I found out the best way to curb an appetite is exercise. When you are hungry, exercise. Also start weight training. It burns more calories. Also do HIIT exercises. Sometimes you just have to grit your teeth and ride out the hunger. Basically if you stick to meat and vegs (no corn, peas, or starchy vegs) you will lose weight and no eating after dinner. .

I know "they" always say breakfast is the most important meal of the day but I delay eating anything as long as possible I wake up hungry but get dressed and walk the dogs. Then coffee and I try to wait until at least 10 before eating. It seems if I eat early there is no end to it for the whole day. I've been on a high protein low carb diet for 6 weeks and am down 10 lbs.

For me, eating a little something every 2-3 hours or so -- a hardboiled egg, a bit of fruit, a slice of meat, an ounce of cheese, hummus and vegetable, and so forth) -- helps. So I am fueling frequently but don't fully fill the tank. I do still have 3 times that I try to eat more filling items (soup for example) -- I found that if I don't have a more filling "meal" by the end of the day I am not satisfied..

Also those premade stir fry kits that have appeared in the stores this past year are also very filling and low in calories.

My vitamin supplements tend to kill my appetite for a while also.

How many calories are you taking in a day, on a 'good' day?

Make sure you're eating enough healthy fats to fill you up faster. I've been back doing keto since Sunday. Down 4 pounds. One thing I keep saying I'm going to do is increase my water intake, then I forget to drink water. Water really helps.

Well, even though I am not really supposed to be counting calories,I am mindful and try try try to keep around 1500 or 1600 a day. Less if I am really really good. The doc told me not to worry about calories at all,just carbs,which I try to keep under 30 or so. I still think its important to be aware of calories though. I don't think eating 4000 calories of cheese and bacon will work.....

I may just ought to listen to him though. I never counted calories the first time I did his plan and lost 45 pounds in 4 months. Maybe I am overthinking? I don't know...

I don't like being hungry. Makes me grumpy.

Consistently reduce your portions and your stomach really will shrink. After it has shrunk(?),shrunken(?), less food will satisfy you for longer periods of time. The stomach is a stretchy organ; the more one puts in it, the bigger it gets and the more food it can hold. That's one of the reasons stomach reduction surgery often fails in the long-term.

Chew gum. Sometimes a person isn't hungry, but the mouth wants something to do like chewing and tasting.

Don't keep candy at your desk at work. Even if it is Halloween. Even if it is Valentine's Day. You may be setting it out for others, but it is a difficult temptation if it is right there.

The easiest way to lose weight is to COUNT CALORIES. You have to use more than you take in to lose weight. It doesn't matter what you eat, truly because many people have intentionally eaten only twinkies, doritos, and junk but limited their caloric intake and have still lost weight.

Lucille, you have no idea how relieved I am that "candy season" is over. ..

Everyone is different. You have to find a weight loss program that works for you. It could be counting calories, low carb, low fat, etc. I do low carb because I am gluten intolerant to begin with so I can't eat the bread, etc to begin with. But, unfortunately there is still a lot of high carb stuff I can eat. The problem with low carb is once you have a day of high carbs you pay for it for 3 days to get back on tract.

Function, I like low carb because I do think it combats hunger better and I think it's a better,more nutritious way to eat,as it focuses on protein and veggies.Also, I have much more energy than eating whatever as long as it's under "x" amount of calories.

I failed MISERABLY at weight watchers,which is basically calorie counting. The only success I have had,diet wise,is low carb. But every plan has its obstacles. The hunger issue I think is a common denominator for all of them though.

On the shelf: tuna packed in water, carrots, green beans, spinach, zucchini in tomato sauce by Del Monte, black olives, red bell pepper w/ garlic, artichoke hearts, green olives & pickles in frig., cinnamon hard candy(a piece for dessert)

I often put one packet of Goya chicken bullion in a soup mug, then dump half a can of cooked carrots & half a jar of red bell peppers in. Salt is something I crave. Every night, peppermint tea. I can't drink a whole BIG mug so I refrigerate it as iced tea. I often eat half a cup of oatmeal(when it's hydrated= 1 cup) with salt & pepper on it.

