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This week has been a good week for me! I’m almost back down to my pre-Christmas weight. I’ve also begun to notice something about my weight–It changes every single day! This may not be Earth shattering news to those of you who don’t have a weight problem, or to those of you used to dieting. But to me, who used to be in denial of my weight problem, it’s huge news. I just wish that I would have begun using my bathroom scale as a tool every day long ago.
Even though this week has been good, it hasn’t been easy. I’ve been hungry. I tend to be hungrier when I’m at home with the kids than when we’re out and about, so I get out as much as possible. But I have to go home some times–and when I do, I struggle.
My struggles with hunger pangs this week led me to an article by Kathleen Zelman, an MPH who writes articles for medicinenet.com. Her article, Foods that Curb Hunger, wasn’t as informative as I wanted it to be, but I did take a few tidbits away from it that I think are worth sharing.
Lean Proteins reduce hunger
One study quoted in the article suggested that those who eat a low-calorie, high-protein diet feel fuller and lose more weight than those who don’t. It suggested that even one extra 3-4 ounce serving of lean protein (such as turkey, chicken, or fish) could help to reduce hunger cravings throughout the day.
You can use this strategy at any time during the day, but to make it more effective, try eating your extra protein in the morning. According to a 2007 study from Pennington Biomedical Research Center, dieters who ate 2 eggs for breakfast lost more weight and kept it off longer than dieters who ate a bagel for breakfast even though the two breakfasts were very similar in calories.
Compared to the bagel eaters, overweight women who ate two eggs for breakfast five times a week for eight weeks, as part of a low-fat, reduced-calorie diet, lost 65% more weight, reduced waist circumference by 83%, reported higher energy levels, and had no significant difference in their … blood cholesterol or triglyceride levels.
What I liked most about the article was that it offered practical advice about the food we need to eat to feel full AND how we should eat it. I don’t pay much attention to how I eat my food these days since I spend so much time thinking about what I’m eating and how I’m going to analyze it. This article provided some nice insight into what else I should be thinking about regarding food.
Eat mindfully to feel fuller
Remember all those times when your mother told you to slow down and chew your food. Well, it seems she was right. But too often, I find myself reading the newspaper or holding a child with one hand while scarfing down a meal with the other hand as quickly as possible. The advice given in the article (eat slowly, don’t multitask while eating, concentrate on your food) seems simple, but in my reality it is going to be difficult to heed.
There’s a lot more advice out there about how you can control your hunger throughout the day. For me the thing that has worked the best has been to increase my water intake from near zero ounces/day to over 96 ounces/day. Since my stomach is always full of water, it doesn’t feel like it needs to be filled with anything else. This strategy works to some degree, but it doesn’t eliminate my cravings for the foods that I’m no longer eating (candy, soda, baked goods, and salty snacks). So here’s where I ask for help. How do you deal with your dietary vices? What tools and tricks do you use to help control your cravings for whatever it is that you want so badly but know you shouldn’t eat?
J.D.
21 responses so far ↓
1 Brigid // Jan 6, 2008 at 12:53 pm
Here’s what I”ve learned over the course my twelve years working towards a healthier lifestyle…
Don’t weight yourself everyday - it’ll make you crazy (as you’ve probably already found out). Pick one day out of the week and that’s it. On you weigh-in day, do it at a specific time with the same or no clothes so you’ll get consistent result, If you absolutely must weight yourself everyday, then do a weekly average and use that to chart your progress.
If you are really hungry all the time, you are probably not eating enough. Don’t be afraid to eat, just don’t eat junk.
Eating 5 to six small meals a day has worked very well for me. To make things a little easier, I occassionally use nutrition bars and drink mixes (Zone, Myoplez, etc.) for some of my meals even though it’s a bit on the expensive side. It’s a lot easier to plan meals and pack food for work.
If I use bars or shakes, it’s a max of two a day the other three or four meals should be REAL food.
One of your meals should include a salad.
All your meals should have a decent amount of protein (about 20 grams)
Hard boiled eggs rock! It’s easy to cook up a batch for the week, they pack well in a lunch and are a great source of protein.
Eat foods you like, but find ways to prepare them with less calories. We all love french fries, but you can also bake them with a spicey coating and it will do a lot less damage.
Use condiments like salsa and mustard instead of mayo and sour cream.
Remember that even little changes over the course of time will alter your weight. You don’t need to be on a bonafide “diet” to see results. it may take you a bit longer, but in the long run you are making changes you can live with for a lifetime. This is key.
