Trouble getting all the food in

  • I'm having trouble the last few days getting 4 cups veggies plus everything else in. I am in week 2 and just don't seem to be hungry at all. I've been trying to force myself to eat the required amounts but it's not working well.

    Right from day one I had to break the meals up and have some for mid morning snack and afternoon snack but now I am not hungry at all and am having trouble.

    I have never been a huge quantity eater, my problem was breading frying/deep frying everything and too much rich creamy soups/sauces/dips (usually made with whipping cream,cream cheese, butter) full of fat.

    Any ideas to help would be totally appreciated.
  • Try some of the veggie purees. It gets a lot of veggies condensed down into a smaller area and you can mix them with the soups real easy.

    http://www.3fatchicks.com/forum/idea...ie-purees.html
  • I had similar issues at first as well. So what I did was found other veggies that weren't quite as 'filling'...like cucumber, pickles, radishes and celery. I have an IP drink for breakfast, then I eat my restricted between breakfast and lunch as a snack, then my 2 cups of veggies for lunch, then I have another IP food (usually a pre-made pudding) as a snack between lunch and dinner, then my 2 cups of veggies and 8 oz of protein for dinner. I've never been an evening snacker and found if I waited to have my 3rd IP food at night I'd forget to have it or had to force it down. I find a couple of the IP drinks less filling (like the cappuccino one). I also find the crispy cereal to not be too filling.
  • M35A2 - Thank you so much for the purees link, I am definitely going to be using these recipes.

    Cheekyskeeter - I am finding the same thing with my evening snack, skipping it quite often.
  • I have often blended my lunch veg in with my soup, along with some spices and minced onion. I've generally used some combination of zucchini, celery, and cauliflower for this. I add the onion when I mix the soup packet to the cup of boiling water, then add that to the roasted or steam veg in my blender. Then puree.

    Another tip I've read here is to add spinach to your morning chocolate smoothie, both blended into your morning coffee.
  • I make a "salad soup" and then use that to mix 1 cup with one of the IP soups. Also tired the spinach/chocolate smoothie (on one of the recipe threads) and that worked well, too.
  • Do you absolutely have to eat all 8 oz of meat and 4 cups of veggies?I've been having 2 cups of spinach chopped up and added to my soup for lunch, but at dinner I can't always eat 8 oz of meat and 2 cups of veggies.I try to eat as much as I can, but that's a lot of food and I can't eat it all.I've still been losing weight, so I think I'm getting enough.Is it okay if I don't eat it all?
  • Quote: Do you absolutely have to eat all 8 oz of meat and 4 cups of veggies?I've been having 2 cups of spinach chopped up and added to my soup for lunch, but at dinner I can't always eat 8 oz of meat and 2 cups of veggies.I try to eat as much as I can, but that's a lot of food and I can't eat it all.I've still been losing weight, so I think I'm getting enough.Is it okay if I don't eat it all?
    It's been discussed a LOT on other threads about splitting protein if its too much in one sitting. Measured raw, right?
  • Expect hunger to come and go with this diet.
    Next week you may find yourself starving.
    Try to get the basics in as best you can. Split up the protein. Have an egg as a snack and less meat within dinner. Don't eat salad unless you really like it.

    Going below the minimum daily recommendations for food is a slippery slope. Eventually you will get hungry and on ip you need to be prepared for temptation!
  • I had this issue initially and now it's not a problem. As someone else noted the hunger comes and goes.
  • Quote: Do you absolutely have to eat all 8 oz of meat and 4 cups of veggies?I've been having 2 cups of spinach chopped up and added to my soup for lunch, but at dinner I can't always eat 8 oz of meat and 2 cups of veggies.I try to eat as much as I can, but that's a lot of food and I can't eat it all.I've still been losing weight, so I think I'm getting enough.Is it okay if I don't eat it all?
    Nutritionally speaking, no. We need every calorie and nutrient we are given on this plan. And those veggies have precious fiber in them, which helps keep you regular. Constipation is one of the major side effects on IP.

    Have you tried splitting your veggies up over the course of the day? I would often throw 1 cup of mushrooms or spinach (measured raw) in my omelet mix while it was cooking, then I just had to have 1 cup of veggies at lunch, and by dinner I NEEDED those 2 cups of veggie! Try having 1 cup of veggies as a snack earlier in the day, and divide things up a little. You'll find what works for you.
  • I had trouble with the veggies at first because I wasn't trying anything new. So I would eat a few pickles to make sure I got it in, but was retaining water I think from the sodium in the pickles. Then I started adding the spinach to my morning shakes and I split my protein between lunch and dinner, because it doesn't feel like a meal if I don't have meat! I would have some veggies with lunch and then I started trying new veggies like Rutabaga, Zuchinni and realized I was feeling like I had too many. Some days the 4 cups seem really hard to get in, especially if I'm out and didn't prepare for the day well, and some days by dinner I don't have any veggies left!
  • Today I did much better getting my veggies in using some of your suggestions. Thank you all for the tips, spacing my veggies out through the whole day and purees(love them).
  • Quote: I have often blended my lunch veg in with my soup, along with some spices and minced onion. I've generally used some combination of zucchini, celery, and cauliflower for this. I add the onion when I mix the soup packet to the cup of boiling water, then add that to the roasted or steam veg in my blender. Then puree.

    Another tip I've read here is to add spinach to your morning chocolate smoothie, both blended into your morning coffee.
    I do the exact same thing. Not very hungry these days anymore. So In order to add in my veggies, I steam a lot of broccoli. I eat soup for lunch pretty much every day, so I'll add my veggies into my soup. Either using the magic bullet or just chopping it up really small.

    If I eat the "Omlette" packet for breakfast, I chop up a handful of fresh spinach and add that into my packet.