Maintaining a healthy calorie deficit [1] is essential if you want to lose weight. But when you start reducing your calories, you may start to feel hungry as you adjust to your new calorie intake. You absolutely want to listen to your body and not ignore physical cues of hunger such as a rumbly tummy and fatigue, but one of the reasons people struggle to lose weight (and give up) is because they don't eat satiating meals and let themselves go hungry instead.
Fitness and lifestyle coach Marci Nevin (@marcinevin [2] on Instagram) posted some suggestions in an Instagram post for how to manage your meals and food throughout the day so you reduce hunger. These nine tips are not at all advocating ignoring your hunger but rather encourageing you to eat in a way that actually makes you feel more satiated so you don't go hungry in between meals.
Eat Larger Meals Less Frequently
It's a myth that eating small, frequent meals will increase your metabolism [4] and help you lose weight, Marci explained. "Your body gets used to the intervals at which you eat," Marci wrote in her Instagram caption [5]. If you nosh all day long, you'll always feel a little bit of hunger since you've set your body up for expecting that food is coming every few hours.
Marci suggested eating larger meals instead [6] because they're more satisfying. Try sticking to three or four filling meals and going four to five hours in between eating. It'll actually help you think less about food.
Prioritize Protein With Every Meal
Another filling macronutrient! Aim to get 0.8 to 1.5 grams of lean protein per pound of bodyweight [7]. Marci suggested, "Aim for at least 20-30 grams with all your meals." What's great about lean proteins such as fish, tofu [8], eggs, or turkey meat is that they help you stay satiated longer, keeping hunger at bay. They also provide you with lots of energy and burn more calories when digested.
Fill Up on High-Fibre, High-Volume Foods
"High-volume, high-fibre foods [9] allow you to eat more food for fewer calories. Plus they take up more room in your stomach, which will make you feel full," Marci said. Load up your plate at every meal, and snack with foods like fibrous veggies, oatmeal, egg whites, and low-calorie fruits.
Include Healthy Fats For Satiety
This macronutrient metabolizes slowly [10] so it makes you feel full longer. Include healthy unsaturated fats such as salmon, avocado, eggs, nuts, and seeds every time you eat — try this avocado and sunflower seed snack [11]. "Adding a little healthy fat can extend the amount of time you can go between meals," Marci wrote.
Eat Nutrient-Dense Foods You Enjoy
"Much of our perceived hunger has to do with how satisfying our meals are," Marci explained. "If you eat nothing but dry chicken and steamed broccoli, chances are you will feel hungry because you didn't actually enjoy your food." Build your meals and snacks around the healthy foods you love to eat.
Limit the Hyperpalatable Foods
Limit hyperpalatable foods, specifically the processed high-sugar, high-carb foods [12] like cookies, doughnuts, chips, and crackers. "You may find yourself hungry sooner than expected after eating carbs [13] that are lower in fibre or carbs that are more processed," dietitian E. Susannah Southern, RDN, LDN, the clinical nutrition manager at the University of North Carolina Hospitals Outpatient Nutrition Clinics in Chapel Hill, explained. Eating these foods often makes you crave them even more.
Chew Your Calories, Don't Drink Them
Registered dietitian Stephanie Clarke said that while a smoothie can be a filling, nutritious, quick breakfast [14], because it tastes like melted ice cream [15], it's easy to accidentally sip down 800 calories [16] in under five minutes. Your brain doesn't have time to register that you ingested that many calories, and you'll soon feel hungry afterward. The same goes for high-calorie beverages like soda, fresh-pressed juices, and cocktails. If you want to satiate your hunger, chew your calories instead of drinking them.
Drink Lots of Zero-Calorie Beverages
"Oftentimes we mistake thirst for hunger [17]," Marci said. "Drinking calorie-free beverages will keep you hydrated and keep your stomach full until it's time to eat again. Avoid getting your calories from sugary drinks that will do nothing to make you full. Choose water, seltzer, tea, and black coffee.
Ask Yourself: Are You Truly Hungry, or Do You Just Want to Eat?
It's important to check in with yourself. Are you truly hungry [18], or do you just want to eat because you're upset, stressed, bored, tired, or because there are chocolate cupcakes [19] in the office kitchen? Be honest with yourself, and eat only when you're actually hungry.