Always Hungry? 4 Ways to Stay Satisfied While in a Calorie Deficit
Did you know there is only one guaranteed way to lose weight?
That’s right, even with thousands of books, articles, documentaries, and more on the subject of weight loss, one thing remains true: it’s as simple as burning more calories than you ingest.
When we talk about eating fewer calories than we burn in a day, we are referring to a calorie deficit. So, how does it work?
Your body uses calories from food as energy to walk, talk, and think. When it burns through all of the calories from food, your body begins to burn fat stores to make up the difference.
When you eat fewer calories than you burn through in a day, your body turns to that stored fat and you lose weight.
The problem many people face is sticking to the deficit. This difficulty can be attributed to the challenge of changing a habit, but failing your diet can also happen if you aren’t properly fueling your body.
Let’s talk about some reasons why you might be hungry on a calorie deficit.
Why Your Calorie Deficit is Making You Hungrier
There are a few reasons that you may be feeling hungry while starting your diet and the first is that your body goes through an adjustment period while it figures out how to survive on fewer calories.
When you eat one way for a long time, your body naturally reaches a sort of homeostasis with your habits. When you disrupt these patterns by making a big change, it takes time to adjust.
Additionally, if you have increased your exercise as part of your weight loss plan, your body is now burning through even more calories than it normally would.
Finally, you might not be eating the right composition of food. Calories are not all created equal.
For example, picture the difference between 9 potato chips or 25 baby carrots. Both servings equal 100 calories, but calorie dense and nutritionally deficient foods will not physically fill your stomach to keep you feeling full and satisfied.
Luckily, there are 4 easy changes you can make to your diet and lifestyle that will make you feel more full on fewer calories, helping you maintain your diet and see the benefits.
Eat More Fiber
Fiber is a nutrient found in plants, legumes, and whole grains. It is a type of complex carbohydrate that helps feed the good bacteria in your gut.
Fiber differs from simple carbohydrates like flour or sugar because its complex molecular structure takes longer for your body to digest. It stays in your stomach longer and keeps you feeling full.
Fiber also absorbs water when you drink fluid, swelling and expanding to fill your stomach and sending signals to your brain that you are full.
When being digested, it also releases a compound called acetate which travels to your brain to signal fullness. Finally, it helps your body produce GLP-1, another hormone that reduces your appetite.
Foods that contain fiber:
Nuts and seeds
Oatmeal
Beans and legumes
Fruits
Vegetables
Whole grains
Eat More Protein
Protein is another macronutrient that we should all be eating more of. In fact, the U.S. Dietary Guidelines suggest the average person eat 10-35% of their daily calories from protein.
Much like fiber, protein is a complex molecule that takes longer for your body to digest, staying in your stomach and keeping you fuller throughout the day.
Protein also triggers your body to release GLP-1 while reducing hunger causing hormone ghrelin, both of which trigger a feeling of satiety.
Finally, protein has a higher thermic effect than other nutrients. What this means is that your body burns more calories digesting protein than other nutrients, making it helpful for weight loss.
Foods that contain protein:
Lean meats
Eggs
Greek yogurt
Cottage cheese
Tofu
Nuts and seeds
Eat Regular Meals
We get it, you are short on time and long on responsibilities. Sometimes it can be easy to skip breakfast to give yourself longer to sleep in before work, or skip lunch so that you can log some more hours at your desk.
However, not eating at regular intervals throughout the day can have a negative impact on your metabolism and cause you to binge late at night.
By eating regular meals throughout the day, you keep your body feeling satisfied and avoid harmful blood sugar crashes that can leave you feeling awful and cause you to overeat to compensate for the missed meals.
Listen to your body and eat when you are hungry, aiming for intentional small meals every few hours rather than mindless snacking.
Drink More Water
Our final tip is to make sure to stay hydrated. This means to drink more water and not sugary beverages like soda, juice, or coffee which can leave you more dehydrated and spike blood sugar levels.
Drinking water throughout the day will prevent you from mindless snacking because often when we think we are hungry, we are actually thirsty!
Water is also absorbed by the fiber in your stomach, filling more of that empty space and making you feel fuller and more satisfied.
The Bottom Line
Changing up your eating habits can be challenging, but these changes are worth it when it comes to meeting your weight loss goals and learning to maintain those healthy habits long term.
The truth is, making these changes will help you in the long run because you will learn to fuel your body in a way that creates sustainable change, putting an end to the yo-yo diet effect.
So, if you are struggling with excessive hunger on your calorie deficit, try adding more fiber and protein, eating smaller meals more often, and staying hydrated to help your body learn to thrive on fewer calories.
