Why am I hungry?

[{aspiring_to_clarity}]

It seems that I am hungry all of the time. I know that my diet is not that great right now, but I don't know if that's it. For instance, this morning at about 7:30 am I had two breakfast tacos (1 tortilla with bean and cheese and 1 tortilla with egg and potato). I also had a small soda. Less than two hours later here and I am so hungry. I feel I could eat a full meal.

Is it the content of my diet that is causing this or are there other possible causes? Whether I eat a salad or a greasy burger and fries, I feel full after eating, but hungry very shortly afterward.

[Joeschmoe]

Dr Fuhrman talks about real hunger vs withdrawal symptoms. The worse your diet, low in nutrients and high in chemical that can cause dependence, the more you will feel false hunger. Basically he says that hunger shouldn't be painful, empty, weak, irritable. It should come on gradually and be pleasant. I've only really been able to feel it a couple times without having a really clean diet. When I was doing hard labor all day long I felt this deep pleasant desire to eat, but it wasn't accompanied with aches, pains, headaches, or irritability.

Are you sure you are hungry?

[{aspiring_to_clarity}]

Very interesting.

I do feel like I am actually hungry. It's a gnawing pain in my stomach. If I go too long without eating I get lightheaded and shaky. I don't usually get headaches, only sometimes. I do get irritable though, oh boy. Everyone who knows me knows that I am cranky without sleep or food!

My diet can definitely use improvement, so doing a trial on how I feel eating more healthfully would be a good idea of course. I just wondered if there's anything more to it.

[Iamsuperman]

Do you know anything about the glyceamic index?

[{aspiring_to_clarity}]

Originally Posted by Iamsuperman

Do you know anything about the glyceamic index?

Not other than knowing of it's existance really. I hear stuff about it, but I've never really researched it deeply. I will look into it, but welcome any quick knowledge you can give me on the topic.

[{aspiring_to_clarity}]

People always tell me I seem like I have hypoglyceamia because of the "symptoms" I get when I don't eat often. I've always been a grazer because I am hungry all the time.

[Ree]

I also think you should check out the glycemic index. A couple of food items you mention that you had for breakfast could cause your blood sugar to spike and when it falls again, you'll get hungry.

You can learn about it here

The Glycemic Index

[{aspiring_to_clarity}]

Originally Posted by Ree

I also think you should check out the glycemic index. A couple of food items you mention that you had for breakfast could cause your blood sugar to spike and when it falls again, you'll get hungry.

You can learn about it here

The Glycemic Index

Thanks, Ree. I'll start there.

I know that my diet needs help at the moment, but it seems like I've always felt hungry all the time, even when I was a very health-conscious vegetarian and that's why I thought there may be some other cause.

[Ree]

Learning about the GI was a real eye-opener for me. It has been the easiest way of eating that I've ever followed and I've had great success with it. You can even learn to cheat a little

Besides the website I would also suggest a book entitled The French Diet by Michel Montignac. It's not the French Women Don't Get Fat book, but it's subtitled the secrets of WHY French women don't get fat. It includes some yummy recipes!

[Lauxa]

Hi aspiring, I think that sometimes hunger (and other cravings such as TV and drugs) is caused by not keeping attention on the present moment and/or not accepting the present moment. This causes a discontent and the ego then must seek out distractions to cover the discontent. Maybe there is a subconscious intention "I want to be distracted from my unhappiness" which then triggers a powerful physical effect.

However, it is also true that eating too many sugars and carbs will cause the body to release insulin and can cause the eat/crash cycle that you describe. Which is what researching the glycemic index will tell you, also. Basically, you want to balance your sugar/carb intake with protein/fat, which will slow the absorption of the sugars. Although I found Steve's raw food trial very interesting in that he never got a blood sugar spike from eating fruit even though some fruits supposedly have a high glycemic index.

As if this is not enough information, you might want to try fasting or a raw food diet to get more in tune with your body's hunger signals. After eating raw food for 3 weeks (and feeling almost constantly hungry), I was surprised at how little cooked food it took to satisfy my hunger.

[Dharma]

Is there a problem with eating two hours after you just ate a meal? Is it wrong? Your body is supposed to eat on a schedule the mind thinks it should? And if the body happens to need more food for whatever it's doing, something is wrong?

Is there anything else happening? Are you gaining weight? Hiding from some emotional issue by eating? If the answer is no, don't worry about it.

Try practicing presence while you're eating and see if that changes anything. Just be really present with yourself, the room/surroundings, and the taste and texture of the food. Enjoy it, don't judge it. Maybe your were just eating and your body is giving you the hunger because you really didn't receive the meal in the moment.

