Again! Can't stop eating!! REALLY need HELP!!!!!

Hey, I know I just posted this a few days ago...but here I am again!! I don't feel full and I can't stop eating!!! Most of my calories today come from fruits and almonds......I eat like.....7 serving of fruits already!!! I'm not full at all.....I don't know....my calories are going up to reach 2000 already!! I didn't do anything at all today since it's sunday and it's raining outside. I'm 16, 5"1 and 107-108 pounds!! I gain like....a pound or two already!!! HELP!!!

 

By the way...all the kashi cereal and almond did NOT fill me up at all.....WHY??

Whoa, relax!

A pound or two one way or the other is no big deal...don't stress out!

If you don't feel full and have only eaten fruit and almonds, you're not eating a balanced diet - you need fat, protein and carbohydrates - 50% carbs, 20% protein, 30% fat to be balanced. 

Take time to prepare a balanced meal - a chicken breast and some steamed vegetables with rice is a good quick meal.  Use some seasoning - spicy if you like it - it will help you feel more full.

From your profile and your post (weight & age) I honestly think you might want to consider speaking to a therapist about your diet, before you get sick.

Good luck!

I know what you mean!  Same with me!  Everyone claims it fills you up but really it doesnt.  I mean Im 5"4 and weigh a lot more than you 121....=(.....And my calories reach 1,800 despite the ehalthiness of it Im still hungry.....Weird and then when I try and lower it to 1,400...I gain!  really gain.  Like at least a pound its really odd.

I'm living in a school dorm and I'm not allowed to have a fridge. I did have 2 slice of turkey for dinner....but that doesn't really make me full at all. I'm talked to nutritionist and well.....not much help from her.

 

But right now, I'm in a study hall hour (study hour...I can't go anywhere except sitting and study at my table.)...and I stuffed myself with almonds and M&M (T_T I want to cry with that M&M..I was just craving for it).   I can't stop it!! Anyway to make me stop?

I really wouldn't worry too much.  You are at a perfect weight for your height and age.  I have a 14 year old daughter and I have been told a few things about what to expect with her.  First, if you worry too much about what you eat, it will be come an obsession.  Its not too hard to do.  Second, you are going to go through periods of weight gain and then loss.  Its probably going to be hormonal and will go up and back down depending on your cycles.  Third, you have done something today!  You are breathing and that takes calories to do.  Just reclining back and reading a book takes up 87/hour.  Fourth, you are allowed to have days that you eat over your recommended daily allowance, so don't beat yourself up over one day.  If you are going to worry (nothing anybody says will stop you from doing that), just try to remember that you are young and if you aren't overweight, then ITS OKAY!!!

If you want some good food ideas that might help you forget you are counting calories, then try some of these:  100 Calorie snacks, Special K meal bars or snack bars (I personally love any of the chocolate peanut/chocolate peanut butter), Mars 100 calorie candy bars (3 Musketeers, Twix or M & M's), Reduced fat Nilla Wafers, RF Cheeze-It's, Baked Lays potato chips or I love to eat Honeynut Cheerios right out of the box dry.  All of those help me and the thing that I found out recently is that I can watch my caloric intake and still have JUNK FOOD (but without the fat and calories).  I have just found (not that its new), but the Quaker Caramel Corn or Kettle Corn mini rice cakes are terrific! 

Hope that something I've said helps.  Maybe if you are really hungry right now you are either fixing to "start" or you are ovulating.  I know I used to get really, really hungry during those 2 times/cycle.

Good luck...

mcdearis1234

Thank you for your advice. It's just frustrated when part of me says I'm 16 and I can eat whatever they want because that's what all my friends do. But another part of me telling me that...I can't count calories. I would either count or estimate them. There are a few days I didn't count but....well.

 

I also have a problem eating in front of others...so today, my roommate went out all day so I get the feeling that this is the free time when I can eat. So I eat nonstop!!! I just had my first M&M in like....6 months!! 

I usually eat clean and try not to think of cheat day...but here we go....like today...and also the past friday....

Is it true that I need at least 1500 calories? My friend in Thailand probably eat around 1200-1500 calories and they walk shopping a lot. I'm so confuse with my body!!

Here are some filling foods (Too me Anyway)

• Large veggie salad with 3 oz. grilled chicken, 1/2 cup of ChickPea's, and 1-2 tablespoon. Low calorie dressing.
• Oatmeal with healthy toppings such as: Berries, Bananas, Cinnamon, SF MapleSyrup, Nut Butter, or Egg Whites.
• Vegetable Stir-Fry with 1/2 cup of Brown Rice.
• Nonfat yogurt topped off with high fiber cereal or nuts.
• Fruit Smoothies (You can also add a little bit if veggies for more nutrients!)
• Whole wheat Bread, Popcorn
• Whole wheat Pasta
• Potatos

If your feeling hungry, drink a glass of cold water, you may be just be thirsty and water gives you that full feeling.

