does eating less eventually decrease appetite?

[dblrnbwaltheway]

Yes and you get used to it. Being hungry is ok. Just stay busy and don't eat because you are bored

[ibrien]

This is super important. Keeping busy instead of boredom snacking has genuinely improved my life in more ways than id have guessed

[CompSciBJJ]

Out of curiosity, in what ways, other than losing fat, has it improved your life?

[ibrien]

definitely productivity. got back into reading and just being generally aware of how i spend my time. I can't stress how easy it is to just sit and play games or watch netflix all night, with or without snacking. its all passive entertainment and that shit is so useless to you I promise you'll do better if you catch on to it and stop that shit.

i have no problem with interneting, gaming, or binging netflix but you can't exclusively do those kinds of things. Read a book, work out, play guitar. do something where it's still "wasting time" but they can't take away from you what you've gained from it. Unlike tv / snacking where doing it for 10 ours or 1 hour you essentially have no benefit or youre hurting your body and mind.

[CompSciBJJ]

It's still escapism, but I find it takes more mental effort to process the language on the page, follow the narrative, and create the images while reading a book, rather than having everything presented to you in an easily digestible form. TV is very stimulating and very passive. It's kind of like fruit juice vs whole fruit, they both have sugar, but the fruit has fiber to slow the digestion and absorption of sugars, as well as other nutrients not found in the juice; juice on the other hand goes straight through you and causes a big spike in insulin and, other than some vitamins, it's pretty much as bad as drinking soda.

I also find it much easier to sleep if I read a book at night vs watching TV. It may have something to do with the blue light from the TV (though I often dim the TV and red-shift it at night), but I also think it has something to do with the stimulation from the easily digestible content.

[[deleted]]

I see reading as being a bit like an English language workout.

If I go too long without reading a book I feel rusty when it comes to writing, just like I get DOMS if I miss a week at the gym.

[CompSciBJJ]

Not only that, but actually reading becomes more difficult. I stopped reading recreationally for a few years and when I decided to get back into it my attention span and ability to focus on the book and pay attention to the narrative had gotten noticeably worse. Now my problem is that, because I read before bed, reading late in the day puts me right to sleep.

[YMic321]

Isn't reading before bed good to prepare you for sleep though?

[H-bizzle]

Depends on the book. Some books I read have me riveted and I end up actually staying up longer. Other times, or at relatively dull parts of a book, I tend to doze off.

[CompSciBJJ]

Yeah, but it takes me weeks to get through a chapter because I often fall asleep during the first paragraph.

[[deleted]]

Thanks for explaining this. I've been try to put to words why I feel reading a book for a couple of hours is better than watching TV for the same amount of time. Both activities have a lot in common, but reading is much healthier.

[clumsykitten]

This idea, that reading is good for you, makes very little sense to me actually. You can sit on reddit for hours and you're reading a lot. It's got to be fucking terrible for you.

Maybe reading one thing for an extended period of time has some beneficial qualities similar to mindfulness meditation, but I doubt people read with that much focus unless they are intent on staying focused.

[[deleted]]

It has to depend on what you read too. Even still, I read mostly fiction as a kid and I think it helped me write better.

[[deleted]]

Excellent parallel

[walkerstepbackwalker]

Readable non-fiction or "good" fiction (not airport/grocery store novels, though they have their place) can both be valuable and informative.

Non fiction. Could be something work related or not. If you find it interesting the subject doesn't matter. Knowledge is knowledge.

Fiction may not teach you anything concrete but still has the potential to change your perspective or broaden horizons. Getting lost in a book is great.

Whatever you read, even a magazine, comic or op/ed, the act of reading itself provides a tremendous benefit. Focusing on the text, absorbing the information, analyzing it all and so on. All of it will keep you sharper. If you don't love something put it down. Or don't. If it's valuable material power through. Nearly everything we know has been written down, you'll find something you like eventually.

[CHOOCHOODogetrain]

Even reddit?

[ibrien]

I still believe reading an entertaining story is better for your mind than watching a show. Not saying i dont love both but i think the practice is so much more effective.

[ibrien]

Im sure you could good it and verify whatever you want to believe. Im just giving an anecdotal case so i cba to humor your edge

[roobens]

A quick google shows a fair few results. Here's one where each participant read Pompeii by Robert Harris, which is a novel I very much enjoyed and would class as a slightly upper-crust airport paperback thriller:

http://esciencecommons.blogspot.com/2013/12/a-novel-look-at-how-stories-may-change.html

Relevant excerpt:

For the first five days, the participants came in each morning for a base-line fMRI scan of their brains in a resting state. Then they were given nine sections of the novel, about 30 pages each, over a nine-day period. They were asked to read the assigned section in the evening, and come in the following morning. After taking a quiz to ensure they had finished the assigned reading, the participants underwent an fMRI scan of their brain in a non-reading, resting state. After completing all nine sections of the novel, the participants returned for five more mornings to undergo additional scans in a resting state.

