Experiences - does hunger subside?

[elatedsquirrel]

I realise that this question has probably been asked by a thousand CR-curious newbies, but searching mostly turns up stuff about whether hunger hormones are part of the mechanism by which CR might slow ageing.

I assume starting CR, even very gradually, leads initially to some degree of increased hunger. Does that accord with your experiences?

Does the increased hunger subside eventually, or do successful CR practitioners just learn to live with it? Do the body and mind eventually adjust and "accept" the situation?

(I have read interviews with some CR practitioners saying they were "very hungry for the first 5 years" etc., but those people attributed this to cutting calories very quickly.)

Edited May 21, 2020 by elatedsquirrel

[Clinton]

I think if you are on CR you will always be hungry.

Look on the bright side:  Even if you don’t live longer- it will sure feel that way 😁👍

Edited May 21, 2020 by Clinton

[elatedsquirrel]

46 minutes ago, Clinton said:

I think if you are on CR you will always be hungry.

Look on the bright side:  Even if you don’t live longer- it will sure feel that way 😁👍

Even on a "moderate" CR diet (e.g. 2000 calories)?

Edited May 21, 2020 by elatedsquirrel

[Clinton]

Others here likely have much more experience with lower calories.  At 2000 cals I'm kinda always hungry in the evening but I associate that hunger with a 6-pack and autophagy and I have come to 'like it' - kinda masochistic??  ;-)

I've always associated the hell of lifting, a cold shower or eating bitter brocolli with looking and feeling different than my neighbours.

This:

>> than this:

Edited May 21, 2020 by Clinton

[Dean Pomerleau]

As you've alluded to, It is pretty common for CR practitioners to report that hunger subsides eventually. But it usually takes quite a while, at least six months and definitely not until your weight has reached an equilibrium. I'm pretty much never hungry anymore, even when I've fasted for a couple days. We've even debated at length about whether or not this lack of hunger, especially as a result of eating a lot of higher fiber, low calorie density foods, is a bad thing when it comes to CR-induced longevity benefits. I personally don't think so, but it isn't entirely clear, not to mention the uncertainty about the magnitude of longevity benefits in humans from CR per se, discussed at length here.

--Dean

[Saul]

I agree with Dean.

  --  Saul

[drewab]

When I read the title of this thread I thought it was going to go a different route. Namely, do experiences make the feeling of hunger subside in the moment (which is intertwined with what you are discussing). Since beginning this lifestyle, I've found that engagement in work, staying busy with family commitments, learning something new, listening to a great podcast, spending time in new places in nature, and so forth, all make the hunger 'stay at bay,' at least temporarily. Basically anything that is novel or new to me (or that gets me into a flow state), results in hunger going into the background. 

The other thing about hunger is that most people assume it's cumulative, which has not been my experience. There is a point where it would feel good to eat, similar to how it would feel good to drink, but the body doesn't seem to go past this, with a few exceptions. The exception being that 'once a month time when I feel ravenous for no apparent reason and have to consume an extra 1000 calories.' I have no idea of the reason behind this, other than the fact that it does occur to me at a seemingly monthly interval. 

[elatedsquirrel]

2 hours ago, drewab said:

When I read the title of this thread I thought it was going to go a different route. Namely, do experiences make the feeling of hunger subside in the moment (which is intertwined with what you are discussing). Since beginning this lifestyle, I've found that engagement in work, staying busy with family commitments, learning something new, listening to a great podcast, spending time in new places in nature, and so forth, all make the hunger 'stay at bay,' at least temporarily. Basically anything that is novel or new to me (or that gets me into a flow state), results in hunger going into the background. 

Well that's good, insofar as those are great ways to spend one's time anyway!