Extreme hunger

[feelskinny]

Okay, first off YAY! The scale finally moved!

I'm at work noticing huge hunger, even though I had a good sized-high protein breakfast. I recall in the past, after a loss, hunger follows big-time.

Anyone else notice this?

How do you deal with a larger than normal appetite? I don't want to undo what I've done! :D :thup:

[rodmick]

I find I eat like a ravenous beast~ before a good whoosh.

[LessLiz]

Eat more fat and protein. It's all you can do unless you are willing to endure a lot of hunger, and wussy me is not willing to do that.

If you are hungry you *should* eat, just don't increase the carbs. Trust your body.

[feelskinny]

Hmmm Rodmick....here's to hoping!

Liz I'm typn' wiff my mouf fow of funa right now....I'm a wuff too! I hafe bein humgy.

Oops.. I just spittled all over my monitor.

[LessLiz]

Good!

I don't know about you but I find it important to get a certain minimum amount of fat at breakfast to go along with the protein. Certain minimum being a couple hundred calories. This morning I had coffee with half and half along with meatballs. That does the trick.

[Baerdric]

Okay, first off YAY! The scale finally moved! Yay!

I'm at work noticing huge hungerI don't know if this is relevant, but I got really hungry last night, even though I know I ate right and enough. I had two small steaks, greenbeans and bacon, and a small salad maybe an hour before. I was almost going to go snack on an egg but then I got busy for a few minutes. Maybe 15-20 minutes.

Buy the time I was done, I was no longer hungry. Don't ask me why. I think that the dinner had to have more time to let me know I had eaten.

[feelskinny]

Ya, seems to me that's the trick; if I have a good amount of protein/fat it seems to set me up for a less-hungry day.
This morning I had 1/2c blueberries..... :o

[feelskinny]

I've really had a hard time with false hunger signals since I've started LCing. I can eat a large amount of legal food and an hour later feel very hungry, then there are those days where its vise/versa....? Maybe it's psychological as I'm thinking about food a lot more on this woe because of meal preps, menu planning, etc.
I have to add, that's the reason I was always so pathetic when I dieted!

[lisaz8605]

Yeah, that can happen when food is on the brain. And I always have food on the brain. I love to talk about food! When I'm eating one meal I like to think of what I'm doing to have next! LOL I find my protein and fat combos really make a difference in terms of my hunger. But honestly it's been the overall meals including upping the carbs a bit for me (instead of VLC) that have made the most difference. It's a constant trial and error to get to a good balance, isn't it? And you know at some point we might just be destined to feel a little hunger, because after all, attempting to lose weight DOES require some kind of deprivation, as much as we hate to say so. Hang in there Enid - you're doing great!

[feelskinny]

Yeah, that can happen when food is on the brain. And I always have food on the brain. I love to talk about food! When I'm eating one meal I like to think of what I'm doing to have next!


Yup :agree:

I'm just like my cat. :D

[feelskinny]

Well folks I've come to the conclusion that my body's just plain pissed off at me for having a teeny weeny whoosh.

So I brought out the big guns for supper.

I ate a cow.

Pretty sure if not, then darn close.

Problem solved.

Burp.

[ElleH]

I followed PP/PPLP for about 7 years. Hunger was always a problem for me on it, unfortunately. For some reason, I was under the impression that, while you could eat fat on PP/PPLP, you still had to be "careful" with the amounts. This time around, my plan is a little more Atkins-esque, in that I'm allowing myself more fat--all I want, really, along with my minimum protein requirement and I'm noticing much better hunger control. I also have better hunger control if my carbs for the day don't include grains. Even a slice of LC bread (~10g carbs) or a scant 1/4 C of rice (~10g carbs) will make me hungrier than if I had eaten those same 10g as a low-carb veggie. Just keep at it, you will find out what your body needs! :)

[Baerdric]

Well here I am having it again just like last night. It sorta feels like a craving for dairy products. I'm going to just go to bed and call it's bluff.

[LessLiz]

This time around, my plan is a little more Atkins-esque, in that I'm allowing myself more fat--all I want, really, along with my minimum protein requirement and I'm noticing much better hunger control.Hmm, your issue on PP was not enough fat, and mine on Atkins was not enough protein. Seems like we landed in the same place -- enough protein and enough fat.

I honestly get almost nauseated when I read Atkins voluptuous words describing extremely high fat meals. I know that works for a lot of people, but it makes me sick. It isn't like you have to eat a huge amount of fat on Atkins, but the way he wrote about it almost makes it seem that way. OTOH, I can also see where Eades warning about high calorie levels, which have to come from fat, can also give the wrong message.

