Not feeling full on 1800-2000 cal

It all depends on the food you are eating. Look for foods that aren't as calorie dense as the food you currently eat.

Lean cuts of meat and lots of veggies will go a long way towards filling you up and not taking up all you calories. On days I focus on that, like last night, I was so full I couldn't hit my daily calorie goal. On other days (like Sunday) I crave a Big Mac and I could easily eat my whole days worth of calories in one sitting if I am not careful.

Are you drinking lots of water? Eating high fibre, high protein foods? Eating veggies/fruits to give you extra nutrients? If yes to it all then I bet it's either mental or just a transition.

If you feel hungry, you can try:
1) Eating more protein- helps you to fill up faster.
2) Eating more "voluminous," calorie-sparse foods like watery veggies (lettuce, raw broccoli, etc.)
3) Eating more fiber.
4) Eat sufficient fat. Many diet foods are low fat, but eating some fat with your diet allows you to feel satiated for longer. For example, I started taking a fish oil supp with a small breakfast, and I noticed that my hunger stays away for a while, even when I have a late lunch.

I wouldn't worry about those people saying that they can't lose on 1200 calories a day. Most of these people are in denial/unaware about how much they eat & are severely underestimating their calorie intake or, in rarer cases, have a medical condition. Often times, such people aren't weighing their foods, avoid logging on the weekends or cheat days, etc.

Water, water & water.

Good fats, lean protein and lots of veggies & fruit. You can eat whatever you want as long as you work it into your calorie intake.
Good luck, your body will adjust, you will be surprised!

I took a peek at your diary, here is my recommendation.

Your chicken and steak portion sizes are too large. Instead of eating 14-16 oz of chicken or steak during a meal, eat 3-4 ounces and mix in some vegetables.

The psychological part is getting over the feeling that you have to be full. You don't need to feel full all the time and it will get better as time goes on and your body adjusts. If you want that stuffed full feeling invest in some broccoli. You will literally explode before you go over your calories eating it.

Also, what is your definition of "full"? Are you looking for that stuffed feeling? There is a difference between being truly hungry, adequately full, and stuffed. I had to let go of that stuffed feeling, as that was a clear indicator to me that I ate way too much. I had to re-learn what full truly means.

The bread part- I eat the Sara Lee 45 calorie bread. It comes in whole grain (my fave) or honey wheat. It's really quite good. And it's soft too.

I like this one too. It's a bit thin for sandwiches but popped in the toaster it's really good.

I was looking at your diary for today (1/29) and I have a few suggestions. Instead of white bread switch to whole grain bread, also try not to consume to much of it, although grains are good more food for less calories with longer lasting satisfaction can be found in nuts, rice, potatoes, veggies, meat and quinoa. Canned soup also tends to have a lot of calories but isn't very filling because of added sugars and fillings. Sugar becomes quick energy and soon makes the blood sugar crash leaving you hungry sooner. Also try drinking water with every meal, it will give you a fuller effect with less. Eating less calories means you will never feel "stuffed" and it might take a while to not feel any hunger. Try to eat at the same time everyday, and about 5 to 6 times a day, that way your body wont feel like it is starving.

it takes some tome getting used to that is for sure. for me it took almost two weeks to be able to tolerate such a low intake and now i think back to what i used to consume and it turns me stomach. i know it sounds too soon to feel that way, but i am so focused on being healthy and losing this weight that i do not even think twice about it.

focus and moderation is what it is all about.

you can do it!

I don't know if this has already been said or if you even said it in your post (I read the title and first line and had to write this) but what you usually probably stuff your face with is simple carbs. This includes white sugars, pasta, white bread, white rice, POTATOES! etc.
These simple carbs pass through your body in 45 minutes to 2 hours depending on the person. These are TOO FAST and even if you eat lots, you can feel hungry again quite quickly. Stick to whole wheat pasta, whole wheat breads, brown rice, sweet potatoes and stay away from sweets (they're addictive!)

Complex carbs like whole wheat breads etc. are the largest molecules your body ever has to break down and digest so they can take up to 4-6 hours depending on the person.

Now, since you've built a habit of eating lots, simply switching to complex carbs won't solve the problem alone. You gotta include some will power in there too to keep you from eating the simple carbs and sugars.

Keep in mind that whole wheat options tend to have slightly higher calorie counts (like 30-50 calories more than their simple carb cousins from my experience) but it also keeps your metabolism working longer. (ideally you want to keep your metabolism running as much as possible!)

Hope this helps

I keep myself to 2000 calories a day and I am rarely hungry. Feel free to send me a friend request and view my diary. I should warn you that I only count 6 days a week. Sundays I eat whatever I want, so you might see some high calorie days.

Edit to add: Also, feel free to PM me if you have any questions.

I am new to my fitness pal but have been on a weight loss journey since jan 2011 when i had bariatric surgery. I started at 336 lbs and now weigh 173. my low was 166 last april and i am striving to get back there and hopefully below. I dont know what you eat but one thing that helps me alot is to not drink any calories i have been water only for two years. Also i eat a lot of protein (80 plus grams a day). My favorites are syntha 6 protein powder and pure protien peanut butter bars. Then fruit/veg and then i try to eat very few empty carbs otherwise. Your english muffin digests in your mouth and will not fill you up very long. At night I save enough calories to eat an apple with fresh ground peanut or almond butter.(so I don't have to go to bed hungry). Actually in the morning I often log i plan on eating that day so i know where i a have to make cuts or can afford to add. Like yesterday morning i had a power packed smoothy but it used a lot of my calories so i decided to not have a taco shell at dinner so that i would have enough calories for my apple. If i had wait until after i ate to log i would not have know that. I would try reducing your calories by 50 or 100 a week until you are losing 1 or 2 pounds a week and then stay there for a while. For me that is around 1500 but i do 6 days a week of intensive workouts. BTW I fight a raging food addiction every day so i know how hard it is. It does get easier when the drastic lifestyle changes become your new normal. Good luck!

I agree with the more water and swapping out simple carbs for complex ones. It helps A TON! I also agree you should go for high fiber/high protein. On days where I'm eating well I'm always fuller and rarely hit my 1300 cal goal. After looking at your diary it'd probably help to have bigger, healthier breakfasts. It helps throughout the day. If you have scrambled egg whites instead of full eggs and throw in TONS of veggies you'll end up much more full on much less calories than you will on scrambled eggs and toast. It's a learning process and your body has to learn you aren't always hungry when you don't feel "full". Just keep at it It'll get better with time