Need a cure for the munchies & eating meat.

Ekkkk! Got the munchies bad. Used to be I had to force myself to eat but lately, I've developed a serious case of the munchies. Seems I can't get enough of corn chips & salsa and popcorn. Why this doesn't fill me up, I don't have a clue why. I can also eat sliced tomatoes & cucumbers till it runs out of my ears! But spaghetti with sauce, I can only eat 3 -4 bites????????? Still can't eat cooked meat other and a bite or two but I can eat all of the beef or chicken jerky I want???????? As a celebration of my 6 month anniversary, my husband & I went to Red Lobster. I ordered the Lobster and shrimp platter. I could eat only two small bites of Lobster and 1 shrimp. Gary got a good "doggy bag" treat later that night. Does anyone know why I can eat all I want of one thing and little to none of others? I'm down to 174 from my original post surgical weight of 245. Becca Holton, KS www.konzapugs.com

It has to do with the density and digestability of the food. Meats and other solid proteins are more dense and harder to digest than most snack foods so they tend to fill you more and stay with you longer. At least the tomatoes and cucumbers are good choices for snacks. You might want to watch quantity on the corn chips, lots of empty carbs you know. When I snack, I try to do it on high protein foods like nuts and cheeses. I usually get a reduced fat cheddar that has 9 grams of protein per ounce, and one ounce is a good size snack. Don't be fooled, I don't always make such good choices but I am trying to make the most of my WLS tool. I'm down to 171 from my surgery weight of 252. I also count the 15 lbs I lost from the time of my consult to surgery so that's a total of 96 lbs in six months!! Isn't this great? Hope that helps.

Hello Becca, I went through this a week ago during pms and it really scared me because up until then I had really good control over my eating. All of a sudden I wanted salty or sweet stuff all the time. My guilt kept me from going too overboard, but it made me realize how easy it could be to slip into old habits. On Monday I gave away anything tempting, like sugar free cookies or fat free chips because before I could eat 1 a week and be content, but lately I wanted more. Now that all the junk is gone I'm back on track. I eat nuts or cheese. Sometimes I eat a couple of Stacy's Soy crisps with some cheese and it seems like a "real" snack. Also I have become really strict about putting everything I eat on Fitday. It really helps me too see where I am for the day and seeing the calories, fat, carbs and protein in black and white is the dose of reality I need. I also added a protein/fruit smoothy to my diet each day and it has helped tremendously. Keep up the good work! Scarlette

I really appreciate your post! I started feeling hungry last week...and thought, "I can't really be hungry-I am only 6 months out" I wanted chips, crackers, anything crunchy and salty really. Then when it would come time to eat my meal I was stuffed after 3 bites-or I would feel nauseous looking at it. I am so glad I am not alone in this. I tried to stick with Sun chips and peanut butter or cheese to get me thru it. I did make some poor food choices a few times-but I am guessing it was PMS. (I had a hysterectomy so I never know when the PMS is coming!!) I wish I could eat cucumbers-my little pouchie just can't handle them although I did discover the damned traitorous thing could handle chocolate cake!! LOL. Good luck and great job on weight loss! Becky, 254-157-145 Size 20W to baggy 10's in 6 months!!!

I've had munchies bad lately too. We can eat more of them and NOT be full because they are CRUNCHY and don't really expand in our pouches. I know for me, it's a mental thing. I am thinking about going to see a psychologist about this because my mind is playing games on me and it's all mental. So frustrating!!!!! When it comes to protein - we can't eat that much because it's more dense and filling. That's when you know you are eating right!! Stay away from munchies! Trisha

Well a couple facts are for sure: Carbs fill you up 50% less than protein. Sugar (including substitutes) actually make you "hungrier" Are you avoiding liquids with meals? That's a sure help too. Good luck! Stacey