Help, Never Dying Hunger ???
 

What is up with my never ending hunger lately ? As some of you know i have lost 110 lbs now since January of this year so this worries me. What can cause me to be so damned hungry ? Its 1030pm and I just had to eat half a small chicken breast and humous. Please any advice ? My diet hasnt changed until i started getting hungry and only then I started eating smaller healthy snacks through the day after this hunger marathon has started. All this started about 1 week ago, is it possible from riding and changes in my body that my metabolism has sped up that much ? No weight gain...yet.

half a small chcken breast and some hummus isn't much food, so I really wouldn't worry, if you need it, then you need it, just don't go for the monster hardee's burger and fries...

I also have a perpetual hunger. I think it depends one a person's physiology and/or their eating habits:

Because I am always hungry (= peckish for a bite) I have to watch myself, because it is very easy to succumb to desire and eat until I feel a bit bloated. That is too much, so I have to decide to eat a small amount more often. Like at work, I have a tub of yoghurt mixed with muesli, 2 fruits, 2 sandwiches and 2 eggs, and I spread those over the entire day, eating perhaps 1 item per hour. I never feel really really hungry if I do that.

At home, I have a normal meal at evening, then at night 2 more small meals. It is during the late night that I have the most problems, since I don't have a set habit like in daytime, and I may gorge on biscuits if I don't watch it. That happened last night again, with me feeling guilty so this morning on my commute I took my mountain bike and rode to work on soft tires. :D

Since I started commuting, I eat more obviously because I need more.

So, in your case, if you keep up your cycling, you will need more because of that, but also because of your metabolism is now likely to be at a higher level than when you were overweight and unfit. So no problemo, eat away, but try to find a habit so that you don't gorge yourself at night. This way you will easily find a level which suits your particular case for constant weight.

Disclaimer: I'm not an expert. I learned this during my own (35 puny pounds) weight loss.

You probably need more fat in your diet. Fat provides good slow burning energy as well as lots of nutrients and it satisfies your hunger.
See http://www.westonaprice.org and http://www.mercola.com

Regards, Anthony

When I was in the middle of losing 25 lbs. this spring I was constantly hungry, 24x7. Like 30 minutes after every meal still hungry. I learned to kind of embrace the hunger. As stupid as that sounds, that feeling was like a constant reminder that I was in it to lose weight.

I remember you. You were the one I thought hardly ate enough to begin with:

It is great that you've cut out the refined carbs and all, but at the same time, you've got to pick up your carb intake in general. With so few carbs going into your body, you are definitely going to feel tired, sluggish, and hungry. The more active you are, the more carbs you're going to need. I'm not talking about refined carbs and white carbs- I'm talking about whole wheat carbs. Even though you've eliminated the bad foods, you still need carbs, which is part of what you're craving.

Also, you still need fats in your diet. It looks as though you've eliminated all fats, and that's not good. Fat is what allows you to absorb vitamins that are necessary for you (you've heard of the fat soluble vitamins: A, D, E, K?). Saturated fats in high amounts is bad, but you can still eat foods with unsaturated fats, and just limit your fat intake by focusing on low fat foods with a low amount of unsaturated fats: veggies, fruits, wheat breads, brown rice, wheat pasta and whole-grain cereals.

I would suggest you see a registered dietitian. If you have medical insurance, call around and tell the dietitians your situation (your weight loss and your hunger problems and your drastic reduction in calories), and see if any of them will accept your insurance and make it work. If you don't have insurance, just bite the bullet and schedule an appointment with one. Try local fitness clubs- they usually have their own dietitians that tend to run a little cheaper than the norm.

I'd also suggest a multivitamin. You seem to be missing foods that provide you with some essential vitamins.

Good luck with it- my thoughts are to see a R.D. right away so you can figure out what's missing from your diet.

Koffee

i have no need to lose weight, so i can't advise on that. however, i know a lot about dealing with hunger. my advise: buy a good quality bread - whole grain. the really thick stuff. i'll just have a slice or two of that with every meal, and sometimes just by itself to hold me over. it's relatively cheap, filling, and very good for you.

I agree with everyoone - add some whole grains into your diet - and just a bit of healthy fat (nuts/avocado/olive oil) to keep you full.

Also - make sure you check whats going on in your life right now - are you abnormally stressed? bored? nervous? in love? If there is something different emotionally, it could cause you to be more hungry. For example, I get hungry when I feel unfulfilled (aka bored, lonely).

that's interesting...i think most people are like that. i, on the other hand, completely lose my appetite when i'm not happy.

Thanks for the advice folks. I probably should see a dietitian soon. My insurance will cover it. My doctor says I am fine but the dietician may be able to help me figure this whole deal out.
Thanks everyone.

That is so cool. And doubly cool that insurance covers it! Let us know how it goes.

Koffee

And if all else fails, get checked out for a tapeworm.

But seriously for what it's worth, in my uneducated opinion..hunger's normal. You're losing weight, you're working out, and your body is wondering where the heck its calories are. To lose weight, calories in < calories out. When that occurs, you get hungry. It's natural. That said, when it's 1030pm and I'm hungry, I chug two glasses of water. Not only does that somewhat fill me up, but it makes me get up at 4am to go to the bathroom too! (Not quite the intended 'help out on tomorrow's hydration' that I had planned.)

Your doing better than me. I'm only down 40 or so for the year but the last month had me up 12lbs (4 of which I've re-lost). The cravings lately and the unrelenting heat in Dallas have made it really difficult. I can handle hunger pains but when I crave something it's difficult to put it out of mind. I'm considering diet pills for appetite control but they tend to mess with your whole body. Let me know if you found a way to beat the cravings.