Losing Fat: How To Deal With Hunger, Or Solve It!
How do I deal with hunger when trying to lose fat?
Hunger eventually becomes part of a fat loss plan. Especially on a longer term plan. If fat loss was so easy, and getting in shape is easy, then why is almost nobody in great shape? It is because dieting and adhering to a meal plan is hard.
This ‘Spartan’ way of thinking is something we all know...
Or is it?
The answer is yes, but there is also a small no in it.
Hunger is going to be something that you are indeed going to have to deal with on a fat loss plan. The longer you have been on one, and the closer you are getting to being ‘ripped’, the more hunger you’ll experience. It is your body signaling that you need more food. Humans have evolved this way. However, just because we are supposed to experience it at some point, does not mean we have to experience it very heavily all the time.
The light at the end of the tunnel; a few things you can do
On a fat loss plan, there are things you can do to minimize the hunger you experience. We have named a few of them below:
- The biggest problem solver: eat foods that are high in volume, low in calories. These foods will make you feel fuller while not eating a lot of calories. Good examples would be baked potato, lean dairy and lean meats.
- Reduce physical stress. Try to gauge whether you are extra tired. Maybe training too much. Physical stress can increase the hunger signaling hormones. In a fat loss phase 3 sets of progressive overload training per body part per week is enough volume. Anything more than that can increase stress and decrease your capacity to recover
- Consume a lot of fiber. Fiber tends to keep us full. And if the food you eat contains insoluble fiber, the calories from the fiber are not even consumed by the body!
- Drink enough water. Sometimes you are not hungry, you are just dehydrated
- Consume a lot of protein. Aim for: 1.8 grams per kilo bodyweight (= 1 gram per pound of body weight). If you are overweight, aim for 1.8 grams per kilo target bodyweight
- Eat around periods during the day where you experience most hunger. This varies from person to person. Not much of a breakfast person, for example? Eat light during breakfast and consume the calories when you most need them during the day.
- Think about eating a bigger lunch and smaller dinner. Especially if you dine late. During the day or early evening we tend to need the most energy. Closer to bedtime we get tired and need less energy. Why eat your biggest meal late?
- Move more! And if cardio is too scary, try to do more steps. 1000 extra steps could be another 50 calories burned (depending on your weight and height). Imagine doing an extra 4000 steps above your normal step count. That could be roughly 200 extra calories you can eat. Those 200 calories can be the difference between feeling ‘hungry and ‘not so hungry anymore, after all’.
- Drink a can of diet soda to cure the sweet cravings
Be a Warrior - work hard
Be a scholar, too - work smarter!