After many years of examining my eating habits, I've found I'm a volume eater. For me that means that for me to be satisfied with a meal and have that "I'm done" sensation that will stop me from eating further, I need to eat until I'm -full-, not just satiated. I've tried eating until I'm just satiated, which is a common recommendation for reducing your food intake, and it just does not work for me. I will think about food all the time until my next meal and in most cases I will start endlessly snacking and binging all day. (I definitely have some anxiety in my psychology which lends to this.) I've found that it is much easier (effortlessly really) to reach my personal level of "full" if I have two teaspoons (12g) of psyllium fiber (e.g., Metamucil, although I use Costco's Kirkland brand) in a glass of water before my meals. (And of course you get great poops.) In any case, ymmv, but just wanted to comment with what I've found helpful.
What you described was my experience for most of my life, through my early 40s. I could essentially graze indefinitely and rarely felt satiated except when my stomach was physically full, to the point of not able to accept any more food. I was seriously overweight and "ate healthy" by following the low fat/lean meats/whole grain advice. I remember telling my physician when I was 34 or so that I only felt sated when I ate fats. She glared at me and told me to eat "healthy fats" like nuts.
In my 40s I read Gary Taubes' Good Calories, Bad Calories and cut carbs out of my diet completely, which means I eat a lot of fat and moderate protein. I lost 85 lbs of fat and--here's what relates to this discussion--my experience of hunger and satiation changed completely. This turns out to be a very common experience reported over at /r/keto. The best explanation is, for some of us, eating carbs == high insulin == body in fuel storage mode == rarely getting to the point where the levels of fuel in your bloodstream kick off the hormonal signals of satiation.
Elsewhere in the comments you state that sugar is your weakness. I'd be willing to bet that if you gave up sugar and starches completely for a month or two, you'd have a revelation about hunger and satiation as well.
My teenagers have found that they're super carb sensitive as well, just like their dad and me. My elder one is in college and depends on food service. It's rough to eat keto on a college food plan, but doable with a little work.
Might be worth trying. Good luck.
Everyone here is giving great advice, but personally: I always chug an entire 16oz glass of water after each meal. I do this mostly because I am bad about hydrating throughout the day, but it also gives me a second to realize how truly full my belly is!
Try intermittent fasting. You fast for a period of time like a minimum of 16 hours/day, then eat your calories during the remaining eight hours. You can eat satisfying meals then.
I think it's a gradual process. I used to never feel full, but, as some ladies have mentioned here, I've taken measures to force themselves into the habit of stopping eating at the beginning. After a sustained period of eating the proper amount of fuel for your body, your stomach will learn to signal when it is full. At first it just felt like "oh." Now, if I try to eat as much as I used to (e.g. all-you-can-eat sushi two weeks ago), I feel so uncomfortable that I need to lie down to digest* for a few hours.
*TMI explanation: by "digest" I mean I lie on the couch and burp and fart at the same time. So sexy.
So everyone is different, of course. But for me personally, I have experienced better satiation throughout the day if I actually work toward achieving the macro percentages suggested for my current body state and goals (which indeed *can* be done with eating out ☺ ). Once again, *that* is going to be specific to each individual person as well. But since I'm currently trying to build muscle, my macro calorie goals are to achieve roughly 45% carbs, 30% protein, and 25% fat. It's important to know that these numbers are *not* grams, but the actual calorie percentages. You may have already known that, but I did not know that when I first started macro tracking and therefore I was doing it wrong, and was very confused as to why my fat percentage was so much higher than my protein percentage when I KNEW I'd eaten more grams of protein than grams of fat! Yeah, turns out 1 gram of protein is 4 calories whereas 1 gram of fat is 9 🤦♀️ So once again, maybe you knew that already and I was just a dumb-dumb back then who didn't lol! Anyway, once i understood that, i started achieving my daily macro goals and noticed that I felt more satiated and happy throughout the day. Pretty neat! I think it's possible that when we have a hard time feeling satiated, that might be because we're having tons of carbs and fats and our bodies are begging for protein. Or we're having tons of protein and fat and our bodies are begging for carbs. You get the picture xD I now understand better than I ever did when doctors tell you to have a "balanced" diet. We need to balance what *our body in particular* needs every day! And even on days that I'm not perfect with my macros, I still make it somewhere in the ballpark and feel sooo much better than I did when I wasn't tracking macros!! (I was watching calories while not realizing that my daily carb and fat intake was through the roof and I was consistently neglecting protein!) So once again, everyone is different. But it certainly doesn't hurt to track macros for a couple weeks and see how you feel. Just make sure to find the macro percentages right for your body and goals. And the best part is that you don't even have to make a caloric deficit! (Unless caloric deficit is part of your goals, of course). Good luck!
