So, you know the old adage 'you have to eat to lose'? Well.. I'm sort of thinking I'm not eating enough to lose weight. In 2003 I lost 50 lbs following Weight Watchers and that took me a year. I then became a vegetarian and have been for 7 years... I've been following a clean diet for 18 weeks (off most sugar) and I've lost 10 lbs so far and I have another 10 to 15 to go.  It's been about  3 weeks that I've been off dairy and eggs and am almost vegan (I still use the leather stuff I had before becoming a vegetarian)

Anyway... as you all know, eating well and clean means your food keeps you full longer.. I eat whenever I'm hungry but i feel like I'm not eating enough food to lose these last 10 lbs. I'm afraid my body will go into starvation mode and not let go of the weight.

Should I really pay attention to the calories I'm eating and make the effort to eat even if I'm not hungry? I keep a food journal, of course but I'm wondering if I need to take the step of tracking calories as well.

where did my post go?

oops.. double post

I'm in the same situation. 

It sounds to me like maybe your metabolism has slowed. This tends to happen after or during a weight loss. Your body gets alarmed at the lower number of calories, and goes into low gear to save itself from starvation. The way to rev up the metabolism again is to eat smaller meals, more often. So try 5 or 6 small meals a day. And most importantly, increase your exercise. Just a 30 minute walk EVERY day will jump start the metabolism like nothing else.  I don't think you should eat more if you aren't hungry.  Good luck.

Hi shelly!  I also began my journey to health at weightwatchers followed by the cleaneating diet by tova reno.  I learned so much from her.  I still use her 2 week menu plans and revise them to be vegan.  I'm the type of person who needs a plan.  I have noticed that when I eat whole foods in the combination outlined in tdk that sometimes I don't feel like I'm eating that much.  And still other days I eat all day!  Try using the method taught at weightwatchers; the hunger scale.  Really listen to your body.  Maybe letting go of counting calories and becoming more in tune with your true hunger will bring you to that perfect weight you were created to be.  You are amazing congratulations on such progress towards a healthy lifestyle.

When you don't have much weight to lose, it is harder and takes longer to lose it.  I had no weight to lose and have lost roughly 8 lbs in 7 months (since becoming vegan).  I am also a big runner as I do half marathons.  Keep up with it, the longer it takes to come off, the more chance you have of keeping it off, because you've changed your lifestyle and eating habbits along the way.

Laura

Thanks everyone!  i do eat every couple hours so that can't be it. LOL  it could be because i only need to lose another 10lbs or so... slow and steady!

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I advise my weight loss patients to eat meals and not in between. It can be very helpful to let yourself feel a bit of hunger before meals. When you feel hungry, it means you are getting smaller, it also makes healthy foods taste better. It's not the only way to succeed but tends to be very effective.

I totally agree Justin - great advice as always! 

Drink water or green tea. Sometimes thirst disguises itself as a hunger pang. I always try to drink a glass of water or tea, and then let it for 20 min in my tummy to tell if I'm really hungry or if I was just thirsty.

I second with Ash, I've learned that feeling hungry could possibly be thirst from a personal chef friend and from experience it was true. So to find that out, drink water first before you think of looking for food. :)

Increase your protein with your veggie meals (6 small meals a day)  and exercise with weights 2 to 3 times a week in addition to your cardio.  You will transform your fat into lean muscle.  Also don't watch the scale as much as your clothes.  I was a at the same weight for 5 months after becoming vegan.  Never lost a lb.  Once I did this my body transformed......still is!  Good luck!