Controling hunger and 'the shakes'

vass78
vass78 Posts: 29 Member
edited October 1 in Health and Weight Loss
What are you ladies doing to control hunger and the hypo-glycemis 'tremmors'? I am trying to adhere to a 1200/day caloric consumption but I find it really challenging. I eat breakfast at 6am and I am STARVING by 10. I start shaking and I will eat anything I can to stop - I sometimes get to the point where I feel light-headed. Generally, I eat fairly healthy - my problem is controling portions. After I eat, I still feel so hungry. I try waiting 20 minutes - and that works for about 2 hours and then I have to eat again! Is this something that will resolve itself if I only ignore it for awhile? Do I simply have to train my body to use the food I have eaten more efficiently? What has worked for you?
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Replies

  • Mom2rh
    Mom2rh Posts: 612 Member
    Can you open your diary? It might help others give you advice.

    In general, I would suggest drinking lots of water. Eating more frequently. I eat every couple of hours. Eat slowly. Don't wait until you are shaky. In order to eat more with less calories, eat lots of fruits and veggies.
  • rml_16
    rml_16 Posts: 16,414 Member
    It sounds like you're not eating the right things. You shouldn't be shaky and starving after a well-balanced meal.
  • Cchappell10
    Cchappell10 Posts: 32
    Actually eating every two hours is about the healthiest thing you can do for your body. But only in small portions, which like you, is tough for me too. When you eat at 6am, plan on eating a string cheese at 8am. Then plan on eating again at 10 like you normally do. If you drink coffee at 6am, then go 4 hours without eating, that will make the shakes a lot worse. Though portions are tough, just make yourself eat ONE healthy snack item at 8am; See if that helps. Good luck!
  • TxAngel79
    TxAngel79 Posts: 318 Member
    I would advise you to drink more water! Sometimes we think we are hungry, when really we are just thirsty! Also, it's good to eat every three hours! I eat breakfast at 6 am too and I always have a snack between 9-10!
  • searbear1980
    searbear1980 Posts: 110
    I used to have the same problem. I now snack through most of the day. Grapes are my best friend right now along with water.
  • sullivan1011
    sullivan1011 Posts: 28 Member
    Sounds like you arent eating often enough. I routinely eat between 1150 and 1200 calories a day but I eat often. Like every 2-3 hours.If you let your blood sugar drop it creates that craving wave. It makes it more diffcult to stick to the diet.
  • ljbarna
    ljbarna Posts: 9 Member
    Without seeing any of your diary and just going off what you tryped, my first reaction is that you are not eating enough. You should be eating every 3 hours or so and you shouldn't be starving between that.
  • Melindaleigh12
    Melindaleigh12 Posts: 34
    I have the same problem and I find eating every couple hours really helps, even if its just an Apple and a laughing cow, it keeps the shakes away. When I get them I too will eat anything! It's the only time I crave McDonald's! I've even gotten into the habit of bringing a small lunch box when I go shopping or to ride my horse so ill always have something fresh and cool to eat!
  • megandurden
    megandurden Posts: 17 Member
    Can you open your diary? It might help others give you advice.

    In general, I would suggest drinking lots of water. Eating more frequently. I eat every couple of hours. Eat slowly. Don't wait until you are shaky. In order to eat more with less calories, eat lots of fruits and veggies.

    I agree with the above! Also, it will get better as you "condition" your body for the new habits. :)
  • roballesteros
    roballesteros Posts: 140
    Eat every 2-3 hours, even if you don't feel hungry, it helps in the long run and you won't go into that "eating everything in site" mode.
  • rml_16
    rml_16 Posts: 16,414 Member
    Sounds like you arent eating often enough. I routinely eat between 1150 and 1200 calories a day but I eat often. Like every 2-3 hours.If you let your blood sugar drop it creates that craving wave. It makes it more diffcult to stick to the diet.

    I eat once every three to four hours, and usually am done eating by 6 p.m. I eat three meals and a smoothie each day. I don't have the shakes.

    She's not eating food that's staying with her, probably a lot of simple carbs and not enough protein and fat.

    If you're so hungry you have the shakes, water isn't going to help.
  • auntiebabs
    auntiebabs Posts: 1,754 Member
    watch your sugar

    BOTH sugar AND artificial sweeteners increase your appetite, so cutting back on them makes weight loss easier, because you are not hungry all the time.

    If I have a DIET COKE, no way I can keep at 1200 cal.
    More foods now than ever before have hidden sugars in them and are sold as "real foods"
    If I'm going to eat the sugar I want a cookie, gosh darn it!

