Hi Jean and NT-ers,
I appreciate the specific advice.  Help me understand what clues I gave you that I am not medicating my hunger.  I’m not questioning it, I’m just trying to understand.  Maybe what I thought was hunger really wasn’t hunger.  I know the clues when I am famining because I will start to shake and/or get headaches.  But when I have slight hunger growlings in my stomach…maybe that’s not really a sign of hunger?

It feels good to know that if I’m a little hungry at night and go to bed and wake up in the middle of the night that it’s okay to just be hungry.  I always wonder when I’m hungry an hour before bed time if I should eat something or not.  I will try not eating and see how I do.  Maybe that will make a difference.

This being in touch with what is really hunger is hard!  Thanks for your patience with me and my questions.  Perseverance and discipline it will be!

Munch

Munch,

Medicating huger is defined as eating a very small amount of food, or drinking a beverage in response to hunger signals that really call for a meal (substantial food eaten at one time).  Medicating hunger is so-called because the food eaten is taken just to eliminate the immediate sensation of hunger but not to satisfy the body’s need for a meal.  Many people do this throughout the day. 

For exammple, morning coffee with 1/2 banana, then midmorning coffee with 10 grapes, then noon granola bar, then lunch (first meal) then candy bar at 3:30 and supper at 6.

It is important to note that sometimes your body will just want a snack, i.e. an orange and that will be satisfying.  You don’t need to eat a meal every time you eat!  Again, you have the challenge to tune in to your body and listen to what you are hungry for. Try to avoid habits and rigid expectations.

Medicating hunger is sometimes appropriate.  If you get hungry without meal-type foods even though you want a meal, eating a piece of fruit or granola bar is fine to get you through to food availability.

From what I could see, you do not medicate hunger, you eat meals. 

Anytime you are hungry after supper it is advisable to avoid eating, unless you are physically active and become so hungry that you can’t sleep without eating/drinking something.  Try water or a zero calorie beverage first.  Make the food or beverage as light as you can.

“Hunger” is so difficult to define for everyone.  The one I like is, ‘You know you want food.’

Sincerely,
Jean

Ahhh, I think I’m beginning to get it.  I do not think I had a good grasp of what “medicating my hunger” was.  Thanks for taking the time to explain it in detail.  Now I will re-read that section in the books and see if it makes more sense this time around.

I feel better not eating anymore after my evening meal even if I’m a little hungry.  And I’m really trying to ask myself with every bite “will the next bite taste good?”  In fact I scraped some of my evening meal in the garbage last night (I’m almost always a clean plater!).  And today for lunch I set aside part of my vege burger.  I didn’t throw it away yet in case I get a little hungry later.

I think I was so worried about famining that I was taking the “don’t let yourself get hungry” to the extreme.  It also helps to hear that I can grab an apple, etc. until something more substantial is available.  Sometimes the biggest challenge is having high quality portable food available. 

Thanks for your continued support!

Other NT’ers - does any of this ring true for you as well?

Vicki

Kelcy, getting back to your question about diet history; it is the famines in your diet history that will affect how much weight, if any, is gained.  Once completely off the Feast or Famine Cycle, and weight has stabilized for a while, then it will gradually begin to go down. This may take a year, maybe more if your body is very resistant. But if you’ve lost significant weight by undereating within the two years of starting NT, you will likely gain all or most of that weight back.  However, if you don’t actually get off and stay off the Feast or Famine Cycle, and you continue to famine significantly at times, you will not lose weight at all.  Your eating may stabilize and you may be more comfortable about your eating, but you will not lose weight.  So it is possible to get stuck because the Feast or Famine Cycle continues.  The other reason for getting stuck is the fear of letting your body control your food intake because of fear of not eating enough, fear of famining, fear about “good foods” vs. “bad foods.”  (i.e. I should eat these extra bites because I might not get a break later.  I should have protein now even though I want a portobello mushroom sandwich.  I’m going to save room for the cheesecake because it’s a special occasion. I know I feel full, but this is real food and I want to be sure to avoid a famine, so I’ll finish it.)

This is really challenging and it’s important to avoid getting locked in to a routine.  Think, think, think and tune in to your body! If you are doing your part, it’s trying to change just the way you want it to.

Sincerely,
Jean

Thank you Jean, I really needed to hear what you wrote. You’ve given me much a lot to consider.

Kelcy