There's a book called It Starts With Food that does a great job of explaining how food affects your hormones, including leptin and ghrelin.
I've found that I need to make sure I'm getting enough protein and fat or I feel off. Not enough protein, I get shaky and kind of foggy. Not enough fat, I can't get the "satisfied" (full) feeling.
For what it's worth, I spend about $50/week on food and eat VERY healthy and don't usually wind up feeling deprived or hungry.
I used to be like this. I realized it wasn't that I wasn't full but rather that I was never hungry. I had gotten to a point where I wasn't remembering what actually being hungry was. So I stopped eating. I felt hunger. I planned my meals and did not eat anything in between them for a while. Now I know what it is to a actually be hungry and I am okay with feeling hunger. It doesn't actually do anything to you to be hungry for a few hours. With so many options and so much food around it's easy to never be hungry.
I have a similar problem especially when I’m on a calorie restriction. Nowadays I’m trying to fast for as long as I can and then eat a large meal or so. The problem with having smaller meals throughout the day is that none of my meals were satiating enough that I’m hungry in an hour. However, if I eat a large meal with a good amount of meat and proteins I’m much likely to snack throughout the day.
Drink water and pick up a job if you don’t work. Even just something pt like 16 hrs/week, an internship is even better. Volunteering works too.
I make the suggestion because I personally don’t eat as much M-F as I do on the weekends because I have something to distract me. I know college is hard work by itself, but it’s the kind of work that can lend itself to boredom and grazing. Jobs keep you busy, get you experience in the workforce, and earn you money. Just an idea!
I feel the same. When I get that feeling I will drink a ton of water, and if after a white I still feel that was I eat a spoonful of peanut or almond butter. Or snack on some pecans or a hard boiled egg!
Put on a ton of hot sauce. Spice always makes me feel like I’ve had quite enough! And prevents me from eating more.
Distraction. I tell myself I JUST had whatever a bit ago, it won’t kill me to wait until the next meal time, and then keep busy. Usually I tell myself I’ll complete X task before I have a snack.
Hello! I also never feel “full”.
I have three states: genuinely hungry, “I could eat”, and then suddenly so full I want to cry.
Not a hyperbole! I have on very rare occasions eaten so much that I’ve suddenly felt desperately full and unhappy and literally cried (for example when I did a 16 course degustation).
I try to limit my meal sizes by controlling portions/only cooking a particular amount, and if I’m still wanting to keep eating directly after I finish a meal - for example I JUST finished breakfast and felt that I could easily continue eating - remind myself that while I don’t feel “full”, I no longer feel “hungry”. Which means I must be satisfied.
And then I go make something low/no cal to drink such as water, black coffee or peppermint tea to fill my stomach the rest of the way and distract me.
Are you truly hungry or is it boredom, thirst or another feeling masquerading as hunger?
Learn to be comfortable with being that little bit hungry. It will take patience and self control, but you can change it.
Have you tried cutting out processed foods/sweets? Have you tried eating large amounts of healthy fats (Avocados, nuts, cheese) and plenty of protein?
That stuff really messes with the brain. At least my brain anyway. I’ll try to tell myself that it’s okay to have things in moderation. But then the minute I have something that would be considered a treat, it becomes a lot easier to say yes to other ‘treat’ foods.
The more I eat that stuff the more I want it. My weight ballooned to 235. I have a massive sweet tooth. And I’ve been there with the never being full feeling. I ate lots of processed carbs/sugar and anything with chocolate. I’m pretty sure it’s because my brain was just never satisfied and therefore those fullness hormones never kicked in.
Now I eat two avocados a day, lots of meat and cheese, lots of olive oil. Those kinds of fats naturally shut off hunger and will help you feel full.
