Sudden hunger?

[KatieKins]

I've been vegan for about four months now (not long, I know!) and since become vegan I'm sure the type of hunger I experience has changed.

When I was veggie, I would get a slow, hollow hunger that would gradually build and that could be put off but now I get sharp, sudden, biting feelings that become urgent very quickly.

Has anyone else noticed this?

I don't mind it. It can be a nuisance when I'm out and about because it's as if my stomach is saying "FEED ME THIS INSTANT!" but as long as I prepare it's okay. It's a small price to pay, let's put it that way.

I just wondered if it's a common thing?

[Cherry]

I didn't notice anything different when I became vegan but I get different sorts of hunger depending on the sorts of food I eat and how much I'm eating. When I've eaten fruit (until I'm full) instead of a meal I notice the very sudden 'feed me now!' hunger a couple of hours later.

[shiny2008]

Katiekins, I had similar feeling when became vegan, what I did was ate more times and I always had some vegan cookies beside and i got fit gradually, the biting feelings was gone after 3-4 months I guess...

good luck！
BTW. is it easy for a vegan to get survive in Southampton?

[KatieKins]

Hmmm, I do quite often snack on fruit and veg, so maybe it's just not filling me up.

It's difficult because I have just lost a lot of weight (8 1/2st) and so I'm cautious about eating more bread, cereals etc because a) I don't trust myself not to overeat and b) I don't want to put the weight back on. I think I need to trust myself abit more to do the right thing (either control what I eat or take action if I do lose control) and just see how it goes.

I'll stick at it. Like I say - it's a small price to pay. Momentary instances of resolvable, mild discomfort aren't even worth sweating, are they?


And to answer your question Shiny2008, Southampton is alright. I've found a good Mexican restaurant that is vegan friendly, so that keeps me happy. My local supermarket sells the basics (I'm a big fan of Alpro Soya yoghurts). There's a place called the Art Cafe in the town centre, which sells lovely food and delicious vegan chocolate cake! There's a place called Shakeaway here which makes people custom milkshakes. They do a soy version and my favourite so far is peanut butter and maple syrup.

I live in the countryside and there's a number of old fashioned pubs around - sometimes the menus are totally meat orientated but a few times now they've been able to either make me a plate of veg (which I'm alright with as I love veg and I'm usually damn hungry!) or give me a food/allergy list so I can choose something.

My boyfriend and I love going on roadtrips at the weekends, so we've been on loads of adventures to places like Bristol and Brighton seeking out vegan foods to try! =)

[harpy]

When I have fruit as a snack I try and remember to have a couple of (unsalted) nuts at the same time - that seems to stop me from getting the sudden hunger pangs. This is supposed to be because the energy in the nuts is in a form that gets burned up more gradually than what's in the fruit...or something like that

There's a bit of explanation here: http://www.bda.uk.com/hot_topics_GL_GI.html and lots of lists of foods with their glycaemic indexes if you Google.

[Agatha]

yeah i still get that 5 years later! it might be because the food i eat now is digested more quickly - whereas meat hangs aroudn your gut for days. I find having lots of small snacks like fruit, cereal bars, nuts (at home cos they are banned at work) and drinking loads of water helps.

[saidsirius]

Yeah- I get that sometimes too. I just have to be sure to always have some sort of a snack on hand and to eat several times throughout the day. I think (for me at least) the sudden hunger pains are because I eat so much fiber and I just burn through things like nothing. But the longer I've been vegan, the less hunger pains I get. Yay!

[Eat Y'self Fitter]

I had that for a bit when I was transitioning but I've gotten over it. It also really depends how active you are.

Fruit and vegetables rarely keep me feeling fulfilled. Usually beans and grains fil the stomach up quite well. But then again you said you're trying to lose weight so maybe you wanna focus on large plates of veggies since the calories aren't to high. That way you feel like you're eating a lot. A lot of it is psychological just make sure you get the right nutrion for your needs.

[Ms_Derious]

I tend to find since going vegan I not only get 'arrgggh, feed me now' moments... but also I often find as soon as I bite into something, I get super, super hungry. Maybe this is because my food is so much more awesome now

[*live*&*let*live]

It's difficult because I have just lost a lot of weight (8 1/2st) and so I'm cautious about eating more bread, cereals etc because a) I don't trust myself not to overeat and b) I don't want to put the weight back on. I think I need to trust myself abit more to do the right thing (either control what I eat or take action if I do lose control) and just see how it goes.

