I imagine scientists and coaches know quite a bit about hunger. We have been trying the "Fast Diet" by Mosley and Spencer. We often call it fasting but it isn't really. The 5:2 plan gives a woman 500 calories a day and a man 600 on any two non-consecutive days a week.. We have followed the plan for about 7 weeks. We have both lost about 5 lbs.
We have both noticed that we have experienced little pain or discomfort. The main trick, similar to many other things in life, is to watch what we are paying attention to. Our bodies seem wired to notify us that we didn't eat much and that it has been quite a while since we ate at all. These notifications come "in from the back" so to speak. That is, just when you are about to move your attention a little, say from the remote to the tv, ZIP! A little message comes streaming across your consciousness saying you might want to go eat something.
In addition, our senses, especially our eyes, notice fruit, the cupboard with the crackers in it, the other one with the nuts and chocolate. So, it is easier to follow our plan if we stay out of the kitchen and away from food. It is also easier to follow the plan if we immediately dismiss physical reminders, actual hunger pangs or merely a thought of food. We have learned that a firm dismissal and a quick dive into something of interest will be followed for a reasonable time by no thought of food or snacks.
A person can feel leery of fasting but most of us are actually quite far from being in danger of death by starvation. I have mentioned the TED talk by Dr. Mark Mattson on the benefits of fasting for the brain and the liver. A day of much reduced calories makes the next day heavenly.
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