The difference between full and not hungry.

When I decided to try to limit my caloric intake to 1500 a day, I was doing so with the absolute knowledge that I would be hungry all the time. I even decided to give myself a 500 calorie emergency bump that I could invoke in case I needed it. I hoped that 2000 calories a day would be enough to keep me from feeling too hungry to stay on plan. I was sure that if I was never full, I would always be hungry. What a pleasant surprise to realize how mistaken I was.

I believe there is a big difference between experiential knowledge and intellectual knowledge. For me, learning of facts begins knowledge but experiences in and around those facts leads to understanding. I assumed that "not full" resulted directly in "hungry". Experience very quickly taught me the flaw in that logic. I was delighted to learn that when I consume 700 calories and wait a few minutes, I am no longer hungry. I was astonished to learn that eating a 280 calorie Lean Cuisine keeps hunger at bay for hours.

I don't know why my eat clock doesn't work. Perhaps because I eat as fast as anyone I've ever met. Perhaps it has to to with the extra junk in food these days. Perhaps there is just something broken within me. I do know that at 1500 calories a day, my average weekly weight loss has been 3.2 pounds and I have not felt hungry. When I finally hit my current goal, my new goal will be to maintain weight. I wonder if I will be able to train myself to eat the right amount without having to keep track. Maybe the right amount will be some set amount between "enough not to be hungry" and "full"? It is still a long way off, but I can't wait to figure it out.

There is still one thing that fills me up these days, by the way. My regular 12" turkey on wheat with pepperjack, lettuce, pickles, jalepegnos, one line of mustard and salt from Subway does the job well for 700 calories. And despite all the talk about being "not hungry" I absolutely do like feeling full. That is why you'll find me at Subway most weekdays around 11am. I'd love to find another food that provides the same ratio of fullness per calorie. If you know one, please comment!