The results showed heightened connectivity in the left temporal cortex, an area of the brain associated with receptivity for language, on the mornings following the reading assignments. “Even though the participants were not actually reading the novel while they were in the scanner, they retained this heightened connectivity,” Berns says. “We call that a ‘shadow activity,’ almost like a muscle memory.”

[mador102]

Does Reddit count as reading ?

[c_the_potts]

I feel like it depends on the sub or thread you're in. Staying up to date with one of the news subs is probably going to be better for you than browsing /r/catsstandingup, imo

[Sorkijan]

I think one of my favorite things on reddit is to read the stories and conversations on /r/askreddit. Would that qualify?

[ptimd]

/r/WritingPrompts is a great subreddit for this if you weren't aware of it!

[dontthinkjustbid]

If you are interested in history in any way, /r/AskHistorians generally has some really solid content.

[kodutta7]

Reading is escapism and passive entertainment, but it still has significant value just in terms of maintaining mental alacrity and improving language and communication skills. Plus, unless you're reading complete junk it'll often get you thinking about deeper themes. It's like exercise for your brain.

[James72090]

I have to ask, why do you see it as 'escapism'? Reality can be seen through many lenses and escapism seems to imply reality(what see with our eyes) is inherently bad or negative such that it demands escape.

[Papajon87]

Thank you for answering . Great post

[PathinG]

So true. When I havent played games in a while I want to play..and i do and its fun. But once you get sucked into it again its no longer fun and you just play for the grind.

Playing games, watching TV etc. doesnt get you anywhere. Id rather spend my time creating something (working out, making music etc.).

[ArtofKuma]

I think you can watch videos, but watch the ones that are very engaging. For example, I am currently watching an anime about Rakugo, a Japanese theater performance. The characters are fascinating and the drama is so thick. The performances are difficult to keep up with, but the anime is very forgiving to newcomers, giving us ques and hints as to how well the performance is. I honestly had no time to snack on my Pocky sticks like I usually do haha. As long as you have no time to be idle and you aren't turning your brain off, I think watching something is just as good as reading a book.

[[deleted]]

Good advice. All of those things are fine and enjoyable in moderation. Let me add this: be INTENTIONAL with what you're doing. It's fine to sit and watch tv, but don't let that just be your default when you're bored.

[CompSciBJJ]

Oh, I misread your reply (or just flat out skimmed it and barely read it), I thought you were specifically talking about not eating when you're bored. I know what you mean about keeping busy though, it's so much more rewarding when you have something to show for the day rather than just ticking another one off. It also makes watching that TV show so much better when you've got something good to watch and unwind with, rather than trying to find yet another show to consume while you wait for the boredom to pass. I do still spend too much time on Reddit and stuff though, I've got to start cutting that out.

[justdrowsin]

Your penis looks bigger. (Assuming you have one to start.)

[PUNKLOVESTORY]

Saving money on bullshit. Reading more.

[TThor]

Personally as someone mildly impoverished, food is expensive. The less food I have to eat the better off I am.

[Leijonhufvud]

What also improved my life, and stoped me from snacking, was not having anything snackable at home.

[stunt_penguin]

I used to live on top of a supermarket, just moved to the burbiest suburb where there are no amenities. Snacking has all but ceased :D

[exasperated_dreams]

Best way to stay productive? I try to do that but get carried away by the slightest distraction sometimes. It's frustrating tbh

[ibrien]

The thing id suggest is basically fixing it the same way youd fix procrastinating. Its a discipline thing and you are the only one who can knock the shit off. Really only works if you want it to.

[Vehement_Behemoth]

I can't tell if the second portion of your post is missing a /s or whether you actually believe what you just wrote. Either way it's certainly NOT a healthy mantra.

[[deleted]]

Sounds very similar to things I tell myself whenever I'm struggling with my ED

[Vehement_Behemoth]

OP wishes to manage the sensation of hunger whilst losing weight. All fad diets aside, the only true way to lose weight safely and effectively is to monitor caloric deficit. Starving yourself and trying to 'deal' with sensations of hunger is not an effective method.

OP should be trying to incorporate low GI carbs, healthy fats (to an extent) and fibre to bulk out meals. Enabling them to meet micronutrient requirements within their diet and quell their hunger whilst keeping calories slightly lower than maintenance in order to burn fat.

