Deficit = Hunger ?

Definitely not. Not all calories are created equal. Take into consideration that 5 oreo cookies are 300 calories. 300 calories is also equivalent to a 224 grams of chicken, 100 grams of broccoli and 84 grams of hashbrowns (one whole meal).
The oreos weigh 54g, and the meal weighs 520g. If a person is reaching their caloric goal with real, whole foods they will be much more satisfied (hungerwise).... we all would prefer cookies sometimes.... and be more likely to stay less hungry even if they are eating at a deficit due to consuming a higher volume of food.

juggernaut1974 wrote: »

But different foods contain different macro and micro nutrients along with their respective calories (hhhmmmmm...isn't that what literally everyone has been saying all along?)

I think so.

I think hunger is part of the deal during weight loss, but that you adjust and it doesn't last forever. I think there is at least some discomfort but that just because it's uncomfortable doesn't mean it will last forever.

karmelpopcorn wrote: »

I think hunger is part of the deal during weight loss, but that you adjust and it doesn't last forever. I think there is at least some discomfort but that just because it's uncomfortable doesn't mean it will last forever.

These are my thoughts as well. I was hungry at first, but as I got used to less food and more exercise, I at first was able to ignore it, now I'm seldom hungry and I rarely think about it.

icemaiden37 wrote: »

Our stomachs don't have calorie sensors to tell us when we've had enough, but volume sensors. By eating food with less cals per gram you can still feel full on less calories.

I dieted for a bodybuilding show. I was allowed to eat as much of certain veggies (basically, the low cal ones) as I wanted but I was on a severe cut. I was hungry a lot. There were times when pure volume just didn't cut it. There are other factors to satiety as well.
Eating more volume helps, yes, but there can be other factors.

I think it's natural to feel hungry at some point in the day unless you are overeating, and perhaps even then. I suppose this might be overcome by careful meal timing and macro control, but it seems more natural to me to just wait until I feel hungry and then eat.

That's what I thought was meant too, like always feeling hungry or feeling generally unsatisfied.

There's physical hunger (stomach pain, feeling lethargic/disinterested) and there's mental hunger (day dreaming about McDonalds).

I personally feel a little of both while losing weight, if I leave it more than 4 hours to eat, my stomach will rumble. And after finishing a meal I do feel a dull urge to eat more, which is a mental thing.

In my experience the answer to your question is yes, you will feel some mild hunger throughout the day. Especially if you've been destroying double cheeseburgers for the past 10 years.

rainbowbow wrote: »

lemurcat12 wrote: »

That's what I thought was meant too, like always feeling hungry or feeling generally unsatisfied.

Well, like i said in my post... The less body fat you have to produce leptin (which suppresses appetite) the more hungry you may feel in general.

Ghrelin levels (which stimulate appetite) are directly related to the volume of stuff in your stomach or how far your stomach is currently stretched. So things like more water, more fiber, higher volume of lower calorie foods, protein/fat intake or foods that take longer to digest, these are all factors that can help with appetite.

There's also a physical hunger chart to determine where you fall into the scale and when you should/shouldn't eat.

The leptin thing is really interesting. Apparently leptin resistance can be an issue (although it seems everything about it is debated). Lyle McDonald has a series of articles about it: http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/fat-loss/the-hormones-of-bodyweight-regulation-leptin-part-1.html/

Some podcast I listen to (forget which one) was talking about it, and apparently even at lower bodyfat levels exercise helps you become more leptin sensitive, which is one reason exercise can be helpful for maintenance of weight loss.

My personal experience is that a little hunger at mealtimes or if you miss a meal (and aren't completely engaged in something else) is normal and not significant. Hunger where you feel like you need significant willpower or are whiteknuckling through the day isn't, and if you experience that when losing weight there's something going on -- either poor dietary choices (including for you specifically, as with people who say they get cravings or feel hungry when they eat too many carbs) or something mental.

I also think many people have this idea that one should never, ever be hungry and that hunger needs to be addressed immediately, which is one reason I personally dislike the whole eating constantly so as never to feel hunger thing. I realize that to large extent this is personal, though, and it does work for other people.

I've never really felt hungrier when losing weight (or when thinner) than when not -- my issue isn't hunger, but that I like to eat. I do find that I can't maintain as low a calorie level now as when I was fat, so maybe that's related to leptin, but I think it's more because I'm not as motivated to do so and am much more active.

sloth3toes wrote: »

3dogsrunning wrote: »

I dieted for a bodybuilding show. I was allowed to eat as much of certain veggies (basically, the low cal ones) as I wanted but I was on a severe cut. I was hungry a lot. There were times when pure volume just didn't cut it. There are other factors to satiety as well.
Eating more volume helps, yes, but there can be other factors.

3dogsrunning wrote: »

I thought OP meant an overall feeling of hunger, like having eaten your meal and still feel hungry. Or going to bed feeling hungry.
My overall strategy is to wait until I feel actual hunger then eat, but I've also done the numerous smaller meals to avoid getting hungry too.

I'm not exactly sure what I meant when I started the thread. Mainly I was asking if a feeling of hunger wasn't part of eating at a deficit. I should have know that we'd then have to define hunger. To me, it's the legit feeling that I'm hungry and feel as if I need to eat something.

I find it interesting that many of the replies refer to the calorie density of foods. Many of the replies seem to indicate that less calorie dense foods allow much more volume, which should fill a person up more. Some, seem to think that sometimes higher calorie dense foods are necessary for real satiety.

It's because any of that can be true. Satiety and satisfaction can be a very personal thing.