[lisaz8605]

It's all about finding the balance that works for you, isn't it? I've always enjoyed fat and still enjoy higher amounts than most people; however oddly enough I noticed after having my baby that I didn't quite want to consume fat in the same way I did before. (I was a "high fatter" last year with great success.) Of course once I get back to working out a bit more aggressively we'll see if that changes (I was doing weights and cardio quite a bit.) But for now I'm finding that my "craving" is middle of the line. The real key truly is finding what you're comfortable with and remembering that our bodies really are unique! Last year I was eating 2,000 cals easy and dropping weight...now I've been hitting the same mark and everything is staying right where I left it. <grumble> The best thing I can do, though, is accept things have changed (comes with territory of having baby) and figure out my new combination to unlock my fat. Wish me luck!!

[LessLiz]

I do wish you luck! And that baby makes it all worthwhile, too!

[ElleH]

Hmm, your issue on PP was not enough fat, and mine on Atkins was not enough protein. Seems like we landed in the same place -- enough protein and enough fat.

I honestly get almost nauseated when I read Atkins voluptuous words describing extremely high fat meals. I know that works for a lot of people, but it makes me sick. It isn't like you have to eat a huge amount of fat on Atkins, but the way he wrote about it almost makes it seem that way. OTOH, I can also see where Eades warning about high calorie levels, which have to come from fat, can also give the wrong message.

I really think that Dr A was trying to show people that fat wasn't the 'big bad wolf' that it was portrayed to be. I interpreted it as permission, not a command, to eat as much fat as you personally like. When I first tried Atkins, back in the mid-90's, just before PP, that time I zoned in on "eat all the protein you want." I was eating about 16 ounces a day, I was so relieved to be able to EAT again! But, of course, I didn't lose after the initial water drop.

Which oddly enough, brought me to the weight I am right about now, and I switched to PP to continue losing.

I guess it's all in what you zone in on...in the mid-90's I had interpreted PP as "you can resume eating fat, but you still have to monitor it." Now I realize that isn't what they said at all, they said it only if you weren't losing to be mindful of it--which eating the protein minimum has never stalled me anyway, should I shouldn't have been so afraid of fat back then. I suffered a lot of hunger that I probably didn't need to. But since I was new to LC when I started PP, I was still sort of in that "watch your fat" mindset anyway.

Interestingly, even eating "all that fat" these days, I still rarely go extremely high calories--except when I binge, of course. I haven't hit the point where I stop losing, not with fat, anyway. I hit it with protein (about 1500 cals), but not with fat (even up to 2500 once a week doesn't slow me down, as long as the carbs are low). I can't consistently eat high calorie (above 2000) eating all the fat I want every single day. A high cal day will often be followed by a lower cal day, or even 2. Then I'll get hungry again, and eat more... I think I average about 1700-1800 per day, over time.

I still need to get to the point where I can read my appetite better. I think that if allow myself to eat as much as I want, every single day, I won't be as tempted to binge after several days of "cutting back," either inadvertently by following a light appetite or on purpose by trying to cut back on something.

I think both plans are so great...I use the tenets of both to construct my current plan! :) Protein minimum (PPLP), all the fat I want (Atkins), 20g carbs per day (Atkins) from almost any source (PPLP).

[feelskinny]

I enjoy gleaning from all your experiences. I still feel like a wonderer. Looking over my food choices yesterday, I feel like I set myself up for big hunger by having fruit, first thing. :idea:

Ellen and Lessliz; On Atkins I wasn't getting enough fat or protein [now that I'm using fit day I have a bit of a better grasp of my numbers] Now on PP I'm getting the protein, but struggling to get the fat!
{I hear you Lessliz about that being a challenge}.

Baerdrick; That's the hardest thing, going to bed with a growly stomach! Good for you.

Lisa; You're such an encourager! Best of luck!


Note to self;
New day. Don't make the same mistake twice!

[Baerdric]

Eh, by the time I got close to actually going to bed I had forgotten all about being hungry. Checking the fence, settling the animals, turning off lights, closing windows, setting alarms, it took almost till this morning to get to bed last night.

I really think what I am having is a timing thing. It goes away too easily.

[LessLiz]

I have found that if I am accustomed to eating at a certain time of day that I get something remarkably like, but not really, hungry regardless of what I eat. On the other hand, I usually eat something a 4 pm because I feel hungry. I have tried not eating then and it doesn't go away but gets stronger. That one is tied to lunch. I generally don't eat a lot at lunch -- just the minimum I need -- and I really am hungry at 4. So I plan a snack and if I'm hungry I eat it.

