it's becoming more and more obvious to me that I have no clue what the heck I'm doing....


I'm hungry almost all the time, and therefore I am constantly tempted to eat things that I shouldn't. I am tired of being hungry and cranky.


any advice on things to eat that can help fill me up but that don't have a lot of calories? I'm currently trying to plan out everything I eat for the day, but it's really hard for me.


Thanks for being patient with me

I'd suggest you find an online tool, like FitDay: http://www.fitday.com/ There are others as well--myfooddiary, Livestrong--assuming that you aren't using one already. It sounds like you're just guessing at what and how much you should eat. That doesn't work very well, as you are finding out. You may need to put more work into it, and learn more about nutrition, calorie counts, target calorie levels, etc.

Good luck!
Jay

I agree with Jay completely.... if you aren't following a program like weight watchers or something that spells it out for you then you need to research different things.... and remember to feel satisfied you need a good balance of everything, especially lean proteins which give you a full feeling that last longer then say carbs that can make you feel extremely full however it doesn't last long so in an hour you are hungry again. Do some research on one of the sites jay listed, sorry im no help with websites, i do weight watchers, but that can lead you in the right direction.... it does take work, so dont get frustrated!! stick with it, your doing great just by coming and asking for help.... but an example of what i have had today... which i follow weight watchers so im not exactly sure of what my calories are exactly since we follow a points system but this might help

Breakfast
2 eggs
2 pieces of 12 grain bread
1 slice of cheese, 2% milk kind
1 cup of skim milk
that left me rather full so for lunch i had
4 tablespoons of Hummus
2 cups of raw carrots, peppers, and cucumbers (use that for the spoon to my hummus
1 Full Fat (4.5g) Key Lime Greek Yogurt

That so far has left me very satisfied.... I also drink hot tea if i feel im getting what i think might be hungry.... that is where im having to learn to know the difference in being truely hungry and bored.

I hope this helps!!! once you get it you'll do great!!!!
just stick with it and don't let frustration win!!

Emerald, if you are doing it yourself, try to eat like a cave person.The Paleo diet is the easiest to follow.Its not real hard, eat protein, veggies and fruit. Pack your lunches and add some more extra raw veggies.
Instead of being hungry all the time try to eat when you are hungry.After a few days of eating when you are hungry, your body will realize that you don't need the fat and it will go away.
Add some exercise and again start small. Resistance training and a little cardio(walking, jogging, swimming)But, go slow and big up.

good luck,
Melmelvin

Like Jay said, you may have to start calorie counting and reading up on macronutrients and such, especially because you are close to your goal weight.

Learning about protein/carb/fat ratios and fiber intake helped me tremendously. I now count everything carefully each day and have been able to identify patterns of what fills me up, what leaves me hungry, and what I need to really avoid.

It may take a bit of trial and error at first. I remember the first few weeks of calorie counting (I use My Fitness Pal) and using up ALL my calories right around lunchtime without having gotten half of my daily protein requirements! I now have a much better idea of what I need to eat... if I have any sort of grain or fat for lunch (pizza, pasta, sandwich), I already know that my dinner needs to have lots of veggies and a low-fat protein (tofu, egg whites) in order to ensure I get enough protein without going over calories. I also know which fiber sources and in what quantities I need to include. These sort of mental calculations become quite easy after a while.

Tracking these will help you with your hunger. Many, many people stay full and satisfied after eating sufficient protein and fiber, and curbing the carbs. Tracking your intake is the first step in figuring out what works best for you.

As far as low-calorie foods that fill you up... veggies veggies veggies Huge salads, carrots, pumpkin, squash, eggplant, peppers, beets are all very low-calorie so you can eat pretty decent-sized portions of them. (Bonus: eating lots of veggies gives you tons and tons of wonderful nutrients.)

try to stick to whole foods as much as possible - fresh veggies as a main focus, a reasonable amount of fruit and lean protein sources. Grains should be whole grain. Limit processed foods. Those choices will give your more food for your calories.

Make sure you are drinking lots of fluids - sometimes thirst registers in our brains as hunger (plus with higher fiber whole foods you need more water).

and fwiw, I am on a very low carb plan and while the first few days are sometimes rough, low carb is fantastic as reducing hunger for most people.

Yes Emerald Eyes....I am in the same boat. I am hungrey all the time.