One of the best ways to lose any additional pounds and get to a healthier weight is by going on a diet that has you consuming fewer calories than you are burning per day.
The higher the difference between the calories that you burn and the calories that you consume, the faster you will lose weight.
However, one of the biggest problems with consuming fewer calories than you are burning is that you might end up feeling hungry quite a lot, which can make food even more difficult to resist.
In fact, this is one of the main reasons why people ‘fall off the wagon’ when they try to lose weight, as they get to a point where they can’t ignore the hunger and cravings any longer and end up overeating.
What you eat while on a low-calorie diet can make all the difference when it comes to how full you feel and how well you can manage your cravings.
You may be surprised to hear that the type of food that you eat will often play a bigger part in how full and satisfied you are rather than the number of calories that are in the food, which ultimately means that staying in a calorie deficit and feeling full at the same time is entirely possible.
Consider Meal Replacement Shakes
Low-calorie diet shakes like these options from Shake That Weight is a great idea for people in a calorie deficit as they are a convenient way to get a meal.
Often, when you’re tracking your calories, every meal can feel like a chore if you have to weigh out all the ingredients, figure out how many calories are in each, and add them all together to determine how many calories your meal contains overall.
On the other hand, Shake That Weight offers shakes that contain a set number of calories and all the nutrients you need, making it much easier to stay on track. Their shakes are also full of protein and other key nutrients to help you keep fuller for longer and avoid those cravings that threaten to derail your progress.
Stay Hydrated
Not being hydrated is a massive risk factor when it comes to giving in to cravings throughout the day.
If you feel hungry, it’s a good idea to try drinking some water first as chances are that you might just be thirsty, especially if it’s not been long since you last ate.
Most of the time, the signals that we get from our body when we are either hungry or thirsty can be hard to differentiate, which might lead to you eating when really, you just need to drink.
Along with having a glass of water first when you have a craving, make sure that you’re drinking water throughout the day since this will help to prevent a lot of the cravings in the first place.
Pack Your Diet With Protein
When you’re on a low-calorie diet, you will usually find that if you eat a meal that doesn’t include a lot of protein, you’ll want a snack not long afterward.
Adding more protein to your diet is a sure way to help yourself feel fuller for longer and avoid food cravings while you are trying to reduce the calories that you consume. Along with this, protein is an essential nutrient for your body, and you will usually notice a lot of different physical improvements when you consume more of it, along with weight loss benefits.
When you are getting more protein, you’ll notice that your skin improves, your hair and nails are stronger, and you will have more energy.
Meat is a major source of protein, especially lean meats like chicken and fish, and also eggs. You can also get it from a range of vegetarian sources like soy, tofu, seeds, nuts, and legumes.
Cut Down on Starchy Carbs
Increasing the amount of protein that you put into your diet should be accompanied by reducing starchy carbohydrates.
‘Cutting carbs’ is common when dieting, however, there are lots of carbohydrates that are actually good for you. Carbohydrates are found in foods like brown rice, vegetables, and other foods that you definitely don’t want to avoid.
When it comes to cutting carbs, it’s the simple carbohydrates that you want to cut down on. This includes foods like white pasta, white bread, cakes, and pastries. Not only are they high in calories, but they won’t keep you feeling full for very long either.
Add More Fibre to Your Diet
Once you’ve added more protein and reduced your simple carbohydrates, the next change to make is adding more fiber to your diet.
Fibre will not only help you stay feeling fuller for longer when you are reducing the number of calories you consume, but it is also essential for making sure that your digestive system is healthy and working as it should.
Legumes, whole grains, vegetables, nuts, cereals, and fruits are some healthy sources of fiber to consider adding to your diet to help you feel full and satisfied throughout the day even if you’re not consuming a massive number of calories from each meal.
To stay feeling fuller throughout the day, make breakfast the most important meal of the day in terms of how much fiber you add to it.
Fill Your Plate With Vegetables
Vegetables are your best friend if you are trying to reduce your calorie intake since you can eat a massive amount of them while still keeping your calories low.
Many vegetables are really low in calories so you can easily eat a huge quantity of foods like broccoli and carrots without worrying about the calorific value.
Some vegetables like celery, for example, even have a negative calorie value meaning that your body uses up more calories to burn them than it takes in from eating them.
Other foods that are low in calories that you should aim to eat include eggs, fish, lentils, legumes, Greek yogurt, berries, and oats. These are the best ingredients for making large portions of filling meals that are relatively low in calories.
Get Healthy Snacks
Some people are just more naturally inclined to snack than others, so don’t fight it if this sounds like you. There is no rule that says you have to eat three meals per day, and you can have twelve meals a day if you like and will still lose weight as long as you stay within your calorie limit.
If you know that snacking is a problem for you, then stocking up on healthier items to snack on can help you reduce the number of calories you consume without feeling restricted.
Fruit, nuts, seeds, chopped vegetables, and other healthy snacks will help you satisfy your snacking cravings without the massive calorie intake of crisps or biscuits, for example.
While reducing your calories from food to consume less than you burn every day will help you lose weight successfully, feeling hungry all the time can be a problem that gets in your way.
Keep these tips in mind to stay fuller for longer and make it easier for yourself to stay motivated on your journey to losing weight and getting healthier.
