(I also posted this in the 20-somethings forum, but figured I could get some really good feedback here too.)

Hi everyone! I'm having a bit of an internal dilemma and would like some feedback from y'all. I'm at a crossroads right now with my weight. My initial goal for myself was 130, but then I decided to make 120 my "pipe dream" goal. Right now, I'm wavering between 125 and 130. I've really been trying to do my diet perfectly lately, but for some reason I have been absolutely ravenous. I've been inhaling water to try and suppress my hunger--I drink at least 80 ounces a day. With all this, I can't shake the hunger and I end up cheating. Do you think this is my body telling me that this is the weight I'm meant to be at? This kind of hunger is something I've never experienced before while being on my diet, which I started in October.

If it helps, I'm 5 foot 3 and fitting into extra small, small, or medium sizes, or about a size 4-6. I even fit into a 2 today. I'm pretty happy with the way I look now, and I think with some toning I'll get the tight, flat stomach i want. I'm not really even sure why I picked 120-- it just sounded good to me and I was that weight at like 13 years old.

But I also feel like I'm giving up by not making it to the vanity goal I set. It feels a bit cop-outish to me.

On a side note, a saleslady was helping me find a dress in my size and she goes, "What are you, like, a 2?" Maybe she was just trying to make a sale, but I nearly fainted when she asked me that. A TWO? I'm flattered that someone would even suggest it.

Sorry for rambling, but I would love to hear your opinions!

Yes, I think you are probably at your setpoint weight - good job.

Just curious - what's a typical day's menu like for you? You may need to up protein or fat to be more satiated.

I think you can get to 120 - you're 4 inches shorter than I am, so it's very reasonable.
When I weighed close to 170 and got down to ~150, I kept telling people that I thought my body had found its "setpoint." I was resolved to not having the slender, lean bod I had yearned for. Turns out, I needed to tweak what I was doing and kick it up a notch: I lowered my caloric intake a tad more and stepped up my running.
The lighter one gets, the more effort has to go in to getting to where you want to be - you know that. I will warn you that I think your final losses will take a long time. (It's not unusual, when I'm in loss-mode, for me to take a month to drop a pound.)
As far as the intense hunger is concerned, I say, give in to it every so often. Folks here will disagree with me, and you certainly know yourself well enough so as to determine whether or not indulging every so often will cause you to spin out of control, but I see nothing wrong with having a high(er) calorie day when you're ravenous. Sometimes, it's just enough to allow the feeling to pass, and you're good to go for weeks afterward.
Good luck!

When I was trying to decide where to stop losing weight someone on here gave me some great advice. They suggested I let my final weight be dictated by what caloric level I felt was comfortable and reasonable to eat long term.

If you are ravenous at 125-130, and the diet is made up of protein and fiber rich foods, you probably need to eat a little more. If you arent eating enough fiber or protein, I would tweak that first, since those 2 things really make a world of difference in my hunger levels.

If you are ravenous now you will be even more so even if you can push thru to 120...and isnt quality of life much more important to you than a vanity goal being achieved?

You look great and your size sounds very tiny already

I agree with Claire you may need more lean protein and good fats plus lots of veggies...

I agree that you might want to take another look at your diet. Are you eating foods high in protein and fiber? Are you getting enough good fats? Are you making meals that include a lot of vegetables, which enables you to eat a lot in terms of volume without using up your calorie allotment? Making sure you eat the right foods could solve your problem with hunger.

Also, do you feel this way every day or just on certain days? It is possible to lose weight while listening to your body and giving it the extra calories it needs on the days when it tells you it needs them.