Eating under calorie Goal

Personally I feel your body getting the nutrients it needs is much more important than the number of calories you eat. When you do this your body feels full. If you just eat less nutrient dense foods your body is still "hungry" because now it is not getting the nutrients it needs and provising less calories to do it.

I typically eat 1500-1700 calories a day (about 500-700 calories less than maintenence) and I feel full most of the time. Sometimes I fall below the 1500 mark and fill this with some "dessert" 100 calories of dark chocolate or maybe a bowl of berries.

You need to eat closer to your goal. Try snacking on nuts. And supplementing your meals with protein shakes.

See, she knows what's up. Snack on some nuts.