Everyday Systems

I had tried having V8 juice between meals and sometimes that works but I wondered what others do? Just ignore it? Does in between hunger usually dissapate after a little while on the program? I also find that I get pretty sleepy between lunch and dinner which is tricky if I need to drive!
Thanks

I tend to have a nice cup of tea (or once in awhile a small glass of Coke Zero) in the mid-afternoon as a pick-me-up. I find it helps a lot.

We eat an early dinner (5:30-6ish) and I eat a hearty lunch (11ish) so midafternoon hunger hasn't been a major issue for awhile. I ignored it and it did dissapate for me. Somtimes I feel a tad hungry at night (not helped by the fact that DH likes watching food shows. LOL!) but I tell myself that I'm done with eating for the day and that I can have a big breakfast in the morning if I want one. If I was truly hungry -- and I haven't had to resort to this yet -- I would have a glass of milk or juice.

This is generally looked down upon, but I have a fat-free yogurt with a little granola. That usually does it. The thing about snacks that makes them bad is that people usually go overboard; it doesn't have to be that way.

Milk does the trick for me; sometimes hot, sometimes cold. When I first started I had one b/t lunch and dinner and one in the evening after dinner. It gradually became one in the evening after dinner sometime. Now I have one sometimes but not daily: maybe a couple of times per week.

I've been No-S-ing for almost a year, quite successfully, but I'm almost at the point of concluding that a mid-afternoon "light infusion of food" (I can't bring myself to use the word "snack") would make my life a whole lot easier. It won't be some random food selected at the last minute; it will be planned and minimal -- perhaps a glass of V8 and 4 Ry-Krisps, two favorites of mine. Am just at the thinking stage on this, and I would urge you to try vanilla No-S for awhile before considering a food mod ... but I think Nicole said it very well:

Nicole wrote:The thing about snacks that makes them bad is that people usually go overboard; it doesn't have to be that way.

(Thanks, Nicole, for that and your many other posts -- you've been a great inspiration to me!)

I'm having similar problems, but I am still quite new to this approach and I am still trialling per se- and if I am being honest I think that my hunger is due to a few different things- may be worth thinking about whether any of these apply to you too?
- not eating enough at meals. I am finding it really hard to trust myself and not diet. I have swung for so many years between bingeing and dieting that I have lost a sense of what is really "normal". I have been really very hungry this week, to the point of feeling faintly nauseous, which isn't good, but I have been in hotels and haven't wanted to snack on cookies or refined carbs so I have tried to fight the feeling off with hot drinks- but actually I just need to trust that I can eat more.

Hormones, anxiety etc all have an effect and sometimes I think I am hungry when it is head hunger rather than true hunger. It is a habit for me to eat when stressed. I do however eat a snack (nothing much but something carby) a day before and on the day my period starts as I do feel that I physically need it and I do feel better when I do that.

I don't always put enough bulky food or proteins in and my diet can be a bit carb heavy if I don't watch it. When I cut down on bread and eat more protein I generally feel better.

I personally eat my evening meal at 8pm and my lunch between 1 30 and 2 30 as I get hungry in the evenings- I couldn't imagine eating as early as 5 30 and anyway I am generally still at work then or exercising. I don't get home before 7 usually. I don't eat first thing but when I get to work as I have been awake for an hour or two by then and I feel like eating something, which I generally don't when I get up!

That's me- everyone is different but I bet you don't eat enough at lunch?
Cheers
Dolly

At this point, I tough it out or maybe have milk or juice. However, when I began No-S, that was the hardest sanck to give up! So I phased it out. I was strict on all other snacks, but allowed myself a limited-choice of snacks (like, one piece of fruit) IF I needed it.

Over time, as I adjusted lunch, I needed it less and less. Now, it's a non-issue.

Kind of like weaning a baby, if you've ever done that.

My favorite thing to eat when I just feel as if I'm not going to survive until dinner...or if I'll be tempted to eat dessert on a No-S day is a frozen Capri Sun. Our whole family loves them...especially the Cherry ones. We wait until they are frozen, cut the corner off & eat them like a slushy. I know there isn't any nutrition in them, but they are yummy & I enjoy one almost every night.

janie

I felt that way pretty often during the first month, but I tried to just tough it out and get used to not eating in the afternoon. And now I don't really get hungry until about half an hour before dinner -- we eat pretty close to the same time every night, and I think that really helped me learn to expect when to be fed.

For me, that was enough to kill the habit and the craving. If after a few weeks you still feel awful in the afternoon, maybe you should be looking at a heartier lunch? Making sure there's some fat and a lot of fiber really helps hold me over.

winnie96 wrote:

Nicole wrote:The thing about snacks that makes them bad is that people usually go overboard; it doesn't have to be that way.

(Thanks, Nicole, for that and your many other posts -- you've been a great inspiration to me!)

Me, really?? Thanks!

What I find helps is having a protein-rich lunch (e.g. today I had steamed fish with some mayo & veggies). Then I feel much less hungry in the afternoon. I find that when I have carb-rich lunches I tend to feel quite peckish around 3-4.

The other thing that helps is a hot, large mug of tea. Milk might be a good idea too (as someone else suggested). Or fresh juice? All these are healthy choices & to be honest, I wouldn't count them as snacks (unless of course you go overboard & have 3-4 glasses of milk/juice which you wouldn't).

Finally, the thing that has helped me- and not sure why this is!- is to have my meals at specific times. So I have breakfast at 8.00 am, lunch at 12.00 midday, and dinner around 7.30. Obviously the lunch-dinner gap is the longest & I too get peckish sometimes but I've learnt to ignore it & get on with my day. If you are absolutely famished- and you've tried vanilla-No-S for a while- then you could perhaps add a small snack in between, structured & organized, something like a 4th mini-meal.

