Sick of being fat and hungry

[ruthonfire]

I am overweight. I eat too much of the wrong stuff. I binge on snacks. But I'm hungry always. Everyday I swear I'll try and improve my diet and eat more healthily but then I feel hungry and can't control my behaviours around food. I crave stodge and I just binge on it.

I need to seriously change my habits but how?

HRTFT so apologies if this has been said - have you tried low carb? If you eat a lot of fat and protein, you stop getting hunger pangs - it’s the sugar/carbs that cause insulin spikes that cause hunger pangs. I lost 3 stone on Atkins over 4 months and I would describe myself as a compulsive snacker/always hungry. After the first week, I genuinely stopped getting hungry and had to remember to eat!!

But you need to comit 100% as taking carbs over the limit will throw you out of ketosis and the weight will quickly go back on.

How do you ever go back to 'normal' life though if the weight goes back on so easily?

I eat out a lot, that's my life and isn't going to change. I don't generally eat any meal at home on a weekend except maybe breakfast early on a Saturday morning.

@NotSuchASmugMarried what was your before/ after for weight loss surgery and what did u have done?

Have underactive thyroid put on 3st due to thyroid preg #2 2011 whatever i do stay same weight - would this help do u think

Sick of being 14st, 5'6 at 40.

A few years ago, I did a supervised juice detox (not super long - about 4 days from what I remember), not for weight loss, just to rebalance after a year of seriously unhealthy eating. And unexpectedly, it completely reset my tastebuds and cured me of my Percy Pigs addiction to the point that I stopped wanting to snack on sweet things.

So maybe worth considering before trying to force a change in your eating habits? I would advise doing it when you can take it easy and stay at home though - I felt awful for about two days. Had to take a day off sick, as I just couldn't move.

I think you are right, this is part of the issue. I cannot fathom being hungry and allowing it to continue especially when around food. I need to train myself to allow myself to experience hunger.

Drink more water. I keep a pint glass next to the sink and every time I find myself wandering into the kitchen to try to pick at treats, I drink a full pint of water. Usually after that I feel like I don’t have room to fit any food in. But also it breaks the habit of just reaching for food straight away and is just generally good for you.

After the initial period, I will start eating more carbs but mainly in the form of vegetables and nuts. I don’t really like fruit and it gives me heartburn so it’s not a big loss to me not to eat it. l love cauliflower so I have cauliflower rice or cauliflower mash when I’m trying to lose weight.

I eat more veg and lettuce, cabbage etc but I only eat pasta, rice or potatoes a few times a month. So say I am having a roast and want potatoes, I’ll not eat any carbs during the day and have my potatoes with my dinner.

it is restrictive but it includes things I love like coffee with cream, sugar free jelly and cream, eggs meat and cheese - but I know it would be too restrictive for lots of people.

All ideas here on more protein Less sugar and less carbon is great advice.
SW offers a support network and menues and ideas and lots of encougement.
Best thing I did last year. Lost 3 stone in a year. 3 dress sizes.
Yes it was effort and involved planning beforehand and will power but once I started to see results it spurred me on. I wasn't going to do it on my own so nothing to loose.
Groups everywhere.
No I don't work for them..

I have never done full keto - I think it can be risky -but a modified form that allows a small amount (1/2 cup a day) of complex carbs - lentils, chickpeas, quinoa, shirataki noodles etc. Essentially it is a modified Mediterranean diet that includes more protein and fewer carbs, and only 2 meals a day - plus 1-2 healthy snacks.

To stop gaining weight, I continue the same more or less, just being a bit more relaxed and eating a bit more. What I have found - like many others - is that intermittent fasting has become a way of life. I genuinely don't feel like eating anything before 10 or 11. These days I tend to have dinner earlier, at 6 or 7, though I may have a few grapes or berries later.

Now that I'm maintaining rather than losing, i don't worry about eating out. But I still tend to choose healthy options from the menu, and in the past I would often have a starter plus a side salad instead of a main course. And no dessert, obviously..... which was surprising easy once I'd weaned myself off the sugar and refined carbs.

I probably sound like a broken record, but kicking the sugar addiction makes everything else so much easier!

What helped me to "train myself to allow myself to experience hunger" was developing a strong core. Lots of planks and exercises that target the abs. I can actually feel my abs - it's such a great feeling! I just don't seem to feel hungry in the same way I used to. Plus - just in case I've not mentioned it before... 😂 - kicking the sugar addiction REALLY helps!

Makes sense! How do you eat our like that?

I'm STARVING in the morning, morning is when i eat. Afternoons i am fine, then i don't eat again till 9/9:30pm (because i don't get home ill 8:03 ish)

eat out*

Your diet sounds much like mine was. Way too many processed carbs.

What I've been doing for a couple of months is trying to stick to the Zoe guidelines of eating 30 different plants per week and cutting right down on processed food.

