Tricks to curb appetite

Different people find different eating styles sating, so you may need to experiment.

First, with only 10-15 pounds to lose (especially when you have what I assume to be muscle gains to preserve), losing really slowly (half a pound a week or less) is a really good idea. Chief cause of hunger? Under-eating for one's current stage. (Not the only cause, of course.)

Second, when making a cut in calories, there can be an adaptation period, adjusting to new eating habits. If that's true for you, and you're eating enough calories, then you might need to tough it out. (I hope not, but . . . .).

Third, good overall nutrition. Cutting calories while eating in the same general way pretty much unavoidably reduces nutrient intakes. If something was borderline to start, it could be distinctly sub-par at lowered calories. Sometimes when we're not getting enough of what we need nutritionally, it can be expressed as general hunger/appetite, or cravings for foods that are don't resolve the specific problem.

Fifth, eating choices and satiation. You have two main variable: What you eat, and when you eat it.

Like I said, this gets very individual, so you may need to give it some thought, experiment with different routines for a couple of days at a time, see what works for you.

On the timing side, people do everything from all-day grazing on small amounts at a time, to one meal a day (or less, sometimes - that version I'm skeptical about, personally, especially for people with athletic or physical performance goals). For those who like a big meal, or for whom firm rules is helpful, etc., may benefit from one of the intermittent fasting routines, eating all their food in a shorter time window, or having 5 days a week at maintenance calories and 2 days at very low calories. Others feel less hungry with multiple meals and snacks, or structured meals (2 or 3 or so a day) but no snacks. You can figure out what works for you, all the rest of us can do is tell you what works for us, give you ideas to try.

On the food choice side, besides good nutrition, some people do better if they "spend" discretionary calories on more protein, more fat, or more high-volume foods (such as lots of colorful high-fiber veggies), or more fiber intake generally. Some people find that appetite/cravings reduce if they eat low levels of carbohydrates, some all the way to keto. Others find that the carbs they eat don't affect their appetite, or that their energy level tanks if they take carbs too low. Some people find that if they focus on so-called "whole foods" or "less processed foods", they feel more full more often.

There are also specific foods, for some people, that are extremely filling. A common one, according to research is whole potatoes (like a baked potato with skin - obviously, need to watch the topping choices). There's a list of those foods at this link:

http://ernaehrungsdenkwerkstatt.de/fileadmin/user_upload/EDWText/TextElemente/Ernaehrungswissenschaft/Naehrstoffe/Saettigung_Lebensmittel_Satiety_Index.pdf

Yes, it's a German link, but the document is in English. First page is a list of foods, later in the doc is the explanation of the research, in both English and German.

For me, as an individual, what works (but may not apply to others): Good breakfast with plenty of protein (rolled oats + Greek yogurt with berries is almost magical for me); adequate protein through the day; some meal (usually dinner) with high volume (I try to eat 10+ 80g servings of varied/colorful veggies/fruit daily, but that's pretty statistically extreme TBH); eating a small snack if I'm getting crave-y and a meal isn't coming up soon (especially if I'm about to grocery shop or face food temptations); 2-3 main meals, depending on the day's schedule. Different people find different formulas helpful.

Sixth (bet you thought I was done counting!), non-food things can matter. If your sleep quality or quantity is sub-ideal, that can increase appetite, particularly by evening (body is fatigued, so seeking energy). If your stress level is high, that can also cause fatigue. If you have habits of eating at certain times or while doing certain things, that can express itself as appetite/cravings. If you're bored or emotional, sometimes that can come out as appetite at reduced calories, even if it hasn't been an issue at maintenance calories. If the root problem isn't nutrition or minimally adequate energy, the solution isn't food.

Apologies for the essay, and best wishes!