Friday, May 4, 2007 - Being Hungry
I once read a few articles by a well-known nutritionist and she claimed that the downfall of any diet was being hungry. She said that if a diet left you hungry it meant you needed more food and that no one on a diet should ever go hungry.
She was an idiot.
I have never been on a diet when I didn't feel hungry. Well, the only exception was the Atkins diet, but I didn't lose much weight either, and I think the two go hand in hand. For me being on a diet, especially the first week, means going hungry. There's no beating around the bushes, there's no soft-sell. Hunger is a part of weight loss and anyone who says different, well, I suspect they never had much weight to lose in the first place. I'm sure there are exceptions, just like there are to anything, but my belief is that dieting and hunger go hand in hand. There is no divorcing the two.
So let me share about my hunger. I have learned to discern between different stages of hunger. The first is not actual hunger, it's just not beign full. This is the stage where I can eat, but I don't have to. There is no physical discomfort. The next stage is feeling hollow. There's not much food left in the belly and it lets me know that refueling now would be a good option. This is the stage at which I most often ate in the past. If you ignore this hollow, somewhat light feeling long enough it will go away. Next comes genuine hunger. It's a dull discomfort in your belly telling you to eat, and the sooner the better. It's hard to put off this feeling. Keeping a drink to sip on helps assuage it some, but it never really satisfies the ache. After genuine hunger comes real-life hunger pangs. They hurt. They are nearly impossible to ignore. This is now the point at which I eat. I find it very challenging to wait so long between meals. After acute hunger passes, you go back to the hollow feeling, the one that is easily ignored. And then comes starving. I've never really experienced starving, but I've heard tell about it. The worst I've felt is Acute Hunger and it's as far as I ever want to go.
What I do is eat 3 meals a day and 1 midnight snack of light yogurt. I'm eating about every 5 or 6 hours and doing my best to make filling, enjoyable meals. Below you'll see some pictures I've been taking. My meals are so fleeting that taking pictures of them makes them last longer visually, and in turn that makes me feel like I've eaten more. I may turn into an obsessive compulsive picture taker and take pictures of all of my food for the rest of my life. It may just be a passing phase that I get over in a few weeks. I'm prepared to live with both eventualities.
Yesterday's 325 Calorie Lunch--Cantaloupe, Veggie Sticks (Turnip Sticks, Celery, Carrots & Radishes); FF Ranch Dip; Diet Dr. Perky; Hot Beef Bouillon for drinking and dipping; Roast Beef, Onion & Swiss on a Light Hot Dog Bun. It was delicious.
Close up on the Roast Beef Sandwich.
Last night's 325 Calorie Dinner--Sauteed Lean Ground Beef, Mushrooms & Onions; California Veggies; 2 new potatoes with paprika and chili powder seasonings; Diet Gingerale. It too was yummy. I"m having leftovers for lunch today.
Since I can only eat so little, I'm doing my blasted best to make each morsel I eat as infinitely satisfying as I can. I hope my stomach shrinks soon, so it takes less food to fill it.
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Friday, May 4, 2007 - Your meals |
| Posted by Anonymous |
Hello. this is Roxie in Texas again. I have been reading your blog for a long time now. I know the struggles you have been through with your weight. I too struggle with weight my whole life. After weight loss surgery I have lost 200 pounds and it has changed my life. I know that surgery is NOT for everyone. I am not saying you should do surgery, far from it. If you can lose weight with diet that is the best way to do it.
<br>A few 'tricks' I learned after surgery to make less food look like more was to use a smaller plate. Yes, I now eat my meals from a salad plate. Also when I have a snack item like yogurt or sugar free pudding etc. I use a baby spoon. That makes the bites smaller and it seems to last longer. You really do feel like you get more food...
<br>On your diet can you snack on extra carrot sticks or celery etc? The fiber should help your body feel full with out giving you lots more calories.
<br>I will be watching your blog for progress and I will say prayers for your diet. I know our Lord will lead you the right direction. I have no doubt. Take care and God bless. Roxie |
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Friday, May 4, 2007 - Untitled Comment |
| Posted by Anonymous |
I'm glad to see that you are posting again. Your words are thoughtful and well written. I wish you luck on your way to weight loss.
