Suddenly I can't stop eating, help!

[LookingForward]

I've been on Atkins since 1/3 with very very few minor cheats and amazing success. I've been THRILLED with this WOE, I've never felt better in my life, and I've NOT been hungry between meals, even to the point of forgetting to eat sometimes. But the past week or so I've been eating a good bit more food (acceptable food, but more calories). And today, all of a sudden I'm just SO SO SO HUNGRY. I had my usual omelette for breakfast, and felt mildy hungry all morning and couldn't wait for lunch time. When lunch rolled around I had some leftover barbecue pork, but was still just SO hungry that I went and made myself some more food, a nice big yummy salad. I felt pretty OK after that, but about an hour later I felt the hunger feeling, and after an hour or so I gave in and had another small meal (roast beef, romaine, some ranch dip, and a couple slices of swiss cheese). It's only been 2 hours since that, and I'm HUNGRY, and regretfully I gave in and let myself eat one of the Reese's 1-carb peanut butter cups. I bought several of these a couple months ago because they were discontinuing them at my local drug store and they were cheap. I've used them for an EXTREMELY rare treat, only allowing them once every 2 weeks or so as a celebratory thing (hitting a big milestone, Easter, a birthday party). By the way, I have NOT had cravings or stalls or any problems as a result of these, but I do strongly try to limit them and avoid sugar alcohols.

I guess I'm just looking for two things.

• First of all, support to help me STOP eating. Grab me, shake me and tell me to snap out of it! What might help curb this, at least for today? Once I sleep and wake up my hunger/metabolism generally resets itself and I think (hope) I'll be fine.
• Second, what could be causing this? I have had fairly steady eating habits, no cravings or hunger whatsoever for the nearly 16 weeks I've been doing this. Until now! ALL of my menus (including today so far) are on my web site, if you think something in my diet might've triggered this and anyone would be so kind as to take a look: Link

I know I haven't gone THAT overboard today (YET), but the way I feel I could eat anything right now, and am having a hard time not going into the kitchen and eating everything! My willpower will keep me on induction-safe foods, but I'm worried of the quantities I would consume if I let myself get started right now. I'm truly ravenous!

Perplexed and upset.

[MidnightRane]

Re: Suddenly I can't stop eating, help!

That's so strange that you say that, because I'm feeling the EXACT same way today too! I don't know what's wrong with me, I just want to keep eating. And I'm staying on the induction safe foods, but I want to consume them in mass quantities.

I'm right next to you pleading for Help also!

[bjs1976]

Re: Suddenly I can't stop eating, help!

LF,
Is hunger your only symptom? Or is your stomach upset as well? HUnger and upset stomach with resolve with eating, was the symptoms I had 3-26 and I was dx with gastritis and also had a bleeding uslcer.

But ulcers and gastritis cause this horrible hunger pain that will resolve briefly with eating, then a few hours later right back at it.

Just a suggestion if you are having any ohter symptoms please see you Dr. IT is the most unusual hunger I have ever been able to explain.

[Laurenfra]

Re: Suddenly I can't stop eating, help!

Are you drinking enough. I eat a lot more when my water is not up

[Bren]

Re: Suddenly I can't stop eating, help!

what Lauren said!!!

usually when I find myself doing that I know it is time to check my water amounts. But, there are days I am hungrier then others too.

[killerbombshell]

Re: Suddenly I can't stop eating, help!

Yeah, I think everybody has their hungry days. You just need to not get yourself into a hungry rut; sometimes feeding your hunger makes you more hungry and then you keep eating etc etc.

Try drinking a TON of water to evaluate when you're hungry and when you're not. Making something that has 3 tablespoons of flax in it. Flax blows up my stomach and keeps me full when usually I'm ravenous.

[LookingForward]

Re: Suddenly I can't stop eating, help!

Thanks for the wonderful replies!

bjs1976, yes hunger was my only symptom, I feel totally fine otherwise (better than fine if you compare me to my old lifestyle).

I thought of water too, and made sure to increase my intake this morning when I started feeling the unusual hunger. My water is up for today, I've had 110 fl.oz. so far and still another 3-4 hours before bed, so I'll easily top a gallon today.

killerbombshell, I think I was definitely in a "hungry rut" (good name for it)! and that's why I became so concerned. I wasn't just hungry, after my FOURTH meal of the day when I still felt hungry less than 2 hours later, I really and truly felt myself wanting to OVEReat, wanting to find something rich and decadent and eat ALL of it (if I'd had a low carb cheesecake in my freezer I would've been done for!) I know there must be some mental/emotional aspect to the specific desire to eat a LOT of something (though I don't at all know what mental/emotional trigger it would've been) but the strong physical hunger was definitely real, as well.

I kind of paniced when I didn't get replies to this thread immediately, in part because I have all the ingredients for low carb cheesecake in my kitchen. Ha! Normally the low carb cheesecake is not at all a problem for me, I can have one piece out of the freezer every few days or a week and feel completely satisfied and not want any more, but today I knew something strange was going on and I would be sabotaging myself if I went in the kitchen in search of food for the hunger. SO I am proud of myself, I changed clothes and went to the park and walked as fast as I could for 45 minutes. When I got home I topped that off with a 15 minute bike ride around the neighborhood. At the end of that, I truly feel like I've reigned in whatever was happening to me. I still feel hungry, but it's a "normal" hungry, like I want a little dinner, not a raging and out-of-control hungry.

I still have no idea why this happened, but I am back in check now.

The flax idea is a GREAT one, I'm going to definitely try that the next time something like this happens. Is this something that just happens from time to time? This is my third try at Atkins, but my only real and educated attempt. I've never stayed on Atkins this long to know if this kind of thing is normal. I had it so easy so far that this kind of freaked me out (I am sure that's obvious).

