Hunger

Mister Tut · Post by **Mister Tut** » Fri Mar 03, 2006 6:38 pm

Hi everyone!

My question is pretty direct: What strategies do you have for dealing with hunger? I am a long-term low-carber and not accustomed to having to deal with hunger. Now it is driving me nuts.

I've tried drinking more when i get hungry, but that only lasts for moments.

Thoughts?

david · Post by **david** » Fri Mar 03, 2006 6:41 pm

Tut,

My tactic is just to ride it out. Being hungry for a couple of hours isn't the worst thing that could happen.

David

Jinx · Post by **Jinx** » Fri Mar 03, 2006 6:44 pm

I either keep myself busy with work or reading stuff...or I get down and do 50 crunches...works like magic!
goodluck

navin · Post by **navin** » Sat Mar 04, 2006 2:35 am

I agree with the "do something else" sentiment - it can keep your mind of of being hungry.

Chewing gum (sugar-free, of course

) can help.

In many cases, you can prevent being too hungry by timing your meals properly and figuring out what portion sizes work best for you.

gratefuldeb67 · Post by **gratefuldeb67** » Sat Mar 04, 2006 4:52 am

You need to eat enough Tut..
It's normal and even preferable if you get hungry an hour or even a bit more, before your next meal... If you are raging hungry all day, then you are most likely, skimping on your meals somehow...
Bulk up on whole foods as well so that they last longer...
At the beginning of NoS you will go through an adjustment period..
You will feel a bit hungry for the time your appetite and stomach begin to get in synch again... The introduction of carbohydrates may do some up down stuff to you and your appetite as well, but don't freak out yet!
If you don't eat crappy carbs exclusively, like, say, three meals of white bread and jelly sandwiches, LOL, your blood sugar will find a happy stable balance in a while.. I also agree with David, that being hungry isn't that terrible unto itself, but being famished or faint and crappy feeling isn't that kind of good hunger... People who graze all day, forget what it feels like to have an empty stomach for a while... But that's just not good... Our stomachs don't need to have food in them all the time... There needs to be periods when they are empty and we are digesting the food we already ate before.. So relax and try to see if it's just being unfamiliar with "normal" hunger... If it is, then, I'm fairly confident, it will get easier within a few weeks! If not, then eat more at each meal... I overloaded my plates for the first five or six months of NoS a year and a half ago.. Now, I would feel ill if I ate as much as I did back then, and certainly as much as I did when I was on my gaining binge....

Good luck and enjoy the weekend!
PS... Weekends are sometimes a bit on the quiet side in NOS board land...
LOL.. Too much enjoyment of being rule free to even think of them!

Peace,

Deb

Mister Tut · Post by **Mister Tut** » Sat Mar 04, 2006 3:00 pm

Hmm, it seems like I may need to allow for a transition period where I allow myself four meals rather than three.

Generally, I can suck it up and deal with hunger UNLESS there is any temptation at all

Älskling · Post by **Älskling** » Sat Mar 04, 2006 3:38 pm

You can try to change your attitude about hunger. Instead of looking at is a bad thing that you must avoid at all costs, try looking at it as a good thing that your body is telling you when you need fuel and know that when you're hungry your body is getting it's energy from your fat stores. The trick it to eat enough so that you're hungry for a short while before your next meal - not hours before.

Of course, if hunger is making you feel faint or weak then I think you've let it go too far. A little stomach grumbling isn't going to hurt, however.

Post by **reinhard** » Sun Mar 05, 2006 1:59 am

Hi Mr. Tut,

While you shouldn't be miserable, Älskling is right: the idea that hunger is somehow "wrong" is a novel and misguided concept. It's natural and good to be hungry before a meal. Not for hours, and not painfully, but habit and attitude can go a long way towards mitigating that. Have big, tasty firsts that will keep you going for a while, grab a drink if you get hungry, be firm so hunger doesn't think it's going to get anywhere by making a stink, and enjoy the anticipation of your next meal.

"Eat when you're hungry" sounds so nice and natural, but who in history until now had the luxury to eat whenever they felt like it? It's profoundly unnatural, something only a very fat society could even think of. But by eating regular meals, you'll gradually manage hunger so it never gets too bad. Hunger learns that it really is getting enough, and that complaining won't get it more. You'll lead hunger, instead of having it lead you.

By all means, go with 4 meals for now if that's what you think you need. The point here is not to be a failed superman, but to take the surest steps towards moderation and regularity that you can. Just realize that there is a tradeoff. 4 meals will probably make for slower progress than 3, which is not bad in itself, but you may find your patience sorely tested.

Best of luck, whatever you decide, and keep us posted. It may take some experimenting to get these critical details just right.

Reinhard

juniebumble · Post by **juniebumble** » Sun Mar 05, 2006 6:13 pm

If you are miserably hungry between meals, eat more during your mealtimes. Through trial and error, you'll figure out what feels you up.

I started out eating two homemade egg mcmuffins for breakfast (each with an English muffin, scrambled egg, and one wedge of laughing cow swiss cheese) because I didn't want to get hungry. For me that was a lot of food but I still did it for several days. Then I cut it down to one of those and a yogurt or piece of fruit. Right now this works for me, although some people may still think it is a lot of food.

If you are just uncomfortable because your belly isn't used to being hungry, try a non-food related activity. Some people suggested exercising. I like to sew (several people I know have received baby blankets these past few weeks) and I repainted my front room. The point is, find something that you enjoy doing that isn't a constant reminder that you are having hunger pains.

