Hi eerika, I thought i had read your diary before but apparently not. You look like a new face around here. I've been away for two months.
I found your opening post very interesting so i want to keep up with you. And i am always attracted to the foreign posters because i imagine they eat differentlly and i might learn something about their country's food.
I started reading from when you just got back on track. I have comment that relates to your being hungry. You know, if you changed a few little things in your diet, you could eat more and may be suffer less hunger.
Eg. instead of cream in your coffee, use milk
Do you measure out your salad dressing? Have you tried making your own? bought dressings sometimes have sugar added. When i was in the weight loss phase of my diet, i often made a dressing with almost no oil. I just used vinegar. If you ever get around to flipping through my diary, i usually write up how i cook my meals so you might find some ideas in there if you are interested.
Cheese is very high fat. If you ate less of it or cut it out altogether until you lost the weight you want, you may find it easier. But i notice you do choose yummy cheeses. I love haloumi too. Or at least instead of a few slices of cheese, have only one.
Make your meals with mostly low fat foods. Bulk them up with carbs like rice and pasta but especially vegies and fruit which i know are more expensive but much better for a diet. Its not foods like pasta and rice that are a problem in themselves. Its not them that has made you overweight i think. AS you need the carbs for energy, its the way they are prepared and its also if you are eating lots of refined carbs such as white bread, cakes, icecream, sugary things and deep fried food. Even if you could restrict yourself to one slice of cheese per day, you would be able to eat more and be less hungry. One reason i cut cheese out of my diet when i was in the weight loss phase is because its so salty and tasty that its hard to restrict myself so its easier to go without completely than have a little bit. I find that too hard. However now i am allowed cheese again and I will try to limit myself to say no more than one slice a day because i am so conscious of not getting hungry and not reverting to bad habits i had in the past. I think i will always have to be very careful with foods like cheese.
I take it you know that fat has 4 times the calories that carbohydrates and protein do. That's where i am coming from with my comments. Cream and cheese are nearly total fat.