I was having no problems with my calorie range for more than 2 weeks - but now it seems like I'm hungry all the time? It's the same foods (protein, veggies mostly) I was eating - and I am watching sugary foods (apples, carrots, breads, juices, etc) because I thought they might be causing it - but they don't seem to be.... Could it be bananas? they are usually my friend, and my constant late night charlie horse/leg cramps have all but disappeared since I started eating so many, so I don't want to give them up! If it's them can I balance them some how?

Could it be something else? It's not TOM, and I have upped my walk by 1/2 a mile lately - could that be it? I really don't know where this is coming from. I know people have mentioned cold weather munchies - does that mean being so hungry you could eat your own arm? I've tried waiting it out, but it doesn't seem to pass like you might expect from blood sugar fluctuations.

I don't know how to handle this, 2 hours after I eat I know I'm ready for a snack but I am starving so bad that I could empty the fridge into my mouth and not feel full...

I'm going to try a fiber soluble drink and maybe some hot broth before my snack.... see if that helps.... if anyone has any suggestions, I'm really open to them... I really need to see a loss this week to keep me going and this constant eating is dragging me down!

maybe you need more fiber? I eat bananas all the time and lots of fiber like shredded wheat and everything fibery I can get my hands on I have turned into a fiber eating vegetarian the last 3 weeks and I feel full most all the time.I graze on this stuff all day long and its like my body doesn't get a chance to get hungry. I am 3 weeks in today and have lost from 257lbs to 241lbs and I eat 1 to 2 banana's a day so maybe you should up your fiber and see if that helps...just a thought

Bananas can cause cravings with me. Have you tried eating them later in the day? Balancing them with peanut butter (or other nut butter) may help.

Also, bananas are only an average source of potassium, beans and greens are much better sources. Here are a couple links on potassium sources:
http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?t...trient&dbid=90
http://www.health.gov/DIETARYGUIDELI.../AppendixB.htm

I always get REALLY hungry when I don't get enough good fat. I also love bananas, but I like them in things like smoothies because it covers the taste of spinach or other leafy greens I add. By themselves I sort of go "blah" unless they are on the tart side lol. I tend to eat when I'm hungry, I'll eat and if I'm hungry an hour or two later, then I'll eat again, but I do mini-meals really. I DO need to balance my meals more, but overall I find I'm craving things when I am not getting enough fat or filling meals.

Like a smoothie is great, but I also need something more later. So I have a choice of eating a snack type thing or a small meal or even another smoothie if I want. I agree with making sure you're getting enough protein as well.

If you want to try cutting back on bananas but are concerned about potential muscle cramps, the best source of potassium I have found is tomato paste. If supplies 12.4mg of potassium for every calorie while bananas supply 4 mg/cal.

Signed, numbers geek who shares your problem of night leg cramps.

How far do you walk in total? Have you increased the briskness of your walks? When are you walking? Do the muscle cramps occur only at night or is that when you notice them the most. And where specifically do you experience the cramps?

You could have some gait problems. I noticed that as long as I'm not in a hurry, I can walk for hours, but the minute I increase my speed to increase the cardio effect, my shins, ankles and knees give me problems. I had my gait analyzed and then got the right shoes (my feet tend to roll outward when I walk more quickly). I also started jogging a little, which also helped me (much to my surprise).

I notice I feel more hungry when I eat 3 larger meals a day I tend to do better on 6 smaller meals a day then I am constantly eating But i feel your pain when It's TOM for me I feel like a bottomless pit I can eat and eat and eat and never feel full! It's horrible and it's not I'm bored let me eat because I have nothing better to do It's I'm genuinely hungry and I want more food!

The first question I have is how many calories are you eating on average? Sometimes if you're eating very little that's okay for a while, but then your body may not like it so well...

Yep... how many calories are you eating???

When I start having a tough time with food cravings, I switch up my breakfast. I make a packet of "lower sugar" oatmeal with 2/3 cup skim milk and half of a large apple. I put the chopped apple in the microwave for a minute to make it a bit softer before mixing it into the oatmeal. The fiber in the oatmeal, the sweetness of the apple, and the protein in the milk helps keep me going through the day.

Kat

I'm eating about 1,800-2,00 calories a day. I am gonna give a few of the suggestions a try (don't want to do everything at once) gonna up the fiber & protein (oatmeal is gonna be good in this cold weather) and cut back on bananas a little and try bringing in more tomatoes and greens - I will let you know if it improves