Thanks SO MUCH for the replies and help, you guys are the BEST.

[2big4mysize]

Re: Suddenly I can't stop eating, help!

drink and see if you stay hungry. the control centers are ajacent in the brain ans spillover occurs. If you feel hunger drink a big glass of water and see what happens if you were truely hungry you will still be hungry if not it was thrist.

BUT when you felt the hunger mid morning you should have had a snack as that is what Dr Atkins says to do eat if you are hungry and stop when your hunger issatisfied. If you were truely hungry your blood sugar was getting low and ignoring it just made it get lower so your body responded with some sugar it either made through glucogenesis or it released some of your organ stored glycogen. ( yep we slowly replenish those emergency suplies while doing our Atkins.) this sugar spiked you and your body responded in a way that could lower your blood sugar too much again and again you were hungry. feed it a high fat snack when this happens to break the cycle as protein can be converted to sugar in the small intestines and raise blood sugar.

Since you say you didn't have new to you foods check the BBQ. does it have new ingredients? is it something you have before many times? if not try changing it up as the source of your cravings too.
Next did any of your foods get reformulated check your packages. I know my salad dressing got reformul.ated and drove me crazy trying to figure it out.

if the hunger is still there now have a high fat snack to deepen your ketosis. Your listed meals and snack don't look like they have enough fat. it is possible with your higher OWl level you have lightened your ketosis to the point hunger is no longer suppressed some thing every one will be experiencing in premaintenance.

[LookingForward]

Re: Suddenly I can't stop eating, help!

Thanks 2big.

I definitely did drink water when I started feeling the hunger, up to 125 fl.oz. now (did you read my post just above yours?) You're totally right though, when I started to feel hungry this morning, I did just ignore it, I'm not sure why I did that, you're completely right I bet that's what happened. I was truly hungry and I tried to ignore it and wait to eat until lunch time, by which time I was already in a bad cycle. When I ate I bet I spiked, and the cycle just continued itself. I should've thought of this sooner, but thanks so much, it's nice to have a truly logical and chemical explanation for what happened. I'm not sure why I tried to ignore the hunger at first, I KNOW better. If I'd just nipped it in the bud then, maybe all this couldv'e been averted. I've had to grab a big slice of cheese mid-morning a few times, and then after that haven't had any more problems. I won't hesitate to do that again in the future.

My barbecue sauce is actually one I make myself, so that definitely isn't the culprit. I've had it many, many times with no problems, and everything in it is induction legal.

By the way, I sure hope my eating hasn't caused me to get out of ketosis and thus lose my appetite suppression, because I'm still on Induction! I haven't started the OWL ladder yet, I've decided to wait until I'm under 200 pounds to begin that. I'll still have plenty to lose at that point from this 5'2" frame, and I've been completely happy and satisfied on induction foods (except for the glitch today), so I don't want to mess with success.

Checking for reformulated dressing is a GREAT idea, I'll keep that in my back pocket if anything like this happens in the future. This time I know it's not the case, I'm still on my first-ever bottle of this particular dressing, but it's not something I would've thought of. I bet that drove you NUTS!

By the way, my meals for today (so far) were 63fat/26 protein/6 carbohydrate. It may not have looked high enough in fat, but with the eggs and cheese and dressing and fatty pork the ratios wound up OK.

By the way, I totally forgot, I had another snack than what I listed. I made 2 oz. of cheddar cheese into cheese chips between eating my pork and making the salad. Those three things were spread out over the course of an hour and a half.

[Kate113]

Re: Suddenly I can't stop eating, help!

I restarted in January as well and I've also been more hungry lately. I'm chalking it up to more exercise on my part. Are you being more active maybe? Are you not snacking between "meals?" Sometimes I go for the smaller meal at mealtimes and snack throughout the day when I feel hungry.

[LookingForward]

Re: Suddenly I can't stop eating, help!

I think 2big hit the nail on the head, I think I ignored some hunger, had an insulin issue and then got in a bad cycle. It was definitely a one time thing, never happened before, and hopefully won't again, since I won't be dumb enough to ignore being hungry next time. I didn't have anything else to eat last night, and feel right back to normal today, no problems. I'm happy to be back on easy street with this WOE, that was my first problem this time around and I don't know if I could deal with that every day!

Thanks for all your help guys and gals!

[2big4mysize]

Re: Suddenly I can't stop eating, help!

Glad you are doing better. remember eating inresponse to hunger is Atkins. eatting only at scheuled times with preplanned menues isn't. we learn our hunger and feed it stopping when the hunger is satisfied even if we have room in our tummies, food on the plate or carbs in our budget. Learning that is one of the hardest things for folk to do cause they want to control things and not allow food to control them, But hunger isn't controlable just respondable too and it isn't the food controlling our actions it is our bodies need for fuel that is in control. As long as we control what and how much we feed it when it signals we are in control.

Just remember it was an ignored fuel signal not an ignored food signal that triggered this and you willbe well on your way to being a big loser.

Happy low carbing.

[iyamamaschke]

Re: Suddenly I can't stop eating, help!

I read a really neat article about this It basically stated that Whenyou lose you metabolism slows down and so on your body cycles then as you keep your calories lower your Metabolism adjusts and then raises again to a higher level and you feel extremely hungy what is happening is a survival mechanism your body doesn't wanna lose so it try to make you more hungry so you won't lose. Sneaky think, it will go away just try to stay strong. I read this after my last huge Hunger Problem wish I would have saved the article it was awesome. I hope that makes sense I am not feeling so great so my words may be screwed up.

Sarah