Insatiable Appetite

TrudzCR

I have been on and off mfp since 2012 but I started seriously logging in Dec. of 2013 (500+ day streak woot woot!). For over a year now I have been in a plateau. I've done everything. Switched up my routine, incorporated weight lifting, logged religiously weighing everything (not eyeballing), and intermittent fasting with and without re-feed days. I currently weight twice a day...I've also tried not weighing so often and limiting myself to once a week. Now, I've also read up on this in other blogs and I know there are many out there who don't believe in plateaus and quite frankly neither do I so I know there's something I'm doing wrong. I even think I know what it is but have no clue how to fix it.

I've been paying close attention for the past 3 months or so and I've noticed I'm in a cycle. On Monday I start off and my weight starts decreasing, then by Thursday it increases and continues to increase until Sunday then it decreases again. Of course it's not magically jumping. I'm also eating more and exceeding my calories. However, I have noticed it jumps on Thursday whether or not I went over on Wednesday or Thursday. So I pretty much go downhill for the weekend. Each week is, however, part of a bigger cycle. Every 3-4 weeks I pig out!! I literally eat everything in sight because I'm just so hungry and if I don't eat I get a migraine. Now I could just hibernate on these troublesome days but unfortunately I have to get up and go to work and do assignments (I'm in school) and take care of my family so that's not an option. I have no idea where this insatiable appetite comes from once a month. (It never coincides with my menses either.) Then following that week of pigging out, the guilt of my over indulgences keeps me on track for about another week or and I begin to shed the lbs. But then it starts all over again and the weight climbs.

With all that said I need some help! How can I curb my appetite? Why is it that I can eat well Monday to Thursday then just spiral out of control over the weekend. I've planned ahead, I make all my food from scratch. I have snacks on hand. I've almost entirely cut out processed foods. It's just an incredible hunger that cannot be satisfied. Any tips would be helpful. Oh I've also tried appetite suppressant..the natural ones e.g. turmeric, cinnamon, ginger...no effect on the crazy week.

I am about 5lbs shy of my ideal weight but I have lots of fat covering the muscles I've built in the gym. My body fat is about 27% (measured at home with the Omicron instrument).

fr3smyl

I haven't been here long so take my words with a grain of salt. It might help to even out your food more. It might be enough to shock your system since your in a rut.
Instead of sticking to a low calorie intake on M-Th and pigging out on the weekends, take the average of calories eaten for that week and eat that amount every day regardless of your activity. This may help esp. if you are working out M-Th.

barbecuesauce

Does it coincide with ovulation? I saw in another thread where someone said they experienced it then. IDK, I get it when I'm PMSing.

As for the weekend thing: I stopped buying junk food because I seem unable to stay out of it (after doing well for months). I don't know what happened to my self-control after 8 months.

Helloitsdan

Check sleep habits.
Do you have a libido?
Do you have specific cravings?
Are you avoiding anything specific?