Hungry as soon as I'm not full??

[jessdoespaleo]

I'm mentally transitioning from calorie counting and eating small breakfasts to have more room for food later and eating larger breakfasts filled with protein and fat. I eat breakfast and am pleasantly full - to the point where I don't want to eat anymore but am not uncomfortable.

 

But then maybe an hour later, when I'm not completely full anymore I start getting hungry. Unlike some people who don't get hunger signals until they're starving, I get hunger signals AS SOON AS I'm not full. And it's so incredibly frustrating. I'm not really physically that hungry, but the change in feeling from full to not full makes me want to eat so bad. It will last for maybe 45 minutes and then it will start subsiding but still be there. I try to drink water to fill my stomach, but I can't stop thinking about food until it's meal time again. Most of the time I'm sitting in class, so I'm listening to a lecture and have lots of opportunity to think about food and find it difficult to focus enough on the lecture to un-distract myself from food.

 

I've also had days (very few) when I'm pleasantly satisfied even without being completely full and that feeling doesn't bother me until my next meal. I'm lucky that my sweet cravings almost completely disappeared within the first few days, so it's not a particular food I want to eat. I just want to eat! Seeing as I've had the days when I'm satisfied and feel great and don't see any difference in my meals on the different days, it's super frustrating. Has anyone experienced this, and what did you do to make it better? Or does it just go away eventually with enough time?

[LadyM]

Yes, I've experienced this, and it sounds like you're doing everything right! For me those quick hunger pangs went away as I became fat adapted. But I'll still get the sensation soon after a meal if I've eaten relatively high sugar. For example, I need to be really careful with compliant things such as sweet potatoes, fruit, and nut butters.

[AmyS]

I think if you post a few days' worth of meals, our moderators can chime in here.  In general, if you're feeling hungry that soon, it means you need to eat more (often more fat) at the previous meal.  But maybe a few days' worth of meals will shed some light. 

[AllyB]

When I get hungry, I try to go an hour before eating.  I don't know if this is bad or ok.  But it does help me distinguish between 'bored eating' and true hunger.  Sometimes the hunger fades.  Sometimes it gets stronger.  If it's still there after an hour, then I eat.

 

My daughter seems to have the same issue of 'if not totally stuffed, then hungry'.  I'm not sure how to address this in a kid other than keep her occupied (it doesn't seem to happen if she has a friend over or is engrossed in an activity.)

 

I tried googling 'large appetite' and similar phrases to see if constant hunger was a vitamin or mineral deficiency but I didn't find anything significant.