Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with hunger

When yr only havin' seconds, I'ma havin' twenty thirds.

orville sash — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 12:46:08 -0800

Why do I want to eat candy so badly? Over the course of the summer, I starting watching what I ate and exercising a lot. This has paid dividends in the form of losing about 15 pounds, feeling a lot better, looking a lot better, et. al. Ideally, I'd like to lost another 15 pounds, but strangely, I have recently (as in the last month or so) developed an overwhelming urge to eat candy all the time. and I mean ALL THE TIME. Everytime I see a candy bar, I start salivating. Its not that I'm not getting enough sugar, because I eat bananas and stawberries for snacks, but I've broken down a couple of times and gotten some really crappy food.

Why am I coveting all this shitty food?

How do I keep myself from eating it?

Is there more world hunger today or 200 years ago?

tnygard — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 20:10:48 -0800

Is there more world hunger today or 200 years ago, globally and in the USA? I am wondering if there is more world hunger today, or before the advent of modern agriculture. I am interested in this both globally and in the USA. It would be especially interesting to see how rates of hunger changed over time. So, for example, are there any estimates of how many people were hungry in 1800, 1850, 1900, 1950, and 2000? In addition to the raw numbers of people who are hungry, I am curious, given that there are so many more people now than in 1800, if we have more hungry people per capita. Does anyone have suggestions for researching this? Are there websites or books that have charted this issue? Thanks in advance for any suggestions!

please help me to not starve

happy scrappy — Mon, 31 Aug 2009 07:54:22 -0800

I'm having surgery in my pelvic/abdominal area on Friday, and since my doctor is expecting some bowel involvement, he is putting me on a clear fluid diet as of Thursday morning. I'm going to be STARVING by surgery time (noon Friday). I feel weak and irritable if I miss one meal, let alone a whole day and a half. At the pre-admission clinic, they told me I can have black tea/coffee, clear soda, Jell-O, water (of course) and "consomme" (broth or bullion, I'm guessing).

Any ideas as to what I should / should not consume that would help to alleviate my hunger? I'm also taking several drugs for pain, which I prefer to take with food, as they tend to upset my stomach a bit.

Any ideas/advice would help. I realize I should have brought this up with the nurse, but it didn't occur to me until now, with this fasting day looming closer (I know it's only a day and a half and I'm being a big suck, but I'm really dreading it). I will be able to talk with my doctor tomorrow, so any advice you give can be run by him first (he may or may not have any helpful ideas, but he'll tell me what I can't have).

Thanks in advance!

need more fewd

WeekendJen — Wed, 29 Jul 2009 11:05:18 -0800

Help me eat better / more often... I have problems with anxiety (diagnosed) and adult ADD (not diagnosed officially - yet) and sometimes this causes me to not eat.

I do not have a classical eating disorder, I love to eat and savor all kinds of food.

My problem is that sometimes (err...often) I get really worked up and anxious and feel overwhelmed and too busy with whatever I need to accomplish in a day. I end up putting off getting something to eat until I calm down, which usually isn't until I clear most of the tasks from my to-do list. This is especially bad with lunch at work. I almost never eat lunch because of this.

When I get home, I am usually too exhausted to really cook or eat anything (and also to prepare any lunch food for the next day). Sometimes I fall asleep on my couch before I even eat anything. Other times, I'll have something super quick like a microwave personal pizza or burrito.

I do not get feelings of hunger when I am anxious or exhausted, but I do, obviously, feel like crap. I just seem to be missing the brain trigger to remind me that if I ate something, I would feel a little better.

The only time I consistantly eat every day is breakfast. I love breakfast and I am a cranky crab if I don't eat something within an hour of waking up.

I was recently hospitalized and told that I need to up my caloric intake and eat more nutritious food. My question is how can I chill out and remind myself to eat? What are some techniques you use to make food prep not feel like more work after a day of work? Any general advice pertaining to adequate nutrition with budget and time constraints? What kinds of foods keep well and are easy to carry around all day (with my comute factored in, I'm usually away from home about 12 hours a day). Thanks.

Not hungry, but still need to eat.

crickets — Sun, 25 Jan 2009 12:33:45 -0800

What do you eat when, for emotional reasons, you can't eat? Thanks to some emotional stress, I haven't been eating well over the past few months. I'm losing some weight, which is a nice side effect, but I've also been sick more than usual lately (three colds in three months). Half the problem is simply forgetting to eat, but even when I do remember I have a hard time eating enough because my stomach hurts when I'm stressed.

