Still Hungry :D

[Sioux]

hello Jeff

i've been following the McDougall for Maximum Weight Loss for some time now and i've hit this phase where i just cannot seem to get full

i've been eating a lot more potatoes starches whole grains but it seems like i'm eating them in really massive amounts

because my hunger kept raging i tried eating some nuts such as almonds after my meals or with my salads
the hunger then tends to subside

but i don't want to incorporate nuts and seeds or high fat plant foods in my meals everyday

just a side note: i'm 23 5ft5 about 105lbs and active

is this normal or what do you recommend me doing?

thank you for your time
have a great day

[JeffN]

hello Jeff

Hi Sioux!

i've been following the McDougall for Maximum Weight Loss for some time now and i've hit this phase where i just cannot seem to get full i've been eating a lot more potatoes starches whole grains but it seems like i'm eating them in really massive amounts

First, congratulations on your weight loss.

The food on the MWL is very low in calorie density, which means high volumes of food have very low calories. Many people who follow this program are amazed at the incredible volume of food one can eat (or have to eat) to get in enough calories. So, while the volume may be very high, the total caloric content isn't or you would not be able to have lost weight

because my hunger kept raging i tried eating some nuts such as almonds after my meals or with my salads the hunger then tends to subside

There are two possibilities here...

1) You are taking in more calories in the form of much more calorie dense foods when you eat the nuts. You could have tried to eat more of the starches and/or starchy vegetables to equal the same additional calories and you would most likely feel as full if if not more full if you had a comparable caloric value of a starchy food. In fact, when tested in studies, foods like the boiled/baked potato and oatmeal were the most filling foods per calorie and higher fat foods like nuts/seeds were much lower. It may also take a little while for people to become accustomed to the amount of food they really need to eat to get in adequate calories on foods that are lower in calorie density.

2)Sometimes people find that the sensation they get from high volume foods that are high in water and fiber is different than the sensation they get from foods higher in fat. At first, the interpret this as hunger as the feeling is often one they describe as "lighter."

but i don't want to incorporate nuts and seeds or high fat plant foods in my meals everyday

You are welcome to include 1-2 oz of nuts/seeds per day if you would like especially since you have hit (or surpassed) your goal weight.

just a side note: i'm 23 5ft5 about 105lbs and active

Your BMI is 17.5. Anything under 18.5 is classified as underweight on the BMI charts so I would not worry about eating more food.

what do you recommend me doing?

1) When you are hungry, consume the recommended foods in the amounts needed until you feel comfortably full. Do not overly stuff yourself, and do not starve yourself.

2) When you are hungry again, repeat #1.

In Health
Jeff

[Sioux]

thank you for the quick and informative reply Jeff it's very much appreciated

i wasn't clear on the whole nuts and seeds issue since they are high in fat and i don't want to re-gain the weight!

but now i know

thank you again
have a great day and take care!

Sioux

[Sioux]

oh just when i thought i was out of questions

what are you thoughts about using avocados?
would it be same philosophy as the nuts and seeds?

as far as higher fat plant foods go
i'm not really a fan of soy products such as tofu

thank you for the great help Jeff it's much appreciated

[JeffN]

what are you thoughts about using avocados?
would it be same philosophy as the nuts and seeds?

Yes. A serving of high fat plant foods is either 1 oz of nuts or 1/2 a typical avocado. Enjoy up to 1-2 serving per day.

as far as higher fat plant foods go
i'm not really a fan of soy products such as tofu

Me neither

thank you for the great help Jeff it's much appreciated

You are welcome!

In Health
Jeff

[Sioux]

i've been on the MWL plan for awhile now and i've not been hungry at all up until the past few weeks

as Jeff has advised me that it would be ok to add some nuts seeds and avocados in my food i've been doing that and things have been going great

i'm not a naturally thin person and lost weight quickly and effortlessly on this plan
this lifestyle is really great and i feel awesome i wouldn't change it for anything or treat myself with gross chocolate cake or some greasy fries

QUESTION FOR JEFF

as far as nuts and seeds go
do you recommend eating the raw variety or does plain toasted and etc make a difference?

i am personally eating the raw almonds walnuts and such because i read that roasting them kills the enzymes or is that just a bunch of baloney?

this is a raw food theory but does soaking almonds overnight really release more nutrients or is that just another crazy theory?

thank you so much for you time and help Jeff
it's very much appreciated

Sioux

[JeffN]

as Jeff has advised me that it would be ok to add some nuts seeds and avocados in my food i've been doing that and things have been going great

Good to hear!

as far as nuts and seeds go do you recommend eating the raw variety or does plain toasted and etc make a difference?

