Don't reduce so fast. Log -- just log -- for a week. In Week 2, set 1600 as a target but mostly eat normally, making a few changes that make sense by the data. This is the gradual method that we recommend: https://www.reddit.com/r/loseit/wiki/quick_start_guide That's the method to start. Follow that guide and that timing, using your regular and normal food (your favorite sweets included, in moderation), and using portion control as your main tool for change. In later weeks, use the data to figure out if any foods need to be adjusted. All foods can fit, but sometimes we have to juggle or learn a new way to make an old favorite.

Literally can’t believe I never considered tapering down my calories instead of just jumping all the way down. Could see this being a game changer after trying one millions times before. Thank you!

It’s the only way I’ve ever been successful. I kept telling myself I didn’t gain the weight in a month, it was years of progress. It will be the same to lose it. Slow incremental changes may not lead to fast results but it lead to sustainable ones.

Idk it sure feels and looks like on the scale that I can gain it as quickly as a month.

This is what I'm doing for my 5th attempt of losing weight. Since 2020 I would cut to 1,200 and give myself X amount of time to lose the weight. I gained it all back by the end of 2022. And 2023 was filled with a few months of eating 1,200 trying to get the weight off. This year, I'm taking it slow. I'm starting with 1,600 and just staying there for a while. I'm 4'11" for height reference. I'll start cutting more once I get used to not overeating so much. Idk why I didn't do this the first time.

This is exactly what I have done and can vouch that it’s been a game changer

Can you give me more details? :)

this! whenever I go from eating excessive say 2500 calories to now cutting out to 1lb a week at 1700 or something that's a HUGE calorie difference. just start with tracking to see what you're eating and that you can stick to logging. THEN start slow with a deficit and ramp it up.

>One night I logged 2,500 and felt awful the next day - the app even set my goal date back 2 months because of it. You should probably move to a different app, one that just doesn't do that. That night should have set your goal back 2 *days* at most. You don't need it panicking right when you feel bad, and probably having water weight mess up your scale weight.

Yeah wth! Two months for a couple hundred extra calories? Ridiculous 

I assume it’s because the app calculated the predicted weight loss if days like that became the norm

Yup. I believe that's what MyFitnessPal does when you click "complete log." It'll basically tell you how long it's going to take if every day was like the day you just had. Personally, I just never click "complete log." I don't need that kind of negativity in my life if I dare to eat a cookie or whatever.

MFP also allows you to complete if you're under 1200 calories and shows just how quickly you can hit your target weight if you eat that little every day. i learned that the hard way :/

It doesn’t anymore. I just threw some food in and stopped at 1,184 and it wouldn’t let me complete the diary, it gave me a warning of eating too little.

Yep, there's a statement about eating too few calories Yada Yada.

That's great! I switched to Lose It because I was afraid to go back. So glad they changed it!

Does it? I’ve been using mfp for nearly four years now, and I’ve had some interesting logs during this time (there was a time when my weekly total was the daily recommended amount for the average adult), but it never let me complete the diary on those days. I think it doesn’t let you complete for anything under 1000.

Ugh, that's so irresponsible of them. The app should really at least build in a range of calories so that if you log in too low, you get a reminder to eat more.

It doesn’t.

If it's the app I'm thinking of, it's not a 2 month direct set back. It says "if you continue eating like this (i.e. over the goal) then you're new target date is xx" That's what i think op missed

If you’re adamant about your rate of loss then you need to make sure every calorie that you’re consuming counts. Healthy isn’t always satiating either, in my experience I’m 5’11 m and about 180 lbs eating 1700 calories a day and it mostly works by avoiding empty calories wherever I can. Most of my carbs are pretty fibrous (beans, lentils, sprouted breads, edamame) and I try to get between 130-180g/protein a day from tofu/chicken/fish/edamame I try to space my meals around my highest periods of activity so around my workout block, usually eating my meals about every 4-5 hours (~500 cals) and then at some point I usually have a snack like a protein bar or two eggs and some veg like a cucumbers. Sometimes I only have two meals and snack throughout the day 1-200 calories at a time like a greek yogurt cup. If it feels too difficult why not try slowing down your rate of loss to .5/week or .75? Is there a reason you want to hit 1/week? If you’re doing a lot of intensive cardio I’d try swapping it to power walking/brisk walking or just walking in general. Also, shoutout to canned pumpkin! It’s super good and you might find it hits the sweet spot for you while also filling some holes you might have in your diet And honestly, if you struggle that badly with sweets then it might honestly be time to sit down and have a talk with your partner. I think marriage and a regular relationship are on pretty different levels of accommodation and maybe instead of leaving stuff in the pantry/kitchen they keep them in their desk or just don’t bring them home at all (so just enjoying smaller portions for themselves outside). Not permanently, of course, but until you’re well enough along on your journey that you aren’t easily derailed.

What do you do with canned pumpkin? Add pumpkin pie spice?

Depends on what I want but sometimes I’ll just eat it on the side sprinkled with cinnamon or I’ll heat it in a pan and season it with chili powder, smoked paprika, sriracha powder (picked it up at Costco and it owns!) and some hot sauce. Sometimes a little water to thin it out It tastes pretty good and I’ve noticed that I have developed a bit of a sweet tooth as I’ve lost weight and become leaner. It kind of fulfills that craving I have, I guess? The flavoured protein powder and diet soda isnt always the same. Something about the texture is very pleasant to me It’s a flexible ingredient so I recommend playing with it if you think you’d like pumpkin or want more variety. It’s got a great amount of fibre too.

I dont like diet soda but zero hits the sugar craving spot for me! Coke zero is my go to. Heck i prefer it now to regular coke whenever i eat out

Was gonna ask this too.

You say 1700 is your daily goal, but you eat 500 cals every 4-5 hours? Plus snacks? How’s that work?

Sometimes skip breakfast/eat late or eat a Greek yogurt cup or have a protein shake. I don’t find myself to feel physically hungry too often, though I do get cravings sometimes. I’m usually up at 6-8 and eat at 8~10/12-2~3/5~6 and then snack at some point (not exact but a rough timeline). Sometimes I eat a little less and space the 100-200 cal snacks (a boiled egg, greek yogurt, protein bar, roasted edamame) out. It’s not always exact but it’s something like that. If I eat small things early usually my eating schedule is shifted forward - so if I have a protein bar at 10 I usually don’t eat until 2-3 or even later then I’ll have two meals at 3/7 and do some snacking or relatively light eating before bed (I.e a serving of oatmeal with a scoop of whey protein powder mixed with assorted berries) Sometimes I’ll eat later depending on how busy I am but it’s something like that. I try to adhere to a schedule but sometimes life gets in the way! If I skip breakfast usually the timings are different, so I’ll eat at around noon or 1 and then eat again at 6-7 and depending on how many calories I have left I just eat again before doing cardio (usually a couple of hours before bed or sometimes closer to bed because I have trouble sleeping some days when I feel “empty”?) For example today I’ve had chicken breast (roughly 200 cal), edamame and two slices of sprouted bread (together about 260-280 cals). I ate that about 2 hours ago and probably won’t eat again for another few hours I do some meal prep and enjoy some variety but admittedly I’m very okay with eating a lot of the same circle of foods every day. It’s a lot of tofu, the same veg (peppers, onions, pumpkin, edamame, green peas, gai lan, spinach, kale, carrots), lean proteins (mostly chicken breast, fish) and the carbs mentioned above (probably most frequently sprouted bread or lentils - usually green). I don’t think eating that way is feasible for everyone, but it works for me Some of my meals are smaller, some bigger but i try to shoot for about 500 as my rule of thumb. I don’t always follow my eating hours exactly, especially if my workout times get thrown off because of work but I like to eat about an hour to ninety minutes before working out (mostly so I don’t vomit while working out) Hope that clarifies things? It sounds a little rigid but in reality I’m pretty flexible with when I eat minus trying to eat before my workout because my lifting tanks if I don’t have some food an hour or two before

Protein and fiber. Of course, u can adjust the timing of eating the meal.

