Hunger Strategies

From CRSWiki

When I started, I approached CR very gradually, setting my calorie intake at a level where I would lose no more than half a pound a week. That way there was very little problem with hunger. I have also followed a 'little and often' regime, so mid morning and mid afternoon I have a 50 calorie snack such as a piece of fruit. As time has gone on I am less and less inclined to want to eat unhealthy foods. The fresh flavours of good food are far better. Also I remind myself that overeating will give me a few minutes of pleasure whereas the feeling of wellness I have from doing CR lasts 24/7. No contest!

Linda

My approach is to "temporally focus" the hunger by eating only two meals a day, breakfast and dinner. I feel most of my hunger in the late afternoon, and right before going to bed. Eating many small meals throughout the day was harder, since I almost constantly felt a little bit hungry.

Brian

As I see it, there are three kinds of hunger;

The feeling of an empty stomach.
The feeling you get from having low blood sugar.
Cravings for food.

1. To deal with the empty stomach;

Fill up on bulky foods with few calories, i.e. foods with low calorie density.

examples are kale, spinach, cabbage etc.

Fill up on water, or non caloric drinks.
Tighten your belt a notch.
Keep busy to take your mind off your stomach.

2. To deal with the low blood sugar IF YOU ARE IN GOOD HEALTH;

Get all the sleep you need. This may require some schedule adjustments.
Get some aerobic exercise every day, it helps.
If you get a bad headache while transitioning to a lower calorie diet, pop a Motrin.
If you get a mild headache, it will probably pass in 20 minutes, just wait.
If you have trouble staying awake at your desk, try

listening to perky music with headphones. Taking a walk periodically, maybe up a flight of stairs.

3. To deal with cravings;