I'm So Hungry!

[Guest LuvtoLaff06]

I am constantly hungry! Like I can't get filled up no matter what I eat. Even after a full meal of meat, potatoes, vegetable and dessert--2 hours later I'm starving. Is there anything I can try? I drink Carnation instant breakfast between meals and I snack constantly besides 3 meals a day. I only weigh 87 pounds and trying to get back up to 98 and I'm a "starvin' Marvin"!! Help!

[lucycampbell55]

I know exactly how you feel. If you find out how to get rid of the hunger pangs let me know

I'm just the opposite though. I gained a massive amount and have lost 15 lbs over the last 2 months since being diagnosed and going gluten-free. But I wouldn't trade it for the world. I haven't felt this good in 10 years.

Lucy

[seeking-wholeness]

LuvtoLaff,

I, too, know exactly what you mean! It has gotten somewhat better for me, though--now I just eat enough for two grown men instead of three! Still, my friends all gape uncomprehendingly as I stuff down more food than I should be able to hold!

Have you tried taking digestive enzymes? If your intestines are in bad shape, you won't obtain much nourishment from your food no matter how much you eat! You might want to check out Open Original Shared Link to read up on enzyme supplements. It is an informational website, not a commercial one, and it even has some specific information pertaining to celiac disease! I have started taking enzymes (when I remember--I hate brain fog!), and I feel less bloated after meals. I MIGHT even be able to go a bit longer between meals/snacks, though it's hard to tell right now because I have gotten a lot of contamination recently and that can kill my appetite.

Another thing to try, if you aren't already, is eating protein at every meal and snack to keep your blood sugar more stable. I hope you discover a way to get your hunger satisfied in short order!

[JsBaby-G]

That's so funny. I have been gluten free for like 5 years, seriously for like 3 maybe and I recently started incredible appetites. I am ALWAYS hungry! My boyfriend laughs at me and I can't figure out why. I can eat a full meal and an hour later I'll be hungry. Maybe we all have a tape worm!!!

[eRinLuCyO1]

I'm so glad I saw all this I thought I was going crazy and was the only one... I feel the SAMEE WAYY. It's so annoying I feel like the more I eat the hungrier I get, and no matter what I do I'm still starving. I was just recently diagnosed so I've only been gluten-free for a couple of weeks but the insatiable hunger is nothing new... if i find anyway to satisty it i'll let ya's know

- Erin

[Guest shar4]

I too thought I was going nuts. I had managed to lose 42 lb, and never looked so good in my life. Now that I have been diagnosed, I am eating like a horse. I'm stuffed, but I'll still be roaming the house looking for food. I've gained back almost half the weight I worked so hard to lose. I've been going crazy trying to get it under control but have been amazingly unsuccessful.

Again.... Good to know that I am not alone.

Sharon

[kvogt]

I think there are two components here. One I call "starving stomach". This is a physical manifiestation where your gut feels like you haven't eaten all day, even after eating. I had this for a few months and it went away. Just keep eating normal portions. The other component is mental. After eating everything on the table my entire life to feel nourished, I now must eat regular protions like every other person without this disease. I have been gluten-free for a year now and have put on about 20 more pounds and 3 inches more than I would like. I know the secret is eating within my needs, but I have found it very difficult to reduce my consumption to where it needs to be all at once. Over time I'm learning to eat less at meals and not snack. I expect it will take a few years to achive normalcy in this area too.

[wclemens]

Luvtolaff06, it just dawned on me after reading your post, that maybe your

system has been so depleted with Celiac that now it is just begging for more food in order to replace all those vitamins, minerals, and nutrients that you were unable to absorb when you were in the "crisis" stage.

As a person who always gained weight really easily (five feet tall and small boned), I was always dieting, until I found the foods that worked for me, and those which were poison for my system.

Are you tolerating well the foods you're eating? I hope so.

I remember recess from school, and coffee break time from work--oh boy, we get to go have a snack. It sounds as though you're being presented the opportunity for a lengthy recess and/or coffee break each and every day (or hour, or half-hour, as the case may be). This may be the time to try all those exotic foods you're heard about but maybe never tried--papaya, kiwi, mangos, bread and pastries made with almond meal, potato flour, rice flour, garbanzo bean flour, gluten free custard mix, almonds, walnuts, pecans, and every other kind of nut, almond butter, peanut butter, marshmallows, rice krispies treats (oh wait, these are not all really exotic foods, are they? But they are all gluten free). I'm making myself hungry now, how about you?

