Always Feeling Hungry

[Guest ValerieD]

I've been trying to lose my pot belly/love handles for a long time now, but I'm having difficulty. Since I don't have the time/energy to exercise (by the time I get home from work, I'm absolutely exhausted, and exercise is very boring so it's hard to allocate precious free time to it), I have to be VERY careful about what I eat. It seems I get fatter even if I eat a single calorie more than normal. This causes problems with hunger though. I feel like I'm starving 24/7, but if I eat more, I get fat. This was manageable before, but it's gotten unbearable since my last HRT dose increase, and I don't know what to do. I'm honestly thinking about giving up. I have constant food cravings, feel like I'm starving before eating, still hungry half an hour after eating, and starving again an hour later. I feel better if I eat more (I end up with a bit more energy too), but the size increase on my belly is quite noticeable after even just a day like this.

[Guest Kaylee234]

What kind of a diet are you following?

~ Kay

[Guest Kalie Aowynn]

Valerie.

The way my fitness instructor at my unit put it is not to lessen what you eat but to spread what you eat out over 4 to 5 micro meals a day. You see the body gets used to a certain timing and intake from you. It sees the long gap between 3 meals a day and feels it needs to hold some of the calories and fats so as to survive. Now you do a light breakfast of whole wheats in the morning the an micro meal between breakfast and lunch and make it something high protein and some carbs so as to maintain energy level. now lunch should be a power lunch again high protein and carbs dont worry about them because you will burn the carbs off during the day. Now for the afternoon snack only protein for the energy again then for dinner something light againlike a chef salad . and that should help cause by doing this along with a protein drink later you are tricking the the body into believing it has a a surplus when in fact you are not eating any more than you normally would . But biologically your body thinks different and feels the need to get rid of more calories and carbs while you sleep you will most likely find your energy levels coming up and not feeling so tired all the time.

Now for the excercising I have started a set of simple crunches that I am instructed will work all three groups you are waanting and it only takes fifteen minutes a day and you can watch tv while doing them. They are like any other crunch except for one detail. you elevate your feet about 8 to 10 inches off the floor and do 3 sets of 15 to start. as you feel stronger and more energetic increase the number of sets till you reach 5 sets and don't exceed 20 reps per set. Do this 3 to 4 times a weekwithe an alternating 2 mile walk when you have free time to walk. this wont tak more than fifteento 20 minutes to do and you will see results including more ENERGY!!! lol good luck hun

Oh forgot to tell you. The reason for elevating the feet and doing these crunches is when the feet are lifted you have to use your obliques to stay upright. So they in turn get a work out too. Big Hugs hun.

Kalie

[JJ]

Actually there could also be other things going on. It takes 3,500 calories to put on a pound of fat. Nothing alters that scientific fact. Some of us have dieted into making our bodies very, very efficient at squeezing every calorie we eat instead of shedding or burning them but we still cannot gain a pound without those 3500 calories. If you are gaining more and faster then it may be that your body is actually reacting to some of the foods you eat when you give in. I've seen my sister who has several food allergies and IBS swell 3 sizes in a matter of a couple of hours. All her clothes have to have expandable waists. Might be worth checking out. It is fluids actually and we can put those on at incredible rates.

When I lost that 200 lbs in my 60s I found what works for me and I will continue the rest of my life is watching what I eat 6 days a week and eating whatever I want 1 day a week. It helps keep the metabolism from going into starvation mode or making a set point and it stops those cravings. If I want something I just put it aside for my eating day. I also track every bite I eat on Livestrong.com (there are all kinds of other free calorie tracking sites but that one works for me and has a huge current database for foods.)My Plate feature. Really makes a huge difference because you see it visually and it keeps you accountable and less likely to eat from boredom. I have kept the weight off over a year and in the 18 months I was losing it I only fell off the wagon once. Which is incredible for me. I'm a foodie and a super taster as well as emotional eater. Had started hundreds-more likely thousands-of diets.

