Two years ago I started a diet where I counted calories and exercised 6 days a week (Sunday was a free day) and over the course of like 7 months I lost about 50 lbs... One day I went off my diet and it was a downward spiral from that point... I gained like 20 pounds back within a couple months because I couldn't stop binging.. but I maintained the rest of my weight loss up until the last 3 months... At that point I was going through alot of stress and stuff and I gained back the last 30 lbs and I feel like crap, so I'm starting a diet again...

I started Monday, and I'm eating about 1400 calories a day and exercising for a half an hour... I was wondering if that sounds ok? When I did my diet the first time I only ate like 1100-1200 cals. and I don't think it was enough, well that's usually what I read.

My problem is that I'm always hungry... I eat 3 meals a day, and find myself starving like 10 minutes after I eat. Any advice for that, or will I just get used to eating less eventually? I mainly want to know if my diet plan sounds ok or not, because obviously, my last diet did not work... and I don't wanna repeat that again.

You should definitely eat if you are really hungry. I would also concentrate on making sure your meals are FILLING and not diet-crap (sugar free this and fat free yadda yadda). Lean protein, whole grains, fruits, vegetables, low fat dairy, healthy fats. There is also nothing wrong with snacks. I eat 6 meals a day - breakfast, lunch, dinner, morning snack, 2 afternoon snacks (sometimes an after dinner snack). I eat every 2 hours, I eat BEFORE I get hungry (since I tend to make dumb food choices when I get really hungry).

Finally, you gotta work on the mind set. You start/stop diets. When you stop, the weight comes back on. You used to overly restrict (down to 1200) which caused you to binge (I know that experience well, sadly). Sustainable change is key to long term success!

Make sure it is something you know you can do long term. That you are making lifestyle changes and not a diet that has a stop date. That has been my downfall in the past. I would lose weight, reach goal and go back to the same bad habits.

Keep plenty of healthy foods on hands and have a plan for when you eat out or go to dinner parties. And plan plan and plan, so that you always know you are in control of what you eat and the food does not control you.

Glory has given excellent advice as usual. And what Alwaybelieve said about planning ... yes!

As you are surfing around look at peoples' fitday links. You'll have an idea what they eat that is low cal but fills them up. But not mine today oink oink!

I'm with Glory. I eat six meals a day. Breakfast, mid-morning snack, lunch, mid-afternoon snack, dinner, and evening snack. Spread out your calories and I'm sure the hunger will lessen.

You've already gotten some of the best advice and I second all of it. I will add though that it's hard to say how many calories to eat when we don't know how much you weigh or if you're exercising.

For instance, if you are starting where I did, close to 300 pounds, 1400 calories of even nutrition laden food may not be enough. Even at my current weight (214) I'm losing weight successfully (1-2 lbs/week) at 1800-1900 calories (with very regular exercise), though everyone one is different regarding the right combination of eating/exercise and weight loss.

If you are looking to bring more nutrition filled foods into your diet, it may also help to think about this as a process. Most of us are not able to completely change our eating habits overnight (though there are some exceptions!), and gradually change and incorporate health -- especially as we read and learn more. I never would have imagined not only eating but LIKING whole grain pastas and breads, and not only do I LIKE them, they seem to keep me full longer than their "white" counterparts (part of why they are healthier).

Good luck! And reading and posting here a lot has been great for me!

I know I may get some people mad at me for saying this. But twice a day morning and mid afternoon. I make myself a nice hot cup of tea with benafiber in it. That seems to help fill me up. I think it is the fiber but it works great for me.

Classof06, i wonder the same thing you do... will it work this time? 2 years ago i lost about 40 lbs (175 to 135) on a really low calorie diet (doctor supervised but unhealthy and unrealistic nonetheless). I lost it in about 3 months and all i had to show for it was a smaller body. I hadn't learned anything and the minute i "took a break" from my low calories i gained weight. I would have weeks when i was losing were i would lose 5 pounds (midway through, not just during the first week) but then when i went back to my old habits i'd gain 5 lbs in a week. I was living in fear that it would all come back on. And eventually it did.

