Have to eat every 2 hours

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staranf
staranf Posts: 6 Member
in Food and Nutrition
I'm going to keep this as short as possible. Lately I've been absolutely starving and it's really starting to make me mad. Here is an example of what I eat:

6:30 am-Fried egg whites with one piece of toast
8:30 am-Granola Bar
10 am-Crackers and peanut butter or celery and peanut butter
11:30-Small bowl of dry Cheerios
1pm (lunch)-Salad with 2 small pieces of chicken
3:30-Cheese and crackers
6 (dinner)-this really differs, could be chicken with rice, pasta some nights, sometimes pizza

By the time I have these mid-morning and mid-afternoon snacks I'm so hungry I'm getting sick. I NEVER used to eat like this. I used to never eat breakfast and I used to be able to go 4-5 hours without eating. This all just changed in the last few months. I had something weird going on with my body last fall where I just randomly lost my appetite completely for a few weeks. I asked a couple different doctors and they pretty much just blamed it on stress. So I went from not eating at all to-bam I'm eating constantly and can't stop.

When I get hungry I start feeling weird and I really think it's low blood sugar and that I have diabetes (family history of type 2). My family dr insists that it's not diabetes though and I've never had low fbg on a blood test. So I'm not sure if I just get the thought in my head that "omg I have to eat NOW or I'm going to pass out" and its from anxiety or if it's really my blood sugar dropping and I really am going to pass out. I just don't understand why I'm constantly hungry when I wasn't before. It's really limiting my life as I can't go on mini trips in the car anymore because I'm embarrassed to be the only one that needs to stop for food when everyone else is still full from breakfast.

Where should I go from here? I have an appointment with my family dr on 4/27. Should I ask for an A1C test?
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Replies

  • Iron_Feline
    Iron_Feline Posts: 10,750 Member
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    Maybe make your meals bigger. I'd be starving as well with such tiny meals.

    Seriously what are they? 200 cals max?

    How many cals are you eating a day?
  • yopeeps025
    yopeeps025 Posts: 8,680 Member
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    What is your water intake?
  • staranf
    staranf Posts: 6 Member
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    Iron_Feline wrote: »
    Maybe make your meals bigger. I'd be starving as well with such tiny meals.

    Seriously what are they? 200 cals max?

    How many cals are you eating a day?

    I probably eat around 1,200, just a rough guess.

    The food fills me up, it just doesn't seem to keep me full for very long. Even when I eat protein. I only eat breakfast in the morning because its on my schedule to do so, I'm usually not even hungry.

  • isulo_kura
    isulo_kura Posts: 818 Member
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    That really doesn't sound like much food no wonder you're hungry. How many calories are you eating a day?
  • staranf
    staranf Posts: 6 Member
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    yopeeps025 wrote: »
    What is your water intake?

    I drink constantly throughout the day and I don't believe I'm dehydrated.

  • HeySwoleSister
    HeySwoleSister Posts: 1,938 Member
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    staranf wrote: »
    Iron_Feline wrote: »
    Maybe make your meals bigger. I'd be starving as well with such tiny meals.

    Seriously what are they? 200 cals max?

    How many cals are you eating a day?

    I probably eat around 1,200, just a rough guess.

    The food fills me up, it just doesn't seem to keep me full for very long. Even when I eat protein. I only eat breakfast in the morning because its on my schedule to do so, I'm usually not even hungry.

    1200 per day? Net?

    Unless you are an older, sedentary, short woman, that's not enough food. Which is probably why you're hungry.
  • yopeeps025
    yopeeps025 Posts: 8,680 Member
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    staranf wrote: »
    yopeeps025 wrote: »
    What is your water intake?

    I drink constantly throughout the day and I don't believe I'm dehydrated.

    Well so do you know the difference between hunger and thirst for you? If not might need to track it because for some there is no difference.
  • SueInAz
    SueInAz Posts: 6,592 Member
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    Iron_Feline wrote: »
    Maybe make your meals bigger. I'd be starving as well with such tiny meals.

    Seriously what are they? 200 cals max?