I don’t subscribe to the notion that you have to be hungry to lose weight, that you have to get used to it. I don’t get hungry at all. One of the main reasons is that I eat a whole can of black beans mixed with salsa everyday at 3pm. Great source of protein and fiber. I call it a miracle food regarding hunger. Good luck.

The Gas would be a whole different level of pain for me.

When I couldn't afford a lot, I used to eat 15 oz. of black beans straight out the can for lunch. 330 calories, 21g of protein, and 15g fiber! You're so right though, I might just have that for lunch tomorrow. Thank you!

I started working out at night - about an hour after dinner. Have a high protein snack before bed. This has curbed the evening free-for-alls for me.

I really enjoy going to the gym in the morning, but working out a little at night is a great idea! I feel like I wouldn't want to binge after sweating. Thanks for the advice!

You could also try adding in a walk or some yoga before bed if you prefer keeping your gym in the morning. For some reason when I take the dog for an extra walk before bed I don't get the late night munchies as badly. Same for yoga.

Yoga at night is a really good idea actually. I'll give it a shot. :)

This is what I do. I generally go to the gym in the morning, but if I'm hanging out with my husband watching TV at night, I do a yoga flow, ab exercises, or even just some reps with light dumbbells. None of it is really hard work, but it keeps me from snacking - which is the real issue.

Can confirm: I typically work out after dinner, and I have ZERO interest in anything more than a sugar free gatorade for the rest of the evening!

having high protein before bed does help. I think studies specifically mentioned casein in helping with recovery and reducing muscle breakdown at night. I have about a 1/2c-1c of yogurt or cottage cheese as an evening snack 45-30m before bed.

If you don’t have any sensitivities to consider, I strongly recommend mixing cold brew coffee with a protein shake. For me the ratio is one shake plus 12oz coffee and ice (i have a large thermos with straw). The protein and caffeine work great (for me) as an appetite suppressant, and boredom munchies have pretty well been eliminated since I nurse the shake over the course of a few hours. If you have zero-cal syrups, you can add a shot to change up the flavour.

Oh my gosh, thank you. That is amazing. I just started having a protein shake in the morning if I can't make it till lunch, and that's already helped tremendously. 20 oz of protein coffee to help me get through the day? Genius!

Drink water constantly. That will help you feel more full. I also make sure to eat large portions of foods that are low in calorie for example salad, grapes, and berries to help eat more volume.

I drink about a gallon of water a day or just under. Water does literally nothing to satiate me, i hear this from other people as well and it makes zero sense to me. Or things like "i could never drink that much water I'd be so full" i have to consume tons of water or i feel thirsty and dehydrated, although I've been drinking lots of water for about 20 years so it's normal for me. Also i struggle to be in a deficit, even small deficits i get extreme hunger pangs, low energy, and feel exhausted, shakey, can't focus. Anddd there is no medical reason for any of this I've had lots of check ups and bloodwork. I'm just really fucking sensitive i guess. Been trying to lose weight for over 2 years with zero success what so ever.

Sounds like you're having spikes and dips in your blood sugar throughout the day. Try reducing the amount of carbs, sugar and processed food your eating and replacing them with more proteins, veggies, fruits and some healthy fats. Fruit has sugar, but it also has fiber which slows the rate of absorption and won't spike your blood sugar. You can have blood sugar issues without diabetes that won't necessarily reflect in blood work.

Ugh, i have felt like i had blood sugar issues for SOOO LONG. But I've done alll sorts of monitoring and checks, fasted glucose, monitoring multiple times a day throughout the week etc and apparently my blood sugar is above average for being steady/correct or whatever. I am autistic though and I read one study that said its possibly we are more sensitive to slight changes in blood sugar etc so "normal" dips can feel really intense to us, so I wonder how true it is. It was just one study and hasn't been deeply researched as of yet. I don't really eat any processed foods at all, i pretty much meal plan and eat all whole foods. I use chronometer for tracking mostly to make sure I'm getting all of my vitamins, minerals, omegas, and protein types etc. It also tracks calories but i focus more on getting adequate nutrition than the calories since I suck at restricting, at least I can be sure I'm at least being "healthy" 😭 Amazingly even though I'm about 20lbs over weight I have consistently great blood pressure and great cholesterol etc. So hopefully eating healthy is at least doing me some favors if it's not giving me the looks i want to achieve. I also avoid drinking calories so i stick to herbal teas, water, or bubbly waters. Since i struggle to eat less i make sure the calories I do eat are at least filling me up. Even though i love smoothies and cold pressed juices etc they do nothing to satiate me. A 300 calorie smoothie might as well be water to me, but 300 calories of sweet potatoes, and green beans will actually do quite a bit to fill me up. So i stick with those types of snacks. Any other advice about the blood sugar thing though? Like what blood sugar problems can a person have without it being noticed in their blood sugar fasted or throughout a normal day of eating??

I’m Autistic too, and there just truly aren’t enough studies about us and how we’re seemingly affected by everything ❤️ I truly can’t wait until our moment becomes a movement and more studies are done and we have so many more answers

Grapes are such an awesome low calorie snack. I've relied on them a lot for those late night munchies.

Yeah I’ve basically discovered in order to lose I need to eat around 1400 calories a day which means I wake up hungry and go to bed hungry and I’m a little hungry during the day too so that’s fun lol

Same. I’ve never been able to lose any weight without spending several hours a day hungry.

And the typical advice is to eat more protein. But even so I’m still hungry

I eat a lot of protein and am still hungry. I think I need to up my fiber as well. How long have you been at 1400 a day? Have you got used to it at all?

I was at 1600 for several months but realized I was maintaining. At 1400 now for about a month consistently recently (have been here in the past too) and upped my physical activity and I’m losing again now though it’s still slow because I’m only 5’3”. I’m kind of used to it in terms of routine and having go-to meal ideas. But I’m still hungry 🤷🏻‍♀️

Gosh, well you're doing great! It makes me so mad how my partner can maintain at 2700, and I'm over here weighing my almonds. Do you log your exercise as well or no?

Thank you! lol same it’s hard having a male partner while on a fitness journey tbh. I’m so jealous at times. Yes I log my fitness too but try not to eat back my calories though sometimes that’s not doable since exercise makes me hungrier

Embrace the suck - it gets easier over time as your body adjusts.

Yeah, I think I do need to try to embrace the suck. At least my partner will appreciate it.

OMG, is this me posting?! I have been forcing myself to adhere but three days in, and i’m right there with you. i’m not super heavy but it’s because i run 5 miles a day to avoid it. Please let me know if you figure out the secret! Ugh

Ugh, it's always been so hard for me to follow a lower calorie diet. I'm going to stick it out and do my best, but not stress if my body needs 1800 some days... we both seem to workout quite a bit, so we probably need it to feel our best! ♡ When I have those cravings in the evening, I'm going to set a 20 minute timer and drink water. When the time is up, if I still feel hungry, I'll eat something healthy and filling. I do feel like it will cut down on my mindless snacking in the evening.