The other day I took another emotional hit and I suspect I'm going to be having even more problems eating, but I can't afford to be sicker.

What should I do? Vitamins? What kind? Is a multi-vitamin enough or should I double up on certain things? (I'm a 35-year-old male.) What kinds foods are both easy to keep around and will do the most good when I can eat them?

Hunger. The physical kind. (Not, like, metaphysical or spiritual or vampire or anything.)

Rudy Gerner — Wed, 07 Jan 2009 06:42:46 -0800

What does it mean that on days when I'm not exercising I'm constantly hungry? I run every other day. For example, one day I'll run 3 miles, the next day rest, the next day run 4 miles, the next day rest, the next day 3 miles, etc. On days when I run I am not so hungry--I mean, moderately so at the normal times. On my rest days, it's like I have a hollow leg and can't get enough food in me. I presume this means that I'm not eating enough of something but I'm not sure what. I also am not sure if that presumption is accurate.

The way I eat now, as point of reference: I tend to graze throughout the day (3 meals plus 2-3 snacks between). My diet now is lots of vegetables and fruit, whole grains (oatmeal and tortillas mostly; I rarely have rice or bread); a good amount of fish, some chicken/turkey. I try to eat good fat (nuts, avocado, etc.) but my guess is I'm not getting enough of that. In general I try to eat as much unrefined and unprocessed stuff as I can.

Thoughts or feedback? Any suggestions on healthy but filling (and yummy!) snacks would be great. I don't think I've found a great way to toe the line between maxing out on calories and undoing my exercise and getting enough of what my body wants/needs.

Gerard Sands

lottie — Tue, 11 Nov 2008 20:49:05 -0800

What ever happened to Gerard Sands, the son of Bobby Sands the IRA Hunger Striker who died in the Maze? What ever became of him. Did he just grow up and live a quiet life? He's pictured here at seven years of age at his Dad's funeral.

Has anyone in Northern Ireland ever interviewed him, or written about him? Just curious as a person who reads a lot about the struggles. Google turns up nothing.

Snack attack!

lunasol — Sun, 28 Sep 2008 20:24:59 -0800

How do you deal with post-meal "hunger?" That persistent snacky feeling... I find that often, after i eat a well-balanced meal (two veggies, a protein, a complex carb), in an amount to where I feel satisfied but not stuffed, about 20-30 minutes afterwards I will start to feel "snacky." Not hungry, exactly, sort of a feel of "yeah, I could eat something." This happens mostly after dinner.

This used to not be an issue, because I would just figure I was still hungry and have a snack or dessert. But I'm working at minimizing snacks and sweets in an attempt to lose weight. I am aiming to only have sweets a few times a week, as a special treat (as opposed to the everyday phenomenon they've turned into in my life). I'm trying to make it so that the only snack I eat is late afternoon, to keep me away from the vending machine on evenings I work late.

I've looked around on the internet, and read some of the relevant AskMe questions about this, but most suggestions seem to revolve around low-calorie snacks to meet this need. I'm looking for a way to get away from feeling like I should have a snack after dinner. Or else the person asking is trying to deal with real hunger, but this is not really a feeling of ravenous hunger, it's more a desire for a snack.

To answer questions that might come up: I eat about 1600-1800 calories a day, with 4-7 servings of fruits/veg each day, ample protein and fat to keep me sated (at least I think so). I drink lots of water, and it helps a bit. Also, I've only been trying this snack-minimizing regime for a few days, so it might just take some getting used to.

Does anyone else hear odd noises in their heads when they are hungry?

Xianny — Tue, 01 Jul 2008 15:50:16 -0800

Does anyone else hear odd noises in their heads when they are hungry? When I get really hungry, as in stomach-growling hunger that makes you feel kind of dizzy, I also hear scritching noises in my head. I'm just curious about whether anyone else experiences this. These noises are kind of high-pitched and sound a bit like crickets chirping. They sound like they're entirely in my head, and they're pretty loud and not very pleasant. They don't really cause any discomfort but I really want to know if anyone else has this!

Can frequent periods of low blood sugar be a precursor to diabetes?