    I've really been amazed at how much sugar I've found in "REAL FOOD" Food manufacturers add a lot of sugar under a lot of different unrecognizable names into products, because it's cheap and it increases your appetite, so you eat more.

    (I picked up a lean cuisine one evening forgot to check the sugar went to enter it to find out it had 30g of sugar, now

    A) I only get 25g a day,
    B) my favorite cookies are 9g for 15 cookies. If I'm going to eat sugar I want to enjoy a treat!!!

    Also watch out for yogurts there usually very high in sugar, by plain and add a little hershey syrup or jam or cukes & dill at least YOU will be controlling your intake.)

    Nutrient Dense foods keep you full longer, while proteins and fats (happy fats... plant based) appear to pack a lot of calories for the quantity you get to eat. A small amount will keep you satisfied longer. So it may be a better balance for you .
  • Womona
    Womona Posts: 1,788 Member
    You may just be one of those people who needs to eat small meals more frequently, which is completely fine. In fact, research says that's a better way to go. You want to keep your blood sugar stable, so plan on what you're going to eat every two hours, and have it packed and ready to go, you'll not starve.

    I'm the same way - I grab a cereal bar and coffee while I get the kids to school, and by 10AM I'm ready for lunch!
  • thedodgeruk
    thedodgeruk Posts: 132 Member
    hi protein foods help a lot .

    i used to get the shakes as wel a lot , them massive binge , only thing that i found that helped was protein shakes
  • stormieweather
    stormieweather Posts: 2,549 Member
    You need to plan some snacks in there. I have the same issues with shakes, sweats, and blood sugar crashes.

    One thing I've found is that carbs aren't so good for me first thing in the morning. Even Kashi cereal makes me crash a few hours later (forget waffles or syrup!). Instead, a big hunk of protein works best for me - protein bar, eggs, veggie sausage, turkey bacon, etc. and I do not crash. I can manage Ezekiel bread with peanut butter, as long as I also have an egg or other protein with it.

    Then, make sure you have some greek yogurt, some fruit, a hard boiled egg, some pretzels, or raw veggies around for planned snacks. I eat at 8 am, 10-10:30 am, 1:30 pm, 3:00-3:30 pm, 5:00 pm, and dinner around 7:30 pm. I've learned that, like you, if I don't have healthy snacks with me, I will literally go mad looking for food to stop the crash and then I can't stop eating it (even when I know I've had enough). The best plan is to plan for it and prevent the crash from ever happening.

    Good luck!
  • Phera
    Phera Posts: 269 Member
    I've given up on that 1200 cal/day thing. I have a bodybugg that tells me how many calories I burn each day and I aim for a 1000 cal deficit per day. Yesterday I ate horribly but that was an exception however I still burned over 3100 calories yesterday so I'm not going to sweat it. During the week I burn about 2500 cal/day so I am for consuming 1500 cal/day. You have to find what works for the long term. Even though all of us want the weight off as soon as possible what matters more is your day to day decisions until they become sustainable habits. If you're starving everyday you will not sustain.
  • dancer4275
    dancer4275 Posts: 149
    I'm on the same 1200 cal. per day meal plan. I usually don't eat breakfast until around 10. I'm not hungry before then.
    I eat the biggest meal in the morning. And I always drink a cup of warm black tea. I don't drink it all at once. So it lasts me a couple of hours. Whenever I start to get hungry or crave something, I just sip on the tea. That helps a lot! I eat light throughout the day. At every meal, I chew my bites about 20 times and sip water in between each bite. When I do that, I eat less.
  • caroltina
    caroltina Posts: 453 Member
    Can I ask what you weigh now? I don't think it is good to be having the shakes? I personally never do. I eat 1500 cals even though MFP sets mine at 1340, because i exercise in the evening and don't want to eat back my cals after training. Try having 5 smaller meals?
  • vass78
    vass78 Posts: 29 Member
    I'm 5'3" and I weight between 135 to 140 lbs. I was 122 before baby. I don't care so much about the 'weight' in general, it's more of the excess flab around my mid-section. I can't afford new clothes right now and none of my older outfits fit me so I wear the same three pants and four shirts all week long.

