trouble staying full...

[Dreeza]

Im trying to eat organic foods, and foods without chemicals and other additives...in doing so, ive cut out a lot of meat. Im not sure if i am going to go vegetarian, but im trying to eat as little as possible.

My question is this:

i am trying to lose weight, but salads just do not keep me full. I eat pretty decent salads (i think...)...right now i am eating spring greens with lots of broccoli, baby carrots, tomatoes, dried cranberries and kidney beans. I usually end up getting hungry less than an hour later, and end up snacking on things i do NOT need to be eating (crackers, chips - all organic, but nonetheless unnecessary calories)
any suggestions of things to add to keep me feeling full??
thanks guys :)

[troub]

throw in some carbs with your salad insted of snacking on them later.

Bread + hummus is an idea.

Another this is that you may just simply have a high metabolism. Small portions of meals every couple hours is the ideal way to eat when trying to lose weight anyway - it gets your motabolism moving quicker - which means you burn energy quicker - which means your more energetic - burn more fat - lose weight.

so throw in some carbs, like bread and maybe peanut butter or hummus with your salad.

[codemonkey]

I agree with troub. Throw in some whole grains and healthy fat (like bread + hummus or whole grain crackers + avocado slices) and you'll feel fuller longer. You can also plan to eat small snacks in between your main meals.

[jeezycreezy]

Eat nuts.

Cheers!
TJ

[codemonkey]

Oh, and if you're trying to lose weight, you're going to be a little hungry in between meals. Not unbearably hungry (that would be a bad thing) but just a little hungry. If you're not getting a little hungry in between meals, you're probably not cutting back far enough on calories to lose weight.

[purrpelle]

It could be possible you aren't eating enough.

[jeezycreezy]

It could be possible you aren't eating enough.

Or drinking enough.

Water, I mean.

Sometimes your body confuses thirst with hunger. (Your body can be really stupid sometimes.) So be sure to drink lots.

Cheers!
TJ

[Fyvel]

Fat, fibre, and protein will help you to feel full longer. If you're trying to lose weight, you won't want to eat a lot of fat. So work on making sure you have fibre and protein at every meal. Salads are good ... as a side dish. Beans and lentils are great sources of fibre and protein. I know you said you put beans in your salad - but how many? Someone else mentioned hummus, which is great. Have it with some whole wheat pitas or multigrain crackers.

Make sure you're eating enough, and at the right times. People trying to lose weight do not realize the importance of the timing of meals. Make sure you have breakfast every day. You should be hungry in the morning - if you aren't, you're not doing something right (the past few days I have had horrible eating habits and have not been hungry for breakfast like I usually am!) Eat most of your calories by early afternoon (in other words, switch the traditional small lunch and big supper and have a big lunch and light supper). Have healthy snacks between meals. If you're hungry in the evening, have a light, healthy snack, like a small bowl of cereal or some crackers with peanut butter.

ETA: Don't forget exercise! :)

[Tesseract]

Salads don't really keep me full either, unless I really load them with beans and good fats like nuts, seeds, and olives. Greens just don't have a high satiety value. But a nice big bowl of bean soup, or chili over rice, or a big baked potato with grilled veggies on the side... stuffed!

[Michael]

I had that problem too. This seemed to take care of it...

[jeezycreezy]

I had that problem too. This seemed to take care of it...

You lost weight eating Taco Bell? Nice!! :)

[codemonkey]

What's that nasty looking crumbly stuff on those burritos?

[4EverGrounded]

I think that's the "meat". :spew:

[dearsilas]

I have the opposite 'problem', but then again, I'm not eating salads. Sure, I'd like to lose weight, but I'm just not someone that can live off of salads. I asked my friend who went vegan a week before me why I can't eat anything anymore. Because I used to be able to eat a whole lot, and after I made the big batches of rice & curry, I couldn't finish a 1 cup serving. And she told me that when you eat more fiber, you get fuller quicker and stay full. So, just get more fiber in there. Have some brown rice. Make some Spanish rice out of it with tomatoes and spices. My Indian & Asian cooking sucks big time but I'm not doing too bad with Mexican stuff. heh.

