I find now towards the end of the diet for me I am getting hungry too. I have read since I have less fat to burn for energy that is why. I have been having more salads and drinking more hot tea.

I haven't really had a lot of true hunger during the 10 months I've been on IP except if I haven't eaten in about 4 hours. I have had a lot of habit hunger though. This is what happens at my desk at work in the afternoon or at home after dinner, relaxing in front of the t.v. This is the type of hunger that used to make me eat but since on IP I can't just eat all the time what I want, I have to learn to recognize what it is. This is why the techniques of distraction, hot tea, taking a bath, etc. work - if it is only habit hunger and not true hunger.

However, there have been occasional times when true hunger does strike because I've been doing more exercise or eating fewer calories that week. I find that after a many days of fish, chicken and tofu I need to have beef, lamb or pork for my protein for a extra calorie boost. I tend to also lose more weight if I mix up the protein like this. I also have an extra packet like the Blueberry pomegranate drink or raspberry jello as my first go-to packet. My coach said not to count these as one of my three a day because they are incomplete proteins and therefore are more like an extra collagen supplement.

My last tip is to try pickles. Cucumbers are also considered a freebie with my coach but I find they don't satisfy as much as having a couple dill pickles. Maybe it is the sodium that comes with them that helps.

I was often hungry while losing on IP. I drank hot herbal teas like Bengal Spice or Earth Light sweet and spicy..all caffeine free. Sometimes I would make an ice tea of those teas and add sparking rain to it for a cold drink. I went to sleep hungry many nights but was always happy when I woke up!

I have found there are three major causes to my hunger:

1. TOM (there is definitely an increase in cravings and hunger).
2. Had a higher carb day the day before(still on plan, but higher carb IP foods and veggies).
3. Not drinking enough water.

If i start getting hungry, I just try and drink a ton of water and push past it. An egg white as extra protein never seemed to help me much.

Jicama always fills me up...slice it like thick cut fries, chill them real good and eat them up during the day at work like a snack. :-)

I find that I enjoy the hunger pangs. Here is why. In the past I have done some visualization techniques. This is what I visualize: My body is a machine. That machine is powered by a power plant inside of me. That power plant takes the food I eat (fuel) and turns it into energy the machine can use. Unfortunately the foreman in charge of the plant is scared that he will run out of raw fuel so he stores it, a lot of it. I have put him on notice, if he doesn't start using the stored fuel he is fired! So every time I feel hungry I tell the workers to go to the fat stores if they need more fuel. I do belive in a mind body conection. I keep telling myself that I will be OK even if I don't hang onto the fat.

I love visualizations like this. I thought I was the only one that imagined a factory inside my body!