I'm not sure about the caloric intake but I'm also 5'1" and I'm trying to lose weight.  But, the difference is I'm 35 years old and a mother of 4 kids.  Right now, my weight is at 142 (down 6 pounds since 9/5) and caloriecount.com says I should eat around 1350 calories/day.  So, 1500 isn't too bad.  Like I said earlier, you are a PERFECT size for your frame and age.  I would love to be at your weight! 

If you deny yourself any foods, it might lead to binging (just eating too much) and if your not careful, it could lead to guilty feelings about food.  I would try to find some other foods that are low calorie/reduced fat or fat free and are a substitute for the foods you eat now.  There are a lot of things out there on the market, that can be a grea,t and hopefully, a non-guilty substitute. 

I didn't want to lose any weight. But if I still eating more than my body wants...then I will end up gaining which is not what I really want. It's just really annoying when I can't stop my mouth because that means in order to maintain the nice calories...I have to eat diet version of food....but I don't think normal people would do that. I mean....I usually drink skim milk anyway and I don't like oil or butter.....but something like sugar....I love coffee with really sugar and so on....I don't know

Anyway..I finally done with my food...after eat like....2500 calories probably!!!! 

But I finally stop...I feel terrible. I don't like when I can't control myself. Its really bothering me and it prevents me from social like because I'm too afraid to eat my food in front of my friends so I have been taking my lunch and eat alone at my bedroom in the dorm for the past year....oh well.... I guess I REALLY REALLY REALLY have to try to listen to my body and tell my mouth to stop eating uncontrollably!!

 

Thank you anyway 

I know what you mean about control.  We all have vices to deal with.  But one problem you could be having is that you AREN'T eating enough.  If you skip meals during the day, your body might think its going through "starvation" mode.  Then you get home, or done with school, your starving and that is all you will do-is eat!  If you are to eat breakfast before you go to class, morning snack, lunch, afternoon snack, dinner and after dinner snack, you might not be as hungry as you are now.  I know that you said you don't like to eat in front of people but there has to be something you could eat?  I think if I were you, I would research different foods that are filling and balanced. 

Good luck.  Let me know if you find anything out and if this helps.

 

Hi - You know, our bodies sometimes mistake thurst for hunger - Do you drink water?  You may be dehydrated [sp? ... sorry, my spelling is atrocious]  - try drinking water and see if that helps - but don't over do it .  I usually drink 4-6 pint size bottles of water a day - sometimes more, sometimes less depending on my thurst. Hope this helps

When you don't eat enough calories or enough nutrition your metabolism slows way down.  It's a defense mechanism to keep you alive and healthy.  So if you let yourself get too hungry, your body nearly stops burning calories.  You get hungry for two real reasons:  1) your stomach is empty 2) your body needs nutrition. 

So it makes perfect sense that eating only fruit or cereal or almonds would make you hungry, slow your metabolism down and could make you actually gain weight, especially at your age.  Young people have even better defense mechanisms than us middle aged folks.

The drinking water tip is excellent!  Remember to stay healthy and you will be at a healthy weight. 

Sounds like the issue of not eating in front of other people is causing problems, problems that could lead to a life-long difficulty if not dealt with soon.  Please find someone on campus to talk to, a teacher or counselor.  It's so important and that talk could lead you to being thin forever without any real problems!!

I agree that you really should talk to someone about the not wanting to eat in front of people thing. I say this with kindness, but that isn't normal behavior, for anyone, let alone for a young person who isn't overweight and who would typically be thinking about grades and hanging out with friends and doing fun things-- even going out for pizza after a movie and such! I think if you can get past the paranoia about eating in public, your school cafeteria would be a good place that you can get some meat/protein. You may be hungry all the time because you are just not getting everything that your body needs because of having to maintain a diet of things that you can eat alone in your dorm room with no fridge or oven.

Don't get me wrong, healthy eating habits are a great thing to have, and I'm not discouraging fruits and veggies, but make sure you are getting all you need. And most importantly, take care of the mental issue. It screams of an eating disorder waiting to happen. Use your school's resources to talk with both the nutritionist AND a counselor, maybe even both together. I hope I didn't offend.