Anonymous — Thu, 19 Jun 2008 10:12:20 -0800

Can frequent periods of low blood sugar be a precursor to diabetes? I know that diabetes is actually high blood sugar. I am obese with polycystic ovarian syndrome (which people say predisposes one to diabetes) and a family history of diabetes. If I don't eat for a certain amount of time (sometimes as little as 4 hours if I don't have a big meal), my blood sugar will drop... I get irritable, shaky, and nauseated. Eating solves the problem but since it takes about 20 minutes for the sugar in the food to hit my bloodstream, for those 20 minutes I feel like eating everything in sight. (This doesn't happen that often - I'm not a binge eater.)

It doesn't make sense to me that I am prone to diabetes but I experience the opposite so easily. My fasting blood sugar is always in the normal range, and when I had it tested last year, my cholesterol was actually slightly low. I've never had a glucose tolerance test and I currently don't have health insurance, so I'm nervous about being diagnosed with something that will prevent me from getting insurance later on.

I did read this thread but it doesn't indicate if hypoglycemia could be a precursor to diabetes.

Also, after reading in a previous thread about Emetrol, I'd like to try it for the nausea I experience when I have a migraine. Given that the ingredients are Dextrose and Fructose (Levulose) and the warning says "This product contains sugar and should not be taken by diabetics except under the advice and supervision of a physician," would it be harmful for me to take it since I am only predisposed to diabetes? Would it be okay to take it when I am feeling a low blood sugar attack along with eating food as soon as possible?

I know YANMD.

Beware the fourth day

LN — Wed, 18 Jun 2008 05:56:19 -0800

Help me get past day three of my diet. I've recently begun dieting (the No-S diet, for those interested). This is not the first diet I've been on, unfortunately. I've noticed over time the same thing happens again and again. I'm as good as gold for the first three days of a diet, but by the fourth day, I'm so overcome with cravings that I'm ready to eat the four walls and floorohmygodimhungry OM NOM NOM

My rational self comes to a bit later, and I'm mortified with myself for having "lost it" so early on in the diet. It's really rather frustrating.

Now, the logical part of my brain knows that the cravings on the fourth day are just my body getting down to the nitty gritty of burning stored energy reserves. Rational Me knows that it's all just a game of wills, and that soldiering through it is the only way. But when that fourth day hits, no willpower in the world seems sufficient to stave off the overwhelming cravings. And it's not like I'm starving myself; I estimate I'm consuming somewhere in the vincinity of 1500 to 1700 calories a day.

There are loads of Mefites out there who've dieted and lost weight, and I'm willing to bet at least some of you have had to deal with this. What tips or suggestions can you provide to help me get past the fourth day?

Shouldn't eating a salad make me feel better?

Mavri — Mon, 09 Jun 2008 12:28:06 -0800

Why would eating a salad make me shaky and lightheaded? I've noticed from time to time that salads can make me feel weird. I had one about 1-2 hours ago, and right now my hands are shaking, I feel a little lightheaded, and my thinking is fuzzy. I would attribute it to hunger, but I just ate. Sounds like low blood sugar, but I just ate a healthy salad. It had leafy greens, some grilled chicken, fresh mozzarella, and oil & vinegar.

I usually eat very few vegetables. I don't know if that would make my body freak when it gets healthy greens. I've not noticed this reaction after eating other foods, only when I'm really hungry.

I'm hungry! Oh, wait ... I'm not. What's up with the fleeting hunger pangs?

grumblebee — Thu, 15 May 2008 09:31:42 -0800

Is it normal to have a hunger pang and then, a couple of minutes later, to not be hungry? I'm dieting and it's going well. More important, I'm trying to learn to eat only when I'm hungry. I can't believe I'm so out-of-touch with my body, but I have a hard time telling when I'm hungry and when I'm not. (I'm sure I'd know if I was famished, but I'm talking about garden-variety hunger.)

I'm slowly getting it. I'm slowly starting to think, as I'm reaching for the chips, "Wait! Am I hungry? Hmm. No, I'm not!" And so I stop reaching for the chips.

But every now and then -- when I haven't eaten for a while -- I get a pang: that sort of stomach-eating-itself feeling that's a little like heartburn. I get that, and I think, "I'm hungry! I should eat." But I find that if I wait a couple of minutes, the pang completely vanishes, and I can wait several more hours before I'm definitely hungry.