I made meatballs. I eat one a day or a hard boiled egg and 1 yogurt a day. I keep cheese sticks in the frig too.

I really like egg white and veggie omelets or frittatas. I don't find egg whites that appetizing looking so I use one whole egg and 3 or 4 additional whites. The one yolk (esp if you get farm fresh eggs that are darker yolks) makes the color better. Saute zucchini, some green onions, chopped fresh green or red pepper, fresh mushrooms if you like them, black olives and either stir in your egg mix or cook your eggs and fill with the veggies. I add a small amount of feta or parmesan cheese on top. You could have two snacks or a meal and a snack from that many eggs.

You can buy 100 calorie low sodium roasted almond packs that are very satisfying and good for portion control. If you're using store bought chicken broth, bouillon, pickles, olives, cheese, etc. I'd keep track of your sodium intake; all of those things are very high in sodium.

You said some very important things in your initial post.

1. " I am on a diet". I heard someone say that you should never tell anyone that you are on a diet ( other than a few hundred of us :) ) Others will constantly be giving you advice and cause you to drift from your plans.

2. " I am making a lifestyle change". YES!! When you say " I am on a diet" it implies that it is temporary. Unfortunately it cannot be. That does not work as we age.

3. " Since I am exercising I can eat more". We all know the fallacy of this. The exercise is to help us eat LESS.

Now for the hard part. You have to have some guidelines that become part of who you are.

I attend many events/activities where there are refreshments. ( I often make/provide them). But I never even eat one crumb of them. Just do not take any.

Make a mental list of things that you will never eat again.: candy bars, doughnuts, cookies, banana splits, etc. Then decide what you can have: an ice cream cone once a week in the summer, a piece of your birthday cake, etc. Keep it to a few things.

This sounds extreme but it really becomes no big deal. You know the foods to avoid, so do your best. There is no need to count calories. Common sense will prevail.

You do not need a snack to hold you over till mealtime...maybe you will feel it the first couple of days, but soon you will not.

Exercise is certainly important for overall health, but WHAT YOU DO OR DO NOT PUT IN YOUR MOUTH IS THE BIG FACTOR.

You can do this!

Amy, back around 1995 I weighed 207 and I'm only 5ft7in. I was over weight my entire life and decided a year before turning 40 that I was going to turn 40 looking like a hot babe. LOL. I started a diet of course and started dancing in private at home. I watched some Susan Power?? and she talked a lot about white rice and how it would fill you up so I started eating white rice just plain. Well I really wanted food but I was watching the scales daily and after a few days I dropped a few pounds. I was excited. I only ate white rice and black coffee...weight was comming off consistently..I was hungry...I wanted real food...weeks went by...I never felt very good, no energy,...I noticed in some strange way that the hungrier I felt the better I felt..sick huh...but I stuck to the white rice and black coffee...the weight dropped off..one size after another..I danced every day for hours...after 6 or 7 months..I weighed 102 pounds...I felt sick..so sick. Somewhere thru this hunger pains stopped...my husband took me to my doctor kicking and screaming...my doctor who had been my doctor most of my life flipped out on me..he was mad as heck telling me I was going to kill my liver. I did get scared expecially since I felt so sick...I started eating..veggies, meat/chicken, fruits, fish..little servings and I started slowly feeling better. My energy returned slowly. I cut the dancing back but still danced daily. Food tasted good again but I still watched what I ate making sure I was eating healthy. This better eating habits stuck with me for 4 years. I kept the weight off, I felt great, and I was a hot babe. LOL. I don't know why I'm telling you this except to just share my story and how I did it the wrong way, very unhealthy.

By the way I started gaining the weight back because I stopped eating healthy. It came on so quickly.

Make sure you eat healthy don't fall into any lose weight quick schemes, Fish, chicken, veggies you need..butter, oils, sugars you dont. Often it's just cutting out junk and cooking a new way, broil, bake and steam. You will get where you want to be and feel good doing it and you will keep it off.

I'm back down to 141...10 pounds to go for me.

You go girl!!!!

