Often hungry

Plenty of water and carrot sticks for me!

Coffee suppresses appeteite

I really never feel full. For me it is all about planning: I calculate all my calories I get during the day and them plan out what healthy meals and snacks I can eat for those calories and I stick to only eating what I have planned for. If I get hungry I either wait until my next meal time or eat a meal or snack early and risk being hungry later (I usually eat 5-6 times a day). I usually never feel full but I'm never really hungry either - I just get bored and want to eat and planning has really helped with that.

1400-1600 calories seems is quite low, so it is bound to be difficult. I have to do 600+ calories of exercise a day so I can eat properly. If you've just started it will take you a while to get used to being hungry because you're body can easily go and get the calories if it wants to, as it has before. It's about discipline and will power, and all that other stuff which is easier said than done, unfortunately.

Here's what I would do:
As others have said, drink a lot of water.
Make sure you are getting plenty of your calories from protein as this should make you feel fuller for longer.
Make sure you are getting most of your carb calories from vegetables - simple carbs (sugary foods, white bread, white rice, white pasta, etc.) will give you a lot of calories for only a small amount making you less full, more complex carbs (brown bread, brown rice, brown pasta, etc.) are slightly better, but vegetables are very low in calories, meaning that 100 calories worth of broccoli is going to be a much larger portion, and therefore more filling, than 100 calories of bread.
Make sure most of the fat you take in is from healthy fat sources. These are likely to make you feel satisfied, while being healthier for your body, and perhaps helping with the weight loss too.
Make sure you're getting in a good amount of fibre a day from what you eat, as this should be more filling.
Try to keep as much high-calorie stuff out of your house as possible, then if you can't control yourself you will have to snack on something healthy.
Learn ways to distract yourself from the hunger, or when you get hungry do some more exercise to earn the calories you want to eat.
Eat slowly so that your stomach will notice that it is full sooner - eat until you're just satisfied, rather than being full or stuffed.
Have a cheat meal/day every so often (no more than once a week). Set a date to make sure you aren't having them too regularly whenever you feel like it, and don't go too crazy on what you eat, but it may help satisfy your cravings and keep you going to have a regular release.

I've just looked at your diary. You seem to be hitting your calorie goal every day, rather than over eating?

Oh, and you're eating too much calorie-dense carbs! No wonder they leave you hungry!

I fill up on tons of vegetables - cooked, grilled, broiled, raw, topped with herbs, plain - you can eat & eat with veggies (no butter needed) and you get tons of crunch and/or flavor. Broiled eggplant is a new fav of mine, cucumbers are always good, fresh green beans raw, asparagus - find what you like!

Chew gum! Or keep celery sticks or carrot sticks on hand. & drink plenty of water!

Hi everybody,

I am 51 years old, female and at 1600 kcals for 5ft8 with 35.8 % body fat at 209 lbs. I log half of all the exercise kcals and usually eat them as well as I am often hungry and then get over my allowance. Actually, I am always hungry :-( .
At this rate, I maintain my weight but I don't really lose anything. I guess I should eat 1400 max. How do you control your portions ? How do you keep full ?
Thanks for your advice !

You need to eat stuff that keeps you full - protein does that, eat lots of protein.

I also space my three meals out during the day as evenly spaced as I can, if I do get hungry I just have to realize that it isn't long until my next meal.

Are you eating lots of veggies? I find that apples keep me full for hours. After eating one, I physically cannot eat another bite. Find something with lots of bulk. BTW, I am 58, 5"0", and weigh about 190.

It's already been said, but, try more protein. I keep boiled eggs in the refrigerator at all times. They are low calorie and full of protein.

They are also full of cholesterol and sodium, which can sometimes be deal breakers.

They are also full of cholesterol and sodium, which can sometimes be deal breakers.

Ignore this. Eat as many eggs as you like.

It's already been said, but, try more protein. I keep boiled eggs in the refrigerator at all times. They are low calorie and full of protein.

They are also full of cholesterol and sodium, which can sometimes be deal breakers.

Eggs are a brilliant food, why is this "they are full of cholesterol" stuff still abound on MFP?

They are not "full" of sodium either.

i work at a call center. VERY sedentary, but i drink water all day long. that seems to help. a couple weeks ago we got a protein shake and protein bars at Sam's Club and i've noticed i stay within (or below) my calories better since. i had a carb-heavy diet before that, and this seems to have evened me out. i also bring a couple hard boiled eggs to work. lots of protein and not too many calories, so its helpful for a mid-afternoon snack if my wrap isn't filling me up all day. and i try to exercise every morning and over lunch. that's a great appetite suppressant for me, too.

forgot one other thing: before MFP i wanted to feel 'full'. since MFP i'm getting used to the feeling of not being completely stuffed, but rather just satisfied. i guess i'll always be a little hungry, but i'm not starving. i think i just needed to get used to the 'new' feeling.

great, useful comments !