I also loathe exercise but since I had been bed ridden for 3 years when I began I knew it was essential. I can't and won't sit home and exercise. Just too boring as you say. I hike because my land adjoins the national forest and I love being out there. In order to build muscle I do workout in the forest and one thing that I have found fast and easy that research is showing particularly effective is a resistance tube. Even body builders have started using them now. Easy to target areas and fast. Kind of fun too. Because of health problems from Lupus and Fibro I am also frequently exhausted but have found that hiking energizes me and the days I don't go I feel much worse. You have to push through that exhaustion at first and you will find you feel much better than you would believe.Even getting out for a walk will make a difference whether it is in your neighborhood, a mall or a park.

I know everyone hates the old diet and exercise thing but it really is the only way and they do go hand in hand. People who just diet end up heavier in the long run. And sometimes a whole lot heavier because you are setting up a really negative response with your body where you will just feel hungrier and hungrier and be able to eat less and less. And feel rotten to boot. I know from long bitter experience.

With diet and exercise you end up feeling in control and in a better mood and working with your body instead of fighting it.

Johnny

[Guest Kaylee234]

Drink plenty of water, and eat all the fresh fruits and vegetables you can.

~ Kay

[Guest ValerieD]

What kind of a diet are you following?

~ Kay

On a typical day:

-Breakfast: bowl of oatmeal, applesauce

-Lunch: two sandwiches (wheat break, fat free mayonnaise, turkey)

-often my team at work goes to the local coffee shop and I'll usually get some pastry when we go (right now I'd estimate 2-3 times/week, but it can vary from not at all to every day with little predictability)

-Dinner: SmartOnes microwavable food; if we didn't go to the coffee shop, I'll add in something (depends on what's lying around - I really haven't figured this part out yet since we went to the coffee shop every day that week where I was figuring out my meal schedule so I over-estimated how often we would go)

The big obstacle being that I have NOT figured out cooking yet, especially with cooking meals small enough to not over-run the amount of food I need. I try not to keep anything outside of planned meals in my apartment to remove the temptation to over-eat.

I also loathe exercise but since I had been bed ridden for 3 years when I began I knew it was essential. I can't and won't sit home and exercise. Just too boring as you say. I hike because my land adjoins the national forest and I love being out there. In order to build muscle I do workout in the forest and one thing that I have found fast and easy that research is showing particularly effective is a resistance tube. Even body builders have started using them now. Easy to target areas and fast. Kind of fun too. Because of health problems from Lupus and Fibro I am also frequently exhausted but have found that hiking energizes me and the days I don't go I feel much worse. You have to push through that exhaustion at first and you will find you feel much better than you would believe.Even getting out for a walk will make a difference whether it is in your neighborhood, a mall or a park.

I was hoping to take up gymnastics (not sure when... I'll have to see how my finances work out after I assume the cost for my cell phone and student loans and start laser hair removal... I don't have nearly as much of a surplus as my parents think I do and I somehow need to figure out how to afford a new car next year since mine is at the end of its life), but I'm concerned I'm not in nearly good enough shape for that.

[JJ]

One easy thing about cooking is there are lots of recipe sites out there with step by step instructions-along with pics in some cases-and complete nutritional information. I really recommend using a tracking program of some kind because from what you listed as eating it sounds like way too much carbs and too few calories and protein. Which will make you feel more exhausted and depressed all the time. I never thought I'd be one of those people urging healthy eating but it really does affect how you feel and consequently your whole life.

For gymnastics you need to already be flexible and in somewhat good shape I think to prevent injuries. I picked up a great resistance tune at TJ Max the other day for $6 = might be worth investing that much to see how you like it. And you only need a few minutes a day. If you want to check it out ahead of time there are lots of sites and videos out there about them too. They can be especially good for abs - the area you want to work on. You can do fast and hard and get some cardio benefits but also slow and easy for strength or just to get started. Swimming is considered the best exercise of all by many. Doing laps ups cardio and works every muscle in your body. And allows you to set your own pace. That is how I built my muscles back enough to hike since when I started this I could not stand a full minute or walk 30 feet. But I could swim. And did. I think if you have a place you can join with a pool etc you will get the time you spend there back doubled just in the extra energy and how much faster and easier it is to get things done.

