Having Trouble Identifying Hunger

[TriGirlD]

Hi All. I'm on Day 4.  

This program has really surprised me in a few ways, but the weirdest is that I seem to have developed such a fear of being hungry.  I get so worried that my meals aren't going to be made up of the right composition, or aren't big enough. And what if it's too small and I get hungry again? Oh no!  It's so ridiculous!

In part, it's genuine, because when I get hungry, I tend to get dizzy and faint. It makes me feel out of control and panicky.  I spent the whole first day like this because I didn't pack any emergency meals/snacks, and it was an awful feeling.

 

I think the fear is exasperated by this idea that I can't eat again until my next meal. I know that's not a rule, but the guideline has me in a tizzy.  Definitely something I need to explore. 

 

Also, I need to find the difference between genuinely being hungry and/or my brain just telling me I am. Is it true? I'm starting to think my brain is tricking me, because when I distract myself and stop thinking about the food, I often am not hungry anymore. I try to use the fish rule from the book, but it doesn't always work for me. I'm so conditioned to eating every 2-3 hours that I think I've learned to always say yes to food, just to keep my metabolism running, even if I'm not truly hungry. Gotta learn to identify this feeling again. 

 

Anyone have any thoughts, ideas, tricks? TIA!

[Zyriel]

Feeling dizzy and faint is likely a result of blood sugar drops. I think you'll find that, further into your Whole30, that won't happen when you get hungry because you're blood sugar will be stable.

 

I'm like you, I overplan when I'm not at home for fear of "what if I get hungry". But honestly, if you are eating a good deal of fat and protein, and filling out your meal with veggies, even if you do get hungry you aren't going to get "OMG I have to have food right this instant, where are the cookies??" hungry. Because that's a blood sugar response, and you're hunger will instead be real hunger and it won't be so soul piercing. It'll be "Oh, I'm hungry. I wish I could do something about that, but... meh I'll wait till my next meal I feel ok anyway."

[jmcbn]

I'd make your meals to the large end of the template for a few days until you figure out how much it takes to keep you satiated. Eat around the plate at each meal, ensuring you get a little of each of the food groups (protein, veg & fats) & then plate up what you can't eat.

Once you feel hunger come on have a drink of water/herbal tea & see if the notion for food passes. If it's genuine hunger which won;t go away finish up what you didn't eat of your template meal & try to eat a little more next time.

That way you'll have plenty of food on hand and no need to panic - stress won't help here!

You are aiming to leave that 4-5hr window between meals because that is when your body turns to fat for fuel, rather than relying on the constant stream of food you have been providing. Once your body reaches that stage you won;t get those feelings of dizzy & faintness because your body won't be in a panic looking for fuel as it will no you have plenty in reserve.

If you'd like to check if you are on the right track feel free to post what you've eaten so far & we can suggest some tweaks if necessary.

[TriGirlD]

Thank you, this is so reassuring!

 

My meals yesterday:

B: Spinach Frittata from book (3 eggs)

Mid Morning: small cup of decaf coffee, black over ice with some lemon juice

L: Salad with a palmful of roast beef (5 slices or so), ranch dressing, pickles, jicama, tomatoes, 1/4 avocado (the rest went bad), 1 small baby potato, 1 sweet potato. 

Snack at 4pm: larabar, 1 hardboiled egg

D: zucchini noodles with peppers and onions, 1 large spicy sausage link, tomato sauce, and walnuts.

 

Defnitely felt hungry going to bed last night. But good to know the ravenous blood sugar hunger may subside soon.

[ladyshanny]

My suggestion to you would be to ditch the larabar and just stick with the egg or another protein and fat source (olives and chicken thigh or apple and egg). The larabar is as close to candy as you can get on Whole30 and while it may alleviate hunger at first they are known for creating false hunger and increased cravings later in the day.  

 

What is the timing between your lunch and dinner? You are aiming for 4-5 hours so if you lunch was at noon and your dinner isn't until 6 or later, you do probably need something to eat in between. Make it a mini meal of protein, fat and veggies if you can but at least two of those macros.  And no, larabars don't fit here.

 

What did you have with the fritatta? Any other veggies or fats? You should be aiming at 1-3 cups of veggies (1 is good, 2 is better, 3+ is optimal) and a thumb serving of fat at every meal.  The roast beef in your lunch isn't meant to be a "palmful" but rather the dimensions of your palm (length, width, thickness).  If it was deli meat (check for compliance), 5 slices isn't enough.

[TriGirlD]

Thanks Ladyshanny. I just ready that about the larabars and will definitely stop using them as a crutch. It's typically 6 and a half hours between lunch and dinner for me, so I'll definitely start including a mini meal, or at least having it available. Appreciate the support!