Eta...5ft 6 in....not 7in

A 5 ft 7 in person who thinks 102 lbs is a hot babe is delusional.

Uh oh....

My troll-ometer is beeping....

A little fat is a good thing...I get the hungries about 4pm and I find a cup of tea with a splash of heavy cream or half n half really tides me over until dinner, and for a lot fewer calories than other alternatives.

WATER drink as much as you can!

Here's what really makes me wonder, the prior generations (in my family also) ate much more than we do, did not do planned exercise (or get much exercise) and yet they were not overweight. They ate lots of fried chicken, rice, ice cream and had homemade desserts daily. The population in Europe is not having the weight issue that we do either.

So, I do wonder what has been added to foods in America that is causing so many to experience weight gain issues.

As for those "correct" weight graphs I consider them useless because they don't take body build and musculature into account. From what I've seen watching your waistline measurement may be a better way to determine your correct weight.

Europe is having a weight issue.

• The worldwide prevalence of obesity nearly doubled between 1980
  and 2008. According to country estimates for 2008, over 50% of both men
  and women in the WHO European Region were overweight, and roughly 23% of
  women and 20% of men were obese.
• Based on the latest estimates in European Union countries, overweight affects 30-70% and obesity affects 10-30% of adults.
• Estimates
  of the number of overweight infants and children in the WHO European
  Region rose steadily from 1990 to 2008. Over 60% of children who are
  overweight before puberty will be overweight in early adulthood.
  Childhood obesity is strongly associated with risk factors for
  cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, orthopaedic problems, mental
  disorders, underachievement in school and lower self-esteem.

cut out processed foods, basically the center of the food store, shop the perimeter.

cut out sugar

don't mix your carbs and fat... either have a 'fat' meal with low carb veggies or a carb meal with lean protein.

drink water through out the day

eat protein with every meal or snack, it fills you

eat every 3-4 hours and don't eat for 12 hours (overnight) but for you OP, i guess that would be 'overday'.....a mini fast!

so 3 meals and 1 or 2 snacks per day.

Here's what really makes me wonder, the prior generations (in my family also) ate much more than we do, did not do planned exercise (or get much exercise) and yet they were not overweight.

Dr. Jason Fung says that it is because prior generations did not snack all day like we do, and says that weight gain and insulin activity are related, and that insulin activity and eating frequency are related.

Oh my, grapefruit said everything I could have said. Read her/his reply again.

All I can add to hers is: drink a glass of water when you get up. Wait an hour before you eat anything.

And go back to doing the same as you did before. If it worked for you then, it will work for you now.

give it some time.

Tell yourself you and will do this, and push through.

You our know you can do this!

So, do!

Moni

Amy, I asked about the calories just to make sure that you were eating enough! I think that it's a good idea to be educated in the calorie content of foods but I've never seen the sense in rigidly counting.

I eat as much plant matter as I want, for the most part. With the countless options available to building a healthy, fullfilling, energy providing veggie based meal, I never get tired of eating the same old thing. There is no same old thing!

Avoid artificially sweetened stuff and low fat versions of anything. Eat something worthwhile for a snack! Remember those deli meat, cheese, and spinach roll ups I told you about before? A couple of those and you will feel satisfied and charged.

Cooked meatballs with a tiny bit of sauce are delicious. Make your own to control salt, sugars, and quality. Have a couple as a snack with some raw veggies of your choice.

Tuna, chicken, salmon, egg, or ham salad served in a lettuce roll. Use a full fat mayo brand that is not made with sugar. Dukes is good, Hellmans is bad, for example.

I assume that you are aware of your essential numbers: BP, cholesterol, blood sugar.

less calories and more exercise. You should be able to eat everything but in moderation. COUNT calories, you would be amazed at the calories in things.

I agree, grapefruit covered a lot. As one who exercises a lot, I will stress protein. You will get hungry and require it as you add exercise. I like to take turkey and roll a slice around a cheese stick. Also prosciutto around a mozzarella stick. Also water, which does more than just act as a temporary fill-up for your body. I don’t use flavored waters at all because I don’t like them. If you need anything, squeeze a little lemon in a glass. Or elderberry which also helps your immune system. I also eat a boiled egg as a snack. Or celery or half an apple with a smear of peanut butter.

