Yesterday, later in the day, I found that I was absolutely famished! I was edgy and oh so hungry. I mean really hungry! I chose to eat, but after a bit, even though I wasn't as hungry, I still wanted to eat. I ended up going to bed just to stop "listening" to my appetite. I had eaten over 2000 calories and still wanted to eat. I thought that was odd.
This morning I analyzed what I ate. Just over half my nutrients came from carbohydrates yesterday. The carbs were all whole grain, but as a type 2 diabetic, I knew that probably was not a good choice. I'm still "experimenting" with how my body reacts to foods and exercise. I decided that today I'd shoot for a really balanced nutrient mix. Actually, I decided I'd eat mostly vegetables and protein, but at snack time, I was really craving carbs, so I ate a Luna Bar and drank a glass of unsweetened Almond Breeze. For dinner, I made a pot of soup with ground bison, black and pinto beans, and a variety of vegetables. It was delicious! I measured out a predetermined portion and ate till I was satisfied.
Two hours later, I'm still satisfied! I looked at my nutrient mix for the day and I see that I've split my nutrients nearly equally in thirds. I've only eaten barely 1700 calories today...and I'm satisfied! I plan to continue with this mix in hopes of controlling my appetite. Hope it keeps up!
1 comment:
Kudos to you on figuring out a great meal that was also satiating.
A few weeks ago I came across a book I want to recommend. I mention it in my blog, the post about hunger pangs & satiety, & I still intend to do a more complete review. It's called Hunger Free Forever: The New Science of Appetite Control by Michael T. Murray, N.D. and Michael R. Lyon, M.D. When I first read the main title Hunger Free Forever I thought, oh no, sounds like another fad diet, but then I caught the author's names: these are the guys who read the best book I've read to date on diabete prevention/treatment (How to Prevent & Treat Diabetes with Natural Medicine).
Hunger Free Forever is essentially about losing weight (fat) while still being completely satisfied. A lot about the science of satiety. It's not just about "emotional eating": there's a lot of biochemical factors in play there having to do especially with the interaction of carbs & hormones (insulin, serotonin, etc.), & also with blood sugar volatility.
These guys tout a fiber called PGX -- a proprietary superfiber supplement developed by scientists at University of Toronto -- as a hugely useful & clinically proven tool (including with Type 2 diabetics) in reducing blood sugar volatility, improving satiety, & reducing hunger pangs (esp. carb cravings). I'm not convinced it's the only fiber supplement out there that can turn the trick, but it's at least one that does.
I bought a bunch of the PGX based products, including the meal replacement drinks, not only for myself, but also for a good friend of mine who has a lot of problems with hunger pangs/carb cravings. We've been using 'em for about three weeks now. I wouldn't say it's solved all her problems by any means, but she says it's helping a lot, as is another product by the same company (Natural Factors, based in British Columbia; you can buy their stuff via Amazon or other places on the internet) which are chewable tablets to take when a craving hits.
Again, I'm not convinced that PGX is the only fiber supplement that can help that way -- I'm sure there are others. And certainly I think your story in this blog entry points the way -- seems you were adding stuff to your soup, especially the nonstarchy highly fibrous volumetric veggies, that promote satiety. And there's a lot in that book about that too. So I hope you'll consider checking it out.
(My friend btw hasn't been below 300 lbs. for years, possibly not since I've known her, & had that as a goal. Perhaps with the help of that stuff -- she called me last week to say she'd been to her doctor & had achieved a weight below 300. Yeaaaay! You can do it!)
I really love your blog. It's so beautifully written. And honest. You can count on me as a consistent reader.
Best,
Mel
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