    I will try to take everyone's advice and see what happens. THANK YOU!
  • vass78
    vass78 Posts: 29 Member
    It's interesting that you mentioned Diet Coke because I think you're so right! I stopped drinking today and already I can tell I have fewer cravings. I just had an apple as a snack and I hope it sustains me until lunch. I do need to watch the sugar content though. Thanks for the feedback!
  • vass78
    vass78 Posts: 29 Member
    Thanks for all the feedback everyone! I will see if I can figure out how to open my food diary too.
  • sej1990
    sej1990 Posts: 96 Member
    cheese helps the shakes and hunger. baby bell cheese is only 70 calories and its amazing :^)
  • ArlVAMom
    ArlVAMom Posts: 42 Member
    Yep, try eating protein and some healthy fat for breakfast. If I have any processed carbs like cereal or bread in the morning my body burns right through that sugar (carbs are just sugar to your body) and I am hungry again immediately. I will have some Egg Beaters with some leftover veggies and some guacamole, a protein smoothie with some nut butter, or even chicken salad for breakfast and feel much better.
  • rml_16
    rml_16 Posts: 16,414 Member
    OK, took a quick look at your diary for today and I can see why you're starving. That breakfast would leave me with the shakes, too!

    Try eating something a little more substantial. Half a peanut butter sandwich, maybe. Or use yogurt instead of milk with the cereal. Kashi GoLean might be a better choice than Special K, too.

    A slice of whole grain peanut butter toast would also go a long way, an omelet with some veggies cooked in some healthy oil, oatmeal ...

    This holds me over through past lunchtime even with a 700-calorie workout in the morning:

    1/4 cup oat bran
    1 cup Silk light soy milk
    Cinnamon
    Brown sugar (just a little)
    1 T peanut butter (it melts into the cereal as you cook it)

    That's a lot of protein and fiber and a little healthy fat. Perfect combination. And it takes longer to digest, so it stays with you longer than that cereal will.
  • vass78
    vass78 Posts: 29 Member
    Thanks! I will try that - I keep forgetting about adding cinnamon to things in the AM - a versatile spice that gets ignored in my spice rack. I need to buy some brown sugar. I have been adding Stevia to my oatmeal, but it makes it taste like medicine.
  • Michelle_M2002
    Michelle_M2002 Posts: 301 Member
    Increase your protein. Watch your carb intake. Drink lots of water, and eat every 3 hours.

    The shakes are from low blood sugar, so you need to get that to even out. By eating small meals frequently, cutting out sugars, cutting back on starches, increasing protein.. this will all help your blood sugar even out.

    Also, eat cinnamon every day. Mix it into yogurt or oatmeal, and anywhere else you can add it... cinnamon has been shown to increase insulin sensitivity, thus helping blood sugar to stay stable instead of doing the up and down roller coaster thing.

    God bless!
  • rml_16
    rml_16 Posts: 16,414 Member
    There is not an artificial sweetener out there that I can stand the taste of. I use real sugar (white or brown, depending) in moderation and honey where I can. I actually use a no-sugar-added chocolate peanut butter to sweeten my fruit smoothies a little (and add some protein).

    Cinnamon is a great spice. Yummy and an appetite suppressant, so it will help a lot with your hunger issue. Also, dark chocolate is an appetite suppressant and very healthy for you in moderation. Wonderful news, eh? lol

    My favorite is Green & Black's 85% cocoa dark chocolate. I was never much of a fan of the dark, but this stuff is rich and creamy and is like eating chocolate cheesecake! And being a vegetarian, I love that it's a good source of iron.
  • mamajess82
    mamajess82 Posts: 51
    I have a sweet tea/coffee if I'm too hungry (not the healthy option, I know but I think a little bit of bad is okay with a lot of good). Or I exercise before a meal which makes me want to eat less. Looking forward to these answers.
  • mamajess82
    mamajess82 Posts: 51
    There is not an artificial sweetener out there that I can stand the taste of. I use real sugar (white or brown, depending) in moderation and honey where I can. I actually use a no-sugar-added chocolate peanut butter to sweeten my fruit smoothies a little (and add some protein).

    Cinnamon is a great spice. Yummy and an appetite suppressant, so it will help a lot with your hunger issue. Also, dark chocolate is an appetite suppressant and very healthy for you in moderation. Wonderful news, eh? lol

    My favorite is Green & Black's 85% cocoa dark chocolate. I was never much of a fan of the dark, but this stuff is rich and creamy and is like eating chocolate cheesecake! And being a vegetarian, I love that it's a good source of iron.

    *Like*

    Very healthy! :)
  • Becky1971
    Becky1971 Posts: 979 Member
    I had problems with this too, at 1200 per day that MFP had me set at, and then working in the schools where I couldn't eat in between meals. I now eat 1350 a day, and I always (especially when school is in session)start my mornings with two eggs. The eggs help my hunger so much, it comes lunch time and I'm ready to eat, but I'm not starving, don't have a headache, and I'm not shaking and light headed.
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