Hungry A Lot!

I dont know whats up but i notice that I'm hungry a lot. I dont know if its mental or what. I try my best to eat good things, but im alwaysssss craving carbs and I hate it! I notice that if i eat, no more than 2 hours later, Im feeling hungry again! Anyone else like that? Any tips? Ive been trying to eat high protein foods so that it helps me stay full, but its not working that great. The one thing that does seem to help is eating 1/2 of a peanut butter sandwich (on whole wheat, of course). Do you think that eating the 1/2 of sandwich is a lot for a snack? a lot of calories? I know that p'nut butter is high in protein and the sugars arent too high. I really feel helpless at this point. Sometimes i feel like i want to cry because i have a lot to lose to reach my goal. My personal goal is under 200...and honestly, i think that MORE than attainable, since im only 5'2 1/2. its not like im asking to be 100 pounds or something. i just want, for once in my adult life,to be under 200 pounds. Ive been stirring around 226-233 for EVER...months and months now. I've been very busy lately, so no, i havent been keeping up with the exercise, but when i was exercising, which was like 3-4 times a week at the gym, i still stayed the same. Any suggestions at all would be helpful. Im desperate! Ive tried natural herbal pills to see if that would help the hunger, but it really didnt do too much. I dont want to take any diet pills because it didnt help me before, and even if it does, I cant stay on them forever. Im sorry for blabbing, but honestly, this has been really getting me down lately. Im wearing a size 18 jeans (granted, i have one pair of 16s), which before surgery i want even fitting into a 32 jeans....( i was more than huge....365+ pounds for my 5'2 1/2 frame). Maybe this is just the way my body is intended to be? Do you think? Its hard to believe, because although i know that some people are not meant to be thin, and that there bodys are just made to be a little bigger, but i really feel that at this height, my body cant naturally want to be this weight. I will admit, i do have a hard time with food...i tend to eat not so good things, but i'm not eating super bad, but again, not nearly perfect. What else is hard, is that my fiance is on the opposite end of the spectrum. he is actually trying to gain weight!! He gets mad when i make "diet type" food. He hates anything sugar free or fat free. Its hard too when you dont have a million dollars to go out food shopping, or have to make two different meals to satisfy two different eating habits, so sometimes i just tend to make someting he likes thats not "fat free or sugar free", and i say to myself, well i'll only eat a little tiny bit, but of course, you know how that ends up. Its that stupid temptation because its right in front of me. And then I feel bad when I dont buy him any sweet snacks or cakes that he likes because i dont feel like he should be shafted just because im trying to watch what i eat. Its a catch 22 for me! If it were just me alone, i wouldnt buy anything like that so that i would have no temptation in my house. Ugh...do you see my dilemma! Again, sorry to babble at the lips here, but im just looking for someone to maybe give me any suggestion, and the first people I would even think of asking is you guys! I totally respect all of your opinions and think you guys give great advice. I kknow i dont post all that much, but i read every day, sometimes more than once a day. Aaah... actually, typing that all out made me a little relieved. Thanks for listening. Tiffany

Hiya kiddo. I love that you posted this because this is what i think many many of us are going through now. i haven't lost weight in months and oh, jeez, maybe a pound or two a month is sounding real good to me. but here's the thing - you ARE making good choices now instead of what you (we) were doing before. i'm hungry too. i think it's physiological right now - it's cold, we need energy and that for our bodies (our skinnier bodies) means fuel, energy, food. but keep eating dense proteins. drink a LOT of tea or water or such - it helps. and keep moving. doing things. you don't have to go the Y. just go up the stairs 3 more times today, ya know? And DON'T ever feel bad about changing your family's eating habits. Your helping them to live longer and be healthier!!! My kids know that pop is a no-no. I make them drink more water and cut back on carbs as well. Loveya. Fight the good fight, kid, Nan

Tiffany, I am right there with you. I was 348 pre-op and slowed down around 228/230 post-op for months (april-october). I felt like this was all the weight I would lose and personally I want to be under the 200lb mark as well...infact I want to lose 50-60 more lbs. and then have PS. So I have a lot more to lose. It is very frustrating, and for me I knew that I needed something more structured than doing on my own. I had gotten away from eating more protein and less carbs...so I recently joined WW. I still eat the foods I want (high protein and low carbs) but I count points and it has been exactly what I needed...sow everyone is different but for me it is working. In two months I have lost 14lbs...where I hadn't lost that in the past 6 months total. SO, my suggestion would be to start writing down every bite that you eat so that you are truly aware of what you are actually eating. I would graze on carbs all day long and when people would ask what I was eating I was like...not really that much but once I was writing it down I realized how much I was really eating. It does make a difference. Then you can go from there and see what things you need to change, where you can tweak your meals and stuff. If you like to cook, you can make meals that are healthier and still full of flavor so that you significant other will eat it. I am addicted to chicken stir-fry with whole grain rice and grilled chicken salads. My hubby is like we are having chicken again...and I tell him if he wants something other than what I fixed, he is more than willing to make his own....guess what he ate chicken again tonight! Hope this is some help, just know that there are others that are going through the same thing and you are not alone. Jamie

I think you guys are all correct. I need to start logging what I am eating. maybe it is amounting to more than i think. I am going to start using Fitday. Thank you!!!!!!!

Tiffany for me, I know I can eat more at a time than I could early out. But I think that is normal and to be expected, so I don't stress about that. But I am terrible at eating my 3 meals and when I don't I find my self grazing in the afternoons especially. One of my bad habits has become mixed nuts. I love nuts of any kind and I will have some everyday if they are in the house. I told myself they have protein so they were ok, but they still have calories! So honestly I try not to buy them, but their so good! I'll take a salty snack over sweet anyday. Planning meals is what works for me. When I write down my meals, purchase it at the store, then, make them up (especially to take to work) and stick to that, I do best. But sometimes that is such a chore............ Hang in there, we're all in that place, or somewhere close by!

Tiff- I am sorry that you are having problems with it! I always question what I eat. 1) 1/2 a peanut butter sandwhich is a great snack. I wouldn't worry about it. 2) Try stepping up the exercise again. It will jump start your metabolism 3) Are there any foods you don't like that your fiance does? For example, I hate anything with coconut (sweet) in it, so I don't care if the house is filled with Mounds or Almond Joy-- I won't touch them. That might make your fiance happy. I'd also make what YOU want to eat. If your fiance wants a more fatty meal, maybe he can supplement by making what he wants. I think the advice of writing down everything you eat is a good one. Perhaps logging on to fitday might be good for a week or two. Lots of luck, and PLEASE remember that you have already accomplished so much!