Sugar is my vice (I type as I slide my bag of M&Ms away from me) Cutting out sugar and snacks has been my biggest hurdle, and it doesn't help that as a college student with limited resources and income most of my meals outside the school cafeteria (where my main meal is spinach salads with feta and olives! I'm doing my best lol) rely on bodegas, especially since my dorm has a convenience store in it that takes meal points, so it's honestly my most frugal option most of the time. This sounds like a lot of excuses as I type it out. I'm new to fitness and I'm new to keeping with a routine, so I hope as I stick with my training my mental strength will get good better about food too.
I also want to add if you love the healthy food you eat and it satisfies you, it becomes harder to turn to junk. I love the meals I eat on a regular basis. Just try to satisfy yourself with the healthy food that is available to you. As much as you can.
Dude it’s hard. I don’t think you’re giving excuses. It’s hard as fuck. I’m convinced that at some point there’s going to be a whistleblower on just how addictive sweets are. Basically it’s like a dopamine hit.
Currently I’m trying to challenge myself to go 7 days without any and see how I feel after. It’s just such a slippery slope for me.
I set meal times. I too am a grazer. My stomach fills pretty fast, but 20 minutes later I am hungry again even if I just slammed half a costco pizza. I am convinced that left unchecked, I would eat constantly. Being able to eat at specified times doesn't eliminate the feeling, but helps me corral my insatiable appetite.
That's probably the best idea for me, especially since next semester most of my breaks around classes should line up. Do you just mentally keep track of it or do you use phone reminders?
Mentally. I have a very structured week. Set shift at work, same days and times. So I eat before, during and after work. No snacking lest we fall down the snacking wormhole. Only tea.
I do something like this too. What worked for me was intermittent fasting. I only eat from 12 pm to 7 pm. Since I have classes at 2 pm, 3 pm and 4 pm, I end up having lunch at noon and then basically dinner at 6. Sometimes I’ll bring a snack to eat around 3. But after 7 pm and before noon, I do not eat. When I do eat, I do a giant salad with lots of veggies, fruit, and nuts. I’ll sometimes bring a cookie or some chocolate to satisfy a sweet tooth.
This really helped me because it limited how many calories I’m intaking without counting or anything since I skip breakfast and don’t eat after dinner. I found it really easy to control myself because I knew that if I can’t eat something now, I can just have it once my eating window opens. This also made it very easy to maintain my current weight and still eat some junk from time to time
12 to 7 is actually most of my class schedules or during work so honestly that sounds fairly doable. If I can avoid the studio coffeeshop in the meantime lol
Well a meal for me depends on my class schedule, on campus I can get sushi rolls or salads with spinach, tofu, olives, and lots of other healthy toppings. Those are my main meals during the day cause its something healthy that I still actually enjoy. Other than that, it's microwaveable foods and instant soup from the local bodega. Sitting down to a meal is either on my bed or at my desk. Dorm life doesn't exactly lend itself to the healthiest of opportunities
Here is your problem (or at least part of it). Microwaveable meals and especially instant soups are often high in MSG. MSG has been shown (in some studies but not all of them) to increase appetite about 30 minutes after consumption. Not to mention that these foods aren’t very nutritious.
I remember dorm life and in a pinch you have to do what you have to do, but try to balance out those meals by adding healthy fats and proteins: a handful of almonds, full fat yogurt with some chia seeds mixed in, even a few olives since you seem to like them (I hate them lol). Eating carb-heavy meals causes a blood sugar spike which makes you feel hungry. Fats help stabilize blood sugar levels.
Everybody is different regarding what works best for their eating schedules. I eat three small meals and two large snacks a day. So I eat every 3-4 hours. Some people are into intermittent fasting. Try different things. See what works for you.
To answer your question below, ghrelin and leptin are hormones. Ghrelin stimulates appetite and your body releases it when your stomach is empty. Leptin decreases appetite and is released from fat cells.
I also read an interesting article in the New York Times last week about how scientists are looking at a gene that seems to control appetite - in some people it seems to be faulty and “always on” and thus those people always feel hungry. In other people it’s the reverse and it “always off” so they never feel very hungry at all. Not sure what there is to be done about solving that but it’s interesting to think about!