Meriam |
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Friday, May 4, 2007 - RE: PCOS |
| Posted by Anonymous |
Hello Maggie,
Have you asked your endocrinologist to do a ct scan of your hypothalamus/pituitary gland? First off, ask him (her) to do a check of your cortisol levels. If they are high, you most likely have a benign pituitary tumor. I strongly suspect PCOS is really a pituitary tumor in disguise. Check out the symptoms at:
http://www.pituitary.org
Anna |
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Friday, May 4, 2007 - Oh Dear, Sweet Maggie |
| Posted by Gilana |
| Yes, when I read "800-1000 calories" I was taken aback, but you know what? They're YOUR medical team, they know your body and they know your medical concerns. I will say something, though, that in a lot of instances can sound trite, but it works for me (sometimes.) This is what it is: One day at a time, one MOMENT at a time. If I sat here and thought, "I have to brush my teeth twice a day for the next 50 years," it might be an overwhelming concept. But, I brushed my teeth this morning. I will probably brush my teeth tonight. My favorite "prayer" to God isn't asking for something specific, since I feel guilty when I do that. Instead, I say something like, "Please help me to find the right path for me, whatever it may be." And I lie on my back with my arms at my side, the room as noiseless as possible, my eyes shut. And I just try to BE, to feel where I am and who I am in relation to this incredible universe, and if I am successful, I get to realize that being a speck on the wall of that universe can be a pretty comforting feeling. Oh, one last cliche... "It's the journey, not the destination." Well, as annoying as aphorisms can be, they do have truth. Every experience, every fear conquered, every new recipe tried, every day filled with 1000 calories and God and hope... matters. You are so wonderful. Thank you, Maggie. |
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Friday, May 4, 2007 - reply |
| Posted by missmaggie |
Thanks Roxie, I appreciate your prayers and your Tips. I can use all I can get. =) You are a faithful friend.
Thanks for the well wishes Meriam.
Anna, I've been checked for Cushings and I don't have it.
Gilana, that's exactly what I've been doing--One day at a time, One moment at a time. It really does help. Like you say, looking at it all at once is overwhelming, but in tiny bits, it seems more doable. Thank-you for the comments. =) |
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Friday, May 4, 2007 - Diet |
| Posted by Jennifer in MD |
Hi Miss Maggie!
You're doing great! Keep up the good work :)
You and I talked months ago in the comments about the low calorie (1000-1200) for pcos and I just wanted to say that the critics are well-meaning, but they just don't understand about PCOS most of the time. Keep up with your routine and with your doctor's advice, and I am cheering for you! |
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Saturday, May 5, 2007 - Untitled Comment |
| Posted by opheliag |
You are doing such a great job and have been a real encouragement to me. Thank you for all of your help.
Melinda |
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Saturday, May 5, 2007 - hungry |
| Posted by Anita (unashamed) |
| Oh, I hear ya. That's the hardest part for me - adjusting to smaller portions and being stinking hungry all the time. It's probably 90% of the reason why I cave. Good for you for sticking with it for 3 days now. |
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Saturday, May 5, 2007 - Thanks for the update! |
| Posted by Anonymous |
I agree that hunger is a part of weight loss. It's just common sense really.
I think something that might help you get through it is to remember that simply being hungry won't kill us. It just makes us uncomfortable. I've read that most thin people actually think it's normal to always feel a little bit hungry. They don't like the full feeling, so they stop eating when they get to the "I'm just a little bit hungry phase." They are just used to feeling hungry all the time, it's normal for them.
Best if luck, Miss Maggie. Please keep the updates coming! I check for them everyday. The pictures are a great idea! I love your table cloth. You are always a source of inspiration for me.
Tammy |
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Saturday, May 5, 2007 - I love your pictures~ |
| Posted by Anonymous |
I love your pictures! It makes weight loss seem more possible! I need to lose weight too. I hope you keep posting about your meals because we have a similar pallet and it would help me too! May God bless you, Karen T.
www.karensgatherings.blogspot.com |
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Saturday, May 5, 2007 - Untitled Comment |
| Posted by Anonymous |
| Just a quick note about how I was able to successfully lose more than 25 pounds in under 9 weeks. I eliminated all fried foods and held my fat calorie intake to a bare minimum. The only oil I used was extra virgin olive oil, and even then I used scant amounts by pouring the oil into a squirt bottle. Allowed myself only 4 slices of organic bread per week, eliminated egg yolks from all cooking/baking. Ate a lot of fresh fruit and vegetables dipped or sprinkled with red wine or balsalmic vinegar and spices. Allowed myself unlimited amounts of fresh fruits and steamed vegetables. Used brown rice in place of white rice, noodles, and potatoes. Learned to use spices in place of fats and oils. Eliminated all red meat from my diet, relied on poultry and lean cuts of pork. Boosted metabolizim by eating lentils, onions and peppers (bell and hot). Cut all sodium intake down to bare bones minimum. Drank at least 1/2 gallon green tea (sweetened with minimal amounts of non fattening sweetener) and another 1/2 gallow water every single day. Prior to every meal, drank at least 8 ounces of icy cold water. When hunger pangs struck, drank even more water. Snacks were sugar free Jell-O, fresh fruit smoothies mixed with non-fat milk and ice (blend in blender), homemade fresh fruit sorbet. Eliminated carbonated beverages and all fruit juices. With this method, I did not have to count calories. Lost 8 pounds in the first week. Good luck to all involved in this 12 week study. It would be fun to see how much (total) weight this group loses. |
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Saturday, May 5, 2007 - Untitled Comment |
| Posted by Anonymous |
Stay strong. I'm rooting for you!!
