Fear and Loathing in Weightloss Land

I am going through the same thing, it is like a have a friggin tape worm in my stomach, i am going through fruit and veggies like there is no tommorrow. Try fruit or veggies instead of m & m's and choco pretzels, i also take regular pretzels and dip them in cottage cheese. I am always hungry also since i started training hard (for me) 3 weeks ago. I lost an initial 15lbs, then plateau'd, but my waist is down 1 1/2 inches, and don't forget muscle weighs more than fat. I am definately eating more than before, but i feel a ton better and as long as my weights stays or drops i don't mind how much i eat as long as it is good food, our bodies are just burning through more energy and will require more to train. I am also a Clyde so i am moving some decent weight in training.  Good Luck, maybe we'll meet at one of the upcoming events.

Rudy

Thanks.  One thing I am doing this weekend is buying a scale that measures body fat.  I hope if I can't lose weight I am at least reducing blubber.  I'm down 40 pounds, and about 6" of the waist in 10 months, so I cannot complaint overall (210 is my goal, per my dr., and I am about 15 pounds away.  However, if I can be 225 but 10% body fat that is fine by me).  It is just the constant ravenous hunger that makes it hard to stay on plan.  BTW, I have the NHRR, LC Sprint coming up.

training volume is about the same.  Mmmmmm butter

Two thoughts -

 1.) You mentioned the pool water - do you drink enough water in your day?  I find that I can usually kick a craving with a huge glass of ice water - and then I chew on the ice to get that fix in too.

 2.)  Looking at (and starving for) all the awesome foods you listed for your dinner and your two breakfasts:  What in the HELL are you doing with chocolate covered pretzels and M&Ms in supply in your pantry?!?!?!

Well, darn, I was hoping there was an easy answer like you're burning more calories so don't worry too much. Although, I concur with the question about having those supplies in your pantry.  In fact, I won't be buying bread for awhile to kick my little developing habit. 

Swimming, interestingly, always makes me insanely hungry.  

Two thoughts -

Great thoughts, here are the answers

 1.) You mentioned the pool water - do you drink enough water in your day?  I find that I can usually kick a craving with a huge glass of ice water - and then I chew on the ice to get that fix in too.

1+ gallon a day. 

 2.)  Looking at (and starving for) all the awesome foods you listed for your dinner and your two breakfasts:  What in the HELL are you doing with chocolate covered pretzels and M&Ms in supply in your pantry?!?!?!

My wife does not have food issues and keeps lots of crap around the hosue despite my pleas not to.  She can eat 2 m&m's and be satisfied.  We also have little kids so we do need to have some treats around I.  If it was just me, there would be no treats in teh house ever. 

Have you tried nutrient supplements (vitamins) especially ones high in B vitamins?  Those seem to help me when I am lowering my caloric intake-

Other than that.......ask your wife to lock the goodies up! LOL. 

Best of luck on your journey!

I have been following Jillian Michael's program, and either in her book "Winning by Losing" or on her website (the website charges a fee for access; you can probably find her book at the library) she has a quiz that you take to determine whether you are a "fast-", "slow-" or "balanced-oxidizer" - essentially, how quickly your body converts your food to blood sugar.  The recommendations for the percentages of protein, fats and carbs that you should eat at each meal varies depending on your oxidation type.  For example, if you're a fast oxidizer and you eat lots of carbs, you'll burn them up and be hungry again in no time; a fast oxidizer needs a lot more fat and protein in their diet which their body cannot burn up so quickly.

Frankly, when I first read this section of the book, I thought it sounded like b.s.  But I figured, what have I got to lose.  I took the quiz, and came out as a "balanced-oxidizer" which means I'm supposed to eat 30% protein, 30% fat, and 40% carbs (at each meal and snack).  I gave it a try and it was much higher in protein and fat than I was used to; it took me a week or so to adjust, the meals felt so heavy in my stomach.  But almost immediately my between-meal hunger went away.  I felt full and energetic until my next meal, even late into the evening when previously I had totally run out of energy.  So, you might want to check it out and give it a try!

I eat clean, and then have mad cravings like you do.  And for me (yes, I'm aware this has been covered), if it's in the house I cheat.  And I always regret it.  I can usually stay away from the kids stuff, but not every time.  Heart to heart with your wife?  My husband & I had to do this.  I basically had to plead with him about how hard it was for me for him to have ice cream, chips & salsa, etc. in the house.  My entire family for the most part now eats clean 6 days/week, and then we eat junk on Saturday's.  Here's the key, you can only buy enough junk so that it's gone on Saturday.  Or you'll eat it all day Sunday too.  And then munch all week.  If we make chocolate chip cookies, we make 1/4 of what the recipe calls for.  We go out for ice cream rather than buy a 1/2 gallon.  I go to a convenience store to buy a pack of 6 Oreo's, rather than the whole bag, etc.  So, that's my two cents, figure out every way you possibly can to set yourself up for success.

One last thought, can you find some sort of cheat that isn't that bad of a cheat for when you're desperate?  For instance, I have some variations on my protein shake to make them more like a treat.  Plus, a shake will often fill you up a little more.  And make it a shake, a thick shake in the blender, not just in a shaker cup.  Here's some that work for me:

1.  crushed ice, a tablespoon of instant coffee granules, and 1 scoop of chocolate protein powder in the blender.  Frozen mocha!

2.  Choc. Mint Muscle Milk Light in the blender tastes just like a Peppermint Mocha Frappucino at Starbucks (or make your own with choc. protein powder and peppermint extract)

3.  Vanilla protein powder and a couple crushed oreos for a cookies & cream shake.

Great idea on the non-cheat, cheating protein shake, particularly #2 looks very yummy.  definitely trying that this week.   I always remind my wife not to buy the junk and, in her defense, she usually tries to hide it from me, but sometimes I "accidentially" find it... because who doesn't keep their fruit in the back of a closet in the attic? I try to keep to the 1 cheat day/week also, which is supposed to be saturday.  Sorry to hear that there are others who stuggle with this despite, as you say, to eat clean (which for me means whole foods, mostly organic, local and fresh to the extent possible with lots of fruit, veg, whole grain and qualoty fat and protein) when the conventional wisdom suggests that such eating will defeat hunger pangs.

Today was a good day as it was long swim day and I've been fairly sick to my stomach all day.

That's exactly what it means for me.  

FWIW, I always have to order MM Light in Choc. Mint.  I've never been able to find that flavor locally (and to be honest, the choc. shake with peppermint extract just wasn't the same).  I order from dpsnutrition.com.  Those guys are fast.  I'm in PA and if I order in the morning, standard shipping, I usually have my stuff by the next day.

Not sure if this would help, but how are you dividing up your meals?  I've found that when my calories are distributed over 3 meals a day it leaves me with cravings/hunger, while that same amount of calories spread out over six meals (some light snacking in between meals and one post dinner "dessert"--sometimes I'll freeze a reduced calorie yogurt) seems to minimize the munchies.

Not sure if it's just a mental difference or if there's a physical reason for the difference... 

Hang in there! 

 I don't have any problems eating a whole lot of dark chocolate.  I love it...and it's not a too rich to only have a little square relationship.  In Offthegrid's defense, most people I meet do agree that a small piece satisfies a chocolate craving since it is more rich.