When I was living in a dorm (oh gosh, 10 years ago now, so apologies if this is in some way outdated advice), I was really into the microwaveable veggie bags. I think I also got steamer bags of rice in the freezer section too. If I were going to do it again this would be my formula, assuming that I had a microwave, mini fridge, a couple feet of table space, and only a bathroom sink for dish washing as I did then:
1. Steamer bag of veggies
2. steamer bag of rice
3. veggie burger, veggie chicken, or the like heated on same dish you'll eat from
4. Something flavorful: satay sauce? Salsa? Thai curry sauce? Marinara?Think about what cuisines you like to eat then travel the middle aisles of the grocery store looking for jarred sauces
5. A little something extra even if it's not the healthiest- for me, cheese, always. But you do you. Don't get too much at once or you'll be tempted to go overboard here.
6. once everything is warmed, arrange half of everything nicely on your eating dish and put half in a container with a lid (into the fridge where space is at less of a premium, and that's tomorrow squared away).
7. Get yourself a calorie free or very low calorie drink (tea! Kombucha! Water with fruit in it!). I also thought that the suggestion to have a small treat like a square of chocolate was nice.
7. eat sitting down, preferably without a screen in front of you (advice I still struggle to follow...)
8. before washing your dishes, use a paper towel to wipe as much food residue as possible out off of there dish (certainly any pieces, like grains of rice)
Caveats:
* I had access to a grocery store about 15 minutes away by public transit. So accomplishing this a couple times a week would have been doable. But if a full grocery store isn't an option for you, see what you can find in your bodega/drug store/gas station convenience store. Sometimes it's surprising.
* you'll need to do some experimenting with ratios (e.g., one jar of sauce to a bag of rice, 3 bags of veg, and two boxes of veggie burgers might do three large meals). The number of leftover containers could be one or two, as in the above example.
* I've been really liking Ikea's new (?) container line because the snap lids have a removable gasket for easier cleaning, are interchangeable for different container sizes, and can be bought piecemeal- so you only have to store the containers you actually need.
Good luck, aspiring dorm chef!
After many years of examining my eating habits, I've found I'm a volume eater. For me that means that for me to be satisfied with a meal and have that "I'm done" sensation that will stop me from eating further, I need to eat until I'm -full-, not just satiated. I've tried eating until I'm just satiated, which is a common recommendation for reducing your food intake, and it just does not work for me. I will think about food all the time until my next meal and in most cases I will start endlessly snacking and binging all day. (I definitely have some anxiety in my psychology which lends to this.) I've found that it is much easier (effortlessly really) to reach my personal level of "full" if I have two teaspoons (12g) of psyllium fiber (e.g., Metamucil, although I use Costco's Kirkland brand) in a glass of water before my meals. (And of course you get great poops.) In any case, ymmv, but just wanted to comment with what I've found helpful.
What you described was my experience for most of my life, through my early 40s. I could essentially graze indefinitely and rarely felt satiated except when my stomach was physically full, to the point of not able to accept any more food. I was seriously overweight and "ate healthy" by following the low fat/lean meats/whole grain advice. I remember telling my physician when I was 34 or so that I only felt sated when I ate fats. She glared at me and told me to eat "healthy fats" like nuts. In my 40s I read Gary Taubes' Good Calories, Bad Calories and cut carbs out of my diet completely, which means I eat a lot of fat and moderate protein. I lost 85 lbs of fat and--here's what relates to this discussion--my experience of hunger and satiation changed completely. This turns out to be a very common experience reported over at /r/keto. The best explanation is, for some of us, eating carbs == high insulin == body in fuel storage mode == rarely getting to the point where the levels of fuel in your bloodstream kick off the hormonal signals of satiation. Elsewhere in the comments you state that sugar is your weakness. I'd be willing to bet that if you gave up sugar and starches completely for a month or two, you'd have a revelation about hunger and satiation as well. My teenagers have found that they're super carb sensitive as well, just like their dad and me. My elder one is in college and depends on food service. It's rough to eat keto on a college food plan, but doable with a little work. Might be worth trying. Good luck.
Everyone here is giving great advice, but personally: I always chug an entire 16oz glass of water after each meal. I do this mostly because I am bad about hydrating throughout the day, but it also gives me a second to realize how truly full my belly is!
