Starving by 11 am - any suggestions?

[12catcrazy]

Hi all, I just discovered No S and think that it sounds like a great plan. It actually fits in what I've been doing on my own for the past few months after having a health scare in late Feb (more about it in the intro thread).

I'm trying very hard to stick to 3 meals a day, but find that I'm ravenous by 11 am. I eat breakfast around 7:30 am and it usually consists of half a cup of old fashioned oatmeal mixed with a little brown sugar and cinnamon for flavor and about 5 or 6 walnut halfs, and maybe 1/4 cup of milk. I also have a cup of tea with more milk and about a tsp of sugar.
I know that No S isn't a calorie counting type of thing, but I still try and keep caloric content in mind and like to eat pretty much "healthy". I enjoy the above breakfast but find that it doesn't hold me to lunch (any where from 12:45 to 1:30). I've been "good" and haven't been eating anything between breakfast and lunch but I feel so hungry and then start thinking about food, food, food, when I need to be thinking about my work. And today, a friend and I went out for lunch, and I was so hungry that I totally pigged out and ate way more than I should have (and it was Mexican food at that). And to top it off, for some reason I had a major chocolate craving (the first in weeks) and wound up eating half a bar of Trader Joes estra dark when I got back to work.

Does anyone have any hints or ideas what I can do (or eat) to not be so hungry by 11 am? I have GERD and IBS issues and neither one makes trying to eat a certain way any easier.

[loop]

I eat breakfast around 7:30 am and it usually consists of half a cup of old fashioned oatmeal mixed with a little brown sugar and cinnamon for flavor and about 5 or 6 walnut halfs, and maybe 1/4 cup of milk. I also have a cup of tea with more milk and about a tsp of sugar.

I am a big fan of oatmeal for breakfast, but have found that how it's cooked can make a big difference in how quickly I get hungry. I like it to still be chewy, with individual oat flakes still visible. If it's cooked longer, and pretty homogeneous, I get hungry after a couple of hours.

Also, did you mean half a cup of cooked oatmeal, or you start with a half cup of oats? I usually use half a cup of raw with 1 cup of water, which makes about a cup of cooked oatmeal. You could also try increasing the amount of oats.

The other thing I do is have oatmeal in the morning, and then have a cup of coffee a few hours later, which helps increase the gap between breakfast and lunch. Maybe having your tea later (if you can) would help?

And of course, there's lots of other alternatives to try (eggs, dinner leftovers, etc) but I eat a fairly similar breakfast to you, and those are the tweaks that have worked for me.

[la_loser]

Welcome to 12catcrazy,

Right now you probably have a "habit" of having snacks a la some of the current diet suggestions out there. So your body is used to that snack even though it may not really NEED it. It will take a number of days to create the new HABIT of eating three meals a day with no snacks (or sweets or seconds!)

You might look at this topic I posted in the general NO S discussion board on June 20. This is a strategy that really helps me get past those pangs. . . look for: H2Orange-- A STRATEGY TO AVOID URGE FOR SNACKS I drink this stuff all day long.

You probably are not getting enough nourishment in your breakfast to last. Also when you read all of Reinhard's explanations (and the details in the book--not a necessary purchase but it's handy to have), you will see that you really have to let go those old notions about limiting/counting, etc. Your three meals really have to be 'THREE SQUARES' and make sure you get some good protein in those meals; another poster today noted that she had finally figured out why she was still hungry all the time. . . it was a lack of protein.

Also another of the points Reinhard makes is that liquids do not comprise a snack. . .therefore having a real glass of juice or maybe milk will be totally ok and might tide you over also.

Hang in there. . . for sustainable freedom from COUNTING ever again--except I guess for THREE meals!

la loser

[12catcrazy]

Thank you for the replies!

Loop - I use 1/2 dry oats to 1/2 cup of water. I cook them for about 2 min in the microwave as I like a "dry" oatmeal myself.

I don't have alot of time in the morning for breakfast so I have to keep it kind of simple and easy. I love scrambled eggs for breakfast but save them for weekends.

Laloser - I haven't really had any snacks between meals for a couple of months. I'm not that big of a snacker anyway - maybe a pretzle at work, if anything. I kind of think that once a person's body has "weight", that the body is used to it and doesn't like to lose it - thus the hunger.

When I was young, I could eat 2 pieces of dry toast for breakfast with a cup of tea and that would easily hold me until lunch time. I was also 120 lbs at the time... my sister, (who I think has an anorexia problem) weighs 95 lbs and eats barely anything - she told me that she "forgets" to eat lunch most of the time. How can someone "forget" to eat lunch????

And though "No S" advises to skip the calorie counting, the fact of life is that food contains calories. If someone is young and very physically active, then they can eat more calories than someone who is older and sedentary. I could scarf down burgers and ice cream when I was young and still weigh 120 - eating stuff like that now is one of the reasons I ballooned to 160. I also eat out alot and although I never eat the entire meal at one sitting, and usually pick a vegetable over french fries, restaurant food is caloric. I'm trying to eat more at home but since most of my "eating out" is social in nature, its been hard cutting back.

I will look up your Orange H2O, and thanks for the suggestions!

[la_loser]

I discussed the snacks because you were crashing a couple of hours before lunch time and a snack might be a temptation to get you through. I'm sorry-I just "read" that into your message.