[Dreeza]

wow thanks for all the responses everyone!! i guess i was under the impression that i was abnormal for not staying full off a big salad loaded with beans and stuff. Just knowing that most people are like that helps a ton, lol

someone mentioned water...so true, but trust me, i drink so much freaking water. My friends make fun of me cause i constantly have to go to the bathroom, lol so i know thats not it!

as to amount of beans, i think i get like 1/4 a can on there, not just a little sprinkling

i also always eat breakfast...i cant live without it!

and as to the feeling hungry...i think i need to get used to that, cause i feel the slightest bit hungry, ill usually go an eat...its so hard not to!! so thanks for reminding me that feeling a little bit hungry is OK!

[jeezycreezy]

Try this salad.

http://www.veggieboards.com/boards/showpost.php?p=1324056&postcount=28

You can thank me after you eat it. That is, if you're not too full. :)

Cheers!
TJ

[Dreeza]

ooh looks good! next time i go grocery shopping ill try it for sure!! thanks :p

[delicious]

nothing fills me up like a baked potato. Just watch what you put on it.

[Veggie123.com]

try Avocado Juice ! its really good and makes you full ...

[carnelian]

I would also like to recommend eating fruit. You can have it as part of your meal or as a snack. One of my favorites is a sliced organic Fuji apple with raw organic almond butter slathered on it. Peaches, melons, mangoes, bananas, pineapple, etc...whatever you like...will stifle your hunger and also satisfy your sweet tooth (if you have one).

Green smoothies, which consist of greens and fruit of your choice (I often use multiples of both in mine), plus water, are VERY filling. Sometimes I'll throw in a couple of scoops of organic hemp protein powder. Green smoothies are often a meal for me, and they're really yummy! :lick:

[jeezycreezy]

I would also like to recommend eating fruit.

Fruit rocks. :guitar:

But what you have to remember is that fruit tends to have more sugar than most vegetables and therefore more carbs. So you may not want to eat too much fruit and consume too many carbs.

Don't get me wrong. I think the whole Atkin's thing stinks, and I'm glad that the fad is waning and I no longer have to see commercials for things like Arby's Low Carby sandwiches.

And, honestly, the logic in replacing fattening potatoes with slimming bacon in your diet is crazy.

But I do think there is something to low carb diets, I just think most people use it as an excuse to eat as much cheese as their arteries can handle and fool themselves into thinking they're bring healthy.

I digress.

I lost that last ten pounds I could never shake by cutting back on carbs for a month and introducing more healthy fats.

I do, however, like the apple with nut butter idea. I started eating that once a day—only with peanut butter—and still do. I think it's the fat from the nuts that sates your more so than the apple though.

So while you're trying to lose weight I would advise eating more vegetables, nuts and whole grains (ie. complex carbs) and slightly less fruit (especially ones with a high sugar content like bananas) and zero simple carbs.

When you get to your ideal weight you can eat more fruit.

Anyway, that's what worked for me. Hope that helps. :)

Cheers!
TJ

[rabid_child]

I try to include fruit and nuts/seeds in with my salads. It helps to keep me fuller longer. I think the fruit kicks in the blood sugar first, then the nuts/seeds keep it hanging in for a long time :)

[Tesseract]

Am I the only one who gets hungrier from eating fruit? Apples are the worst. After I eat an apple, I need something else to tame the hunger the apple caused.

[Dreeza]

Carnelian - i used to make green smoothies until I was told that eating vegetables with fruits has some effect, and they basically cancel out (ok, im sure not completely) the nutritional affects that they have. I've seen things both ways...its so frustrating! I want to know for sure!

i have the coolest blender in the world, so i make smoothies all the time...seriously, this blender is sweet. Its a personal blender, and you drink right out of the cup you blend in...once i got that, i started making tons of smoothies (ok, now i sound like a ad...)

fruit does seem to make me hungrier though...i should try eating apples with my cashew butter i use...sounds delish. Eating so many nuts makes me nervous though...they are just so loaded with calories/fat. I understand you need good fats, but i feel like its so easy to "overdose" on them!

once again, thanks for all the responses! ooh, and to whoever said avocado juice...avocados make an awesome addition to smoothies...they make them soooo creamy and delicious

[Veggie123.com]

yes fruits, i love bananas