Does anyone else have days, or parts of a day when no matter what you eat you still feel hungry?

What do you do about it?

Are there any munchie foods that are low calorie and on plan that help you through this time?


I seem to struggle with this about once every other week. It isn't with my TOM, it isn't cyclic, it seems to be random.
Last time, I ate about half a baggie of raw baby carrots and that helped. Prior to that, I ate a few giant dill pickles and that helped. This time, I ate another salad and piece of chicken breast...basically another whole meal and finally I don't feel hungry.

I have days like this but they do become less frequent with time. My doctor told me that the hungry days are a sign that the weightloss is working. Your body is telling you it needs more fuel and the simplest process is to eat more. Converting stored fat into energy is a much more complex process so your body tries the easier route and sends hungry signals.

That's not to say you should just starve. I think you did what I would do and eat some additional low calorie food (fruit or veggies help me).

Kitty

It's always been late afternoon for me. Before SBD it was bags of chips (and not single serving bags either). Now the cravings are gone but I still like to pick when I first get home. Because I'm a salt snacker I eat dill pickle chips, pepperroncini, and soy crisps with big glasses of water. Some days I eat just one of those things and some days I eat all three. So far it's working alright.

I woke up this morning in fact and was ravonous. I did add an extra egg and some bran cereal ( 1\2) serving. I can take it off later in the day. I don't usually eat everything I can on the diet unless I'm like this today where I'm uncomfortable. I generally do add something if I'm really hungry and in the late morning and afternoon, I usually add a salad.

I tell the difference between a craving and hunger in that a craving is specific for a particular food or type of food. Real hunger I don't really care what I eat.

This happened to me just a couple weeks ago. I thought it was because I'd been sick and hadn't eaten as much while sick, but it lasted a few days. It was pretty miserable and eventually sent me off my plan for a few meals. The only thing I can suggest is if you like veggies, pile 'em on! They are low in calories and have some fiber to help keep you feeling fuller. You can eat a lot of most veggies without really affecting your plan. They also say protein helps, so your chicken breast was a good idea as well, but that wasn't working for me for some reason.

And, of course, if you're not drinking a lot of water, drink more. But that wasn't my problem last time, either, so that's an "if, then," not necessarily a solution.

I can't ignore hunger. Not when it's real hunger and not just a craving or boredom. That feeling is just so uncomfortable, and if I don't eat when I feel hungry, then I DEFINITELY feel deprived.

::raises hand::

It hits me, too, usually late at night which is about the worst time to satisfy those feelings. I'm trying to combat it by eating dinner a little later and going to bed a little earlier (I'm a night owl - it's the only time the house is quiet - lol). Some days it helps; some days it doesn't.

An apple with a little protein seems to help. The apple takes a while to eat and is bulky. Or about a cup of raw veggies.

I tend to notice a good weight loss after I have had a few days of increased hunger. Mine tends to occur at bedtime. I just go to bed hungry, because if I eat at night, I get heartburn.

I had one of those days yesterday. (and I know it's because I ate a planned piece of cake Saturday night) So, what I did was eat! I more or less "snacked" all day long with lots of vegetables and ate a boiled egg for a snack and that did the trick. A lot of protein helps when I have those days.

I read all of these posts and what I seem to be reading is that some people are "undereating". If you go to the thread about posting your menu you will see I do not undereat. I eat what is on this food plan but I make sure that each meal has a balance of lean protein, vegetable and sometimes carbs.

We are allowed to eat some foods like olives and pickles which do help with those "need to eat" moments. I find that a piece of reduced fat string cheese really helps. I don't allow myself to get too hungry but when I do I eat a small on plan snack and it goes away.

Some days I need a mid morning or afternoon snack. That is fine on this plan. Again, he emphasized protein as your prefered snack of choice. He also emphasized that we are not to allow ourselves to get too hungry since that also signals that our blood sugar drops and that can cause us to overeat. Although I do not eat a planned mid morning or afternoon snack every day like Phase 1, on occasion when I seem to be hungrier on some days, I do.

This food plan is not about calories. It is about eating foods that help us metabolize the fat we already have. Eat those and you will help your body correct itself, and that is from the good Dr.'s own words.