Hungry!!
 

Hi all
I have been on IP almost 5 weeks. I am doing well- lost 12 lbs and 17 inches. I only have 8 more until I reach my goal. Everyday for me is a struggle though! I am always hungry and still crave carbs. What am I doing wrong??? I find that when I have down time all I think about is eating snacks. HELP!!

the first place you want to look is your daily food intake - make sure you are getting in all the packets (including one restricted item per day), all the veggies, protein, water and supplements. The last thing you want to do is skimp on any of these things - we need every calorie we are allowed!

Then look at your water intake - sometimes hunger is really thirst in disguise! If you have dry skin or constipation, that hunger might actually be your body telling you it needs hydration. When hunger strikes, try drinking a big glass of water, and wait 20 minutes. If the hunger goes away, it probably wasn't real hunger after all.

Next, have you been making good use of the unlimited raw veggies? Lettuce salads, sliced cucumbers, a handful of mushrooms...all these things have been a HUGE help on days when I'm hungrier than normal. If you are hungry and the thought of eating a big bowl of lettuce or a sliced cucumber doesn't help....then it's not hunger that you are doing battle with.

This process is as much a mental exercise as a physical one - so if all else fails and you find yourself hyperfocusing on the stuff you can't have...then it might be your brain, not your body, working against you. Have you read the Beck Diet Solution? Many have used it in conjunction with IP to address the non-food related stuff that affects our eating patterns, and our weight loss.

Looks like you have much the same issue that I do: you eat when you are not occupied in other activities. I always ate far more in front of the television than the computer, because my hands were not involved elsewhere it was easy to fill them with food.

Take up a hand craft for those moments when your mind isn't actively busy and your hands are idle. It makes a big difference. I love to cross-stitch, knit, crochet and if I get desperate I'll be turning to darning socks rather than eating things I shouldn't. ;)