Health - Resources and discussion for everything health-related

One thing that may help you with satiation (not being hungry) is the amount of space/volume available in your stomach.

If your stomach is full, your body stops telling you that you are hungry, even if you were about to die from nutrient deficiency.

How to use this: drink a glass of water anytime you are about to eat (or drink soda). Then you can eat (or drink) like normal, except you will have the water's volume increasing your satiation. This will generally have you eating less.

DO NOT OVER DO IT ON THE WATER! HYDROCEPHALUS IS A THING AND YOU CAN DIE!

Hopefully that's somewhat helpful. Good luck and be safe.

Edit: Just to reemphasize, hydrocephalus literally means watery brain in Latin.

Game show contestants have died because they tried to drink excessive amounts of water in a short timeframe.

I can't answer the why but if you're snacking on stuff you have in the house. Stop buying it. Then you only have to resist your cravings when you're at the store.

Seconding the water suggestions here- often one’s brain mistakes thirst for hunger.

Also, snacking is good. Try to replace your snacks with some high protein or low calorie alternatives. Nuts and carrots with hummus are my favorite go-tos to the point now I prefer them to chips and sweets most times.

Same for me. On a much longer timeline. I do not drink soda since many years and now if I would it just tastes bad. But the chocolate and sweet biscuits are too hard to refuse. What clearly works for me is increasing the distance to the source. That means I have less cravings when in the office because it is harder to get to something to eat. At home, if I was good and did not buy any then well I do not have any to eat… so I eat the banana /oranges I would have otherwise ignored.

It’s very difficult. It helps to increase the friction for “bad” snacks and populate your environment with healthy alternatives. If there’s an apple and peanut butter in the kitchen but you would have to walk to the store for chips, then you’re less likely to eat the chips.

Having satisfying meals with enough good fats, fiber and protein will help with cravings. A nutritionist could give good advice on macro targets but as an example, I’ve been told that I should be getting 30g of protein in my breakfast. And I have found that when I do so, I’m less likely to snack.

I agree with the advice someone else posted about getting enough water. You could consider coupling that with some extra fiber. Fiber is pretty filling and I think it can also help with steadying blood sugar, which can help with cravings. Adding ground flaxseeds to your food or having a spoon of psyllium with juice can up your fiber.

Foods like chocolates and chips are addictive, which is why. It's important to realize and admit to yourself that you may be an addict, then deal with it appropriately as an addiction.

For some people reducing the amount slowly works, but in my case I had to go cold turkey. Good work getting the soda down to a cup a day, now it's time to not have any at all. A food journal helps, as well as having a well defined goal as to why you're trying to quit.

Good luck.

I replaced my snacks with healthier things. I'll grab a handful of almonds and a slice of cheese instead of chips and it works most of the time.

(I need to find a salty snack though that is healthier, as sometimes I want that salt)

I have a bigass bag of trail mix by my desk, the kind with the M&Ms. Just a handful or two and I'm set for another hour or more. The mix of salt and sweet should hit whatever cravings you're having for junk food, in fewer calories.

Zero sugar soda is the way. Diet tastes awful.