I like how you are so committed to the steps and foods you have found you enjoy.

I allow myself a square of dark chocolate now and then after dinner. Pick a treat you can indulge yourself once a week or so without guilt.

I know you have a crazy schedule but don’t eat after certain times in the evening. That is hard for you. It does work for me to brush my teeth so I won’t be tempted to eat again for a while.

I will endorse weight watchers...I've been a lifetime member for decades. Their program is flexible enough to accommodate all kinds of dietary needs, and one need not eat any of their processed foods to be successful. I certainly don't. Their program is designed to not only encourage healthy eating, but it's focused on maintenance with built-in incentives, which, IMO, is the hardest part of losing weight...keeping it off.

Another suggestion: eat your vegetables. Eat them 3 times a day. They are filling, low calorie, and loaded with nutrition and fiber.

Raye Smith...I think that it's a lot of different things but the fact that almost everything even savory dishes have added sugar now (or high fructose corn syrup)...a big thing is liquid sugar in the form of sodas and fruit drinks etc. (once again HFCS) Then, so many people are eating prepared food as opposed to home cooked meals because everyone works and has no time to cook. Then there are the people that live off of fast food such as hamburgers and fries and add to that the HUGE glass of soda that has so much sugar, you could eat an entire cake for that much sugar! Sugar is sugar, regardless of if you chew it or drink it!

Set a realistic goal. Cut out soda and other sugar laden foods. Never skip meals. Make mealtime an event - use smaller plates and eat slowly. Drink a glass of water 1/2 hr before meals. Eat fiber rich foods which bulk up and fill you up. Eat healthy oils - olive, avocados, seeds and nuts. Keep healthy snacks to replace empty calories such as chips. If you must indulge, have a small portion.

Amy, I may be mistaken, but I seem to recall you saying when you are on a diet your SO discourages you and even gets you the wrong kind of food ? ? ? If so, I would not let him know about your weight loss plan.

Amy, I don't have that much to loose, but did a weight gain between Christmas and now. The weather isn't so I will ride my bike, and thus, have have put some extra weight on. I was hesitant to answer, but as you read, I did above.

I just got done with the normal household chores. and am hungry. I get it. But right after typing this, I will leave the house... no food in my car. I have to eat less till the weather gets warmer, and the cedar tree pollen period is over for this year, so I can get back outside.

But the hunger is here.

I get it.

Moni

My trick - and it's easier said than done! - is to eat when I'm hungry, stop when I'm satisfied, and don't eat when I'm not hungry. Beyond that, my diet philosophy is a bit different than most here. I don't believe in calories in/calories out, and I think it's okay to skip meals (I like intermittent fasting). I focus on lots of fresh veggies as long as they're not high carb/sugar like corn, high fat, and moderate protein.....basically keto. I am steadily losing weight without much effort and I'm never hungry when I do it right. I am having to re-program myself for evenings when I used to mindlessly munch between dinner and bedtime. The goal is that I don't want my insulin to spike, and eating this way, along with intermittent fasting, helps me keep it steady. I do have some weight to lose, maybe 15 pounds, but my goal is more about my overall health, as heart disease runs in my mother's family - although I don't know if their disease is more about genetics or behavior.

I've recently read from a well known fitness trainer and I think nutritionist, I can't remember her name was talking about the keto plan being very unhealthy and unbalanced. I personally know nothing about keto, but now I'm wondering.

Well, I am on a diet too. I am most hungry between the hours of 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. so I just ate at 10:30 to push off the hunger pangs. Then a one-ish lunch and a light snack. So, I guess my tip would be to zero in on your hungriest times and save your calories for that time.

When my stomach growls, I take it as a sign of success;)

https://www.today.com/health/jillian-michaels-criticizes-keto-diet-you-re-starving-yourselves-t146530

For some reason I also find that a Grande Skinny Vanilla Latte from Starbucks is good fix for a filler snack that comes in at around 120 calories, which is what I shall go get today. I will take my own advice, lol!