[feelskinny]

Now yesterday [following my huge hunger day] I had a very small appetite. Today is noticably larger. I can't say I experianced this on/off cycle thing before.
It's good to be on a plan that allows you to eat! I wouldn't be successful otherwise.

BTW I just entered todays foods thus far as well as my planned supper. Would you mind having a look at my totals and see how they are?

Each day is bringing in very similiar stats;
grams cals %total
Total: 1477
Fat: 89 804 56%
Sat: 31 277 19%
Poly: 23 208 14%
Mono: 28 254 18%
Carbs: 21 62 4%
Fiber: 5 0 0%
Protein: 144 575 40%
Alcohol: 0 0 0%

[LessLiz]

That's exactly what I do -- eat more one day, less another. Sometimes it's several days of a lot, several days of less. But over a week or a month it all averages out.

[ElleH]

I think it's pretty important to "go with" those low-hunger days, and not to eat more than what we absolutely need if no hunger is present. On those low-hunger days, I just make sure I get my protein minimum, and don't force anything beyond that. If I force myself to eat my "normal hungry day amount," it's easy for me to stall out from just eating too much.

It's hard, b/c I love to eat and don't like eating tiny meals or skipping lunch (I already skip breakfast). Although I have to say, it was actually fun, yesterday, to eat my entire day's requirement in one meal (and a small protein snack) b/c I didn't get hungry all day. And I wasn't too full, either. Just comfortably full.

[lisaz8605]

I think it's great to work WITH our hunger cues with the WOE instead of eating something just because you think you should or your place "says so"...it's so arbitrary. Plus I've had great success with caloric zigzagging in the past, which is the same concept as changing up your workout routines. Any time you can keep your body guessing (how many calories, or carbs or fill-in-the-blank am I getting today?) the better the results, I think.

[Cerridwen]

I have no clue when I'm hungry. I have spent so many years eating for other reasons that I'm still trying to figure it out. It's only when I actually feel hunger pangs in my stomache, or feel a bit light headed that I know I'm hungry. I am trying to get out of the mindset of eating at set times. We have always been told that breakfast is the most important meal of the day. I have started skipping it because I am simply NOT hungry. Sometimes I will have a hard-boiled egg with a bit of mayo, but that holds me until lunch when I am ALWAYS hungry. Weight loss is important to me, but I really also want to figure out my body and try to learn to listen to it. Also, unlearn the "eat every 3-4 hours" mindset that goes along with the "fat=bad" mindset.
I generally eat between 1200-1500 cals/day. When I'm hungry, I eat. I also have days where I'll only get 800-900 cals because I'm simply not hungry. It balances out though to 1200 or so per day over the long haul.
I think that many people with carbohydrate addictions don't know what their body is saying to them. We all have to learn to listen harder and do what makes us feel good and healthy and strong.
Just my $.02
Cerridwen

[2muchovme]

I have noticed, at least for me, that if I don't eat in the am, I am NOT hungry, at least until lunchtime, but, if I eat every few hours like people say, or even just breakfast, I'm an eating machine...is this normal? But, I have also noticed that if I do IF, then I don't lose any weight... go figure lol

[ElleH]

Yes, it's normal, although I don't know why.

[ruthla]

I think the frequent eating sets off insulin production, which leads to hunger. I ate a lot of junk the last couple of days (especially last night when putting away the Passover stuff and finding half a bag of coconut covered marshmallows...) and I'm trying to get back on track. It's hard because the carbs I ate yesterday and last night are setting off insulin production and making me hungry today.

[aj_cohn]

It could be that your insulin sensitivity is increasing before your body is adjusting its insulin output after a meal. That's a formula for post-prandial hunger, and I hope it's just a phase you're going through. I have a family history of hyperinsulemia, and after a meal with just 3-5 oz. of protein — without fat — I want to keep eating.

So, like others have posted, I've added more fat to my plan — a lot more. To keep my caloric total to about 1800 calories, I make sure 50-65% of my intake is fat. I find fat sating. It's gotten to the point where I feel like I'm starving after eating sirloin, but I'm jolly after eating a piece of chuck steak.

My latest adaptation is to have 4 tb. of melted tallow, 2 tb. coconut oil, and 1 tb of cod liver oil for breakfast. It fuels me for 3.5 hours, and I'm not hungry in the interim. I'm probably on one end of a bell curve for liking fat, but c'est la vie.