4 o'clock Hunger Monster

scottwblack · Post by **scottwblack** » Tue Apr 04, 2006 9:02 pm

Every day that 4 o'clock hunger monster rears its ugly head and wants to be fed. It would be easier to ignore if I wasn't working from home, only three feet from the fridge. Oh, what to do, what to do... Maybe I need to start taking my walk at that time instead of earlier in the day. Of course, it's already hotter than heck here in Texas, but I may have to do it anyway.

Simon · Post by **Simon** » Tue Apr 04, 2006 9:39 pm

Here's what's been working for me:

Though it may seem kind of lame, I go and chug at least one BIG full glass of water. None of those little girlie sips over the course of an hour while the water grows tepid and the hunger pangs grow. (Intending no offense to any little girlies that may end up reading this.)

It's 3 in the morning at the watering hole and last call was half an hour ago; bartender just turned the lights on and the 400 lb bouncer (obviously NOT a No-esser) is encroaching on your personal space with his insistant refusal to wear deodorant. But your last pint of ice cold Molson Canadian (or other beer of choice) rests resplendant in a growing puddle of condensation atop the otherwise grimy and cigarette-burn laden table. Coasters are for pansies. The bouncer's breath chuffs laboriously as he lumbers up the two steps to the sitting area where you have been engaged in conversation with your chums. (That bouncer's obviously not an Urban Ranger either!) You see that he won't have the braking power to halt in time before bowling over your table nor the mental capacity to warn you of the impending collision. Your only choice: chug that beer for all you're worth and get the hell outta your seat! Save your ass and your beer, mate!

(So what I'm basically saying is that sporadic delusions help me through my day since there are no other corporeal No-essers in my vicinity, and a big ol' glass of water can go a surprisingly long way.)

That's all.

gratefuldeb67 · Post by **gratefuldeb67** » Tue Apr 04, 2006 10:00 pm

Hi Scott!
There's really no shame in a very small, virtually plated fruit or a small amount of crackers or a little cup of boullion or something to help you in that rough time..
What I would suggest trying is maybe alter your lunch to a later time before you do this... If you eat at 12 make it 1:30 or 2....
I'm sure you will figure out something, but don't let a real blood sugar drop happen...
Yes it's great to burn our fat stores etc... And I agree totally with Simon, that water is your friend (I had two medium glasses of seltzer with lemon today, but I also had three packs of crackers since I was really really hungry due to having to wait to eat lunch till after 3pm...) and you will feel fuller if you are really swimming in it!!!
Watchout for that smelly stinky big fat bouncer who is going to steal your beer, and let us know how it goes!

If you have a fruit, or even half of one, like an apple, you can then virtually add it to your dinner, or maybe subtract it from your lunch?
LOL...

Good luck!
I'm sure it's hot down there, but is it as humid as Nola?
I doubt it!!! LOL...
Peace and Love,

Deb

Schnebit · Post by **Schnebit** » Tue Apr 04, 2006 10:14 pm

Scott,

What has been working for me is to simply eat bigger meals. I've been having a bigger lunch, and it has helped keep me satisfied until dinner.

And, at the end of the day I'm still eating fewer total calories.

Hope this helps,

Jim

P.S. My problem was that last night, I ate dinner too early (they ordered in at work). I usually eat at 7-7:30, so last night having eaten by 6:00 I went to bed hungry! Ouch!

scottwblack · Post by **scottwblack** » Tue Apr 04, 2006 10:43 pm

Simon: Good idea. I don't drink enough h20 anyway. I'll try having 24-32 oz. tomorrow afternoon.

Deb: I'm afraid I'll go off the wagon if I have even a tiny, healthy snack. Maybe after I've shed a little bit of weight.

You're right, too, Texas is not nearly as bad as New Orleans when it comes to humidity. No 80 degrees with 100% humidty at 10 o'clock at night here.

Schnebit: Another good idea. A bigger lunch would probably help. Luckily I don't get very hungry in the evening...unless my wife has something extra delicious after I've eaten dinner.

Maskedlioness · Post by **Maskedlioness** » Wed Apr 05, 2006 11:49 am

Hi,

I find that I get really hungry around 4 pm too, regardless of when I ate lunch. (dinner on some days is at 4 and I think my stomach is confused.) I usually drink water or diet soda and tough it out. Sometimes I give myself a time limit, like "I'm going to hold out til 4:30", often the hunger goes away once that time limit is up.

Dunno if that helps. Good luck and naturally if you are ravenous it means you need something.