    How many cals are you eating a day?
    This is what I was thinking. I'd be starving within an hour or two if I ate so little and not much of it from protein. Our bodies burn through carbs pretty quickly and that's mostly what you're eating during the day. Try eating a bigger breakfast and make the addition mostly protein. A cup of plain fat-free Greek yogurt with berries and a little sweetener, for example. Instead of a granola bar, have a small protein bar. Rather than a bowl of dry Cheerios have some beef jerky. See if those types of changes don't sustain you for longer.
  • notnikkisixx
    notnikkisixx Posts: 375 Member
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    Honestly, i'm seeing a lot of boring, sad, and uninspiring "meals" up there. As someone who eats 3 meals and 2 snacks a day (usually between 1200-1500 calories) I know there's a lot you can do to make this better for yourself! Try eating a heartier breakfast, add avocado to that toast or some sort of low-cal breakfast meat. If you'd like, you can check out my food diary for ideas.
  • angelinenatalie
    angelinenatalie Posts: 6 Member
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    I'm the exact same way and have low blood sugar. Not dangerously low, just low enough that I have to eat something every hour or two. If you know that about yourself, it isn't dangerous. I think your problem is you eat like a bird. Egg whites aren't filling at all, eat the whole egg. You need to add more protein into your diet too, because it keeps you fuller longer. Add some cottage cheese, greek yogurt, nuts, etc into your snacks. This should help!
  • Sarasmaintaining
    Sarasmaintaining Posts: 1,027 Member
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    Iron_Feline wrote: »
    Maybe make your meals bigger. I'd be starving as well with such tiny meals.

    Seriously what are they? 200 cals max?

    How many cals are you eating a day?

    Yeah, put that all together and you have a meal lol. OP-I do 16/8IF and break my fast at around 11am-no calories before then. When I do break my fast I make sure it's a solid meal that will keep me full for a long time. Today I had 8 ounces of pork, veggies and mushrooms, a sweet potato and then condiments (steak sauce for the pork, a bit of ranch dressing for the potato). I'm utterly stuffed and my meal clocked in at around 620 calories. I won't be hungry for hours and then I still have 720 calories to use up for the day. I'd focus on what kinds of foods your eating and consolidate those small snack type meals into less frequent, larger meals that have more staying power.
  • AlabasterVerve
    AlabasterVerve Posts: 3,171 Member
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    staranf wrote: »
    Iron_Feline wrote: »
    Maybe make your meals bigger. I'd be starving as well with such tiny meals.

    Seriously what are they? 200 cals max?

    How many cals are you eating a day?

    I probably eat around 1,200, just a rough guess.

    The food fills me up, it just doesn't seem to keep me full for very long. Even when I eat protein. I only eat breakfast in the morning because its on my schedule to do so, I'm usually not even hungry.
    Try adding a couple hundred more calories to your day in fat and see how you make out. Eat the whole egg, add a full fat salad dressing, full fat dairy etc. Fat isn't going to fill you up but it's what keeps you full in between meals. I'd also try going back to eating full meals and not snacking.

    If adding fat and calories doesn't do the trick I'd cut back on the crackers, Cheerios, granola bars and pizza to add even more fat and some extra protein and vegetables to your diet.

  • SueInAz
    SueInAz Posts: 6,592 Member
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    staranf wrote: »
    Iron_Feline wrote: »
    Maybe make your meals bigger. I'd be starving as well with such tiny meals.

    Seriously what are they? 200 cals max?

    How many cals are you eating a day?

    I probably eat around 1,200, just a rough guess.

    The food fills me up, it just doesn't seem to keep me full for very long. Even when I eat protein. I only eat breakfast in the morning because its on my schedule to do so, I'm usually not even hungry.
    You were pretty specific on what you're eating but you don't know the calories? Are you not logging what you're eating? I'm not judging, just asking, as this is a food logging site/app so I find that surprising.

    If you're not hungry for breakfast so early then don't eat until later. I've never been much of a breakfast eater myself. I've found that something high in protein at around 9am on workdays is good for me. It's usually a protein bar or Greek yogurt at my desk those days. On weekends I'll go even longer before I finally eat. There's no set schedule at which you have to eat. Eat when you like. As long as you get in the calories during the day when you eat them makes no difference so make it a schedule that works for you.
  • yopeeps025
    yopeeps025 Posts: 8,680 Member
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    MrM27 wrote: »
    Man, that's barely any food. Where are the fruits and vegetables? Where is the consideration for getting your nutrients in?

    OP only wants weight loss?

