Learning to differentiate and get past my hunger issues was the hardest part of this program for me. By FAR.
But I think it's a big key to being successful.
I couldn't STAND feeling hungry. I never knew when I was full. My mother used to call me a 'bottomless pit'. (really).
So I came up with a little 'checklist'....that I sort of 'run through my head' whenever I'm hungry, and it's helped me a lot. I hope it helps you!
MY HUNGER CHECKLIST
1). Has it been over 2 hours since my last meal? (solution: EAT your MF meal)
2). Am I thirsty? (solution: Drink water)
3). Am I tired? (solution: Go lie down and/or go to bed earlier)
4). Am I feeling an emotion I don't like? (HALT acronym...also frustration, anxiety, stress, worry, depression...even boredom! You name it!) (solution: Think it through)
5). Have I been working out more than usual lately? (solution: More protein)
6). What's my carb count look like? (solution: less carbs)Here's more info on each of the above:
1). Has it been over 2 hours since my last meal?
If so, it's probably time for my next MF meal. Not a big deal...have it and move on.
I found it's important to space my meals out evenly. Every 3 hours is optimum.
My 'best' schedule looks like this: 6 am / 9 am / Noon / 3 pm / 6 pm / 9 pm.
Obviously I can't stick to that religiously. Stuff happens. But I really try to adhere to it as closely as I can, because I find that the more I get into the habit of eating every 3 hours, the easier it gets to tell that it's time to eat...my body kind of 'tells' me. I feel empty inside.
And I'll look up and go "Oh yeah, its been 3 hours!" (YAY! I get to eat!)
Mornings aren't a big problem because I'm busy. At the gym, running errands, etc.
But afternoons can drag. And I've had problems with having my afternoon snack 'too soon'. For example, if I eat it at 2 pm, and dinner isn't until 6 (or later, depending when DH gets home) I'm in trouble. I'm in the kitchen...the danger zone...!....and I'm cooking, and Fat Brain is working on me, PLUS I have the physical hunger working against me because it's been FOUR LONG HOURS between meals.
And wthis plan? That's too long.
Many of us can get through the day, but we 'fall down' at dinner. So the key is to wait on that afternoon snack so it's only been 3 hours (3-1/2 TOPS), and therefore you're not as physically hungry, and have everything READY. Know what you're having. And/or have easy things you can throw together quickly that you LIKE. Sip from a water glass while you're cooking, too. This can help STOP yourself from "sampling". Oh yeah, I did it. A little bite here, a little bite there....don't do it. It all counts but what's even more importantly is, it's a bad habit to get into. WAIT until you've got dinner on the table, then sit down and relax and enjoy it. Take your time.
There's a commercial running on TV lately....it's for some diet pill or other (which I am NOT advocating, in any way, shape or form!)....but the point is well-taken....and that is, "Am I FULL? Am I still hungry?"....
Learning to differentiate when you've had enough is difficult for us.
Which is why the parameters of the program are so important to follow AS IS and not make up our own rules. Weigh and measure everything, eat it all, and stop. That's all. That's the plan, so that's what I do. That's what I eat and that's ALL I eat. I don't NEED anything more. Have faith in the program.
And take your TIME when you're eating. We can gobble an MF bar down in 3 bites. Which takes, what, maybe 10 seconds? 15? LOL....when you're out and about, maybe in the car, whatever, that's one thing....because you're busy. But if you do that when you're home, your stomach and your brain don't have time to communicate with each other and you're STILL HUNGRY. Of course you are!....that rule is TRUE (it takes 20 minutes for tummy to tell brain "I'm satisifed").
So you look around for 'more'.
When I'm home I eat things that take TIME to eat. I'll make a big deal out of my MF oatmeal cookies and laughing cow. Or have cereal (who says you have to eat it only at Breakfast?)....or one of the hot MF meals, like the mashed potatoes or ziti or mac&cheese. Something that I have to SIT DOWN and eat. And I take my time.
OK, let's say it's been only 1-1/2 hours, you're NOT feeling any 'bad' emotion, but you're STILL STARVING. I keep drilling down!
