HELP!

[emk101009 18]

I fell off the wagon mostly because Im hungry a lot. Now I'm having a hard time getting back on. I haven't gained but I haven't lost in a month. Im just hungry a lot. If I eat chicken and broccoli it fills me up but I'm hungry an hour or so later. I'm eating about 4-5 ounces at a meal but found myself caught in the slider food track. Advice?

[able2cope 193]

I'm much the same - I'm over 2 years out - how far along are you? I need to get rid of the slider foods (its crackers with me) - and just make tomorrow, or even better right now, the new start! We just put all those slider foods onto the 'we don't eat those' list - I've not had any bread since before my surgery... I know we can do this emk101009

[Healthy_life2 8,327]

@@emk101009

Just some things to try:

I keep veggies and dip on hand. dips I like pizza sauce or ranch. My hunger kicks in when I cook. The veggies seem to fill me up until meal time.

Are there certain things you are craving? Salty or sweet? Keep small snack packs of you're healthy craving items. Sweet sugar free pudding .Salty I do a athens mini filo shell filled with turkey broccoli and white cheddar.

[emk101009 18]

I am 4 months out and 4 lbs down. I would like to lose another 25. Sweets are my issue, especially chocolate.

[ProjectMe 909]

I too have a serious sweet tooth which I've learned is really an addiction to carbs. So for me, I had to tell myself that I can't handle "just a little" or "moderation" when it comes to chocolate and candy. Those are things I will not have again. I know myself and once I have one Hershey's kiss, I will rationalize for more until I've eaten to the point of guilt. It's a horrible cycle. The good news is that I no longer crave these things either.

[joatsaint 2,814]

I get head hunger after eating a heavy Protein meal. I think my brain is just craving carbs. I try not to give in and eat junk, so instead I eat sugar free Jell-O mixed with cream cheese or a sweet low carb Protein Bar. That seems to help.

I've tried the Quest Peanutbutter and Jelly, and Mixed berry Bliss work well to quiet my head hunger for sweets.

My goto low carb sweet is sugar free Jell-O mixed with cream cheese.< /p>

Recipe is very simple.

1 small box of strawberry sugar free Jell-O.

4oz of cream cheese.

Mix the Jell-O according to directions and blend in the cream cheese until it is completely mixed and there are not little particles of cream cheese floating around.

I usually use 2 cups of warm Water in the Jell-O rather than 1 cup cold + 1 cup hot. It makes the cream cheese easier to mix in.

Put in icebox and let it set up. Serve with some Land O Lakes or Redi Whip whipped topping. Both brands only have 1 carb per serving.

Edited February 16, 2015 by joatsaint

[CowgirlJane 14,260]

How far out are you, how much have you lost, how much to get to goal? I ask these questions because my suggestoins will vary slightly depending on how "mature" your sleeved tummy is.

[emk101009 18]

Oh yeah, I should have mentioned too much artificial sweeteners gives me Migraines which is a big bummer.

[emk101009 18]

i am 4 months out and 48 lbs down

[LSF 264]

These are my biggest fears and I'm only 12 days post op. I'm craving everything under the sun but am restricted due to my post op diet. I'm amazed at all the people that post how they stay away from carbs - that too is my weakness and why I have failed diet after diet for years & years. Its too early for me to post "how much I love my sleeve!" because it hasn't done anything yet . I know what I plan to do and I really hope it works

[CowgirlJane 14,260]

So, I am assuming you don't have undiagnosed acid reflux. Just a reminder, you don't necessarily need to be choking on food or feeling heartburn to have reflux. It can sometimes feel like a very vague (for me slight burning) sensation that feels better with food... and kinda reminds you of hunger. If you have any doubt, go on a PPI for a few weeks and see if it helps.

The first thing is to make sure you are LITERALLY eating Protein first. Example, I thought it was great that i was having salmon patty with salad but when I did my 3 year tune up with the NUT I told her I sometimes felt hungry in an hour or two after the meal which didn't make sense based on the quantity. She said, eat at least half the salmon before digging into the lettuce. I'll be dang if that didn't work!

Also, make sure you are Water loading between meals. So, example, you ate 1-2 hours ago, it is not quite time to eat, but you are feeling that "desire". Drink alot of Water. You will feel temporarily full and it will help you extend out a bit longer. It will also keep you hydrated. A state of hydration helps you manage hunger IN GENERAL.

When you do have a meal, you want to keep portions small, but they need to be big enough to actually satiate. One of the balancing acts post sleeve is to eat "just enough, not too little and not too much". Problem is if you don't achieve satiation, you are looking to graze too soon again and that will definately interfere with effectiveness of the sleeve.

If you don't log your food (my fitness pal or similiar) try it. Make note of hunger patterns you might find there are triggers. Example, I found out that eating fruit as a stand alone snack makes me hungry - it is the sugar in them.

Every NUT is slightly different, but mine advises having 5 mini meals a day, spaced 2-3 hours apart. They have a very interestingdetailed explanation about how getting "too hungry" (even if you don't feel hunger) can create boomerang effects of over eating even way later in the day. Also, the reason they say mini meals is that all meals should be nutritional. We eat so little in the first months that you can't be using "snack" as an excuse to eat something like popcorn (not saying you do this - just the advice I was given).

FULL DISCLOSURE: I don't do 5 mini meals. I tried it and during weight loss phase it was too much - I switched to 4 after discussion with NUT. In maintenance, I tend to eat more intuitely so i eat differently based on heavy workout, etc. However, the basic advice is sound and you maybe need to play with what works best for you.

Finally, watch for the secret culprits disguised as healthy food. In my experience, highly processed food should be limited for lots of reasons but the number one is that they are not as satisfying as real food. If you are hooked on Protein Bars, for example, try eliminating them. Yeah, they have Protein, but they also have alot of calories and carbs and speaking for myself, I was abusing them by having maybe 2 a day for awhile there. Even 3 years out, I watch those sneaky suckers - they keep wanting to be my surogate snickers bar if I let them...

This isn't easy always, there may be head hunger or emotional issues involved, but I genuinely believe that most sleevers can "control" their hunger by their eating and drinking habits. I am 3 years out, my hunger has returned for sure, and I have let it get the best of me at times, but i am maintaining my weight loss without dying of hunger by following the stuff i mentioned above.

Everytime I wonder if my sleeve will help me maintain, it does the job once I do my part.

Edited February 16, 2015 by CowgirlJane