Lose Fat Without Going HANGRY
Research shows that holding a salad while fumbling around with a tape measure leads to inaccurate measurements.
You've been dieting for a week with great success. You cut your calories and have made it to the gym everyday. You dropped a couple pounds on the scale. You notice one butt cheek starting to perk up a little bit. The stars are aligning. A few more weeks of this and Men's Health or Women's Health will knock on your door to feature you in the next issue.
But then something happens. You feeling a little weak during the day. You're more tired than usual. All you can think about is cheeseburgers and fro-yo. The good kind of fro-yo where you mix three different flavors and shovel four pounds of toppings into the bowl.
No problem, I can muscle through this you think. I'll just have another piece of celery dipped in fat-free, sugar-free powdered ranch.
How long can you sustain this? Is this the type of life you'd like to live?
Why we should never “diet”
Unfortunately, this is how a lot of people experience "dieting." And a reason most people do not see long-term success. We're torturing ourselves in an attempt to be healthier. We think we can be happy OR healthy, but not at the same time.
The term "diet" implies deprivation and temporary changes, which is why it's not an ideal term to use for nutrition. We should instead be looking at sustainable changes. If our way of eating makes us hungry all the time, we should re-evaluate our strategy.
One important note: While you don’t want to be hungry all the time, going into a calorie deficit (which is necessary to lose fat) may mean you’ll experience at least mild hunger from time to time. Part of the journey is getting comfortable with mild hunger levels and learning to manage them.
What can we add?
Rather than looking only at things we should remove, why not think about things we can add?
Here are some smart ways to stay full while losing fat. And all involve adding things rather than taking them away...
Protein, Fat and Fiber. These nutrients are great at keeping us full. Make sure your snacks and meals contain at least moderate amounts of these. To increase protein, add things like eggs, beef, chicken, fish, beans, and legumes. For quality fat sources, think grass-fed butter, coconut oil, eggs, avocados, nuts and seeds. For fiber, look to vegetables, fruit (particularly berries), whole grains, beans, nuts and seeds.
Water. Your body can mistake dehydration for hunger. So next time you're feeling hungry an hour or two after a meal, trying drinking a tall glass of water and see how you feel.
Whole Foods. Processed foods have an uncanny way of packing large amounts of calories and junk into small, unsatisfying servings. Real foods typically have more protein, fiber, fat and water (think fruits and veggies). Eat more of these and you'll fill yourself up without adding massive amounts of calories.
Sleep. Sleep deprivation can lead to more cravings, especially for junk food. When we're tired, we're more likely to reach for high-sugar, high-calorie options. Work on strategies to get to bed earlier and minimize distractions while you sleep.
Conclusion
Losing fat typically involves some type of reduction in calories, so you can expect to be faced with hunger from time to time. Managing this hunger can be easier than you think, but you must have a plan.
Eating the right types of foods (whole, unprocessed foods like fruits, vegetables, fiber, quality fat and protein sources) can make a huge difference. Staying hydrated and getting enough sleep can also keep cravings down.
One other thing to remember on your fat loss journey: eat enough.
When trying to lose weight, people tend to dramatically under-consume. While this may work in the short-term, it can be challenging to maintain over the long haul. When you're eating high-quality food, you can feel good about eating until you're satisfied.
Using these strategies should help the next time you find yourself threatening to punch your co-worker because you're hangry :)