Plus there's things happening in dimensions way outside our awareness. The body could be responding to those realities and it will make no sense to the mind which is very focussed on the physical dimension.

Peeps will disagree with me, but it's not what you eat but how you eat it. There's nothing wrong with washing down a hydrogenated trans-fat, non-organic, low fibre, high salt, GMO-laden energy bar with water from your BPA-leeching water bottle. Be present as much as possible and you will be drawn to the food you need.

[Angela]

Originally Posted by {aspiring_to_clarity}

People always tell me I seem like I have hypoglyceamia because of the "symptoms" I get when I don't eat often. I've always been a grazer because I am hungry all the time.

Forget about hypoglycemia. You just have really crappy eating habits.

Really, Aspiring, here you are, a beautiful shining goddess; why are you shoveling such crap into your temple? Is it because you're trying to dampen down some pain with the comfort of food?

You deserve better treatment than you're giving yourself.

[{aspiring_to_clarity}]

Originally Posted by Lauxa

Hi aspiring, I think that sometimes hunger (and other cravings such as TV and drugs) is caused by not keeping attention on the present moment and/or not accepting the present moment. This causes a discontent and the ego then must seek out distractions to cover the discontent. Maybe there is a subconscious intention "I want to be distracted from my unhappiness" which then triggers a powerful physical effect.

However, it is also true that eating too many sugars and carbs will cause the body to release insulin and can cause the eat/crash cycle that you describe. Which is what researching the glycemic index will tell you, also. Basically, you want to balance your sugar/carb intake with protein/fat, which will slow the absorption of the sugars. Although I found Steve's raw food trial very interesting in that he never got a blood sugar spike from eating fruit even though some fruits supposedly have a high glycemic index.

As if this is not enough information, you might want to try fasting or a raw food diet to get more in tune with your body's hunger signals. After eating raw food for 3 weeks (and feeling almost constantly hungry), I was surprised at how little cooked food it took to satisfy my hunger.

Thanks, Lauxa. I know that there are times when my eating is done to avoid dealing with something else. But sometimes it's just hunger too. I think doing a raw trial would be good. On the one hand, I know it's a great way to eat, on the other I think of all the things I'll miss.

[{aspiring_to_clarity}]

Originally Posted by Dharma

Is there a problem with eating two hours after you just ate a meal? Is it wrong? Your body is supposed to eat on a schedule the mind thinks it should? And if the body happens to need more food for whatever it's doing, something is wrong?

Is there anything else happening? Are you gaining weight? Hiding from some emotional issue by eating? If the answer is no, don't worry about it.

Try practicing presence while you're eating and see if that changes anything. Just be really present with yourself, the room/surroundings, and the taste and texture of the food. Enjoy it, don't judge it. Maybe your were just eating and your body is giving you the hunger because you really didn't receive the meal in the moment.

Plus there's things happening in dimensions way outside our awareness. The body could be responding to those realities and it will make no sense to the mind which is very focussed on the physical dimension.

Peeps will disagree with me, but it's not what you eat but how you eat it. There's nothing wrong with washing down a hydrogenated trans-fat, non-organic, low fibre, high salt, GMO-laden energy bar with water from your BPA-leeching water bottle. Be present as much as possible and you will be drawn to the food you need.

I actually think that eating throughout the day is better (at least for me) than having three large meals at preset times. It's just that the nature of my life right now lends itself to having a schedule. When I'm not at work, I just eat something whenever I feel hungry and now that I think about it, don't usually have this issue. Ha, well, maybe it's my job that's doing it?? I also tend to eat "better things" when I'm not at work. Hmmm.

I agree with your premise, and if I wasn't overweight (by my own standard) I wouldn't even worry so much about it. But I keep gaining a bit here and a bit there. I don't like that.

Being present is a good idea. And I will do that.

[{aspiring_to_clarity}]

Originally Posted by Angela

Forget about hypoglycemia. You just have really crappy eating habits.

Really, Aspiring, here you are, a beautiful shining goddess; why are you shoveling such crap into your temple? Is it because you're trying to dampen down some pain with the comfort of food?

You deserve better treatment than you're giving yourself.

One thing that I think could be the basis of the crappy eating habits is my battle with looks, weight and self-esteem.

I feel badly about how I look or my weight and I eat crap as "comfort" but that of course adds to the problem. I don't know where the hunger pains and lightheadedness and shaking come in in that theory though. Those are real, physical indicators that something is up, no?

[Angela]

Originally Posted by {aspiring_to_clarity}

I don't know where the hunger pains and lightheadedness and shaking come in in that theory though. Those are real, physical indicators that something is up, no?

