writingwyo Günlüğü, 22 Eyl 24

I'm pretty sure your friend is wrong about your body wanting the # of calories to support your highest weight. I have in my lifetime eaten many more calories than I do now. Part of that was ignorance of how many calories I was actually eating & part was just bad habits. My body now seems satisfied with fewer calories & portion sizes than before. Like you, I seldom feel hungry except at appropriate times. I do occasionally have cravings, but I believe that's mental. After a vacation, I may feel a bit hungrier because I've allowed myself more treats. If I get back to my usual WOE, my body adapts to that.  

SherryeB -- I think what I find frustrating when I hear these things is that it seems very fatalistic. I see people trot it out as evidence that permanent weight loss is impossible, rather than just difficult. I understand some people have very real barriers -- many that I doubt I could overcome. And people have other priorities. At my heaviest, I was dealing with mental health, medication weight gain, overwork, and hypothyroid. Trying to lose weight at that point was probably just not going to happen. But to maintain it's impossible rather than difficult discourages people who could have at least some success. And even then, I could have benefited from cleaning up my diet and at least going for a walk here and there, whether it resulted in weight loss or not  

If I ate pizza, soda, cookies, muffins, etc, I could easily eat 4000 calories per day, and I would gain weight. But I've stopped eating those things, I east veggies, fruit, lean meat, nuts, seeds. And my hunger stops anywhere between 1500 and 2500 calories and depends on my exersion and exercise. 

Same here, outerlimit, and I'd still feel hungry, despite the high calorie count. I describe myself these days as vegan at home, realistic out in the world. I remember many a dinner from those days of frozen pizza and French fries with out of control portions. Now it's grains, legumes, soy, fruits, veggies, seeds/nuts, and I'm pretty satisfied around 1800 calories. The healthier stuff is just so much more filling  

outerlimit, I will add that I have three friends with weight issues, two who have health consequences from it (including the one I mentioned) who have told me they just don't like to cook, or are just lazy about it. That's fine -- their decision. I'm not their personal food police. But there's a natural consequence that follows. The average American bases their diet on taste, cost, and convenience rather than nutrition  

I read a study once that said that left to their own devices, people will consistently eat the same weight in food every day, like remarkably consistently. You can choose to eat that weight in calorie dense food that will cause you to be in a surplus, or lower calorie nutrient dense foods that will cause you to maintain or be in a deficit. The weight of food consumed is the same but the number of calories determines your ultimate body weight. 

Interesting, Ddrudd. Not sure it's 100% true, but I think there's something to it. I say not 100% true, because I know on days that I fill up on cut up veggies, I will sometimes get serious sugar cravings, like my body just wants calories, but doesn't really have room for anything that isn't concentrated. Still, there's a lot to it. I know nothing fills me up like fiber, and a lot of the foods with lower calorie density also has a lot of fiber. Food isn't one nutrient or another -- it really is a package, and you have to look at the entire package 

I think that people do have differences as far as dieting is concerned. I tend to think a lot of it has to do with genetics plus gut health. I was born with medical conditions related to eating. So right off the bat I could not eat some things other babies can. I have had lifelong gut issues of some kind or other. I don't metabolize carbs well like a lot of people do.  

Definitely, Morticia. I happen to be a champion carb-eater, which I know doesn't work for everyone. I was also grossed out by meat at a young age, so it hasn't been hard for me to give that up 

Yes, I definitely feel you can eat fewer calories and not feel increased hunger but it does require some planning. For me, this has meant that meals must be set in number and time of day, like clockwork, and once you sit down to them, they should be nutritious and filling. I used to eat pretty much all the time, especially in the afternoon and evening—stress munchies, lots of sweets and savory snacks—and committing to three discreet meals in itself limited the calories without raising hunger. In fact, if anything, I feel less hungry on a more regular eating schedule 

I love camping and know what you mean about boredom eating.  

ikr  

I eat 3 weighed and measured meals ...at 5 at 11 and no earlier than 4 ...what I believe most of us are on this site is food addicts...we relate differently to foods..usually processed crap..sugar, flour than normal eaters..we achieve sedation from food..intense psychic relief...for many of us, this relationship with food began in childhood..I have to separate appetite from true hunger...many of the food addiction programs now are talking about "alcoholic eating"...we eat the same way the alcoholic drinks...so to achieve any kind of neutrality around food we have to eliminate those foods that set off cravings...I do not eat flour and sugar...and I am addicted to quantity so I weigh and measure..food is a killer...40 percent of Americans are obese..the societal costs are incredible and the toll it takes on the sufferer of overweight is terrible...we despise the overweight in this country... we ar 

I’m finding the healthier I eat the less hungry I am and although I’m just a month into actively changing my way, I notice that I’m not taking in all the calories I’m allowed or need. Mind you I choose not to eat after dinner and so there are nights I’ve gone to bed feeling hungry. I like the idea that I’ve given myself at least 12 hours to digest and reset. I agree, wholeheartedly what DianneGardner wrote above about my relationship with food and separating my appetite from true hunger, and I am confident I’m not starving 😂 thanks for posting! 

I also eat 3 meals a day starting about 4 am— 11/12– and 5/6. An occasional desert but no snacking between meals, just was never a thing for me. That 12 hours where the body can concentrate on healing and resetting is so important. I eat about 500 calories each meal. I use FS to track my nutrition  

Very interesting to hear everyone's perspectives. I truly do not believe a lifetime of constant hunger is sustainable for most, but I truly DO believe that better food choices and attention to portion control is a reasonable approach -- especially since we are all swimming in a completely dysfunctional (IMHO) food environment in the U.S. For a while, when I was at my heaviest, I was sucked down the HAES/fat acceptance rabbit hole. They have a lot of good criticisms in terms of diet culture. But they also put forth some notions that I think are destructive, namely that there are no health consequences to overweight/obesity, that any dietary restriction is a form of eating disorder, and that sustained weight loss is impossible. So when I see some form of these come up, I remember how I got sucked in. It's one thing to admit that sustained loss is difficult and takes effort. It's another to claim it's impossible or, worse yet, inherently unhealthy. I'm a champion snacker, but I really try to make good food choices and keep portions under control. I track off and on, mostly on when my weight drifts up past my comfort level. TBH... when I go to the grocery store, I see almost nobody with a cart that looks like mine. Mostly what I see go out the door is highly processed foods with terrible nutrition profiles. 

Some hunger is normal while in a calorie deficit, for sure. But I find keeping protien and fibre targets high does a pretty good job of minimizing discomfort and/or hunger signals. I often wonder how much of these complaints or issues can be mitigated simply by making better dietary choices. 

Parmesan crisps are my hunger go to.  

idk that study sounds pretty silly but I believe they had those results because you can manipulate any study to produce the results your after if you scew it well enough based on who's money is backing it 

Sounds tasty, Sew4, although I'm steering clear of dairy these days. Don't know if I have a specific go-to, but for me it's fiber, fiber, and more fiber if I want to avoid hunger