I get too get hungry between lunch and dinner, sometimes REALLY hungry. We eat dinner at 7.30 - 8.00 but at least three times a week we eat out, and it is 8.30 or 9.00 before food arrives. By that time I am starving and grumpy. Want to devour something, NOW.

So far, what helps me:
1. Cold fizzy water, esp with lime. It sounds like nothing but it does seems to cut hunger for a while.
2. Cup of tea, with milk. Keeps me going at work, in the afternoon.
3. Decaf espresso with a splash of milk - fast, easy and gives a boost.
4. Eating lunch later, say 2.30 or so, if I can.

I will buy some V-8 to have just in case, as I think it could be useful. Unfortunately we do not have the little cans you get in the US - I think those are the most convenient.

The gnawing feelings and hunger headaches do seem to be disapating in the last month or so. I hope it gets easier, but can stand it!

Masher

Something to drink for me - depending on where I am and what I can get my hands on. Milk or juice if I'm at home...sometimes coffee, or water. I try to stay away from diet sodas, but if that's all I can get, sometimes I'll have one.

Mimi

winnie96 wrote:I've been No-S-ing for almost a year, quite successfully, but I'm almost at the point of concluding that a mid-afternoon "light infusion of food" (I can't bring myself to use the word "snack") would make my life a whole lot easier. It won't be some random food selected at the last minute; it will be planned and minimal

I'm doing this too as I've been having gallbladder issues which means I can't eat much at one meal, I'm eating much less at breakfast and lunch than normal, so need a little "something" between lunch and dinner, a little yoghurt will do the trick. Smoothies are good too because although they are as calorific as a small meal, it is still liquid so feels more aligned with No S habits.

bonnieUK wrote:... a little yoghurt will do the trick. Smoothies are good too because although they are as calorific as a small meal, it is still liquid so feels more aligned with No S habits.

I'm liking the yoghurt and smoothie ideas! I was going to have a few Ry-Krisp crackers with tea, but I tend to get in a rut with what I eat, so those suggestions are much appreciated.

I'm so sorry to hear about your gallbladder issues (also saw your post on the other thread), but at least you are making progress toward a diagnosis, and seem to be able to keep it under control with strict No-S-ing -- silver lining, indeed! Great attitude! (Brings to mind "making lemonade out of lemons"). Best wishes for recovery, Winnie

winnie96 wrote: (Brings to mind "making lemonade out of lemons"). Best wishes for recovery, Winnie

Thanks Winnie, I try to see the bright side of things
You just randomly reminded me of a competition that ran on the Dilbert site once upon a time, the grouchy Sourpuss character said "When life gives you lemons..." and people had to come up with a response, my favourite was "...give them to me, this sour expression needs maintenance" or something like that

I have an EAS protein drink at 3pm. It is about 110 calories, which I figure is the same as a glass of milk, but the 15 grams of protein really help carry me thru til dinner time. Not a whole food, I know. Just my choice--I am trying to stick with the idea of liquids between meals, but sometimes I need something more in order to make it to dinner. At first, even with the protein, I would be grumpy and dizzy by the time dinner came around. Now, I think my body has habituated, and the protein drink is absolutely sufficient to see me through til dinner.

Marianna

amarbach wrote:I had tried having V8 juice between meals and sometimes that works but I wondered what others do? Just ignore it? Does in between hunger usually dissapate after a little while on the program? I also find that I get pretty sleepy between lunch and dinner which is tricky if I need to drive!
Thanks

I go hungry. Water or tea helps a little... I try to analyze what went wrong with my earlier meals that caused me to get hungry, and make the attempt to avoid that mistake again. But hunger will not kill me. We're not talking about real starvation here. That won't happen as long as I can afford to buy a meal. I also try hard not to overeat at the next meal, which is easy to do when you are that hungry.

The alternative, which happens to me on occasion, is I snack. I FAIL for the day, and regret it every time, but I know that I just have to move on, keep trying.

I take an approach similar to sgstarling. I just don't eat. I will drink tea or black coffee. If it's significant, then I have a glass of milk. The first couple of days were the worst for me, but the hunger pangs have lessened significantly. I make sure I don't skimp on my plates either. I am good and full when I leave the table. I try to space my meals about 4-5 hours apart.

I have two that have already been mentioned:
"cold fizzy water" (Masher) -- I drink Whole Foods sparkling mineral water, lime flavored. It really sustains me for a while, and it feels like a treat.

Also, 1 cup of skim milk, especially because I'm now exercising in the late afternoon.

REALLY though, the reason I'm posting is that the hunger pangs have reduced in a HUGE way in the past week (I'm on Day 51 or so). It's very strange, but I'll still get hungry, but it actually goes AWAY when I disregard it. I'm still hungry and ready to eat at dinner, but it's not that shaky, crazed hunger I used to have. I have lunch at 11:45 and I can't have dinner until 7:00 and sometimes even later. This was my biggest concern . . . late afternoon hunger . . . but I'm over the hump now. So, stay the course and have patience. And in the mean time, drink milk.

Disclaimer: this is a processed drink with artificial colors and sweeteners -

However, if you can get past that Special K protein water and South Beach Diet Tide me Over are powdered mixes you add to a bottle of water for 5 grams of protein and 5 grams of fiber, 30 calories. I keep one in the car and use it if I am stuck out of the house at that time and starving.

I like the pink lemonade from Special K and the fruit punch from SBD (tastes like Koolaid)

I hate to say it but it works better for me than a glass of whole milk. I really can get another 2.5 or 3 hours without thinking about my empty stomach.