I adopted a low-carb lifestyle almost 20 years ago, first to lose weight (60+ pounds) and then to keep it off. I have had great success, but I am now 41 and age and hormonal changes are making maintenance more difficult. Still, getting back to the basics of low-carb always seems to work!

Much of the advice given on this thread does not apply to low-carbing, as you probably already know. Counting calories, snacking every few hours, etc. - those strategies are not what you need. Low carb is all about controlling insulin responses, and snacking constantly, even on low carb foods, will keep your body producing insulin more frequently than you want it to.

Counting calories also hinders a low carb diet. Your body can and will slow its metabolic processes if it feels that you are not taking in enough calories to support them. Eat when you are hungry, and eat enough each time that you can stick to three meals a day without snacking in between. Don't be afraid of fat, either! Our bodies can use protein for gluconeogenesis, which can hinder weight loss on a low carb plan. Lean meat is not your friend.

As for exercise, I have had very little success losing weight while low carbing and exercising simultaneously, especially when that exercise consisted mostly of cardio. Everyone is different in this regard, but if you find that the exercise is just increasing your hunger without giving you results on the scale, stop it for a while (or shift to resistance training instead of cardio) and see if your weight loss resumes. My best results have always been either very low carb (less than 20g carbs per day) with no exercise, or moderately low carb (around 50g carbs per day) with resistance training. To be honest, though, the weight comes off much faster with just very low carb!

There are a great many low carb support groups and forums online - I would suggest you research these and ask for targeted advice there. People who don't understand low carb invariably suggest things that really do not apply.

I second everything biondanonima just said.

Mama, many people look to Jillian Michaels for advice, but I do not. She was on the show The Biggest Loser and according to everything I have read, most of the contestants under her direction have gained all their weight back and then some. If her methods worked and were sustainable long term, they wouldn't have gained the weight back. In her video on keto, she admits that keto works to reverse diabetes, helps with PCOS, helps people lose weight, etc., but then goes through each reason why she doesn't like it - and those reasons are easily refuted and have been by many, many doctors and science.

The bottom line is calorie restriction doesn't work. If it did work, contestants on the Biggest Loser wouldn't so easily gain the weight back, and Oprah wouldn't have bought an ownership in Weight Watchers. I wish I had bought stock in WW!!

Everyone needs to decide what's best for them. For me, I feel so much better eating lower carbs (below 20/day) and higher fat, and I never count calories.

Lots of good tips. I especially like Margie's tip, (in my words): when you're hungry enough for your stomach to growl, you're doing it right!

I like the 5/2 intermittent fast approach. Two days per week of of very limited calories; reasonable amounts of healthy food the other five days. The two days remind me that no, I'm not going to starve if I feel hungry for a while. As a normal middle class American, it's easy to forget what it feels like to have an empty stomach.

My sister, on the other hand, is a proponent of eating every few hours. Smallish amounts of mostly healthy food, all day long. Proves "different strokes for different folks", even with the same genetic background.

I also wholeheartedly agree with everything biondanomina said above. Frequent snacking and calorie counting do not work for me. I follow a low to medium carb diet along with intermittent fasting (usually aim for a 16:8 ratio), along with weight lifting. Ive slowly but steadily lost about 20 pounds so far, but I don’t weigh myself often, as I’m sure I am also gaining muscle mass weight. So a better gage for success for me is- how do my pants fit? I’m down 3 sizes in jeans, which means more to me than a number on a scale.

I love weight lifting, but I found heavy cardio routines make me hungrier. Having said that, walking is important to me both for physical and mental health benefits, so I got a large, high energy puppy, who I refer to as my personal trainer. I can easily talk myself out of making the effort to do a daily walk, but the dog basically demands it, and is a much better behaved young man when he gets a long walk in every day.