One breakfast that doesn't require a lot of prep that seems to hold me all morning is this: I mix a (slight) cup of nonfat yogurt with some Splenda and add a (slight) cup of Kashi GoLean dry cereal-any flavor. Right now my favorite is the one with almonds. Mix it well to coat all the cereal; I eat that and a banana or other fruit and it holds me quite well. I think part of the difference is that the yogurt seems to have more "staying power" and the major fiber gives me a fuller feeling. Occasionally, I miss eating this before work so I keep containers of all of that at work and slip it in as early as possible. Very tasty--and I've never been one for any kind of cereal for breakfast-ever!

Your story sounds similar to mine. . .I began college at 95 pounds forty years ago, having been able to eat anything I wanted, whenever I wanted without ever adding weight, creating what I know now as terrible "habits." Eventually and very slowly it caught up with me-and now there are "two of me!"

And I hear you totally about the social/eating out a lot situation. recently I've been trying out different strategies to keep me honest. For example, this week at a lunch meeting, I chose a cup (not a bowl!) of chicken gumbo and a small order of sweet potato fries with mustard dip. This particular restaurant has a number of appetizers including the sweet potato fries but it is a huge platter and those just don't do well as left-overs. I asked the server if I could get a smaller portion and she said sure-no problem. Who knew? And it was cheaper too! All that and iced tea came to less than seven bucks. . . and this was a popular sports bar. I've found that creating my meal from the items on the menu I really want rather than just ordering the "meals" as they prepare them helps--like a "build your own" meal. Or if I do and it's something I would eat reheated, I ask for a takeout box when the food is served and immediately divide it if it more than a salad plate size. . . and it usually is!

Good luck. I'm off to a morning water aerobics class-trying the early one today.

la loser

[IChooseBalance]

Hi. I'm fairly new (as in VERY new - just found No-S last week), but I've been maintaining (for the most part) a 70 lb weight loss for the past 2 years.

First, can you eat your breakfast a little bit later than 7:30? I pack mine and bring it to the office with me and eat between 8:30 and 9. I start getting hungry around 11. That is good. It means I haven't eaten too much breakfast.

Now about that hunger - embrace it. It is your friend. Your body IS supposed to get hungry. When you start feeling hungry smile. And drink some water. And distract yourself. At lunch time, drink some water before you eat and then try to pay attention to your body while you eat. Stop eating when you are comfortably full. This is a bit harder than it seems, but a great skill to learn.

Also it seems to me your breakfast may be skimping a bit on protein and fat. My breakfast consists of yogurt (low-fat plain sweetened with agave nectar and flavored with vanilla or almond extract), blueberries, sweet potato (baked and plain - about 100 grams) and 1/2 TBSP of almond butter drizzled on the potato. It holds me past 11 most days.

Hope this helps.

[Hungry Girl]

Hi There!

I have found eating a later breakfast helps, and including more protein e.g. a grilled cheese sandwhich and a latte with 100% fat free milk.

Or you could have a latte or cappaccino made from fat free milk (no sugar) as a bridge to get you through from breakfast to lunch. They are drinks and not counted as snacks on the NO S plan!

Best Wishes, Hungry Girl

[rose]

I usually have plain yoghurt with fresh fruit and either muesli or bread,
with herbal tea.

Addind sugar (or honey, or jam, or syrup) to my breakfast resulted in cravings around 11am. So I gave up on that. Fruit is usually sweet enough. No more cravings. And my sweet tooth seems to be on vacation Mon-Fri now.

I find that yoghurt (or variants like fromage blanc), are a great source of protein for breakfast. Quick, easy, no offensive smell, no cleanup required, and the slightly acidic tang complements fruit nicely (especially if unbeaten). And low-fat is unnecessary IMHO unless you spread (a lot of) butter on your toast, or eat greasy food like sausages. Full fat food is so much more satisfying

[reinhard]

12catcrazy,

I think everything I would say has been said already, but just to summarize:

1) make your breakfasts a little larger. It might take some experimenting till you hit on the right balance. Worry less about the calories than about getting the 3 meal pattern down without excessive hunger. Once you have this pattern in place, you have a solid platform to work from if further efforts are necessary (they really might not be).

2) Have a strategic drink halfway between breakfast and lunch. I tend to stick with black coffee, but even caloric drinks are OK.

3) Hang tough and wait for habit to kick in. The longer you can stick it out with just three meals, the easier it gets. You'll train your appetite. Really. You're not training it to do outlandish circus tricks, you're training it to be normal again. Three meals is plenty by historical standards.

4) If worse comes to worst, some people (successfully) do no-s on 4 meals a day. Though I wouldn't recommend it right away, it is a legitimate option to hold in reserve (and it can be a comfort to know you have it there, even if you never resort to using it).

Best of luck and keep bugging us if nothing here works,

Reinhard

[Dawn]

It takes a while to find your "formula". Eating more at a meal, eating later, eating more protein or fiber are things to try. During the day I just suck it up, my problem is night time. I get through, but it's a nail biter sometimes.

Good luck!

[funfuture]

I have had the same problem, 12catcrazy. I used to have wholegrain toast and/or eggs in the morning but recently switched to porridge with dried fruit and mixed seeds (optimised oatmeal). But I'm finding I'm starving mid-morning, which I usen't to be on my old brekkie. This morning, following some of the suggestions here, I added some raw oats to give it bulk before I cooked it and threw in a handful of raw cashews for extra protein. That has really helped. Breakfast was unusually early today - at 6am rather than 8am - and it's now 11ish and i"m not that hungry yet. I've just fixed myself a milky coffee made with low fat milk to tide me over. So, thanks for raising this and also to all who have thrown in such good suggestions.

[Mistress Manners]

For the first week, when my body was adjusting, I chewed lots of gum in the late morning and late afternoon (my snack times). But I find I don't need to now.