Shannon |
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Sunday, May 6, 2007 - being hungry!!! |
| Posted by Anonymous |
| hunger is a state of mind...as well as a state of body...actual physical hunger should not be overwelming on any diet or the truth is you just won't be able to stick to it.Thats where veg veg and more veg comes in...you can eat brocolli until you pee green and i promise you won't gain an ounce...just stay away from the starchy ones...and not too many fruits....for me i know that i can convince myself that i am actually hungry when really it's stress or boredom or anxiety....i have never had a huge weight problem but i did weigh about fourty puonds more a year ago....sigh...when i hit the weight a was at when i was nine months preganant i decided to turn around and go the other direction....back to my " normal" weight...one other thing ...decide to cheat...you know you will anyway....but make it a stuctured cheat...i cheat once a week...and have whatever i want...but ONLY once a week ( and not all day long) the rest of the week you can dream about what your cheat will be...which is half the fun...also because its planned you don't have that terrible sense of failure...if you change the way you think you will change the way you look....good luck ladies.... |
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Sunday, May 6, 2007 - Just Some Thoughts |
| Posted by Anonymous |
Dear Miss Maggie,
I know that you are under the care of a medical team, and that your diet is being supervised, which I think is wonderful. I do not want sound like I am not encouraging you on this road, because I am. And I am happy that you are doing so well thus far. I just wanted to add a few thoughts to what you are doing.
-If you are done having children, have you considered an oophorectomy (ovary removal)? I know that this sounds very radical, but there is no good tool for screening ovarian cancer, which is why it is the deadliest of the female cancers. The symptoms of ovarian cancer are vague, too, things like back pain and gas. I am not trying to scare you, but I know three women who have battled this evil disease, and I would not want to see anyone else have to face it.
And, if you have PCOS, oophorectomy would eliminate its attendant problems. You would be trading PCOS for the issues that menopausal women have to deal with, so this may be better or may be worse, depending upon how bad the PCOS is for you.
-Have you explored exercise as a possibility for maintaining a healthy weight? I know that right now you are focusing on dieting, which is great. However, once you have shed some weight, exercise will probably be easier for you. Even if an exercise program could allow to live on, say, 1500 calories per day for the rest of your life, it seems like that would be easier than living on 1000.
I wish you the best of luck. You seem very determined, so it is my guess that you will be successful.
Leta |
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Monday, May 7, 2007 - good luck |
| Posted by Anonymous |
When I was last on a diet I'd look at the clock and even though I knew my next meal was three hours away, I'd make it a goal to get through just one hour. I could do that! Then once that hour was over, I'd make another goal to get through the next hour, and so on until it was time to eat. It's funny how just breaking a large span of time down into smaller chunks can help.
If you are like me, then exercising staves off hunger for awhile. Don't ask me why. I have a very skinny friend who is famished after exercising but if I choose to take a brisk 30 minute dog walk I lose my hunger pangs. Probably because I have a little more "junk in my trunk" to burn.
I've heard it said before (Oprah?) that her hunger pangs are just fat cells begging to be fed. If you think of it like that it's a little easier to deny those cells their greedy desire.
Good luck and keep up with the photos. |
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Monday, May 7, 2007 - I AGREE!!! |
| Posted by cookiesforthree |
| When I really want to lose weight, I don't eat breakfast, despite all the claims that you need to start your day with fuel. I'm just not hungry. If I force myself to eat breakfast, then I usually end up eating more throughout the day than I normally would. So... I like to get a frozen weightwatchers meal (a little pricer than homemade meals but I go for convenience when I'm batteling weight) and I will eat around 12 or 1pm. Then, I may have some fruit around 3 or 4pm, then go for a good walk and drink lot's of water, then have a low cal chefs salad with nonfat milk. That seems to be the best way to lose weight despite what anyone else says. I think we need to listen to our bodies but also recognize that our bodies and minds need to be retrained to eat better. |
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Wednesday, August 8, 2007 - Untitled Comment |
| Posted by Anonymous |
You should never go under 1200 calories if you're on a diet. This will actually make your body gain weight in the long run because anything under this is considered starvation. When you start to eat normally again, you'll gain the weight back instantly.
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<br>Also, since you go so long between meals, your glucose levels will dip dangerously and you'll end up irritible and more prone to binging.
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Saturday, August 11, 2007 - A really filling lunch or breakfast . . . |
| Posted by Anonymous |
| An really filling lunch or breakfast when you're on a diet is an egg white omelet with any leftover veggies you have on hand. Black beans, sauteed peppers, maybe some green chilis or jalapenos, mushrooms, and onions are especially good and lo-cal. Salsa is practically no calories and fancies things up. If you use really delicious spicy fillings you won't miss the cheese and meat. You can really full on one of these because with just the whites and veggies, it's practically no calories. |
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