Help me manage my hunger

[medawyn]

I have to figure out what to eat to keep from eating 12 meals a day this pregnancy; I'm genuinely hungry every time I eat.

 

I have gained 50-60 pounds with my last three pregnancies (and lost all of that after 1 and 2, but I was only down 20 when I got pg with number 4); realistically, I am expecting to gain about this same for this last one.  I'm ok with that (although I wouldn't mind not), but I feel like I'm on track to gain more.  I'm currently 20ish weeks pregnant; I am still nursing 1-3 times/day, but I REALLY don't think I'm producing any milk.

 

I've been keeping track the last four days trying to figure things out, so here is what I ate yesterday.  And again, I'm genuinely hungry when I'm eating: stomach growling, shaky, NEED to eat.

 

5:30 am - overnight oatmeal made with 1/2 c full fat vanilla yogurt +1/4 c milk +1/3 c rolled oats, topped with 1/2 c raspberries and 2 tbsp slivered almonds + 8 oz warm water with lemon and 1/2 c orange juice to mask the taste of my prenatal + fermented codfish oil

 

7:30 am - breakfast sandwich: whole wheat sandwich thins, 1 scrambled egg, and 1/4 sliced avocado + 16 oz water

 

9:00 am - 1 c full fat cottage cheese with 1/2 cup diced cucumbers and 1/2 cup diced tomatoes +16 oz water

 

11:30 am - 3 cups salad greens with 1/2 c each diced chicken, radishes, celery, cucumber, carrots, tossed with a dressing made from 2 tbsp olive oil and 2tbsp vinegar + 16 oz water

 

1:00 pm - leftover roasted Brussel sprouts and sweet potatoes (estimating about 3/4 c each) + herbal tea

 

And then I was finally sated until dinner time, which was a normal portion of homemade taco salad.

 

I have always been more of a morning eater, but not 3-4 full meals daily before 1.  Help!

 

(And for those who are wondering, my activity level hasn't increased.  I try for a 30 minute walk most days, but the rest of my activity is child-wrangling, so busy but not athlete-level energy expenditure.)

 

 

 

 

[Guest]

How much steak does it take for you to feel full, as a reference point? If you were going to tuck into a fatty rib eye could you eat a whole 16 ounce steak without feeling full?

Edited September 7, 2017 by Arctic Mama

[Carol in Cal.]

Drink more water.  A lot of hunger feelings are really disguised thirst, and your body is busy making a ton of extra blood right now.

[medawyn]

How much steak does it take for you to feel full, as a reference point? If you were going to tuck into a fatty rib eye could you eat a whole 16 ounce steak without feeling full?

 

Last week, DH and I went to our favorite restaurant for a day date.  I got a steak salad, with double the steak, so about 12 oz.  Hungry again 2ish hours later.  Pre this pregnancy, that salad with the regular steak serving would absolutely have held me from noon to six.

 

Ordinarily I couldn't eat a 16 oz steak in a sitting, but right now I feel like I might be able to eat one  with several sides at lunch and (maybe) make it to dinner.  Haven't experimented with that yet.

[medawyn]

Drink more water.  A lot of hunger feelings are really disguised thirst, and your body is busy making a ton of extra blood right now.

 

I'm averaging 100 oz a day and feel like I'm floating away.  Would you suggest more?

[Elizabeth86]

lol you dont want my advice. I gained 70 lbs with my second son and its not looking good for me this time.

[solascriptura]

That's a tough one. I know you said that you don't think that you're producing any milk, but if you are willing you may want to cut out nursing.

[Guest]

Last week, DH and I went to our favorite restaurant for a day date. I got a steak salad, with double the steak, so about 12 oz. Hungry again 2ish hours later. Pre this pregnancy, that salad with the regular steak serving would absolutely have held me from noon to six.

 

Ordinarily I couldn't eat a 16 oz steak in a sitting, but right now I feel like I might be able to eat one with several sides at lunch and (maybe) make it to dinner. Haven't experimented with that yet.

That doesn't surprise me. Your menu looks a little light on protein. I'd consciously add in a big serving of tuna salad, steak, glazed chicken, what have you, with your lunch. Add in extra fat. Your fiber looks really good so consciously bulk up on the baby building nutrients. If an extra big serving of protein doesn't do it, try coupling it with extra butter, mayo, or olive oil.