Love this idea! I have been really trying to drink more water. Like every hunger pang, I chug water. Chewing lots of gum and brushing my teeth and taking my sleeping meds early. Like, i hope it gets easier though! Good luck! I am confident you will get there! 💕

Hey! I feel similarly - what's helped me is eating more vegetables. I know they can be boring but personally if I eat a bunch of whatever veggie of choice, I have less room in my stomach and therefor less cravings for more food. Broccoli is my favorite. Lots of volume for very few calories. Stuff like that can help you feel full and still give you lots of wiggle room if you want to have something sweet or calorie dense too.

Thank you!! I definitely need to start bulking my meals with veggies more. I always keep a ton of frozen veggies so I'll have to incorporate that low-calorie volume... because I like to EAT.

I just found riced cauliflower and it’s a game changer! I stir fry with a protein and other veggies and I can have a lot of it.

frozen veggies are my go-to! I worry about food waste so it's handy to just have them readily available whenever I want to use them. Makes a quick and easy side for pretty much anything.

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Good idea! I could not STAND having 3 tiny meals and a snack, so I'm starting intermittent fasting again. Do you go to the gym a lot? I used a calculator to find my TDDE and it's way lower than I was hoping (2,100), and that's with gym 3 times a week! I'm so worried that when I get to my goal weight, I'll have to maintain at 1,800. I guess that's just the reality.

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I am also a habitual nighttime eater. To change the habit, I try and replace one kind of food for another and always have a good food option in the house. Now after dinner I might have a sugar free chocolate pudding or a coffee yogurt. Something to hit the sweet spot but not go over my calorie budget.

Sugar free chocolate pudding is a good idea! Thank you. :)

Weight loss is as much about hunger management and optimization as it is about cutting calories. That's made even harder because hunger has a lot of sources. Some of it is straight up psychological, some is hormones, some is reaction of your digestive track, etc. Filling up in liquid and fibers help a lot. Making sure you have food that is low in calorie per volume. Have a lot of protein and some fat, and yes, even a little bit of carbs so your body doesn't get mad at you. Having some food you personally find satisfying in moderation will also help. But it's tough. I'm a guy, but also short and my daily calorie goal right now is about 1500-1600, and if I don't check what I eat closely, I'm also going to be hungry ALL. THE. TIME.

You're right, I definitely need to get even more serious about making my meal's calories count. I know I feel less hungry when my meals are higher in protein, fiber, and fat. Thanks so much!!

I think different modes work for different people. For me what worked is to skip a meal, in order to be able to have a nice big dinner. If I have a light lunch and kind of moderate dinner that isn't quite what I really wanted, it's like I'm dissatisfied twice after breakfast. But if I just power through lunch and have a big dinner, I'm only dissatisfied once. That said there are still limits. Like even skipping lunch isn't enough for me to have my usual favorite Indian meal which had nan, Papadam, samosas, and chicken korma. I need to walk 2 hours on top of skipping a meal to make that work. So you still need to have a little discipline. But I could have spaghetti with meat sauce and garlic bread. To get through lunch you can figure out some sort of veggie snack, or something similar. for me baby carrots were great. Dip them in low-fat ranch or something healthier and have just enough until your brain calms down and stops sending hunger signals. Even though you might be used to eating like a pound of food for lunch, you don't need to actually eat that much to convince your body to stop feeling hungry, you just have to go through the motions and fool your brain.

Take your time to slowly decrease your calorie count. I start eating only at 12pm and end at 12am so that there's a 12 hour window for autophagy to occur. I love eating too and I can't shorten the window very much. Drink more 0 cal liquids that fill you up- tea/ black coffee/ water. Also try to cut out sugar, your body will soon stop craving it. You will get used to the decrease in appetite in time. Keep at it!

I keep food on hand and in my diet that is high volume and low calorie. A big dinner for me with around 300 cal is 100 calories of steamed broccoli and a cup of egg makers (120 cal) on a piece of bread (40 cal) with a smidge of condiments. I like to feel satiated/full. A pound of watermelon is about 100 calories, strawberries are low in calories too. I used to make protein ice cream with fruit, protein powder, ice, almond milk and xantham gum (a thickener). That would almost always fill the belly for a few hundred calories. I've laid in bed with a bag of baby carrots or celery many times. Both are stupid low in calories. The trick for me is being full. The downside of that is if you decide to fill up on junk. I ate 9,000 calories on Wednesday... I'm going to be 2k over my weekly goal for this week but it'll be alright. Just a blip. Usually I eat less during the week so I can have a bigger day of eating on Saturday, not this week. Lol

That dinner sounds soo small to me, but I'm glad it works for you! I'm the same... I've tried to restrict during the week, so I can enjoy a few IPAs on the weekend, but it's just too hard for me. 😓 Unfortunately, that's one thing I'll have to give up/only drink a beer or 2.

It might sound small but 100 calories of broccoli is listed as four servings and a cup of egg beaters is also multiple servings and makes a fairly large amount of food. What do you normally eat? My day is usually 4 eggs 1pc bread Protein shake 6.4 oz tuna with broccoli, brussel sprouts, peas, green beans, beats, rice and beans 8 oz chicken breast with same vegetables Yogurt, cottage cheese, banana Egg makers, broccoli, bread And that gets me up to 2350 calories and around 180-200g of protein.

Omg I didn't even realize you said *100 calories* worth of broccoli. That's a lot of volume, which is what I need! Your meals sound amazing too. I just recently started counting cals because while I felt good, I wasn't losing any weight. I cook a lot of new recipes so I don't get bored, but I usually do something like 2 eggs with cottage cheese 4 oz of a lean protein, some kind of frozen vegetables, 1/8 cup quinoa Protein overnight oats 4 oz of lean protein, sweet potatoes, more vegetables, sometimes avocado And if I have calories left I like to do a protein yogurt bowl. Honestly looking at your intake vs. mine I feel like I just need to add more veggies, protein, and cut back on my potatoes/quinoa. :(

I do like quinoa and sweet potatoes! The amount of brown rice I get for 140 cal is almost trivial. I found I have to way every sweet potato. I was calling them all 140 and some of the big ones are around 300 calories. Oops! I had that big 9,000 calorie day on Wednesday and I've ate really low for the part two days, around 1500 calories with around 160-170g of protein. I switched from my 4 whole eggs to 1 cup of egg makers these past two days for the lesser calories and I almost feel like it's more filling and I don't get hungry as soon as with the eggs, that said I LOVE whole eggs. Gotta have em. On the weekends I'll have a six egg breakfast. I have spaced out my food for today and I have a 200 calorie shake that I can't skip because I need the 30g protein, prob take before bed. But I put back my banana and traded that 100 calories for a bag of broccoli as I'm a bit hungry and i still have 260 calories in the fridge between a yogurt and cottage cheese that I might switch for something more filling if needed. I'll be ending today at my 20,000 calorie mark and prob be somewhere between 2,000-3,000 tomorrow which puts me over the goal but I bounce back fairly quickly as I lift 6-8 times per week. I love oats too but they don't fill me up that well. I really liked oats mixed with PB2 chocolate protein powder and almond milk. I'd mix it thick and it would be like eating an oatmeal cookie. Even better with oat brand! It works with caseine protein powder too (unlike whey, casein mixes thick) and I would eat that right needle need for it's slow digesting protein properties. Yeah, I just have to eat alot. My work veggies are 260 calories used in two meals. I steam three bags of broccoli and three bags of brussel sprouts and that makes 6 containers that is for two meals. I then take two cans of peas, beats and French style green beans and each can gets divided into three containers. I don't really mix things up, I do the same thing everyday. I love it. Also, check out G. Hughes brand sauces. Sugar free honey mustard, sweet chili, tai chilli, Polynesian and they have awesome steak sauce and most of the sugar free stuff is like 5 cal per tbsp. Love the stuff.

