luvmykidz, there are ways of eating that leave people ravenously hungry all the time, and there are ways of eating that leave you feeling full all the time. And it’s usually our carb choices (type, timing and amount) that are responsible.
When I’m helping people to put together a program to lose weight, the first thing I do is figure out their protein and fat requirements. Those are the things that keep a person feeling full (along with protecting LBM). In your case, I’d like to start with carbs first and build your plan from there.
The first thing we need to do is figure out when you’re eating and then add in some carbs that will stimulate your appetite a bit. If you got up at 8:00, I’d suggest something like this:
09:00 P + Fruit (C=25g)
12:00 P + Fruit (C=25g)
03:00 P + Fruit (C=25g)
06:00 P + Fruit (C=25g)
09:00 P + Fruit (C=25g)
You can eat any fruit you want. Look up the fruits you like to eat on www.fitday.com (you’ll have to register for a free account) or www.nutritiondata.com. Write down the number of ounces you need to eat so that you’re consuming at least 25g.
The reason we’re starting with fruit is because fruit is high in fructose and will refill liver glycogen (stored carbs). It’s the liver that’s responsible for maintaining stable blood sugar levels. When liver glycogen is depleted and blood sugar levels are low, the body will send out powerful signals to eat. If you eat nothing else at a scheduled meal, eat your fruit!
It’s not quite 1g of protein per pound of body weight, but you’re going to be TRYING to get in 40g of protein at each of your five meals above. Make sure each protein in a day’s time is different. Some protein sources that are less filling are shrimp and tilapia, egg whites, whey protein. Eat as much as you can eat of your 40g of protein at any given meal.
The good fats we eat are important for health. If appetite wasn’t a problem, ideally you’d be eating 94g of fat per day. Let’s lower that a little and give you two numbers to shoot for …
2 tablespoons of olive oil per day
2 tablespoons of flaxseed oil per day.
You can use the olive oil for cooking. Flaxseed oil can’t be used for cooking, but you can use it to make a salad dressing or add it into a protein shake. It can be added to cottage cheese.
Let’s go back to the carb thing. Starchy carbs tend to spike insulin and increase appetite. Once a week make up a pot of brown rice, oatmeal, and bake some sweet potatoes. Separate pots, of course. (grin) Add in those starchy carbs to each of your meals in 25g portions, which isn’t much, I can assure you.
I’m always pushing/encouraging/nudging people to include more fibrous green veggies into their diets, but in your case, since they’re high in fiber, hold off for a little bit until your appetite pics up. Avoid any and all “extras” (those things NOT listed in my post) until you’re consuming all of your protein and fat. I’m talking bread, store-bought salad dressing.
If you wake up in the middle of the night to hit the restroom, try to drink a little of a protein shake in the fridge that you made before going to bed. When you make your protein shake, make sure you’ve added some frozen mango, blueberries, raspberries, banana or whatever.
And finally, I’d recommend a 2-a-day or 3-a-day multi-vitamin. One-a-days are not a good investment. The other thing I’d like you to do is go to a health food store and ask them for a broad spectrum, plant-based digestive enzyme and take the recommended dose with every meal. Make sure the person you’re talking to knows what you mean when you say “plant based,” and make sure there are enzymes that digest protein, fat and a wide variety of carbs in whatever you buy.
Let me know how it goes, luvmykidz. If you’d like some goals to shoot for, at your current weight, you should be consuming:
234g of protein per day
94g of fat per day
2300 calories per day
fibrous green veggies
fruit
beans