2 Dave // Jan 6, 2008 at 1:46 pm
Mac — what I do is I simply refocus my attention elsewhere until I “forget” about my food cravings. Get involved in a good book, a good movie, a good website, a good hobbie or whatever. This is the best trick I know of. Next time you’re getting those cravings or hunger pangs, just start reading Lord of the Rings. It really works.
3 elisabeth // Jan 6, 2008 at 2:54 pm
You wrote, “cravings for the foods that I’m no longer eating (candy, soda, baked goods, and salty snacks),” and I wonder if that’s part of the problem. I guess I’ve been convinced by the “no bad foods” rhetoric that in order to not only lose weight but live at a healthier weight totally giving things up isn’t going to work. I didn’t give up soda but I only have one little 8 oz can on Sundays — and I also keep some bottled ginger brew around that I mix half and half with sparkling water when I have indian or chinese food for dinner. Similarly, I love cheese-itz and I know I can’t keep a box in the house. But I do keep the individual bags in the house for when I really want a comfort food snack. My husband and I learned to eat one really good piece of chocolate instead of a candy bar, and so on — I think cravings really are a problem and like Oscar Wilde, I can resist everything except temptation, so I think it’s better to figure out how I can live with my favorite foods than put anything on a “never” list.
4 Brad // Jan 6, 2008 at 3:34 pm
Unlike Brigid, I say weigh yourself everyday! I’ve found it’s a great indicator of whether you’re hydrated or not. I do agree that you need to average things out over a week or so, it is the long-term trend that’s important after all.
I wanted to share a link to the Hackers Diet (http://www.fourmilab.ch/hackdiet/www/hackdiet.html), which helped me out about 8 years ago. It really allowed me to get an understanding of the basics; carb counting. It also helped me to understand that I didn’t actually need to look at the label on boxes to “count” carbs, I just needed to look at my long-term weight trends.
Best of luck on the new venture!
Cheers,
Brad
5 metroknow // Jan 6, 2008 at 3:38 pm
I’ve found that a little bit of fat goes a long way. For example, a little good quality bacon, or some high quality cheese (NOT lowfat) really satiates the cravings.
The key is keeping it to a little, which is why “stinky” cheese sometimes works really well - you can only have so much.
6 Dave // Jan 6, 2008 at 3:54 pm
Another thing I do, Mac, is I VISUALIZE this photo of a kid in Sudan, taken when people were dying in the streets and eating the dead. And yes, this photo is exactly what it looks like … he’s looking for a meal back there. Anyway, next time you’re feeling “hunger pangs,” just stop and think about this photo for a second, and it will put things in perspective for you very quickly. I sometimes feel like I’m having “hunger pangs” after I’ve already had 3 squares for the day and a snack to boot! I just think about this photo and I realize how absurd that idea is.
http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/4186/2292/1600/NINGEEL.1.jpg
7 Eden // Jan 6, 2008 at 4:25 pm
I’m working on eating 5-6 small meals a day. I don’t have the routine perfected yet, but I feel much better on the days that I do it and I never feel the intense hunger that I typically do.
8 Ricky Buchanan // Jan 6, 2008 at 10:01 pm
A variation on what Dave wrote about refocussing your energy to deal with cravings - put it off. If I am craving chocolate, I tell myself I can have one piece of chocolate in 15 minutes if I still want it. I *don’t* set an alarm or anything else that would specifically remind me when the 15 minutes is up. If I still really want it at the end of the time period, I let myself have a small piece… but most of the time 15 minutes later I’m doing something else and don’t remember until 1-2 hours later! Then I do the same thing again…
Of course, you’ll have to set your own time for how long to put off eating, and how long afterwards until your waiting time “resets”. (ie: If I remember 15-30 minutes after, I let myself have the treat. If it takes over 30 minutes to remember I wanted it then I wait the 15 minutes again…). It’s just a lot easier psychologically to put something off than to tell yourself you can’t have it at all. And this way if the craving is strong you get a small bit to help it go away.
In Get Rich Slowly terms, I guess this is the GFS version of the “30 day rule”
Sorta, kinda…
May I again recommend you read “Mindless Eating” by Brian Wansink (sp?) for ideas about engineering your environment so it is less likely to trigger cravings in the first place. That helped me lots.
Ricky
9 Mr Funk // Jan 6, 2008 at 10:30 pm
Jebus! Wow, don’t click that link…
10 J.D. // Jan 6, 2008 at 10:43 pm
Great post, partner.
While working with Lauren last spring, I learned that eggs are amazing at filling me in the morning. Two is almost one too many. The real problem is that they make me feel a little sick to my stomach, but maybe that’s because I load them with smoked salmon and cheese. Anyhow, I should give them another try.