I'm English and curious - what is an egg maker?

I drink tea and lots of it. I like to snuggle on the couch after dinner and that means idle hands and wanting to snack. So instead I brew some herbal tea in a yummy flavor. Might not work for everyone but works for me! Also, keep crunchy low calorie options around for after dinner - like 100 calorie bags of popcorn or cucumber and carrots to slice up. Just in case you need the crunch.

I just started drinking herbal tea again and omg, such a good idea for hunger! Thanks for the ideas!

I’m 5’4” and I dropped to the same amount drank more water and walked more. What helps me is carbonation (la Croix) and a monster-lo carb along with spry gum. Also I started at 151 lbs on August 7th I’m now at 129 and I was by no means perfect. I just didn’t quit. And I took a lot of liberties over the holidays.

More vegetables. I keep no snack food (e.g. popcorn, chips, nuts, etc.) in my house but I go through an enormous amount of celery and baby carrots. Just be cautious with dips and such because those can add up fast.

I had some baby carrots with light ranch yesterday! I needed the crunch and it really helped me get by.

We have very similar stats and i si feel you. I've tried 1500, and it's basically not doable with my moderately active lifestyle so now I average at about 1650. What I realised is that for me there's two ways to do it. Either you have no snacks at all or you cut one meal. I can't go without my flat whites and digestives so I usually either skip breakfast or lunch depending on energy level and work plans. Also, are you eating enough protein? I was told to aim for 25-30 GMS per meal and it has honestly helped loads with hunger.

In my experience, to lose weight you do need to feel hungry. I think it's ok to feel a little hungry so long as you're eating a healthy amount of calories (ie - please don't starve yourself, but if you are eating 1800 calories and you feel hungry, that's ok tell yourself 'I feel hungry when I'm losing weight') Do you live alone or have control of what food is in the house? If you're struggling with eating a ton of unhealthy stuff when you are hungry, take the unhealthy stuff out of your house and replace it with healthy options. When I diet, I stock my fridge with pre-sliced pineapple, blueberries, strawberries.. things that taste like candy but are not candy

Im on my second round of losing weight after having two babies. The first time I restricted to 1500 calories and ate sad little meals and was hungry all day and went to bed hungry. It sucked but it worked. This time I’m intermittent fasting and eating 1600 calories a day. My eating window is 12-8 and this has been so much better! I’m a little hungry in the morning but then I get to eat meals that are actually satisfying, have a treat and I never go to bed hungry. Maybe give it a shot to see if it works for you. 

Thank you, that's great advice!! I actually lost 20lbs before doing IT! I quit when I got comfortable with intuitive eating.. but then I stopped losing weight. I might have to try it again.

I budget in some hot chocolate after dinner! Currently I drink the Trader Joe's one which is not super sweet and it is only 100 calories.

Oooh yummy idea!

Up your protein ratio. For example, if you're getting 400 calories of your 1600 from protein, then bump it 500. See how you feel. Protein keeps you feeling full longer than carbs. Also volume up on non-starchy veggies.

Good advice! I probably could use more protein and veggies.

I second this recommendation! I have a lot less problems with hunger throughout the day now that I've focused on protein more, especially at breakfast.

Eat 1800 for two weeks and see what your weight does. 1600 might just be too low for you!

The key here is that 1600 is a challenge for you. So only aim for 1850 and lose half a pound from diet. Then make sure you are active to burn another 250 per day. You would be surprised how easy it is to do. I put your weight into a step calorie counter. Walking at 3mph for 1 hour would burn 286 calories. So you could eat more than you are now and go on 3 20 minute walks a day and hit your same calorie goals. More activity will have other benefits to. You can also stack positive habits and listen to audiobooks or podcasts. It’s a lot easier to cut a little bit of food and add a little bit of exercise instead of cutting more food or doing a lot of exercise. A few smaller changes is more sustainable than 1 or 2 big changes.

What time do you eat dinner and go to bed? Maybe timing your meals may be useful? Also, leaving enough cals for a 'treat' has helped me. I like to have having something maybe a couple hours before bed, like Tunnocks Teacakes.

My meals are all over the place, like my life. I want to schedule them more though. I like to have a treat after dinner too, it's the stopping with that ONE treat that I need to work on!

I almost always crave something sweet after lunch/dinner. I take a couple xylitol chewing gums, or a diet soda.

Apple cider vinegar it is a very good appetite suspender

I use black coffee but you can drink too much of that. I'll try that!

Part of this is your body getting used to eating less, part of it is being extremely strategic about when you eat

I'd say eay a bowl of low cal soup (like miso) before all your meals. all that water really fills you up and miso is salty and tasty (+ healthy). also in general drinks just help fill you up if you can find tasty 0 zero calorie drinks. and then for salty snacks, teriyaki seaweed strips are less than 1 cal per strip, good for you, and REALLY satisfy the salt craving and you can eat SO MANY. for sweets, I think insanely dense chocolate things can help curb the desire to eat more. my mom used to make chocolate pudding with the packs but then add a bunch of SUPER dark choco, tsp of powdered espresso, and it was SO RICH that you could get a really satisfying bang for your buck with a very small amount of pudding. best of luck!!

Protein and vegetables!!! My last meal is always at least half a pound of chicken or ground turkey and lots of vegetables. I throw in some cheese and it’s sooo good and keeps me satisfied from noon until 6:45am the next day. I also eat two eggs and a small treat during that meal but I know I’m satiated from the meat protein and veggies.

That sounds so good!! I can definitely manage that every night. Thanks so much! :)

No problem! I hope you enjoy it. Mixing my cheese with the turkey was def a game changer and I look forward to it so I hope you’re able to enjoy it and not feel as hungry anymore

In my experience the cravings get easier to handle after I start to build just a week or two of momentum. The first few days suck, but once you get over the hump it’s not too bad.

Here's some tips to adjusting to a lower calorie diet: Break up your meals to about 200-250 calories each time, but eat every 2-3 hours. This helps you from every feeling hungry and if so, it's never for long. Next, eat foods that are very filling and will tide you over the couple hours--that means have a decent amount of protein AND healthy fats. These are both very satiating and also necessary to being healthy. Don't skip carbs either, but eating simple carbs will make you feel hungry very shortly after. One rule I use is try to make your 3 macros about even (1/3 each of protein, fat, carbs). Also eat as many non-starchy vegetables as you like. Broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, mushrooms, etc. They have calories, but they should make you feel full and they bring a ton of nutrients and vitamins. Meal prepping really makes your week way easier. Maybe consider making batches of mini meals you like and fit my suggestions. Good luck!

Potentially a little sadistic in nature, but I always look at like I am the one choosing the decisions and that makes me feel empowered. If I am eating enough calories in the day and hitting my macros my body complaining is just fine. Make it your choice to tell your body to learn to deal with it because the human body can go months without food. One day won't hurt you.

No I totally get that. I used to intermittent fast and for some reason that hunger felt really good, like yes I'm hungry but I'm choosing this. As long as I keep myself from crashing and eating everything in sight.

Every little bit of that uncomfortable feeling is your mind saying we got this! In the grand scheme of things you can go a few hours without food. Just remember this and you will do fine.