:smile::smile:

Well done you!! How long did this take you and what did you do? PM me if you want as I know that this is gonna go off thread topic. Cheers Nik x

[DavidT]

IWhen I've eaten fruit (until I'm full) instead of a meal I notice the very sudden 'feed me now!' hunger a couple of hours later.

Same here. It's a fairly instant need that comes on. Sometimes I'll make a smoothie before work and I always make loads. But by 10:30 am I'm ravishing, oops, I mean ravenous.

[sandra]

Yes, fruit doesn't seem to fill me up either, it's the same with salad................half an hour after eating salad I feel hungry again!

[Cherry]

Sometimes I'll make a smoothie before work and I always make loads. But by 10:30 am I'm ravishing,

I think we need your smoothie recipe

[f2097]

I had the same thing when I first went vegan. Random, sudden hunger pains :'(

The most effective foodstuff I find to remedy this are oats. I always keep some nairns oatcakes around (they are particularly nice with sheese spread mm). Having oats for breakfast/snack/whenever is good too. Most stores sell big bags of oat flakes, then I get some chopped nut/dried fruit mixes and then use it like cereal (and pour over some maple syrup..drool).

Vegan energy/cereal bars are good as a filling snack too.. Like the Trek ones

http://eatnakd.com/About-Nakd/Our-Products/Trek.html

[AnneCE]

I'm like a lot of people here - I can't eat apples for instance when I am hungry because they seem to make me hungrier...

Normal for me is stuffing my face past the point of satiation, as you would know if you could see me. But I've not been too well lately so have had to eat little and often - I get very strong hunger pangs which subside once I have eaten a small amount. I seem to be either oblivious to food or starving, which is not like me at all.

The worst thing is that when I am not hungry, I have no interest in preparing food, then hunger strikes and I am too hungry to cook. Luckily, when I am not hungry, I don't buy junk, so it is just oatcakes and hummus and similar no preparation needed food most of the time.

[Daffodil]

[QUOTE=AnneCE;585751]I can't eat apples for instance when I am hungry because they seem to make me hungrier...
QUOTE]

me too! all fruit does that to me. I find potatoes and rice the best for longer term fulfillment.

[Minnehaha]

When I eat raw veggies now as a snack, I eat them with Hummus. It seems to keep me feeling full for longer, and it is pretty healthy itself.

[gogs67]

It's pretty well documented that protein will 'trick' the brain into making you feel fuller than the equivilent amount of Carbs.

Another interesting thing i saw was where a test group ate a plate of rice and vegetables with a glass of water, another group had exactly the same meal but liquidised into soup.
They then exercised and had an x ray taken of their stomach. The first group all felt hungry as the food was already being digested and leaving the stomach, the second group ,who had had the liquidised meal, all still felt full and their x rays showed most of the 'soup' still in the stomach cavity!
Soup is good food! lol

[DavidT]

Another interesting thing i saw was where a test group ate a plate of rice and vegetables with a glass of water, another group had exactly the same meal but liquidised into soup.
They then exercised and had an x ray taken of their stomach. The first group all felt hungry as the food was already being digested and leaving the stomach, the second group ,who had had the liquidised meal, all still felt full and their x rays showed most of the 'soup' still in the stomach cavity!
Soup is good food! lol

That is fun. Do you have a link, gogs?

[gogs67]

That is fun. Do you have a link, gogs?

Was on TV last month. I'm racking my brains to remember what it was. Probably one of these 'outdoorsy' type programs about how to stave off hunger whilst hiking!

[DavidT]

Right. My preference is for home-made soup for my lunch at work, on the grounds that cycling in and out to work gives me the necessary calories. Now it seems my intuition was right!

[jimmeh]

oh that was 10 Things You Need To Know About Losing Weight. It was on iPlayer

[gogs67]

oh that was 10 Things You Need To Know About Losing Weight. It was on iPlayer

Ah ha......................gold star for you! I'd never have remembered that!

[jimmeh]

thanks! I was very bored that night......

[gogs67]

Am actually wondering why i watched it as well...................., certainly wasnae for weight loss tips!!!lol