Full, but Hungry

J.-I have a good friend that stuggles all the time with weight management. She has been a yo-yo dieter for years. BUT-most recently she has seen GREAT results and lifetime changes in 2 programs. LA Weighloss and Body for Life.

Something else she mentioned when going through these programs. When she is exercising-she is MORE hungry. Both programs make her eat 5-6 meals a day and a meal is something that is a protein. So for him to be hungry when he exercises-seems normal.

Good luck to him. You sound like a very supportive wife and that alone could make all the difference!
Lisa

Good for you both on working on healthy eating habits for life. I'm not a big fan of dieting -- changing your eating habits for a set period of time just to lose weight just leads to the yo-yo pattern. One suggestion I got from my doctor (this was my OB while I was pregnant and felt like I was STARVING all the time) was to have a piece of cheese wrapped in turkey or other deli meat because as she said "Protein tends to stick with you longer and keep you feeling full." It worked for me both times I was pregnant. The other thing that worked was air-popped popcorn with just a tiny bit of salt on it. Lots of fiber, almost no calories (since I didn't put butter on it) and most of all it satisfied my need to chew/crunch on something.

Hey there,
I know this feeling all too well. The hunger pains are from his metabolism speeding up! Good news! One thing I KNOW works wonders (and speeds up your metabolism even more) is drinking LOTS of water! It's okay for him to be hungry every 2-3 hours as long as he accompanies it with a healthy snack (apple, celery with peanut butter, etc..)
Good luck to him!

My husband and I just started working out- here is what I am finding if you eat 5 to 6 times a day- this is 3 small meals with small healthy snacks in between - the hunger pains won't be there. The exercise helps - I can't believe I am saying that because I truly don't like to exercise.

I think that is why most diets don't work- all you really need to have is a healthy diet and exercise.

Or as I have always been told eat from the outside aisles of the grocery store - that is where the healthy food is.

Hope that helps!
C.
www.AHomeCareer.com

I am all for eating a bit more during the day, smaller sized meals. If you go too long without eating, your body starts to hang on to whatever you give it. You have to fuel it to make it rev! (but of course with the proper fuel..) He shouldn't be waiting longer than 3 hours to eat. My husband is a personal trainer and he refers all his clients to the "Body for Life" program. Go to thier website and look around in it. There is a BUNCH of information on food, and excersise, plus menus, and a list of foods that are "clean".
I am definately not an expert, but have played around with food enough to understand that "dieting" isn't always the answer. But yes, you do need to watch what goes in, and you do need to expend more than you consume to lose weight. Period. No magic pill there. Go to www.bodyforlife.com and good luck to you both!!
LT

Protiencanhelp him feel more full for longer. Even something as simple as PB on celery. Protiens are more difficult for your body to break down so they last longer. Also, alot of times when people are hungary they are really needing a drink. Have him drink more water, maybe even drink some everytime he feels hungary. Sometimes all yor body wants is a drink. If he is just getting the minchies buy some healthy but yummy snacks. The Nabisco 100 Calorie cookies and crackers are very good, Flat Earth chips, sugar free stuff. Be a little careful of the sugar free stuff, too much of it and he will spend alot of time in the restroom. You could also try mini meals. I have to do this when pregnant because I get Diabetes. He eats 3 meals a day with a min meal in between. It is almost like a snack, but healthier and more filling. Ex: a piece of grilled chicken and some veggies. Good luck! I think he is doing an awesome thing.

Only have healthy snacks on hand in the house. If there is no fat food in the house, then he will reach for that instead. It is a habit to get into eating without thinking or thinking we are hungry when we aren't. Have fresh fruit, fresh veggies, light cheese on hand for him to eat if he feels the need to snack. Cook foods that don't have trans fat or empty calories. He doesn't have to be hungry to diet or lose weight, that is a myth. Him eating every three hours small healthy meals is actually the best method. He needs to make sure he has a good healthy breakfast. Smoothie, peanut butter on whole grain bread, yogurt, egg or whatever to get his body jump started.
It is easier now then ever to find 100 calorie snack bags, a handful of almonds, some low calorie yogurt and so forth. Most snack crackers have baked versions too nowadays. I was amazed as I am a snacker in the evenings all the choices I have to not be high in fat, even be healthy. A bowl of cheerios has become my favorite night time snack.

If he has over-eaten for years and years - it is going to take a while for his stomach to get smaller. Everytime I start eating less after a time of over-eating I have to fight the hungry feeling. Here are some tips that help me:

- Water
- almost fat free microwave popcorn - very little calories and really fills me up...a GREAT snack
- Caffeine free, diet soda - the carbonation seems to fill my stomach and can keep me from raiding the fridge. Just be careful to only have 1 a day at the most and try to only have 3 or 4 a week - the sodium content can make him retain water which is heavy water weight.
- Baked (microwaved) potato - I have heard so many people say that a potato is just a starch bomb but they are a life saver in my diet. One 5 oz potato is a wonderful mid-day meal with only 150 calories and 2 g fiber. With some spray butter and pepper - it is a treat for me.
- I am not sure what "diet" he is doing but I am a HUGE supporter of Weight Watchers. It is the only program my doctor supports and suggests to his patients. It teaches portion control and limits NOTHING. You can still eat those cookies or that piece of cake - you just have to count it! I have found the foods that are just not worth eating because they "cost" too much. The men that attend my meeting lose about 5 lbs a week (which the women hate because it is a good week when the women lose 2 lbs!) and see wonderful results when they stick to the teachings.
- Support - you are so great to be a support to him. It sounds like your life has had some stresses recently and often we turn to food for comfort. Help eachother reach for different things and replace the emotional eating with healthy alternatives.

Good luck and I hope he sticks with it. The surgeries you have refered to are risky and if he can do it on his own it is much healthier and gratifying. You can do it together! Good luck.

Here is a good food calorie calculator that really helps me:
http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/ck_fat_calorie_calculator/

It is very true what other posters have said about the fact that we're usually thirsty rather than hungry. If drinking more water isn't doing the trick here are a couple more ways to approach this:

1: I work for a company that has some great patented weight loss products. The first would be great for your husband to control his cravings...it is called Attain and when you eat or drink it (bar/shakes) it expands in your stomach to make you feel full, but also triggers a chemical in your brain that tells you you're not hungry. The second great product is called the Access bar and is my favorite. It is patented to burn stored body fat into energy and maintain muscle mass, so this can be used in conjunction with exercise or not to burn fat.

2: If your husband really wants a change in lifestlye, I have a friend who can help him. She deals in specialized nutrition based on his weight loss goals, etc and has helped another friend of mine lose over 40 pounds.

Let me know if you want info on either of these options or both.

Try Atkins, protiens are harder to digest and keep him fuller longer. If you want to keep the vegy's, do South Beach. It should help that he has the drive!
C. B

I have heard that more often than not when we start to feel hungry that it isn't food we are wanting but water. He might want to keep water on hand for when he starts to feel that way. Drink at least 12 ounces wait 10 minutes. If he is still hungry then he should grab carrot sticks/baby carrots, apples, celery sticks, which are all considered negative calorie foods. They fill you up but burn more than they add. Also it is very normal that when you start to become more active you get hungry. Most athletes eat 6-8 small meals a day and they never gain weight. Most dieticians will tell him eat about the same. The reason is that you don't want your body to go into starvation mode. I hope that this helps and good luck.