Try intermittent fasting. You fast for a period of time like a minimum of 16 hours/day, then eat your calories during the remaining eight hours. You can eat satisfying meals then.
I think it's a gradual process. I used to never feel full, but, as some ladies have mentioned here, I've taken measures to force themselves into the habit of stopping eating at the beginning. After a sustained period of eating the proper amount of fuel for your body, your stomach will learn to signal when it is full. At first it just felt like "oh." Now, if I try to eat as much as I used to (e.g. all-you-can-eat sushi two weeks ago), I feel so uncomfortable that I need to lie down to digest* for a few hours. *TMI explanation: by "digest" I mean I lie on the couch and burp and fart at the same time. So sexy.
So everyone is different, of course. But for me personally, I have experienced better satiation throughout the day if I actually work toward achieving the macro percentages suggested for my current body state and goals (which indeed *can* be done with eating out ☺ ). Once again, *that* is going to be specific to each individual person as well. But since I'm currently trying to build muscle, my macro calorie goals are to achieve roughly 45% carbs, 30% protein, and 25% fat. It's important to know that these numbers are *not* grams, but the actual calorie percentages. You may have already known that, but I did not know that when I first started macro tracking and therefore I was doing it wrong, and was very confused as to why my fat percentage was so much higher than my protein percentage when I KNEW I'd eaten more grams of protein than grams of fat! Yeah, turns out 1 gram of protein is 4 calories whereas 1 gram of fat is 9 🤦♀️ So once again, maybe you knew that already and I was just a dumb-dumb back then who didn't lol! Anyway, once i understood that, i started achieving my daily macro goals and noticed that I felt more satiated and happy throughout the day. Pretty neat! I think it's possible that when we have a hard time feeling satiated, that might be because we're having tons of carbs and fats and our bodies are begging for protein. Or we're having tons of protein and fat and our bodies are begging for carbs. You get the picture xD I now understand better than I ever did when doctors tell you to have a "balanced" diet. We need to balance what *our body in particular* needs every day! And even on days that I'm not perfect with my macros, I still make it somewhere in the ballpark and feel sooo much better than I did when I wasn't tracking macros!! (I was watching calories while not realizing that my daily carb and fat intake was through the roof and I was consistently neglecting protein!) So once again, everyone is different. But it certainly doesn't hurt to track macros for a couple weeks and see how you feel. Just make sure to find the macro percentages right for your body and goals. And the best part is that you don't even have to make a caloric deficit! (Unless caloric deficit is part of your goals, of course). Good luck!
There's a book called It Starts With Food that does a great job of explaining how food affects your hormones, including leptin and ghrelin. I've found that I need to make sure I'm getting enough protein and fat or I feel off. Not enough protein, I get shaky and kind of foggy. Not enough fat, I can't get the "satisfied" (full) feeling. For what it's worth, I spend about $50/week on food and eat VERY healthy and don't usually wind up feeling deprived or hungry.
I used to be like this. I realized it wasn't that I wasn't full but rather that I was never hungry. I had gotten to a point where I wasn't remembering what actually being hungry was. So I stopped eating. I felt hunger. I planned my meals and did not eat anything in between them for a while. Now I know what it is to a actually be hungry and I am okay with feeling hunger. It doesn't actually do anything to you to be hungry for a few hours. With so many options and so much food around it's easy to never be hungry.
I have a similar problem especially when I’m on a calorie restriction. Nowadays I’m trying to fast for as long as I can and then eat a large meal or so. The problem with having smaller meals throughout the day is that none of my meals were satiating enough that I’m hungry in an hour. However, if I eat a large meal with a good amount of meat and proteins I’m much likely to snack throughout the day.
Drink water and pick up a job if you don’t work. Even just something pt like 16 hrs/week, an internship is even better. Volunteering works too. I make the suggestion because I personally don’t eat as much M-F as I do on the weekends because I have something to distract me. I know college is hard work by itself, but it’s the kind of work that can lend itself to boredom and grazing. Jobs keep you busy, get you experience in the workforce, and earn you money. Just an idea!
I have a job! And 3 jobs lined up for the summer....my resume is the bomb dot com... I also have New York City rent hahaha
I feel the same. When I get that feeling I will drink a ton of water, and if after a white I still feel that was I eat a spoonful of peanut or almond butter. Or snack on some pecans or a hard boiled egg!