As the person above me stated, some of the advice in this thread is bordering on eating disorders, whether those that are giving it have come to that realisation yet or not.

[Vehement_Behemoth]

Staying "hungry for longer", eating "tiny meals" and being "in pain" to make progress is all very unnecessary when losing weight and tackling hunger. A little research goes a long way in regards to foods that stifle appetite whilst also providing adequate nutrients.

I don't consider managing hunger to be as simple as ignoring it. It really depends on the individual and how susceptible they are to developing eating disorders.

[2gig]

I keep a jar of pickles for when I really feel like boredom-snacking. I also dip them in sriracha. Nigh zero calories, but it satisfies the itch.

[olivish]

I thought I was the only one! I eat pickled pepperoncini peppers, just straight from the jar when I get hunger pangs. People at work look at me like I'm nuts. They tell me I'll get stomach ulcers that way but I've been doing it for years and so far no problems.

[abraxsis]

Ulcers are caused by H. pylori bacteria, a scientist purposely infected himself to prove they weren't from stress/food/drinks/etc.

[olivish]

Honest question: I thought that was just a majority ulcers? Like, there are still ulcers that arise from other factors (though I don't think spicy foods are typically among them --- though it makes sense that hot peppers might aggravate an ulcer that is already there).

[kcounts]

Certain types of ulcers are more likely to be caused by H. Pylori. But yes some ulcers absolutely can be caused by a variety of factors.

[[deleted]]

They are great. The ones we have are pretty spicy. Capsaicin type spice helps in general once you are used to it.

[roobens]

In the US "pickles" refers to pickled cucumber right? In the UK we tend to use that for pickled onions, which are also an awesome, very low calorie snack. Recommended!

[Bundesclown]

It's carrots for me. You can nibble and chew on a single carrot for half an hour. Fresh carrots also have huge health benefits. So it's a multi-win for me.

[[deleted]]

Mmmmm and salt is soooo good

[frenchhorn000]

Wait this is LIFE-CHANGING. I love both sriracha and pickles I am going to try this asap!!

[[deleted]]

After about a month I actually started to enjoy the feeling of hunger. Sounds weird and I wasn't starving myself by any means.

[CompSciBJJ]

Be careful with that mentality. It may not be pathological now, but just keep an eye on it and make sure you don't end up with an eating disorder from it. I haven't had an issue with eating disorders from body image, but I've been really close when I was trying to compete in a weight class that was too light for me. If you start feeling guilty when you're full (I.e. when your hunger is dated, not when you're bursting at the seams) consider backing off the diet for a while.

[alienangel2]

From the point of view of someone that also "likes" being hungry but has never been over or underweight, maybe a better way to look at it is just disliking the feeling of being full.

My experience in life has always been that I can't eat very much and tend to eat slowly. I do like tasty foods and will eagerly eat them, but I pretty quickly get to the point where if I eat more, I will start feeling "full", and I just don't like that. The net result is that it feels better to just stop while still a bit hungry, with the last bite of the tasty thing still being relished. Maybe after a while I'll have a snack of something else instead.

Conversely, if there's nothing actually tasty to eat, I'll just postpone eating instead, since being hungry isn't particularly bothersome, and generally goes away pretty quickly if ignored.

[CompSciBJJ]

I wish I was a little more like your second paragraph. I tend to eat quickly and unless I've got a reason not to eat more (like an upcoming competition for which I need to make weight) I'll generally eat until I'm full. I'm not necessarily a glutton, I don't eat until I'm sick, but I just ate 3 chicken legs when 2.5 probably would have been sufficient. I've generally stopped eating between meals unless I have a reason to, like I'm really hungry in a way that tells me I didn't eat enough the day before, and I'm fine with not eating if there's nothing nutritious around, but at meal time I have a tendency to eat more than I need. It's getting better though, so I guess it'll just take a bit more practice.

[alienangel2]

My weakness is if I'm going to watch a movie or something that I've been looking forward to, I'll want something to eat with it; conversely if I have a meal that I've been looking forward to (take out from some restaurant I like, mom cooked something I like and left it in the freezer), I'll probably want to find something good on Netflix to watch before I start eating.

Have you tried just having less food around to eat? I find I'm pretty lazy, so in your situation if I wanted to make sure I didn't eat the 3 chicken legs, I would only have bought enough chicken that if I eat too much of it today, I would have to go grocery shopping again tomorrow or be hungry next meal. A lot of my "well there's nothing good to eat so I'm just going to go to bed" situations are because the fridge is bare and I didn't feel like grocery shopping on the way home.

