[slutbunny]

Two years ago, using Weight Watchers and finding a love of aerobics, I lost 80 pounds. I leveled off -- stayed on a plateau -- for months... then I lost the will to keep working on it and just plain stopped. I was still about 100 pounds from my goal weight.

Today, I'm up 20 pounds from where I left off (so about 120 pounds from my goal weight -- m'God that's like having to lose my 13 year old's entire body weight!) and hungry. Very hungry.

Joined up again Friday -- weighed in expecting to be over my highest ever weight (I've never been good at gauging my weight -- I just assume I'm as big as I get and, well... there's no where good to go from there is there?

So hubby and I have begun to walk again each night -- a mile or three. It's a long way from where I stopped -- certified and teaching aerobics for fat chicks -- but I have to start somewhere and right now walking the mall winds me. We're connecting better too -- another benefit I see to walking as a couple.

But I'm hungry. All the time. I'm pretty sure it isn't my body telling me I'm hungry, just my mind. Doesn't change the fact that I feel like I'm always hungry. Gotta buy more celery, pick more cucumbers, read more on this new points system, find more filling, satisfying foods for fewer points. I enjoy the "research" phase of weight loss the most I think -- indeed, I think I became certified to teach aerobics (back in the distant beginnings of my wt loss journey) nearly exclusively because it was a chance to learn more about how my body loses, gains, changes. Keeping the journey new and magical is important to me.

Sorry for the ramble -- I'm one of the weigh-in only customers 'cause there isn't a meeting within an hour of my home that I can make -- I miss the company. And so I found you.

[clkchef]

I find that when I start or re-start an exercise program I am really hungry for the first few days until my body gets used to the activity.

In much the same way as when I re-start drinking water after a period of not drinking it, I have to pee every 10 minutes until my body readjusts.

My suggestion is to load up on 0 and 1 point foods and gnosh if that is what your body is asking for.

That being said - another 'trick' I've learned that works for my body is to drink an 8 oz glass of water before I snack. Sometimes I find that I was never really hungry to begin with - just dehydrated (which the human body sometimes 'mistakes' as hunger). At other times I find that I was hungry but I don't eat as much.

Another thought is that you might be hungry more often because you are reducing your fat intake. Because it takes us so long to digest fats (especially animal fats) they make us feel full longer. If you reduce your fat intake you are going to feel hungry more often. This is a good thing. Eating smaller meals more frequently regulates blood sugar and stimulates your metabolism.

One other tip - if I may - try eating something hot. Instead of eating cold raw broccoli - steam it. Make the 0 points vegetable soup. Heat up a can of green beans. Or Lipton cup-of-soup - the Noodle Soup (no chicken just broth and noodles) is like 1 or 2 points per 8 oz. serving.

You eat hot foods slower, so you give your body a chance to register that it is full before you've eaten two or three helpings!

HTH!

Carole
289.6/155

[Raindrops]

When I first started, gum also helped alot. It kept my mouth busy and fooled it into thinking it was getting some food. At first I chewed a couple of pieces a day, now hardly ever.

I also found some low point foods that felt like a meal. A 1 pt boca burger on 2 pcs of light bread is a good one. Only 2 pts total and it felt like a good sized sandwich. I could add tomatoes, onion, mushrooms and lettuce to "supersize it" if I want.

The first couple of weeks are the hardest! Congrats on coming back and restarting! You've kept most of what you lost off, that's pretty good!