Struggling because so hungry

[chch_vegan_chic]

Hi all. Hoping i can get support in here or be able to read advice at least.
3 years ago i lost 70 pounds. Was so happy and gained my confidence back. Last April i started getting horrible cravings. Horrible as in whatever i crave i must have. I am also ravenous like nothing fills me. I have a bottomless pit which i never seem full. Doctor has tested for everything and even gave me pills to stop so much stomach acid which didnt help. Iv gained 41 pounds back and becoming depressed and less confident again. I do have fibromyalgia which i wondered if that has anything to do with it. Also i am vegetarian but am good taking supplements and all blood tests normal. Help me :-( any suggestions?

 

[Flabuless Mama]

It could be the fat cells wanting to be filled again...they don't disappear, they just shrink. Studies have shown that if you were ever over 30% body fat, your fat cells will be more ravenous than someone else. Obviously, RawrGirl has no idea what your heaviest weight is, but that's just a thought. Also, studies have shown that if you are trying to maintain too low of a weight for your body, the same thing will happen -- ravenous hunger because your body is trying to save your life. It also takes about 2 years of maintaining your weight loss to reset your body's set point (the weight it will naturally maintain if eating healthy/some exercise)...up until the 2 year mark, you will have to eat about 20% less than someone of same height and weight who was always that weight.

If none of those things apply to you, RawrGirl has no idea. Sorry.

 

[chch_vegan_chic]

I am 5foot 2 inches and heaviest was 212 pounds.

 

[chch_vegan_chic]

And yes healthy eating for 2 years. Its so frustrating.

 

[Flabuless Mama]

I am 5foot 2 inches and heaviest was 212 pounds.

You were probably over 30 BMI, so it will be harder for you to maintain. My suggestion would be to talk to a nutritionist who specializes in weight loss and maintenance, they will no better how to adjust your calories to keep the weight off than a regular doctor who will just go off charts that are based on average people. RawrGirl's only other suggestion is to lift weights. Lift as heavy a weight as you can for 12 reps. You should not be able to lift the it 13 times with good form. Different muscles will be able to lift heavier weights, but always your muscles should be fatigued and not able to properly lift the 13th rep. RawrGirl suggests getting a set of 4 pound and 8 pound dumbbells. Then google 'strength training workout for women' and that should give you different ideas for what exercises to do for each muscle group. Do upperbody one day, lower the next, and always take one day a week off.

This will raise your metabolism, allowing you to eat more and lose weight AND keep the weight off. Plus, you will burn more calories all day long, and the more muscle you build, the more calories your body will burn in general...even when you're sleeping.

It is frustrating, but you can retrain your body to keep the weight off. It might be harder for you than for others, but it's not impossible. You can do it!

 

[Flabuless Mama]

Hey, I've been doing research on maintaining weight this evening as I am close to goal weight, and came across this article and thought of you. It explains about being hungrier after weight loss and stuff like that. Here's an excerpt:

Appetite hormones change too. The hormone leptin, for example, is a major appetite regulator -- it tells the body to stop eating and store fat after meals. Some people may be genetically prone to having lower leptin levels, making them more prone to obesity. But studies also show that, after a weight loss, leptin levels are lower than what they used to be. That means appetite is less easily quelled. It's like a car that has suddenly lost its brakes.

Another hormone, ghrelin, stimulates food intake -- levels in the brain fall lower after a meal. However, after a weight loss, ghrelin levels in the blood generally increase, and the fall-off after mealtimes isn't as marked.

"You lose 10% of your body weight. All of a sudden all these systems kick in to try to keep you from losing weight," says Dr. Ken Fujioka, director of nutrition and metabolic research at the Scripps Clinic in San Diego. "People are mad at themselves or depressed after they regain the weight. But I explain: It's not you. Biology has kicked in now. . . You are hungry all the time. You think about food all the time."

Here is the link for the rest of the article: Keeping it off - Los Angeles Times

 

[chch_vegan_chic]

Thanks for your help. It all makes sense. Nutritionists so expensive here but might look into it

 

[Lucy_B]

If you are having cravings you need to listen to your body. If you are craving chocolate it usually means you have a lack of magnesium or If you are craving oranges you have a lack of vit c etc xx

 

[Lucy_B]

This article is fab! I had no idea. I have battled with my weight all my life and now have 3 stone to lose and were unaware of the challenges facing me once I hopefully lose the weight. Luckily on weight watchers once you hit your target weight they change your point allowance to maintaining your weight rather than losing so I guess that's really helpful. 2 years is a long time for your body to finally register your weight loss-wow. Good find!

 

[Flabuless Mama]

If you are having cravings you need to listen to your body. If you are craving chocolate it usually means you have a lack of magnesium or If you are craving oranges you have a lack of vit c etc xx

Wow, RawrGirl didn't know that about the magnesium/chocolate. She gets odd cravings for milk sometimes and assumes that's body wanting calcium. Fortunately she recently bought some chocolate-flavored calcium chews as she would often skip the pills because she finds them very difficult to swallow.