Delurking . . . and a few questions

Hello, everyone. I have been lurking on this site for the past couple of weeks. First, I want to say THANK YOU to all of you, for posting all of your stories and advice.

Last Monday, I began to follow your advice in earnest, and strange as it sounds, I already feel the difference. I feel healthier, more energetic, I fit into a pair of pants I couldn't comfortably wear three weeks ago, I feel prettier and - best of all - I feel like this time, unlike all my other diets, I am in control of myself. I've been on lots of diets before - the only other successful one was Jenny Craig and that was about following directions, not making actual CHOICES for myself. I absolutely LOVE this program (so far), and I am so glad I found this website.

Now, I have a couple of questions. First of all, how good/bad for you is 7-grain bread? At my salad place, they do have it, and it's VERY satisfying (and yummy). Trouble is, they give you a big honkin' roll of it. At least 2 oz. maybe more. Should I leave half of it or is it OK? It's really my only bread/pasta for the day.

The other thing is . . . is it normal that I get hungrier now than I did before? For the last couple of days, I have been wanting food - not BAD food necessarily, but I've definitely been wanting food more than I did before. Is it because I started working out and my body gets hungry faster or something?

Thank you so much, again. I LOVE this website!

Well, I'll answer your questions.. by ASKING you questions

1) Any idea how many Calories the 7-grain bread has. I doubt it's BAD for you. The question is.. does it fit into your daily caloric needs or not?

2) How many calories are you eating? Are you eating enough? If you are... well, different bodies act differently. Try to eat ENOUGH calories and try to eat every couple hours and you shouldn't feel HUNGRY often (though you may still want to eat more, which may be emotional and not a physical need to eat).

Welcome to C-C!

First off, whole grain bread is a lot better than plain ol' white bread that's for sure. But it is high in calories so just be careful of your portions. If it is your only bread/pasta/starch for the day, I wouldn't worry about it.

Also, if you are working out more now, your body may need more fuel (cals.)...so you may well need to eat more. Check out the tools on this site and figure out your calorie expenditure. Make sure you are getting enough cals to comfortably lose a pound a week. (3500 calories a week / 700 a day)

. is it normal that I get hungrier now than I did before?

 Can you give us a sample menu?  It's really hard to answer that question without more information. 

Welcome!

I won't repeat the bread answers since I agree with both of the above.  If you're still feeling hungry, I'd suggest checking your calorie level to make sure it isn't too low -- a lot of people want to lose weight FAST and will create 1000 calorie deficits, but that approach just doesn't work for everybody.  You can adjust your deficit to see what works for you ... I did best at between a 300-500 calorie deficit a day. 

Also, you can change the kinds of foods you eat so that your calorie allowance is more filling.  High-fiber foods like beans and oatmeal tend to make you feel full longer, as do high protein foods (they take longer to digest).  One thing that might help is identifying when you feel hungry and think about the last thing that you ate -- maybe you can find an alternative that will be more filling.  That can help you adjust your meals and snacks so that your foods will help you last longer.

Best of luck and don't be afraid to change things around to find what works for you! 

Yes, I whole-heartedly agree with lysistrata.

Dieting is a tricky thing. What works for me won't necessarily work for you. Try something and see if it works for you. If it doesn't, try something else.

There's so much good advice here, you'll never be at a loss to find what works for YOU.

Good luck to you! :)

Thanks a lot, everyone. OK, here is a weekday sample menu . . . I have to confess, I am not counting calories at this time, just trying to avoid anything fatty/sugary/fried.

Breakfast - my FAVORITE breakfast these days is a cup of Fage non-fat yogurt (80 cals) with about a half-tsp to a tsp of pure honey. Sometimes also a banana or apple. It's SO satisfying. Last week, I also ate Balance bars a few times (210 calories), but I think I will reserve those for when I am on the go and NEED to eat something in a wrapper. Lotta sugar in there. On weekends, I eat Kashi Go-Lean Crunch with Reduced-Fat vanilla soy milk. By the way, is soy milk better than regular milk? I'm not lactose intolerant, just got into my head that soy=good.

Lunch - generally, a salad from the local salad place near work. Spinach, bean sprouts, shredded carrots, chickpeas, green peas, a few chunks of avocado, hearts of palm, with maybe 2-3 tbsp of fat-free Blue Cheese dressing. And the bread. It's . . . well, according to the website, a slice is 70 cals, this looks like 2 slices' worth to me. And a red apple. Sometimes, sushi - I try to go easy on the rolls now, and order more sashimi pieces. When I have sushi, there is usually no apple.

If I need a snack, I generally have a few almonds - sometimes, a few goji berries or a handful of raisins. (Not a raisin fan, though, so not so much the raisins.)

For dinner, I have been eating steamed chicken with steamed broccoli, less than a cup of brown rice (don't like brown rice, so I eat less of it), maybe a tbsp or 2 of brown Chinese sauce for dipping. Or, for example, last night, I had grilled sea bass with some string beans.

And usually a fruit snack after dinner. An apple, a cup of blueberries, a cup-and-a-half of unpitted cherries. I am still trying to get myself to quit eating after 7 or so. For the last 2 days, I've done it, but my schedule is a bit erratic, so I sometimes only get home at 7-8. I go to bed LATE, usually after 12, more like 1 or 2.

