Hunger

I have a really large appetite and are just started trying to diet by cutting down my portions and counting calories. 

My biggest problem though, is I frequently feel hungry.

I've tried eating rice cakes and drinking water between meals if I'm hungry.  Any other suggestions??

eat a breakfast with whole grain and protein to keep you full longer

i eat special k red berries with whole milk and 10 almonds for breakfast and the protein is great for appetite control.

nuts, boiled eggs, protein bars, whole wheat crackers and yogurt are healthy protein-rich snacks that will keep your tummy from grumbling.

also, if you choose to eat  a bigger portion of healthy food, instead of a little bit of unhealthy food, you'll feel fuller. but eat slow. it takes us 20 minutes to realize we're full.

let me know if i can be of any further assistance

Rice cakes really aren't the best snack.  A bit of lean protein and a piece of fruit or some vegetables would make a better snack.

If you're hungry you might not be eating enough.  What are your stats?

I am hungry pretty much all of the time. If I did not have willpower I would be huge.

I'm a snacker...I love to eat, I can't help it!  These are a few of my favorites:

Special K protein plus (I measure out 3/4 of a cup into containers for 100 calorie snacks) I like to do this because it take me a while to eat it :-)

Smart balance low fat/low sodium popcorn, yes I eat the whole bag! 260 calories

Every day I eat a HUGE salad with lettuce (type of lettuce changes, but I buy the kind that has the carrots and cabbage in with it) peas 1/2 cup=70 calories, cucumber, a little bit of Fat free Italian....not even a Tablespoon and a sprinkle of parmasen cheese =170calories.  I eat with my dinner every night!

Big bowl of steamed broccoli...YUM!

A HUGE bowl of Jello...the sugar free kind of course, probably about 3 cups=60 calories

Whole green beans, steamed....after they are cooked I'll eat them hot or cold as a snack. 

In between all my yummy snacks I chew lots of gum! :-)

I feel your pain.  i have been astonishingly hungry all the time the past month or so.  I find if I ignore it long enough it goes away, but lately it's been a  battle.  Hang in there.  The only thing I find that helps is eating a handful of nuts - I read in an article is affects a hormone called ghrelin that keeps you from getting hungry.  But watch portion size - 21 nuts (Planters, mixed) = 170 cals.

Damn good food  

The problem with rice cakes is that they are almost pretty much all empty calories. It gives you something to chew on, but that's it. Check the package; I suspect they have very little fiber or protein if any. 

Fiber and protein fill you up. Different foods can have the same amount of calories, but the content matters! Two 17 calorie egg whites will fill you up more than a 35 calorie rice cake, because it has 7 grams of protein (and that's quite a bit of protein considering that you only need about 50 grams a day!) Lots of foods have protein in them, such as milk or soy milk and other dairy products, meat obviously, eggs, whole grains-- oatmeal, whole grain pasta/noodles, rice, crackers (around 4 or 5 grams per serving, but you must check and read labels), nuts, beans, tofu, even broccoli has protein in it! For fiber, fruits and vegetables are the way to go. For snacks you can try whole grain crackers or soy crisps (protein AND fiber, 17 crisps for 100 calories), or popcorn is great too because of all the fiber. You can also try sheer volume: you can make huge soups and salads and eat pretty much all you want as long as you don't put a lot of oil/cream in the soup, and you watch how much dressing you are using for the salads. For salads try light dressings or make your own with lemon juice and vinegar (and a little olive oil).

Check out this site for some filing foods:

http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/8228 %2097/the_10_most_filling_foods_for_dieters.h tml%20?cat=5

Hope that helps!

Are you eating 3 meals a day?  If so, I would recommend eating 4-6 smaller meals spaced out through your day.