I had that problem for a while too. Since switching over to eating more whole foods & less diet foods I don't have that issue anymore. I define diet foods as low/no fat, reduced calorie, 100 calorie pack etc style foods. l me up & then I get all hangry... Instead I pick portion controlled whole fat items. I also make a point of eating more anytime that I exercise.

My weight fluctuations have evened out too since switching which is nice!

80% of the time I eat:

Oatmeal + nuts + frozen fruit for breakfast (typically 3/4 cup dry old fashioned oats, 1 tsp nuts, & 1 cup frozen fruit). This normally tides me over until at least 11 if not noon.

Snacks: One or two of the following 1/8 C almonds, 1 Cheese Stick, 1/2 C Cottage Cheese + 1/2 C Frozen Fruit, An Apple, 1/4 lb of carrots, 1oz Pretzels, 1 C grapes

Lunch: Leftovers or a baked sweet potato or 1/2 an avocado on whole wheat toast + a fruit or veggie if I am still hungry

Snacks: One or two of the following 1/8 C almonds, 1 Cheese Stick, 1/2 C Cottage Cheese + 1/2 C Frozen Fruit, An Apple, 1/4 lb of carrots, 1oz Pretzels, 1 C grapes

Dinner: variety but always focus on having a large amount of protein & non starchy veggies.

The big thing is to eat often enough that your hunger doesn't make you "stupid" & to pick things that fill you. I will choose cheese over an apple if I am hungrier because I know the cheese will keep me filled longer.

Good luck!

I'm a keto girl, and fat is your answer. Good, healthy fats. Most of my calories come from fat and I don't get the munchies between meals. I've been keto for over 2 years, and didn't make the switch lightly or misinformed. Go take a peek at my food diary...
Also, lots of good info on the lifestyle out there. I'd be happy to answer questions too!

Best thing I can say is to drink a lot of water. Sometimes your body thinks that being thirsty is actually being hungry, when it's not. If you stay super hydrated, your stomach will also feel fuller when you do eat. Trust me it works!

I keep my meals small, so I can "graze". For instance: I have a long commute, so, I chop breakfast in half, and eat some before my drive and the rest at work (while my co-workers are scarfing theirs down as well).

Yogurt was my go to but I cut out dairy to see if it clears my acne (almost 3 weeks in and not too shabby). So, boiled eggs are my goto for a protein fix. That or a bit of avocado.

When I'm ravenous and want to bulk eat, however, I prefer banana or cantaloupe. I'll eat an entire melon in one sitting, and get the satisfaction of feeling overly full without damaging my Calorie Count.

One other thing to consider is how much sleep are you getting? If you don't get enough, your body's natural "I'm full" mechanism doesn't kick in and you're constantly hungry. I wonder if that's not a contributing factor if you've tried higher protein and whole grain foods and still you feel so hungry.

You also may just need to eat 6 small meals per day instead of the regular breakfast - lunch - dinner.

It's zero hour. You're home from work, you've eaten dinner, you've eaten your snack, and you've eaten your emergency snack...anything more and you're going to go overbudget on calories. What's a girl to do?

The other suggestions (greens, protein) are awesome during the day, but my biggest struggle comes at night, so that's what my suggestions focus on.

(1) Do a "hunger check." Are you hungry enough to eat a bag of carrots, or do you want ice cream? If it's the latter, suck it up. You're not hungry.
(2) Drink water. A liter of it or more, and let it sit for 20 minutes. Read a book or watch TV while it's settling so you aren't tempted to move toward the kitchen.
(3) If you pass through steps (1) and (2) and are still starving, eat. I keep a tub of sugarless jello (40 calories) and cucumbers (40 calories ish, each) and pick one, depending on if I want something sweet or not.
(4) After eating, let it sit for 20 minutes. Distract yourself.
(5) If this doesn't stop the binge, eat whatever it is you're craving and put the calories on the next day. It's easier to cut down at breakfast (or lunch) than it is to deny yourself food when you feel like you're literally starving.

I am really trying to keep my macros 40/30/30 at every meal, as it is fantastic for avoiding snacking and keeping me full. I just feel a lot better compared to when I tried high fat/low carb or low fat. So for me, if I am REALLY craving a sweet treat, I have an affogato - 1 shot of espresso and 1decent scoop of sugar free ice-cream. It is 92 calories, feels super indulgent and pretty much fits my macros perfectly. I have decaf late night if needed.

I read the one about cottage cheese and tomatoes - I will try that one. Also the idea of eating more frequently is good too. I keep an easy salad in the fridge. cucumber and red onions in rice vinegar. You can sprinkle roasted sesame seeds too.

Some of these ideas are so good! I find I had the same problem but after testing (many, many, many) different options I find these work the best for either a meal (if paired with something else) or a snack.
- Hard boiled eggs
- avocado and some crackers with siracha and some light laughing cow cheese if you have the calories.
- overnight oats with peanut butter and banana
- eggs in the morning for breakfast or an egg with avocado and whole wheat toast
- my three ingredient granola bars keep me going when I'm really hungry
- Source yogurt or piece of cheese
- half a cucumber
- grape tomatoes
- really any vegetable since I try to make that my "go to"
- nuts!

I find that what has helped me the most in combating hunger is managing how I eat my carbs. I find that if I eat oatmeal and peanut butter in the morning, I am starving almost less than an hour later. I think it is because that high amount of carbs gives me a rush and then when my insulin kicks in because of all the carbs I am crashing soon after. This leaves me super hungry and eating even more carbs.

I have found that since I have went to a lower carb diet that I don't feel as hungry as often. For breakfast I eat lots of protein and just a small amount of carbs. ( 1 oz of banana, or 1 slice of Ezekiel bread). Then for lunch and Dinner I eat about 2 oz of carbs.

Also if I decide to eat carbs, I always pair it with protein. This has really worked for me and I am no longer starving all day and fantasizing about eating mac N cheese.

I also drink about 2.5 liters of water a day too.