I Am So. Freakin'. Hungry.

[beansavi]

My 4 month old is big. He was born 10lbs, 6oz and is now 18lbs, 4oz. So I make about a gallon of milk a day it seems...
I feel like no matter how much I eat, I am never finding that "right" thing. I feel dissatisfied and I am ravinous today.

I currently take:

Flax Oil
Ground Flax Seed
Rainbow Light Pre-Natals, which contain additional Spirulina (Blue Green Algae), Wheat Grass, plus other herbs
And I eat a big salad every day, sometimes two, with cashews on top.
I get a lot of fiber, but I have been kind of grossed out by meat lately, so I'm thinking I need more protein.

I also just cannot digest soy. Period. And you don't wanna' know the details (:lol ).

Help Mamas! I can't figure out what my body is craving...

What should I eat?

Where's the "Chowing Down" smilie???

[beansavi]

:bump:

[HerthElde]

Have you tried coconut oil? Also, if you're not vegan, try eggs (free range only) and raw pastured full fat milk (if you can tolerate dairy) and pastured butter. I suspect you're a vegetarian based on your food list, but if I'm wrong, pastured liver is another nutrient-dense choice.

[lunasmommy]

protein, protein, protein...

[tash11]

I agree on the milk thing. do you eat oatmeal? make it with milk. Thats what I eat every morning.

maybe add more cashews to your salad too?

[alegna]

cheese
add olive oil or butter to everything
eggs (hardboiled are great for a quick snack)
nuts
nut butters

[jessemoon]

Make pancakes and add protein powder to the batter, then put full-fat vanilla yoghurt (like Brown Cow) on the pancakes instead of syrup. (This even works with pre-made pancake mix )

Make yourself high protein bread (Google for recipes) spread it with nut butters.

Make mashed potatoes with butter, cheese and whole milk. Eat lots!

Make (or ask sympathetic loved ones to make) healthy and hearty dishes like veggie lasagna. Have them on hand.

Snack on things like apples with slices of cheddar or peanut butter.

Smoothies with protein powder, full-fat yoghurt and all of your favorite fruits

Scrambled eggs with lots of cheese and spinach (this might be an anemia thing)

[merrybee]

I hear you! I am tandem nursing and I am hungry all the time.

[MaryJaneLouise]

Almonds, walnuts, granola.

[beansavi]

thanks, mamas (nak).

mmmm....those hard-boiled eggs are sounding good right now... with sea salt...

[LeAnnie]

Add me on the hungry list. My ds was 10 and 1/2 lbs at birth, now about 20 and 6 months. I also work out a lot, which makes me even more starved.
AND, to top it off my diet is restricted from nuts and soy because of severe food allergies. Yeah, I'm hungry.

My calorie boosters are

coconut milk (in shakes, cooked into rice and sauces)
pumpkin seeds
lots of dark chocolate
lemon flavored cod liver oil
quinoa is high protein compared to other grains

The protein does help.

[beansavi]

Thanks for the ideas! I am a fan of dark chocolate, too...yum!

My problem is that, after whole milk, sausage, cheese, whole fat yogurt, etc. I now have high cholesterol! WTH? Me?????

So I am doing the high fiber low-fat thing to get it down. I've never had any real health issues before, so I'm freaked out.

With the lack of fat, I feel dissatisfied a lot and hungry.

Ho hum.:p

[Viriditas]

Tahini! I ate TONS of it for the first few months. I eat a shake that consists of a big glop of tahini, a banana, a mejool date or 2, and carob powder. Also beans and rice or avocadoes and rice. With tahini. :)

[MaryJaneLouise]

Cholesterol levels can be very high during pregnancy and while nursing. Normal levels for total cholesterol are between 120 and 190 mg/dl, while typical values in pregnancy range from between 200 and 325 mg/dl. Nursing women also have higher levels of HDL and other beneficial lipoproteins. In an article published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, 1989, the authors recommend against lipid screening during lactation. They go on to state that the effects of lactation on lipids are beneficial.

More at:

http://parenting.ivillage.com/newborn/nbreastfeed/0,,3wx3,00.html

[RolliePollie]

My son is 4 months as well and I'm constantly hungry, too.

But I find myself craving fried chicken. A lot.