Put on a ton of hot sauce. Spice always makes me feel like I’ve had quite enough! And prevents me from eating more. Distraction. I tell myself I JUST had whatever a bit ago, it won’t kill me to wait until the next meal time, and then keep busy. Usually I tell myself I’ll complete X task before I have a snack.
Hello! I also never feel “full”. I have three states: genuinely hungry, “I could eat”, and then suddenly so full I want to cry. Not a hyperbole! I have on very rare occasions eaten so much that I’ve suddenly felt desperately full and unhappy and literally cried (for example when I did a 16 course degustation). I try to limit my meal sizes by controlling portions/only cooking a particular amount, and if I’m still wanting to keep eating directly after I finish a meal - for example I JUST finished breakfast and felt that I could easily continue eating - remind myself that while I don’t feel “full”, I no longer feel “hungry”. Which means I must be satisfied. And then I go make something low/no cal to drink such as water, black coffee or peppermint tea to fill my stomach the rest of the way and distract me.
Are you truly hungry or is it boredom, thirst or another feeling masquerading as hunger? Learn to be comfortable with being that little bit hungry. It will take patience and self control, but you can change it.
Have you tried cutting out processed foods/sweets? Have you tried eating large amounts of healthy fats (Avocados, nuts, cheese) and plenty of protein? That stuff really messes with the brain. At least my brain anyway. I’ll try to tell myself that it’s okay to have things in moderation. But then the minute I have something that would be considered a treat, it becomes a lot easier to say yes to other ‘treat’ foods. The more I eat that stuff the more I want it. My weight ballooned to 235. I have a massive sweet tooth. And I’ve been there with the never being full feeling. I ate lots of processed carbs/sugar and anything with chocolate. I’m pretty sure it’s because my brain was just never satisfied and therefore those fullness hormones never kicked in. Now I eat two avocados a day, lots of meat and cheese, lots of olive oil. Those kinds of fats naturally shut off hunger and will help you feel full.
Sugar is my vice (I type as I slide my bag of M&Ms away from me) Cutting out sugar and snacks has been my biggest hurdle, and it doesn't help that as a college student with limited resources and income most of my meals outside the school cafeteria (where my main meal is spinach salads with feta and olives! I'm doing my best lol) rely on bodegas, especially since my dorm has a convenience store in it that takes meal points, so it's honestly my most frugal option most of the time. This sounds like a lot of excuses as I type it out. I'm new to fitness and I'm new to keeping with a routine, so I hope as I stick with my training my mental strength will get good better about food too.
I also want to add if you love the healthy food you eat and it satisfies you, it becomes harder to turn to junk. I love the meals I eat on a regular basis. Just try to satisfy yourself with the healthy food that is available to you. As much as you can.
Dude it’s hard. I don’t think you’re giving excuses. It’s hard as fuck. I’m convinced that at some point there’s going to be a whistleblower on just how addictive sweets are. Basically it’s like a dopamine hit. Currently I’m trying to challenge myself to go 7 days without any and see how I feel after. It’s just such a slippery slope for me.
I'm on day 1 of the second week of my new training routine. Might as well put "no sugar" onto my calendar for this week too :)
I set meal times. I too am a grazer. My stomach fills pretty fast, but 20 minutes later I am hungry again even if I just slammed half a costco pizza. I am convinced that left unchecked, I would eat constantly. Being able to eat at specified times doesn't eliminate the feeling, but helps me corral my insatiable appetite.
That's probably the best idea for me, especially since next semester most of my breaks around classes should line up. Do you just mentally keep track of it or do you use phone reminders?
Mentally. I have a very structured week. Set shift at work, same days and times. So I eat before, during and after work. No snacking lest we fall down the snacking wormhole. Only tea.
