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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 12 of 12. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by Jai Narayan on October 9, 2004, at 8:23:21
I broke my ankle and can't exercise. That was the way I held my weight in check. Well not now. eeeeeeks!
Why am I still hungry????so hungry?
I need to stop being so hungry....
Any ideas on how to curb this rampant appetite?
I wish I had an upper body machine to work with. I have seen these cool machines at my physical therapist for upper body. but they are not sold anywhere except for mega bucks to physical therapists....
I can't go there to work out I tried that....no go.
So I have to stop the unbelievable hunger.
seems like the only way.
any ideas.
Jai
Posted by Racer on October 9, 2004, at 10:32:36
In reply to healthy way to stop hunger...pills?, posted by Jai Narayan on October 9, 2004, at 8:23:21
Forget the pills, they won't help and can make you worse overall.
Here are some things that work for me:
1. Stopping to think about whether I'm really hungry, or if I'm actually bored, or stressed, or anxious, or something else entirely.
2. Waiting a set amount of time before I act on a hunger impulse. Set a timer for five minutes every time you feel hungry. When it goes off, see if you're still hungry. Often, I find, I'm not anymore.
3. Drink lots of water.
4. Keep some crunchy, low fat, low cal snacks around. I used to keep carrots, which I love. Now I keep pickles. Four slices of dill pickle and two slices of Bread & Butter pickles when I need a tasty, salty, crunchy snack. All that, for about 35 calories.
5. Ask yourself what you're hungry FOR. Sometimes, I'll eat something because I think I'm hungry, only to find that it doesn't do anything to satisfy my "hunger". It's not that I'm hungry, so much as that I'm hungry for a taste, or a texture. Sometimes I'll have a diet soda, and find that what I really wanted was something sweet, and I didn't have to have food to get it.
I hope that helps.
Posted by octopusprime on October 9, 2004, at 13:24:33
In reply to healthy way to stop hunger...pills?, posted by Jai Narayan on October 9, 2004, at 8:23:21
hi jai:
your body requires a lot of energy to help itself heal.
are you getting enough calcium? you will need it for your bones.
sometimes (like when i get my period) i get super hungry. i just eat, but try not to make it a habit of eating excessively for more than say a week. i figure my body is telling me it needs more food to do its work. i figure it's ok to eat more sometimes. maybe your body is telling you it needs more energy to do the work of healing?
re: exercise - you can buy some tubing cheaply at a medical supply store that you can use to work out your upper body. the tubing supplies resistance. soup cans and gallon sized containers filled with water or sand also work well. you can exercise with these sitting down.
if you are comfortable on crutches and/or with a walking cast, do try to get out and about as much as you can. your other leg will need it to keep from atrophy.
if you want something sweeter and comforting to have in your mouth, have some herbal or non-caffeinated tea (i like vanilla tea) by itself or maybe sweetened with a spoon of honey.
Posted by fires on October 9, 2004, at 20:43:38
In reply to healthy way to stop hunger...pills?, posted by Jai Narayan on October 9, 2004, at 8:23:21
This is not medical advise! Check with your MD before trying, if you decide to.
Years ago an MD told me of a little known "trick" to reduce one's appetite. I never tried it - so i can't vouch for it. He said before you eat -- take a teaspoon of baking soda with sufficient water. Apparently this somehow suppresses ones hunger, by some mechanism. I never heard why it **might** work.
Be careful if you have salt sensitivity / high blood pressure.
Posted by Jai Narayan on October 10, 2004, at 10:21:35
In reply to healthy way to stop hunger...pills?, posted by Jai Narayan on October 9, 2004, at 8:23:21
Posted by saw on October 11, 2004, at 2:11:41
In reply to Re: healthy way to stop hunger...pills? » Jai Narayan, posted by fires on October 9, 2004, at 20:43:38
I'll try that. I'll try anything. All my lowcal snacks leave me more ravenous than before. No matter how much fresh fruit and vegie I consume, I stay hungry (growling tummy). I continue to crave salty, starchy things all the time.
I drink loads of water to no avail.
I don't see any harm in baking soda. Perhaps it will whiten my teeth aswsell.
Ssbrina
Posted by fires on October 11, 2004, at 10:55:38
In reply to Re: healthy way to stop hunger...pills? » fires, posted by saw on October 11, 2004, at 2:11:41
Posted by Racer on October 21, 2004, at 19:38:43
In reply to Re: healthy way to stop hunger...pills? » fires, posted by saw on October 11, 2004, at 2:11:41
If you're eating fruits to suppress your appetite, and it's not working, try adding a bit of fat and protein. I used to eat apple slices with peanut butter, which works well, or celery stalks with peanut butter. The protein is digested more slowly than the carbohydrates in the fruit, and that helps it fill you up longer. The fat does pretty much the same thing, but the "mouth feel" the fat adds to what you're eating also helps satisfy you longer.
As for the baking soda, do be careful with that, and do check with your doctor first. While it's a pretty benign substance on its own, taking it regularly can become a problem.
Another thought, along the same lines, is Metamucil before each meal. I was taking a tablespoon in about 12 ounces of water about half an hour before each meal, and it did seem to help. (That was on the doctor's recommendation, when Remeron caused such intense constipation that I didn't "go" for over two weeks. As an added benefit, it also helped fill me up.) Metamucil, which is psyllium husk, has also been shown to reduce serum cholesterol, so it's a win/win/lose proposition. The lose part, in case you're not familiar with it, is that it can cause gas when you first start.
Hope that helps.
Posted by fires on October 21, 2004, at 20:31:35
In reply to Re: healthy way to stop hunger...pills? » saw, posted by Racer on October 21, 2004, at 19:38:43
My Gastroenterologist put me on Metamucil capsules a few months ago. I now take a generic type. Seems to help with constipation, but I have to be sure to take it at lunch only -- otherwise I'd be taking it too close to my med times. I don't take the baking soda regularly, but do take extra table salt for another condition, and my BP so far is not rising.
Thanks
Posted by LOOPS on November 3, 2004, at 12:15:19
In reply to Re: healthy way to stop hunger...pills? » Racer, posted by fires on October 21, 2004, at 20:31:35
..and please don't shout at me! Was eating lots of fish, eggs, cheese, nuts, veggies, oils, BUT NO HIGH-CARB FOODS.
Discovered I can eat copious amounts of nuts without ballooning, as long as I'm not eating bread, rice, chips etc.
The more you try to supress your appetite, the bigger it will get, until you start feeding your body. It worked for me, and for the first time in my life I am not obsessing about food. And I have gone through anorexia and bulimia and come out the other side through doing this.
HOwever still obsessing about beer, but that is another story.
Loops
Posted by Wildflower on November 4, 2004, at 13:01:59
In reply to healthy way to stop hunger...pills?, posted by Jai Narayan on October 9, 2004, at 8:23:21
The two suggestions I have are drink a ton of water (maybe with a splash of lemon juice) and try some green tea. Green tea has a natural appetite suppressant in it. Please note that green tea has caffiene in it. I wouldn't drink it late at night.
Posted by Pipsywiggins on November 9, 2004, at 1:30:32
In reply to only thing I ever found..., posted by LOOPS on November 3, 2004, at 12:15:19
Years and years ago I obsessed over what was good food vs bad food, but since becoming disabled with a brain infection my whole world is turned upside down. I did find that the IV antibiotic rocephin killed my appetite in one second flat. No kidding.
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