by a-great-hunger » Tue Nov 08, 2022 12:10 pm
Hello! I am brand new to the forums, so a little history about myself:
I have struggled with my weight my whole life, being a chubby kid and later moving into an obese adult. I buckled down on my diet and exercise and lost a good deal of weight and have kept it off, but I have never been able to sustain a healthy BMI due to hunger. The only time I achieved a “normal” BMI involved fasting, excessive exercise, and a very low calorie intake that was meticulously tracked…which inevitably backfired due to hunger.
I have tried a number of diets to achieve a permanent weight loss without success due to hunger. I’ve done protein-sparing modified fasts, water fasting, time-restricted feeding, ketogenic diet, a HCLF diet, and frankly, all of them have produced unsustainable weight loss.
It is frustrating, to say the least.
I am simply hungry a lot, and eating to my hunger puts me at a BMI of 26ish. My days of measuring calories are long over (I’ll never return to that hell again), and I’m wondering how long on this diet it took individuals to succeed in their weight goals (and feel less hungry).
A few notes about myself and my eating patterns that will inevitably come up:
I eat according to calorie density. I eat plenty of green and yellow vegetables. I usually eat about a pound of raw vegetables and a pound of cooked vegetables per day. I minimize my fat intake on a daily basis. Salad dressing is usually balsamic vinegar.
I do not have an issue with dietary adherence. Starches are tasty. When including animal products in the past, I was content with things like egg whites, plain chicken breast, and low fat dairy.
I do not have an issue with binge eating (or, as Dr. McDougall calls it, “volume eating”). The only time I have experienced issues with volume eating have been in response to cutting my calories extremely low. Likewise, I do not have an issue with emotional or stress eating. (Do not suggest these to me, as I find it extremely disrespectful. I am quite in tune with my hunger and satiety cues due to struggling with anorexia in the past.)
The only times I eat highly processed foods are on special occasions like holidays and birthdays. I do not eat fast food. I am capable of eating one slice of cake or one piece of pie or having one restaurant meal out and resuming healthy eating thereafter.
I exercise daily, cardiovascular and weight training.
I drink plenty of water.
I have struggled with the McDougall diet because I find that the starches are very filling in the short term, but I find myself hungry again in just a few hours. Even with something huge, like a two-pound baked potato and a side salad. My hunger varies from day-to-day, but I still find myself eating enough calories that I maintain an overweight BMI. If I eat less than my hunger drive, I cannot sleep at night and will awaken needing food.
Are there any suggestions or tips successful McDougallers can offer? I am seeking a way of eating that is a sustainable path to weight loss without measuring or counting calories.