Yup, they are real, physical indicators that you are giving your beautiful, powerful body really crappy fuel. What, do you expect you can put in all that sugar, fat, and sodium, and come out feeling like Wonder Woman? And that's just your breakfast -- you greet your day with crap. You're in a constant state of sugar-flux, fat-hoard, salt-bloat and you wonder why you are always hungry, light-headed and shaky?

You bet there's a real, physical indicator going on here. Stop treating my friend so terribly, dammit!

[{aspiring_to_clarity}]

Originally Posted by Angela

Yup, they are real, physical indicators that you are giving your beautiful, powerful body really crappy fuel. What, do you expect you can put in all that sugar, fat, and sodium, and come out feeling like Wonder Woman? And that's just your breakfast -- you greet your day with crap. You're in a constant state of sugar-flux, fat-hoard, salt-bloat and you wonder why you are always hungry, light-headed and shaky?

You bet there's a real, physical indicator going on here. Stop treating my friend so terribly, dammit!

Okay, okay.

It just feels like one more chore to me. I would like to have a plan that tells me exactly what to eat and when that also didn't involve too much prep time. Is that too much to ask?!

[Angela]

You mean you want a plan to just fall into your lap, and you're going to keep up the crap-shoveling until it does? You mean, you are going to rely on external circumstances for your satisfaction, fulfillment and well-being?

Well, you might want to do an Internet search on eating clean. Clean eating is probably going to occur for you as too extreme, too crazy, too impossible, because your little taco-addict gremlin wants to survive and will convince you that eating fresh, vital, clean food is not for you in oh, so many ways. But it may inspire you to take some steps that will work better.

Imagine how your body, mind, and spirit would feel if you were to treat them like the wonderful, joyful, abundant blessings that they are, instead of like a garbage scow. Imagine how it might feel to be strong, supple, energetic, hydrated, and clear. Can you see yourself treating yourself the way you'd like to be treated by, say, your sweetheart -- with love, respect, and honor? Giving you only support and never detriment?

Imagine how incredible your life would be if you were generating that for yourself.

[{aspiring_to_clarity}]

I guess the heart of the matter is not having the true desire to make a change because of the feelings I have about my body and my looks. I know what the right way to eat is, but maybe I just feel like I don't deserve it. It's kind of ridiculous considering all the work I've done in other areas, but it's true.

I think I have a belief that it takes so much more effort to eat well. But at the same time I know that the payoff is worth it. So why am I not motivated to do it?

It is crazy to expect it to fall in my lap, I don't really expect that. I guess I just haven't reached a point where I am willing to do this for myself, and I don't know how to get there. Damnit, I thought I was just hungry.

[Dan.Linehan]

Why not try a juice feast for a couple weeks?

Just make sure to use organic fruit. Conventional fruits are sprayed with up to 30 types of pesticides and chemicals.

[Ninja]

Originally Posted by {aspiring_to_clarity}

I guess the heart of the matter is not having the true desire to make a change because of the feelings I have about my body and my looks. I know what the right way to eat is, but maybe I just feel like I don't deserve it. It's kind of ridiculous considering all the work I've done in other areas, but it's true.

I think I have a belief that it takes so much more effort to eat well. But at the same time I know that the payoff is worth it. So why am I not motivated to do it?

It is crazy to expect it to fall in my lap, I don't really expect that. I guess I just haven't reached a point where I am willing to do this for myself, and I don't know how to get there. Damnit, I thought I was just hungry.

Maybe it's because many people associate healthy eating with deprivation. If you start eating healthy, you can never have *insert fatty sugary snack here* again! Why should you punish yourself like that? Same goes for procrastination: why would you spend time on boring work and have fun later, when you can have fun right now? If you do the boring work first, you might not have anymore time left for fun, so you better get some now!

Instead of focussing what you can't have, focus on what you can have! Rather than banning bad foods that taste good (punishment), try to find recipies for healthy food that tastes better (reward). Why should you limit yourself to breakfast tacos when you have so many other foods to choose from? Don't you deserve those new experiences? get out of your diet rut! be bold! Live a little!

If you do this, you will enjoy tasty healthy food (and all their benefits!) and then suddenly realize that you haven't had a breakfast taco in months.

Oh, and lay off the soda: artificial sugar/sweeteners and caffeine are notorious for causing headaches.

[{aspiring_to_clarity}]

Originally Posted by Dan.Linehan

Why not try a juice feast for a couple weeks?

Just make sure to use organic fruit. Conventional fruits are sprayed with up to 30 types of pesticides and chemicals.

On the one hand it sounds good and refreshing, on the other it sounds labor intensive and expensive.

Yes, I know my health is worth it.

I will get this...I really will.