How to Lose Weight and Still Feel Full
When you think of dieting you probably think of starving yourself.
We all know the feeling of watching television commercials late at night that tempt you with pizza, fried chicken, coconut shrimp, and assorted flavors of scrumptious ice cream.
As you sit drooling you remind yourself that you want to lose 20 pounds. You must lose 20 pounds. You have to stick to your diet!
Your stomach grumbles.
By the third commercial you’re scrounging through the refrigerator and the pantry to find anything edible.
Is it possible to lose weight and not feel hungry all the time?
The answer is yes. You can keep your calorie intake under control and still feel full.
Here are the steps:
- Eat protein with every meal. For breakfast have a scrambled egg on some whole wheat toast. Have a slice of turkey with lunch or some grilled chicken or fish on a salad. Have another serving with dinner.
- Drink plenty of water. This will fill you up without adding any calories to your diet. Plus, staying hydrated helps you think clearer, stay more focused and have more energy. When you are dehydrated it gives you the same feeling as when you’re hungry. Sometimes a large glass of water is all you need to curb your appetite.
- Make sure you’re getting enough fiber in your diet. The best way is by eating real food. This includes lots of fresh veggies and some fruit. The fiber keeps you feeling full longer and aids in your digestion.
- Spice up your food. Add some salsa or garlic or cayenne pepper to give your food some zest. Spicy food helps you feel more satisfied than bland, tasteless food. Low calorie food doesn’t have to be tasteless.
- Plan for healthy snacks. Take an apple or banana with you to work each day. Keep almonds in a drawer in your desk. If you have something good to snack on you won’t have to fight the urge to hit the vending machines mid-afternoon.
- Instead of three meals a day try eating five smaller meals. Going too long between meals causes a lot of people to get too hungry and then binge eat on whatever they can find. Eating smaller meals throughout the day can help you fight hunger.
- Eat healthy fats. Yes, I said that. Healthy fats are necessary to help you feel satisfied and to provide needed amino acids. This is one of the many reasons the low fat diet trend didn’t work. If you eliminate healthy fats from your diet you will always feel hungry. Also, if you read labels, you’ll notice that almost all low fat foods raise the amount of sugar in their product. This is not a good trade off.
- Don’t eat a lot of high carb foods. I know, you need some carbs for energy. And they taste wonderful! But when you eat carbs your glucose level spikes. Then an hour later it bottoms out leaving you hungry again. It’s a vicious cycle. To stop feeling hungry all the time you have to limit your carb intake. When you do eat carbs, do so with some fat or protein. This keeps your sugar level from spiking as quickly as eating carbs alone.
- Eat slower. It takes your brain a few minutes to get the message that you’re full. By that time you may have consumed far more calories than you needed. Give your body time to get the message by relaxing and taking your time while you eat.
- When you’re watching television, choose snacks that require some time to eat such as pistachio nuts or sunflower seeds. You’ll consume less than you would with a big bowl of popcorn.
- Suck on a piece of hard candy when you feel like you must have something.
- Notice the times when you mindlessly eat such as sitting at your desk at work or watching television at night. Are you really hungry or are you eating out of habit or boredom? Get up and move around. Do something besides eating to pass the time.
Losing weight doesn’t mean you have to starve yourself. By changing a few eating habits you can feel full, eat a healthier diet, and drop those extra pounds.
