I love this board for the variety of responses too. You've heard from the high protein and the high veggie crowd, now for a "tail of the distribution" voice for higher fat. IF nothing else works, spend an extra 100-200 calories a day on the good fats - fresh coconut, walnuts, sunflower seeds, avocado, canned salmon, olives. When I go below 30% fat, my hair starts to break, my nails shatter, my skin flakes off, and I can't think. It's a harder row to hoe, because the portion sizes are smaller due to the denser energy, and visually less satisfying ... but the "hang time" of a meal is extended and I don't feel a need to snack, which helps me keep my total calories in line. I'm kind of an outlier with this - yet it works, and my blood chemistries have never been better. Your results, of course, may vary - it's just another avenue to consider as you settle into a lifetime of eating the way that works for you. Good luck!

Barring any special circumstances, weight loss mainly comes down to calories in/calories out. However, there are ways to regulate your calories without actually counting calories, weighing & measuring food, etc. I think someone else alluded to exchange plans. That's one way to do it. Some folks on this board have had success with this.

Another method of practicing portion control (thus, encouraging calorie limits) is something called the No-S diet (google it). Weight loss is generally pretty slow on that plan, but those who have been successful with it swear by it because it's a moderate plan that is easy to follow.

Good luck!

you've deffinately got a point!

i think all of the listed, mentioned, and written about strategies DO work, at some point in time, for somebody. but they don't always work at the same time, for a particular person at any given time.

not only may it be diet fatigue, but also a mental fatigue. i recently read in a book, that we as people are happiest when we are learning, or getting better at something- it's why people switch hobbies. it's what a healthy lifestyle is about too isnt it? being happy with yourself! maybe you get tired of a plan, or your body gets tired of a plan, and you just need to switch it up!!

keep your head up, and keep learning!

The only way that I'm able to stay on such a small amount of calories is because I mix vegetables into nearly everything, which results in me being fuller for longer because I'm eating more volume.

I'd probably take that pita wrap and add a whole bunch of broccoli slaw, or spinach, cucumbers, peppers, mushrooms, etc to bulk it up and make it into a monster wrap for few calories.

I'd take that baked chicken and pound it out, adding all kinds of vegetables to the inside - broccoli, artichokes, spinach - whatever combos work for your palate, and roll it up to bake. 3oz of chicken can feel like so much more and so much richer when you have all kinds of low calorie vegetables (and maybe even a little bit of Neufchatel, cotija, or another cheese that gives you a lot of flavor "bang for your buck") right in it.

Same with the starch for your dinner. If you mix your starch (1/2 cup of rice, for example) with 1/2-1 cup of cauliflower rice or saute a bunch of non-starchy veggies and mix with the rice (I like cabbage or a spinach/pepper/onion mix), you'll have the same portion for fewer calories.

Your potatoes can be mixed with rutabaga or celeriac, or even turnips for a similar flavor. I'd cut up the root vegetables and roast them with the potatoes, leaving potatoes to be 1/4-1/2 of the entire tray. Mashed potatoes and baked fries can be mixed with the same veggies (or other low calorie root veggies) almost undetectably, or steamed cauliflower can also be mixed in.

Volume is my key to not straying from healthy choices.

I have to say that I have learned some things from you ladies today. I just wanted to say that at one point when the scale was not moving; I was told that perhaps I wasnt eating enough protein. It was suggested that I have an egg for breakfast instead of the oatmeal or yogurt; or a spoon of peanut butter on an apple for a snack. I discovered that when I did incorporate more protein along with all the vegies and fruits; the scale started to move again. You have many supportive buddies here and I think you will see a difference soon!

This really works well for me, too! I'm all about volume!

Well that makes so much sense to me! I switch diets every few months or year or so. The diet works, it doesn't, I switch. Although I felt sort of guilty about it (like I can't stick with something, I spend too much money on promises and hope, etc.), I realized the newness and the structure was working. Now I feel better about it!

Do you workout at all?
If not, then maybe you could start doing that...this way you can up your caloric intake and still burn it off.

Calorie counting isn't for everyone, and weighing/measuring food isn't for everyone! Different things work for different people. BUT I measure or weigh ALL my food, and it doesn't take any time away from my 2 kids (3 yrs and 7 months), just wanted to put that out there. It takes like 2 seconds to put my bowl on the scale and add the yogurt to it to make sure I get the correct portion, it doesn't consume my time at all.

You do just have to find what works for you, and I hope you do!!!

Would eating larger quantities of food help? My diet looked like yours at first, but I now eat PILES of vegetables,* which I don't count in calories. Mostly I roast or grill them on a big baking sheet, and I count only the 2 tsp of olive oil I use on them. I pile them into pitas and on sandwiches, eat them as a side to my protein with some balsamic vinegar or lemon or garlic salt, cold from the fridge in salads, put poached eggs on top (protein!). It's pretty hard to eat much more than 200 cal of dark green or red/orange vegetables in a day, and they end up being very satisfying. Took a while to retrain my menu planning but now it's perfectly normal.

*Examples of my "free vegetables" are peppers, tomato, beets, carrots, eggplant, zucchini, onions, mushrooms. Some of these are a little higher cal but it's worked out OK for me this way. Beans, potatoes, corn, sweet potatoes I do count cals or rather portions for.

The protein thing helped me too, and also NOT going fat free for breakfast. All I changed was adding whole milk or 1/8 cup walnuts to my oatmeal instead of skim milk, and I stopped having horrible cravings every day by 10am. I compensated by not eating a starch (potatoes, pasta) at dinner and swapping in vegetables.

To be honest, I've been really bad with calorie counting in my adult years. (I used to be so good at it when I dieted when I was a young teen! It definitely made me crazy though - I became very obsessed with the numbers and have since given up on it. So I totally get where you're coming from). I look at it in terms of meals. I have 3 meals a day (although now I'm substituting 1 meal with a protein shake) and 2 snacks. (One of my snacks is usually a Control chocolate bar which regulates your blood sugar and fills you up) Whenever I eat I try to make sure I have a healthy balance of protein, good carbs, and vegetables/fruit. Even my snacks. It's the best way to regulate your blood sugar and that's what makes you lose the weight.

I buy my snack and shake products from Delight Medical in case you're looking for diet food. It's an easy way to regulate what you eat without having to think about it, or count calories.

The only way for me not to be famished is to make sure I'm eating plenty of veggies, protein, and healthy fats, but veggies especially. I don't eat low carb, but I have to be smart about my carbs. I base my meals around veggies, but have to include protein at every meal and snack or else my cravings go wild! Maybe low or lowish carb or grain-free might be a good ways of eating to try (as long as you get lots of vegetables and green things). I personally ended up ditching grains almost entirely, but I don't put any absolute restrictions on any foods other than the ones I am intolerant of (gluten and corn). And since I mentioned that, it might be helpful to know that undiagnosed food intolerances can also cause intense cravings and that feeling like you cannot stop eating. Just something to think about.