I'm joining in a bit late here

1) Do you restrict food calories/quantities to maintain weight, or, do you eat ad lib?
There is a degree of restriction - not counting/weighing everything, but keeping "moderate" portions rather than eating until I can't eat any more.

2) Do you experience physical hunger?
If so, is it constant or does it come in episodic "jags and lulls" where it is alternating between starving and normal?
Mostly I'm getting hungry towards meal times. Occasionally I'll run into a day or two when I just seem to feel hungry all the time. I can't stand that feeling, so I usually end up eating a really big meal, then it goes away. In general, if I don't get hungry at all, I gain weight; if I'm hungry a lot of the time, I lose weight; if I'm just getting hungry by meal-time, I more or less maintain.

3) Do you find this hunger emotionally distressful and discouraging, or, is it easy for you to tolerate because you accept it?
I think I covered that above.

4) What is your high BMI?
About 26.5

5) What is your present BMI?
About 20.5 (112 lb, 5'2")

6) How long have you been maintaining within 5 pounds of goal?
About 2 years.

7) If you know, how many carbs & calories do you eat?
Average 60g carb, 1650-1700 kcals (carbs range between 30-100, kcals 1000-2000 ish).

I don't really like having to pick a weight and then match my eating to maintain it, but sometimes I think that's just an unrealistic view. I didn't have to watch what I ate when I was in my 20s, but I don't know anybody my age (45) or older who is slimm(ish) and doesn't restrict their eating in some way - not necessarily any particular diet, but just not eating too much, or avoiding sweets.

When I was gaining weight, in my late 30s, I was rarely hungry. I'd eat a lot at lunch time because it was there, then in the evening I really would not want to eat, but I was tired, fragile, depressed, and all of that improved when I ate. So I'd eat because I knew I needed to, even though I wasn't hungry, didn't want to eat, and often didn't enjoy it. By eating less food, and less carb earlier in the day I can reach dinner time without collapsing in a heap, and actually be hungry and not gain weight.

1) Do you restrict food calories/quantities to maintain weight, or, do you eat ad lib?

I'd say I am more of the ad lib eater. Even though OWL, I never really added up my carbs/calories counts. I ate what was acceptable, occasionally adding a new food or two and watched the scale to be sure nothing threw me off track.

2)Do you experience physical hunger? If so, is it constant or does it come in episodic "jags and lulls" where it is alternating between starving and normal

I wake every morning hungry. I tend to eat about 6 times a day...all lc snacks and meals. So I am never ever starving, unless I somehow miss breakfast. (rarely!)

3) Do you find this hunger emotionally distressful and discouraging, or, is it easy for you to tolerate because you accept it?


4)What was your high BMI? 27.5


5)What is your present BMI? 23

6)How long have you been maintaining within 5 pounds of goal?
3 weeks

7)If you know, how many carbs & calories do you eat?
Since I never really kept exact count, I can't answer this. But my guess is between 30-40 carbs a day. I still am very strict with keeping to induction foods, with the addition of veggies/fruits/nuts.