Originally Posted by JulieJ08:
A couple tablespoons of ground flaxseed in my oats helps too!

Can't go wrong with flax or nuts!

I will say it again, cause I truly believe it.....My bariatric doc said if everyone ate like this not only WLS patients, they would lose weight and feel full all the time. It does work.

Eat in this order:

1. Protein
2. Veggies
3. Fruits
4. Very little to no Starches like bread etc.
5. No sugars

I have lost my weight but continue to eat like this to keep my weight down. It does work.

I agree with Annie (and her bariatric surgeon!). Protein and veggies. I bulk out everything I can with veggies.

This morning I had scrambled eggs (mostly whites) over mushrooms and zucchini. I had a full plate of food. For lunch I had shrimp with cabbage, scallions, mushrooms and a little avocado. It was a BIG bowl. Healthy fats are important too. My favorite way to eat oatmeal is to make it with protein powder, blueberries and a tsp of peanut butter stirred in while it's still hot. The protein powder and blueberries make it thick and it is a huge bowlful. Being hungry is for the birds.

Girl I know those hunger pains. My body seems to be screaming at me to eat something although I've had all the calories I technically should need.

First off, you need to introduce more protein into your breakfast. On days I need a super power breakfast I eat 2 scrambled eggs, 1.5 oz ham, a slice of toast with jam, and a piece of fruit. This keeps me full from 9:00am to 2:00pm believe it or not, whereas I am capable of eating a full meal 2 hours after breakfast usually. Some good take-with-you breakfast I have a hard boiled egg rolled up in a slice of ham, or a whole wheat english muffin with cheese or peanut butter.

Secondly I would suggest talking to yourself like a crazy person like I do. I call this "exercising my NO muscle." I just keep telling myself that I'm an NOT hungry and that even if I am that I will NOT eat. My NO muscle is getting stronger I'm happy to say.

Lastly, if none of the above work then I cave in to my hunger and eat 5 ritz crackers. That's 80 calories, hardly enough to break the bank, but they're crackers so I have them with lots of water and I get instant relief. Sometimes I put a smudgeon of blue cheese on it, no more than necessary to bring it up to 100 calories total.

Originally Posted by kittycat40:
I would add a HUGE salad to that. It works wonders for every aspect of the body and satisfies too :) (I'm talking- take all that sandwich stuff, cut it up and throw it into the salad.) Then have the bread on the side :D

Also, how about proteins along with the oatmeal and fruit. Maybe a teaspoon of peanut butter or an egg. For me, I tend to be less starving when I eat

That's what I was thinking too. An all- or mostly-carb breakfast always leaves me hungry. Whereas eggs or yogurt with peanut or some other nut butter mixed in will keep me full for quite a while. Add some olive oil or low fat cheese or olives or avocado to the egg meal and you should be all set! As suggested, always try to add some fat (even if it's a few nuts, or olives) and/or some protein to any carb snack to get more mileage out of the full feeling. Good luck!

i'm on ww so i make the zero point soup. its basically just veggies and stock. i like it blended up, so when i get that feeling, i just pour some into a mug, heat it up and drink it. if i'm really starving, i add a triangle of extra light laughing cow cheese and it makes it creamy and a bit more interesting. it always works. its comforting, filling and satisfying. you can also take it to work in a thermos if you dont have a fridge and microwave.

the tips the other ladies posted are fantastic! will definitely be using them myself! thanks ladies!

Soup IS a great idea. VERY filling and satisfying. Low calorie, nutritious and delicious. I make a different big batch every week. Tomato cabbage, mushroom barley, zucchini vegetable, butternut squash...

I am rarely if ever hungry. It sets me up for failure. I despise that feeling and do my best to avoid it. I eat often. Every 2 hours or so depending on my schedule for that day.

And like the others I rely on VOLUME. BIG volume. Which means lots and lots AND LOTS of veggies. ENORMOUS salads filled with baby spinach, grape tomatoes, peppers, cukes, mandarin oranges and a diced peach. Then there's ones with tuna or grilled chicken or turkey breast. I also eat salads for snacks. All different cabbage salads, cucumber salads, tomato salads. And then there's the enormous amount of roasted veggies I eat. I also eat enormous veggie egg white omlettes. So yes, it's veggies (fiber) and protein that keep me going, energetic and NOT hungry.

As for breakfasts (or snacks) on the go, I love fat free yogurt, which I partially freeze, makes it ice cream-ish and takes longer to eat. I add 1/4 cup of Fiber One cereal to it.

If and when those calories are put to good use, there is no reason whatsoever to be hungry. That's why for me, I can't do those 100 calorie packs. They would leave me starving. No I need FILLING power from my calories. It takes time to get your menu down pat and evolve. It takes time to find out what works for you and what doesn't. But with trial and error, experimentation and creativity you will find the right mix for yourself. And it will be SO worth it. :)

I would be pretty hungry too if I was you.

Originally Posted by Jamiekins:
I feel like I am hungry all the time. And I don't know what to do about it. I know I shouldn't be hungry but I feel as though I am. Here is an example of what I ate so far today. And this is typical of my diet.

8am- One serving of Oatmeal, one banana, and some grapes.
No protein, no healthy fats. This meal is one tiny carb serving.

11am- ham sandwhich with no cheese, baked chips, and a non fat yogurt.
Little protein, no fat (cheese is a protein/fat source), and non fat yogurts either have tons of sugar or substitute sugars. Either way, this is a primarily carb meal.

For drinks it's either water or crystal light.

It's 1:30 and all I can think about is eating. Any tips or tricks to surpress this hunger.It may be because of boredom at work but I feel like I am going to crack.
Please help.
Thanks, Jamie

There's very little protein or any healthy fats (olive oil, nuts, avocado) in your meals. This is something like 80% carbs instead of a balance. I understand plans like weight watchers operate on points BUT if you eat nothing but carbs all day without protein or fat to fuel your system, you are really just spinning your wheels.

I third the motion on soup!

It fills me up and feels warm in my tummy, plus, I can drink it from a mug when I'm at work. I'm lazy about cooking, so I specialize in soups from Trader Joe's. I love instant miso soup-- it has 45 calories a cup, is not as salty as other instant soups and has soy in it for protein. Yum.

My first month or so in, I was getting really hungry at work and I filled the void with diet soda and sugar free gum. I know that many people say to avoid sugar free soda, and oddly enough, I've now lost my taste for it, but in the beginning, I would tell myself that the soda would be my "treat" and when I felt really hungry, I'd pop a piece of gum in my mouth. I did that for about a month, then I didn't really need it any more.

Now, I don't get hungry at work, and most days I come in below my calories. For me, a lot of it was breaking the boredom/stress-eating habit at work.