Constant Hunger How Can I Deal With This?

[Electra]

Ok so I've been seriously dieting for almost 3 weeks now and have only lost 5 pds UG!! I eat less then 800 calories a day and only eat fresh fruits, veggies, and low fat meats. I'm STARVING over here and I just can't figure out how I'm going to be able to continue this. I still have at least 27 pds to lose, so how in the world can I do that when I'm constantly STARVING? Isn't the starvation suppose to go away after you go gluten free? How do the rest of you deal with this issue?

[aikiducky]

Of course your starving if you only consume 800 calories a day!

5 pounds in two weeks is actually pretty good, but you're right, you're not going to be able to go on like that. If you keep eating that little, your body is going to think that there's a famine going on and start holding on to everything it can.

The way to lose weight permanently is slowly and steadily. Don't try to rush it by eating too little! You need to figure out how many calories you use in one day, and keep just a little bit under that, consistently for a longer time.

I'd also like to add that if you're still struggling with the gluten free diet, I don't think that's the right time to try a weight loss diet on top of that! One thing at a time...

Pauliina

[Electra]

Paulina,

My motabolism is so screwed up from having Celiac, Pernicious Anemia, and Narcolepsy that I can't eat more then 800 calories a day or I gain really fast. I gained the last 20 on less then 1000 calories a day and I gained it in a couple of months. That's way too fast and too much!! I'm eating better foods now, but if I don't keep it to 800 or less then I will gain and I just can't gain anymore. I have been exercising too, but only for about 30 minutes a day and that's more then I can handle right now. I'm just too busy and still too run down to do any more then that.

I guess I should be happy with 5pds in two and a half weeks, but usually I lose like 7 in the first few days just from water weight alone, and this time I didn't do that, so it just seems to be going no where. Maybe I should eat more meats, because protein holds you over longer. It's just hard finding the time to cook them UG!!

[Nyn]

Hi Angie,

I am new to celiac info and a gluten-free lifestyle, but not to hunger. That low calorie consumption is tough to beat, but protein and high-fiber tends to digest slower and stick longer. Eating protein with carbs tends to keep insulin spikes at bay also, resulting in less hunger for most. I read somewhere that high fructose corn syrup (in almost everything processed) also circumvents your body's ability to tell you you're full.

Do you drink diet sodas much? I have found, and have talked to others like me, that drinking lots of these make me hungrier than if I leave them out. Don't ask me why. A diet coke will kill my hunger temporarily, but bring it back with a vengeance in an hour or so.

Chewing gum helps some people, and sadly, it is a staple for many anorexics.

Lastly, you could try phentermine. It's a generic Rx appetite suppressant that's been around since the 50s with great success. It is short term, however, as your body gets aclimated to it in a couple of weeks to a few months (it varies with people). It will stop suppressing the hunger after awhile. I have taken it with great success, and for the first time ever in my life, was able to make food choices based on what "I" wanted, not on whatever was available because it was available to kill the hunger/cravings.

Good luck.

[zkat]

800 KCal a day is nearly nothing. My first question is are sure it is 800? Are you logging your food in a type of system to track calories? I use fitday.com and I log every bite that goes into my mouth (at least at first, you get pretty good at it once you have done it a while) Don't forget to add in calories for condiments, vegetables, sauces and artificial sweetners. (8 oz. of diet coke actually has 4 calories)

My next question is have you ruled out thyroid issues?

I really sympathize with the hungry all the time. I am attempting to drop the 7 pounds I gained when I went gluten-free. I went through a period where I didn't care how many calories I ate, I was just tired of being hungry all the time and slowed my workouts at the same time. The end result was a lot of weight in a short time.

What helps me is this:

1) Small frequent meals, with a source of protien in almost every one. I try for every 3-4 hours.

2) Increase good fats and protiens, lower carbs

3) Lots of water

Kat.

[Electra]

No I have not had my thyroid checked, at least not recently. I have had it checked several times in the past and I've never "supposably" had thyroid issues.

Yah I'm sure it's under 800 cals.

I don't drink ANYTHING but water, and IMO nutrasweet is worse then sugar, so I won't drink diet soda.

I don't actually eat a lot of protein I mostly eat fruits and veggies, but I find that they don't stay with me for more then a half an hour. One night I ate an entire quart of strawberries for supper and I was STARVED within a half an hour.

I've also had weird side pains almost all week, I've been even more exhausted then normal (even though I don't know how that can possibly happen lol), and I have been FREEZING most all of the time. I keep getting this sinus taste in my mouth, like I'm getting a bad sinus infection, and I feel dizzy and really crappy for a day or two and then it completely goes away. Hmmmmmmmmmm sound like accidental ingestion of gluten to anyone? I'm certainly beginning to wonder.

[RiceGuy]

I found a magnesium supplement helpful in reducing hunger. I was after increased nutrient absorption, and given that part worked, less hunger would seem logical. I also put all veggies through the blender to make them easier to digest. That has helped too, and not just with hunger.

[sunshinen]

I, too, find I have to have regular bits of good fat and protein throughout the day or I feel like I'm starving. (Avocados, nuts, egg whites, etc.)

I'd also suggest a multi-vitamin/mineral supplement to make sure you aren't craving food because you are actually deficient in some nutrients.

Green and Yerba Mate teas might help with both metabolism and energy.

[Jestgar]

Increase your fiber (e.g. eat blackberries instead of strawberries) and maybe consider a chewable fiber tablet (inulin, not bran). Add calcium (shown to decrease hunger). Eat many small meals (just eating increases your metabolism a bit).

[Nancym]

Protein and fat are far more sustaining than anything else. The weird taste in your mouth is from ketosis which happens when you are metabolising fat versus glucose. Happens to people on low calorie diets or low carb diets.

Keep the veggies, cut back on the fruits and add some protein and fat.

You're cold because being extremely low calorie will cause your thyroid to throttle back to conserve energy, which in turn makes it harder to lose weight.