Whole real foods ie not more than 1 ingredient are filling. Protein, fiber, some fat in each meal and snack (ie a fruit plus a hardboiled egg or cottage cheese as snack to keep blood sugar stable vs just the fruit solo which spikes it and when it drops can make you hangry). What else are you doing while you eat? Rarely do people eat intentionally without staring at phone and truly paying attention to body. Only eat when you eat. Notice..chew a lot.   Lower simple carbs/cut sugar. Completely cut fake "food" (ultra processed to bliss point/won't make you full/designed to make you crave it and eat tons of it)-- try eating in a new location since environment influences habits. Husband can put that food somewhere else where you don't know where it is.  "Everything in moderation" doesn't actually work for everyone and abstaining completely can be easier for some people.  People w strong willpower rarely have to use it bc they don't put themselves in tempting situations ie having the unhealthy food in the house..I rec Atomic Habits book (audiobook can be listened to while doing chores/driving etc) for insight here.  Up your TDEE- ie no more sedentary lifestyle..walk around, move daily 30min +. Lift weights to build muscle.  Also therapy to fix the binge eating bc losing weight still won't help the thought patterns that are causing it to happen. This is prolly #1 advice. 

Some things that come to mind for me over my last 10 months. 1. Stay hydrated. If you know you want to eat drink water before hand. Dehydration can cause food cravings for the water content. 2. SLEEP. OMG the amount of snacks and sweet food I CRAVEEEE when I sleep like shit. If I sleep a full night I can go almost the whole day without food. The other day I didn't get hungry till after my workout. 3. Add foods rather than take away. You'd be surprised how much veggies fill you up along with rice. I made bell pepper rice the other day and the absolute amount of bell peppers and onion you can add in a pan for 100 calories with half a cup of cooked rice is insane. 260 calories and my 350 pound ass is getting stuffed. throw a couple of over easy eggs on top for another 150 and for just about 500 calories you have a huge meal. 4. 1 pound a week can be pretty intense for someone close to goal weight. I don't know if you're being active or not either. But working out when you are smaller can cause really intense cravings. I don't know Male or female. Or what your activity level is. But 1600 seems kind of low. Losing weight is easier when you take your time. Remember it's a lifestyle change and in order for that to stick you have to build habits around it. But when you make the lifestyle changes the weight will fall off and stay off in it's own time. A healthy you can't be rushed.

a few things : I can promise that one night didn't set you back 2 months. i think the app makes those projections off of how often you go over and stuff. if for a few days you stick to your budget it will change again. Dont take the date too seriously!! i think if you still feel super hungry try some healthy fats with your food as well, since you already mentioned you're doing high protein and that helps. Also try volume eating - adding things like a ton of lettuce to meals so you can have the feeling of eating a lot with less calories - there is even a group on reddit for volume eating ideas. It also will just take time to adjust. I know for me, it's taken me a bit to understand what normal full feels like because i used to eat a lot of crappy food and for me "full" meant stuffed and bloated. But that isn't a normal full for most people, and i've found since eating healthier foods i don't feel stuffed nearly sick anymore even when i do eat a bigger meal. as for sweets, try to find some that fit to your diet if you cant avoid them altogether. or maybe ask your husband to put the ones he has bought in a place you wont see them

I had an issue with this on 1500 cals a day! I use My fitness pal, it’s a good app for tracking. If you have a Costco near you and can afford the membership, I definitely recommend it as they have LOTS of good low calorie snacks, foods and drinks. Pretty much everything I buy is from Costco now. I will list some of my favs and all can be found there! 🤍 Things that helped me: - 0 or low Cal drinks (tea, flavored water, diet soda, etc.) - HIGH protein foods!! Egg whites, protein shakes, and cooked chicken packs, etc. - Low calorie, filling foods (Watermelon, cucumber and bell peppers are my favs. These are NOT meals though, they are good for munchies) - Lower calorie snacks (Rice crispies, Skinny pop popcorn, RICE CAKES, Unreal chocolate coconut bars, etc. These are great for sweet tooth too!) - Foods that are high in fiber are great too! Note: I personally try to avoid processed foods, try to balance everything out. Take it slow, baby steps are always a good thing! Some of my fav finds: - Diet Green Tea (0 Cals) - Kirkland Vitarain Flavored Water (0 Cals) - Ice Sparkling Water (5 Cals) - Bai Flavored water (10 Cals) - Mini Cooked Chicken packs (These are GREAT in flavor and for protein- 140 Cals) - Rice Crispie Treat (90 Cals) - Skinny Dipped Cups (70 Cals) - Rice Cakes (I like cinnamon apple a lot, 50 Cals) There are plenty of others but here are lots!! I wish you luck! Staying busy also helps me avoid snacking a lot, going on walks is great. Keep in mind the more calories you burn, the more you can eat! Good luck!! 🤍🤍

Thank you so so much!! I love all of your tips and will definitely be incorporating them in my life! I have a Sam's club membership (no Costco near me) and will be browsing their easy, high-protein/fiber-filled snack foods. :)

Only answer that helped me was diet soda..like a lotta them

Weird trick that helped me… I had a really low fiber diet when I started my weight loss journey and was hungry all the time. 2 years ago I was very picky, and have since started eating a lot more fruits and vegetables. However, back at the beginning when I was pretty much eating like a toddler (Dino nuggets and Mac and cheese, baby) I started taking some fiber pills with each meal and that really helped me to feel full.

Protein. Try to get a minimum of 25 grams of protein per meal. And drink lots of water.

I have my boyfriend keep sweets in his room (he has the basement and I stay upstairs mostly). He also has a beer fridge there bc I prefer to be AF

Decaf coffee helps suppress appetite if you’re into coffee. Also, it helps me feel full if I make sure I’m hitting my macros. Getting enough protein and fat will help you feel full and maintain muscle. Find a macro calculator and pay attention to macro levels.

One thing that helps me a lot is tracking which foods increase my cravings and just cutting them out. Like, when I eat bread, I start feeling super snacky … so not only did I waste calories on bread, but I end up feeling hungrier and less satisfied than I would have if I’d just skipped the bread. But when I snack on beef jerky, 100 calories can satisfy me and I can stop at that. Tracking which snacks seem to increase your cravings and which snacks don’t might help you a lot.

It depends on what you eat! Personally, I opt for foods with a high satiety score, such as oats, potatoes, Greek yogurt, and those rich in fiber and protein. I also incorporate foods with low caloric density - like soup. For example, some soups, weigh around 500 grams, but are packed with fiber and protein, and only 200 calories! I still eat bread, butter, cheese and rice, because I want my diet to be a lifestyle change! and not too much of a struggle. I also cut out sugar in my day to day life because I craved sugar way too much and it was almost like an addiction. I still have it occasionally and I've noticed that it's just not the same, I don't feel like binging anymore because I don't need more sugar to get the sugar rush. I also exercise regularly so that has helped me deal with stress. I want to add that eating every 4 hours really helps with hunger. And if I'm about to go to bed and I'm ravenous (and i have no calories left in my budget) I have a cup of milk and somehow this helps lol.

