[msandford]

You have to wrap your brain around the idea that hunger isn't pain to be avoided but a natural feeling that comes in waves. It's not you that's hungry, it's your gut microbes and they can be annoying but they don't really hurt you. Hunger is the sensation that one has when some of their gut microbes are running out of food an experiencing stress.

I recently did a significant amount of caloric restriction, from probably 2500/day down to more like 1500/day. The first day was awful. The second day wasn't so bad. By the fourth day this new amount of calories feels fine. I had to give myself permission to do basically nothing for several days though because I just didn't have it in me.