[Palestrina]

Originally Posted by apo9

You can do it...its a matter of measuring and timing,but you really have to want it.

This well-intended bit of advice that pops up can be very disheartening for most of the people who fail on their diet. Does failing mean they didn't really want it to begin with? Does it mean they didn't try hard enough? Does it mean that they possibly don't deserve it? What exactly does "you really have to want it" mean if someone should by chance regain?

[apo9]

That "you really have to want it "comment was not meant quite as it sounded.It is more like an in the moment decision.During the urge what do I want more...to remain fat or lose weight..Of course it was not meant to imply that one does not try hard enough,

[Palestrina]

Originally Posted by apo9

That "you really have to want it "comment was not meant quite as it sounded.It is more like an in the moment decision.During the urge what do I want more...to remain fat or lose weight..Of course it was not meant to imply that one does not try hard enough,

When you give in to an urge does it mean you want to remain fat?

All I'm saying is that nobody wants to be fat, everyone is motivated, white knuckling does not work all the time and usually backfires, and that there is more at play here than simply wanting it enough. We all want it, we all want good things for ourselves, but sometimes a compulsion takes over that is hard to control. Do I want to remain fat or do I want to lose weight is an unfair question to ask oneself. We don't eat so that we get fat, we eat for comfort/habit/anxiety/zoning out/etc, and if we are eating for reasons that are truly unrelated to hunger then wanting it bad enough doesn't play a role at all. We tend to also want whatever relief and comfort food brings us and if we don't have something set up to provide that comfort and relief then chances are we'll go back to food and then hate ourselves because we didn't try hard enough or maybe we didn't want it enough. And that only provides a lot of self judgement, self doubt, and guilt.

[IanG]

You's need to be getting more lean protein in ya!

Fish. Or eggs. Job done.

Even chicken or turkey if you are one of the regular complainers I keep coming across that "don't like seafood"!

That will kill the hunger in a calorie-efficient manner.

Keep running. Running is awesome. But you need to fuel it with good stuff (may I suggest a banana before the run and complex carbs like a bowl of oats after and/or aforementioned protein).

It sounds like you are getting hungry by eating the wrong stuff, working out which makes the hunger worse and then eating the wrong stuff even more.

I don't do emotional. That has nothing to do with my mouth.

(Actually it does. Some foods can help reduce anxiety. And exercise definitely does.)

[ubergirl]

Tefrey You'll recognize me from over on the releasers thread. I lost 110 lbs between 2009 and 2010 and kept it off until 2012 when I literally almost overnight just snapped, started bingeing, and "woke up" about 5 months later to find myself 70 lbs heavier. Believe me it was a catastrophe as I had gotten rid of my entire large-sized wardrobe and bought all new clothes.

What really struck me in your post is this:

The diet that has worked best for me is the iDiet ... it's balanced so nothing is completely off limits. I start off good, following it to the letter, then I start cutting out more and more calories.

This is very much my pattern as well. I have a tendency to go lower and lower on my calories. I used to consistently eat under 1000 calories a day, while running 3 miles a day. I weighed in the 180s, but I had it in my mind that I needed to lose another 20-30 lbs. I knew that I would read 3FC threads and people were always saying don't eat too little, etc. etc. but I just thought it didn't apply to me. Even with those low calories and that much exercise, once I got into the 190s my pace of weight loss was glacial. Now, mind you, I had my body fat composition tested, and it was within the normal range for my age, which might have clued me in, but it didn't. What happened to me is exactly like what wannabe described. I pulled that string tight for 3 straight years, but when I let go, I let go in a big way in a hurry.

I really and truly believed that I had developed a new lifestyle and changed my way of eating, but in reality, all that happened was that I used the old method with (restrict restrict restrict) for a longer continuous period of time than I had ever managed before. But in the end, the pattern was still the same: restrict restrict restrict followed by binge binge binge. I've done that a million times in my life-- managed to lose 10-15 lbs, then gained it back. I had just never managed to restrict long enough to lose 110 lbs before.

