[duckchick]

I originally wanted to post this thread because, for some reason, I still feel empty and hungry. I had my breakfast shake this morning, and it's healthy, chocolaty goodness!

recipe:
1 cup water, milk, or in my case, vanilla almond milk
1 cup frozen cherries
1 chopped banana, frozen
2 tbsp protein powder (original recipe calls for 1/4 cup, but I thought that was too much)
2 tbsp hemp seeds (optional)
2 tbsp cocoa (unsweetened or raw chocolate)
splash of vanilla, unless you use vanilla almond milk!

Throw into the blender and blend. It's wonderful! I usually don't feel hungry after drinking it (it makes about 3 cups). Granted, I've only been drinking it for a week, but it's got milk in it! I usually feel quite satisfied until lunch! But today, for some reason, I made and drank it, came to work, and I realized my stomach felt empty. I was hungry for something solid! A bit nonplussed, I took an almond granola bar that I keep in my work snack stash and ate it. That helped for a bout 10 minutes.

I STILL feel hungry! As in my stomach is growling and feeling empty! I don't get it.

I should add that I have a huge 32 oz. mug full of water that I drink every night, and I'm almost done with it. That's helped to keep me from eating too soon. But am I wrong to ignore the hunger pangs? I've not had them before with this breakfast shake, but since I didn't eat a whole meal after Saturday's tamale fiasco ( I made a post about it in the newbie accountability thread) perhaps I need something more substantial, and I shouldn't be fighting it? Perhaps I should have my lunch early?

I guess I just want to know if it's normal for this to happen sometimes.

[duckchick]

Well, I ate my lunch early. Twas a chicken thigh, skinless, with spinach and romain salad. And more water.

[Rosinante]

I think it sometimes just happens. Friday and Saturday, I was really hungry in the afternoon - and I hadn't dropped my calories or over-exercised (ha, like that would Ever happen ).

I don't see any harm in ignoring it for a couple of days but it it persists, then it's worth re-visiting your calories, or however else you're measuring amounts; or looking at the content to make sure there aren't empty calories lurking in there.

[duckchick]

Thanks Rosinante! I should probably also clarify that when I say I drank my shake "this morning", it was about 8pm central time. Which is morning for me, lol!

I'm hoping this was just a fluke.

[ncuneo]

If you had an off plan meal the day before it's likely your body is going through a form of withdrawal. I know that after I eat off plan I often feel pretty crummy a day or two afterwards because my body just isn't used to ingesting those things anymore. I'm also usually more hungry than usual after an off plan day. Just another reason to really stop and think if it's really worth it to go off plan.

[TXMary2]

It could be genuine hunger pangs if you haven't been giving your body what it needs. I am assuming from your current weight you are just starting so it also could be your body is just adjusting to less food. The first week was hardest for me.

[jendiet]

my theory is that when you went off plan your metabolism was literally revved. So now your body thinks it will get more and is prepared to burn more--yet you dropped back down. You will lose more weight this way. It is in essence calorie cycling.

[SCraver]

I read somewhere once something about drinking something does not send the same signals to your brain as chewing does - so sometimes, even though you had a healthy shake with all kinds of nutrients, your brian is still lokking for you to chew something.

IDk. I would have to search to find more info to back that up. But maybe every few days, you might want to try to incorporate something chewable into your breakfast? Or even leave out some of the fruit and eat that straight?

[skygirl]

Hi Duckchick. Your breakfast shake and your lunch salad both sound really good! I had similar thoughts to the other posters, that maybe if you had something off plan it threw you a bit and made you had cravings or just hungrier in general. And also the thing about eating some of the fruit along with drinking the shake, for the chewing/eating sensation/signals.

The other thing, though, is maybe even though you normally cut the protien powder down from 1/4 a cup to 2tbsp, maybe your body is saying that it now wants the additional protien. How many grams of protien does the 1/4 cup give you, and how many grams does the 2tbsp give you? I know there's also protien in the milk, but milk and fruit have natural sugars in them, and though they are healthy, if not balanced with "enough" protien could make you hungry sooner.

Sounds like a lot of fantastic healthy yummy ingredients! Good luck!

[sweetnlow28]

Just a thought, but are you close to TOM (period)? For about three days before mine, I am a starving raving mad woman. I thought about it because I am in that phase right now and I just can't get enough to eat.
It could also be, like the others mentioned, that your stomach is just looking for something solid to break down. I would try some eggs or something else solid with lost of protein

[duckchick]

Thanks so much, everyone! Yes, after eating my lunch early, I felt tons better. Then, when I got home (about 7am) I had a dinner of 3 slices of leftover brisket and toast, with a cup of fruit and glass of milk. I think there's merit to both points. I'll try eating the fruit every other day, and drinking it as a shake on the off days. AND I'm going to look at the benefits of adding more protein to the shake. It tasted chalky before (but still good!), but perhaps that's just something to get used to.

Thanks so much, ladies!

[duckchick]

I was on plan for food, though I varied the routine a bit. When I had my breakfast shake, I also had a small plate of pasta and chicken breast with a little cream sauce, just to give me something tangible to eat. I hope this will take care of the hunger pangs I was feeling the last couple of days. I'm below my calorie count, so I think everything's cool!