2). Am I thirsty?
This one's easy. I read somewhere that if you wait until you FEEL thirsty, it's too late, you're dehydrated. So keep drinking. Have a glass or bottle of water at your side all day long. And sip from it all day. I always ask myself "Have I had all my water for today?" because sometimes thirsty masks itself as hunger.I also drink....a LOT....while I'm eating. Water, plus a cup of herb tea (or coffee in the mornings) with my MF meals. Plus maybe Crystal light or sparkling water. Oh yeah...I'm drinking constantly. My family jokes that I must be dehydrated all the time or something...but I don't care....it WORKS for me. Keeps me fuller. Less likely to be hungry.
3). Am I tired?
Exhaustion also can mask itself as hunger. We tell ourselves we just need a 'pick me up'. But it's not true. It's not food our body needs, but REST.
We all do TOO MUCH. We try to be all things to all the people in our lives.
But we can't be! Sooner or later everyone reaches a breaking point. Don't wait until you get to that point. Make time 'just for you', EVERY DAY. Even if it's just 20 minutes. Go lie down and rest in a darkened room. Take deep breaths. Just BE.
You are a human BEing, not a human DOing.
It's OK sometimes to just 'be'!
And get your SLEEP. There is nothing wrong with going to bed earlier. I fact, that was one of the keys to my success as well -- and I STILL do it. It prevents nighttime munchies and it helps me all around.
So I ask myself, "Have I been burning the candle at both ends lately?"
Maybe it's time for a nap....just a few minutes alone, even, in a darkened room with my eyes closed doing some deep breathing exercises can make all the difference in the world!
Or maybe I didn't sleep well the night before. So I get to bed earlier.
Maybe I just need to RELAX. I'm tense. Feel your neck and shoulders. Are they tight? You're holding onto stress. RELAX. Roll your head around in a circle. Shrug your shoulders up, back, and down. Assess your body, are you in pain? Take a pain pill (this is for me with the FMS...obviously it doesn't apply to everyone).
4). Am I feeling an emotion I don't like? Use the HALT acronym (Hungry Angry Lonely Tired) but don't stop there. There are PLENTY of other emotions that can cause me to want to stuff myself. Anxiety, worry, stress, depression, frustration, even simple boredom.
And learning to really 'feel' my emotions, to even figure out WHAT I'm feeling, wasn't easy....especially after a lifetime of stuffing them down. After all, emotional hunger 'feels' like physical hunger. Maybe even with the stomach rumbling going on! (which doesn't always signal hunger, it just means your digestive system is working).
But now I stop and analyze HOW AM I FEELING? WHAT am I feeling?
I've found that usually it's the 'bad' feelings, like anxiety, depression, loneliness, even boredom!....frustration, worry, anger...that cause me the most problems. I would eat to hide from them. To cover them up. To tell myself I didn't have to feel my feelings, I could lose myself in my "friend", food (NOT!) instead.
Now I think about my 'bad' emotion.....whatever it is....and I ask myself,
"Can I live through this?"
Can I just sit and FEEL this feeling? I mean, a feeling can't hurt you. And it WILL go away. We don't feel a feeling 'forever'. If I'm furious, I know I'll calm down eventually. If I'm depressed, sooner or later something will cheer me up....if nothing else, there's always tomorrow (and things usually DO look brighter the next morning after a good night's sleep). If I'm bored, I look for something ELSE to do, God knows there are plenty of things to do other than eat. Play a game, read a book, take a bath, surf the net, do your nails, clean something (NOT the refrigerator LOL), etc.
If it's something that I can DO something about, then I DO it. Worry and frustration and anxiety usually means there's something you can do....some progress you can make...toward solving it. You can do research. You can write about it. You can call aYou can get the FACTS versus just sitting and worrying.Another question I ask myself is, "Will eating SOLVE it?"
Of course the answer is always "NO". No way is consuming tons of food going to solve my problem. I might (temporarily) 'forget' about it, as I drown my sorrows in a food trance, but when it's all said and done I'll be left with the very same problem I had to begin with...plus a NEW problem...I just went off program! UGH!