Planning what you want to do next week or even tomorrow doesn't work. You just have to do it now. No excuses. Something else I took a very long time to learn.

Johnny

[Guest Dillinger]

I'm on a medication that makes me always hungry too. Thus I've been gaining weight and am not happy. Recently though I've been buying energy bars and low calorie, high protein fruit /nut bars and eating those when I get hungry. As well as drinking store bought smoothies. I'm not sure if it works yet but I feel pretty good. Might give that a try. No cooking involved!

[Guest Kaylee234]

I stand by my recommendation to drink plenty of water and eat all the fresh fruits and vegetables you can.

Every cell in your body is fueled by carbohydrates. Cutting carbs is not the answer.

~ Kay

[JJ]

True we need carbs but daily pastry isn't the kind of carbs we need. Sugar is a carb. Neither are the carbs in most diet meals.( I eat them myself but also add salad with tomatoes and avocado as well as fruit and cottage cheese and yogurt during the day or evening and whole grain bread at lundh or dinner though I use a light bread I make sure it is high fiber and nutrient rich.) Both are the kind of carbs that can contribute to metabolic syndrome. While we need carbs we can also store them and they lead to more immediate energy with subsequent letdown if not accompanied by protein which the body cannot store and leads to long term energy as well as being essential for brain and muscle function.

I use 90 calorie granola bars rather than energy bars because the nutrition in many energy bars is actually poor for the empty carbs in the sugar and additives. We each have to find what works for us and how we want to budget our daily calories.

And it is like budgeting. No matter how healthy those calories are if you have too many you will gain. If you have too few you will lose UNLESS your body goes into starvation mode and then it becomes extremely difficult and you feel like death warmed over with no energy to enjoy life. A trap many dieters fall into and one of the reasons that statistics prove the more you diet the fatter you are likely to become over time. You damage your metabolism and lacking energy eat more or are always hungry and cut down more because you aren't losing and then feel worse and damage it further. Eventually when you give up and start eating every calorie possible is then stored as fat by a body that believes it is starving. You have to break that cycle with exercise to re-establish a better metabolism and healthy eating for energy to maintain it. I wish there were shortcuts but in the long run all the shortcuts have been shown to lead to weight gain eventually. Including cutting carbs except those empty carbs like sugar and fructose.

I think there needs to be a balance-as I was trained when I had to teach nutrition to families. And a tracker program helps you see and realize what your nutrients are

Johnny

[Guest ValerieD]

I had been doing swimming last year... unfortunately, the ice cold water of the pool combined with the fact that swimming laps for an hour a day, every day, is really boring, it kills motivation. Plus now I don't know what I'd do about changing... I had an arrangement with my college, but now I've graduated.

[Guest April Kristie]

I get boundless energy just from walking on my treadmill. I am 60 and find that quite the buzz. If you want to look like a woman (sorry guys), you have to eat like one too. More greens, less quantity, and something I got from Dr. Hyman, hes a blood sugar Dr. among other things. He suggested a product called PGX, it is a vegetable fiber that 1) Helps you to feel full, 2) Puts more of a curve on digestion of sweets, so if you are pre diabetic or even not, it slows the digestion and raising of blood sugar that leads to more frequent hunger 3) It also adds fiber to the diet, most people do not get enough fiber and its not like eating a bran muffin with flour in it. It is a filling of the digestive tract with vegetable matter that is full of fiber, leading to the natural conclusion of healthier stools. Not skinny stinky ones. I wont describe anymore than that. It works for me tho, and I am less hungry that might lead to filling up on something unhealthy or too much of it.