 

Also I agree with more fluids. More water, unsweetened iced tea, etc. I drink my tea with chia seeds and it's nice and crunchy with a little extra fiber. It's essentially low carb bubble tea :)

Edited September 7, 2017 by Arctic Mama

[medawyn]

lol you dont want my advice. I gained 70 lbs with my second son and its not looking good for me this time.

 

I would love to gain less than usual, although my doc has said that barring unusual health circumstances, most women she treats gain about the same amount each time around.

 

My mom gained 80+ each pregnancy due to extreme nausea, so I'm happy to escape that.  Of course, she also lost it all +5 after each of us, and I have yet to duplicate that.

[medawyn]

That's a tough one. I know you said that you don't think that you're producing any milk, but if you are willing you may want to cut out nursing.

 

I'm trying!  We were down to once a day - and occasionally none - but then my bruiser started seriously walking.  He's got a scratched nose and black eye, right now, and both of those were cuddle with mama and nurse situations.  Hopefully we'll wind back down in the next few weeks.  If nothing else I need a break before #4 comes.

[Carol in Cal.]

I'm averaging 100 oz a day and feel like I'm floating away.  Would you suggest more?

I drank about twice that when I was pregnant, but I tend to drink more than most people in general.

I think you could increase it a bit and see how it goes.

Maybe drink a glass of water whenever you feel a little hungry and see whether that send it back.

 

If you are nursing and pregnant, you're consuming a ton of calories, though, so maybe your weight is not going to go up as much as you think.  When I was nursing, I lost weight like crazy even though I was eating essentially 4 meals per day.  

[medawyn]

I drank about twice that when I was pregnant, but I tend to drink more than most people in general.

I think you could increase it a bit and see how it goes.

Maybe drink a glass of water whenever you feel a little hungry and see whether that send it back.

 

If you are nursing and pregnant, you're consuming a ton of calories, though, so maybe your weight is not going to go up as much as you think.  When I was nursing, I lost weight like crazy even though I was eating essentially 4 meals per day.  

 

I lost while nursing my first, lost with effort while nursing my second, and couldn't get my weight to budge without losing supply with my third :-/ Hoping the fourth one is more like my first!

 

Okay, upping the water and the protein and seeing what happens.

[fraidycat]

That doesn't surprise me. Your menu looks a little light on protein. I'd consciously add in a big serving of tuna salad, steak, glazed chicken, what have you, with your lunch. Add in extra fat. Your fiber looks really good so consciously bulk up on the baby building nutrients. If an extra big serving of protein doesn't do it, try coupling it with extra butter, mayo, or olive oil.

 

Also I agree with more fluids. More water, unsweetened iced tea, etc. I drink my tea with chia seeds and it's nice and crunchy with a little extra fiber. It's essentially low carb bubble tea :)

I was going to say something similar. I am not pregnant, nor am I nursing, but I do need meat at every meal to fill me up. Not even eggs/cheese/nuts etc. will do the trick. I've tried, because meat is my least favorite part of the meal, but I'll just be raiding the fridge again in an hour if I try to skip it. I've learned to accept that I need meat to have longer-lasting satiation.

[Mama Geek]

Have your friends live in a major flood zone so that you worry about them for a week and then have a record hurricane coming towards your house.  I've already lost a couple of pounds.  Not a fun way to do it and hope you find and easier way.  One think I had my Doc tell me when I was pregnant with dd to not eat carbs after lunch.

[amo_mea_filiis.]

Your early meals look carb heavy, which sets me up for disaster. If I eat very high fat, good protein, and minimal carbs first thing of the day, I'm not usually too hungry. If too many carbs, I'm starving no matter what I eat after.

