Problem With Snacking

[realmaverick]

Hey guys,

Before I started my gluten free diet, just over 4 weeks ago, I was eating really healthy. Since going gluten free, due to the lack of foods I can eat, I'm always grabbing gluten free junk. Crisps (chips), chocolate bars and other crap.

I also feel more hungry than normal, which seems odd. If anything, I'd have guessed it would be the other way around?

I've always been a very fussy eater, so going gluten free has REALLY limited the range of foods I can eat. I don't fully understand why but I cannot really eat new kinds of foods. But tasting a new sauce for example would likely result in making me gag. I'd definitely not like it. Perhaps psychological. But even if I tell myself it's gonna taste great, I still end up hating the new taste in my mouth.

I'm ensuring I have 1 proper meal each day. The rest of the day is taken up with snacking on junk. I should eat more fruit I guess.

Not sure what to do, to stop the snacking. I think it's also partly because I'm a little stressed, missing many of the foods I enjoy. I'm getting little pleasure from my meals and by eating the junk, I'm at least getting some pleasure from food.

I'm not quite sure how to turn this around, so that I can gluten free, healthily and get some pleasure from eating again.

I'm in the UK btw.

Paul

[runningcrazy]

Theres nothing wrong with snacking you just need to focus on being more sensible about it. You said yourself you should eat more fruit, make it a point to have one of your snacks each day be some form of fruit. You could even dip apple slices in peanut butter or something like that if that would make it easier to enjoy. Things like popcorn (preferrably unbuttered) are satisfying but also fairly good for you. The healthier you eat you will realize you dont want the junk as much. You could also try to start eating more solid meals because if you dont eat real meals you tend to think "oh i can just snack since i didnt eat a real dinner its fine" but before you know it your snack adds up to more calories than a meal and is a lot less healthy. You might like to make a trailmix of dried fruit (i like craisins) with nuts (i like raw almonds) and dark chocolate chips. Those 3 taste SO good together and are all fairly healthy, but also super satisfying. Good luck and good health!

[realmaverick]

Thanks. I just replied to your post too haha.

I think perhaps, I need some planning and structure.

6 small meals;

1. 9am - Cereal (Gluten free)
   
2. 11am - Fruit
   
3. Lunch - This is where I always struggle
   
4. 3pm - Fruit / Yogurt
   
5. Dinner - Meat, potatoes, veg
   
6. 8pm - Maybe a junk food to keep me sane
   

[missy'smom]

You need some meat or eggs and some fat with every meal, otherwise you are taking your blood sugar on a rollercoaster ride that will only leave you feeling yucky, which may be why you end up feeling hungrier. The worst thing a person can do is eat high carb, low-fat. So hard on the body.

What do you like? What can you handle eating? Maybe that will help others make suggestions.

Personally, I don't like meat but I need it to manage diabetes so I have made my peace with the forms that I can handle. I don't think YuM! but they don't make me gag. I save enjoyment for other things-a good quality tea, wine, dark chocolate, non-food things. It is hard to channel our frustrations in other directions. Takes a certain amount of something. Sometimes, for the sake of our health we need to train ourselves to get used to new things, baby steps if need be.

My meals are pretty simple with so many things off the menu due to other conditions. Flavored oils, spices, various salts and the like can add variety. If there's something like mustard, for example that you like, maybe explore other mustards for a change, there are so many variations on a theme out there!

[realmaverick]

I don't mind meat. But when I have to eat a lot of it, I end up physically sick for some reason. For example on Atkins, I find it impossible to create energy from protein and fats. Once I forced myself to do it for a month and I felt sick and weak for the whole time.

However mixed with some carbs I should be ok. The truth is, I like mainly junk food containing gluten.

So far I've been alternating between 4 meals. Chili Con Carne with Taco;s, Chicken Roast, Chicken Fried rice and Idaho Potatoes. So much stuff contains gluten it's insane.

Usually I;d eat a lot of bread, cereal, pasta, pizza and then balanced with more healthy choices. But now, I'm basically look at the basics that I can eat, and figuring out what I can do with those.

Basics gluten free: Rice, Potatoes, Fruit, Veg, Meat, Eggs, Dairy, Nuts.... Not sure what else to add to that list. Maybe having a bigger basics list would help. Though being fussy doesn;t help.

[missy'smom]

OK that helps.

When I went low carb I was basically a semi-vegetarian and found that I had to up my meat portion gradually over time, both in terms of learning how much I needed and in terms of digestion. It took quite a while-many months. I started out with just a slice or two of deli ham at breakfast, for example and when I felt comfortable with that, I added in another slice until I got to where I wanted. Same with other meats-an ounce at a time. It worked well and my body adjusted. Consistant, conscious baby steps over time.

Sweet potatoes instead of white potatoes for a change? You can just nuke them and add a bit of whatever if you want. They make a nice snack on a cold day or are good for breakfast too.

Taco salad? with the same fixins that you are currently using. Sometimes small changes can lead us down a path towards larger changes. I don't know about you but I used to tell my self that small differences were not... whatever. But, I am leanring to shut that voice off. It doesn't serve me well.

If you can handle chicken and rice, what about chicken and rice soup? Pacific and Imagine make gluten-free chicken stock. Great way to use up leftover roasted chicken.

What's your challenge with lunch? Needing something portable? Some other issue?

[Mari]

Being hungry and snaking was which alerted me to a problem with intestinal candida. I had had vaginal Candida/yeasts which sometimes flared up but it wasn't until I read messages about the intestinal problems that clued me in to the cause of some of my problems. Candida produces something which stirs up the hunger response and tells us to eat, and especially carbohydrates and sweets so we are feeding the yeast instead of ourselves. There are also some parasites which leave us feeling hungry. You may want to have your Dr order the Metametrix Laboratories enteric panel which will identify the harmful organisms in the intestine. There are both medical treatments and herbal/alternative self treatments for these harmful organisms.