why is this?

[xkawaiix]

I know its really bad, but I have never been a big breakfast eater. This started when I was at school, I was bullied so much that I was too stressed to eat before and during school and would only eat at night when I got home.

Now I am trying to help my metabolism and eat breakfast, lunch etc.. the trouble is that eating small meals throughout the day just makes me feel terribly hungry all the time. When I was not eating until evening I could honestly say I didn't feel hungry until I got home and ate.
So why do I feel so hungry? Does eating one meal make you want to eat another? or is there a more scientific explanation?
being hungry certainly makes me think about food all the time and ultimately makes it a lot harder to diet -_-

 

[ChristieK]

It might depend on what you're eating for your small meals. If you make sure have have plenty of protein, and just not all simple carbs, that will help. And of course, healthy drinks help to keep the empty feeling way, a bit of water is good for you.

For breakfast, I have about 100g of Greek style 0% yoghurt with 2 small handfuls of oat/fruit/nut muesli and a cup of coffee...keeps me good until about 11, when I have a small snack of nuts (very small palm-full. that keeps me going until late lunch.

 

[Jenmac]

I was the same as you, I never ate at school (also due to bullying) and it set a pattern for many years, I would eat little or no breakfast/lunch.
I agree with ChristieK that you should try having plenty of protein - over the last year the one thing I have found that I can eat for breakfast without being ravenous by dinnertime is scrambled eggs - in fact I'm usually not really hungry again til about three in the afternoon so lunch is a very small affair! I cook about a teaspoonful of finely diced bacon in a pan, no oil or anything, then once that's cooked through I add two eggs and scramble! Or I do a couple of sliced mushrooms instead of the bacon.
Can't help with any scientific reason for the eating making you hungry but I know exactly what you mean!

 

[wannabslim]

Hey hun, I believe the reason for this is due to the following.

Imagine a furnace. You put coal into the furnace regularly to keep it burning. You need to put the right amount of coal in to make sure it is all burned up and none is wasted, and it needs to be coal, cos metal doesn't work. If you don't put coal in the furnace, you can see that the flames are dying down and no heat or light is being given off, and if you don't act fast the flames die down and it may even go out....

Now... an explanation. The furnace is your body. The coal is the food you put into your body. So...you put food into your body regularly to keep it burning calories (and thus maintain your metabolic rate). You need to put the right amount of food in to make sure all of the energy it contains is all burned up and none is wasted, and it needs to be the right type of food, cos the wrong type stops your body working efficiently (stops the fire burning). If you stop putting food into your body, your metabolism will slow down and it may even lead to going into starvation mode....

By eating breakfast, and a healthy, balanced one at that, you light your furnace (start your body burning cals). You then need to continue to fuel your furnace (by eating regularly) throughout the day, as your flames begin to die down (which makes you feel hungry) to ensure the fire doesn't go out compleyely meaning you go into starvation mode.

Breakfast is important because overnight your body does not get any energy, so your metabolism (furnace flames) will go right down and you need to break that fast ASAP in the morning to boost your metabolism (those flames) again. If you don't boost it for a long time, and then you add coal into the furnace (food into your body), the flames will have gone out and the fire can't relight itself!

So, the moral of the story is, don't let your flames go down, keep fuelling the fire with the best fuel possible, and make sure when the flames die down cos all the coal has been burnt off, that you put MORE coal onto the fire!!

xxx

 

[little*red]

Can't really add to the already great replies.
As suggested before try to eat planty of protein and 'good' carbs which won't send you blood sugar levels soaring and them crashing (leaving you feeling ravenous).
Try looking on the net for some diabetic breakfast ideas as they will be made with the intention of avoiding rising blood sugar levels.
Here are some things I eat for breakfast which keep me full until lunch:
porridge
fruit
yoghurt
eggs
lean bacon
muesli

And remember to drink plenty of water, as sometime we feel hunger as a mis-signal for thirst.
hope that helps.x

 

[xkawaiix]

thankyou for all your very helpful replies ^^

Its nice to know I am not the only person with this problem, and I guess part of the problem is that I have been stuck in such an unhealthy routine for so many years my body just doesn't know what to think! As I am a vegetarian I can't eat meat but I do love eggs and quorn is a substitute that contains just as much protein, and less fat so I think I will have a go with those. Since posting this thread I did some research on low gi foods, and I think this may help me with taking control.
its very very hard to diet when you feel hungry all the time -and therefore constantly thinking about eating!

 

[Rayven]

Hey hun, i'm exactly the same - i've never done brekkie & am quite happy to go throughout the day without eating & then have a meal in the evening without feeling hungry. If i do eat breakfast then by half 9 - ten o clock i'm ready for something else!
The problem being with me is a psychological need for food - once i open the gate then i need more & more.

 

[xkawaiix]

Hey hun, i'm exactly the same - i've never done brekkie & am quite happy to go throughout the day without eating & then have a meal in the evening without feeling hungry. If i do eat breakfast then by half 9 - ten o clock i'm ready for something else!
The problem being with me is a psychological need for food - once i open the gate then i need more & more.

this is EXACTLY my problem XD, once ive started the whole eating thing, I don't want to stop. I actually used to maintain my weight as a teenager by not eating until the evening because it would be bedtime before i had done too much damage- so bad. Its certainly going to be difficult kicking my bad habits -_-

 

[Rayven]

Oh sweetie, i know exactly where you're coming from. I've tried healthy eating, slimming world etc. I know what a healthy diet is, but the thing is that it doesn't matter whether i eat something healthy for brekkie or something fattening, i still crave more food. To be honest, for me theres not really a middle ground - i'm either not eating during the day at all (and just eating in the evening) or i'm stuffing my face all day!
If you find a way to kick the bad habit then give me a shout and fill me in cos i haven't found an answer yet.

 

[xkawaiix]

Oh sweetie, i know exactly where you're coming from. I've tried healthy eating, slimming world etc. I know what a healthy diet is, but the thing is that it doesn't matter whether i eat something healthy for brekkie or something fattening, i still crave more food. To be honest, for me theres not really a middle ground - i'm either not eating during the day at all (and just eating in the evening) or i'm stuffing my face all day!
If you find a way to kick the bad habit then give me a shout and fill me in cos i haven't found an answer yet.

well if I find something that works I shall certainly let you know!! Out of interest how easy do you find it to loose weight when you eat mainly in the evening?

 

[Rayven]

To be honest i find sticking to something like slimfast - where you only really eat in the evening really easy to stick to & I generally save the snacks that i'm supposed to have during the day for the evenings too (just in case i get the munchies) & the weight loss is pretty good.

 

[xkawaiix]

In a way probably best sticking to what you know you won't fail at!
though im sure most nutritionalists would hold their hands up in horror. But if you know that binging is inevitable otherwise what can you do really?

 

[chocolatecat]

I am exactly the same but... and I know it's cliched... if find drinking plenty of water through the day really helps! Drink the water and allow yourself 1 snack between breakfast and lunch and another between lunch and dinner.

It's tough at first but your body gets used to it eventually