Can't Stop Eating

[Christine]

I'm not an *official* WISHer, but have been trying to get on some type of program for months now!

I am only about 10 lbs overweight. I've picked up these 10 lbs over the winter. I know I've been eating too much, so I first tried to modify my eating--not really cutting back but making healthier choices. No more full-fat ice cream--I switched to light ice cream. No cookies or chips. I switched to hummus and baked chips. My problem is that I just can't stop shoving the food in my mouth. Finally I decided NOT to buy the ice cream. I thought "I'll just get some small chocolates and eat one or two whenever I get a sweet tooth." Well, that didn't work out. I managed to eat all of it over the weekend, plus the chips and hummus, plus a Dairy Queen, plus anything I could get my hands on. I just can't control it. I've been trying to start my walknig program and I have done it 3 nights in a row. I am now exhausted, hungry, and hurting. Plus, now that the week is starting, I'm back to work, kids are back in their *things* I start losing any free time. It's hard to believe that I actually used to be able to do a FIRM tape. Now it just kills me to even go up on that Fanny Lifter Box a few times.

Now I'm sitting here at work, not one ounce lighter than last week and I'm starving--despite a big bowl of Barbara's Puffins with banana and blueberries and a nice lunch of homemade spaghetti and PLAIN yogurt. I feel tired and hungry. HOW CAN I STOP EATING and not feel SO miserable? I know it's not painless but this is ridiculous. Also, I'm not much into Atkins, South Beach, etc. I believe in moderation and portion control. But it's obviously not working for me.

 

[yasuern]

Hi Christine,

Well even though I do Atkins from your post I'd say you'd be a canidate for Weight Watchers you can eat any food no taboo foods just stay within your point range - If getting to a meeting is an issue then you can do it online. Official Wisher or not - this board is full of very supportive folks - without them I would NEVER LOSE AN OUNCE! Some need to lose 100+lbs some only a few - the common thread is we are all trying to get healthier. So I encourage you to join us on the road to being healthier(officiallly or not )

Sue

 

[TINKTWINS]

Another vote for WW. Ive sensibly lost 6 lbs in 2 weeks, Im very happy about that. I know that I can pretty much eat what ever I want, I just need to keep track. Besides, WW has come out with some fantastic new items to help with cravings!!

 

[wiskband]

Water will fill you up!
I cant stress it enough. drink a bottle before a meal and forceone down after! IT works............
you will feel full
renee

 

[Lynda Silk]

I'm in the same boat as the OP! I have to lose about 10 pounds to get to my "ideal" weight. I work out at Curves 3-4 times a week and I'm trying to watch what I eat (have cut down on carbs and tried to eliminate junk food like chips) but I've only lost about 5 pounds in 2 months and I'm hungry all the time! Even if I have a full protein meal, I still feel hungry a few minutes later!

With WW, does it take a lot of time to prepare the food? I'm a working mom and time is very sparse. Also, don't you get hungry because you'restricted by the maximum point level?

 

[Christine]

Lynda,
Welcome to my boat!! I am also a working mom and my time is pretty much taken. It's not that I cannot prepare a healthy meal--I actually do that 4-5 nights per week. It's just that I am so stressed I guess that I find myself "stress eating". It's definitely emotional. But, on top of that, I go through periods of time that I am absolutely starving--to the point that I feel almost weak. I've been checked for diabetes and my thyroid levels are fine so I don't know what it is.

As for the water that another poster suggested, I've never had much luck with that. Despite being an *eater*, I've never been able to drink much. I'm never very thirsty and I end up feeling miserable when I drink a lot. I also have early signs of overactive bladder, so if I drink too much I find myself in some very uncomfortable situations.

Anyway, I think for me a routine is important. That's great that you can do Curves as often as you do. I don't think I could even get there that many times per week. I guess I'm just so stressed I feel overwhelmed.

Lynda, I did try WW a few years ago before they started the points system. At that point, I was 20 lbs overweight. I actually managed to drop 10 lbs the first month. At that point, I had to readjust my calories down to lose more and I just couldn't handle it. I felt like I was eating NOTHING!!! I couldn't lose anymore than the first 10 lbs. I think WW is great but it gets very hard to follow when you get down to close to your weight because the points get VERY low. I know a lot of women say that they feel full on WW. I guess when you start out and you are fairly heavy, you actually get a lot of points. But as the weight comes off, your point requirement goes down and it gets more difficult. My friend lost 35 lbs using WW. Now that she is at her desired weight, she says that she is barely eating anything (I think she needs to be at 15 points to continue to lose) and she feels she cannot survive on that.

