[Frankie35]

Hello,
I have been doing so good this week and then I hit TODAY. Today I woke up hungry and it hasn't gone away. I am not giving in and I have tried to eat more protein this morning. Still I am starving. It is so strange because some days I am not hungry at all and some days I could eat the house. I am drinking water and I am eating protein and doing all the tricks to curb hunger including getting on and posting but non of it is working. I am not going to give in I am sticking to my journal and I am determined to lose weight this week. Still it is so hard and it can drive a person to craziness. I ate my Luna Bar for breakfast which I love and usually it fills me. I am just having one of those days. I have to be very careful about what I eat for breakfast because some foods like bagels and stuff make me want to eat all day so I know it wasn't my Luna Bar. Well it is so good to know I am not in this journey alone and we are all fighting the same battle. I keep dreaming of the bathing suit I am going to get into in two months. Keep dreaming of Summer. What motivated me was a picture of me I took in my old bathing suit. Try this motivating technique and you will be motivated to lose weight. See ya Frankie

[imshrinkin']

Hi Frankie,

It's normal. I've been on WW since last August and come to realize that my body has a pattern. The week before TOM is always the week from you know where. I would be CONSTANTLY hungry no matter what or how much I eat. It's not emotional hunger, because my stomach does growl. All I want to do that week is eat and sleep. It takes a lot more effort, planning, positive self talk, and will-power to stay OP. During the week of TOM, hunger becomes more manageable. The energy slump still remains. The two weeks after TOM is my favorite. I feel like working out at least twice a day (seriously!). My appetite is under control. I don't think of food as much. This is the time when I feel 'normal'. I usually lose 2-3 pounds a week during these two weeks. The rest of the time, I either maintain or lose less than a pound. It's been like this since I started WW.

It will pass. Hang in there.

Abby
sw265/cw200/gw145
Started WW on August 6, 2000

[MILLIEB]

Gosh Abby, that's exactly my pattern too! I always have at least one week a month that I maintain or lose less than 1/2 a pound. I try not to get frustrated about it, but it's hard not to keep going over and over what I did, trying to figure out what I did wrong. I've discovered that's just my body's pattern - and if I stick it out, I always show a good loss the week after. I did read an article in this month's Fitness (or maybe it was Shape), that said that the week before your period, your body does need extra calories because it is preparing it's self for pregnancy. It suggested that you try and eat 100 calories more per day during this week - that would only be a couple of weight watcher's points. I may try that this month - I usually don't eat my max, so that's well within my range.

[Lin S]

Hi,

One suggestion--if your problem isn't hormonal, try planning mini meals. I do that and I don't feel hungry all day. I feel hungry between 2 & 3 hours after my last meal, so I plan my mini meals to be 2-3 hours apart. I usually wait until I feel hungry before I eat, but I've found that a pattern has developed. My stomach growls at approximately the same times each day.

Now, the only time I experience a great deal of hunger is during PMS time. And I've noticed that during that time, I have problems sticking with my mini meals and tend to drift back into a three meal, no snack pattern. My goal for this month is to stick with the mini meals and see if it makes a difference during PMS, the same way it does the rest of the month.

Another thought I had after rereading your post, protein isn't a magic pill to erase hunger. Sometimes not enough protein is a problem. Sometimes it's not the protein that does the trick, but if you're eating meat, poultry, peanut butter, cheese, etc., it's the fat that's in the protein that makes the difference. Because sometimes people get too carried away with taking the fat out of their food plan. If you're not getting any real fat in each day -- oil, butter, etc. , try to add somewhere between a teaspoon and a tablespoon every day. It's important to get enough fat to allow the fat-soluble vitamins to do their job. Plus it keeps you satisfied and full. Also, check to see what kind of carbs you're eating. If you only choose white bread, cereals without fiber, etc., you may feel fuller if you switch to whole wheat bread, brown rice, oatmeal, beans, etc. Adding some fiber fills you up, too.

Good luck!

Lin

[tryin']

I have a question for those of you who are more experienced than I. This being hungry just before the TOM, can that carry on even if you no longer have a TOM?
I am past those days, (praise be to God) but I still have days that really remind me of the old cycle, meaning I could eat the house.
Just curious. I am doing pretty well this week, with the exception of last night a banquet where they put a piece of cheesecake down in front of me without asking and I of course, being me, ate it.
I will not beat myself up, I just won't go to anymore big banquets this week, I promise.