As for diet tricks, Glucomannan fiber supplements have been a big aid in my success. It helps with food cravings, giving one a satiated feeling, especially mid way through a fast. Staying “regular” can also be a challenge on a very low carb diet, the fiber helps keep things moving as they should. Many additional health benefits as well.

https://www.google.com/amp/s/selfhacked.com/blog/glucomannan-benefits/amp/

Not to change the subject, but we are expecting a significant snow storm tomorrow. I went to the grocery store today to get some routine items I needed. There was plenty of toilet paper, milk, and bread on the shelves. What was flying off the shelves was the pop, beer, snack foods, cereal and ice cream. I guess the trick to loosing weight is not to live where it snows. lol

People are always saying count your calories or go low carb and I can't do either. Due to blood sugar problems all I can do is eat when my body demands that I eat or I get dizzy and worse. My diet plan; I run like a chicken with my head cut off for most of the day. That has been my only success with weight loss. Can't count calories and can't reduce carbs so I eat only whole grain. Whenever I cut down on whole grain carbs I get kicked in the teeth with blood sugar problems. I don't understand why.

Personally I also can't eat any artificial or refined sugar honey maple syrup agave syrup Etc so no added real sugar problem here.

(To top it off I have reaction to a multitude of foods from my migraines. I get the reward for the most boring diet ever.)

I am able to eat nothing for a mini mini fast if I listen to my body for all the rest of the time. I don't eat anything after 5 p.m. and I don't eat anything before 10 or 11 a.m. most days. DH loves to breakfast at 7 in the morning so I do join him on the odd breakfast outing for said meal.

Even if you aren’t hungry before your workout, it takes energy to have energy. So what works for me is to have a high protein snack, with a few carbs even if it is a long run, an hour before the exercise. And of course stay hydrated all day. All week for that matter.

Amy you didn’t say how long you have been exercising but you have to adjust your eating to accommodate what you are doing. You have alread6 found that out. And at some point one usually reaches a weight loss plateau and will need to ramp up the exercise or adjust food intake, or both. It happens.

One size doesn’t fit all with weight loss. Building muscle mass is important and a good way to supplement aerobic activity if you can work it in. Doesn’t really take a lot of fancy equipment either. Just look at some YouTube videos for things you can do using your own body weight.

Hey Thanks Everyone!

Ali, as far as SO goes, he doesn't actively discourage me.

He actually wants me to lose weight. He really just doesn't agree with how i do it I think. He says he doesn't like me to be deprived of anything. So if i am low carbing, he will break his roll in half and put it on my plate, or give me some of his fries......so irritating. Or bring home a brownie. He tells me "Eat what you want,just stop eating so much." Then he will turn around and say, "If you're hungry, you need to eat." Ugh. Keep in mind this is a man who cares NOTHING about food or being hungry and will wait until I either shove it in front of him or come close to passing out to feed himself. Last time I told him, "You don't tell me how to diet, and I won't tell you how to quit smoking like i know anything about it....OKAY?!?!?!!"

But, yeah, he knows about my walking and other exercise. I just don't mention anything about the food. He will figure it out eventually.

Mama, I saw that too. But I do not really agree with her "methods" either. When she was on the Biggest Loser, they worked out 8 or more hours a day and gave them diet pills to aid weight loss. Not to mention her affinity for screaming at people and calling it "motivation." If she tried that brand of motivation with me, it might be dangerous for her feelings. Not to get personal with it, but i find her overly masculine manner and condescending personality off putting. Maybe that's why i don't put much stock in what she says. Besides, I am really not sure I am doing "keto" specifically. I don't really follow plans like that. But I could be and just don't know it. :)

biondanonima,I do exercise for the other health benefits really. Any weight loss resulting from it would be a bonus. Otherwise, i work a 12 hour night shift desk job, then go home and sleep. If I don't purposely get up and walk, my fitbit registers less than 2000 steps a day. A little more if I am home. The nurse we have on staff at my job advised me to get up and move a lot more. So I do. I get what you are saying though. The doctor I went to said that when low carbing, exercise, especially in women, doesn't really do much for weight loss, but is good for maintaining any progress and is important for overall wellness. I feel that you are right about calories though. I mean as I said, when i did this diet the first time i didn't worry about calories at all and the weight fell off. I think i might have been overthinking that aspect of things.

I actually went digging and found my old food journals from that time. I did find that eating WHATEVER low carb foods i wanted, and it seems, in any amount that i wanted did appear to work.

