Remember the tv commercial, "It's not nice to fool Mother Nature!"? Thats how i look at dieting now.

If you are hungry, you should eat. But i wasnt letting myself eat real food like protein, so i would end up gorging on sweets. That is a natural reaction. But a person needs to take better care of herself and eat protein proactively, so that she doesnt gorge, as an example of not trying to fool mother nature.

My parents used to overstuff me at dinner, but i was hungry all day with little or no breakfast and a paltry lunch. I repeated that pattern most of my adult life. Now i eat do the Lucille Ball maxim of "eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince, and dinner like a peasant" and i sleep more comfortably, less heartburn, and my weight stays fairly steady, with periods of losing when i increase my activity.

You know how corporations were "right-sizing"? I think we have to do the same for meals. Having the discipline to wait 20 minutes before taking seconds has been my biggest win. I never want it. But before, i was always overstuffing myself. It took a lot of trial and error to find out how much was enough. Keeping your weight steady is a big win. Dont try to force yourself to withstand hunger - you cant win that game.