Hunger Spaz Attacks
 

Hello All-
I am a terrible lurker on this site. I love reading all the posts for motivation but I never feel comfortable with posting or asking for help.
Well that really hasn't been much of a help, so I am really going to try to take in any help I can get with people who have been there and done that- so here I am, stepping out of my box:carrot:

I have been counting calories for about two weeks and have done pretty good with staying under 1800 cal/day. My issue is I freak out if I get hungry and feel like I can't eat anything or I will mess up my numbers and then I just spiral out of control from there. I find the worst time for this is between breakfast and lunch for me. This has always been the case where I feel awful (headache, dizzy, anxiety, shakes) around 10:30ish. I have been tested for low blood sugar, thyroid etc to try to explain these sharp drops I get and nothing ever comes back to explain what is happening to me.:(

I am trying to eat snacks every couple of hours to make sure it isn't a blood sugar thing but I must not be eating the right things because it is still happening. I don't know what I am doing wrong:?:

does anyone else have this problem or suggestions to try to make it go away. As soon as I feel it coming on I just totally freak out and often shove food in my face to make it go away (usually carbs!). It is so frustrating, any suggestions would be really great!!
Thanks for listening!

Can you post your typical day's menu?

It looks something like this:
B- frozen waffle with 1 tbs low fat P.B. and skim milk
S- Banana and coffee with cream
L- salad with light dressing and frozen WW dinner
S- usually don't have one here but some times baked chips and salsa
D- low cal burritos or grilled chicken and steamed veggies and ff pudding cup

What are the calorie values for your breakfast? Maybe instead of drinking calories in skim milk, add a piece of fruit or some nuts?

Not nearly enough food.

In a nutshell: Too many refined white carbs, too much processed food, not enough protein, not enough good fats, not enough fruits and veggies. Your body is giving you hunger signals because you have not tamed the blood sugar / insulin spike cycle, and because you are not giving it enough solid nutrition. To quell hunger, you're going to need a higher-quality diet.

I think my breakfast is usually around 200-300 cal (80 cal for skim milk is what I figured).

Rachel- do you mean 1800/day isn't enough or that for breakfast calories aren't enough?

I have never done calorie counting before, so I just took the 1800 as it seemed to be on the high side and am trying it. suggestions on what I should change would be good.

You need to get more protein in the morning if that's your hunger zone.
I would substitute the waffle for an omelet. In the morning I have one real egg and one egg white (1/3 cup) with one string cheese stick cut up and thrown in. I scramble that and its just like regular full fat scrambled eggs, a very generous portion for 200 calories. Power packed with protein, which will help combat that mid-morning hunger. The skim milk is actually very good and only 80 c, but i'd cut out the coffee and cream and add PB to the banana or scrap that and eat a handful of nuts.
Good luck!

You could add in a lot of raw veggies thru the day. Like Cauliflower, carrots, strips of green pepper, stuff like that. They are very low in calories so you can eat a bit of them. It probably wouldn't affect your calorie count too much.

Your body is giving you hunger signals because you have not tamed the blood sugar / insulin spike cycle, and because you are not giving it enough solid nutrition. To quell hunger, you're going to need a higher-quality diet.[/QUOTE]

I can certainly see that, I guess I just don't know how to do the higher-quality diet yet. I tend to find things I can grab quickly right now because I feel so overwhelmed with trying to track calories and I assumed that would work ok.:o

Is there suggestions or a sample menu someone can give me to try? I find this is the hardest part for me, I don't know what I should be eating so I resort to the easy pre-packaged meals because it is easy and I know how many calories I am eating.

Your sample menu seems low to me too; except for those baked chips which could be the problem. You need protein at each meal and your dinner seems low, but I agree that your body is panicking about that small breakfast. Can you eat a bowl of cereal with that milk on some mornings with some fruit & a few nuts sprinkled on top? That egg omelette is a good choice to alternate days with; I do the same (one whole egg + 1 white) with a slice of whole wheat toast.

