Gum...help or not?

MindiV · 05-06-2009, 08:56 AM

Ok, so when I was losing weight, I'd use gum a lot to curb the cravings and keep me from snacking. Like when I was cooking, I'd chew a piece of gum to keep me from "tasting" too many things. Or when there was a LONG break between snacks for whatever reason, I'd use gum to help. In all, maybe once a day I'd chew a piece...twice sometimes.

Then here a few weeks ago I started chewing the HECK out of some sugar free Trident. It's become somewhat obsessive....constantly chewing. Don't know why. At that same time I began snacking like crazy too, and the gum doesn't help me stop, either. I just get rid of the piece I've got, eat the mini Snicker bar (we've literally got 6 pounds of mini chocolate bars at work still), and get a new piece.

I started thinking about it last night, and it's almost as if the gum is MAKING me crave real food...like my brain is saying, "Ok...you're chewing but the stomach is getting nothing! Eat!"

Am I insane? Has anyone else had this problem with gum doing the opposite of curbing the cravings?

Gonna lay off the gum for a few days and get back on my "no snacking" track, before it's too late!

paperclippy · 05-06-2009, 09:01 AM

I find that if I'm really hungry, gum will just make me hungrier. On the other hand, if I just feel like I need to have something in my mouth, and I'm not really hungry, gum is good to keep me from snacking.

It's true that when you chew gum, your mouth forms more saliva. It's also true that when you're hungry you have more saliva. So maybe they are related?

MindiV · 05-06-2009, 10:32 AM

Good thought on the saliva thing, Paperclippy....I've been off the gum today and only slipped once so far...on a little three-pack of Whoppers candy. 30 calories....not as bad as I was doing, but still a slip. No more today!!!

alinnell · 05-06-2009, 11:30 AM

I chew gum on occasion, but not usually while cooking. I used to chew it a lot more--and it became a problem. I would seriously chew an entire package (10+ pieces) in one afternoon. As soon as one piece would start to lose it's flavor, I'd spit it out and pop in a new one. So the calories (about 10 per piece estimated) really added up. Some people say that the chewing negates the calories, but I no longer believe that--especially when I chewed so many. And it seems that the artificial sweetener made me crave sweets. These days I chew a piece of gum when I'm on a long car trip--mainly to keep my mouth moist and therefore I don't drink as much water so we don't have to make potty breaks!

ShutterK · 05-06-2009, 11:37 AM

I chew gum, too! It helps me- keeps me distracted for the most part.

Shannon in ATL · 05-06-2009, 11:40 AM

I can't do the gum, unless it is a distraction when I don't have access to food, like in the car. If I chew gum at home or work it is almost always a gateway to other stuff.

I can drink hot tea, even with some Stevia in it, and that works for me. It gives me something in my tummy that fills me up and stops the snacking while I'm cooking.

WaterRat · 05-06-2009, 01:19 PM

How different we all are! I almost never chew gum - like 2-3 times a year. But when I was growing up my mother wouldn't let us chew gum at all. We'd sneak bubble gum some times, but never got the gum chewing habit. I really never even think about it as something to buy. When I do have some it's been offered to me or I have eaten onions, etc. leaving a bad taste in my mouth.

paperclippy · 05-06-2009, 01:41 PM

Pat, I'm laughing about your mom prohibiting gum. Sometimes I want to prohibit DH from chewing gum ever because he can't seem to do it with his mouth closed, and chewing gum with your mouth open is the most disgusting habit ever! I still remember the first exam I took in college, there was a girl chewing gum with her mouth open sitting behind me and that awful smacking breathy sound was totally distracting.

WaterRat · 05-06-2009, 06:33 PM

Jessica - that was exactly why my mother wouldn't let us have it! She likened it to cow chewing its cud!

kitkat1985 · 05-06-2009, 09:56 PM

I have a MAJOR gum-chewing problem. I'm trying to stop-- I really am!-- but I am seemingly addicted.

MindiV · 05-07-2009, 08:10 AM

We can kick the habit, kitkat!!!!!

freshmanweightorbust · 05-07-2009, 08:48 AM

My mom used to tell me that nice girls didn't chew gum in public... I think she was just tired of cutting it out of my hair. To this day, I have trouble chewing gum if there are people around, because I think everybody's staring at me, thinking how vulgar I am...

kitkat1985 · 05-07-2009, 12:46 PM

MindiV- let's do it!! I definitely use gum as a "crutch". My new goal is to eat real food instead when the gum urges come-- I have a history of restricting during the day and eating lots at night. Y'all will probably kill me, but I think I need to GAIN 5 lbs or so in order to be less obsessive about food/ less hungry all the time/ kick this gum chewing habit. I made another appointment with my nutritionist and doctor so we'll see how that goes-- apparently my body doesn't like being 6' and 139.