I know this wont be on for a couple of days and by then I will probably be over this but I started on the 27 and today when I woke up I feel a starving feeling.  Its almost as if I am not eating enough the day before.  I have never experienced anything like this before and maybe its just that I am used to eating before bed, I know bad habit.  I ate breakfast and am still hungry. Is anyone else feeling like this?

If you're eating all the calories you're allowed and still hungry, the next step is to make sure you're eating high volume/low calorie choices to help fill you up more. There is a great book called volumetrics, it shows how you can eat more for the same amount (or less) calories.

I'm not starving. In fact, I feel full most of the time. Perhaps it's the foods I like: grilled salmon, steel-cut oatmeal, grilled veggies, black beans, guacamole, yogurt, dense whole grain bread, and lots of green tea. I'm am having huge meals but staying under 500 for each without any problem. I know if I don't eat protein at each meal I feel very hungry, so I make sure I eat a lot of protein, some at least every 3-4 hours. I love veggies, especially roasted with garlic, and enjoy eating a plateful of veggies. That along with beans or whole grains and some protein, and I'm pleasantly but totally full. When I'm out, I try to carry yogurt or string cheese to get a few calories and a bit of protein so I don't get too hungry. I also eat lots of fiber (and take fiber), which helps me feel comfortable in so many ways, if you know what I mean.

I'm a late-night eater, too, so I'm usually happier if I go to bed earlier or eat a satisfying late snack. I'm quite fond of fat-free, sugar-free chocolate pudding made with non-fat milk. For an extra treat, I add berries and some light whip cream. Big bowl, few calories, little fat, but a little bit of protein and sweetness.

I suggest finding what you really love to eat that's healthy and eat plenty of it, and try new things to discover a variety of healthy alternatives. One shouldn't be hungry. The misery will keep one from making healthy eating a lifestyle.

I am by no means an expert, but I have similar feelings if I eat too much of foods that are simple carbs. i am not an alli user (still thinking) but I try and follow a low carb/GI eating plan. I do try and monitor my fat intake but I am not sure alli is for me. anyway getting back to the original post I find I wake up with that starving feeling when I over indulge on simple carbs foods...like pizza or even after huge holiday event dinners.  eventhough i go to bed stuffed, i wake up feeling like i haven't eaten in days. the only other time I woke up feeling like that was when i was following the weight watchers plan and I used to wake up fairly often feeling hungry.  Looking back that may have been in part to the lack of complex carbs and enough calories. At any rate I just don't believe its possible to simply jump to low fat eating and its gonna be easy. By nature its going to be difficult and your body is not going to just adjust over night. I believe losing weight is about 10% what you eat and 90% what goes on in your head! You have to win the battle in your head before you can win the battle with your body. So the feeling of hunger could be your body adjusting to less calories then its used to. i agree with the other post that you should definately look into getting your calories from complex carbs. I am curious to look into the voumetrics book the other post mentioned.

Hi Ldonnabrik,

I have posted a lot information about hunger. It can be a big problem when someone is trying to lose weight.  There are people who say that hunger is a sign that you are burning fat and there is absolutely no research to support that. A small amount of hunger when it is time to eat your next meal is okay. A growling stomach can be hunger, thirst or stress so pay attention to when and why it growls.

Now, there are a couple of key dietary interventions to help with hunger.

1. Protein-this is the only nutrient proven to increase your satiety. If you are not getting enough in your meal you will most likely be hungry within an hour or two. There are no set minimum grams of protein to consume to prevent this. My experience has been that at least 14 grams at your meal should do the trick. A 3 oz serving of meat (the size of a deck of cards) has 21 grams of protein in it so it's easy to reach. Your high sources of protein are chicken, turkey, beef, seafood, eggs, soy, cheese, tofu, nuts, legumes and dairy. You can even add protein to your snacks to help fill you up. I don't know what time you have dinner but it may be that you need a snack before bed to help control your morning hunger.

2. Volume-the concept of eating "enough" food to fill you up is proven to be very effective in many studies. When people begin a weight loss program they tend to eat less food. The real key is to eat fewer calories, not less food. Foods that have a high water content tend to provide more weight for fewer calories. So, eating lots of veggies, soups, and fruit is able to provide the weight needed to fill you up without a lot of calories. There have been a number of studies that showed that when people consume a vegetable soup before or with a meal they consume fewer calories in their meal. The book Volumetrics Eating Plan by Barbara Rolls discussing this and give recipes to increase the weight of your food without increasing the calories. You will want the Eating Plan one for the recipes.

These are two very useful techniques to help control your hunger so give them a try,

Betty Kovacs, MS, RD

fat is the killer if u dont eat fat u cant be fat carbs you burn off by typing breathing ect think to your self your getting fool and dont focus on it so much

It sounds to me like your blood sugar is getting a little low at night so when you wake up you have that weak, starving feeling. If it's not too bad, I would just have breakfast right away with a big glass of water to fill your stomach a bit. If you wake up feeling somewhat shaky, then I would have a snack at night that can carry you through the night. A bowl of cereal isn't bad and has the protein from the milk in it. I know many dieticians who recommend their diabetics eat something like cereal at night. The other thing that might help is to eat your largest meal for lunch and then have a lower cal, high protein meal for dinner. I find that if I eat a big meal at dinner, I am more hungry in the morning than if I don't. ANyway, try those things and what was listed above and most of all good luck. :) Tricia

ME TOO....THIS IS NOT WORKING FOR ME.....HELP

BETTY,

 

I AM HAVING A TERRIBLE PROBLEM BEEN TAKING ALLI FOR 2 WEEKS AND HAVE NOT LOST AN OUNCE.....HAD ORANGE SIDE EFFECT.....BEEN ON A LOW FAT DIET...CANNOT ENTER MY WEIGHT....ON MY CHECK IN.....DRINK ANTIDEPRESSANTS..PLAVIX....HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE.....AND TO TOP IT OFF I HAVE A THYROID PROBLEM...HASHIMOTO'S DISEASES....HELP ME PLZ...I AM ABOUT TO FALL OF THE WAGON.

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