Metabolism?

[PadmeMaster]

I'm *not* a big eater. I'll snack (a lot) but I have a tendency to do things like one week on one week off jsut because of money issues. Lately, though, I've been eating 2-3 meals a day.. By 10pm I'm absolutely staving, so go to bed to avoid eating a late night snack. Then, Saturday, my body went haywire. I typically will have a spell of unending hunger for one day once a month (and normally I attempt to satisfy that hunger, too). But it's not been one day and it's not the right time of month. So... Also, I've had a headache since about this time yesterday. It went away with caffeine (extreme; I had a Monster Energy drink) but is now returning. It feel like a miniature migraine (as strange as that may sound).

So I'm confused and not sure what to do.. Last time I had this kind of hunger, I was 14 and could eat 4 servings of whatever without gaining weight. Now I'm 18, have gained a ton (over 50 pounds since I was 14, though initially because of medicine) of weight, and am already limited to foods with a higher fat (or fruit/veggies. Brothers need higher fat and almost every processed food I pick up has higher fat).

To give an example on how crazy it is: This morning I ate approx 2.5 cups of farmer's pie (meat, a lot of peas, and mashed potatoes made extra fatty). It was about 30 minutes later that I felt hungry, and less than an hour when my stomach growled. For lunch, I have as many cherries as I wanted (my stomach gave signs of being done, so I stopped) and then less than a minute after putting up the cherries, my stomach demanded food, so I poured myself a bowl of pretzels (I'm getting 4 bowls out of my "family" sized bag of Glutino pretzels.. I don't share, either). I ate those and one gummy worm (Left over from last night.). I probably finished eating around 2 o'clock. My stomach is talking to me rudely (growling pretty loud and some minor pains) as if I haven't eaten since yesterday! I'm about to go bulk up our homemade chili and will probably eat two huge helpings of that, too. Oh, and calorie addition on there, I had that monster energy, too (at 7am). Yesterday was just as bad (I ate two huge servings of the farmer's pie for dinner at 7:00, and was still hungry before I went to bed at 9:30).

Part of my concern is feeding into this, even with mostly healthy foods (unlike today ) and gaining a lot of weight. I'm CURRENTLY 40-50 pounds overweight, and am wearing my mom's pants that she can't fit into anymore because everything I have is too small. So I can't gain enough more to knock me into 18s! But this constant hunger is bugging me..

Also: I have been CC'd in the last week, and am currently feeling the repercussions of having milk in the last few days (*cough* yesterday), but I've never had extreme hunger from the one before (and the other is new).

TIA!

[organicmama]

How long have you been gluten-free and CF?

[PadmeMaster]

I've been gluten free for a year (as of sometime this month). Cf is casein? I've not managed cf yet. Goal is to not touch it again. I'm having a little trouble but will get on track. I'll go to whole foods sometime this week, which will help.

[Marilyn R]

I had ravenous hunger for a few months after going gluten-free. Instead of empty snacks like pretzels, you might like to try whole nuts for a snack. The really satisfy the hunger and quiet the beast. (Your stomach.) I'm underweight but really sensitive, so the gluten-free Foods at the grocery didn't work for me.

Another wierd thing that I discovered is that I crave meat from the bone. There is something strangely satisfying about eating bone marrow or any meat on the bone. Or you can boil meat bones with veggies to make your own stock to cook rice in, or make soups.

I suspect that it has something to do with a need for calcium, which I couldn't absorb previously. Have you had your vitamin levels checked lately? That might be worthwhile.

[PadmeMaster]

No, I haven't had my vitamin levels checked, although mom was reading something the other day and commented about our D intake.. So I might get it checked because I just read something that said too much D was dangerous.. lol

Thanks

[eatmeat4good]

When I looked at gummy worms for my son, they had gluten in them. Read that package.

Try filling up on protein not the potatoes. Protein is more satisfying and you can eat as much as you like or need without gaining weight. Cooked vegetables, fruit and veggies...if you stick mainly to that and minimize rice and potatoes (and pretzels) you won't gain so fast. Carbs have a way of making you want more. I try to keep it at around 30 g carbs a day and I feel way better. But if I eat a bunch of carbs...for sure the next day I am hungry as a bear...not for good food...but for carbs or sugar. Feed your body when it's hungry but not on carbs.