It’s not uncommon to come across people who on their quest for a better body go on eating regimes where they end up feeling hungry.
And I don’t just mean fad diets that you see in magazines or endorsed by a celebrity.
No, in particular I mean good healthy eating where you are choosing the right foods and limiting or completing eliminating the rest but you still feel hungry.
In the quest to look better, not enough foods being consumed can be as limiting in progress as eating too much food.
What’s the problem with this?
I’m eating my greens, I’m eating lean meat, lots of salad…..
Sounds great, and in most cases it probably is but it’s not that uncommon to then feel hungry.
There can be varying reasons for this.
It could be psychological, when you make changes sometimes your appetite still wants what you are now not allowing.
Water could also be a factor. Many changes fail to see the impact that hydration has on both your hunger and performance so make sure you drink more. There are a few different ways of working out what your body needs but keep it simple and go for 3 litres. Remember that if you have been dehydrated from not drinking much water in the past that it can take a few days to get your levels to a sufficient level.
You have fasted too long between meals.
More often than not the reason is simply that you are not eating enough!
Before you celebrate and reach for the fridge handle, calm your excitement.
The healthy wholesome foods that you eat contain more nutrition than any of the processed, sugar full foods so you are getting more for your dime and providing more energy but it is very hard to overeat on your green vegetables, salads, fruits etc.
Compare this to when you have been eating more calorie dense foods that are not so nutrition rich.
They contain more calories (common overeating can be in pasta, bread, potatoes, processed) and they will give you that sensation of being full albeit not for so long but they fill a meal up and leave you feeling like you’ve had a banquet. The end result is that you can feel sluggish and hungry sooner than the calorie intake suggested but at the time it’s filling.
Eating heathy but not enough can lead to poor performance at work or in activity and can also lead to a starvation response where your body goes into survival mode and tries to expend less energy resulting in a slower metabolism and poor progress.
If you are feeling hungry consider these options
Eat more, just make sure it’s still from the right side of the supermarket - your, veggies, salads, fruits, nuts, water, fish. Eating well and losing excess weight does not mean you have to go hungry and feel weak.
Eat on a regular basis. Small meals more often works best, every 4 hours at least.
Get more food in the morning
Don’t wait for the last meal of the day to “fill up”
You’re always on the right track if you’re eating the right foods but remember your health and performance as well.
The proof is in the pudding when you assess on a regular basis whether you are losing weight or not. As long as the food is good, you can then answer the question as to whether you are eating enough.
All the best
Mike
PS If you want to know a great way to lose weight safely and effectively, Precision Nutrition is one of the best courses around and offers a library of comprehensive, up to date info that will be delivered to your door.
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