Batting away hunger.
When your goal is losing body fat, at some point in that process, you'll start to get hungry.
It's an inevitability if your energy expenditure (the total calories you burn in the day) is consistently higher than your energy intake (the calories you eat and drink each day). It's part of the process.
So to a large extent, if you're not getting a little hungry when you're slimming down, you may be doing something wrong. I.e, not in an energy deficit.
That being said, there will be varying degrees of hunger. It's not completely black and white.
For example, should you be ravenously hungry 24/7, if you're only looking to drop from 25% body fat to 20% in 12 weeks? Most likely, no. There's no need to go aggressive in this instance.
Likewise, if you're currently 15%, and you need to get down to under 10% for your photoshoot in record quick time, then probably, yes.
For the sake of simplicity, I will assume that you're looking to achieve a reasonable amount of fat loss, in a reasonable time frame. A middle of the road approach.
So, you'll be experiencing some hunger, probably at the back end of the day, and probably more so during the weekends than during the week.
Here are some ideas to combat that:
- Vegetables. Imagine your stomach is a bucket. You want to keep it as full as you can, with high volume, low-calorie foods. What’s better than green, leafy, fibrous vegetables for this role? 500g of broccoli will occupy a large space in your stomach, which will signal to your brain that you’re full. It’s also only 100kcal. The same 100kcal of Haribo sweets won’t fill your tummy up…
- Water. You may not be hungry from a lack of food (calories), you may just be dehydrated. Drink a load of water (500ml - 1 liter) and then see how you feel 20 minutes after that. Chances are, you won’t be hungry anymore.
- Electrolytes. As with the above, plain water may not be enough to get you hydrated quick enough. You need adequate levels of sodium, magnesium, and potassium (electrolytes) to be fully hydrated. So, pop salt or electrolytes in your water, and see how you get on.
- Staying occupied. Most of us (myself included) eat out of boredom. You’re never hungry in the middle of an incredibly busy day, are you? However, on the weekend, Sunday afternoon, when you’re not at work, opening the fridge every 10 minutes to see what’s in there. You’re not hungry, you just need to do something. Do some work, go for a walk, watch TV, write down some goals - anything to take your mind off food.
- Protein. It helps you stay full, for longer. It has a satiating effect. So, that being said, increase your protein intake. You may be hungry because it’s too low, or you’re opting for carb + fat-based snacks. Greek yogurt, eggs, meat, protein powder - all great sources that will help you to stay full.
- Caffeine. It acts as an appetite suppressant. Load up on this in the morning, and you'll probably find you won’t be as hungry. I’d suggest not consuming in the afternoon/evening as this can impact sleep, but take advantage before 12.00 noon. On the weekend especially, it can be worthwhile pumping the coffee and delaying your first meal by a few hours.
- Brush your teeth. Sounds a bit odd, but this helps. No-one wants to eat anything after brushing their teeth, so have a toothbrush and toothpaste on hand (you can buy small travel ones) in your bang or at the office, and brush after your meal. Your dentist will thank you, too! Chewing gum (sugar-free!) can also achieve the same effect.
- Increase your calories. If you've tried all the above, and you're still hungry, you may need to increase your calorie intake. It may just be too aggressive for you, given your activity level and it's a recipe for disaster. Give yourself an extra 200-400kcal to play with, and see how you get on.
I hope this helps.
Stay satiated.
