Alex, it’s great to see the discussion and thinking you’ve got going here. Early days are tough, and you are recalibrating not just the fat composition in your body but it sounds like you are re-teaching yourself to eat and nourish yourself, what brings health and strength to you...when to eat, how much and what nourishes you, what helps you feel full longer. In my experience, this is a more complicated and more wonderful journey than we imagine when we set out to lose weight.

I also have a hard time finding my “off switch” — high fat, big meals help a lot (I totally agree with Ms A on the reasons for as few carbs as possible), with no snacking unless I’m actually hungry (not nibbley, bored, sad, lonely, wanting a reward or indulgence...I’m figuring out other things for those moods that I didn’t actually know were hiding behind “hunger.”). But if I identify real hunger then I eat on plan boring foods (boiled eggs, raw unsalted almonds or macadamia nuts). Boring so I don’t confuse stimulated taste buds and pleasure with hunger. (Weirdly, this is the snack I just ate: 2 hard boiled eggs w/o salt and 1/2 oz of raw almonds and a plain herbal tea and actually, 3 years into this, I found myself savouring this as a nourishing and pleasurable way to take care of myself while visiting the forum! Three years ago I NEVER would have thought that!)

TBH it took a few months before I was “fat adapted” enough to really feel the satiation that come from being full (neither painful hungry nor painfully over eaten).

May I suggest reading some of the success stories posted by longtime members when you lack motivation? I learned so much from people’s amazing journeys, journeys that were as much psychological as they were physical. I’ve come to know myself much better three years on than I did before and my relationship with food is totally different than it was.

Come pop by my journal and say hi anytime if you want to chat more.