Post by **reinhard** » Wed Apr 05, 2006 2:43 pm

Hi Scott,

The solution (nothing new, just condensed from previous posts):

big firsts + habit + beverage.

It really does get better, especially as the second component of the equation grows.

Try drinking the beverage before you get hungry. Thirst is often confused with hunger. I know this is hard to believe when you're in the throes of it, but by drinking proactively you might preempt such "thunger" and not even have to believe.

Some day dinner at 4 is kind of early... any way you can make that later and more regular?

Reinhard

scottwblack · Post by **scottwblack** » Wed Apr 05, 2006 2:52 pm

reinhard wrote:Some day dinner at 4 is kind of early... any way you can make that later and more regular?

I'm certainly going to try. My wife usually eats dinner quite late (9pm or so) and there's no way I can last that long, but I will probably try to hold out until at least 6. I may just have to tell myself that breakfast is at 8, lunch is at 12 and dinner is at 6, no matter what. If I get hungry in between those times, I'll just down a very large glass of water.

Also:
One thing that I've come to realize since starting the No S Diet is exactly how much I used to "live to eat." Everything in my life was centered around the next meal or, if not the next meal, then the next snack. I was always thinking about what I was going to eat next. A part of that no doubt came from living for 30 years in New Orleans, where eating really is (was?) a way of life. But I have no one to blame but myself. Truthfully, it's been very hard moving away from that kind of thinking. I'd like to eventually get to a point where I only think about food when I'm hungry. Hopefully that will come with time. I think it will.

gratefuldeb67 · Post by **gratefuldeb67** » Wed Apr 05, 2006 2:53 pm

Thus spake Thunger!!!

The slightly confused, but oh so insistent and loud middle brain god of thunderous stomachs and basic drives who lives in the and nebulous realm of Hypothalmia....

*Love* the combo word Rein!

It's all very real and true....
Good advice!

Peace and Love,

Deb

gratefuldeb67 · Post by **gratefuldeb67** » Wed Apr 05, 2006 2:59 pm

I'm certainly going to try. My wife usually eats dinner quite late (9pm or so) and there's no way I can last that long, but I will probably try to hold out until at least 6. I may just have to tell myself that breakfast is at 8, lunch is at 12 and dinner is at 6, no matter what.

Hey Scott

Hope you are having a great morning!
I don't see why you need to eat dinner at 9... In my opinion, that's just not a healthy pattern...
Even if you could get yourself to last till nine (which probably is totally unrealistic) it's just not good to load food in our bellies in the late evening..
That is the slowest and lowest energy time for the stomach to work...
By doing that, you will probably, not sure, but probably, hinder your weight loss progress, by asking your body to metabolize a meal when it's so inactive and should be resting not digesting...

Well anyway...
Sorry if I sound bossy!

LOL...

You'll figure something out... I think you should go with your statement above... If you feel you want to keep your wife company when she eats, then just have a cup of herbal tea while she has her late dinner, just for the socializing...
How about a compromise?
Could you eat at 7 together?

Good luck!
Peace and Love,

Deb

JWL · Post by **JWL** » Wed Apr 05, 2006 11:53 pm

here's another tip that might have interesting results: when the hunger strikes (heh heh) @ 4pm, use that time to shovelglove!

mjohnson121 · Post by **mjohnson121** » Thu Apr 06, 2006 8:06 pm

Good suggestions all...I esp. endorse the drinking water and the shovelgloving when hungry...Alternatively, you could just do 1 set of pushups or bodyweight squats (if you didn't have the time or inclination to do an actual shovelglove session)...SUPPOSEDLEY (according to the book MASTERING LEPTIN), doing some quick, anerobic type work (pushups, etc) will help with hunger pangs due to certain hormone levels like leptin being hirer in the blooodstream and that the anerobic work helps "use" them up. I have found this helpfull for myself -- so even if explanation for why it works is wrong, it still seems to work!

At any rate, if can't hurt to try it!

-Mark

Jammin' Jan · Post by **Jammin' Jan** » Sat Apr 08, 2006 12:00 pm

Meals at 8, 12, and 6 are typical in our house. I never thought I could manage that! Eat bigger meals and drink something (I reach for decaf coffee or a diet soda). If you eat something, like fruit or crackers, you will not be building the no-s habit, so while you might get rid of the hunger at the moment, it will ultimately be self-defeating. Big meals are a better idea; don't worry too much about portion sizes until you can get from one meal to another easily.