Like, I've been eating it for the past 4 days. (Homemade, so it's not so bad for me, right? Haha)

[Chele]

I too have felt that crazy hunger has controlled my life!!! These are somethings I eat....and I have found that a serious breakfast can make the day so much better, whereas a skimpy one and I feel that I can't catch up all day. So for breakfast...
a bean and rice burrito with 2 scrambled eggs, avocado, and sour cream, or waffles covered with peanut butter, honey or maple syrup some bananas and some yogurt too.
When I was pregnant I used to make a shake before bed to help get me through the night it was, milk, ice cream, peanut butter, frozen banana and some flax oil..it helped.

LeAnnie-you mentioned coconut oil in shakes, how does that work exactly since it is solid at room temp? I love to cook with it and would be curious to try it in a shake.

[lunasmommy]

LeAnnie-you mentioned coconut oil in shakes, how does that work exactly since it is solid at room temp? I love to cook with it and would be curious to try it in a shake.

:notes:

[LeAnnie]

I use coconut milk, from the can. It comes in lowfat & regular-both good.

[aisraeltax]

im right there with you! my son is 5 months old..not as big as yours at birth (he was 8.4) but is about 17 lbs. right now and i seem to nurse all the time (which im fine with), but im always hungry.
im trying to lose weight (healthily..and please dont recommend i dont try to trim up right now,..i really need to) but im sooo hungry all the time.
i just started trackign what i eat yesterday and i think i got 1600 calories yesterday, so im not starving myself, kwim?
hope to see more in this thread! :)
rach

[LeAnnie]

My registered dietician friend told me nursing mamas need 2000-2500 cals per day- more if you work out.

I think working out is one of the best ways to lose some weight while nursing- because you're going to eat anyway, since you're starving:p

[HerthElde]

Thanks for the ideas! I am a fan of dark chocolate, too...yum!

My problem is that, after whole milk, sausage, cheese, whole fat yogurt, etc. I now have high cholesterol! WTH? Me?????

So I am doing the high fiber low-fat thing to get it down. I've never had any real health issues before, so I'm freaked out.

With the lack of fat, I feel dissatisfied a lot and hungry.

Ho hum.:p

You should read The Cholesterol Myths by Uffe Ravnskov http://www.ravnskov.nu/cholesterol.htm

The body produces more cholesterol while nursing because it is an important component of breastmilk . . . neccessary for babies' growing brains.

IMO, going lowfat high fiber is not what your body needs right now . . . you should, however, be focusing on the sources of the fats you get - making sure animal products are grassfed (see http://www.eatwild.com for explanation of different fat composition in pastured animals). Also, take cod liver oil.

[aisraeltax]

My registered dietician friend told me nursing mamas need 2000-2500 cals per day- more if you work out.

I think working out is one of the best ways to lose some weight while nursing- because you're going to eat anyway, since you're starving:p

wow! that is good to know. i was really worried b/c as of yesterday, eating the amt. that i did, i was starving at night. i ate a bowl of yogurt with bluebeerries (havent added that yet) and some soynuts, so im sure that pushed me over 2000!! thanks

rach

[Chele]

:duh you wrote coconut milk not coconut oil LeAnnie....can you tell I have a bit of PMS right now,,,the brain is not functioning.
Coconut oil is nice and filling would you say the same for the milk? It must be good with some banana and pineapple.

[LeAnnie]

the cocomilk is very filling. it's great with pineapple and any frozen fruit or for a sweet shake with some coco lopez and pineapple!

[christiab]

Enjoy it while it lasts. DS is slowing down and I'm starting to gain weight. My tapeworm is gone!!!

[henhao]

I feel like this every day! I am HUNGRY all the time. I was never even this hungry while preg.

Lots of protein helps me. If I don't eat protein, I just eat and eat and eat and never feel full.

[henhao]

Oooo, good ideas here. Coconut milk for smoothies. YUM!

Thanks for this cholesterol info. Now I know what I want to eat a stick of butter every day.

[wtchyhlr]

Try hummus as well for protien.

And... you might want to get your thyroid checked. pregnancy can totally hose it, and the constant hunger can be an indication of a wacky thyroid. (btdt)

[beansavi]

You should read The Cholesterol Myths by Uffe Ravnskov http://www.ravnskov.nu/cholesterol.htm

The body produces more cholesterol while nursing because it is an important component of breastmilk . . . neccessary for babies' growing brains.