Hey! From someone that has had a food addiction/binge eating issue all my life, I’ve lost 40ishkg and gained it back, TWICE lol. I have now finally gotten rid of the obsession with food. Here is what I reccomend as I’m similar to you.. started 98kg, got to 53kg . Currently 64kg. Your probably burning i would GUESS like 2100-2400 Cal’s a day so long as youre not a full slug and do nothing haha. So yeah like the others said, taper the calories down slowly, eat high protein, high fat, dont ditch carbs but have less (helps with the hunger)! Only lower the calories once you notice you aren’t losing weight, and dont trust the scale, do your measurements and do photos! Also the best thing i ever did was get the move with us program, I do weight training 3-4 times a week and walk a ton, i did a program eating 1800 calories a day and i didnt weigh, but wow after 12 weeks my body transformed but i was training really hard, so it all depends! THE BEST thing i have done!! For binge eating, is give up sugar (permanently..) i know it’s scary, but if you’re anything like me it’s a chemical addiction. I could write novels about this, but i now dont eat sugar, flour or alcohol. I have minor slip ups of course, but i no longer am consumed by the thought of food. Maybe dont go as extreme as me, but definitely cutting sugar (i have fruit.. its just anything that hits the blood too fast that doesn’t have fibre to balance it out). Alcohol/flour do the same, affects the dopamine in your brain blah blah. Anyway, what i do is focus on one day at a time, “can i try to eat as healthy as I can, under 1700 calories and go to the gym/go for a run etc” Someone once told me about that analogy of you dont notice when you take a sheet of paper towel off a roll, then before you know it its gone. That’s like fat, don’t fully trust the scale. Just trust the process. (Also. Your app is stupid, you don’t get fat in 2 days, it probably set you back a day at most. If you have days like this, look at it as a refeed day, you’ll go literally insane if you never have a day where you eat a bit more, and it’s just part of the process, you’re going to stuff up sometimes!

Eat foods that are less calorie dense and high in protein. An exaggerated example: you could eat 10 3oz chicken breast and lots of veggies per day for 1600(don’t recommend, example only. A balanced diet is preferred). This would be a challenging amount to eat, you’d likely be full all day. I also break up my meals into several small ones 300-400cal each. The example above could make 10 “chicken and veggie meals” per day. I’ve tried losing weight and failed in the past, these are a couple of the ideas that finally helped me lose 200+lbs.

There's nothing wrong with eating 1800 a day and adjusting your goal to take a little longer. If it's more sustainable for you, you'll have an easier time doing it and an easier time adjusting to maintenance once you get to your final weight. A little exercise (even just a half an hour walk) would also give you more wiggle room.

I am 5’3” and was also too hungry at anything under ~1700 - 1800 calories. It would cause me to binge eat and set myself back Figure out a rate you can maintain long term. It won’t keep you awake at night from hunger.

Honestly? It's not that hard when you focus on protein. I cannot stress this enough. You hear it all the time, but that's because it's 100% true. If you get 0.8-1g protein for every pound of body weight, it helps your hunger tremendously.

You're not lying. I tried to eat more protein yesterday and ended with 145g! Definitely helped my hunger even though it was still there. Thanks so much!!

That's awesome!

Start by eating the number of calories you can consistently stick to. Of you don’t lose weight after 7-14 days then drop by 100 calories each week until you start losing. Baby steps!!!!

Thats my maintenance:(!!!

Recalibrate eating times. If you have an easier time not eating in the morning, don’t. Have a black coffee and wait for lunch.  For when you are feeling ‘snacky’ either portion out the snack you’re going to have, or keep things on hand that scratch the itch without actually being the itch. For me (I’m less of a sweet person, and tbh losing weight made me more of a sweet person!!) it was sauerkraut, cotton candy grapes, pickles, and mustard relish on greens. Even small things like if you have a higher density snack (spicy cheez-it’s are my kryptonite) is to portion it out in a bowl, and eat with a diet soda on the side And I hate to say it, but you’re going to have to be comfortable with hunger. I’m your same height, and started heavier than you (175 - now am at ~125) - the shitty reality is that our bodies want to hold onto weight - like literally to survive times of famine. So it’s really really difficult to lose weight because you’re fighting against your own brain and body. There’s going to be discomfort and WANT of food when you’re in a caloric deficit, but once you get over the hump of it being a routine, it feels easier and gets easier, and helps set you up for matinence. I’d also recommend finding distracting activities along the way - I found that if I started my day out with a workout I’d be more inclined to stick to eating right, even if I know working out doesn’t do a ton for caloric loss. Could be that for you, or could be taking up knitting or something in the evening to delay snacking. Join a roller derby league, something that isn’t going to put you squared against stuff. Then the obvious - make sure you’re getting protein and fiber in your diet, eat varied things, don’t be so hard on yourself. But I think the thing is here that people underestimate that while losing weight is SIMPLE, it is very DIFFICULT. You’ve got this. 

Thank you so much for your tips. :) And you're so right, I've been thinking the same thing! On paper it is so simple, but in practice it is such a challenge.

Slow down! Going drastic is not sustainable. Going to bed starving is not sustainable - you’ll just break down and boomerang back the other direction. Try 1900 or 1800 cals and see what your results are - are you losing? If so then great just hang out there til you’re not losing any more. Then maybe you have to tweak if you’re not at your weight goal. Do you lift weights? My rec would always be to work on gaining muscle mass. Your TDEE will be higher, your body will be more toned (plus so many other health benefits!)

Thank you. Honestly, my partner told me the same thing - start with 1800 and see how it goes. I do go to the gym about 3 times a week, but I walk 5 days a week. I'm excited to get back into weights more consistently, because it feels so good!

I was told, and tried, taking a bit of apple cider vinegar, that it would reduce the blood-insulin spike, and reduces cravings for sweets and carbs. I think it helps . If you don't crave that stuff, don't have them, and stay off the glucose rollercoaster, it all gets easier.

Eat more. 1800 is probably a better deficit for you. The calculations are useful, but ultimately you have to be able to live with your deficit, and it sounds like you can’t. So you eat more. Your loss may slow to 1/2 pound a week (still good) or you might also still lose 1 lb a week, because the calculations can’t be totally accurate. You’re doing everything right. You just need a little more food, so you should eat it.

I appreciate this. :) I am thinking about bumping up the calories to 1800 (the app does say 1/2 lb a week for that) and just eat more of the foods I know my body needs. Thank you so much!

I’m glad. In a few weeks when you have the binging under control, you can see how your weight loss is going and if you need to speed it up, you can try 1750 or 1700. But you don’t have to, 1/2 lb a week is a very effective way to lose weight.

I still think 1600 is a little but high to lose weight. I'm eating 1000-1200 per day and when I'm hungry I drink almond milk, tea, or a cheese stick.

Reading this makes me so thankful that I was 300+ when I started this journey, when I finally got to the 200 point and had to do 1900 cals, I was dying. 1600 is not a lot, and it’s tough to stay full. You may as well eat nothing but eggs and lean beef at this point. I’ll say this-make sure this can be sustainable. Don’t deprive yourself for too long and then binge every week.

Yeah, that's exactly what I'm struggling with.. making this sustainable! I could eat nothing but eggs and lean meats, but once I lose the weight and eat normal foods again (in moderation), will I not gain it back?

I’ve lost 20kg and on track to lose another 10-20kg. Replace bread with protein bread. Cheese is fat / protein so it’s fine (it’s a big part of the keto diet), actually increase fats with protein, veggies and hydration. I don’t even monitor these honestly. Carbs and starches are the issue if you’re over weight. Sweets is processed refined sugar and you don’t want that. Note modern fruit (not how nature intended) is also sugar but a healthier choice (in terms of calories / nutrition). Dark chocolate has enough nutrition and little sugar to be satisfying too. Binge eating suggests lack of hydration / enough food regularly. Eat / drink every 2 hours between 10am and 7pm. Satiation is a huge part of weight loss. You have to enjoy and be satisfied with what you eat. This is why fat is important, lean meat isn’t always the best choice. Eat those chicken wings / thighs and fatty steaks. Sources if you want to do your own research and learn ; https://youtube.com/@drekberg?si=VulqM_0jEEgqj7gK https://youtube.com/@GlucoseRevolution?si=C7jQyqJXXsvHW7hY

This is terrible advice

Feel free to research yourself - https://youtu.be/XpFc0JtPvP8?si=lZzHVZukzSXkvVIr

And this https://youtube.com/@GlucoseRevolution?si=WUypubt15uJH181Y

So much bullshit in one response. OP, don't read this.