One day: (keep in mind i work 5pm-5am)

6 pm- 6 devilled eggs (made with mayo, bacon and cayenne pepper)

11 pm- Atkins shake (dark chocolate royale), Jif to go cup, 1 string cheese

5:30 am- 2 scrambled eggs with bell pepper, green onion, and cheese

Another:

5:30pm- Salad with lettuce,tomato, cucumber, olives,avocado, 1 hard boiled egg pepperoni, cheese and Olive garden dressing

12 am- same as above(no egg)

3 am-Atkins shake

6 am- 2 slices bacon, 1 sausage patty, 1 fried egg

Last one I promise:

5:30pm- Rotisserie chicken breast, small can green beans with lotsa buttah

9pm- Chicken broth (1-1/2 cups about)

12 am- cucumber slices dipped in ranch (homemade and FULL FAT BABY)

2 am-Atkins frozen meal, sugar free jello (black cherry)

6 am- 1 scrambled egg with cheese

According to my journal, or as i call it "Amylou's BIG FAT diet book," I lost 3 pounds that week.....interesting. I don't remember being QUITE as hungry as I am now though.

Honestly, I would be starving if I ate as little as you are (or did on the days you just described). I typically eat 2 eggs and 2 oz of cheese (a high fat cheese, not mozzarella or other leaner cheese) at breakfast and the 8-12 oz of fatty meat at both lunch and dinner. By fatty I mean chicken thighs with skin, 80/20 hamburger, ribeye, pork ribs or shoulder, etc. If I eat leaner meat or seafood, I pair it with a mayo or butter based sauce, and lots of it. A small portion of green veg or a salad (with butter/dressing) is basically my only carb, maybe some nuts if I need crunch. I don't pay attention to calories but when I have gone back to count them, I average 2000 or so a day. Granted I am probably much taller than you (6'0) but to me it really looks like you are trying to impose the rules of traditional dieting onto your low carb plan rather than going with low carb whole hog (pun very much intended).

You might try cutting out the frozen meals and shakes and eating only things you cook for yourself for a bit to see if that helps. The Atkins brand name is not a guarantee that the food in the package is truly low carb friendly or well-tolerated by all dieters. Artificial sweeteners and even sweet flavors can also provoke an unwanted insulin response.

Yes. I agree. I don't eat the frozen meals or shakes very much anymore. This journal was from several years ago. But it did work back then. The week I picked those from was a random one in the start of if the whole thing, and I was probably just testing my limits,portion wise. I did also notice as I stuck to it longer that I cooked myself a lot of steak with brocolli and cheese, lots and lots of eggs.(I cook eggs in butter,no exception), and chicken with veggies,sometime green beans with butter,sometimes brocolli with cheese sauce,sometimes my loaded cauliflower casserole,which is chock full of bacon,sour cream,butter and cheese. My veggies always have butter on them. Unless it's a salad,which always has a mayo,bacon fat, or oil based dressing. I also ate a lot more bacon than I thought ...... When I cook at home I make the same meat and veggie for me and SO, the make some sort of starch for him. So I will make smothered pork chops with green beans, then I'll make mashed potato and a roll for him,for example. Then he will tear the roll in half,cover it in butter and put half on my plate,and receives a dirty look in return....

As for fat,to be honest I just cannot bring myself to eat low fat dairy. Its just wrong. Other commercially prepared low fat foods are typically high in sugar,and you can taste it ick.

Not to keep changing topics but I really don't know what,all of a sudden, made me start worrying about calories as well as carbs. I never did before. Curious....

I have mentioned before that I really wish I liked fish and seafood,to add variety. I just can't. Makes me gag.

It is really difficult to avoid the "cut calories" message - it is incredibly pervasive in our society. There is still a negative attitude about low carb, too, that for some reason compels people to parrot "eat less exercise more" at you even when (or especially when) you have had good success on low carb and are happy doing it. Honestly it was easier to avoid such BS 20 years ago when I started LC, even though it was a much less popular diet back then and everyone thought it would make your kidneys explode. No social media=a lot less exposure to uninformed opinions and "expert" advice.