Is it normal to be less hungry when you eat well?

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A few months ago I decided to lose some weight. I have tried before many times and failed. This time instead of strictly counting calories and starving myself or doing keto, paleo or any other "diets" I just decided that every breakfast I will eat overnight oats with fruit and nuts, and every lunch I will eat a salad that includes grains, beans or pulses and seeds. My evening meal is always mostly plant based, sometimes with a bit of grilled chicken or a small amount of cheese, for example vegan curries and stir frys, grilled chicken and green beans etc. I don't count any calories or measure my portions.

I noticed about 4 days into this that I don't get particularly hungry anymore, and I no longer crave junk food. I used to have to fight temptation to keep my portions under control, I had to snack a lot to stay satisfied and I would binge on chips and dip and ice cream. Now I don't snack, even on healthy things like apples, because I am honestly not hungry between meals. I eat quite small portions because I get full quickly, and I do still sometimes eat bad food but it doesn't have a hold on me like it used to. I can take it or leave it, and I am satisfied with small amounts.

I'm not complaining. I'm losing weight and it's easy. I'm just confused. I've been battling my weight my whole life. Why is this happening now? How is it so easy? Has anyone else experienced this? Is it a sign of a health problem or something?

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Comments ( 5 )
  • Fugazi,again
    4 years ago

    It's most likely because you are eating hardly any sugar, and eating a good amount of fat. After a while of reducing sugar intake, your body will start to use fat as the main energy source. If you eat a lot of sugar, your blood glucose level will shoot up and then your body will produce insulin to burn off the sugar and your blood glucose level will drop rapidly causing fatigue and hunger. If your body is using fat as its main energy source, your blood glucose level will be stable and you will feel more energetic throughput the day, plus if you miss a meal you won't feel tired and weak as you can utilize stored fat.

    Nuts, seeds, and beans are all high in fat, which means you get a lot of energy without having to eat large amounts of carbohydrates which would put strain on the digestive system, which wastes energy and water.

    Also carbs and protein react together in your stomach and produce gas which makes you feel full but soon after you feel hungry again.

    Anyway good luck and stick with what you're doing, it sounds good.

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  • Boojum
    4 years ago

    I have no medical qualifications, so take the following with a grain of salt.

    I find it a little surprising that you've noticed a major difference in just a few days, but I wonder if you replacing sugary crap with protein and food higher in fibre might be a big factor in your lack of hunger. From how you describe your current diet, it sounds healthy enough, so I wouldn't worry about anything being wrong.

    The physiology and psychology behind the feeling of hunger is complicated, but the article I link to below might give you some hints about why you're feeling as you do.

    Many people believe sugar is addictive in that it provides a hit of happy-hormones every time we eat something sugary, and that artificial sweeteners also have subtle unhealthy effects on our bodies. Maybe - just like some people are able to stop smoking or give up some other drug at the drop of a hat without any serious withdrawal issues - you just happen to be one of those people who can get through sugar-withdrawal without any major problems, and your system has quickly reset to a more healthy state.

    I have no idea why changing your diet this time should be so much easier than it has in the past, and while I can understand you being mystified by this, I don't see why you should worry about this in itself. If your energy levels are good, your head is in a positive place, you're not losing weight very rapidly, your bowel movements are normal and you're not experiencing headaches or any other strange symptoms, then I suggest you try to just accept that something has changed in a positive direction and be happy about that.

    https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/14-reasons-always-hungry#8

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  • FromTheSouthWeirdMan
    4 years ago

    YES, I've noticed when I'm eating very healthy I get less cravings than if I'm eating snickers bars daily

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  • OMEGA-3z
    4 years ago

    This is 100% normal, don't worry. Just check your weight and make sure its the average for your age and demographic. Be sure you stay in the reg. weight range though, or else you will get bombarded with health issues. I'm really proud that you managed to lose that weight all on your own! Feel good about your achievement!

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    • Anonymous Post Author
      4 years ago

      But why is this happening? I always found it a huge struggle to lose weight because I couldn't resist the temptation to eat huge portions and have bad food almost every day. Now I'm eating loads of fresh salads and vegetables, the most boring and non filling food there is, and suddenly I'm full and not craving bad food. I don't get it?

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