Hi all! I just restarted the SBD yesterday because the prior week I screwed up and ate something I shouldn't and it threw off my whole weight loss for the week...I also didn't have the book, just the cook book. Now that I've read up a bit and am following the menu plan outlined in the book (item by item!) I'd like to know what to do about the hunger issue. I know from doing my reading that one should eat until they are satisfied, but what if you feel satisfied at the moment, and then two hours later you feel like there's a hole in your stomach!? This could lead to some very dangerous cheating in my world of weight loss/gain. I'm just working too hard to get off track here.
What can I eat that won't throw me off? Just lunch meat? Another egg? I've been reading the posts about cheese, so I guess that's out. I certainly don't want to overdo it with the nuts...
I guess I thought this wasn't supposed to leave you so hungery.

The simple answer quite frankly is find something legal and eat something. You don't want to get hungry especially over hungry , because that's when you lapse and do something really bad. To do this properly you need to eat breakfast have a mid-morning snack, eat lunch have a mid afternoon snack and eat dinner and have a before bed snack. I usually have breakfast around 7 a snack around 10:30, Lunch at 1:30 a snack around 5 a dinner around 7 and a snack around 9:30. Quite often I don't get to the afternoon snack as I don't seem to have time to have it, but I do need the mid-morning snack and I can't sleep if I don't have something light before bed.

Now if only I could practice what I preach and keep it to the legal stuff

you can never, and i mean never, have too many VEGGIES.

its a little weird at first, but even my husband is doing it now. eat what you like best- sugar snap peas in edible pods are a favorite around here (sweet and crunchy!), fresh petit green beans, celery, bell pepper, a cucumber salad with a bit of vinegar, some dill, and a hit of splenda- the options are only limited by a refusal to consider them!

pros: intestinal health, radiant skin, hydration, overall vitamin/mineral/enzyme/antioxidant/whathaveyou BOOSTS, energy- veggies are our long-ignored and often-overlooked friend!

cons: we have gone a lifetime believing that they are a side dish, punishment, or should only be eaten when cooked to an unidentifiable paste, so there is a bit of a mental block. it might be difficult to come up with ones you like at first.

solution: get creative, be brave, and dive in! you really almost cannot go wrong with vegetables, and you can snack on them all day long without much repercussion. unlike meat, cheese, and eggs, which are wonderful for you, but eaten in large enough quantities to ward off the munchies are very high in calories, very quickly. soon (phase two and three) you will be eating more legumes, whole grains, and nuts. this will help with the munchies. you're probably experiencing more of a need for carbohydrates than a need for food right now. but trust me, it DOES get easier.

also, take heart. EVERYBODY has bizarre starving days/weeks, where they could just eat all day. this is normal. and veggies are how myself personally makes it through them alive! just make sure if you opt for a more starchy veggie (such as the peas i mentioned) you include a small amount of fat or protein with it (a light dressing, or a stick of string cheese, or a teaspoon of peanut butter on your celery). it helps with appetite suppression and absorbtion.

HTH! good luck, and nice to meet you!

I am doing everything right then. I even had an extra celery stick with peanut butter on it as well as the one with the laughing cow cheese because I needed the extra boost. I've had my count of nuts for the day, more than I should've probably, Jello (just one), a cheese stick (I've been reading to count this as dairy and unless I don't want dessert tonight I shouldn't have anymore), and of course all of the meals in the plan, including salad/side veggies. All this and I'm so hungry right now I have a headache. I just ate dinner two and a half hours ago! I've been hungry since an hour after I ate and it's progressed into this. I just don't know what I'm doing wrong. Could the fact that I worked out today have anything to do with it?
Is it normal to be this hungry so quickly after a meal?
Thanks for the help! (where's the smiley for rumbly tummy?)

I fnd tomato juice is great for a snack. I find it quite filling but it doesn't pack in the calories. Quite often I use it as my mid morning snack. I also keep some low fat meat in the fridge for a snack as it works to keep the hungrys at bay. It gets better once you've been at this for while so hang in there.

Hmm~ let me think here. Things that fill me up are boiled eggs, nuts (almonds & pistachios), salad with Basalmic vinegar, and a V8 100% Vegetable Juice. Oh, and if you are hungry, sometimes downing a glass of ice cold water helps the hunger.

I hope this helps. I'm a newbie too so read for what it's worth. This is just from my experience.

Hi! I'm a newbie myself! The first few days my BF and I both had headaches. I think it was sugar/carb withdrawal. They've been gone since then. The hunger is still around at times. I try to space out my meals and snacks to cover all parts of the day. I like the post about veggies, we should all eat more of them! Find some you really like and keep them on hand. I really like sliced cucumbers in a bit of Italian dressing. YUM! Whatever you do don't let it get to the point that your blood sugar is dipping, cuz that's when the sugar cravings hit. At least for me, anyway. Good luck!

I suffered horrid withdrawal for many weeks and was always hungry when I started. It does get better as you get further into the plan....keep at it and do make sure that you eat enough.

Boil up some eggs and keep them handy for a quick snack...or I cook up a couple of pounds of turkey or chicken cutlets each week and keep them handy for a quick snack. I find protein to be filling as a snack.

I made turkey chili and had a bowl last night for dinner, its legal for phase I. I thought that I was still hungry when I finished but after 20 minutes, I was so full that it surprised me!! Have you tried it yet?

Good luck!!