7 Tips to Lose Weight & Not Feel Hungry All The Time

We all know what it’s like to experience at least some level of hunger. Hunger starts as a mild inclination to eat; “hmmm… I could really go for some food”. It then moves into an active desire for food; “Right. Let’s get something to eat”. After that hunger moves into a stage with more primal demand where we may experience headaches, food fixation and crabby moods; “Move out of my way! I need food NOW!”

After that stage, hunger starts to get really ugly. If we are going to be serious about losing weight and keeping it off, we need to learn to manage our hunger.

Anything beyond a mild inclination to eat has the potential to cause us to overeat, and eat the wrong types of food.

By the time we reach the third stage of hunger, we’ll eat almost anything available. And if we’re not prepared, the first thing available is almost always a bad choice. By that stage of hunger, we’ll be shoveling it in and eating too quickly almost guarantees we will overeat.

We need to head off our hunger before we find ourselves finishing off our third, sauce-covered pie!

1. EAT MORE FREQUENTLY.

Relying on only 2 or 3 meals per day to provide sustenance leaves long periods of time between food intakes. These excessively long periods are likely to be punctuated by periods of hunger which leads to temptation.

Don’t let your hunger build. Plan to eat more regularly so your hunger never gets beyond stage one - a mild inclination to eat. Aim for 3 meals per day (breakfast, lunch and dinner) plus a morning and afternoon snack in between. This will help ensure you don't feel any more than stage one hunger and will allow you to make more healthy choices. 

Keep healthy snacks on stand by, for example nuts, fruit, yoghurt, hummus and veggie sticks, In Shape Mommy Health Shakes.

2. EAT NUTRIENT-DENSE FOODS.

When our bodies are not getting the nutrients we require, our brains send out “EAT MORE NOW” messages which cause hunger. Even if we are consuming more calories than we need, our bodies may be sending these hunger messages if we’re not getting the nutrients we need.

To avoid hunger, we need to shun foods that are “empty calories” (i.e. foods that are significant in calories but have few nutrients like lollies, chips, chocolates, soft drinks etc) and we need to eat nutrient dense foods.  

Nutrient dense foods include fruits, vegetables, whole grains, dairy, fish and seafood, unprocessed lean meat and skinless poultry, nuts, legumes, In Shape Mummy Health Shakes.

3. SLOW DOWN YOUR EATING

It takes about 20 minutes for your stomach and brain to register the feeling of fullness. We may be aiming to eat to the point where we are comfortably satisfied but if we eat quickly we might not feel full until we’re well past comfortably satisfied.

Slow down your eating by chewing thoroughly and deliberately. Try and sit and the table to eat your food rather than eating on the go will doing a million other things. Sitting down at the table to eat will also make you more conscious of what you are eating and make it easier to keep track. 

4. EAT MORE PROTEIN.

Consuming protein can reduce the levels of ghrelin in your body, otherwise known as the hungry hormone and help you reduce your food intake naturally to a healthier level. Protein can help you feel full and more satisfied. Foods that are high in protein: nuts, beans, eggs, yogurt, tofu, lean meat, In Shape Mommy Health Shakes.

5. REPLACE WHITE FOR BROWN/WHOLEMEAL.

Replace white breads, white pasta, white rice for the brown/wholemeal versions. Wholemeal is higher in fibre and lower in sugar. Your blood sugar will be more stable and your body can access the fuel stored in your fat cells. More stable blood sugar = more fat burning.

6. DRINK MORE WATER.

Our bodies have trouble differentiating between thirst and hunger. Some of the hunger pains you may be feeling are actually triggered by not drinking enough water. Studies have shown that 80% of people suffer from symptoms typical of dehydration and those are only the number dehydrated enough to show symptoms.

Eliminate any feelings of hunger that may be caused by dehydration by drinking more of that zero-calorie delight known as water! aim for 9 glasses of what per day if you are breastfeeding and 8 glasses if you are not breastfeeding. 

7. EAT ENOUGH.

Achieving healthy and lasting weight loss is best accomplished by consuming only slightly fewer calories than you need to maintain your current body weight.

Diets that make dramatic reductions in calorie intake cause hunger pangs in their “victims” and actually slow down their metabolic rate. A slower metabolic rate means less energy, more fatigue and reduced fat burning. Who wants that!?!

Also not eating enough can cause you to get too hungry later in the day which can lead to overeating the wrong foods. 

IN SUMMARY

If you follow these 7 tips, you will manage your hunger, maintain your energy and lose weight at the same time.

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