your syns since it's been shown that it doesn't matter at what time of day you eat.
 
I also thought syns etc could be used for treats.... surely treats are treats and often eaten when there is no actual hunger.

Sian and Stacy you've both had incredible losses so far so it can't do that much harm. Zombiecakes you also are showing the plan works the way you have been using it.

I save my syns mainly for crisps to eat on an evening... better this than feeling deprived and as a result eating much worse. My syns do tend to get eaten in an evening when my willpower is lower than through the day.

I am stunned at the C saying that... I thought the point of slimming world was to have the freedom to choose what to eat and when to eat it 'within the plan'
 
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