As for the book recommendations — keep them coming, folks. We’ll get to them eventually.
11 Sally Parrott Ashbrook // Jan 7, 2008 at 9:49 am
Starting the day with a bit of protein definitely helps. Before I developed an allergy to it, I ate almond butter (the real kind–sugarless) on toast with slices of apple on the toast as well for breakfast every day. The fiber in the apple and protein in the almond butter were great for holding me off sweets. Oh, I also put a small drizzle of honey over it.
Sometimes when I think I am hungry, I’m actually just thirsty. So I’ll drink a glass of water now and re-evaluate in 10 minutes if I think that might be the cause of the sensation. Even if I’m in the grocery store (which can certainly cause fake hunger pangs), I’ll just crack open a bottle of water, drink it, and pay for it when I get to the check-out.
12 TosaJen // Jan 7, 2008 at 11:03 am
Good ideas with the water. I’ve found that adding foods high in fiber and water (soups, whole grains, fruits and veggies, etc) to my diet makes it easy to reduce the less-good foods I’m eating. There’s only so much you can eat once you’ve filled up on water and fiber.
So, the question for today is: how do I deal with my dietary vices?
1. Always be prepared with alternative choices that hit the same tastes to take the edge off:
– salty: popcorn, pretzels
– sweet: fruit
– crunchy: popcorn, a small amount of nuts, carrots and celery, apples
– soda? Well, diet soda.
2. I try to fashion myself as a food snob. I only eat the best, and nothing less, and I only eat it until it’s amazingness is reduced to OKness. Have you noticed that the first bite of an amazing piece of chocolate cake is the best bite? The third or fourth bite is dramatically less amazing.
3. I keep the “challenging foods” out of my path on a day-to-day basis. At our house, Rule #1 is don’t bring the junk in. Rule #2 is if you violate rule #1, I will eat it all, so you won’t get any anyway.
4. If I can’t avoid “challenging foods” (doughnuts at work today, for example), I have one, then go into “food snob” mindset, and remind myself that it just wasn’t that good (usually, it isn’t!). Have alternative choices on hand.
13 Brigid // Jan 7, 2008 at 11:25 am
#3 totally made me laugh!!
One way I get around the doughnuts at work pigout is just wait until there’s only one doughnut left. The last doughnut is usually the gross one and if it’s not, there’s no way to go back for seconds.
I’ve observed that no one takes the last whole doughnut anyways. My coworkers will split the last doughnut in halves until there’s danger of fission because they don’t want to be the pig that takes the last one. I feel no guilt because I hadn’t had any yet. So I eat less and save the greater Daytona Beach area from nuclear annihilation.
14 Kris B. // Jan 7, 2008 at 1:40 pm
At work I like to sprinkle a pinch of salt on a nice apple. It satisfies my craving for salt and crunch, while being much healthier than a bag of chips!
Eggs for breakfast don’t work for me. They seem to jump my metabolism into high gear so I’m hungry again in about an hour.
15 Cammy // Jan 7, 2008 at 7:20 pm
I’ve just discovered this gem of a blog, and I feel as though I’ve hit the motherlode! Thank you.
I began tiptoeing toward a healthier life last year, and the best way I’ve found to deal with serious cravings is to accept them and then make a plan to indulge. For example, last week I was certain I would die if I didn’t have Burger King Whopper Jr. WITH cheese, so I decided that on this past Sunday (predicted to be unseasonably warm) I would walk the 1.5 miles to the nearest Burger King for the splurge, if I still wanted it. I did, and so I made the 3-mile round trip on foot. I actually ended up adding a half mile to the walk and an hour’s yard work afterward. Not only did the calorie expenditure cover the lunch, the additional exercise prevented that yucky feeling I get sometimes when I eat red meat.
I’m not much for food-related rewards, but I think this is how I will have to live my life in the long term. It makes sense to me to develop a habit of “covering” these indulgences with equivalent extra exercise and to make them just difficult enough to prevent me from indulging too frequently.
16 Lee // Jan 9, 2008 at 9:59 am
One of the reasons that eating eggs rather than a bagel helps fight off hunger is that it better moderates your blood sugar. When you have something that is high in carbohydrates it raises your blood sugar and causes your body to release insulin to absorb the sugar. This then causes your blood sugar to drop quickly and that sends a signal to your brain that it is time to eat again. This is why you tend to get hungry again around 1030 for a coffee break snack.
This is part of the reason Americans, who tend to eat high carb breakfasts (think donuts, pancakes, cereal), are heavier than countries with high protein breakfasts. Protein should be a higher proportion of your diet earlier in the day.