[Guest]

I'd normally agree it's carb heavy but she's trying to nurse and going too low will only make that worse. But yes, if adding plenty of extra fat and protein doesn't work you may want to make a shift toward only veggie and fruit carbs, not starch. Beans too - hummus and raw veggies fills like nothing else :)

[Squiddles]

I gained exactly 50 pounds with my first three pregnancies, and all of it during the second half after the worst of my HG had passed. I felt the same insatiable hunger that you describe. For my fourth pregnancy I was 100% gluten and sugar/sweetener free. I only gained 35 pounds that time, I still ate a lot, but felt more satisfied with my choices.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Edited September 7, 2017 by Squiddles

[mamaraby]

See and I wouldn't say it was carb heavy, but instead heavy on foods with low satiety. Lots of water in those veggies and imo, drinking lots of water on top of that doesn't always help. Some people find more fat and protein helps. Some people (like me) find the fat doesn't really do the trick and protein can make me more hungry, not less. Bulkier foods, heftier amounts of fiber, a russet potato, etc do the trick.

 

I am neither pregnant nor breastfeeding and actively trying to lose weight and I eat 1/2c (40g) of oats for breakfast. I'd eat more oats with that first breakfast.

[rose]

One note on the nursing...

 

I attempted to switch from my 14 month old to nursing an adopted newborn when I was 20 weeks pregnant. I learned through that experience that while 14 month old was willing to nurse, I had zero milk. Baby wasn't even satisified for 12 hours. This confirmed to me what Jack Newman (nursing expert) had told me via a private email conversation that I had had with him. He had told me that by that point woman pretty much universally have no milk production.

[medawyn]

One note on the nursing...

 

I attempted to switch from my 14 month old to nursing an adopted newborn when I was 20 weeks pregnant. I learned through that experience that while 14 month old was willing to nurse, I had zero milk. Baby wasn't even satisified for 12 hours. This confirmed to me what Jack Newman (nursing expert) had told me via a private email conversation that I had had with him. He had told me that by that point woman pretty much universally have no milk production.

I am almost positive baby is just dry nursing for comfort. All three of mine have more or less weaned at 15-16 months, mostly because I've always been around 20 weeks pregnant then. This is the last baby, so I guess I'll get to figure out how to wean a different way!

[gardenmom5]

for actual hunger - protein is more filling. don't eat low fat,  whole foods are more filling.

for munchies - airpopped popcorn without all the added junk will be filling without a ton of added calories.

or eat veggies.  carrot sticks, celery with peanut butter, other veggie types.  you can eat as much of those as  you want.

[EKS]

I'd replace some of the carbs with fat.

[happypamama]

I'm thinking you need more protein and fat in the morning. When pregnant (any time, really, but especially when pregnant), I really can't eat grains or juice in the morning, even oatmeal. That meal you had for breakfast may have too many carbs and not enough protein and fat first thing. Maybe try eating some eggs fried in butter at the first meal and saving the carbier things for later.

 

Also, full fat plain Greek yogurt is amazing. And fewer carbs/less sugar than vanilla. I was surprised at how non-sour it was; it is quite good.

[Elizabeth86]

I would love to gain less than usual, although my doc has said that barring unusual health circumstances, most women she treats gain about the same amount each time around.

 

My mom gained 80+ each pregnancy due to extreme nausea, so I'm happy to escape that. Of course, she also lost it all +5 after each of us, and I have yet to duplicate that.

I gained 25 lbs with ds1, 70 with ds2 and 50 with dd so its up in the air for me. On a bright note, the falls straight off after giving (so far anyway) so I dont really care too much.

[medawyn]

I'm thinking you need more protein and fat in the morning. When pregnant (any time, really, but especially when pregnant), I really can't eat grains or juice in the morning, even oatmeal. That meal you had for breakfast may have too many carbs and not enough protein and fat first thing. Maybe try eating some eggs fried in butter at the first meal and saving the carbier things for later.

 

Also, full fat plain Greek yogurt is amazing. And fewer carbs/less sugar than vanilla. I was surprised at how non-sour it was; it is quite good.

 

I actually like the full fat plain Greek yogurt, but the kids aren't as certain.  I usually make overnight oatmeal with the vanilla because they eat it without fuss, which I appreciate at 5:30 am.  I can make two batches (or maybe switch us all  :scared: )

 

I'll start figuring out more protein/fat in the am.  Lingering morning sickness has made that challenging - carbs are my friend, first thing.  But I think I could manage a small portion of cottage cheese with veggies and then eat a bigger breakfast an hour later without too many problems.  Will be experimenting.

 

Ugh.  Why is eating so much work?