Who needs it?
Each emotion needs to be handled a little differently. Experiment to see what works for you. Get the anger out by pounding on something or doing something physical. If you're depressed, do something nice for yourself that DOESN'T involve eating. Etc. And there are times when you have a problem that you can't do 'Thing 1' about. Those are the times I write them down and put them in my "GOD" box (just a shoebox with a slit on top I keep under my bed) and give the problem to God and/or the universe to solve for me....because I've reached my limit, and done all I can do. There. It's off my proverbial plate. DONE. OVER.
5). Have I been working out a lot lately?
I have found it's true, many of us DO need the extra protein if we're working out hard. And by 'hard' I don't mean walking around the block (unless your block is 5 miles long LOL).
I mean really pushing it....over 3x a week....maybe treadmill, cardio, weight training, whatever it is you're really working up a sweat.
You may NEED more protein. Even to lose the weight! If you're burning more calories consistently, then you could be flirting with 'starvation mode'.
How to tell? Well, first of all it just 'feels' physical. It feels like my body NEEDS more food. And I swear I'm not upset about anything, my carb count is good, I'm spacing my meals appropriately but I'm still friggin' HUNGRY!
In this case, I do 2 extra ounces of protein that day.
Contrary to popular belief those extra ounces will NOT cause you to stop losing weight....in fact I did it throughout the 5/1 and kept losing. I was also working out a gym (still do). You have to gauge for yourself. If you're just walking around the block several times a week, then I would say "NO". But if you're doing more.....especially if it's more than you 'used to' do....your body may be trying to tell you something.
The "secret" here, though is to keep it at just a few ounces, and it's ONLY protein. It doesn't mean an extra MF meal or snack and all the other rules still apply.
Also, if you work out in the mornings and typically find yourself STARVING at lunchtime, you may need to split your lean. Have half at lunch, half at dinner. That, too, worked for me....beautifully. I wasn't as hungry in the afternoons and dinnertime I had my veggies and salad, too, so I didn't miss the extra protein so much. Plus I chat with my DH about his day, etc. and I'm busier.
And it just 'feels' physical. It feels like my body NEEDS more food. And I swear I'm not upset about anything, my carb count is good, I'm spacing my meals appropriately but I'm still friggin' HUNGRY! Are you exercising? AHA! You may need an extra couple ounces of protein. DEPENDING on how hard you work out. Contrary to popular belief those extra ounces will NOT cause you to stop losing weight....in fact I did it throughout the 5/1 and kept losing. I was also working out a gym, which I still do, though. You have to gauge for yourself. If you're just walking around the block 2x a week, then I would say "NO" (unless your block is 5 miles long LOL), you don't need the extra protein. But if you're doing more.....especially if it's more than you 'used to' do....your body may be trying to tell you something.The "secret" here, though is to keep it at just a few ounces, and it's ONLY protein. It doesn't mean an extra MF meal or snack and all the other rules still apply.Also, if you work out in the mornings and typically found yourself STARVING at lunchtime, you may need to split your lean. Have half at lunch, half at dinner. That, too, worked for me....beautifully. I wasn't as hungry in the afternoons and dinnertime I had my veggies and salad, too, so I didn't miss the extra protein so much. Plus I chat with my DH about his day, etc. and I'm busier. And it just 'feels' physical. It feels like my body NEEDS more food. And I swear I'm not upset about anything, my carb count is good, I'm spacing my meals appropriately but I'm still friggin' HUNGRY! Are you exercising? AHA! You may need an extra couple ounces of protein. DEPENDING on how hard you work out. Contrary to popular belief those extra ounces will NOT cause you to stop losing weight....in fact I did it throughout the 5/1 and kept losing. I was also working out a gym, which I still do, though. You have to gauge for yourself. If you're just walking around the block 2x a week, then I would say "NO" (unless your block is 5 miles long LOL), you don't need the extra protein. But if you're doing more.....especially if it's more than you 'used to' do....your body may be trying to tell you something.The "secret" here, though is to keep it at just a few ounces, and it's ONLY protein. It doesn't mean an extra MF meal or snack and all the other rules still apply.Also, if you work out in the mornings and typically found yourself STARVING at lunchtime, you may need to split your lean. Have half at lunch, half at dinner. That, too, worked for me....beautifully. I wasn't as hungry in the afternoons and dinnertime I had my veggies and salad, too, so I didn't miss the extra protein so much. Plus I chat with my DH about his day, etc. and I'm busier.
