Oh, actually, there is one more thing. Read that book The End of Overeating. It explains how, if you hold out the possibility that you might let yourself have more food, your body will stay hungry, but if you absolutely shut that door, by creating hard-and-fast rules, as in, I DON'T eat between meals, or I DON'T eat more calories than this, that your hunger will give up and move on.

Well, I didn't make it that long. Just polished off two roasted turkey thighs. I feel full now.

I don't normally have any dried fruit, but I chose to add the last of a package that I found in the back of the spice cabinet. Not even half an ounce of them. Barely 6 gm of carb. Just wanted a little extra flavor in my salad. Less than 20 net carbs in the whole salad.

I can easily polish off half a roast chicken as well and feel quite satisfied. But what I'm shooting for is to manage my blood sugar better, keep eating lots of veggies and cut back on the quantity of protein. I have been eating close to 120 gm of protein a day. Really, I don't need that much! I pay for it every morning with blood sugar levels in the 120-140 range (as long as my carbs are really low). That's not healthy. My pancreas is not playing fair, but what's best for my body is to eat to keep my pancreas thriving. I really cannot keep eating such high protein. It's better for me to increase healthy fats and cut protein. I experience very little rise in my blood sugar when I eat healthy fats. I've taken a Tbs. of coconut oil in my morning coffee and watched my blood sugar drop. (Now I put it in my tea.) Mayonnaise (I make my own with olive oil) doesn't bother me at all.

Stimkovs, as I understand it, the stomach is a stretchy thing. It expands to fit whatever quantitiy we eat and then shrinks back when empty. I'm fine with small meals some parts of the day. But between 3 and 9, I can easily eat a super-sized combo fast food meal and consider going back for dessert. So greatful to be SO OVER FAST FOOD!

I may have to go with some sort of medical intervention at this point. If the new doctor can't discover anything thyroid and hormone driven, then I'll think about something like Byetta or Victoza injections. But the side effects freak me out.

I very much appreciate being able to discuss this with you all today. I don't feel so alone in this any more, which is very comforting. I'll keep plugging along with this. Giving up is not an option (how's that for a hard and fast rule?) and I promise to keep moving forward and be her for all of you too.

Thanks! :hug:

Two things I've got:

One- I find if I start my meal with a broth based soup (I use Miso) then it really helps to help me feel full and satisfied.

Two- I remember complaining about being hungry to my doctor once, I said, "But when I do that, I get hungry!" and he said, "So? Is it going to kill you?" And it was a huge wake up call. We don't have to eat just because we feel hungry. We have to eat to nourish our bodies and make sure we have enough energy to maintain our daily activities. Just feeling hungry isn't necessarily a bad thing, unless you allow it to control you. I do take active steps not to get so hungry my blood sugar crashes but that's got more to do with meal spacing and the right ratios of carbs/protein/fat than my actual caloric consumption.

If it is blood sugar control you're after, and you find too much protein spikes it, do veggies not do the same? Usually veggies are the worst culprit in a fruit-free, low carb diet. If not, focus on the very fibrous ones (obviously) with plenty of fat. Fat is satiating and filling, especially with veggies. I make sure my protein had a ton of fat with it, too. Salmon, rib eye, sardines and mayo, etc. even if my stomach isn't actually distended I *feel* satiated, because the fat triggers leptin responses like no other food. It is also the lowest metabolic impact when it comes to insulin response.

How much have you played around with this? Are you actually ketogenic every day? That could be the key for you, is that cravings and genuine hunger come back at a very low carb level, and so 70-ish percent of your calories from fat and under 20-25 net carbs per day, coming from nutrient dense plants, is going to do the trick. What say you?

That's my rule, too. Works like a charm, even when the details are like pulling teeth :carrot:

Hey- so I didn't realize/skimmed over the blood sugar levels. I think at this point, you clearly know your bodies reaction, and are getting medical help with the things you're having issues with.

I think for some of us- lots of protein helps.

For you, that's obviously not the case. If all else is normal, I believe there is no magic solution and it's a trial and error situation. You will eventually figure out what works best for you.

For me, I tried cutting carbs- hard for a long time, and it brought out issues. Now that I have allowed them back into my daily routine, I am far less likely to binge on them, especially since I know they are included in my meal plan. (when I say carbs I really mean wheats/grains). Do I still have to be careful? Yes. Wheat and grain products are the only things in the world that I am unable to eyeball properly. I now weigh butter if i'm going to put some on a piece of toast... ha ha.

The stomach does shrink and expand in proportion- but I find that I have had a large stomach through the whole process. Again with the large quantities of non calorie dense foods..

Do not fret, you will figure it out!

I don't have diabetes, insulin resistance, or blood sugar issues, but I also have a very large appetite and could easily eat twice as much as the 2,000 daily calories I currently consume to maintain my weight after losing 55 pounds last year. I find I do best with evenly balanced meals of about 500 cals each, along with 500 cals of snacks throughout the day. Even so, I'm often mildly hungry and could eat SO much more if I let myself!

I don't have the answer to this appetite thing. When you do, will you let me know? ;)

Freelance

Well, I ate that turkey around 3:30, then went to work and worked out for an hour (Pilates). I finally got home after 8. I felt just a little nagging hunger, so to help manage the morning blood sugar, I ate just an ounce of blue cheese and a small glass of Petite Petit (my favorote wine). I feel good now, not full at all, very relaxed and sleepy. I'm going to bed.

Tomorrow is another day. I'll work this out, eventually.