I now find a little pride in the fact that I actually get hunger pains. It makes me feel in control, not my stomach.

gratefuldeb67 · Post by **gratefuldeb67** » Sun Mar 05, 2006 8:11 pm

Go Juniebumble!

I liked what you wrote

Peace and Love,

Deb

Mister Tut · Post by **Mister Tut** » Tue Mar 07, 2006 8:02 pm

Just for the record, my issue with hunger isn't that I'm sad because it hurts.

The issue is that it makes me act irrationally and do stupid stuff like say: "F this diet, I'm going to eat 12 helpings of ice cold dinty moore beef stew straight outta the can!"

I really hate losing control, and that is exactly the life lesson I hope this diet can teach me.

I know eventually the stomach is supposed to shrink. I am so ready for that to happen, let me tell you!

doulachic · Post by **doulachic** » Tue Mar 07, 2006 8:21 pm

i know what you mean, when i get too hungry i will eat anything! that is why on some days i have to tweak No-s...like if i am REALLY hungry in the afternoon and find myself thinking the very thing you said above, i will have a little "meal" such as fruit, maybe a few crackers with some cheese or peanut butter, etc...not junk, just good food and only a small amount (not even a plateful)....my hubby can't go too long without eating or he gets really weak and sick feeling and GRUMPY!

anyway, i sympathize...

carolejo · Post by **carolejo** » Wed Mar 08, 2006 8:07 am

Hi Mr T.

If you're going to fail, try to 'fail safe' and go for some fruit instead. That's what I do if I'm about to go crazy and start eating everything in sight. As long as you pick yourself back up again straightaway each time, not much will go wrong.

Good luck finding a strategy that works for you.
C.

gratefuldeb67 · Post by **gratefuldeb67** » Wed Mar 08, 2006 12:45 pm

The issue is that it makes me act irrationally and do stupid stuff like say: "F this diet, I'm going to eat 12 helpings of ice cold dinty moore beef stew straight outta the can!"

Hey there Tut!
You are my favorite Egyptian!
LOL..

Look... Hunger is okay... Your mindset isn't... Unfortunately it is pretty challenging to change our mindsets... You are conditioned to respond to "diets" and hunger this way...
Acts of rebellion are best dealt with very sternly...
You need to tell yourself, when you hear your "self" saying
"F this diet etc...",,,, "You have no power over my decisions.. I am going to succeed"...
We have lots of inner voices...
Some of them need to be told to "Shut the F up!"

Some aren't even voices that represent us as we are now..
They are just prerecorded "failure" messages...

Turn the other way and refuse to let those messages play in your head...
If you need to, stamp your foot and say "STOP!" every time a defeatist thought pops in your head...
We want to see you succeed!
You need to have a burning desire to be in this for the long run and succeed to! Keep practicing!!! It takes a long time to learn new habits when the old ones are so ingrained... I understand where you are now..
I was there for years... I'm not anymore, but it took me over a year to really feel I had truly changed!

PS... If you really ate 12 cold servings of Dinty Moore stew out of the can you would have gas up the wazoo!!!!!!
Not worth it!
LOL...

Continued good luck.. and try embracing your hunger as a good thing!
Drink lots of water all day too, because thirst can be disguised, falsely, as hunger....

Peace,

Deb

Kevin · Post by **Kevin** » Mon Mar 13, 2006 12:42 am

Mister Tut, stick it out for a bit. You'll find in a few weeks that the times of extreme hunger are rare, and that a little hunger feels *very* normal. In fact, I only feel gastro-intestinally abnormal on S days - I feel stuffed, slow, and edgy from the blood sugar swings. On no-S days, when I'm a little hungry between meals, I feel energetic, sharp, and capable. I really feel lean and mean.

Oh, and put all the food away. If it's in your face, it's much harder to deal with. That's what cabinets are for. :0)

want2bhealthy · Post by **want2bhealthy** » Mon Mar 13, 2006 3:23 pm

wow , for the first time since starting this way of eating on feb 1, i was having a bad day, thoughts of old bad way of thinking about losing weight and yo yo dieting, binge eating were running through my head. i am so glad i came here and found this post. all the great advice you guys gave tut, has actually helped me want to keep going!! thanks so much guys!!! tut you have to stay on track with all the support and great advice everyone has given you. good luck. i am there with you.

Mister Tut · Post by **Mister Tut** » Tue Apr 11, 2006 2:07 pm

i just went back and read this old thread after posting a new one, and I guess I didn't mention it in the new thread, but I now do feel hunger at appropriate levels at appropriate times, and it is not an issue for me any longer. My hunger is now rational and reasonable.

Before, it was not, and I don't blame myself for previiously not being able to cope with it. I now combine No S with another, totally compatible diet, and together they have made me into an invincible dieting machine!

Thanks for all the kind words and advice!

tamarasepisode · Post by **tamarasepisode** » Fri Apr 14, 2006 12:15 am

Dear Mister Tut,

I try to follow what I call the "common sense" diet and let me emphasize try. I eat a large salad with every meal in order to fill my stomach so that I won't eat as much of the other foods. Also, hot tea is a great liquid to drink to feel fuller and if you add lemon it's a plus for dieting. Whenever I have sugar or high carb products I crave more of them. In addition, I've heard that barley grass juice and wheat grass juice destroys your appetite. I've recently ordered a juicer to try it.

Best regards,

Tamara's Episode

Everyday Systems

Hunger

Hunger

Hunger...

great responses!!

Hunger