Good article, I agree with pretty much everything he says.

Controlling hunger is key, the caloric density point he makes is the focus I usually have on "what to eat."

I do periodically go to bed hungry...I still track points and if I have had what appears to be enough food/calories I won't indulge prior to going to bed. But if I am too hungry I won't sleep so it is a delicate balance.

WW has recently added a new philosophy that is a range of points to use each day, they take the daily + or - 3 and up to 7 weekly over as my range. Amazingly this has worked great for me in keeping me satisfied and I started losing, which is what I was hoping to do.

I am not often truly hungry whether at night or in the morning. I think for some/many of us folks the problem is "HEDONIC HUNGER"[ hedonism or pleasure driven]as in "I see this. I want this" rather than I am starving. I guess really speaking for myself that way.

My other big time takeaway from James Fell's articles is the value of NEAT ( nonexercise activity thermogenesis) a fancy phrase meaning moving more all day every day rather than just some scanty formal minutes in a gym etc. NEAT in one study accounted for extra calories burned from 100 (that's low) to over 700 extra calories per day. Actually in another study some individuals burned upwards of 1000 extra calories per day without noticeable activity. Use of fitbits and the like seem to help many folks. NEAT is not always detected by even fitbits but I think they are a good approach.

Also taking his articles a step further I believe for many folks moving a bit more can lead to eating a bit less because blood glucose becomes balanced without spiking when we move enough. Better blood glucose control helps with hunger in my view.

OK back to the QOTD of hunger.

I need to avoid situational hedonic hunger. They bring ya that dessert menu with the best ever wood fire baked adult s'more (​housemade graham cracker, ​chocolate spoonbread, caramel sauce, ​marshmallow) . Was I hungry? uh nope. Was my DD hungry?? uh nope. BUT my DD said she would share this amazing "worldclass" s'more with us if we wanted. Alas we didn't order it (really stuffed) but it was a 50:50 toss-up. I only remember one time in my life that I woke up hungry at night when I was maybe about 5 or at most 6 years old. A strange feeling. I store buckets of energy as glycogen and have more the genetic type of the "endurance" athlete. For the same reason I am not hungry in the morning either.

Having said all that BS I do feel a slight difference between "satisfied" and "stuffed". OK I do know stuffed and don't like that for sure. I just need to use portion control for sure.

Appetite reset?? I do think there exists "timed hunger" . We are hungry because it is a certain time when we are accustomed to eating. If we skip eating at night the hunger may go away to return at another scheduled eating time. I see this with folks especially with the time change and also with travel between time zones. Not sure if that plays a role but could I suppose.

Years ago I use to drink a beer and eat a snickers bar right after work just before driving home but I don't think it was "real hunger". That was a strange time.

Never go to bed hangry

I like and have experienced/witnessed plenty of anecdotal evidence regarding NEAT.
I also notice, along the lines of @podkey 's post, that I'm rarely hungry in the morning and also that even if I'm legitimately somewhat hungry, say, when I get home from work, if I go for a walk or bike ride or something, I eat less afterwards than I would have if I had just eaten immediately.

I disagree with going to bed hungry. When I do, I wake up at 2am ravenous and have a hard time going back to bed. I'd rather eat a 100-200 calorie snack before bed and have great sleep than to "save" those calories but have my sleep compromised.

I also agree with @lilybbbbb 's idea for a walk, any exercise helps to diminish hunger for me as well!

Often, I think I do control hunger (I know, it's not real hunger). I work largely from home so that provides me with some latitude with respect to my schedule, but especially my meals. I'm across the boards when it comes to feeding. When time allows, the first thing I try to be aware of is whether I am hungry and if so, how hungry. This is also in context with what I know is on the docket for the day and how it might influence my food choices relative to my point allowance. Some days, I'll choose to have a light breakfast--maybe just yogurt and half a whole grain tortilla with a teaspoon each of peanut butter and jam. Other days, I'll go for a heartier breakfast: apple, egg with ham, half a glass of milk, etc. I guess my point is that I try not to get stuck in a rut and if possible respond appropriately to my hunger that time of day in the context of what else I have going.

The other snacks and meals are often done similarly. Even if I'm eating out, I can make it relatively small--either in the meal choice itself or just by splitting it and taking some home. I find for me, my perception of hunger drives my choices and options snack/meal-wise. If I'm hungry I try to tend to it before it gets to be an insurmountable feeling. If I don't and I let it go too far, that's when I KNOW I will make bad choices.

I definitely do better to control hunger when I'm active. I found the NEAT article on-target for me. In my previous life I did a lot of field work; now not as much but still some. I'm not likely go get a gym membership but I often hike, snowshoe or just do physical activity around the property. I have noticed when I'm active, I'm usually engaged / thinking about other things (more specifically not thinking about food). So I think it helps on a couple fronts.

I have not intentionally tried going to bed hungry though I don't do anywhere near the amount of late-night eating before bed that I used to. I usually have something light in the early-mid evening. Occasionally I'll have a few spoonfuls of yogurt shortly before bed a couple hours later. Short answer: I don't know about the appetite reset. I'll have to give this a try.

I agree with Curt. Fell does present a lot of good no-nonsense ideas but it often isn't about physical hunger. Cinnabon craving is NOT hunger but a hankering . I too need portion control and a food budget. Want more steamed broccoli or brussels sprouts? Yes. A cinnabon? nope.