How about some protein and another piece of fruit instead of those baked chips? This menu sounds like a low-carb plan that has two servings of processed carbs in it. Try a small whole grain bagel or english muffin, or a slice of whole grain toast with PB or cheese for breakfast instead; and whole wheat soda crackers with PB or a piece of cheddar for a snack; OR yogurt with nuts & grape nuts sprinkled on top.

Have you checked with FitDay or DailyPlate to see if that is really 1800 calories?

I find that if I eat a mix of protein, fat and fiber for breakfast, I don't get hungry or experience cravings before lunch. If you really like waffles in the morning, you may want to try the Kashi Golean variety, which has more protein and fiber than other waffles. Otherwise, my advice would be to skip the waffles and replace it with something like an egg and veggie omelet or oatmeal with nuts.

Originally Posted by Katsmom:
I can certainly see that, I guess I just don't know how to do the higher-quality diet yet. I tend to find things I can grab quickly right now because I feel so overwhelmed with trying to track calories and I assumed that would work ok.:o

Is there suggestions or a sample menu someone can give me to try? I find this is the hardest part for me, I don't know what I should be eating so I resort to the easy pre-packaged meals because it is easy and I know how many calories I am eating.

Calorie counting does work well for lots of people, but it usually works even better when there's an emphasis on eating "real" food...because real food fills you up and is more nutritious.

There's a lot to be gleaned on this forum, from the other posters, about what is good food that will fill you and sustain you. You could also try checking out the South Beach diet for good nutritional information. (It is not a calorie-counting diet, the emphasis is on healthy foods, but many South Beachers also count calories.)

Stuff I eat that helps me stay full and is good for me:

Breakfast: Mixed together 1 cup plain nonfat yogurt, 1 cup frozen blueberries, 2 tbsp ground flaxseed, 1/2 scoop vanilla whey protein powder. Around 300 calories, lots of protein and other good stuff.

Another breakfast: 2 or 3 eggs, scrambled, with mushrooms and onions and tomatoes added in, then a couple handfuls of baby spinach. Top with salsa. 100 calories of whole-grain toast if I want it.

Morning snack: 1/4 cup steel cut oats, 1 cup nonfat milk, cinnamon.

Alternate morning snack: 100 calories of dried fruit (figs or unsweetened cherries or prunes), 22 almonds.

Lunch: Leftover steak or chicken or pork from last night's stirfry. Handful of baby carrots, handful of baby spinach, half a grapefruit.

Originally Posted by Katsmom:
I feel so overwhelmed with trying to track calories and I assumed that would work ok.:o

Also, I wanted to add: It's ok to feel overwhelmed and to not know what you're doing. That is what we are all here for, to learn it together :) The important thing is just to not give up, but to keep making small changes and adjusting your plan according to what you learn about your own body. Do that and you will succeed.

And welcome from de-lurkage! :)

Originally Posted by Katsmom:
Your body is giving you hunger signals because you have not tamed the blood sugar / insulin spike cycle, and because you are not giving it enough solid nutrition. To quell hunger, you're going to need a higher-quality diet.

I can certainly see that, I guess I just don't know how to do the higher-quality diet yet. I tend to find things I can grab quickly right now because I feel so overwhelmed with trying to track calories and I assumed that would work ok.:o

Is there suggestions or a sample menu someone can give me to try? I find this is the hardest part for me, I don't know what I should be eating so I resort to the easy pre-packaged meals because it is easy and I know how many calories I am eating.[/QUOTE]

one breakfast option I eat is kashi whole grain blueberry waffles instead of the regular kind the slice a banana on top with a drizzle of honey. its very filling, and about 330 calories. Also, maybe 2 servings of oatmeal with a little skim milk, splenda and lots of cinnamon, or 2 cups multi-grain cheerios with 3/4 cup skim milk then there is a Natures Own Honey wheat bagel with educed fat cream cheese, um, 2 eggs scrambled with a little cheese and 2 jenni-o turkey sausage links or veggie cheese omelet My breakfast are between 300-400 and I don't eat again till lunch. I keep my food logged on My Diet, its a Facebook app and my favorite place to log

