The MakeMeThinner Support Forum

[Nova]

Okay, I've stuck with this thing since the end of March, making it somewhere around 3.5 months. I haven't cheated once, and I've done fantastic. Lost 47 pounds so far, and I'm damned proud and happy of that.

However. I'm almost always hungry, especially in the morning and until at least 5ish. I've never made it to this so called "Medizone", whatever that is, where you get this pop of energy and you're never hungry and there are rainbows and flowers all around. My strength has taken a nose dive, and yesterday, just walking up 3-4 flights of stairs, I was completely winded.

I'm trying to figure out what it could be, and what to do about it. I've got some sort of allergic reaction going on that makes it hard for me to breathe. I've never been able to pin down what causes it, but it's very annoying and can lead to anxiety attacks if I'm not very careful. Physical stress, like a VLCD, or mental stress tends to exacerbate the problems, and work is getting stressful.

Is it allergies? But they've only kicked up in the last couple of days, and I'm always been hungry and tired. Or maybe it's because I'm up so long, that I have to spread my meals out at least 3 hours, and sometimes during the middle of the day it can be 3.5 hours between meals. Or is it because I rarely drink the shakes, and instead I have soup, oatmeal and hot cocoa, plus a bar every day around 4.

My eating schedule during the day usually looks like this:
7:00 am - oatmeal
10:00 am - hot cocoa
1:00 pm - soup
4:00 pm - bar
7-7:30 pm - L&G
10:00 pm - pudding
midnight-1 am - bed (hungry)

I exercise by weight lifting 30 minutes 2x/wk and doing 20-30 minutes light cardio 2-3 times a week.

I don't normally take any medicine, although the last couple days I've been taking Astelin for my allergies. I try not to take OTC allergy pills because they put me to sleep. I've been taking a potassium supplement to help with leg cramps, and 2 fish oil capsules every day. I drink 70-90 ounces of water a day, plus usually a cup of coffee in the morning and 1-2 diet sodas in the afternoon/evening. I'll have a snack of soy crisps about every other day but I try not to get dependent on having them.

I'm debating making one of two switches. Either having 2-3 70 shakes a day, or adding in another meal and eating every 2 hours instead of 3-3.5. Tonight, I just had my L&G (7oz chicken and 1.5 cups onion), and 45 minutes later, I'm hungry again. Sorry for the long post, but if you have any ideas, I'd love to hear them.

[DogMa]

I think with the amount of exercise you're doing, and the hunger you're experiencing, you should definitely try adding another meal. You might also try the appetite-suppressant shakes, unless you don't have shakes because you don't like them.

I'm also ALWAYS hungry an hour or two after having the pudding or the bars (too much sugar for me). I don't eat the bars anymore, and if I have pudding, I have it close to bedtime (within an hour).

[Mike]

I've never made it to this so called "Medizone", whatever that is, where you get this pop of energy and you're never hungry and there are rainbows and flowers all around. .

You forgot the fairies that are buzzing and the little girls in Togas dancing about as they skip down the road.

[Nova]

You forgot the fairies that are buzzing and the little girls in Togas dancing about as they skip down the road.

Well, I edited out my original description of unicorns prancing around and singing clouds.

[DogMa]

Cartoon bluebirds sitting on your shoulder and singing? You haven't seen 'em yet?

[Nova]

I have a pair of bluejays squawking outside my computer room window. Does that count?

[Diana]

Like Dogma says, you may need another meal. Also, you might consider switching to more shakes (nary a one in your list). The oatmeal, bars and some of the soups are higher in carbs than the other meals. It's slight, but it might make a difference. I know the protocol says they're interchangeable, but Lori, one of the TSFL nurses, mentioned tonight in the Nurse's Call that some of the meals -- oatmeal, bars, chili and I have to imagine the Chicken & Wild Rice and Chicken Noodle -- have more carbs.

Also, for diabetics, they recommend the bar as the last meal of the day to keep the blood sugar at a certain level during the night. You might try that.

Keep us posted. I've got your ruby slippers waiting in the unicorn pen.