I think, to your point, that personal experience plays a huge role. The data suggests that most people most of the time will experience elevated hunger. That's what the NIH data I referenced suggests. Of course, weight loss is all about energy balance—but how we get into a deficit and how that deficit is experienced depends on a myriad of factors.

Yes, the men did lose that excess weight! Which is great. Unlike many diets that pitch quick weight loss (e.g., 12 pounds in 12 weeks!), this work (and a lot of other work) suggests that it takes much longer.

Thanks for reading!