 

[Lynda Silk]

Christine, thanks for your reply! I was so glad to see your comments because I feel exactly the same! I've tried drinking water too but it doesn't fill me up, I'm still hungry and I'm running to the bathroom all the time! I still try to drink 8-10 glasses a day but I really don't think it's that effective for me.

Stress eating is exactly what I do and although I try to control it, it's very hard to do! I try to do things to keep me out of the kitchen and away from the food but I still have the problem of being hungry all the time.

I do love salty foods (like pickles) so I know that this is something I'll have to reduce. But what else is there to eat? If I eat another carrot, I think I'm going to turn orange! I do like veggies but they don't fill me up either.

Curves is good and I feel good after I've exercised. I was a little discouraged because I lost the 5 pounds the first month and no pounds the 2nd month, but I'm trying to keep up the 3-4 times a week.

Re WW, I wondered about the point totals once you got closer to your weight goals. I find that a lot of the diets out there are good if you have a lot to lose but it's those last few pounds that just don't seem to want to go anywhere! For those of us who need to lose 10-15 pounds, it seems hard to shed weight right from the beginning.

Anyway, thanks for letting me whine! I do find the WISH board very supportive and I'm very inspired by the successes I read about on the board. I'll hang in there and keep trying! Thanks again for your comments; I could really identify with them!

 

[kozmo]

Do you know that if you dont get enough sleep ,your body can be hungry all the time ,trying to get energy ,when all you need is a good nights rest ,every night,???Also when was the last time you had a check-up????Try both things.Sleepless nights,stress ,the slightest thing wrong, physically,can upset your entire world(like a bad tooth).

 

[dizneegirl]

I used to feel exactly the same way. CONSTANTLY hungry. I could eat a full dinner, and still be hungry. My husband thought I was insane.

Answer to my problem? Low carb.

All those carbs didn't fill me up... they made my hungrier, even though my stomach was full.

Not to mention the sugar highs and lows.

You don't have to follow a specific plan (i.e. Atkins, South Beach, etc.), but I think you'd be doing yourself a disservice if you didn't consider the fact that lowering your carb intake (moderating it) could just be the answer you're looking for.

Skip the pasta. Cut out white flour, white sugar, white potatoes, refined foods. They've got ZERO nutrition, anyway.

Switch to whole grain breads. Try a whole wheat pasta if you must eat pasta. Have sweet potatoes instead of white. Switch to a whole grain cereal, if you're going to eat cereal... with as little sugar as you can find (something with flax in it would be good... or look for the new lower-carb Total or Special K... even oatmeal would be better - not the instant, but the cooked) If you're going to eat ice cream, make it no sugar added.

Skip the carrots, and have lower-glycemic veggies... salad greens, cauliflower, zucchini, peppers, broccoli, cucumbers, onions, tomatoes, mushrooms...

Skip the high glycemic fruits (especially bananas), and stick to cantelope, honeydew, strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, blackberries, tart apples (Granny Smith), peaches... better for your blood sugar, and MUCH more nutritious.

By just cutting out the sweet and white/refined stuff, I bet you'd see a HUGE difference in the hunger.

 

[Lynda Silk]

Thanks kozmo and dizneegirl for your suggestions!

I actually sleep quite well at nights and I see my doctor regularly because I have high blood pressure. However, I will mention my "hunger" to the doctor; never did this before because I thought it was just a willpower thing.

And I will certainly take your recommendations re low carb to heart, dizneegirl! I have cut out pasta, potatoes and rice completely (rice was particularly hard because I'm Japanese!); well probably by 90%. I've reduced my bread intake substantially too, but I'll try the whole grain bread for those few times that I do eat it. And I liked your fruit and vegetable recommendations; I do eat bananas occasionally and I'll be glad to cut out the carrots at this point in time!

Thanks again for your feedback! I've printed out the posts and will take them along when I do my grocery shopping!