For dinner I'm having what you might call "corn dogs" or "hot dogs on a stick," from a recipe I created using almond meal, gluten free cookie mix, and soy milk;

corn bread from a recipe I created, with Imperial Margarine and brown sugar/peanut butter and jelly; pineapple cocoanut juice; smokehouse almonds; a banana; an orange, and some very sugary cocoanut/date/walnut candy from a recipe that my dear mom passed on to us. I may find a few other things too.

I weigh 106 pounds today, and am learning that the more I eat during that hour I'm allowed to eat or drink anything I can tolerate (The Carbohydrate Addict's Diet, by Drs. Richard and Rachel Heller) the more I burn up. Wait! Maybe you're evidence of what I have been hearing lately, that the more we eat, the more calories we burn. Experts say that dieting lowers our metabolism to where eating even a little bit is hard to burn up. Say, maybe we are on to something here. Let me know what you think! Best wishes. Welda

[Lily]

Hi all,

I appreciate the information that is posted here SOOOOOO much. So many things are making sense now. I am overweight too and getting starting the gluten-free diet in which I am hoping to lose weight NOT gain it, eek. I somehow always feel hungry too no matter if I've eaten a short time ago. Thank you all for the great info., it makes me feel less alone.

Lily

[Suzn14806]

Hi everyone

I was diagnosed a week ago. I have been gluten-free for 5 days!!

I am also hungry all the time which really makes little sense at this point because even eating gluten-free means that I have terrible cramps and diarrhea. I am trying to be optimistic that that will improve with time.

I have been reading everything I can get my hands on about celiac and credit that with part of my hunger. I have been reading about foods every waking moment. I know that will eventually take less of my time but we do have to think more about it than other people so maybe being so food consious triggers the constant hunger.

When I see a commercial and immediately start processing ingredients - if the food is rejected the next step is to start thinking of alternatives - either how could I modify that and make it acceptable or what could I have instead? That process, for me at least, is going on constantly. It is no wonder with our mind so wrapped around our diet that we are hungry all the time.

I definately agree with those who have mentioned that our bodies are still craving good nutrition too.

Have you found that small meals more frequently helps or do most of you eat three meals a day? I am thinking that smaller frequent meals might help keep the cravings under control and also help not to feel deprived or tempted to eat something that contains gluten. What do you think?

[Guest shar4]

I have been experiencing the huge hunger since I was diagnosed a few months ago. I too, came up with the thought that now that things are healing up, my body is "keeping" every morsel of nutrition that it gets, just in case it isn't going to last. It isn't helping me eat any less, but it sort of makes me feel better.

Maybe that doesn't make any sense, but this is a kind of learn as you go thing, since the Doctors don't seem to know a great deal.

Thanks for all the info.

Sharon

[SuJ]

Hello Folks!!

To Suzn - Definately eating 4-5 or even 6 small meal/day could be the answer for most of us. I am a personal trainer and what I try to teach my clients is that they should schedule their meals so that they keep their blood sugar levels - level. This means they should have a small amount of protein(about 20% of the meal) and some complex or low glycemic index carbohydrate(about 80% of the meal)at each meal and they should spread these small meals out over 3 hour stretches. When you maintain your blood sugar in this way you should not get hungry. Of course, this must be done differently if you have chosen the Atkins diet but it is still very doable.

To Welda - weight gain occurs when your caloric expenditure exceeds your caloric intake . However, you are right - if you keep your caloric intake low, your body sets itself up into "survival mode" and your caloric requirements, over time, actually decrease. This doesn't mean you can eat everything ALL the time !!! It just means that you need to have some days where you take in more calories than other days(just to keep your body guessing!). When you have a higher calorie day you should also have a higher exercise day .

To everybody - I really think that there is something to our "hunger- nourishment requirement" especially when we are still healing. I remember when my kids were young. When they hadn't had much in the way of vegetables for a day or two in one afternoon they would deplete a hugh tray of mixed raw veges - and then they might not touch these for another couple of days - no matter how well I would dress them up!! So if you are really hungry - try to eat a lot of nutrient rich foods and just picture your happy cells healing and rebuilding!!

I love everything I have read from "seeking wholeness" You seem to be on the fast track to great health!!

Feel Well and God Bless. Su