Do you remember ever playing a game called Hungry, Hungry Hippos? You played it trying to make your hippo gobble up as many little balls as you could. If your hippo ate the most, you were a winner. I never thought about it till now, but a silly game that rewards the winner who eats the most seems like bad precedent to set to me.
I am hungry...diet hungry, as some might say. I'm trying to lower my portions and keep my whole grains and fruits to 2 a day. It's all a part of me trying to get myself out of this plateau situation that I'm in. I'm going to 2 whole grains and 2 fruits because that's how I did it in phase 2 of the South Beach Diet that I followed successfully (at least for awhile) several years ago. I have a sugar problem so I feel like limiting the amount of fruits and whole grains will be helpful to me. I am a carb lover.
I started thinking about hunger in relation to dieting. I don't like the feeling, but is it helpful for dieters? I don't know. Dr Joel Fuhrman posted recently on Facebook that "
So, when I'm done with all my eating for the day, I'll just have to be hungry, hungry Shannon...at least till my body adjusts to less.
So what are your tips and tricks for staving off hunger?
I am hungry...diet hungry, as some might say. I'm trying to lower my portions and keep my whole grains and fruits to 2 a day. It's all a part of me trying to get myself out of this plateau situation that I'm in. I'm going to 2 whole grains and 2 fruits because that's how I did it in phase 2 of the South Beach Diet that I followed successfully (at least for awhile) several years ago. I have a sugar problem so I feel like limiting the amount of fruits and whole grains will be helpful to me. I am a carb lover.
So, when I'm done with all my eating for the day, I'll just have to be hungry, hungry Shannon...at least till my body adjusts to less.
So what are your tips and tricks for staving off hunger?
2 comments:
My advice for you would be to forget about will power. This may seem like a bad idea, but if you really want to change your eating in a "lifestyle" change rather than a mere diet, will power will only get you so far, and sometimes lead to failure and bingeing. Often times, our hunger cues go crazy because our body is craving nutrients that they don't get from traditional "SAD" (standard american diet) foods that are loaded with bad fat, processed grains, refined sugars, and salt.
I would suggest writing down what you eat every day. Don't even bother with calories, quantities, or points. Just write down what you eat, and at the end of the day think about "where am I getting the nutrients for my body?" If your daily intake is low on raw fruits and vegetables, and higher in processed foods, try adding more and more raw fruits and veggies every day. The great thing about fruits and vegetables is that they have a high nutrient to calorie density ratio! They also are less calories per weight and volume. This means that you can eat vegetables (especially leafy greens) until you are stuffed full! This will make you satisfied for longer during the day and less likely to overeat calorie-wise when you are very hungry during mealtimes.
Check out this link for a visible picture of this idea: http://pinterest.com/pin/218143175670640889/
Also, I have come to think of hunger as a good thing, or at least hunger in the sense that most people think it is. Hunger that most people describe is a feeling of a grumbly stomach, often accompanied by a headache, or feelings of sadness and anxiety. I have left this idea of hunger behind when I learned that during the times that our stomach is empty and is not working to digest our food, it is working to cleanse our body of toxins, and work on processing fat cells. This is what we want! We want our bodies to be rid of toxins and to lose some of the fat that is unwanted.
Anyways, I hope you find a good, healthy solution to getting through the hunger spells you have during the day. If you'd ever like to talk more or get suggestions for informative books to read, please feel free to email me at amysnutritariankitchen@gmail.com, or come comment on my blog at amysnutritariankitchen.blogspot.com
:) Amy
Thanks for reading, Amy , and for the suggestions. I vist your site all the time and I will continue to tune in.
I already write down what I eat on http://www.myfitnesspal.com/ and it is very helpful. it allows me to especially track things I'm interested in like sugars and proteins. You are correct. I do much better when I write things down.It also is allowing me to see what I ate on days when I was particularly hungry so I can see where I was lacking as compared to days when I was not so hungry.
You wrote, "I have left this idea of hunger behind when I learned that during the times that our stomach is empty and is not working to digest our food, it is working to cleanse our body of toxins, and work on processing fat cells. This is what we want! We want our bodies to be rid of toxins and to lose some of the fat that is unwanted." This is exactly why I am trying to allow myself to be hungry in the evening b/c I want those toxins gone and for my body to work it's natural fat busting magic overnight. The jury is out as to whether that's wise or not, but we'll see.
I do like the visual you linked above. It's a good reminder.
You rock, Amy! Thanks!
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