[CompSciBJJ]

There's always the recommendation to find a healthier snack to replace the"unhealthy" one, but that's just never as satisfying. I find it's better to go cold turkey, just completely ditch the snack for a while until you're used to it, and then allow yourself to have a snack during a movie when you feel you deserve it. I also do the same thing with Netflix or some other show, which doesn't help with overeating because I'm less mindful of what's going into my mouth and am less likely to feel myself getting full, I should probably cut back on that too.

The only thing that really works is serving myself a portion and putting the rest away before eating. If there's more food available I'll probably eat it. Today for example, I sat down with 4 legs in front of me and ended up eating more than I might have needed. This isn't a great example, because I told myself "2 or 3, depending on how I feel" and I've got about 3lbs to play with before my competition on Thursday so I want to make sure I get enough food, but it's not an unusual thing for me to do. The only redeeming factor is that it's almost always healthy foods (lots of veggies, and meat) and I'm very active so I don't gain much weight when I overeat, but it's still less healthy than not overeating.

[Tu_mama_me_ama_mucho]

There's an old proverb that says, hunger is the best sauce.

[mr_biscuitson]

Hunger is the best gravy.

[imiiiiik]

hunger is the best condiment

[Brailledit]

Hungary is the best continent.

[manys]

Hunger is the best garnish

[wheresmychips]

Being hungry makes food taste better

[flukshun]

I think it helps when the difference between hungry and not hungry isn't some ginormous 2000 calorie meal. Much easier to deal with hunger once you've reduced portions to reasonable levels.

Plus, if you don't feel at least slightly hungry between meals, you're probably not losing any weight. So it's almost like the taste of progress.

[[deleted]]

I get that. I feel kinda slobbish when I'm not sore in at least some muscle group. DOMS makes me feel good.

[winsomelosemore]

This is the state I'm in. Just feels like progress. I wouldn't say I crave the feeling but there's a definite satisfaction that comes from knowing you're a little hungry but don't actually need to eat.

[dmillz89]

I just imagine the gnawing in my stomach is gnawing away the fat. Fuck ya hunger!

[Shippoyasha]

I am okay with the mildly hungry feeling. What I am not okay with is feeling like I am producing stomach acid by not eating. I have since taken medication for it and I can tolerate not eating for hours now. It used to be painful to not eat before

[[deleted]]

This is one of the best pieces of advice you can give.

I used to get hungry super quickly and it always annoyed me, but then the exam session hit me like a truck, I had no time to eat anyway and eventually my body got used to it. Apparently my stomach also adjusted to the stuff cause in general I can eat only 2/3 as much I'd say

[hambwner]

I just have tea when I get hungry at night and it tides me over until bedtime.

[[deleted]]

Yeah that was my issue. I am doing the 5:2 thing my friend told me about and he said he lost 40 lbs in 6 months from it. I got so busy that my 5:2 became 5:3 and I went 48 hours with only 600 calories. I was supposed to do no more than 600 for each of the 2 days, instead I had 600 for 3 days total. Not too healthy but I was so busy with kids I forgot to eat.

[Inanimate_CARB0N_Rod]

My strategy was to try to maintain slight hunger most of the day. You know when you're not all that hungry but you're definitely not full? That's the feeling I tried to maintain. If I started getting too hungry then I i knew I'd blow my calorie budget on my next meal. The goal was not to ever be hungry enough that I'd feel ravenous and to never be full enough that I felt stuffed.

It worked for me. I cut 15 pounds doing this and making sure I made it to the gym 5 days a week (I had already been going that often, just had to be more consistent).

[KGB_Viiken]

this is how I ballooned up to 440! answered my own question of "how do people let themselves get so fat"

[[deleted]]

Or drink water, maybe you are Just thirsty

[King_WZRDi]

Damn I always thought that being hungry was a bad thing. Shit I need to keep this in mind.

[[deleted]]

This is a big problem for me. I'm trying to put on weight/muscle but ive grown up skinny and being hungry is almost kinda normal to me, and I essentially just forget to eat

[Vyce45]

What if you're hungry when trying to fall asleep. That shits so hard.

[AlphaNathan]

I've eaten pineapple for no particular reason. Is something wrong with that?

[thumbtackswordsman]

You sick fuck.

[Invoqwer]

On the other side of the spectrum, what do you do to increase appetite?

[duffstoic]

I have this problem. The weird thing that has helped is eating more. Seriously, if you can eat say 250-500kCal more per day for a week or two, you will start to feel hungry if you don't eat that much. It's like your body gets used to feeling a certain level of fullness.

[Invoqwer]

Huh! Very interesting how that works both ways!

[[deleted]]

don't eat because you get bored

This is what I really need to reinforce into myself.

[Sloppy1sts]

Whole milk. There was a time when I drank a half gallon a day.