so have it! alot of people have mentioned having a high cal day or 2 a week to break thru a plateau. I have barely started losing weight so i havnt tried this yet myself (i cant wait tho lol).

Yes, def do that, but don't go over 2400. I've also been told eating close to NO carbs one day per week works too. And I know you dont want to hear this but it's probably time to decrease your cals again. For every 10 lbs you are supposed to lower your cal intake. Im hungry too girl. Starving over here! It's def getting easier. I've yet to eat my recommended 1200 but I am getting closer. SF jello goes a long way, oatmeal keeps you full longer, protein & fats with every meal helps. Try to avoid those lowfat ice cream treats. Couple times a week okay but I just dont have that in my house because it would be calling my name all day. Instead replace it with fruit. Strawberries are very low cal and great with splenda. 1 oz of nuts per day, 2% cheese slice, whole grains.. whatever you can find. I just look for the lowest cals possible with the largest amount of nutrition, that way you are making sure every cal counts.

Sounds like your doing great though. Best wishes!

Thanks for the advice.  I guess I just need to find the foods that make me feel full (any more suggestions?).  I guess I will look at lowering my calorie intake too, although I'm not very excited about that.

Thanks for your support!

I find it really helpful if I eat meals with high protein. I'm not sure what the dietary recommendations are for diabetes. I get very full on a baked chicken breast with 1/4 cup of brown rice. I have the weight control oatmeal, non fat yogurt, and cottage cheese. Also, the low sodium soups. Sometimes a cup of soup between meals really helps me get through a day where I'm ravenous. (usually the week before my period) Anything with fiber, like an apple, some raw granola over non fat yogurt, or a fiber one bar helps me.

You can also try Spirutein shakes. They are not a diet shake, but they have spirulina in them along with alot of other vitamins and minerals. The spirulina helps me fill full, and keeps my blood sugar on an even keel.

I'm just getting started, but I do plan to have one day of the week where I have what I want for one meal. Maybe a dessert too, in order to help cravings the rest of the week. I have always busted my diets by being too restrictive.

Good luck.

Those are great suggestions.  I'll try them out.  Thanks!

Maybe you feel so hungry because your body is demanding something it needs...are you physically hungry, or psychologically craving food? Personally I have a hard time separating these, so I have to be really careful about staying within my daily targets, I am learning to listen to real body cues but am not there yet.

That said, it sounds more like you are actually physically hungry. On 1800 calories daily, a very low-fat diet would be about 15 or 20% from fat, which translates to 30-40g of fat, but a more reasonable level is 25-30%, which is 50-60g of fat. These ideally come from "good" fats, like nuts, fatty fish like salmon, olive oil, etc. Maybe your body is demanding more of something it needs. Fat in food is not the enemy - we need it - it's just important to watch where it comes from and not to excess.

Also...I find that the balance that keeps me most satisfied AND losing weight consistently has a relatively high proportion of protein (27%). I love proteins! Chicken, pork, fish, low-fat cheeses and yohurt, nuts and seeds make up most of my proteins. Some dinners I skip the carb entirely and just have a double portion of meat with a big pile of veggies (usually on days I had a sandwich for lunch and crackers for snack...) it's a good balance and works really well for me. With all the lean protein choices we have today, the fat stays within a reasonable limit too. And honestly, I have never had any guest complain when I seved them a grilled pork tenderloin with bbq sauce, broccoli and mushroom stir-fry, and a side of wild rice medley, and complain that it's low-fat. Well my guest is usually my bf and he loves what i cook so I guessed that's a little biased :)

Of course there are different proportions that work best for different people, your post just struck me because I used to be all about the low-fat and it really ended up coming back and biting me on the patootie. I was always hungry and that way of life was just not sustainable for me, so I ended up falling off the wagon, and likely messing up my metabolism to boot...so in conclusion, lol, I would like to repeat fat is not the enemy.

And after all that...I sometimes actually have my fat levels so low in a day, that I actually decide to go ahead and butter something, just for fun! I guess the low-fat habit is hard to break. I have a bunch of recipes I have made to be low cal/low fat, though not too too low fat, if you are interested....like jalapeno mushroom burgers. I use bulgur wheat and mushrooms to replace some of the beef, they are delish!

Also are you drinking enough water? Sometimes our bodies confuse thirst for hunger. Just a thought.

Yes, I get enough water.  I fill my water bottle several times a day at work. 

I think victoriagirl is right.  I probably need to increase my fat intake.  I have been craving almonds forever but they are so high in fat that I avoid them so I don't use up all of my allowed fat in one sitting.  The program only allows me 33 grams per day.

This program is the first to work for me in a long time.  Probably because I have to turn in my eating and exercise journal every week.  Being held accountable makes me follow more carefully.

I caved in and ate 2200 calories today.  I feel good now but I could still eat my whole kitchen if I allowed myself.  The only thing stopping me is that I have to weigh in tomorrow.

Thanks for everyone's encouragement and patience.  I really appreciate all of your help.

I think maybe I'll try more protien in the morning like you suggest, liswobble.  I totally avoid coffee and all caffeine.  I get too jittery and my legs have to do the cha-cha all the time if I have any.  Even chocolate can cause it (restless leg?) if I eat it late enough in the day.  Then I can't sleep because I can't hold still.

I avoid refined carbs too.  I like the whole grain products I can make or buy.  Thanks!

I would love to see some of your recipes, victoriagirl!!  Thanks!

I second the recommendation on adding healthy fats. They make a huge difference for me in feeling satisfied and not hungry.

 High (really high)  protein shakes,  just water, ice and fruit in the blender with Met-Rx Protein,  every two hours,  will keep the physical hunger away.  Cravings for "Tasty treats"  can only be overcome through exercise,  30-40 mins per day,  and other activities that can't coincide with eating, gets your mind off food food food.

You are doing great at 1-2 pounds per week. BTW,  any weight loss must be sustained for 6 months or your body will gain it back.  So set your calendar.

Protein shakes keep well in a thermos throughout the day.

Thanks, hanmick, for your protien shake idea.  I'll get over to our tiny health-food store today to see if they have any protien powder in their bulk section.  Miles City, MT is only about 9000 people strong but we even have a Walmart.  Billings is only 2 hours away so if I can't find what I need here, I can go there one of these weekends.

I ate an egg white omlet with red bell pepper for breakfast today, along with dry WW toast, some strawberries and skim milk.  I feel pretty satisfied this morning.  It sure beats the feeling of a full stomach but hungry mouth.

I agree with the fats suggestions and second your desire to eat almonds.  I keep a stash of pistachios which are 200 calories per 1/4 cup.  I eat them to either satiate my hunger (when I'm at risk to binge) or to augment my calories (when I'm not that hungry).  I think pistachios are cheaper and have a sweet taste to them too. 

I don't know if it fits with a diabetic diet but I will "eat" a bowl of V-8 juice heated up like tomato soup, with garlic powder sprinkled in it.  Cheap way to get in veggies and soups have a way of filling us up. 

Great idea with the V-8/soup.  I'll try it!  Thanks.