 

[JCJRSmith]

You may want to take a closer look at WHAT you are eating. The foods you take in may be causing a spike in your blood sugar level. This leads to excess production of insulin which can cause cravings for MORE sugar. As mentioned before, you should probably subscribe to a specific plan. South Beach works for me, Atkins works for others, still others prefer Weight Watchers.

Best of luck. Join in here - there's all kinds of support available here.

 

[DVCTiff]

I have to agree with DizneeGirl and JCJR. I think carbs may be the biggest culprit. I know that endless hunger feeling - I'm having it now but it's also TOM. I'm just trying to ride it out. I have 11 lbs to go and these are the hardest to get rid of. I don't care if it takes me a month or a year. They're coming off!

Christine - I don't think WW points go below 20, even at the lowest amount to lose, and even then you get 5 flex points. It doesn't sound like your friend on WW is eating enough.

Good luck ladies! Hang in there. We're all in this boat together!

 

[Christine]

Originally posted by DVCTiff

Christine - I don't think WW points go below 20, even at the lowest amount to lose, and even then you get 5 flex points. It doesn't sound like your friend on WW is eating enough.

Good luck ladies! Hang in there. We're all in this boat together!

Hmmm...I thought she told me that she would have to stay in the 18-22 point range to even begin to lose anymore weight and then emphasized that she would have to keep it closer to the 18 points to really get it to work for her. She weighs about 140 lbs I believe.

 

[evansmom]

i don't think they range anymore...its 20 for the lowest, but you still have 35 flex points each week as well. i have reached goal, and now i have raised my points. i think if someone is eating too little points there metabolism will slow too much therefore stopping their weight loss. i ALWAYS eat my flex points for my metabolism and my sanity. and i have maintained and actually continues to lose a bit since i have uped my points.

i do try to eat equal portions of carbs and protiens. it is easier to eat way more carbs of you don't make it a point to eat protein. i am a huge fan of Kashi foods (high in fiber-keeps you more full) and Morning Star, Boca foods. high in protein, but less fat than regular meats. i also try to keep working out, so i can eat more and not be worried about gaining!!

maybe some of that will be helpful!! but i definitely think eating too little can cause major problems!! eat healthy and often!!!

 

[MelanieC]

Hi Christine,

First off, welcome to WISH! I must say that no matter what program you decide on, having the support here at WISH is the best diet tool anyone can have.

I think that the hardest part of a diet is the first few weeks/months. Its the time when your body is feeling deprived, you get headaches, shakes and feel hungry all the time. Thats a normal part of loosing weight. Your body feels its being deprived and does this to prevent you from lowering your calories. The good news is, it does go away and you can overcome that by eating the right things.

I do weight watchers and when I dropped below 150lbs I did NOT lower my points to the last level. I left myself at 22 per week. I also get 35 flex points a week to use any way I want and I add 2.5 points a day on my exercise days ( I exercise at least 6 days a week). WW's does sound like a plan that can work for you, but you have to change your thinking about it. No matter what diet you do, you have to limit what you eat. That's the only way to loose. So even if you count calories, to loose weight you still have lower the calories to a certain point. You just have to make sure you don't lower them too low or your body goes into starvation mode and you actualy gain weight.

To stop my blood sugar from dipping throughout the day and causing me to get hungry, irratable and wanting to eat anything that comes along I plan what I eat.

I found that peanut butter and whole wheat bread kept me full in the morning. Also breakfast was a must, and I had to learn to eat breakfast.

A few hours later I have a snack like 1/2 oz of almonds (2 points) and 1/4 cup of raisins (2 points). These keeps my blood sugar level till lunch. A nice lunch and then I have an afternoon snack like 1 cup Plain yogurt (2pts) and 1 cup pineapple (1pt) . Then I eat an early dinner and I don't usually have a night time snack. At first giving up a night time snack was difficult and I was always hungry. Now I am used to it and my body doesn't get hungry. I also am able to shift any points I would have eaten at night into the day.

Also, I drink water when I eat my snacks and lunch and keep water with me all day long. This helps to keep that full feeling.