It took me eighteen months to be able to get back in the groove again after I shot that arrow and this time I'm really and truly taking a different approach. I'm actively fighting my tendency to over-restrict, and I'm allowing myself to wander off my plan on a regular basis.

I definitely encourage you to add more calories to your plan, and to work on not freaking out if you don't see fast loss. The other way, while it may work temporarily, triggers disordered eating in a lot of people and I'm one of them.

[Terra1984]

This is exactly my problem also, I dont know what to do about it anymore.

[faiora]

Originally Posted by tefrey

Hey everyone!

Last year I lost over 60 pounds and was a frequent contributor to this group. The loss stalled out in December and I switched my focus to exercise (mostly running). I was able to maintain for a while, but my weight started inching up, then skyrocketting up. I have now regained 30 pounds.

The reason? I'm always hungry. Always always always. I just had a yogurt and fiber one for breakfast 30 minutes ago and my tummy is already growling.

This is not emotional eating. If anything, it feels like my body has decided it needs to get back to 233 pounds as fast as possible.

I have been trying desperately to stop the starvation feelings for months and nothing works. Does anyone have any ideas?

As a lot of other people have mentioned on this thread, a yogurt and a fibre one bar are both carby foods (depending on the sugar in the yogurt, but milk sugars are still sugars). Neither of those has enough fat or protein to give you any kind of long-term hunger satiation.

I felt exactly the way you do, I think, about 3 months ago. I wasn't eating really unhealthy food all the time, but I felt hungry constantly no matter what I ate, to the point where I told my doctor about it. The advice I was given was that dehydration often feels like hunger, and that I should try and drink more water between (but not with or really close to) meals. I have to begrudgingly admit that helped.

However, there's more to it than that.

I've been doing a lot of experimenting with what makes me feel full and what doesn't. And I'd suggest you try out the same thing for yourself. Try eating different foods and paying attention to when you get hunger feelings later.

For me, fattier foods with protein in them - like steak, for instance - make me feel full the longest. Second to those are leaner proteins like fish, and last are carbs. But within all those groups are variations. For instance, whole grain carbs like steel cut oats can keep me full for hours, and refined carbs can't, but also triscuits (which I got excited about because they're whole grain) make me hungry really soon after I eat them.

Another thing that may be holding you back, as weird as it sounds, is cardio. Cardio does a lot of things. Burning calories is one of those, but toning and apparently LOSING lean mass is another (we also usually lose lean mass along with fat when we lose weight). And lean mass is what keeps burning calories when you're lazing around or sleeping, so you want to keep that. You don't have to stop doing cardio, but I'd add weights to the routine, or even just some squats in the morning or something. And make sure you're getting enough protein in your diet, too!

It might be good to have one session with a fitness trainer to talk about lean mass and your goals. Most of them are pretty good at that stuff.

Originally Posted by tefrey

No change in medication. Food has changed ... but as a result of being hungry. I could eat the way I did when I was dieting easily ... it's just that my body is demanding all sorts of high calorie stuff ... and I cave, which of course makes the cravings worse.

Personally, I don't think it's possible to interpret what your body is craving with this level of specificity. That is, unless you're saying your mind (which is admittedly part of your body) is craving high calorie stuff.

The thing is, I thought I was starving all the time and apparently I was dehydrated. It felt the same. And anyway, if your body is telling you it's hungry, but you're not hungry enough to eat something healthy, then you're not really hungry. That's your mind playing tricks on you.

Even if it is possible to know what precisely your body wants, I think that level of perception would mean you would also be able to tell the difference between hunger and a craving. And I'm not sure how many of us have mastered that yet! But, I may be projecting my own experiences on to you, and I don't mean to do that.

My body is a dirty liar. Yours might not be.

[ratfancy]

Quite a brilliant description of the syndrome many of us experience. Thank you.