I just want to share how I started, I am easily over whelmed and have to fight the all or nothing way of thinking. I started out first, cutting my portions to look more normal, look at the serving sizes on packages ect, then started seeing where I could cut things out like using less condiments ect then I really started counting, I bought a digital scale that measures in Grams and it is my best friend. I measure everything. its actually kinda fun for me. I also switched from white stuff to whole grain stuff, its more filling and usually lower in calories and way better for you

One of my favorite breakfasts (which I don't eat very often because it's too carby for my stupid body) is a serving of cooked oatmeal (150 calories) with a tbsp and a half of peanut butter* (150 calories) and a scoop and a half of vanilla protein powder (70 calories), for a total of about 370 calories with a decent amount of protein and a good serving of fiber.

Most days I do a protein shake on the way to work (I blend half cup milk, half cup water, half a frozen banana, a serving of chocolate protein powder, and a tbsp peanut butter), but not everyone can drink their breakfast and feel satisfied.

For easy, non-processed lunches and dinners, consider tracking down a copy of the South Beach Quick and Easy Cookbook. Just ignore the 'South Beach' bit and check out the recipes; they're all very easy with minimum ingredients, but delicious. I do all my cooking for the week on Sunday night and then just portion things out and microwave. That way it's quick and easy to grab for work or when I'm starving, but I don't have to worry about low protein levels or high salt content. Frozen dinners are convenient and I buy them sometimes, but they never have enough protein to keep me going.

Good luck! You'll figure it out. :)

*I always spend more to buy the Smart Balance peanut butter with added Omega 3s, a) because I don't get enough Omega 3s in my diet, and b) because it tastes weird right out of the jar and if I have the regular stuff I'll just eat it with a spoon and blow my entire day.

Hi...Im brand new here today..and I have already been able to identify a couple of things that are causing me problems..not enough protein at breakfast..maybe not enough for the day... I get very hungry before lunch...I do need help, and Im willing to read and try to learn because I can't get the WL surgery. don't weigh enough..but 60 lbs. overweight is hurting me in so many ways....knees and back have a lot of pain...thanks..I appreciate your helpful posts.

I echo the others in be sure to get enough protein. I have also found that having a BIG bag of carrots on my desk to munch on all day really helps.

Same thing here with not enough protein. I was also doing the same thing around 10:30ish. Feelish sick, weak, shaky, dizzy, etc.
My nutritionist recommended more protein for me at breakfast. Some suggesetions _ Quaker Weight control oatmeal (has more protein in it), hard boiled eggs, 1 egg white and 1 whole egg scrambled, Special K Protein Plus cereal with skim milk. I also add a piece of fruit to breakfast because it helps me to keep from feeling hungry, unless I don't feel full then I save my fruit for a snack.

You've gotten some good advice here. I hope that you listen and learn. Don't be overwhelmed, honey well all get that way! And just get right back on track. We are all here to learn, support, cry, rant, and just BE here for each other. You can do it!!

I'm with the protein and less refined carb suggestions, waffles would keep me going for about, oh, 12 seconds or so if not less. Protein will definitely keep the hunger at bay for longer. There's lots of higher-protein, options. If you like cereal, there's one called Kashi GoLean that has I think 15 g of protein in it and is also high in fibre (most cereals/waffles have about 4 g protein) and I have also found some grab-and go pre-mixed cottage cheese/fruit cups that are 110 cal, and 15 g protein, don't know if you have something like that there, but they've been a lifesaver for me! Also, you can pre-boil eggs and grab a few of those to take to work with you, remove the yolk and it's a low-fat, high protein snack.

I know this is kind of late, but wanted to thank you all for the suggestions!
I really needed that, kind of felt like it was all in my head and that I really shouldn't be hungry.
I think I will work on trying some of the new suggestions you all had for Breakfast and try to get away from the refined stuff.

I did do SB a few years back and seemed to like it. I may go back to my book and work out of that more and see if that helps too.

I haven't tried the Fit Day, so the calories I listed are what I am getting off the internet in general searches. I will look into this and start trying it to see if I am really getting as many calories as I thought.

Thanks again!