Carolr - That used to be me. It started when I was single and lived alone. If I ever cooked dinner, it was some vegetables. Even after I was married and had instant family (2 step children) I would cook dinner and then go read the paper while they ate. It was after the last kid moved out and DH didn't want to eat dinner alone that I added dinner to the mix, and also added about 75 lbs. I have tried to do the 3 meals a day thing, but it has me eating when I'm not really hungry. Because I'm retired and no longer on a schedule, I eat a combined late breakfast/early lunch and then dinner in the evening. I try to keep the dinner small and keep some for the next day. It doesn't always work. If I had not started eating dinner I probably would still be thin.
Very interesting slmn. I only ate 1 or 2 meals a day most of my life except for when I was in college and when I lived with an aunt who insisted on 3 meals and also once I married. There was a time when I cooked that I didn't eat. I never ate breakfast or had night snacks until I went to college. I always felt the same way about eating breakfast and remember my Daddy saying the same thing. He said that if he didn't eat breakfast that he could go all day without eating, but once he ate breakfast he wanted to eat all day. We learned to eat 3 meals and snacks because doctors and nutririonists insist you have to. Now here I am trying to learn to eat like I used to eat... only when I'm hungry, but the trick seems to be learning the difference in hunger and what I guess would be called head hunger which to me is just when you want the taste of something which I'm not sure is real hunger.
I think I might have hit on something. My dh was making cookies for my son and his family and my gd and I started doing WATP five really big miles. Completely took away my appetite.
Carolr - I found that interesting about doing the WATP getting rid of the appetite.
I read some more on the IE archives. I think I need to read there everyday. DH sleeping and the kids are gone so the house is quiet. I think I will read some more out of the Overfed Head. Still haven't finished it.
I almost started a diet today. While I do lean more toward low carbing, I don't want to rule out all foods and get back into that good/bad food thing again. I had egg salad for breakfast and then around 1 I got hungry for tuna so made me a tuna salad and decided I wanted crackers with it. Need to drink more water today.
Reading the old IE posts, made me realize that I need to stop weighing so often. I think it is working against me in a lot of ways. I don't actually take diabetic meds and I think I need to top taking the Metformin that I take. I cannot take 2 of them because I am running to the potty all the time. That was hard enough to deal with before the kids moved in and that they live here and I have only one bathroom, I can't deal with that and sure can't do that taking care of a baby all day. I have been taking the pill at night which means that I have to eat something to keep it from hurting my stomach which messes with the idea of eating only when you are hungry. I find myself eating at night just to take the pill even though I'm not hungry and then once I start eating I end up wanting more. It didn't seem to work when I took it earlier in the day, but it doesn't seem to be working now at all. I'm thinking that it isn't working because I'm overeating which is causing my fasting blood sugar to be higher. I heard some where that eating more than what satisfies you can spike you blood sugar and it has been high lately. I know stress causes it too, but I think adding physical stress of overeating to the emotional stress could be my big problem. Have to think this one over.
Any way I weighed this morning and I am going to try to not weigh again until at least next Sunday morning and either take the pill earlier in the day or not take it at all.
I was reading Overfed Head and found it interesting that he says if you are not hungry and you eat a carrot you just overate, but if you are hungry and you et a piece of carrot cake you are not overeating or doing anything wrong. Sure isn't what we are taught in the "dieting" world is it?
Interesting experience... tonight I wanted crackers with peanut butter. I wasn't going to eat it because I couldn't tell if I was really hungry for it or not, finally decided to eat it. Amazing thing is there was a time I could the whole package of crackers with peanut butter. I was using regular crackers making my own peanut butter crackers. Ended up eating a serving of 5 crackers and I was satisfied. Haven't needed anything else to eat. Feel it was real progress. I even took the Metformin when I ate the crackers.
I was reading Overfed Head and found it interesting that he says if you are not hungry and you eat a carrot you just overate, but if you are hungry and you et a piece of carrot cake you are not overeating or doing anything wrong. Sure isn't what we are taught in the "dieting" world is it?
Whilst that's technically right, i guess if you want to lose weight most efficiently, you still have to eat the right things when you are hungry (eg protein and veggies instead of sugar and carbs) so that you remain fuller for longer and don't get hungry again so quickly, and therefore consume fewer calories overall.
And if you've trained yourself to eat healthily then that's what you'll feel like eating when you're hungry which means better health, as against maintaining a 'sweet palate' and craving carrot cake when you get hungry
Great work with your discipline on the 5-cracker meal though.
Location: Home of the Pirates, Steelers and Penguins
Posts: 12,443
S/C/G: 217/179/142
Height: 5'2
Quote:
Originally Posted by pattygirl63
Very interesting slmn. I only ate 1 or 2 meals a day most of my life except for when I was in college and when I lived with an aunt who insisted on 3 meals and also once I married. There was a time when I cooked that I didn't eat. I never ate breakfast or had night snacks until I went to college. I always felt the same way about eating breakfast and remember my Daddy saying the same thing. He said that if he didn't eat breakfast that he could go all day without eating, but once he ate breakfast he wanted to eat all day. We learned to eat 3 meals and snacks because doctors and nutririonists insist you have to. Now here I am trying to learn to eat like I used to eat... only when I'm hungry, but the trick seems to be learning the difference in hunger and what I guess would be called head hunger which to me is just when you want the taste of something which I'm not sure is real hunger.