17 GrannyGamer // Jan 9, 2008 at 10:43 am
I agree with Brad — weigh in every day (but make sure it’s at the same time each day since you can fluctuate several pounds at different times; weird, but true!).
I weight in first thing in the morning, just after I wake up.
The reason this works for me is that it is a daily reminder of my goal to eat healthier and wiser. If I’ve lost, I’m encouraged to continue. If I’ve gained, it’s a red flag not to slip that day.
18 Dave Child // Jan 9, 2008 at 1:50 pm
Drinking more water is definitely a good step. Taking more time over a meal is also very helpful.
A couple of tips that work for me - drink a glass of water a few minutes before a meal (you’re more likely to eat less rather than overindulge) and sip water between mouthfuls (you eat slower and give your brain time to tell you you’re full).
I haven’t quite mastered only eating until no longer hungry, as opposed to eating until full, but that’s next.
19 Yinna // Jan 10, 2008 at 3:22 pm
I agree with the postponement solutions. For me it’s “I’ll have that chocolate cake… AFTER this apple”. Chances are I feel a little too full after that apple to deal with the cake, especially because I wasn’t truly hungry in the first place.
Another thing that works for me is skim milk. I’m just not hungry anymore after a glass of milk - maybe because of the protein?
Oh, and if you allow yourself the treat, please don’t think of it as giving in, and for goodness sake, enjoy every bite!
20 greenman2001 // Jan 13, 2008 at 7:53 pm
Hunger is your enemy. The lag time between consuming calories and feeling sated — about 20 minutes — is more than enough time for guys like you and me to consume all of the calories we need for the day, let alone the meal. There’s a great article about the mechanism at work here in a recent Scientific American, but suffice to say that once you feel hungry, you have a lot less control than you think you do about the number of calories you put in your mouth. This is why nutritionists recommend eating at least 5-6 meals a day — whether you’re dieting or not. By eating a meal every 2 hours or so, you can make calorie consumption decisions without the urgency of hunger driving you. There are lots and lots of diet hacks that will enable you to put together 350 calorie meals, but believe me when I say that in the absence of hunger you will have no use for advice about liquid protein or eating mindfully. Note that this is a way of approaching weight loss that is completely independent of exercise.
Dieting is not a way of life. Consuming fewer calories than you need to function is an abnormal state that your body will rebel against with complete and total effectiveness to avoid dying. A question to ask yourself is this: after I’ve lost the weight, how can I eat and live in order to maintain it? You need a way of eating and living that is as automatic and feels as good as the overeating and not-exercising that you’ve done up until now. There’s a lot to say about this, but I would suggest to you that you should separate eating and exercising and build them into your lives independently of each other so that you can fall off the exercise wagon — as you both have your entire lives and will again in the future — and still be able to maintain your weight. You’re going to eat no matter what, but you’re not always going to exercise, and if both of these tasks rest solely on a contest between willpower and impulse, success is unlikely.
Great blog!
21 ninemuses // Jan 15, 2008 at 3:27 pm
I agree with Brad and GrannyGamer. I wiegh every morning. But I also track all the food I eat in fitday. I do this so I can see, visually, the relationship between what I eat and how my weight fluctuates. Doing this for only a month has already shown me that my weight always goes up the day after I eat lunch at Bob Evans (I have a lunch date there every week, it’s the only time I eat out). I don’t know why there is a spike, but my guess is it has something to do with the amount of salt in restaurant food.
As far as avoiding the foods I “shouldn’t” eat… First, I don’t have any foods I shouldn’t eat. I have foods that I know will cause my body to do things I don’t like if I eat them. So I have to choose: do I want to eat that cheesecake and have 30 minutes of culinary delight, or do I want to pass on it, and not suffer the consequences of having a body that’s a real pain to move around?
When I think about it that way, I usually find that instead of wanting to eat the whole piece, I might just take a few bites and toss the rest. It’s a compromise.
The second is, if I feel like I am just going to completely cave (this happens when I have forgotten to eat regularly), I will really go all out and make sure that I am going to feel like crap for a while afterwards. This may sound counter productive, but I can tell you that after a while, these negative memories associated with chowing down on junk food start to make a dent. Every time I look at a bag of chips, for example, one of the things that pops into my head right along with my desire to rip the bag open is how I feel when I do just that - not very good.
It does take a while for these things to work, but we’re talking about long term results. Making these two changes has helped me re-evaluate my relationship with food in general. I no longer classify cake as a treat, since feeling horrible from the sugar withdrawal is not at all fun.
Some people might disagree, but these work for me.
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