I think the unsalted raw or dry roasted are the best options.

i am personally eating the raw almonds walnuts and such because i read that roasting them kills the enzymes or is that just a bunch of baloney?

Not baloney, but irrelevant.

this is a raw food theory but does soaking almonds overnight really release more nutrients

Not really but again irrelevant. You can review the threads on raw foods here and see that many of their theories are unsupported and have long ago been proven wrong.

In Health
Jeff

[JeffN]

this is a raw food theory but does soaking almonds overnight really release more nutrients

Not really but again irrelevant. You can review the threads on raw foods here and see that many of their theories are unsupported and have long ago been proven wrong.

In Health
Jeff

Another raw food “theory” bites the dust

1) Does 'activating' nuts affect nutrient bioavailability?
Food Chem
2020 Jul 30;319:126529. doi: 10.1016/j.foodchem.2020.126529. Epub 2020 Feb 29.
PMID: 32199146
DOI: 10.1016/j.foodchem.2020.126529

Abstract

Claims in the lay literature suggest soaking nuts enhances mineral bioavailability. Research on legumes and grains indicate soaking reduces phytate levels, however, there is no evidence to support or refute these claims for nuts. We assessed the effects of different soaking regimes on phytate and mineral concentrations of whole and chopped almonds, hazelnuts, peanuts, and walnuts. The treatments were: 1. Raw; 2. soaked for 12 h in salt solution; 3. soaked for 4 h in salt solution; 4. soaked for 12 h in water. Phytate concentrations were analysed using high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and minerals by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). Differences in phytate concentrations between treated and untreated nuts were small, ranging from -12% to +10%. Overall, soaking resulted in lower mineral concentrations, especially for chopped nuts, and did not improve phytate:mineral molar ratios. This research does not support claims that 'activating' nuts results in greater nutrient bioavailability.



2) The effects of 'activating' almonds on consumer acceptance and gastrointestinal tolerance
Randomized Controlled Trial Eur J Nutr. 2018 Dec;57(8):2771-2783. doi: 10.1007/s00394-017-1543-7. Epub 2017 Sep 27.
PMID: 28956139 DOI: 10.1007/s00394-017-1543-7

Abstract

Purpose: Recommendations to soak nuts prior to consumption to reduce phytate concentrations and improve gastrointestinal tolerance have received much attention in the popular press. This is despite no supporting scientific evidence for the practice. There is also a lack of information about how soaking nuts might affect consumer acceptability. This study primarily assessed the effects of soaking almonds on consumer acceptance and secondly assessed effects on gastrointestinal tolerance.

Methods: In this 8-week randomised crossover trial, 76 participants were allocated in balanced order to receive 30 g/day of four different preparations of almonds for 12 days: whole unsoaked, whole soaked, sliced unsoaked, and sliced soaked. Ratings of overall liking, desire to consume, and likelihood of future consumption, and severity of gastrointestinal symptoms were measured daily on visual analogue scales. The phytate concentrations were measured in all four nut types using high-performance liquid chromatography.

Results: Mean acceptance ratings of all nut types were above the neutral point indicating they were acceptable. However, sliced soaked almonds were rated significantly lower overall for all three acceptance scales compared to the other treatments (all P ≤ 0.003). The sliced unsoaked almonds were rated lower than both whole nut treatments (all P ≤ 0.006), while there were no significant differences between the two whole nut treatments (all P ≥ 0.511). Gastrointestinal symptoms were minimal, but flatulence was rated significantly higher for all time points combined for soaked whole nuts compared to unsoaked whole nuts (P = 0.005). Compared to the whole unsoaked nuts (mean [SD] 531 [9] mg/100 g), phytate concentration was higher for the whole soaked almonds (563 [38] mg/100 g, P = 0.016), with no evidence of a difference for the sliced soaked almonds (548 [27] mg/100 g, P = 0.197) and no difference between the soaked forms (P = 0.262).

Conclusions: This research supports previous results suggesting nuts, including different forms, are an acceptable food. They are also well tolerated gastrointestinally, but soaking does not improve gastrointestinal tolerance or acceptance as claimed in the lay literature.

In Health
Jeff