kokomo61

It's what you eat. It's what you eat......it's what you eat.

There are a couple of questions I'd ask - are you SURE that it's 1600-2000 calories? Unless you're measuring everything, it's very easy to underestimate portions and calorie intake.

Are you eating the right things? The closer you can get to a 'natural' diet...e.g., lean meats/proteins, fruits and vegetables, the easier it'll be to stay within your caloric goals, and not feel deprived. As far as proportions, 40/40/20 - 40% of calories from lean protein, 40% from carbs (primarily fruits and vegetables while limiting grains like wheat, corn, etc.) and 20% of calories from fats. (It will be best to prioritize essential fats like Omega-3 in fish).

Are any of your foods over-processed? Most processed foods are designed to make you eat more of them (especially snack foods). Any 'hidden' calories? Any sodas or high-calorie drinks?

Are you hydrated enough? If you're not drinking enough water, (64 oz a day at a minimum), you could be dehydrated and feeling hungry as a result).

Activity will help to increase your fitness, and help lose weight, but your food intake is actually just as, if not more important. I've said that 'you can out-eat ANY fitness program'. As my proof, I was training between a low of 80 miles per week in the winter, and 150-225 per week as the weather got better, including 3 centuries, 8 rides with 5000 feet of climbing, and one of the 3 centuries with 11,000 feet of climbing. I also worked out on other days....but in 1 year, I GAINED 25 lbs (and it WASN'T) muscle.

I was drinking lots of orange juice (it's natural, isn't it?) drinking sodas like root beer and Mountain Dew, eating high-calorie meals that had lots of carbs and fats.....and wondering why I was STILL hungry.

I got hit by a car in June, so my exercise got reduced dramatically, and I gained 10 more lbs.....and decided that I needed to make a change. So, I got rid of the orange juice and stopped drinking sodas and went to mostly water, and lots of it. I've dropped (mostly) processed foods and moved to a more natural diet, and have been really tracking my calorie intake, and sticking to natural foods that are hard to binge on. (I can easily binge on snack foods, breads or pasta, but have you ever tried to do that with broccoli or peas?)

So far, I'm down about 14 lbs, and am rarely hungry - at least not 'bottom of the bag' hungry. Eating more natural foods has made me less hungry between meals, too.

I'm watching calorie intake, but I'm not starving myself. Right now, it's around 1800 calories a day, and some days it's been a challenge to get there if I'm sticking to lean meats, vegetables and fruits.