6). What's my carb count look like?
If I've gone through ALL those steps and I'm STILL hungry, I look at my carb count.
If it's been running way over 100 grams a day, chances are my glycemic levels are a bit too high and that's causing hunger issues (it can). Take a look at your veggies and go for the 'greenest' of the greens....the ones we get the most of, like lettuce and spinach. Stay away from the green beans and other higher-carb veggies for awhile. And watch the Crystal light and artificial sweeteners...they CAN make us hungier or crave more sweets.
I had to cut out diet soda altogether because it just made me too darn hungry.
If you really adore your Crystal light and Splenda (I do), and you know this is happening, sometimes that's all it takes...'knowledge is power'. You're just craving sweets. That's all. You'll live. Drink more water. Get busy. The time will pass.
Bottom line, don't assume you 'can't' do the program just because you're 'starving'.
We frequently don't know what REAL hunger feels like.
But with this program we have the STRUCTURE to 'tell' us when and how much to eat. And we have to trust in the program and know that we're getting all the proper nutrients we NEED to keep going. We're not going to collapse and fall apart in a heap on the side of the road LOL.
We'll be FINE. A little hunger is normal.
And emotional hunger will happen. Most of us have experienced it and it's something you have to work your way through. Understanding that it can take TIME. You may not get it right the first time, but maybe the next time you'll figure something out that works 'instead' of eating, and the time after that it'll get easier, and so on. Each emotion requires different alternatives.
Keep on!
But I think it's a big key to being successful.
I couldn't STAND feeling hungry. I never knew when I was full. My mother used to call me a 'bottomless pit'. (really).
So I came up with a little 'checklist'....that I sort of 'run through my head' whenever I'm hungry, and it's helped me a lot. I hope it helps you!
MY HUNGER CHECKLIST
1). Has it been over 2 hours since my last meal? (solution: EAT your MF meal)
2). Am I thirsty? (solution: Drink water)
3). Am I tired? (solution: Go lie down and/or go to bed earlier)
4). Am I feeling an emotion I don't like? (HALT acronym...also frustration, anxiety, stress, worry, depression...even boredom! You name it!) (solution: Think it through)
5). Have I been working out more than usual lately? (solution: More protein)
6). What's my carb count look like? (solution: less carbs)Here's more info on each of the above:
1). Has it been over 2 hours since my last meal?
If so, it's probably time for my next MF meal. Not a big deal...have it and move on.
I found it's important to space my meals out evenly. Every 3 hours is optimum.
My 'best' schedule looks like this: 6 am / 9 am / Noon / 3 pm / 6 pm / 9 pm.
Obviously I can't stick to that religiously. Stuff happens. But I really try to adhere to it as closely as I can, because I find that the more I get into the habit of eating every 3 hours, the easier it gets to tell that it's time to eat...my body kind of 'tells' me. I feel empty inside.
And I'll look up and go "Oh yeah, its been 3 hours!" (YAY! I get to eat!)
Mornings aren't a big problem because I'm busy. At the gym, running errands, etc.
But afternoons can drag. And I've had problems with having my afternoon snack 'too soon'. For example, if I eat it at 2 pm, and dinner isn't until 6 (or later, depending when DH gets home) I'm in trouble. I'm in the kitchen...the danger zone...!....and I'm cooking, and Fat Brain is working on me, PLUS I have the physical hunger working against me because it's been FOUR LONG HOURS between meals.
And wthis plan? That's too long.