IMO, going lowfat high fiber is not what your body needs right now . . . you should, however, be focusing on the sources of the fats you get - making sure animal products are grassfed (see http://www.eatwild.com for explanation of different fat composition in pastured animals). Also, take cod liver oil.

Wow. That is FANTASTIC info. My doc wrote a sentence on the sheet (that came in the mail with the results) about the cholesterol being high possibly due to pregnancy and breastfeeding, but didn't explain it. I thought she meant I ate wrong during those times!!!!!:irked:

I guess that would explain why I am missing my whole milk so much and my yogurt with the cream on top.....:p yum.

Thank you!

My thyroid was tested and is okay, and I eat organics.

[hottmama]

I am STARVING constantly.
My little one was 9 lbs. at birth, 18 lbs. at 4 mos., 20 at almost 6 mos. (now). He's also crawling, pulling up, starting to cruise, and getting teeth in- burning tons of calories! Still exclusively breastfed. And my 3.5 yr. old nurses for 10-15 minutes 5 times a day, as well!
Here's what I eat:
pizza
ice cream
fried food
turkey sandwiches with avocado and full fat mayo
MEAT! (I can't believe I was a vegetarian for 8 years!)
cookies

you get the point.
And I eat several large servings of everything at every meal. I've been known to eat a half dozen muffins or 5 cinnamon rolls for breakfast!

As Luka's gotten older I've gotten more used to always being hungry and it doesn't bother me as much anymore. I'm doing a better job eating this time around- I got down to 110 lbs BFing Julian as a baby (and I'm 5'7"!) and this time I'm managing to maintain a healthier weight so far.
There'll be plenty of time to eat healthy after my kids finally wean.

[beansavi]

Yum, Hottmama. Those are all my favorites. I feel like I have more abdominal fat than I did after my first two. That really worries me. I have no idea what i weigh, though, so I should get that info, I guess, and try to eat healthily. My 4 m.o. is 18 lbs, too!:p

[Fiercemama]

Have you tried the paint off the walls? That's what I always had....:lol

[mommyto3girls]

I am always starving as well! But Sage is a peanut, only 18 pounds at 12 1/2 months.

However, the Crohn's disease and realated meds make me digest food really quickly, plus I am on Domperidone for milk supply and that also causes the stomach to empty quickly.


Twice a day I eat 6-8 ounces of yogurt with sliced strawberries (an sometimes bananas or blueberries) topped with 1/2 cup of granola. It make s a great in between meals snack and my 3 year old is now hooked on "strawberry sundaes"

[sohj]

Help Mamas! I can't figure out what my body is craving...

What should I eat?

Fish?

I'd try fatty fish. Mackerel. Eel. Black Cod (aka: sablefish) if you live somewhere you can get it.

Peanut butter sandwiches.

Cashew butter balls.

Does your soy problem include fermented soy? Like miso?

Definately go for protein and not carbs. I ate so much protein at that point. I recall one day eating a HUGE shell steak, very rare, and then 4 hours later having a double order of sashimi without any rice.

My kid loves fish, btw. Other kids ask for cookies, he asks for sushi. :eek

[celestialdreamer]

My ds is 2 months old and a big guy too. I feel like a bottomless pit but I would prefer to lose a little weight naturally, but still eat the proper vitamins, minerals, fats, etc that I should for nursing. I've been eating stirfried greens almost everyday which are supposed to be good for milk supply, are filling and tasty and they are just extra good food for nursing mamas. I wash, trim and cut up some greens (my fav is Italian Kale) stirfry them in coconut oil with some garlic, then add a little seasalt, pepper and a pinch of nutmeg. I used to like them with a bit of organic cream cheese mixed in then stuffed into a sprouted grain tortilla but I can't eat dairy or wheat anymore. You can mix in some white beans or chickpeas for some extra protein too. It sounds kinda weird, but I am seriously addicted to dark leafy greens now!

[mommyto3girls]

Wow, I hate veggies, but you may have just spurred me to try some Greens! That sounds yummy

[beansavi]

Mmmm..oily fish-yum.

Y'all just reminded me of cream cheese and cashews! That's it! I want cream cheese on whole wheat crackers with pepper jelly on top, some cashews and a glass of ice cold milk.

I think I do okay with miso, by the way. I really love soymilk, but um, it comes back on me....if ya' know what I mean...:hide:

Any ideas? Should I take enzymes?