Hungry all the time!

Your body needs the nutrients to feel satisfied. That's why when you eat crap your body is still starving for the nutrients it doesn't get. I started to include a ton of vegetable into my diet and I eat them until I am stuffed. It works. I also make one or two "green protein smoothies" every day that include the following: 1 cup water, either 1/2 cup of orange juice or the juice of 1 lemon, 1 scoop 100% plant based protein powder, 1-2 handful of leafy green veggies like spinach, kale, swiss chard etc. and 1/2 cup of frozen mango. If the smoothie is too thick, I add a bit more water. This really really fills you up and you get your protein and greens in one shot. Try it!

I know that this is a point of contention here, but should I be eating back exercise calories? I use a fitbit and routinely overachieve my steps by a good deal (17,000) steps per day and I run about 15-20 miles a week. I have my calories set on lightly active as well, if that helps. Also, could lack of quality sleep have an impact on my feeling hungry every day?

With the fitbit, they suggest you set to sedentary and eat back your exercise calories. That's how MFP sets up your calorie estimates.

I am a chronic under-eater of allotted calories, but I do eat back any part of my exercise calories I feel like. If I walked that much and didn't eat them, I'd be starving too.

I also find that if I eat too many carbs - especially without protein - I get really hungry. I need to keep carbs under 45% or I'm hungry. Protein and fat really help.

Celery and Peanut butter always helped me

Wow that's a huge amount of carbs a day sugars and undereating of calories. I'd be ravenous if I ate what you do. Do you realise the more sugar and processed foods you eat the more your body craves? Do you eat any fresh vegetables?

I second this like a million times. For a while I was eating a ton of carbs, mostly my homemade bread (because it just tastes so damn good!) and yet I felt like a could never get enough to eat. When I started focusing more on fat and protein, the issue was resolved.

Wow that's a huge amount of carbs a day sugars and undereating of calories. I'd be ravenous if I ate what you do. Do you realise the more sugar and processed foods you eat the more your body craves? Do you eat any fresh vegetables?

I would love to see studies that prove this, since i don't believe it at all.

If you haven't seen the studies, then why don't you believe it?

Here you go: http://authoritynutrition.com/23-studies-on-low-carb-and-low-fat-diets/

Wow that's a huge amount of carbs a day sugars and undereating of calories. I'd be ravenous if I ate what you do. Do you realise the more sugar and processed foods you eat the more your body craves? Do you eat any fresh vegetables?

I would love to see studies that prove this, since i don't believe it at all.

If you haven't seen the studies, then why don't you believe it?

Here you go: http://authoritynutrition.com/23-studies-on-low-carb-and-low-fat-diets/

I see some results and conclusions there but no studies!

Who were the studies conducted on, what did each person eat? too many variable for me to buy that article.

I don't find I have a higher craving for more sugar or processed foods, that would be why i don't believe it!

Hit your calorie goals.

Also, increasing my protein intake has eliminated most of my hunger rumblings. I feel satiated longer than I do with carbs.

Give up the "light" foods and eat the normal/natural alternatives.They may add a few extra cals but with a slightly higher fat content (but often lower sugar content), you will feel more sated after eating for much longer.

Oh my gosh this back to school transition is so hard and with a baby, I can remember those days! I feel for you. Weekend: take a couple of hours with the baby strapped on your back or in a little swing, get some music going and prep. You will be so glad you did it. Here are some ideas or questions that have helped me:
Can you do some overnight oats with greek yogurt and berries and chia seeds and make up several at a time in jars for on the go, zero thought:drinker: breakfasts?
Can you make up a big batch of stew on the weekends for weekday dinners: crock pot of easiness no complicated recipe? Salad on the side can be as simple as a bag of pre washed salad mix and some cherry tomatoes.
Can you over the weekend make up five sandwiches and wrap 'em up to go, with a side of whatever pre-chopped veggies, etc that you want? Bananas, oranges, apples on the side?
Best wishes, being hungry is not good.

Make yourself some smoothies. Frozen fruit, greek yogurt, a little milk and ice and you've got protein, vitamins, fruit and they're pretty filling. Snack on some almonds throughout the day, also grapes, celery and carrots travel pretty well and you could snack on those items while cruising off to the football field. If time is an issue grab the precut stuff at the grocery store.

Someone else said this earlier and it's a big time saver, if you're running the grill to say cook a steak toss on some chicken breast, keilbasa, fresh veggies and grill up a bunch of extra stuff for the week and immediately package it in single serve containers. Also the crock pot is your friend during the summer too, toss stuff in there and let it cook, pulled pork is super easy and I love it on a baked sweet potato. Toss the pork in the crockpot with a little seasoning and touch of water, wrap a couple sweet potatoes in aluminum foil and let it cook down. You can even through corn on the cob right on top of that just keep it in the husk so it doesn't turn to mush. After 6-8 hours you've got a great meal and more than enough food for a couple containers of leftovers for the rest of the week.

If you're running 15-20 miles a week then yes you definitely want to eat back some of those calories, I tend to be hungry the day after my runs so on those days I eat extra so balance it out over the week instead of the day, that might help a bit with your hungry feeling. I only eat back generally half my calorie burn.