So there i was 2 years later with even more weight to lose. But this time i am taking my time and i am not going to extremes just to see a big drop for one week. I am constantly asking myself if this is something that i can maintain for my lifetime. I am arming myself with the tools to win this battle. I am teaching myself portion control and i am making activity a permanent part of my life. This time no foods are off limits and i am teaching myself that i can have anything in moderation (this is really NOT as easy as it sounds!)

This time it is not about how small i can get. It's about how i feel. I dont' have any headaches, or feelings of weakness, no lightheadedness. I feel great. And i'm getting strong. I read EVERYTHING I CAN ABOUT MAINTENANCE and 3 Fat Chicks is the perfect place for this. Every step i take i take with Maintenance in mind. I'm still scared and i'm still unsure whether i will make it this time. I'm only 25. I've got a lot of years left in front of me to fight this battle, but it's worth it i think.

Thanks everyone... When it comes to the idea of eating whatever you want, as long as it's in moderation, I can't really do that. If I eat a little bit of something bad for me, it makes me want more; whereas if I completely avoid the food, I'll want it for awhile, but eventually forget about it because I never had the taste of it in my mouth.

The only day I let myself eat whatever I want is on Sunday... On that day, I don't exercise and let myself eat what I want.

Hi there! I can completely relate to you -- about 2 years ago, I really, really, REALLY focused, and lost 69 lbs in 6 months through a low-cal diet combined with exercise. It was SO HARD for me, and I decided to "take a break". Guess what? I gained it all back! So, I tried AGAIN, and lost 43 lbs, decided to "take a break", and guess what? I gained it all back.
Here I am for round three. But THIS TIME, I have had to do some serious reflection. I can do this forever (gain and lose the same pounds), or really figure out what happened. What I learned is that:
1. I have to get to my goal weight, no matter how hard or long it takes. I am just fooling myself if I think that "my body needs a break". For me, that is a code word for FREE EATING! And we all know that eating is NEVER free -- your body will account for it, no matter what.
2. I have to establish a weight range of acceptable weight and stick to it. 1 lb over MUST be my danger weight, and I have to act on it ASAP, even if I don't want to. For me, my goal is 133, but my acceptable range will be 133-138. 139 CANNOT be acceptable.
3. I have to establish a maintenance plan. For me, that means going to a third-party for weekly weigh-in (accountability) and support, and absolutely without doubt, and meal planning (even though it is hard, time-consuming, and absolutely boring!).
4. FINALLY, I have to accept the fact that for me, this will be a life-long battle requiring vigilance and quick action. Without this, I WILL regain the weight. I think that my pre-conception that normal weight people don't watch what they eat is wrong -- my husband, who is athletic and fit and perfect weight, eats alot but MAN does he account for it and adjust his food intake accordingly. For him it is natural. For me, it has to become second nature.
Good luck with the plan!

I think you just need to be very careful with this, especially if you have that feeling of being hungry so often. I am much more lenient with myself on weekends, but I never go overboard. Of course, I don't know what "whatever I want" entails for you. You might want to make sure you are still dipping into the fruits and veggies on Sundays for your snacks. I just think it is really easy to have sky high calories one day a week...if I ate anything I wanted one day a week, all day, I could do some serious damage! I'd probably say nuts on the meals, give me junk!

Freiamaya, i am completely with you! I can't imagine having lost and gained twice, once was hard enough! But everything you said is so true. I never got to my official goal last time and that was downfall for me. I told myself the whole "i need break" thing and instead of reaching goal and developing a maintenance plan i just went back to my old way of eating (basically binging until i got "back on plan".) I also think that a line in the sand must be drawn with my maintenance weight range. Once i creep over my maintenance weight range i have to nip it in the bud. And finally the point about how naturally thin people REALLY eat is so true. The people i know who don't battle their weight don't seem to be as fixated on food as i am. They eat what they like and they eat when they want something but they don't seem to have that "i might not get another chance to have that junk food better eat it all now" attitude that i have. God i envy people who don't let food control their day, week, life...

But i'm gonna do it this time and so are you! All those lessons we've learned in the past will serve us well and taking the time to understand where we failed before will help us suceed this time. Best of luck to you and everyone!