Trish, I can understand why the nutritionist tell us to be sure to eat 3 meals a day because it is supposed to keep your motabolism from slowing down, keep blood sugar regular etc. But if it has you eating more calories than your body is using then it's no good IMO. I have a problem with portion control. When I was in the hospital and they provided my food, I had no choice but to only eat the amount they gave me. I continued that for a while when I came home, eating 3 meals but only small portions. I lost 15 lbs, but gradually my portions increased to the point that I started gaining that weight back. I am better at cutting out a meal than cutting back on portions.
ange82much - I agree. I really think our body will actually desire healthy foods instead of junk foods. At least I know mine does. There are a few things people consider bad or unhealthy foods that I like and don't really want to give up, but for the most part since I've been trying to listen to my body, I find I have a desire mostly for more wholesome healthier foods. I find that I go into the store with the idea to buy something I can legally have on IE to end up leaving the store with it because once I saw it I realized it didn't appeal to me that much. So I honestly believe that when I listen to my body, I usually want the more wholesome quality foods.
slmn - I feel the same way about portion control. I don't really it is so much what we eat as to how much. Somewere in the old posts (I haven't gotten there yet) Carol posted a story about a man who worked overseas where there was a fast food place where he at which I think was McDonalds. He said the portions in that country was much smaller than what we are served here in the USA. One day he realized that he was buying and eating the same order he did her in America and he was perfectly satisfied with the smaller portions. I think we got so brainwashed to eat all that was on our plate that we think we have to eat the whole order when we eat out. Then when we get home we think we have to make big portions there too. A lot of people have a problem with buffet restaurants, but I love them. I always get very small portions of the foods I want so I can save for my favorite dessert which is carrot cake. Then I send my DH to get the slice of cake for me so that I don't get tempted to get more than the piece of cake. I do great in buffets. However, when I'm doing IE, I am good at bringing at least half of the food home from a regular restaurant.
Carolr - I did weigh this morning and had a new low. About 2 weeks ago I had gained 10 lbs and am glad to say I have lost that 10 lbs now. Now I'm going to try to wait until next Monday to weight.
yes i definitely notice that portions in the US are much larger than anywhere else in the world, and not only that there's normally options of lots of extra sides presented by the waiter on top of that (whereas in other places you're just left with the menu and it's up to you what you order, and things aren't suggested by the waiter or already included, so if you want baked potato or onion rings etc then you have to find it on the menu and order it yourself - small difference i guess, but when someone is offering you're more likely to say 'yes' i'd think).
Portion size has been my problem too, and that's what i've been working on reducing during this current diet. It's working. My stomach feels full on much smaller portions now and i tend to savour each mouthful.
Location: Home of the Pirates, Steelers and Penguins
Posts: 12,443
S/C/G: 217/179/142
Height: 5'2
Quote:
Originally Posted by carolr3639
What is it about once you start eating when you're not hungry, you want more? That happens to me, too.
And I thought it was only me! My husband isn't like that. Sometimes I will get something to eat and he will say "You just ate dinner, how could you be hungry again?" And I don't really have an answer to that except that the food was calling my name.
And I thought it was only me! My husband isn't like that. Sometimes I will get something to eat and he will say "You just ate dinner, how could you be hungry again?" And I don't really have an answer to that except that the food was calling my name.
I can remember when I was in OA (I'm sure it has happened other times it's just that time has always stood out in my mind), I had eaten my low carb meal. It was baked chicken, green beans and finger salad (radishes, celery and cukes). Supposed to keep you from cravings, right? As soon as I got through washing the dishes, I was starving. I mean really hungry. I remember it because I made the statement to myself out loud (I was alone)... "You couldn't possibly be hungry. You just got through eating a full meal".
I have never figured out why this happens. I've heard that something you ate at the last meal caused a trigger for you to be hungry later. But thanks to IE, I wonder. From what I've read on IE, I'm wondering if the food you are craving is the food that maybe we should have eaten in the first place because our body needs or wants it instead of what we force it to eat because we have been convinced it is "healthier" for it or it is what a "diet" says we have to feed it. I have gone all day wanting a certain food and not eating it because it wasn't on the diet. When I listen to what my body wants and go ahead and eat it, I'm finding I don't have to eat loads of it. I just eat what satisfies my body and I don't get cravings for something else later. I remember that my Mama used to say that when you are craving a food that there is something in it your body needs. I also remember thinking that if I could just eat what I wanted instead of having to eat a whole meal that I wouldn't have a weight problem. So maybe there is something to that. It might be a learning lesson here to watch for. When we eat a meal and feel hungry after to ask ourselves, "Did I want what I ate in that meal? And if I didn't, then why did I eat it?" I suspect we will find that we didn't want it and we didn't get satisfied because we really wanted something else.
There was a thread here on taking cinnamon as a supplement. I think I'll try it for a week or so.
I take cinnamon for my blood sugar because a RN told me about it when I was diagnosed T2. I just need to be more diligent about taking it. I need to read the benefits again. It is good for so many things other than blood sugar and I have forgotten them.
