Book/info sources recommendations for hunger issues

I'm not sure if these books would help you in your situation, but maybe it is worth a try. I got them at the public library.
EatQ by Susan Albers. Also do an internet search on EatQ and take her on-line test.
Overcoming Emotional Eating by Geneen Roth

Hope that helps. These books helped me the most.

What are you eating right now? Your diary isn't open, so we can't really comment. But some people find they are more satisfied with whole foods. Or foods with more fat. Or vegan foods. Or...

I also think there's a possibility that you're serotonin imbalanced and don't have a lot of sources of natural oxytocin. This is not a criticism. I worked pretty hard to understand my own emotional/mental cooties. How's your sleep? Do you have a regular waking schedule? Do you exercise regularly? Do you have a natural light light box? I know some of these can sound dumb, but maybe it isn't about the food. Maybe it's about a hormone or neurochemical that just isn't firing right. Do you get enough fat? Fish oil pills can help some people. I'm not trying to spout nonsense or snake oil or pop-psychology. Just suggesting that maybe it isn't the food. Or, the desire for food is an indication of something else. It might not be blood sugar/leptin/ghrelin like it is for others. It might be your brain chemicals and hormones (not the female sex hormones. the other ones).

I don't mean to diagnose you over the internet, but how long has this been going on? Certain neurotransmitter disorders develop in our 20s and don't become "fully developed" until our 30s. If you were my sister or someone I loved, I'd urge you to start tracking more than just your food and exercise. I'd urge you to track your sleep, sexual activity/libedo and mood.

Good luck. Maybe it is just the food. I hope it is.

Your BMI is 20. Maybe you would have an easier time if you quit logging and let yourself gain a few pounds and see if the food obsession lightens up? Counting calories isn't good for a lot of people.

I am always able to eat. Always. I seem to lack the trigger that says, oh wait, you are disgustingly full, stop eating. I'm not overweight anymore, and have never been obese, but lord knows I should have been. But I always want to eat, even when I know I'm really full.

I'm not really asking for advice on dieting. I get it. I eat at a deficit and I lose weight (or maintain my current weight, which I'm happy with). I run 20 miles or so a week and lift weights. If anyone tells me to read the "a guide to sexy pants" post, I will scream. It's not the answer to every post, so please stop. I seriously think the author of that is paying you people to promote it.

I really feel like something is wrong with me. I can easily consume 5000 calories in a meal. I don't, but I can, and that scares me. I will always live in fear of my appetite. I spend every waking moment telling myself not to eat. It's sad. I can't remember not being like this. It's hard to always have my mouth watering (that's literally how I live every waking moment).

But anyway, I am just wondering if anyone has heard of this and can recommend any books or something. Sometimes I feel like if I understood it, it would be easier to deal with, even if it can't be helped. Or if anyone else can sympathize, I might not feel so alone.

I just want to underscore that I do not have an eating disorder, never have. I'm 5'6/127lbs. I was about 155 at my heaviest. Maintaining weight just fine. I eat a balanced diet and exercise regularly. If anything, I think the fact that I don't give in to the urge is making people not take me seriously. If I was 500 pounds, people would be like, we need to figure out what's wrong with her, you know? But doctors just sort of nod at me while looking unconvinced.

Ugh, sorry this turned into a rambling post. I just get so frustrated trying to explain this.

Okay so u may want to see an Endocrinologist and ask about being put on Phentermine! Endo's specialize in hormonal things as well as diabetes treatments and thyroid issues. If you're having trouble controlling your appetite, you definitely need to look into the possibility of Phentermine...it's a life saver!!! I took it for 2 months about 8 years ago and lost 35 pounds in 5 weeks! I'm now on it again and seeing AMAZING results once again! I was in the same boat...I love food....I love eating and I've had emotional issues that made it worse. My Endo told me that being on Phentermine, which completely controls your hunger (my stomach doesn't even growl!) for an extended period of time will help me get used to eating smaller, healthier meals, so that when I lose all this weight and come off of the Phentermine, my body will naturally feel fuller faster! If you eat smaller meals for an extended period of time, your stomach will shrink and the amount of food you'll be able to put away will decrease in a healthy way! I've posted this on another forum and I'll post it to give u some tips too...sounds like you need some more protein in your diet too.

