Guys, how the F do I stop eating so much?!

[kurtcobainus]

@dawn16 Eek, glad she got tested.

I was kind of bummed when mine came back normal. Then I looked at my diet and realised I wasn't tracking small bites and those add up. On my hips.

 

[thehindubrahmin]

@lostandtired To find satiation at all when I removed sugar, I had to really bump up hard in the fats.

 

[risen]

@thehindubrahmin I was just about to say eat more fat. Chicken livers wrapped in bacon are delicious and nutritious. Whenever I get the insatiables I make those or fat bombs made with coconut oil.

 

[ladypickens]

@lostandtired Try keto. Cut your net carbs (carbs less fiber) to 20-30 grams per day, and don't eat foods with added sugar. Replace sugar in coffee and tea with stevia or erythritol - sweeteners that wont impact your blood sugar. Try to eat mostly whole foods with natural fats (salmon, avocado, whole milk cheese, grassfed butter) and a diverse range of veggies to ensure you are getting the nutrients your body needs. Get in electrolytes (sodium, potassium, magnesium) via supplements like lite salt or ultima electrolyte packets or chicken or bone broths. I went from easily eating 4000+ calories a day pre keto to now eating around 1600. If you do it properly (with minimal frankenfood) it will decimate your hunger.

 

[jwe17fe]

@lostandtired I can relate to this a lot. I was one of those people that was always hungry. I tried calorie counting, IF, skipping breakfast, lots of veggies, you name it.

And the only thing that worked for me was getting rid of added sugar. I didn't want to try it for a long time because I was always firmly in the camp of eat whatever you want but within calorie and macro limits.

But sad to say. It works. At least for me. I just don't get those crazy cravings anymore where I can't do anything but eat every carb I have in the pantry.

So you might try that. But I imagine it's a your mileage may vary suggestion.

 

[bblessed76]

@lostandtired Try limiting carbs as it makes you crave more. r/keto is what helped me

 

[onlinejeff]

@lostandtired Have you been tested for candida? With carbs increasing and craving sugar so much, any non beneficial bacteria in your gut might be feasting then reminding you it needs more food. Going hard core on some probiotics might change your life. If you have a yeast overgrowth, you also probably aren't absorbing nutrients very effectively, which also would contribute to hunger.

Source: I don't have candida issues, but I pretty much just don't have probiotics in my system without adding them, and its kinda huge. Might be worth a try?

 

[nh1980]

@onlinejeff Came here to say probiotics!

 

[monermajetomi]

@lostandtired Something that works for me is working while I eat. I don’t know how applicable this is to your job, but I teach so I try to do my lesson plans and grading and stuff while I’m eating. Usually I get immersed enough in the work that I eat slower and over a longer period of time so I have time “get full” and I don’t eat as much.

This could also easily work with watching TV or something. But it might be easier to eat more when watching TV so be careful.

 

[thanushpoulsen]

@lostandtired Maybe check out intermittent fasting. I’m no expert but I’ve had a lot of tangible success from it and fasting really helps reset my relationship with food. It sounds really tough but if you do it through the morning and keep busy you can do it!

 

[dawn16]

@lostandtired You say your job is stressful and food provides relief for that. So when you take away the food, what do you then do to deal with the stress? I might start there.

 

[fswiger]

@lostandtired Hey lady! Also 5'8" mirena using, food loving, sweeth tooth lady here. This is completely anecdotal but I found my weight really stabilized when I adopted a semi-intermittent fasting vegan lifestyle. Now, I know this sounds horrible but hear me out.

In the morning my husband and I alternate making fresh squeezed juice from vegetables and a small amount of fruit. This gives me the blood sugar and nutrients I need to get going but doesnt seem to open the flood gates. Previously when I was eating breakfast daily (ranging from homemade granola bars to cheesy 3gg scrambles) I found I wanted a mid morning snack and was famished by lunch. By skipping breakfast and just having liquids (juice, coffee, water) I seem to hold off breaking the rhetorical seal.

For lunch I have a huge meal. Sometimes it's a giant salad with two vegie burgers, pumpkin seeds, olive oil, balsamic, croutons, sometimes it's 2 cups kale, 2 cups broccoli, half a block of fried tofu, cashews, siracha and soy sauce. If im not stuffed after that I have a piece of fruit. The key for me is getting to where I'm super full at lunch, the point where I need to go for a walk to feel comfortable.

Sometimes in the afternoon I need a little pick me up around 3. This may be just a coffee, a diet coke, a tea, or piece of fruit. Whatever sub 200 calorie thing I'm feeling that I think will get me to dinner.

Dinner is often similar to lunch, but with a carb. Tacos with rice beans and avocado, pasta with soy crumbles, red sauce and cashew "cheese", a monster salad with all the fixings, pizza with tofu"cheese" soy crumbles and lots of vegies, Asian stiry fry with 4 cups veggies, soy sauce, and seitan (tastey wheat gluten based protein).

I've never been healthier or felt better, even when I was consuming an omnivore diet.

I would be hesitant to cut out gluten unless you are actually allergic. My brother has celiac disease so I went through a phase where I avoided it, but in the end I found that I was often more satisfied in my diet when including a carb than not--and there are a lot of delicious based carbs.

Feel free to pm me if you have any questions!

 

[dshope]

@fswiger OP may have cut out gluten/wheat for the digestive issues mentioned in her post. Some people with IBS can't tolerate wheat and because of the recent gluten-free trend just refer to wheat avoidance as "gluten free" when the real issue for people with IBS is the sugars in wheat (see: /r/FODMAPS).

 

[jenjim]

@lostandtired This is very similar to my partner not long ago, he said he constantly felt like he was craving something. He started taking B12 vitamins and the cravings stopped and his appetite went back to normal. I take them daily and feel satisfied after meals. It might be worth a try!

 

[dawn16]

@jenjim I’ll try this thx

 

[keepimguy]

@lostandtired Have you tried bouillon or salted broth for hunger? It really, really helps and I think it gets overlooked.

And I second therapy and looking at macros.

Best of luck!

 

[chosenmessenger]

@lostandtired Wish I could post a screenshot that "BigMac Hero" is directly below your post on my main. Sigh...

 

[dawn16]

@lostandtired A lot of people have given many great suggestions. This is just a fringe possibility, but have you considered hormone levels?

Remember, as we age, hormone levels change, and anytime your body is adjusting to a new baseline, your hormones can get out of whack.

For women, there are several stages of "peri" menopause. Depending on your genetics, you can start experiencing this as early as your 30s. And cravings can be a big part of this in addition to feeling more tired and worn out throughout the day, which can lead to decreased ability to resist junk foods.

Typical blood tests don't check base hormone levels afaik.

Might be something to consider, as you didn't mention how old you are.

Anecdotally, once I reached my early 30s, I already experienced some of the symptoms of "peri"menopause. Basically disinterested in sex, needing to sleep more, more food cravings, etc. Women can also experience low T, just as men can. Most people just pass it off as "not being 20 anymore."

 

[dshope]

@dawn16 I second this. OP also didn't state her age inless I missed it. My sisters said their appetites increased in their mid 30s. Mine has always been big. Haha

 

[dawn16]

@lostandtired What is the age difference from when you were happy with your eating habits to when they changed? Hormones really go wackadoo and almost completely change your personality and habits at certain times.

I hate to be part of the keto mafia but it sounds like going cold turkey from carbs will help you. At least temporarily. Once the insulin train starts it's hard to get off unless you do a hard stop.