Many of us can get through the day, but we 'fall down' at dinner. So the key is to wait on that afternoon snack so it's only been 3 hours (3-1/2 TOPS), and therefore you're not as physically hungry, and have everything READY. Know what you're having. And/or have easy things you can throw together quickly that you LIKE. Sip from a water glass while you're cooking, too. This can help STOP yourself from "sampling". Oh yeah, I did it. A little bite here, a little bite there....don't do it. It all counts but what's even more importantly is, it's a bad habit to get into. WAIT until you've got dinner on the table, then sit down and relax and enjoy it. Take your time.
There's a commercial running on TV lately....it's for some diet pill or other (which I am NOT advocating, in any way, shape or form!)....but the point is well-taken....and that is, "Am I FULL? Am I still hungry?"....
Learning to differentiate when you've had enough is difficult for us.
Which is why the parameters of the program are so important to follow AS IS and not make up our own rules. Weigh and measure everything, eat it all, and stop. That's all. That's the plan, so that's what I do. That's what I eat and that's ALL I eat. I don't NEED anything more. Have faith in the program.
And take your TIME when you're eating. We can gobble an MF bar down in 3 bites. Which takes, what, maybe 10 seconds? 15? LOL....when you're out and about, maybe in the car, whatever, that's one thing....because you're busy. But if you do that when you're home, your stomach and your brain don't have time to communicate with each other and you're STILL HUNGRY. Of course you are!....that rule is TRUE (it takes 20 minutes for tummy to tell brain "I'm satisifed").
So you look around for 'more'.
When I'm home I eat things that take TIME to eat. I'll make a big deal out of my MF oatmeal cookies and laughing cow. Or have cereal (who says you have to eat it only at Breakfast?)....or one of the hot MF meals, like the mashed potatoes or ziti or mac&cheese. Something that I have to SIT DOWN and eat. And I take my time.
OK, let's say it's been only 1-1/2 hours, you're NOT feeling any 'bad' emotion, but you're STILL STARVING. I keep drilling down!
2). Am I thirsty?
This one's easy. I read somewhere that if you wait until you FEEL thirsty, it's too late, you're dehydrated. So keep drinking. Have a glass or bottle of water at your side all day long. And sip from it all day. I always ask myself "Have I had all my water for today?" because sometimes thirsty masks itself as hunger.I also drink....a LOT....while I'm eating. Water, plus a cup of herb tea (or coffee in the mornings) with my MF meals. Plus maybe Crystal light or sparkling water. Oh yeah...I'm drinking constantly. My family jokes that I must be dehydrated all the time or something...but I don't care....it WORKS for me. Keeps me fuller. Less likely to be hungry.
3). Am I tired?
Exhaustion also can mask itself as hunger. We tell ourselves we just need a 'pick me up'. But it's not true. It's not food our body needs, but REST.
We all do TOO MUCH. We try to be all things to all the people in our lives.
But we can't be! Sooner or later everyone reaches a breaking point. Don't wait until you get to that point. Make time 'just for you', EVERY DAY. Even if it's just 20 minutes. Go lie down and rest in a darkened room. Take deep breaths. Just BE.
You are a human BEing, not a human DOing.
It's OK sometimes to just 'be'!
And get your SLEEP. There is nothing wrong with going to bed earlier. I fact, that was one of the keys to my success as well -- and I STILL do it. It prevents nighttime munchies and it helps me all around.
So I ask myself, "Have I been burning the candle at both ends lately?"
Maybe it's time for a nap....just a few minutes alone, even, in a darkened room with my eyes closed doing some deep breathing exercises can make all the difference in the world!
Or maybe I didn't sleep well the night before. So I get to bed earlier.
Maybe I just need to RELAX. I'm tense. Feel your neck and shoulders. Are they tight? You're holding onto stress. RELAX. Roll your head around in a circle. Shrug your shoulders up, back, and down. Assess your body, are you in pain? Take a pain pill (this is for me with the FMS...obviously it doesn't apply to everyone).