http://www.aworkoutroutine.com/starvation-mode/

Please read this article. I'm so sick of people talking about this "Starvation Mode" thing and how you need to increase calories to lose weight...it's all complete b/s!!! U need protein to burn fat, and lean proteins make u feel A LOT fuller than carbs. So limiting carbs isn't necessarily a bad thing if you aren't feeling "full." I've been eating under 1200 calories everyday, but I also exercise 5-7 days/week. 30 minutes of cardio and 30 minutes of different weight training techniques. You would be surprised at how full you can get by increasing your protein intake to about 30-35% of your daily intake of calories. PROTEIN burns fat and builds muscle, and is a healthy and essential way to lose weight and feel full. I'm usually under 50 carb/day...not per meal...per day! Chicken and Ground Turkey have NO CARBS and make u feel full for a longer amount of time than just eating veggies and fruits. I eat a ton of fruits, make smoothies out of strawberries, bananas and blueberries (blueberries have enormous amounts of antioxidants and aid in weight loss) with a little Organic Strawberry Banana juice. I cut up all my fruits as soon as I buy them and freeze them, so when I'm actually drinking a smoothie, it's 100% fruits and antioxidants...not watered down with ice. That's usually my way of snacking and what I give my 4 year old son instead of ice cream. I LOVE TACOS!!! So I've found some pretty amazing whole grain carb smart wraps...one only has 11 carbs/wrap and one is 14 carbs/wrap and the one that's 14 carbs is only 50 calories too!!! So I'm getting whole grains, which help control insulin levels, ground turkey is the meat that I use...and it has no carbs at all and just a little serving or 2 of cheese. It doesn't matter if the cheese is 100-110 calories/serving because this meal is way under 500 calories!!! And what's more is that it's super filling!!! A mistake that people often make when it comes to tacos, is buying pre-packaged seasoning, and unfortunately, a mistake that I've made most of my life! I LOVE Old El Paso's Taco Seasoning...love it. And when my son's father was diagnosed with Meniere's Disease 3 years ago, I started using the one labled "25% less sodium." With Meniere's Disease, you have to cut your sodium intake immensely and this helped. However, from a diet stand point it breaks down to this: 1 package is 6 servings (and u use that whole thing in 1lb of ground meat) 15 calories per serving, 270mg of sodium, and 3 carbs. Doesn't sound like much right? Until you multiply those numbers by 6!!! So I opt'd to make the seasoning myself (which is waaayyy better tasting and healthier!) using chili powder, red pepper, garlic powder (not garlic salt!) and onion powder. You can put in as little or as much as you'd like for flavor and there's no added calories, sodium or carbs! Top w/some organic salsa or even some bottled taco sauce (but watch how much u use of the bottled stuff cause it does contain carbs, but being that this is an extremely low carb containing meal, 2 servings is no big deal) I also chop up tomatos and dice green chilies and add them to the meat for even more flavor and nutrients!!! The only thing I look for with cheese is the reduced fat kind. And here's a direct quote of why u need some fat....

"Triglycerides, cholesterol and other essential fatty acids—the scientific term for fats the body can't make on its own—store energy, insulate us and protect our vital organs. They act as messengers, helping proteins do their jobs. They also start chemical reactions that help control growth, immune function, reproduction and other aspects of basic metabolism.
The cycle of making, breaking, storing and mobilizing fats is at the core of how humans and all animals regulate their energy. An imbalance in any step can result in disease, including heart disease and diabetes. For instance, having too many triglycerides in our bloodstream raises our risk of clogged arteries, which can lead to heart attack and stroke.
Fats help the body stockpile certain nutrients as well. The so-called "fat-soluble" vitamins—A, D, E and K—are stored in the liver and in fatty tissues.
Knowing that fats play such an important role in many basic functions in the body, researchers funded by the National Institutes of Health study them in humans and other organisms to learn more about normal and abnormal biology.
Despite fat's importance, no one yet understands exactly how humans store it and call it into action. In search of insight, Oklahoma State University biochemist Estela Arrese studies triglyceride metabolism in unexpected places: silkworms, fruit flies, and mosquitoes.
The main type of fat we consume, triglycerides are especially suited for energy storage because they pack more than twice as much energy as carbohydrates or proteins.
Once triglycerides have been broken down during digestion, they are shipped out to cells through the bloodstream. Some of the fat gets used for energy right away. The rest is stored inside cells in blobs called lipid droplets. When we need extra energy—for instance, when we run a marathon—our bodies use enzymes called lipases to break down the stored triglycerides. The cell's power plants, mitochondria, can then create more of the body's main energy source: adenosine triphosphate, or ATP."


Eating leafy green veggies and fruits lower on the glycemic index is also SUPER important for weight loss and overall health benefits. Here's some essential info about the glycemic index...which was brought to my attention by my Endocrinologist.

The glycemic index (GI) is a ranking of carbohydrates on a scale from 0 to 100 according to the extent to which they raise blood sugar levels after eating. Foods with a high GI are those which are rapidly digested and absorbed and result in marked fluctuations in blood sugar levels. Low-GI foods, by virtue of their slow digestion and absorption, produce gradual rises in blood sugar and insulin levels, and have proven benefits for health. Low GI diets have been shown to improve both glucose and lipid levels in people with diabetes (type 1 and type 2). They have benefits for weight control because they help control appetite and delay hunger. Low GI diets also reduce insulin levels and insulin resistance.

Recent studies from Harvard School of Public Health indicate that the risks of diseases such as type 2 diabetes and coronary heart disease are strongly related to the GI of the overall diet. In 1999, the World Health Organisation (WHO) and Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) recommended that people in industrialised countries base their diets on low-GI foods in order to prevent the most common diseases of affluence, such as coronary heart disease, diabetes and obesity.

This link will tell you all about the glycemic index of carb containing foods: http://www.glycemicindex.com/index.php

Berries and Strawberries are really low on the glycemic index...making u feel fuller longer and more satisfied, while bananas are on the moderate side, slightly spiking your glucose levels...but not enough to be super concerned. They are to be eaten in moderation, while watermelon's GI ranges from 72-80 and cantaloupe's GI ranges between 65-70!!! Those should be avoided or eaten in moderation along with lower GI foods.

I was diagnosed with Insulin Resistance 2 months ago and have a best friend who is a Team Beach Body Coach and I'm full of helpful information!!! If u have any questions or concerns feel free to message me and I'll hook u up with all types of info. Believe me, you can easily get filled on 1200 calories/day as long as u eat the right ones!!! The link above for glycemicindex.com will also allow u to search for your fav foods and see how they are rated on the GI scale. It's not just a blog talking about the benefits of eating low GI foods...it has all sorts of tools to help you!!! Good Luck w/everything!!!