What's going on with the pangs? It feels like my body is signaling me that I'm hungry, but after the signal, it's going, "Okay. I made the effort to signal. I'm not going to bother with continual signaling. If he still hasn't eaten in a couple of hours, I'll give him another warning."

Social Action Artwork

Etta Hollis — Thu, 24 Jan 2008 09:51:43 -0800

I need ideas for a visual representation of a human rights issue. I'm in an Int'l studies class and we must create a Social Action "Art" project. Basically we create some sort of "artistic" entity that explores the human rights issue.

This sounds awesome, however, I'm also writing my thesis and don't have oodles of time to be artsy-fartsy.

What ideas can you give me for art projects relating to food security, poverty, hunger, homelessness etc etc?

I'm open to other ideas, but the problems of hunger and homelessness are what I find most fascinating.

Hunger in America: Meals missed per day?

lasitter — Wed, 26 Dec 2007 06:16:29 -0800

How many people in America miss one or more meals per day because they can't afford to put food on the table? Any authoritative (citation) answer / statistic appreciated. Of many available hunger / poverty / food-insecurity statistics, none provides an answer to the question in these terms. Lots of stats for "food-insecure" at SOME point during the year. I'd prefer an answer that did more than take existing millions-per-year numbers and then divide by 365 days.

Feed the world?

kidsleepy — Tue, 03 Jul 2007 12:06:15 -0800

Is there enough food on Earth to feed every person on Earth? Links to legitimate research (for or against) are a bonus.

How do I stop extreme night hunger pains that completely disappear in the morning?

amileighs — Thu, 11 Jan 2007 09:28:10 -0800

How do I stop extreme night hunger pains that completely disappear in the morning? Often I wake up in the middle of the night in pain from extreme hunger. This occurs around 3 or 4 in the morning. It impedes my falling back to sleep for awhile, and I am forced to sleep with a pillow pressed against my stomach in an attempt to negate the pain. But when I awake a few hours later, I am not hungry in the slightest, and the pain has completely vanished. What is happening, and how can I stop these pains from occuring in the first place?

Why a horse in "so hungry I could eat a horse"?

23skidoo — Sun, 19 Nov 2006 06:41:44 -0800

Does "I'm so hungry I could eat a horse" mean "I'm so hungry I could eat at much meat as is on a horse's bones (without getting full)" or "I'm so hungry I'd be willing to eat something as (presumably) unappetizing as horse meat"? Basically, does the horse signify a great amount of food, or a disgusting quality of food?

A human version of Science Diet?

ontic — Fri, 13 Oct 2006 09:21:31 -0800

Is there a human equivalent to premium cat food? That is to say, a single form of synthetic food that will serve all hunger and nutritional needs? If not, why not? My cat subsists quite well on his cat food, Science Diet, and the occasional treat. It fulfills all of his nutritional and hunger needs. He's healthy and active. It seems like this should at least be a rarely used option for humans. When I don't have time to cook a nutritional meal but want to stave off hunger and keep my blood sugar in line, I'm kind of jealous. I wish I could just measure out some human kibble and know my nutrition was being taken care of until I can cook something tasty again. So what gives? It wouldn't be glamorous to eat, but it sure sounds useful.

Why do I get the dry heaves when I get hungry?

livinginmonrovia — Sat, 12 Aug 2006 20:36:12 -0800

Why do I get the dry heaves when I get hungry? I used to never had a problem getting hungry...if I couldn't eat for a little while. In the last couple of years I have an almost instantaneous reaction when I get hungry. All of a sudden I go into the dry heaves. I have to desperately search for something to eat or eat a Tums. It's rather annoying, not to mention uncomfortable. Other than that I don't have any symptoms. Does anyone have experience with this. Ideas? I'm a 44-year-old slender female without any major health problems. I have a fairly healthy diet with no restrictions.

Why is it that salty things make me hungry for sweet things, and sweet things make me hungry for salty things?

stokast — Mon, 17 Jul 2006 11:12:58 -0800

Why is it that salty things make me hungry for sweet things, and sweet things make me hungry for salty things?

