Hungrier then ever before?!
Hungrier then ever before?
I stoped eating meat about 2 months ago, and i'm 14, so i'm still growing. but it seems like i'm much more hungry more often. is this the lack of protien (though, my mom makes sure i get enough)? lack of vitimens? what can i do so i'm not as hungry?
thanks!
ps-i natually eat a lot anyway (high matabolisim)
6 months ago
I eat really well. I have a big breakfast before school, then normally a peanutbutter sandwitch with a gronola bar at lunch. i always try to eat somthing healthy after school and i eat a big supper. i'm not over wieght. i'm naturally underweight anyway. i play tennis in the summer and horseback ride/ballet during the winter and spring.
so i'm pretty much somewhat active and i eat plenty.
Answers:
6 months ago
I eat really well. I have a big breakfast before school, then normally a peanutbutter sandwitch with a gronola bar at lunch. i always try to eat somthing healthy after school and i eat a big supper. i'm not over wieght. i'm naturally underweight anyway. i play tennis in the summer and horseback ride/ballet during the winter and spring.
so i'm pretty much somewhat active and i eat plenty.
When I became a vegetarian I was 16 (I'm female, now 6 years later I'm a vegan), and I also felt extremely hungry. Part of this is due to the fact that the human body was not made to digest meat. (Meat-eating animals have very short intestinal tracts, and humans have very long ones, meaning that the meat stays in your body longer and releases more toxins). When humans eat meat, since it stays in your body so long and does not digest fully, you are left with a sense of fullness that you will never get no matter how many vegetables or how much tortellini you eat (this has been tested and proven by me).
Protein is an issue for vegetarians but NOT as much as people make it seem. Humans don't need as much protein as we think. I think that the protein issue is way over-publicized since we're alwyas being seen from a meat-eaters point of view, and they just can't fathom not having protein from their meat. Humans usually get way more than enough protein each day. What you also need to focus on is your iron. You need to eat a lot of green, leafy vegetables and other foods with iron in them.
To curb your appetite, I would suggest making sure that you're eating enough GOOD carbs (rice, potatoes, etc), and eat more frequently. Fruits and veggies digest FAST so you eat and then are hungry shortly afterwards. Take some healthy snacks with you to school (fresh or dried fruit, granola bars, whatever you like that is healthy). If you have a health-food store near you (not a GNC, like a Whole Foods or something), go explore! Sometimes they have raelly good vegetarian snack items. In the sources box I'm going to list some sites that may be of interest to you. You may want to look at them with a parent, since they have good info for both of you.
Source(s):
http://www.vegsoc.org/health/ (this one is kind of hard to navigate, but explore it, is has good nutrition info)
http://vegetarian.about.com/od/healthnut...
http://www.vrg.org/family/kidsindex.htm...
eat in the mornings , i have never tried this but am told to eat in the morning and you eat less over the day
If you find you're always hungry, then you need more protein. As your growing you may need extra amounts as your body is converting what you eat into usable building blocks for your body. Also protein takes longer to digest so eating more will help you feel fuller longer. Try taking in packets of nuts or other high protein items that you can use as snacks. If you eat at 7 in the morning and you have to wait until noon or later for lunch your body will be starving as your blood sugar levels are starting to get into the lower ranges. Having the nuts as a quick snack in between classes will help keep your blood sugar up so you won't feel as hungry. Good luck
At fourteen, eat more rice and potatoes. Try cold cooked white rice in a cereal bowl with a couple of teaspoons of sugar, a heavy sprinkle of cinnamon and some fresh milk. It's really good. How's your weight? Unless you're obese, just eat more carbs and the protein in the extra rice. Regardless of your vegetarian diet, guys your age start to feel this bigtime hunger. It lasts for another five years. You aren't having leg cramping with this, are you? In that case, your electrolytes could be screwy, and, that would affect your appetite. Also, at your age, a blood sugar test at your doc's office is appropriate, just rule out diabetes. Eat more.
How often are you eating? You should eat three meals per day, with two to three snacks per day. Make sure you eat a good breakfast - something that will stick with you. Some toast with nut butter, a piece of fruit, and a glass of milk (or soy milk) should fill you up. A mid-morning snack (trail mix, perhaps?) will hold you until lunch (tortilla wrap with veggies and cheese or chickpeas), an afternoon snack (granola bar or larabar, dried fruit, nuts, or whatever), then dinner. A small snack at least an hour before bed should hold you until morning.
Also think about making sure your meals are balanced. Picture a plate: half should be veggies, 1/4 should be protein (beans, lentils, nut butter, etc), and 1/4 should be starchy (potatoes, rice, bread), add a glass of milk/ soy milk on the side and that is a balanced meal. So with the lunch example I gave, the tortilla would be the starch (1/4), the veggies inside would make up at least half of the meal, and the chickpeas or cheese would be the 1/4 protein.
I had this happen to me early on too. it's quite common. I found out the hard way that this was do to lack of calories for me. You probably just need to eat more. Eat until you are full at every meal. Once your body adjusts you'll be fine. It normally passes within a few months. After that you wont have any problems with it again. Also if you are limiting your portions because of fear of weight gain, don't.
You probably need more protien and fats. Remember that both have 9 calories per gram (versus carbs which are 4.) Depending on your metabolism and weight and age you can determine your calorie needs but I know when I was your age (and I was really athletic) I need about 3500 a day (thats alot, but sounds like you need as much.)
By going veggie you have probably cut alot of the sources of fat and protien from your diet and filling it with carbs, which don't have as much energy in them. Your body likely was burning stores of fat and protiens over the last couple months and now has come closer to depleting them, triggering your increased hunger. You need to start putting more proteins in your diet, and probably even some healthy fats.
Also you are at that age where you could be approaching a growth spurt, which makes you really hungry pretty suddenly.
see a doctor
I was always hungry when I was your age. That's normal. Just bring some fruit and nuts or granola bars with you when you're away from home so you have a healthy snack to help ease the hunger.
Also make sure you are drinking enough water. Sometimes our bodies mistake thirst for hunger.