Hunger pangs...

[primmers]

The following ten points are taken from a BBC programme on evidence based strategies for losing weight, first shown a couple of years ago and repeated every now and then. The stuff about protein and soup are probably of most use in this context.

1) Don't skip meals as an empty stomach will trigger the release of a hormone called ghrelin that impels you to seek food and you will probably make less wise choices.

2) Change your plate size down from 12" to 10", you are likely to eat 22% less food.

3) Be aware of relative calorific values to enable you to make sensible choices, you can easily save a significant number of calories a day by making simple substitutions without going hungry or feeling deprived.

4) Accept that a surfeit of calories ingested over calories used is a much more likely reason for excess weight than a slow metabolism. Research shows that even folk who keep food diaries under record what they've eaten,if you ain't losing weight it probably isn't because you're pre programmed to be fat.

5) Protein in your diet stimulates the release of more PYY, a hormone that reduces appetite. Extra protein at breakfast will lead to you wanting less food at lunch time.

6) Thick soup takes longer to pass from your stomach than the same amount of food in lumpy form, eat a thick blended soup for lunch and you'll be fuller for longer.

7) Avoid too great a choice at mealtimes, we are programmed to take food from a wide variety of food groups. The more choice there is the more we will take, hence over eating at buffets.

8) Dairy calcium reduces the amount of fat digested/ increases the amount of fat excreted. Low fat dairy products should help you lose weight by eliminating more fat from the other food you eat.

9) Exercise increases the amount of fat burned in the following few hours so don't be dispirited by the relatively low amount of fat/calories shown as used by the exercise machine, you will burn more afterwards.

10) Relatively small changes in your daily routine (eg getting off a stop early and walking the last bit of your journey) can make a significant difference to the amount of calories used over a day, the cumulative effect can make significant difference to weight loss over a longer period.

 

[Serena51]

Just to say - I was always a sweetie eater rather than a chocoholic.

I found that low sugar jelly was the answer for me - took that sweet craving away in the evening.

 

[Jung the foreman]

Hi Sarnie, it seems we are kindred spirits when it comes to food and hunger pangs. Ever since I was a schoolkid I was always hungry, would always need "seconds" at school dinners and would finish off my classmates sandwiches as well. Yet when I left school I at 16, I was 9 stone. During my early working life I would eat and drink as much as I liked withou any weight gain. In fact I would have what I now know to be a hypo if I didnt eat enough and to date, my hypos always start with hunger pangs. I found eating was necessity and not something to enjoy.

I quit smoking in 1991 and as a result started putting in weight slowly at first but when I was diagnosed in 2006 my weight was 16st. and I found I gained weight when put on Novorapid insulin.

Although I believe I eat sensibly (my wife once worked for Slimmimg World) I cannot lose weight. I have been referred to a new dietician who agrees that my diet is on the whole good, but she is stumped by by food intake and associated BG readings. I have recently provided her with more diet sheets but this split into known portions of protiein, carb, fat, sugar and she is currenltly analysing these. The key thing is for me that the hunger pangs still persist, and sometimes, I feel more hungry after I've eaten - strange but true - anyway I await the dieticians analysis and advice.

My last 3 HB1AC have been 8.5 8.7 and 8.7
Current Insulin intake is 140u per day of Levimir and 20u of Nonorapid after main meals. Note I also suffer from Sleep Aponea and am on medication for various other conditions.

My intiial findings have shown that porridge and muesli and cornflakes are not good for my BG (anthing from 12 to 17 2 houirs after) but bacon and eggs are. However, I need 5 rashers of bacon and 3 eggs to feel as though I've eaten anything.

Anyway onwards and sidewards :?