Dieting Difficulties... − 7 May, 2008

So I am really struggling with controlling my food intake. If anyone has suggestions, I would appreciate it. Is there some food trick, mental visualization or ANYTHING that helps the hunger? A pill that actually works?
When I get hungry, I get a little hypoglycemic – light-headed, grumpy and the hunger actually causes heart-burn for me, too – even with the heart-burn meds that I take. Drinking water doesn’t help – it just makes me have to pee.
My eating habits have not changed, just my metabolism, and with my Orthopedic Surgeon saying I SHOULDN’T exercise, I can’t use that to burn off calories. I need to take in less than my body uses, and that is VERY difficult.
I also don’t like to drink or eat “fake” stuff – no artificial sweeteners or foods – so that limits what I can eat that is low-cal.
Right now I am trying making my “normal” snack-meals smaller. A smaller bowl of cereal, 1 cheese stick instead if two, and I nurse a bottle of iced tea throughout the work day to provide much-needed sugar and caffeine. I don’t want to have gastric issues due to lack of fiber, so I eat a fiber cookie everyday, too. Dinner is usually not a problem as I have “dog stuff” after work almost every weekday. And on weekends, I try to get out and do more dog stuff or hang out with friends and be as physical as I can be without overdoing it (which I usually end up doing anyway). I find being out in the HEAT sometimes limits my appetite but it comes back as soon as I sit down in my air-conditioned house.
I try to use pictures of hot women posted on my fridge as a deterrent, but since I really don’t think I have a problem, it isn’t so helpful. I am not fat, but I need to lose the “extra” weight I am carrying on my diseased joints – the thinner I am the less I hurt, and that is tough to keep in mind when I am REALLY hungry.
I am not motivated for vanity’s sake but for my joints (and my poor liver who has to process the extra pain meds). And when I am hurting from the hunger (which the pain meds don’t address, really) it is hard to think of the hips. Maybe I should start making that mental connection… it just seems when I am that ravenous I don’t “think” like a normal person, I am a hungry ANIMAL. FEED ME!
No wonder it is so hard to diet! The last time I had to lose weight for my joints was almost 10 years ago – I had a faster metabolism and it seemed much easier and faster – I lived on iced tea and hard candies. Hmmm, maybe I need to buy some hard candies… Seriously, I lost the weight I needed to in the allotted time (13 pounds in 2 months) and after surgery I made up for some of it – building my muscle and bone back with FULL meals.
I lived at home back then and my parents were very helpful with my weight loss. Now I am married and my husband is not so helpful. He is supportive and understanding, but he is not lean, and doesn’t eat lean, either, so he is not helpful to me. He especially messes me up with his generosity – he buys things he knows I like – Reese’s Klondike, anyone? – but it’s too many calories for me and he doesn’t help me resist them. Maybe I will tell him he MUST help me resist temptation… he will just not like me yelling at him when I am hunger-grumpy.
I am open to ideas, people…

Posted on May 7, 2008. and has been viewed 36 times.

Comments:

PandoraBox (May 7, 2008. 08:45pm)

I find it helps to add more fiber with legumes and whole grain. And when I buy vegetables, I arrange a bunch of them right away so if I have the munchies, I can just grab what's ready and fill up on veggies. Fiber is more filling. Candy, hard, soft or whatever, add lots of sugar, a drop in energy and you are still hungry. Being focused on a project sure helps thinking about something else and knowing what makes you hungry : are you bored ? anxious ? angry ? Is it real physical hunger or psychological hunger ? I have someone who gives me stuff I shouldn't eat. I give it away.