4). Am I feeling an emotion I don't like? Use the HALT acronym (Hungry Angry Lonely Tired) but don't stop there. There are PLENTY of other emotions that can cause me to want to stuff myself. Anxiety, worry, stress, depression, frustration, even simple boredom.
And learning to really 'feel' my emotions, to even figure out WHAT I'm feeling, wasn't easy....especially after a lifetime of stuffing them down. After all, emotional hunger 'feels' like physical hunger. Maybe even with the stomach rumbling going on! (which doesn't always signal hunger, it just means your digestive system is working).
But now I stop and analyze HOW AM I FEELING? WHAT am I feeling?
I've found that usually it's the 'bad' feelings, like anxiety, depression, loneliness, even boredom!....frustration, worry, anger...that cause me the most problems. I would eat to hide from them. To cover them up. To tell myself I didn't have to feel my feelings, I could lose myself in my "friend", food (NOT!) instead.
Now I think about my 'bad' emotion.....whatever it is....and I ask myself,
"Can I live through this?"
Can I just sit and FEEL this feeling? I mean, a feeling can't hurt you. And it WILL go away. We don't feel a feeling 'forever'. If I'm furious, I know I'll calm down eventually. If I'm depressed, sooner or later something will cheer me up....if nothing else, there's always tomorrow (and things usually DO look brighter the next morning after a good night's sleep). If I'm bored, I look for something ELSE to do, God knows there are plenty of things to do other than eat. Play a game, read a book, take a bath, surf the net, do your nails, clean something (NOT the refrigerator LOL), etc.
If it's something that I can DO something about, then I DO it. Worry and frustration and anxiety usually means there's something you can do....some progress you can make...toward solving it. You can do research. You can write about it. You can call aYou can get the FACTS versus just sitting and worrying.Another question I ask myself is, "Will eating SOLVE it?"
Of course the answer is always "NO". No way is consuming tons of food going to solve my problem. I might (temporarily) 'forget' about it, as I drown my sorrows in a food trance, but when it's all said and done I'll be left with the very same problem I had to begin with...plus a NEW problem...I just went off program! UGH!
Who needs it?
Each emotion needs to be handled a little differently. Experiment to see what works for you. Get the anger out by pounding on something or doing something physical. If you're depressed, do something nice for yourself that DOESN'T involve eating. Etc. And there are times when you have a problem that you can't do 'Thing 1' about. Those are the times I write them down and put them in my "GOD" box (just a shoebox with a slit on top I keep under my bed) and give the problem to God and/or the universe to solve for me....because I've reached my limit, and done all I can do. There. It's off my proverbial plate. DONE. OVER.
5). Have I been working out a lot lately?
I have found it's true, many of us DO need the extra protein if we're working out hard. And by 'hard' I don't mean walking around the block (unless your block is 5 miles long LOL).
I mean really pushing it....over 3x a week....maybe treadmill, cardio, weight training, whatever it is you're really working up a sweat.
You may NEED more protein. Even to lose the weight! If you're burning more calories consistently, then you could be flirting with 'starvation mode'.
How to tell? Well, first of all it just 'feels' physical. It feels like my body NEEDS more food. And I swear I'm not upset about anything, my carb count is good, I'm spacing my meals appropriately but I'm still friggin' HUNGRY!
In this case, I do 2 extra ounces of protein that day.
Contrary to popular belief those extra ounces will NOT cause you to stop losing weight....in fact I did it throughout the 5/1 and kept losing. I was also working out a gym (still do). You have to gauge for yourself. If you're just walking around the block several times a week, then I would say "NO". But if you're doing more.....especially if it's more than you 'used to' do....your body may be trying to tell you something.
The "secret" here, though is to keep it at just a few ounces, and it's ONLY protein. It doesn't mean an extra MF meal or snack and all the other rules still apply.
Also, if you work out in the mornings and typically find yourself STARVING at lunchtime, you may need to split your lean. Have half at lunch, half at dinner. That, too, worked for me....beautifully. I wasn't as hungry in the afternoons and dinnertime I had my veggies and salad, too, so I didn't miss the extra protein so much. Plus I chat with my DH about his day, etc. and I'm busier.