[Guest Sarah Faith]

I get boundless energy just from walking on my treadmill. I am 60 and find that quite the buzz. If you want to look like a woman (sorry guys), you have to eat like one too. More greens, less quantity, and something I got from Dr. Hyman, hes a blood sugar Dr. among other things. He suggested a product called PGX, it is a vegetable fiber that 1) Helps you to feel full, 2) Puts more of a curve on digestion of sweets, so if you are pre diabetic or even not, it slows the digestion and raising of blood sugar that leads to more frequent hunger 3) It also adds fiber to the diet, most people do not get enough fiber and its not like eating a bran muffin with flour in it. It is a filling of the digestive tract with vegetable matter that is full of fiber, leading to the natural conclusion of healthier stools. Not skinny stinky ones. I wont describe anymore than that. It works for me tho, and I am less hungry that might lead to filling up on something unhealthy or too much of it.

Well as someone who weighed 350 pounds when I started transition and now Im down to around 180 pounds, I have to ask what exactly is eating like a girl? Honestly most girls I know my age eat whatever they want, they just have better portion control than most guys. I eat whatever I want and I haven't had a problem with losing weight and getting my body into shape, and I am in perfect health at this point. The only thing I do is count calories and exercise, I don't pig out on quite as much as I used to in one sitting but I feel absolutely no guilt in eating things like Pizza or even the occasional sweets here and there. I always know the calories I'm getting my self into so its pretty easy to manage my weight.

Really moderation in all things is a good thing.

[Guest ValerieD]

It would help if I actually liked vegetables (I never did). I'm not sure what happened to the "eat to live, not live to eat" post (it seems to have disappeared), but I definitely live to eat. It's one of the few things I really enjoy in life (and I'm a picky eater... not a good combination!). I tend to have food cravings and become a glutton; I have absolutely no portion control, and routinely out-eat even most guys. I wonder if there's a psychological issue behind it. It does seem that I get more cravings when depressed.

[Guest Sarah Faith]

It would help if I actually liked vegetables (I never did). I'm not sure what happened to the "eat to live, not live to eat" post (it seems to have disappeared), but I definitely live to eat. It's one of the few things I really enjoy in life (and I'm a picky eater... not a good combination!). I tend to have food cravings and become a glutton; I have absolutely no portion control, and routinely out-eat even most guys. I wonder if there's a psychological issue behind it. It does seem that I get more cravings when depressed.

Sounds like binge eating, and I've definitely being there that is part of how I got up to 350 pounds. Certainly something you might want to discuss with your therapist, eating your feelings can lead to spikes in weight gain. Soo definitely something to look into.

On the other hand I love to eat too, it's why I put so much time into working out. I'd rather suffer for an hour in the gym then give up a few hundred calories per day, though I can't say I am very picky I like most foods! lol

[Guest April Kristie]

Eating like a girl is in reference to the care that women put into their diets so more than men do. Sure there are plenty of men who care about their health, but as my life experience has shown me that women will try to eat less, and watch calories more. As we age metabolism is harder to kick start, so your friends can probably be more liberal in what they eat, than say a sixty year old like myself.

[Guest kristendk]

I know I'm late to this thread, but better late than never.

You may have built up insulin resistance from eating too many carbs and especially too much sugar. Have your doctor check your "A1C", blood glucose, and urine glucose.

I strongly suggest you look into the Atkins low-carb diet. It switches your body from burning mostly carbs to burning mostly fat. It smoothes out your blood sugar (this is particularly important if you're pre-diabetic or diabetic) and helps eliminate all those carb-based cravings so you're not constantly hungry.

Most people can lose weight on Atkins even without exercising (although it's much better for you if you can).

I'm not a fan of veggies either, but I'm learning to adapt. One of the benefits of Atkins is it's no problem having them with butter or a low-carb cream sauce! :-)

Kristen