I've been having oats with mixed berries and some Greek yoghurt for breakfast most days.
For lunch I have something made with eggs or something vegetable based - my favourite is mixed balsamic roast veg with lentils and a bit of crumbled feta (really filling)
Dinner I have meat or fish based dish with various veg or mixed salad. I make enough for a few days so it's not too time consuming.
Snacks are fruit (they recommend eating fruit with some fat or protein so you don't get sugar spikes) or veg with homemade hummus. If I crave some chocolate I have some dark chocolate.
I'm also tracking on my fitness pal.

I've lost half a stone without going hungry and I feel much less lethargic and generally better in myself.

I'm not sure what you mean about earing out, @RedPony1 . When i go out to eat I choose the fish plus vegetables rather than the pasta or steak with chips. Or I have, say a starter of chicken satay or baba ganouche plus a mixed side salad instead of a main course. If I really want something sweet after, I have a Grand Marnier or Cointreau instead of dessert.

The starving in the morning may be because you've not weaned yourself off sugar, or it may just be you. If the latter, can you eat a high protein breakfast, such as a 3-egg omelette plus vegetables, or even a small fry-up, to carry you through till mid-afternoon? And have some full-fat Greek yoghurt and fruit, maybe even a handful of unsweetened wholegrain cereal, to last you till dinner? Plus maybe a piece of fruit or a few nuts or olives at some point?

As for dinner, I tend to oven roast several chicken pieces or half a side of salmon at a time and eat these over 3 or 4 days, so once it's done I only have to steam and/or stir-fry - or microwave - some vegetables. I also make a pint of salad dressing at a time, so making a salad literally takes 2 minutes.

i guess i'd have to stick to meat and veg, i dont eat fish or lentils etc.
I never have pudding so dont have to think about that!!

I get up 5:30am and out the house by 6am, to the stables to do my horses then just about make it to the office for 8am, so no chance of any form of cooked breakfast! so that would take some thought

Ah, I see @RedPony1 , this must be tricky! But may I ask do you eat a lot of carbs? I'm just thinking, if you have dinner at 9/9.30 pm, it should be possible to fast until, say, 10 or 11 am? I'm just wondering whether you are still addicted to carbs, especially refined carbs...

Or maybe you could just have a small green/healthy smoothie before you tend to your horses? Does you office have a kitchen where you could rustle up an omelette for an early lunch? Or bring in a mixed salad and a couple of boiled eggs or a can of tuna or some chicken from last night's dinner?

I gave overeaters anonymous a go a couple of times - two different locations, several years apart.
Both groups were (aside from potential new members like myself) composed of people obsessed with food, several in each group spoke about problems with anorexia and other seriously disordered eating patterns, most of them rake thin, no-one obese. Possibly they had been overweight when they joined and seen great success - but they all seemed pretty unhealthy to me.
It maybe I tried two groups that were 'out of kilter' with 'typical' groups (the reason I gave it another try after the first one), go and make your own judgement, but be prepared for it not to be what you expect.

I get up 5:30am and out the house by 6am, to the stables to do my horses then just about make it to the office for 8am, so no chance of any form of cooked breakfast! so that would take some thought

Overnight oats - if you make them with grated apple, they're fine cold (and you can make up enough for 2-3 days), but if you have a microwave in the office, you can heat them.
I weigh out several days worth in airtight pots, so all I need to do at night is add water, then put the food container lid on in the morning. If I do forget at night, adding boiling water rather than cold breaks the oats down and ready to microwave in an hour.

I have a long history of binge eating. Before I had children, I managed to lose a lot of weight and kept off the bad habits by just not buying anything I could binge on. Since having children, it's a different story... so, so much harder now.

I joined Slimming World about 8 months ago and this has really helped. I can have huge portions of foods that are "free" and I'm never hungry. I have had occasional relapses and gone on a big binge, but knowing that I'll be weighed in a few days really makes me stop and think twice. I eat much better now. Loads of salad, fruit and veg. I also drink a pint of water before and after every meal, which absolutely kills my appetite.

Good luck with whatever you try!

Eat protein for every meal, you'll feel fuller.

Failed again.

Ate pretty well. Breakfast was scrambled eggs, lunch a salad, dinner a veggie pasta. A few coffees. One bag of skips.

But then I had a couple of glasses of wine and decided to eat half a chocolate orange which will have obliterated all my calories.

I don't know why I'm like this.

Not failed.

You ate more veggies than most people do.

you had one evening slip up. Try again tomorrow.

do you always over eat when you drink alcohol? If so stop drinking for a little while.

Oh yes, booze… I know so well how effective alcohol is at lowering our defenses! I call it the “I’m fucked anyhow might as well go full out” phenomenon…

tomorrow is another day!!

Wine is terrible for killing your self discipline.
Ditch the wine and crisps and that alone will make a difference.

It's very hard when food and wine feel like the only treats and enjoyment I have in life. Young kids and no help (other than dh) so don't get out very much.