Another thing to do is don't deprive yourself of things you really love or you will not be able to do this. I love Peanut Butter and I tried to not eat it at first. Now I actually find it fills me up and allows me to be able to eat less because it fills me up longer. I eat pizza once or twice a week (every week) and go out to eat tons. I just learned to weave it into my life and make sure I got to eat and do the things I liked. If you dprive yourself, you will feel like your dieting. If you find things that you like and either learn to eat less or fix it another way so you can have the things you love, you will succeed.

Remember its a way of life and you should be changing your habits for a lifetime. If you plan on looking at it like its just a diet to loose 10lbs, you will gain those 10lbs back (almost guaranteed). If you can gain a healthy lifesyle and learn to treat this as a lifestyle you can gain habits you will keep for a lifetime.

You can loose those 10lbs! You just have to be ready to do what it takes to do it. You have to look inside yourself and be ready to make the changes.

 

[Christine]

Well Melanie, that was darn good pep talk!!

Can you give me an idea of what you eat for lunch and dinner (the hardest meals for me to work with).

Typically, I eat a LARGE bowl of cereal for breakfast every morning. I cannot eat until I get to work (up early and long commute) so breakfast has to be easy. I always have about a serving and a half of Barbara's Cinnamon Puffins with about 3/4 cup skim milk. This cereal has no added sugar and provides 6 grams of fiber per serving. Can't remember the calorie count on it right now but it is pretty good. This actually keeps me full until lunch at 11:00 or 11:30 (yes, I'm hungry but it is a *normal* hungry). Oh, and I always have a cup of tea with skim milk and artificial sweetener.

After lunch/dinner are my biggest problems. My lunch will consist of leftovers from the night before. This is usually a protein and vegetable. I rarely eat rice or potatoes. Like today I had leftover stir fried pork tenderloin with peppers and onions (my version of fajitas). This was on a tortilla. I then had a cup of PLAIN non-fat yogurt with some mandarin oranges stirred in. Also had a caffeine-free diet Coke. About one hour after lunch I start feeling the need to snack. Today I ate some canteloupe but other days I have brought nuts. But they don't do it. Once I finish that, I'm looking for more. Luckily, there has been nothing around but the boss just showed up today with 4 bags of candy. I was able to resist but for how much longer I don't know.....

Anyway, as I'm driving home, I'm feeling hungry. As soon as I get home I make myself another cup of tea and that really takes the edge off while I cook dinner. We usually eat very early. Tonight we had grilled hamsteaks, cauliflower, and baked beans. I had double servings of cauliflower (with spray butter) and no baked beans. As soon as I finished eating (felt satisfied), the hunger started again. So I ate a mango (which wasn't too good ). Then I still didn't feel satisfied so I ate a Skinny Cow Ice Cream sandwich. Now, that should be enough but as I sit here typing I'm thinking I want something to eat!!!! I've already had my evening walk so I'm just trying to stay out of the kitchen. I'm sure before I go to bed I'll probably have to eat some more canteloupe. Anyway, I'm not quite sure where I've gone wrong with the food??? See any real offenders here?

 

[LAinSEA]

Christine:

I think what you are missing is some good healthy snacks so you don't go for the candy from the "evil vending machines".

I'm on Atkins...I have with me 1 oz. baggies of nuts - either almonds, peanuts or macadamias. When I first started out, I'd also carry string cheese. The individual servings really work for me - I have one bag of nuts or one string cheese along with 12 oz of water. The snacks keep me from being hungry and my energy level stays consistent.

Having safe snacks with you, regardless of whatever plan you chose, is probably your best bet for avoiding the cycle of eating something sugary and then bonking and then craving more sugar. I also find that I do much better if I eat something every 2-3 hours - smaller more frequent meals - than if I just eat 3 meals/day.

If you eat healthy and use spring and summer to get more active, I'm sure those pesky 10 lbs will disappear in no time at all.

-Laurie

 

[dizneegirl]

Proteins and fats will help fill you up and satisfy both cravings and hunger, especially if your blood sugar isn't spiking anymore.

Avocados, peanuts/walnuts/almonds, eggs, natural peanut butter, cheese... all very satisfying snacks. Try a little (just a little) heavy cream in your tea, rather than the skim. It'll be more satisfying.

