I've now completed my first week of stabilization and I struggled with hunger. I craved more carbs-- badly! Unfortunately, I cheated and would eat like extra melbas or an extra low cal tortilla. I guess that's why I didn't lose 1 darn lb. either.

Did anyone else experience being extremely hungry, especially in the evenings?

My counselor says that I'm carb sensitive (not really sure what this means in depth)...

I think there is a product they sell that helps with this. I didn't take anything but had some cravings, not as bad as what you're describing but had them. A counselor told me after the fact that she would have recommended this product....which I'm sorry I can't remember the name of Anyway, I'd ask someone else at your center and help yourself ease into things more....

I also find that in general the weekends are harder for me than work days.

Carb sensitive (I'm very sensitive) people are more intensely sensitive to the blood sugar spikes brought on by carbs. These spikes trigger the feeling of hunger. The more carbs you eat, the more you will crave. Now, not all carbs are created equally ... so choose them wisely. Carbs themselves are not the enemy ... just discovering how your body reacts will help.

Hang in there -- you've done so well!!

I am also a carb addict. I can't seem to lose the last 7lbs because I can't leave the cookies and junk alone.. And it is very true, the more you eat the more you want. I struggle with this on a daily basis. I think the thing they told you about is Guggle.. I have some and if I took it, I may do better with the cravings. But then maybe not..
Good luck, you have done a great job!

Ronnie

Are carbs in 2 basic categories--the fruit/veggie type and the bread type or is it more complex than that?

I think it is more the bread, pasta sweets type of carbs.. The kind that aren't so good for you. The veggie carbs are more natural than the stuff found in bread pasta type things..
Cheers!

Ronnie

It's more about how your blood sugar is effected by the carbs. There are simple and complex carbs. Processed, white (rice, bread, flour, sugar, etc.) foods are not our friends. Fruits and veggies all have carbs and there are two schools of thought on this. Some will say that even certain fruits or starchy carbs (potatoes, etc.) will throw everything off (they certainly do for me). Others say not. I'm definitely not an expert on the topic. Healthy carbs are a necessary part of your diet, so it's really all about trial and error and watching very carefully and figuring out how your body metabolizes these foods. Not everyone is the same. Moderation is the key. Good luck!

Again, thanks for your explanations ladies.

My counselor did suggest Guggul and I did buy it. I just forgot to take it like I am suppose to. But I will start today.

I think the popcorn that I added to lunch disturbed my sugar levels. I plan to stick with sweet potatoes and brown rice. No white starches for me.

That's a good plan. Avoiding white carbs worked for me. I did not take the guggul, but it is supposed to help. My appetite seemed to get back under control by the end of stabilization, but over all, I have to say that I'm more hungry now on maintenance than I was while OP. I think part of it is just in my mind, since I know I no longer have to be perfect to loose weight. Good luck with stabilization. It's just another step of your journey. You can do it.

I think having the HNSs while we were on Program is part of what kept us from feeling hungry. I find on maintenance, if I have a protein shake in the morning, I am not as hungry as when I have my toast, egg and fruit. I've been using Sparkpeople.com to track my food diary now (Thanks, PorchMom) and find I have a hard time getting enough protein and eat too much fat, even if it is the good kind! MRC tried to keep us on a 60-20-20 protein to fat and card ratio. I though I would try for a 40-30-30 and am having problems doing that.

For me, it is the sugars in the carbs that make me crave more carbs - especially ones with sugar!

I wonder if the length of time we are in the losing phase, helps our bodies get over the 'carb sensitivity'. If we take longer to lose, if we have a longer period of time where are bodies are not getting the 'sugar carb fix', our bodies will adjust better during stabilization and maintenance? I know each of us are different - maybe it has to do with how long we were giving our bodies that 'sugar carb fix' on demand? I know in college, I really abused my body - didn't eat anything until around 2pm - had a candy bar and then went home for my mom's home cooked dinner - that was the only real nutrition I got for 3 years - I think I was inducing hypoglycemia in myself!

Maintenance is a real trip. I'm going to go make myself a protein shake now as I've got a long day. Good luck in your day, dear friends!

This week is going much better =)

I've been eating sweet potatoes. I'm not messing with that angel food cake or popcorn. I've actually gone down a lb on my scale so we'll see when I WI on Saturday.

Porchmom, Roadqueen, and Reuselady,
How's maintenance going? Is it hard? Do you feel you get enough food as well as enjoyment? Have you tried eating candy? LOL, but I'm serious...

I'm only on the first week of maintenance and I'm a little confused. I'm struggling a bit with exchanges and counting calories. I liked stabilization and actually continued to loose weight the first 4 weeks then held steady the last two weeks. I do like all of the new food choices and I bought the biggest looser cookbook to help me cook some healthy meals. I've made several things that are really great. I've gone out for dinner some and have added adult beverages back on occasion. I have not had a candy bar, but I did have two chocolate covered macadamia nuts that a co worker brought back from Hawaii. They were 50 calories each. I was proud that I could eat just two and walk away. The best thing that I've tried so far are the Skinny Cow ice cream cups. I think they have real sugar in them but they are low fat and really creamy. As soon as I saw ice cream on the maintenance menu exchange list I went searching. Since these are small on serving cups I don't have to worry about eating more than one serving and I don't have a whole half gallon waving to me from the freezer. We will see if the scale goes up at WI. I'm supposed to attend a Maintenance Class on Monday evening. Hoping they will clear up some of the confusion. All in all IT FEELS GREAT. Good luck with stabilization.