I have a few basic "rules"

1. Calories in, calories out. If I overeat, I put on a Jillian Michael's exercise dvd and "flog myself" until I use up the extra calories, drilling in my head, "Was it really worth it?"

2. I went what you're going through. Are you still getting your periods at all? If you limit your calories too much, you'll just put it back on. Make sure you're having enough calories. 1300-1400 calories is probably good enough for someone about our height. Don't skip meals. The key is metabolism. Frequent, small meals, try to have a variety. But you definitely need more than your fruit and almonds!!

3. Don't over-do it. From your messages, it doesn't seem you're managing too well. Take a break dieting for a week. I plugged your BMI into a calculator - you're 20.1. The normal range is 18.5 - 24.9, so you're on the LOWER side of normal!! Let me guess... your "problem area" is your thighs? From your profile, you look great. Try a different goal now - perhaps increasing your muscle rather than losing weight?? Don't be as meticulous about your calories in. Just exercise it off instead.

Don't freak out. You're doing just fine. :)

Angela

 

shinyblackpit - Thank you. I actually realized I had this problems and trying to works things out. I mean...if I'm in a restaurant where no one will remember me, then I can easily eat normal food. If I'm with my best of best of best friend and my family, I can eat just fine. But if there is anyone who would see me around a lot or like my roommate who I'm not even 60% close with, then, I'm afraid of eating at their present. I'm trying to work on that....hope it works.

And yeah, toning up is what I have been focusing on. But There is a fine line for me. I'm on a swimming team, but I have just realized that when I have to do like..2-3 competitions/meets in 1 week..and the season last about 3 months.....it has a bad effect on me. Since one of my friend passed away 6 years ago because of heart attack during swimming practice, having so many races that frequently provokes my fear....the fear of being extremely tired. And somehow, it leads me to don't want to go to the gym because I'll see my swimming coach there and it reminds me of swimming...and exercise.....and tiredness......I don't know. Again, I'm talking things out with my counselor about that as well. 

But I'm trying. Since I'm in a dorm....I don't have anywhere else to go and exercise. My room is very tiny...can't really do any dance...

I'm very appreciate all of your responses. I'll try to form a nice relationship with food....it will takes times and I'l break out once in a while, but it will be a challenge for me everyday.

Thanks!

By the way, sorry if you guys have to waste your time reading my swimming story....it's not that important or necessary.

Honey, you are a young growing teenager. Your body probably needs close to 2500 just for your brain to develop normally. Eat when you are hungry, and stop torturing yourself.

charming:

Relax with your struggle.  Take into account everything that you do, you may be eating too little for your activity.  How far is the walk from your dorm to cafeteria, classes ect.  How often do you make that walk?  Are you in any sports or activities (including band or art classes).  If you are competing in swimming then 1500 cals is too low, and are hungry because your body needs more.  For days that you practice, if practice is about an hour, you are burning at least 600 extra calories.  You are probably noticing that practices are more difficult, because your body is working with too much of a deficit.  2000 calories a couple days a week is probably not unreasonable.  Because you are an athlete, you are going to have more muscle tone than your friends in thailand that shop all day on 1200 calories.  More muscle requires more calories to burn.

Also, try eating a larger variety of food.  Your cravings may be due to a specific vitamin that you need.  Also almonds are great but they are high in calories.  A whole bag of microwave popcorn is about the same amount of calories as 1/2 cup of almonds.  Airpopped popcorn is even less.  

 With swimming, try and warm up quickly after practice.  Drink some tea or eat some soup shortly after practice helps curb that super hungry feeling after practice.  Also, if the school year just began, try and relax.  Stress can lead to over eating.  Try eating what the school serves, but in smaller portions.  Their meals are usually "supposed" to be nutritionally balanced. Use your fist size for things that scoop or the palm of your hand for meats.   

Fix this now.  You do not want to be on this website when you are thirty stating that you can't lose weight because you messed up your metabolism  when you were sixteen.      

Well, I'm not doing swimming right now but the practice will start next month. Everytime I think about it and the races, they kinda add stress to me due to the experience I had with my friends. But I try to eating the best I can and as balanced as I can. Thank you so much for everyone's concern This site has always been great for supports.

 

What I do when I don't feel full is load up on boiled vegetables (low in kcals) then I eat limited taster stuff.

If you're hungry all the time it is because you aren't eating enough.  Get your protein up to at least 60 grams a day.  I know, easier said than done I have problems with that too, but buy some protein shakes and try that.  Also, if swimming stresses you out that much, quit.  I was a dancer for years and started getting all freaked out and I got tired of my body constantly being under a microscope, so guess what I did, I quit when I was 16.