Try one of the new lower-carb milks (Carb Countdown from Hood is pretty good), or one that's lactose free in your cereal... you won't be getting as much sugar from it. If the cereal isn't satisfying you, I'd add something like natural peanut butter on whole wheat toast or whole grain crackers or even on some apple slices. Or try switching to something like cottage cheese, nuts and sweetner for breakfast.

As far as lunch... you may not be eating enough, either. Try supplementing your leftovers with a salad with regular (not fat-free... they're loaded with sugar!) dressing, and some cheese or sunflower seeds. Maybe a little avocado. Try switching to regular yogurt, instead of the fat free.

If you're *really* hungry, add an afternoon snack. Go with the protein & fat choices: the peanut butter with whole grain crackers (I like WASA), or some cheese and nuts, or a hard-boiled egg. You may actually need to eat a small meal every 2-3 hours, rather than 3 large meals a day.

Put some real butter on your veggies. It won't be that much fat, it's better for you than margarines with their trans-fats, and it will actually help satisfy those "hunger munchies" you get. Fat, in smart quantities, is not the enemy... no matter what "diet" you choose to follow.

If you need something sweet, try a shot of heavy cream in a diet soda... very satisfying, not too high in fat. Or some cottage cheese mixed with sweetner, cinnamon, and some crushed pecans. Mixed berries would be good. Or try frozen fruit topped with Diet 7UP or Sprite... it becomes kind of a slushy... takes a while to eat, is cool, and not totally without nutrition!

I still think a large part of it could be sugar highs & lows. I also think it may just be a matter of not eating enough when you eat.

 

[mommyflower]

Hi Christine!

Your story sounds very familiar to me. I am hypoglycemic, which means I have low blood sugar. It is basically pre-diabetes, but the good thing is if you catch it soon enough and change your diet you can keep from getting diabetes. I use to feel hungry all day long. Unfortunately this started when I was still living at home with my parents and they just thought I ate too much. So because of it I put on quite a bit of weight. It got really bad after I had my ds. I had headaches, felt weak and sick all the time. Last year I finally went to the doctor and told him my symptoms and from that he told me I was hypoglycemic.
So what I did to fix it was start a low carb diet and eat six meals a day. I kept my carbs between 75 to 100 per day. Doing this helped me lose about 30 pounds. Then I got stuck. So I started looking around at different resources and decided to give a low glycemic diet a try. This diet is based on the Glycemic Index (it measures the effect foods have on blood sugar levels). I have been eating this way for about two months and am still working the kinks out, but I have started losing slowly again. With this diet I have more food choices and I am feeling better than I have in a long time.

So what I am trying to say is, you are probably having blood sugar swings. I'm not necessarily saying you are hypoglycemic, but you could be on your way. Try adding some protein to your breakfast. Also try to make sure you eat every two to three hours, don't wait until your hungry. Also I have problems with yogurt, it always messing up my blood sugar, so maybe try eliminating that. Also after looking at what you said you ate, maybe you need to add some "good" carbs. Maybe so whole wheat or grain bread or some more veggies. Also when I first started fruit was not good to my blood sugar either. But since I have gotten it under control I have been able to add it back in.
Also exercise is a great way to get your blood sugar levels in a good range. See if these changes help the constant hunger. After you get that under control then you can figure out a plan to tackle those last 10 pounds.

Lynda Silk- these suggestions may help you as well.

Sorry this was so long. Low blood sugar is not and easy thing to deal with. I hope this helps with your hunger issues. If you have any questions I would be more than happy to help if I can.

dizneegirl- Bananas and carrots are actually low glycemic according the current research for the glycemic index. I eat them everyday and they do not cause a rise in my blood sugar.

 

[Lynda Silk]

Thanks for the suggestions, Tabitha! I actually do have low blood sugar to a small degree and talthough it's not a big problem for me, I do avoid sweets for the most part or at least watch when I eat them. I've also taken note of the suggestions made by disneegirl and LAinSEA. You are right when you say that I'm not eating enough or the things I'm eating are not enough to stave off hunger.

Re pasta, I know that this is a disaster from a low carb perspective but what if you have a pasta dinner once a week? Is this enough to throw off your diet? My kids love pasta and it's hard to prepare separate meals. I usually make pasta with a tomato sauce and ground beef and veggies mixed in it; is this a big no no?