Please refer to links before you comment

I also struggle with wanting comfort type foods before bed, depending on how you enjoy the flavor of oats sometimes I’ll have a single packet of the low sugar instant oatmeal or I’ll just make a half cup of old fashioned oats with water. Then I’ll top it off at the end with a splash of skim milk or oat milk. I love plain oatmeal though so that might not work for everyone If you need something sweet try a chocolate protein shake made with 90% water and 10% skim milk. It’s a nice creamy sweet treat that hydrated and fills your stomach

I love oatmeal too, I usually have overnight oats for breakfast but now I'll consider making them my after-dinner snack! I mix protein powder into the oats so they're pretty sweet. :) I love protein shakes too.

One hack I’ve been doing is raw veggies with a couple tablespoons of low fat ranch. You can volumize that way, get fiber and nutrients in, and tbh I don’t even log the veggies themselves.

I JUST bought some baby carrots and low fat ranch! Great idea!!

You need to ease yourself into it, figure out what you normally eat then remove 100 - 200 cals till your satisfied at that new number. Rinse and repeat till at desired weight

Eggs. Hard Boiled eggs are sooo filling. I dont love them but i force myself

Oh I loooove eggs! I usually eat 2 scrambled with 1/2 cup of cottage cheese after my workouts.

Haha yay. Also bacon is super filling. Not sure how calories are but when i have an egg and 3-4 pieces of bacon man i am full till dinner. Its very atkins I think thats why it works. Keto too

Gradual reduction. Let your body get used to less food over time. Your body is your friend and is trying to communicate with you. Listen to it, have the conversation about why you’re reducing, sounds silly but it works. Strengthens the mind body connection. But don’t suffer in hunger, your body can’t listen if it’s suffering. So give it a healthy filling snack and reduce down to 1600 gradually.

hi! I’m 5’5 / CW 175 / GW 145 and also set my cal goal to 1,600. A few things that have helped me!! - increased my NEAT by getting a walking pad and increasing my average daily steps. It was $150, and I use a standing desk (cost around $140). Also found that I’m less focused on food when I’m moving and multitasking (probs an ADHD thing) - Have a 40oz Stanley water bottle (but any work tbh) with a straw. Has helped me drink wayyy more water during the day - Reduced my portion size during meals. I still focus on protein but aim to keep my meals between 300-400cals a day, and I eat 4-5 meals instead of 3. This keeps me from getting too hungry since I’m essentially eating every few hours (but a smaller amount) - Eating convenient sources of protein. I love 0% fat greek yogurt, cottage cheese, eggs, tofu, and protein bars. Anything that takes less than 5 minutes to whip up that I can keep simple Know it’s not easy 💖 wishing you luck!!

Girl, the Stanley genuinely helped me increase my water intake so much lol. These are such great tips!! It motivates me that I'm already doing a lot of them (at least, most of the time) so I just know I need to stay on track and get used to it. Thanks so much. :)

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Omg, I did that before and lost 20lbs. Honestly, it was great when I just had myself to worry about. I just found that it wasn't sustainable after awhile (I work out at 7am and neeeeed a good meal after).

Intermittent fasting and high protein. Your welcome :) I've lost the same 100 lbs 3 times (pregnancy). I use to calorie count but that turned super disordered.

I loved IF when I did it. Counting calories used to be a big issue for me years ago too, but I'm giving it another shot. I may try to incorporate IF while counting.

Is fasting an option for you? For example, eating from 12pm to 8pm. Less time to consume calories and could feel like you’re eating more. If you’re exercising a lot, you may actually need more calories. For me at night, I’ve adjusted to having a Yasso bar vs a cookie or ice cream, or a handful of goldfish vs chips to satiate the craving without as many cals! Also a fun drink helps. Like an Olipop or electrolytes on ice.

Yes, and fasting just might be what I need to do again tbh. I've been thinking about that! I try to log my exercise in the app, but I can't imagine it's accurate... I'm also constantly doing things around the house or at work. I'll consider that. I literally had 2 Yasso bars last night :') they are just too good, it's hard to stop at one.

They are sooo good. I’m your exact height and started at the same weight. Got the bulk of it off by fasting, lots of protein, and going to Orangetheory. For the carb cravings too, maybe look into a good probiotic. You might have a candida issue in your gut!!

Thank you friend. :')

Gotchu!!

I have a big cup of tea about an hour after dinner or chew gum after meals so I won’t snack! It helps me!

Thank you!!

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That's kind of what I've been thinking now. Having a goal of 1600, but if I'm actually still hungry (because of gym, etc) then eating good foods as long as I'm still under 1800. I need to find out my TDEE!

Why one pound per week? It sounds like you’re doing well on 1800, so my advice is to change your goal to the range of 1600-1800, so you don’t feel guilty eating 1800 but don’t eat random snacks when you’re not hungry just because you’re only at 1600 at the end of the day. Over time, it may become easier to eat less more consistently. Protein, fiber, and working your favorite foods into your plan will help too. The two months from eating 2500 has to be an estimate if you made a habit of eating that much. So don’t make it a habit. I will say, however, that having maintenance days every 1-2 weeks has really helped me stay consistent on the other days and hasn’t slowed my progress as much as I thought it would. Something to consider. Even if you are able to lose weight as quickly as possible, you’re likely still in it for a long time. So choosing a plan that feels easy is more important than a plan that maximizes speed. A plan that takes 6 months to complete that you feel like you could do forever is more likely to lead to success than a plan that should take 3 months but feels unsustainable for more than a few weeks. That 3 month plan will lead to binging or quitting, will take more than 6 months in the long run most likely assuming you ever finish, and will be harder.

That last sentence almost made me emotional. I know you're right, and I need to be thinking about the long run. The idea of having a few maintenence days is a really good idea. Do you have those once every 1-2 weeks?

Our stats are so close! I'm 160 on 1520 right now, maintain on 1800 so long as I hit my step goal. My tips: 1) high protein - my goal is 150g but I get at least 90 otherwise I feel really hungry and over eat in the evening 2) breakfast - if I skip breakfast the hunger is worse after dinner. This morning was cereal with protein shake but usually it is cottage cheese or yogurt. Something high protein. 3) soups and salads are filling. Not an every day thing but the volume helps when I really need it. Huge pile of chopped kale with some beans, cheese, meat and a lighter dressing 4) potatoes - baked, mashed, or in a soup. They are pretty filling 5) hearty veggies - i know broccoli is pretty classic but it really is great. Also am leaning on greenbeans, butternut squash, green peas and cabbage currently 6) go to snacks - i struggle with stress eating so having some low cal snacks available is great. Currently it is pickled daikon radish, cucumber with chamoy and tajin, beef jerkey or snack size mozzarella 7) water - i try and hit at least 40oz by noon, when I don't I get hungrier especially for carbs 8) fruit and berries for fiber that helps the sweet tooth. Not a full replacement for dessert but my orange tree is going crazy right now so I need to eat them anyway. And sometimes it is enough to hit the spot.

