confused....

If you have been overeating for a long time your body will need to adjust slowly to eating less. Protein is the most filling so try to eat a large proportion of protein with each meal to fill you up for longer. Remember you are making a lifestyle change not going "on a diet" so it doesn't matter if it takes a while to get it right! 8lbs is great so well done on that and good luck

You need to get on the scale tomorrow morning and every morning. No one is going to hold you accountable for what you're doing but you. And when you get on that scale and realize that you've put two pounds back on after you busted your *kitten* to lose it you'll realize that extra bowl of cereal wasn't worth it.

Try googling "calorie deficit" and see what you need to cut back on to lose 2-3 pounds per week. Go to the store and buy a plastic gallon of water like milk comes in. Make a goal to drink the entire gallon of water in a 24 hour period every day. Drinking this much water will: initially drop some weight off your body b/c your probably holding water in b/c your body isn't getting enough, flush toxins out of your body from the weight loss, increase bowel movements, suppress your appetite and most importantly you'll see some bloating go down which will make your stomach smaller.

Don't give up and realize you're not going to see devastating results over night or even over a month. It took you a long time to put this weight on and it will take a little while to get it off. If you lose 2 lbs a week for six months you'll be dropping almost 50lbs! It's not too hard either. Just stick to a 1900 - 2000 calorie diet per day and you'll automatically drop 2 lbs per week. That doesn't include whatever cardio or excercise activities you add in. Those workouts and activity will only increase the amount of weight you will lose from 2 lbs a week to maybe even 3-4lbs. Just don't give up!

Cereal never satisfies me. I now avoid it. I think the milk is the most filling part about cereal. Try oatmeal, or some eggs. See if that helps.

Oh and I forgot to add that you should log every thing you eat on this website. Make sure you are specific with the type of food you're entering in and portion sizes and calories. The only way to know that you're meeting your daily calorie goal is to enter it in precisely. I know it is a pain in the butt but eventually you'll get use to it and if you have a smart phone you can use the mobile app which makes it even easier!

Making a dramatic shift in eating habits is tough on your body when it is used to doing things differently. Just focus on small changes at first (like cutting out soda, fast foods, processed foods, etc.) and getting in JUST 20 min of activity 4 times a week. Once these things are natural, cut out more "bad" things and increase your activity time or days per week. Just take it slow, making real and lasting changes take time but it is worth it in the end.

When you are losing your motivation and want another bowl or cereal, think of why you want this: to be healthy, to be more active, to look better, to have more energy, whatever. Really focus on this and the cravings will eventually subside.

Good luck!

p.s. 8 lbs is a great loss...focus on the positive and don't forget the importance of non-scale victories like measurements, clothes fitting better, etc. (i write lots of blog entry on NSV b/c my scale and I aren't exactly on the best terms as of late)

I have been overweight for so long...All my life, I have tried every diet known to man & I think my problem with hunger is not knowing the difference between true hunger vs. habit vs. just wanting something to eat. I JUST had a 1 cup bowl of cereal & I could go to eat again. Is it true hunger or just in my head....How do you break this CRAZY cycle Im in???

This is my 5th day of uncontrolable hungar. It started wednesday & has continued to today & I keep telling myself tomorrow is a new day. "TOM" is one week away, but I have never noticed this as bad as it is & maybe thats because I have never watched everything I eat as well as I do with MFP.

I have done well since joining 3 weeks ago & have lost 8 pounds (as of last tuesday). I am scared as hell to get on the scale tomorrow.

First off, congratulations on losing those 8 lbs. Way to go!

To answer your question about determining true hunger from boredom, habit, or something else, here are some new habits that helped me get past this same issue:

1. Eat small, balanced meals frequently. Try and get a reasonable amount of lean protein, whole grain, and healthy fat along with some fiber each time you eat. It's a little daunting at first, because you may have to get used to reading food labels and paying close attention to the amount of food you are eating. But if you stick with it, you'll get used to certain food combos that are great at keeping you feeling full.

The amount of food you eat should be approximately the size of your fist or the surface area of your palm. I know this sounds like it's not much, but if you are used to over eating, you may have to train your body to get used to eating smaller portions. Adjust per your personal needs.

For instance, you could eat a PB & Jelly sandwich with a medium apple. You'd need to use minimally processed PB, low sugar jams and whole grain bread too. The apple and bread give you fiber, as well as vitamins and minerals. The PB will give you a healthy dose of protein and good fat. The jam is mainly for flavor, so use it sparingly. If you smooshed the sandwich and apple up, it would probably be in volume about the size of your fist. Voila!

2. Drink lots of water. Many times people confuse thirst for hunger. So drink up! I tend to crave carbohydrates when I am thirsty. I've found drinking 12-16 oz of water will usually quell my craving provided I am eating enough nutritious food. Also, try drinking green tea. There are many flavored green teas that are quite palatable and help satisfy the urge to eat something for the sake of eating.

3. Real hunger will affect your mood and your ability to think clearly. For instance, I know I am actually hungry when I have a hard time staying positive or doing math like long division in my head. That's not to say that one may feel the urge to eat something when the are upset, it's just a little trick I use to check myself. For me, when I want to eat something when I am bored, I feel the urge to eat even though I can think straight. You may have to learn the subtle signals that your body sends you, which could very well differ from mine. The main thing is to become aware of them so you can make the best choices in order to stay healthy.

4. Dealing with Boredom: Sometimes when you are bored, you may feel the urge to eat in order to be doing something. I would recommend getting up and doing something else instead. You can go for a walk, do some yoga, or just clean up around your house. I like to make the time in between meals my time to get as much water down as possible. I make it a game and that keeps me motivated to wait and eat. If you are able to eat frequently, waiting a couple hours between meals isn't really that bad.

5. Eat only at your dinner table. Don't eat while watching TV or in bed. Sit down, chew your food thoroughly and enjoy each piece as you eat it. Put your fork/spoon down between bites and focus on how good the food tastes. Also, give yourself enough time to eat at a relaxed pace. This can be hard to do if you are busy, but I would recommend making this a priority. You'll find that if you eat more slowly, chew your food thoroughly, and savor your meal, you will feel fuller and more satisfied than if you inhaled your food quickly while watching TV or doing some other activity.

6. Set a timer for 20 minutes after you've finished eating: Why do this you say? Well it takes on average approximately 20 minutes for the body to feel full. By setting an egg timer for 20 minutes, you give pause long enough for your body to realize it doesn't need to eat more. You may also find that after 20 minutes, you're full and feeling satisfied. I used to do this after I had an issue with binge eating. I'd set the timer and tell myself "I will be full when this goes off". Sure enough, I was full nearly every time. Also if you can, during that 20 minutes, get up and do something. Doesn't have to be exercise, but something that will give your mind a chance to focus on something other than eating.

Lastly, don't try and make all of these changes at once. It will take time to break old habits. You can do this! Don't give up.