And it just 'feels' physical. It feels like my body NEEDS more food. And I swear I'm not upset about anything, my carb count is good, I'm spacing my meals appropriately but I'm still friggin' HUNGRY! Are you exercising? AHA! You may need an extra couple ounces of protein. DEPENDING on how hard you work out. Contrary to popular belief those extra ounces will NOT cause you to stop losing weight....in fact I did it throughout the 5/1 and kept losing. I was also working out a gym, which I still do, though. You have to gauge for yourself. If you're just walking around the block 2x a week, then I would say "NO" (unless your block is 5 miles long LOL), you don't need the extra protein. But if you're doing more.....especially if it's more than you 'used to' do....your body may be trying to tell you something.The "secret" here, though is to keep it at just a few ounces, and it's ONLY protein. It doesn't mean an extra MF meal or snack and all the other rules still apply.Also, if you work out in the mornings and typically found yourself STARVING at lunchtime, you may need to split your lean. Have half at lunch, half at dinner. That, too, worked for me....beautifully. I wasn't as hungry in the afternoons and dinnertime I had my veggies and salad, too, so I didn't miss the extra protein so much. Plus I chat with my DH about his day, etc. and I'm busier. And it just 'feels' physical. It feels like my body NEEDS more food. And I swear I'm not upset about anything, my carb count is good, I'm spacing my meals appropriately but I'm still friggin' HUNGRY! Are you exercising? AHA! You may need an extra couple ounces of protein. DEPENDING on how hard you work out. Contrary to popular belief those extra ounces will NOT cause you to stop losing weight....in fact I did it throughout the 5/1 and kept losing. I was also working out a gym, which I still do, though. You have to gauge for yourself. If you're just walking around the block 2x a week, then I would say "NO" (unless your block is 5 miles long LOL), you don't need the extra protein. But if you're doing more.....especially if it's more than you 'used to' do....your body may be trying to tell you something.The "secret" here, though is to keep it at just a few ounces, and it's ONLY protein. It doesn't mean an extra MF meal or snack and all the other rules still apply.Also, if you work out in the mornings and typically found yourself STARVING at lunchtime, you may need to split your lean. Have half at lunch, half at dinner. That, too, worked for me....beautifully. I wasn't as hungry in the afternoons and dinnertime I had my veggies and salad, too, so I didn't miss the extra protein so much. Plus I chat with my DH about his day, etc. and I'm busier.
6). What's my carb count look like?
If I've gone through ALL those steps and I'm STILL hungry, I look at my carb count.
If it's been running way over 100 grams a day, chances are my glycemic levels are a bit too high and that's causing hunger issues (it can). Take a look at your veggies and go for the 'greenest' of the greens....the ones we get the most of, like lettuce and spinach. Stay away from the green beans and other higher-carb veggies for awhile. And watch the Crystal light and artificial sweeteners...they CAN make us hungier or crave more sweets.
I had to cut out diet soda altogether because it just made me too darn hungry.
If you really adore your Crystal light and Splenda (I do), and you know this is happening, sometimes that's all it takes...'knowledge is power'. You're just craving sweets. That's all. You'll live. Drink more water. Get busy. The time will pass.
Bottom line, don't assume you 'can't' do the program just because you're 'starving'.
We frequently don't know what REAL hunger feels like.
But with this program we have the STRUCTURE to 'tell' us when and how much to eat. And we have to trust in the program and know that we're getting all the proper nutrients we NEED to keep going. We're not going to collapse and fall apart in a heap on the side of the road LOL.
We'll be FINE. A little hunger is normal.
And emotional hunger will happen. Most of us have experienced it and it's something you have to work your way through. Understanding that it can take TIME. You may not get it right the first time, but maybe the next time you'll figure something out that works 'instead' of eating, and the time after that it'll get easier, and so on. Each emotion requires different alternatives.
Keep on!
No comments:
Post a Comment
Please send me your comments!
I will review and post if relevant...(with your initials only).