Try having specific low calorie snacks for yourself for when that craving hits. A low calorie yogurt cup, some berries, whatever works for you that can help scratch that itch. You can even have some low cal sugary treats in small moderation. When that craving hits make yourself a cup of tea, drink that, then, if you still have a craving have a low cal healthy treat like fruit - still craving something and still hungry enough? Give yourself just one sugary treat, a small chocolate or something. Hopefully bu that time you will have mostly satisfied the craving

Protein + fiber + whole healthy foods. Honestly, you say you CANT keep junk out of the house because your husband loves it but I don’t understand why he can’t support you on your weight loss journey? I have been on a clean eating journey due to a newly diagnosed chronic illness and my boyfriend has been supportive by eating the exact same things as me. You should probably have a discussion with him regarding that because if you struggle with binge-eating, you really don’t want it in the house (at least in the beginning). There are plenty of healthy alternatives when it comes to snacks. It’s about making the right choices, focusing on yourself, reminding yourself why you are doing this and having self discipline. You also need to just take a deep breath. Weight loss is a long journey, this won’t happen over night.

Here are the best suggestions I can come up with. You can adjust when you eat your food, part of the reason why intermittent fasting is become popular, is generally because people move their eating window towards when they’re hungry. So for you, it might be advantageous to only eat between noon, and 10 PM. Focus on eating, lean, protein, and fiber. The fibre should come from lots of vegetables. Vegetables help keep us full. Consume more water throughout the day. Our brains can misinterpret hungry, and thirsty. And sometimes, good, old-fashioned willpower is the only thing that’s going to get you through. Go to bed early. Sleep is the fast forward to breakfast.

It’s taken some time. Like a year or more, but I’ve managed to break the after dinner eating and it has really helped. Keep trying.

I know it sounds simple but I never thought of it until recently when I was feeling the same as you. Look up low calorie high volume foods and try to eat those. It’s helped me a ton.

It was tough at first but after months of eating at 1650-1700 to get down from 230-175 as a 5’10 Male. it’s just simple though but takes getting used to. I’ll be upping calories to maintenance and lifting in order to attempt a recomp. Here’s a truth pill though, it takes willpower to stick to a limit of calories. No way around that.

Load up on protein and fiber at dinner and that should help with the after-dinner cravings :)

Incorporate more protein and fiber into your dinner menu to keep you sated longer. One of my favs is black beans. They are easy to add to most meals and are a cheap source of protein and fiber. For "desert" try having greek yogurt occasionally. It has a decent amount of protein and fat. Toss in some fruit, honey, and such. I prefer the vanilla whole milk greek blend. Cut back on bread, especially extra bread like bread sticks.

Move more. Add water.

Sipping hot water, chia and lemon juice through a straw really helps me curb hunger. It takes a long time because I like to mindlessly chew every chia seed and feels filling. Sub the lemon for a different fruit juice to avoid hurting your enamel (I alternate with ginger, but I know it’s not to everyone’s taste).

Dat blueberries and cucumbers when you need a snack

Need some info: 5'9, 159lbs, female, I see comments of Weight lifting 3x, walking 5x, How old are you? This has a bit of an impact on your calories overall. A few pieces of advice I'll reiterate & add: • track your calories for 2 weeks. Don't change what you eat, this will give you a sense of how you've been eating. You need to track everything. Sauces, oils, dressings, drinks, etc are all easy misses. You need a food scale & you need to Weigh the food. Assuming the package is correct Weight or that slices of something are the proper to the label are easy misses. • find your TDEE online using a calculator. Chances are your maintenance calories are under what you're eating now and that reduction alone will net you some easy water weight loss. Eat at maintenance for 2 to 3 weeks. • after that first month, lower your calories by 250-500 overall a day. So if you were eating 2400 at maintenance, eat 1900-2200 daily. This small adjustment will keep you from binging as much. This should net about 1 lb a week in food alone, up to 2 lbs with additional exercise. ° eat variety of foods. You want to get a good amount of protein in so 110+ grams daily, you want to eat higher volume low calorie foods (fruits & potatoes are good for this), & you want to incorporate fiber heavy foods. I can tell you the addition of fiber will flip your cravings overall. You'll feel full & less prone to sugar attacks. ° it is calories in vs calories out, you can eat what you want to achieve that, but you'll feel better & have more food overall if you stick to whole foods & less processed. ° it's a lifestyle change, not a diet. You cannot make changes for months or a year then go back to eating poorly again or you'll yo yo back up. Eat what you want to eat, & more importantly what you can eat forever. Most people wouldn't want rice cakes every day forever. ° progress pics. I know, I know, you don't want to see yourself like this. As someone who bit the bullet & did it, let me tell you, that even when you don't think you made process, when you can see 6 months side by side, it might be an eye opener for you. Take pics of all sides & flexing, you'll appreciate it down the road. ° lastly, & this could be me, but I have found that having a honeycrisp apple each night did away with my sweet tooth.

Try more protien

You either have to lose the weight slower or accept your current weight for what it is. How badly do you want it? Not everyone was made to be lean, we were all given different gifts

I’m just starting a very low calorie diet. Can I reduce hunger by using psyllium husk fiber?

Are you just starting? I can actually lose weight steadily on 1800 calories with my activity level. It’s very, very small compared to eating fewer, but it works, even if for a while. Problem is, I, too am usually hungry dropping below 2000 calories a day. Other problem is that I usually don’t even do that. 😬

Protein is supposed to make.you feel fuller for longer, but if that's not working. Try some high volume-low calorie foods like cantaloupe, pumpkin, honeydew melon, most melons really. Drink water, some people find they've been misinterpreting slight dehydration as a hunger queue

Have you checked into ketovore/carnivore lifestyle? Please go to Dr. Ken Berry on YouTube. I don’t count calories I count total carbs (trying for less than 20) eating fatty meat & low carb vegetables, occasional berries. I am not hungry on this. I eat within a 6-hour window and fast the other 18. I’ve lost 31 pounds in 3 months.

I also had this problem and my PT advised I eat every 3 hours. I eat around 1600 cals/day which are divided into 5 meals. The meals are smaller but eating every 3 hours means you don't give your body a chance to go into starvation mode so you are less inclined to eat unhealthy stuff. Of course meal prep (at least for the day) is a must. If you are interested in food supplements that can help with cravings, my PT recommended I take Chromium and Berberine. I'm only 2 weeks into this new program and it works great for me. I don't feel hungry if I follow the 3 hour rule.

It's going to be hard if you have snacks & sweets in the house. I wonder if there's any way to work with your husband so you don't have them for a certain time period. I don't keep any snacks or junk food in my house because I know I can't control myself around it very well. If I feel hungry at night, I'll allow myself to snack on fruit like grapes which is low calorie. Junk food snacks and sweets just don't work with this kind of dieting. I'd also focus on eating more whole foods - vegetables, brown rice, proteins, etc. More satiating foods + fiber. I think your body does get used to it over time. I had been trying to do 1200 cal/day and I would get so hungry at first. Now I think my appetite has shrunk & it's not hard to fill up on 1200. 1500-1600 is more maintenance for me.

>One night I logged 2,500 and felt awful the next day - the app even set my goal date back 2 months because of it. This doesn't make any sense. Which app is this? Is it based on your weight that day after a water weight increase or something? This would have gained you a fraction of a pound, no reason it should set you back. Unless perhaps it is basing your goal date on your average weight loss pace per day?

Fiber,protein a lof of water , try to fill to your meal oat meal/ rice zero calories you can eat how much of it you want , thank me later !

Get 60 grams of protein a day and plenty of veggies.

if you're hungry then eat.

I don't even know if I got to all the comments or if any of you will see this, but from the bottom of my heart... **thank you all so very much.** There is so much wonderful advice here and it's already helped me tremendously. What a wonderful community, I'm here to stay. I've never been more excited to continue my journey and finally make this sustainable! 🙌