How long is it going to be like this?

I could give you an exact timeline but I can tell you that it does get better. I used to be able to pack away a rediculous amount of food but I just can't anymore. Don't get me wrong, I love to eat and I still eat more than some other people I know but it's still not as bad as it used to be.

One thing you may want to try is concentrating on quality over quantity. Processed, carby foods like dry cereal or bread tend to get processed quite quickly. So instead of having cereal and milk for breakfast, try having more proteins and healthy fats like an omelet with cheese and ham and veg or peanut butter and banana on 100% whole wheat toast. I eat protein with every meal including snacks because it's the only way I'll feel satisfied.

Also, try having plenty of healthy snacks on hand so you don't have to go hungry. Most fruits are 100 calories or less or you could have a handful of almonds and/or walnuts. Most of the time if I just need al ittle something to get me through those3-4 hours between my last snack and dinner, I'll have 1/2 Tbsp of peanut butter out of the jar. To me, a small snack is better than going hungry - plus most of the time if I allow that I won't end up eating as much dinner as I had planned.

Which brings me to my last point - try not to wait until your super hungry to eat. I know this seems like a good way to keep your calorie intake down but I've found it just leads to binging later in the day. Even if you're not hungry, have your snacks as planned to stave off that hunger so you don't end up overeating once the hunger really kicks in.

Keep trying different things to see what works best for you. Best of luck!!

P.S. Your profile pic is very sweet! :flowerforyou:

For the first couple of months, I anted to give up.. But I didn't! Your stomach grows accustomed to your new eating habits with time!

Good question. It took me around 2 weeks for this all to feel natural.

I would add that logging EVERYTHING that goes into your mouth has really helped me. If you have worked out your calorie goal for the day in MyFitnessPal and also your macro-nutrients, you will be able to quickly see what you can and cannot eat. As has been stated protein is more filling than fat or carbs and you can have 1 gram for each pound of lean body weight which for me is a lot. So if you get your calories from fish, chicken, meat, etc. you can eat quite a bit and still stay within your goals. Empty calories are your enemy. This does not mean I have not been hungry sometimes, but it has been tolerable. Of course your mileage may vary, but I really think logging everything as accurately as possible makes all the difference in being successful.

I've been brought up in a family where finishing your plate was pretty much mandatory. Learning when you're full is a strange process but if you put in some effort you'll start recognising it. This is really important for preventing a binge. When people say 'eat slowly and chew/enjoy your food' that's really all there is to it.

I made a point to always leave something on my plate, wait 10 minutes and if I'm hungry I eat it, if not I bin it.

I can't really help if you snack but I think you need to learn when you're really 'hungry' and need to eat, as opposed to feeling peckish and nibbling.

A simple thing that really helped me was to space out my meals and eat 5 smaller calorie meals throughout the day PLUS drink LOTS of water. Some days, upwards of 120oz.

YOU WILL DO THIS!

Generally about 2 weeks to get that feeling of being hungry, or knowing when you are hungry. You will just have to eat on a schedule and have faith that it will work out that your body will find it's way back to eating healthy amounts of food. I struggled with this in the beginning because I was used to huge amounts of food and I found that one of the things that helped was ALOT of water or unsweet tea to still give you that feeling of putting something in your stomach, but not having the calories go in. I think it is like when smokers give up the habit and they are used to having something in their mouth so they move on to gum and it fills that void a little bit. One of the things that threw me for a loop was the amount of feelings that I was masking with food and having to deal with them when I did not use food to numb them out. That was a roller coaster at first, but go easier over time. There are still times when something will come up and I will have to fight through the binge, but it is few and far between now.

You will get there and you are doing great taking this first step.

Best wishes!!!

How many calories do you eat? What is your exercise and lifestyle like? You shouldn't feel "full" but you also shouldn't be going to bed with your stomach grumbling

I love MFP but I found they set my goal too low initially! It set me as 1200 calories even though I have a very active lifestyle. I tried to do it, but after 2 months I did some research and realised I wasn't eating enough! In January I increased my calories to 1700 and ate about that until August when I hit my goal weight Yes I could have potentially hit my goal earlier had I stuck to the 1200, but if I continued to feel faint and hungry constantly, I probably would have given up! It just wasn't healthy! 1700 I ate was MUCH better for me and gave me the extra energy to keep up with my day to day life

and FYI, I used this calculator: http://scoobysworkshop.com/calorie-calculator/

I am very excited about making these changes, but when will this feel more natural?

It took me about a month to stop feeling hungry all the time. Part of that would have been conditioning, but equally as I started logging I became more thoughtful about what I was eating, and when.