You’re on track to dropping fat, and you’ve been losing weight steadily. But the one thing that keeps driving you insane is the intense HUNGER you feel while dieting. In fact, it might even be that thing that often throws you off. The diet industry always says that there are ways to lose weight without hunger. But is this true? And if it is, how can YOU make that possible? Let’s discuss how to lose fat without feeling hungry.
How to Lose Fat Without Feeling Hungry: The Low Down
You know when you are dieting, and you are doing so well on your plan… You’re really trying to stay focused, and you really want to make sure you cross your t’s and dot all of your i’s.
Essentially, you have been, but there’s one thing that has been nagging at you. It’s been probably the biggest culprit throwing you off of your diet.
That Culprit is Hunger…
Hunger! Yes darling, I want to talk about your hunger during dieting.
In fact, I want to help you to shift your perspective around hunger. Because, I really feel like the fitness industry has done so much to distort what true weight loss and fat loss is really about.
It’s lied to you and saying that you can do all of this… You can diet, you can lose weight and change your body without being hungry.
But then you’re wondering why while trying to diet, you’re always so hungry. You’re frustrated with how it throws you off to the point where you find yourself eating off plan and self-sabotaging. Leaving you to feel absolutely guilty about it.
Well today, I want to take a look at hunger specifically and tell you how you can better manage it, better deal with it, and to realize that it’s a normal part of the equation.
Realize It’s a Part of the Dieting Process
I had an interesting talk with one of my clients recently, and she’s a bit new to the whole weight loss thing. And moreover, doing it in a way that’s sane, healthy, and balanced.
She’s done other weight loss regimens in the past, but a lot of it was driven out of what the typical diet industry teaches us about how to diet. But during those bouts, she was really dealing with a losing battle with hunger.
And, a lot of my clients (even while doing things correctly) will come to me and say, “I’m working hard, I’m really pushing with my workouts. But what I’m finding is that, yeah I’m seeing results but I’m getting hungrier. And, sometimes it’s really hard for me to have control.”
Any of that sound familiar?
The one thing I like to differentiate with my clients is I want and like them to think about hunger in terms of a positive thing. And I want you to think the same.
Assess Your Hunger on a Scale of 10
Here’s the thing…
If you’re in a caloric deficit, eating less than maintenance, and essentially you’re eating in a way that’s going to produce weight loss. So yes, you are going to feel hungry.
There’s just no way getting around it.
Now, you don’t want to be so hungry that you want to eat everything in sight, or feel like you’re going to binge at any moment. Assess your hunger levels on a scale of 10. 10 feels like absolute starvation level or ravenous hunger, and 1 feels like no hungry at all. You want to feel like your hunger levels hover somewhere in that 6 to 7 range.
The reason I say this range is because if you’re not hungry, a lot of things could be going on. For instance, you could possibly be not eating a low enough deficit to see the results that you want to see. So, use hunger in that way, and use it on a scale to be able to tell whether or not you are in a good range.
Embrace Purposeful Hunger
I want you to embrace this phrase. Think about having purposeful hunger. With purposeful hunger, you’re going to look at hunger in a way that you acknowledge that it is going to be there – and it is a part of the dieting equation.
Generally speaking, you should feel yourself getting hungry after meals. Ideally, within two to four hours after that meal (when it’s time for you to eat again) your hunger should start to return. So, look at hunger as a cue that you are actually on track to going toward your goals, and achieving the results that you want to see.
Tips to Actually Curb Hunger While Dieting
I have some good news for you. There are some ways that you can curb hunger!
Stay Thirsty My Friends, Drink Up
One of the first things you should focus on is whether you are drinking enough water. Sometimes dehydration can be seen as hunger cues in the body. To eliminate this physiological confusion, up your water intake.
You’ll often hear many in the fitness industry tout drinking around 1 gallon/day. If you’re attempting to consume that gallon, but find it’s too much for you right now, try to get in ½ gallon. You can slowly, over time, work your way up to that full gallon, but make sure you are staying hydrated. And try to keep your beverages calorie free. Keeping your dehydration under control is a super important part of this equation.
Play Around With Your Macros While Keeping Calories Low
If you’re finding that you are truly ravenously hungry, and don’t want to increase your calories too much – play around with your macros.
One of the first things you can do is increase your protein intake. Protein is actually a natural blunter of hunger! So don’t be afraid to play with your macros a bit, and thus bring your protein up. To keep the calories under control when you take this approach, take either your carbs or your fats down depending on where your diet is, and what your body needs.
Another macro that helps to control hunger are fats.
A diet that is too low in fat can contribute to excess feelings of hunger. I’ve observed for many clients that when a diet is below 20% fat, hunger often increases in a caloric deficit. If you are around that amount or lower, raise your healthy fats a little bit.
Some healthy fats that you can include are olive oil, coconut oil, avocado oil, and flax seed oils. You can also have nuts/nut butters, cheese, avocados, and fattier cuts of meat.
To Wrap It All Up
Overall, you want to acknowledge that hunger is going to be a part of the game. And no matter what you do, you’ve got to be able to handle it.
When you come at hunger from a place of understanding that’s just a part of the equation… You can better stop yourself when it comes to snacking, mindless eating, or binge eating. Just be very realistic with yourself. Talk to yourself in times of doubt, and create discipline. When you think logically in this whole fat loss equation, you should see the results that you want to see – and your body transform before your eyes.