Mysterious hunger bouts

purple_frogs — Thu, 16 Mar 2006 16:54:43 -0800

In relation to this fpp about food and mental health, I have recently been getting drastic bouts of hunger, confusion and depression when I eat late (even an hour later than usual), or don't eat enough at a meal. These bouts last about 3 hours, and once they start even stuffing myself won't help. Has anyone had this, know what it could be, or know how I could try to solve it? Here are my symptoms: I tend to have a full lunch around 1 o'clock. By 5, I often start to get light-headed and find it difficult to concentrate. I usually have some nuts or fruits around this time, but they don't really help for long... if I don't have a full dinner by 7 or 8 (and some days I have so much to do that this is difficult), I will often get this terrible hunger, an overpowering feeling of emptiness and lethargy; I can't think clearly, and I start to feel down and depressed. I usually don't feel like eating at this point, but I know I have to, and so I try to eat to the point of stuffing myself, but it doesn't go away. If I eat before the symptoms start, I can usually prevent it from happening, but once it starts, it lasts for about 3 hours no matter how much, or what, I eat.

Sometimes this happens even after I eat a big meal: whatever I had isn't enough somehow, and this feeling sets in until I find the "right" food to fill the gap. Fish, in particular, will leave me feeling empty an hour later, no matter how much I eat. White bread usually does not help, either.

This has been happening on and off for about 3 years now. I've spoken to doctors about this, had tests for hypoglycemia (negative) and diabetes (negative), and even seen a neurologist, but no one has any clue what this could be. Their current theory is anxiety/depression, but I'm sure it's distinctly related to food and eating. Is there some nutrient I'm not getting or not absorbing?

FWIW: I'm white, male, just under 30, and not over- or under-weight. I am lactose-intolerant.

But what was more like a drug was the food.

synecdoche — Thu, 02 Mar 2006 23:08:18 -0800

Do my food cravings mean anything? Or, rather, how can I satisfy that feeling without reaching for the junk food? (Way too much more inside). Over the last ~~few~~ many months, I've totally revamped my lifestyle. I've been eating right, exercising five days a week, and have been feeling wonderful. I'm right at the weight I want to be at, and am looking forward to maintaining this weight with exercise and a healthy, balanced diet. I've discovered foods I'd have ago shunned are actually quite wonderful.

The last couple weeks, though, have been incredibly hard. I seem to be giving into cravings left right and center. I was doing fine until about three weeks ago, when I was housesitting. I was under orders to eat whatever I liked, and I thought that that was fine-- I'd just bring my own groceries over anyway. But they had chocolates and nuts, and I sort of ate more than my fill of those. Anyway, housesitting ended, and I got back on track.

But now I'm housesitting again, and the same thing has happened, only this time with ice cream. See, when I am at home, this food is easy enough to avoid, because I just don't buy it. Done and done. But I'm worried about the long term practicality of this. Obviously I won't be able to avoid this stuff forever. It's going to be available.

So what I am asking is twofold, I guess. First of all, I am wondering if when I get a psychological craving (and I know it is psychological, because I don't really feel hungry-- it is more of the "Wow, that'd taste good!" type thing) if my body is trying to tell me something, like I am not getting enough of some nutrient or something, and if so if there is some way to substitute things. Second, if there is not some physiological need that needs addressing, if anybody has any other tips to, well, bolster my willpower, I guess.

Like I said, I am eating a pretty balanced diet. The last few weeks, I have been monitoring my dietary intake with that sparkpeople site, and usually I am within the healthy range for everything (though I find it more difficult to avoid sodiium, liking soy sauce as much as I do). Typically for breakfast I'll have oatmeal (sometimes with cinnamon and brown sugar) and then some fruit mid-morning; lunch is usually soup (from scratch if I've made some recently and froze it, or from a can) and a salad or a sandwich (either way with some protein, like a chicken breast in the salad). Dinner is usualyl some sort of meat with vegetables (I switch these up all the time, rarely having the same veggies twice in a row) and some grain (barley or brown rice; recently couscous) or potatoes. When I snack it is usually fruit, or popcorn in the evenings.

Everything else health-wise seems to be going fine.

Always hungry at night. How to minimize the damage?

clango — Wed, 01 Feb 2006 09:46:38 -0800

I'm pretty much always hungry at night. I work at home, mostly at night. What's the least bad, most filling thing I can eat? I'm not fat, just a little squishy. Trying to focus on eating fruit but it doesn't always work out that way.