  • Lounmoun
    Lounmoun Posts: 8,426 Member
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    staranf wrote: »
    I'm going to keep this as short as possible. Lately I've been absolutely starving and it's really starting to make me mad. Here is an example of what I eat:

    6:30 am-Fried egg whites with one piece of toast
    8:30 am-Granola Bar
    10 am-Crackers and peanut butter or celery and peanut butter
    11:30-Small bowl of dry Cheerios
    1pm (lunch)-Salad with 2 small pieces of chicken
    3:30-Cheese and crackers
    6 (dinner)-this really differs, could be chicken with rice, pasta some nights, sometimes pizza

    By the time I have these mid-morning and mid-afternoon snacks I'm so hungry I'm getting sick. I NEVER used to eat like this. I used to never eat breakfast and I used to be able to go 4-5 hours without eating. This all just changed in the last few months. I had something weird going on with my body last fall where I just randomly lost my appetite completely for a few weeks. I asked a couple different doctors and they pretty much just blamed it on stress. So I went from not eating at all to-bam I'm eating constantly and can't stop.

    When I get hungry I start feeling weird and I really think it's low blood sugar and that I have diabetes (family history of type 2). My family dr insists that it's not diabetes though and I've never had low fbg on a blood test. So I'm not sure if I just get the thought in my head that "omg I have to eat NOW or I'm going to pass out" and its from anxiety or if it's really my blood sugar dropping and I really am going to pass out. I just don't understand why I'm constantly hungry when I wasn't before. It's really limiting my life as I can't go on mini trips in the car anymore because I'm embarrassed to be the only one that needs to stop for food when everyone else is still full from breakfast.

    Where should I go from here? I have an appointment with my family dr on 4/27. Should I ask for an A1C test?

    Increase your calories a bit. Is your goal too agressive?
    Get more fats.
    Eat more kinds of food. Add a fruit or vegetable to each meal.
    Eat higher fiber foods more. Try beans, lentils, more vegetables, some fruit. Try some hummus for a snack.
    Drink water, unsweetened tea or chew gum and wait 20 - 60 minutes to see if the feeling passes.
    Eat bigger meals and increase your time between eating to 3-4 hours.
  • WillLift4Tats
    WillLift4Tats Posts: 1,699 Member
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    SueInAz wrote: »
    staranf wrote: »
    Iron_Feline wrote: »
    Maybe make your meals bigger. I'd be starving as well with such tiny meals.

    Seriously what are they? 200 cals max?

    How many cals are you eating a day?

    I probably eat around 1,200, just a rough guess.

    The food fills me up, it just doesn't seem to keep me full for very long. Even when I eat protein. I only eat breakfast in the morning because its on my schedule to do so, I'm usually not even hungry.
    You were pretty specific on what you're eating but you don't know the calories? Are you not logging what you're eating? I'm not judging, just asking, as this is a food logging site/app so I find that surprising.

    If you're not hungry for breakfast so early then don't eat until later. I've never been much of a breakfast eater myself. I've found that something high in protein at around 9am on workdays is good for me. It's usually a protein bar or Greek yogurt at my desk those days. On weekends I'll go even longer before I finally eat. There's no set schedule at which you have to eat. Eat when you like. As long as you get in the calories during the day when you eat them makes no difference so make it a schedule that works for you.

    This is what I was going to say. Don't force yourself to eat if you're not hungry. For some people, that just sets them up to be hungrier more often and earlier than they would usually be. I used to be like that.

    Also, yes, you may need to increase your total goal and your meals individually. That's not a lot of intake to keep you full for longer than a couple of hours anyways, and most likely not enough over all.
  • dawnna76
    dawnna76 Posts: 987 Member
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    if your goal is wieghtloss and you insist on eating so little calories cut out the carbs and sugars like the granola and cheerios and replace with lots of low cal veggies.
  • Ninkyou
    Ninkyou Posts: 6,666 Member
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    Where's the protein? I see "two small pieces of chicken" for protein and sometimes chicken and sometimes pizza, etc. The bulk of your calories looks like it's coming from carbs. Carbs are great and all, but you need to better balance out your macros. I'd be starving with that little protein too. And yeah, it could be your calorie intake too. 1200 calories really isn't a heck of a whole lot. If you're hungry, there's no shame in upping your calorie intake.

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