I Eat Constantly

gosh i know how you feel. im 5'7" too and i used to way 150, but i gained so much weight when i was pregnant. i had my baby 7 weeks ago and i weigh 218 now. :P

Dr. Pepper and Energy drinks are my weakness.

but so far ive lost almost 40lbs, just walking my son in his stroller and my fiance works at subway, so i get a 6 inch turkey sub everyday. that seems to be working well :D so i guess im doin the subway diet lol

Sugar and white flour products (pasta and bread mainly) are trigger foods for me. I eat them and they taste so good that I want more and they just don't seem to fill me up like they should, so I do my best to avoid them. I've found that if I eat brown rice and other whole grain products, I'm satisfied with a lot less. And I don't really want sweets unless I have them so I just don't even start with the first bite. This is what works for me.

I would also suggest that, for you, since you are always hungry, you may want to consider the possibility of nutritional imbalances, in which case perhaps a high-quality multi-vitamin may help you if you are not taking one already. Or you may want to check with your doctor about a medical reason why you may be always hungry. I prefer osteopaths for this kind of thing since they specifically work on whole body care instead of what regular MDs usually do -- treat symptom by symptom.

Good luck to you.

I'll eat and eat if I know the food is there but if you don't take all of that food with you to work, it won't be there to eat. Just take some fruit to eat in the morning, some veggies for the afternoon and your lunch. If you have vending machines at work, leave your cash at home. Out of site, out of mind :)

Have you tried chewing gum? It doesn't fill you up, but it might fool your mouth and brain into thinking you are eating with the constant chewing. When I was dieting I carried multiple packs of gum with me, it kept me from munching on chips because instead I was munching on gum.

Have you seen your doctor to rule out any physical issues? I have a friend who had a similar problem and they discovered that her thyroid was all out of whack. Once she was on meds to correct that problem, her appetite returned to normal and she has lost around 80 pounds! Something to look into, anyway.

Other than that, what works for me is to keep really, really busy. Like, insanely busy. Right now I'm working 70 hour work weeks and traveling about 50% of the time - not that I'd wish it on my worst enemy, but I was surprised when I went to a doctor's appt the other day that I've lost 10 pounds in the past 2 months without even thinking about it. Maybe if you get a few more hobbies and take on some extra projects at work?? ; )

Please don't take supplements. Please make 2 appointments: 1 with your doctor and another with a dietician.

Constant hunger is one of the tell tale signs of diabetes along with thirst and frequent urination.

There are a few hormones (GLP-1, amylin, leptin, ghrelin) that have strong roles in appetite suppression. When the levels are abnormal (there are currently no tests to determine if they are), you are constantly hungry. There are a few products on the market (Rx only) that help replace 2 of those hormones but are only FDA approved for people with Diabetes. You should ask your doctor to do your bloodwork and see if your metabolism (not the caloric type, but the whole endocrine system) is a little off.

Then, the dietician. The foods you're eating are healthy, but they don't have a lot of substance to them. By working with a dietician (which your insurance will likely cover), you'll be able to help identify the best foods for you to help with your weight loss goals and to fill you up.

Good luck. Please don't take any products you haven't run by your doctor first. Many that are marketed online have no clinical studies, and some have been linked to heart-attacks, death, liver disease.

The only thing that helped me not be hungry was to follow Dr. Mirkin's advice.

drmirkin.com

This is all free info. Don't buy the book. He doesn't sell them. Everything you need is on his web page and if you see someone selling a book of his, they probably got it free and are trying to make a buck.

Whole grains is what keeps me full. One main thing is to understand what whole grains are. All those breads, cereals, crackers and pastas that say they are whole grains are lying. As long as the whole grain is ground up, the body still considers them as sugar and you will feel hungry after eating them. To stay full, stick with steel-cut oatmeal and eat the actual whole grain such as barley, wild rice, etc.

Many stores now carry them frozen or packaged and you can just pop them in the microwave. Trader Joe's for example, has single serving frozen steel-cut oatmeal for a reasonable price. I can't remember if it was less than a dollar or just a little more per serving. It comes in servings of 2. That itself will give you a great start for the day. It is even sweetened gently so it's palatable.

Beans are also a great way to fill up. Take Beano if you have to. It really helps with gas issues. Whole grains plus beans compliment each other nutritionally. Dr Mirkin's website has a bunch of free recipes. I usually make a big batch and freeze them. Even my 3 yr old loves the dishes. It's not diet food. It's real, good, healthy food.

Fruits and veggies are great but I don't fill up on them alone. They are more like snacks for me.

Diet sodas can also make you feel hungry. Even things like Crystal Light, etc. Or anything with artificial sugar (light yogurts, ice creams, etc). The artificial sugar makes your body think it's getting sugar and when it doesn't, it craves the amount you "cheated" it. So avoid anything "diet" or "sugarfree" if it has artificial sweeteners.

Hope this helps.