Other snacks lately have included shelled edamame, baby carrots, celery sticks, the occasional Altoid Sour (like, maybe 1-2 every couple of days). And I have been drinking a LOT of water, which somehow cut down on my coffee intake and ELIMINATED my diet soda intake. (Yay!)

I work out 3 times a week so far, 30-35 minutes, burning 250 calories through cardio. Teeeny bit of weights about twice a week - just some lat pulls (20 reps, 40 lbs). In addition to that, I try to fit in a nice (2-3 mile) walk once or twice a week. This weekend, I plan to attempt to play tennis.

So, what do you think? Do I need to eat more? And what do I need to eat more of? I have to confess, my living situation is a bit complicated and doesn't leave a lot of options for me to cook, so I mostly rely on whatever restaurants smell least strongly of cooking oil :) Any easy or pre-made food ideas will be greatly appreciated.

I also should say that - I was eating like this last week and was feeling quite satisfied, which is why I wasn't really watching my calories. NOW, I feel more hungry so I feel like NOW I need to start watching my calories . . . but isn't my stomach supposed to shrink?

Oh yeah - forgot! I love oatmeal too! The darn yogurt has blocked everything out, but I LOVE oatmeal with blueberries. I put a little Splenda on it and some skim milk.

And I have stopped, cold-turkey, potatoes, white bread, pasta and white rice. Don't miss it so far (except for the white rice), I actually much prefer the darker breads.

Also - just to round out the picture - I am 25 (26 in 2 months), 5'9", about 172 lbs.

IMO, everything looks perfect.  I would try to get at least 20% of your calories from fat, if you aren't already and upping your fiber as much as possible.  Your hunger level should drop eventually.

Thanks a lot, fallingstars. I've been trying really hard to go by the advice on this website.

Aside from oatmeal, what's a good (and preferably tasty) source of fiber?

As for fat - I think it's something I need to ease myself into. I still can't get used to the idea that fat can be a good thing.

Hey! you're my height! and I passed 172 a little while ago... went from 199 to 158... I've got 6 years on you though ;)

Target weight was 146, but I've just had to put the "diet" (hate that word) on hold for a bit... PM me if you wanna chat ;)

Sunflower seeds are an excellent source of Good fats, fiber, and protein. Eat a quarter cup (about 150-190 calories per serving.)

Humorpam - quarter cup shelled? Or unshelled? Thanks!

Fantastic Foods/Nile Spice/Dr. McDougall's soup cups.  They have lentil, black bean, red bean, etc.  Just add boiling water.  They range from 170-340 cals and have tons of fiber to keep you feeling full.

Be careful with the amount of estrogen that you find in soy products.  I use Rice milk for my son, who is allergic to dairy, rather than soy, because of the estrogen.

and, welcome to CC!  I am almost at my 4 week mark, and I have grown to depend on it every day. 

sprinkle some bran buds on that yogurt,

i have been having the fage yogurt with honey and berries topped off with a 1/4 cup of bran buds for lunch for months now, i have not gotten tired of it at all

Flax meal works sprinkled on oatmeal or yogurt ... good fiber plus omega-3 fatty acids.

I've become a big fan of vegetable omelets and fritattas.  I'll use one whole egg and the rest egg whites only to keep the fat down, and add salsa, steamed broccoli, onions, spinach, whatever!  A big one usually comes out around 400 calories and keeps me very full until lunchtime.  That one isn't high fiber, but the protein helps keep me full.

Beans, of course, are great for fiber.  I have them several times a week for lunch.  Combine a can of black beans or chickpeas with a cup of salsa and heat it in the microwave - it comes out like a thick chili.  Hummus is good too, on a sandwich or as a dip for vegetables.  Saute two or three cloves of garlic in a tablespoon of olive oil and combine it in a food processor with a can of chickpeas, a few tablespoons of tahini (sesame paste, available at any health food store), some lemon juice to taste and some fresh cilantro or parsley.

Oh, there are so many options!!  ;-)

"As for fat - I think it's something I need to ease myself into. I still can't get used to the idea that fat can be a good thing."

Hm... you know your Avocado in the salad or sushi? Well, that is mainly fat :P Good fat that is. Oh and also Salmon.

Fat, doesn't mean those oily yucky stuff you see in a bottle or lumpy stuff on a non-lean meat :)

....

Two things: try adding a sprinkle of walnuts to that Greek yogurt and honey. I got hooked on that breakfast when I lived in Greece, and now that Fage is available in the States I'm in breakfast heaven again. The walnuts add some calories, but they're high in Omega 3s and very satisfying.

And watch out for phony "whole grains." Many restaurants & bakeries add some whole grains and seeds to what is basically white bread; the result is still essentially air bread with a little more flavor. If it isn't fairly dense, it's probably not really whole grain.

I have some days where I get hungry and have something like a Pria ror Luna bar and then its like the flood gates open and I eat constantly.  I think its the carbs if I start to eat carbs I can't stop doesn't matter if its a high fiber food either - if I drink extra water instead of eating a snack it helps a bit.  Sometimes I just have to stay hungry