[Marchmallow]

Yesterday, I had like.. 1400, which is great, and I didn't feel deprived. But today I had 2270, and I've been hungry/thinking about eating all day. The annoying thing is, all of the food was really healthy, low-cal stuff. I guess I just ate too much! After counting up at the end, seeing that two cups of mashed potato contributed almost 400 cals as just PART of my dinner, I'm seeing how it was done... I'm still getting used to this calorie counting lark, hey?!

[KDuffer]

I generally find that when I overeat it's because I had too many carbs during the day. I just can't control my appetite when I'm eating a lot of carbs. Not sure if that's what it was in your case, it since it sounds like you're counting calories already, it may be helpful to look at your eating trends on the days you over eat to see if there is a trend of some trigger food.

Also, not sure what plan you're on but you shouldn't really be cutting calories or going hungry. You shouldn't gorge either, but under Atkins, for example, you're supposed to eat until satisfied. Cutting calories on top of eating low carbs is counter productive and could lead to binging.

[Nola Celeste]

Yep, it's definitely possible to go over your calorie budget even on nutritious home cooking. I've done it myself, believe me!

It does take some getting used to. As a child of the '80s, I remember when low-fat was ALL the rage; it wasn't the pasta on your plate that made you fat, they said, it was the meat sauce with its freight of fat. Somewhere in the back of my head lurked the notion that things like pasta and potatoes and rice should be the main constituent of a plan-friendly meal. I pretty much grew up overeating those things.

One great rule of thumb I read here and elsewhere is to fill your plate with half vegetables, one quarter protein, and one quarter carby stuff. I weigh and measure my portions, but having that guideline in mind also helps. I don't miss the extra mashed potatoes because it leaves more room for all the other sides I like.

As for feeling hungrier on certain foods, yep--that's the case for a lot of folks. I'm hungrier on 2000 carb-heavy calories consumed in two huge meals than I am on 1500 balanced calories spread out over five or six meals. Learning that took me a few weeks and a couple of holiday dinners, but now that I know it, it makes meal planning a lot simpler.