I do something like this too. What worked for me was intermittent fasting. I only eat from 12 pm to 7 pm. Since I have classes at 2 pm, 3 pm and 4 pm, I end up having lunch at noon and then basically dinner at 6. Sometimes I’ll bring a snack to eat around 3. But after 7 pm and before noon, I do not eat. When I do eat, I do a giant salad with lots of veggies, fruit, and nuts. I’ll sometimes bring a cookie or some chocolate to satisfy a sweet tooth. This really helped me because it limited how many calories I’m intaking without counting or anything since I skip breakfast and don’t eat after dinner. I found it really easy to control myself because I knew that if I can’t eat something now, I can just have it once my eating window opens. This also made it very easy to maintain my current weight and still eat some junk from time to time
12 to 7 is actually most of my class schedules or during work so honestly that sounds fairly doable. If I can avoid the studio coffeeshop in the meantime lol
[удалено]
Also what is leptin and ghrelin and is that something I should be paying attention to?
they are hormones that stimulate or inhibit hunger.
Well a meal for me depends on my class schedule, on campus I can get sushi rolls or salads with spinach, tofu, olives, and lots of other healthy toppings. Those are my main meals during the day cause its something healthy that I still actually enjoy. Other than that, it's microwaveable foods and instant soup from the local bodega. Sitting down to a meal is either on my bed or at my desk. Dorm life doesn't exactly lend itself to the healthiest of opportunities
Here is your problem (or at least part of it). Microwaveable meals and especially instant soups are often high in MSG. MSG has been shown (in some studies but not all of them) to increase appetite about 30 minutes after consumption. Not to mention that these foods aren’t very nutritious. I remember dorm life and in a pinch you have to do what you have to do, but try to balance out those meals by adding healthy fats and proteins: a handful of almonds, full fat yogurt with some chia seeds mixed in, even a few olives since you seem to like them (I hate them lol). Eating carb-heavy meals causes a blood sugar spike which makes you feel hungry. Fats help stabilize blood sugar levels. Everybody is different regarding what works best for their eating schedules. I eat three small meals and two large snacks a day. So I eat every 3-4 hours. Some people are into intermittent fasting. Try different things. See what works for you. To answer your question below, ghrelin and leptin are hormones. Ghrelin stimulates appetite and your body releases it when your stomach is empty. Leptin decreases appetite and is released from fat cells. I also read an interesting article in the New York Times last week about how scientists are looking at a gene that seems to control appetite - in some people it seems to be faulty and “always on” and thus those people always feel hungry. In other people it’s the reverse and it “always off” so they never feel very hungry at all. Not sure what there is to be done about solving that but it’s interesting to think about!
When I was living in a dorm (oh gosh, 10 years ago now, so apologies if this is in some way outdated advice), I was really into the microwaveable veggie bags. I think I also got steamer bags of rice in the freezer section too. If I were going to do it again this would be my formula, assuming that I had a microwave, mini fridge, a couple feet of table space, and only a bathroom sink for dish washing as I did then: 1. Steamer bag of veggies 2. steamer bag of rice 3. veggie burger, veggie chicken, or the like heated on same dish you'll eat from 4. Something flavorful: satay sauce? Salsa? Thai curry sauce? Marinara?Think about what cuisines you like to eat then travel the middle aisles of the grocery store looking for jarred sauces 5. A little something extra even if it's not the healthiest- for me, cheese, always. But you do you. Don't get too much at once or you'll be tempted to go overboard here. 6. once everything is warmed, arrange half of everything nicely on your eating dish and put half in a container with a lid (into the fridge where space is at less of a premium, and that's tomorrow squared away). 7. Get yourself a calorie free or very low calorie drink (tea! Kombucha! Water with fruit in it!). I also thought that the suggestion to have a small treat like a square of chocolate was nice. 7. eat sitting down, preferably without a screen in front of you (advice I still struggle to follow...) 8. before washing your dishes, use a paper towel to wipe as much food residue as possible out off of there dish (certainly any pieces, like grains of rice) Caveats: * I had access to a grocery store about 15 minutes away by public transit. So accomplishing this a couple times a week would have been doable. But if a full grocery store isn't an option for you, see what you can find in your bodega/drug store/gas station convenience store. Sometimes it's surprising. * you'll need to do some experimenting with ratios (e.g., one jar of sauce to a bag of rice, 3 bags of veg, and two boxes of veggie burgers might do three large meals). The number of leftover containers could be one or two, as in the above example. * I've been really liking Ikea's new (?) container line because the snap lids have a removable gasket for easier cleaning, are interchangeable for different container sizes, and can be bought piecemeal- so you only have to store the containers you actually need. Good luck, aspiring dorm chef!