The one thing you don’t know about hunger and weight loss is the one thing that will sabotage your success.
The oldest, wisest and simplest advice for losing fat goes like this:
“Don’t eat until you are hungry and stop when you are full.”
Brilliant advice. Then why doesn’t it work all the time? Read on to find out.
Are you really hungry?
In order to really feel true hunger you need to avoid the following.
- Carbonated drinks. Yes even diet sodas. Especially diet sodas. The carbonation will increase the size of your stomach giving you a false sense of fullness. A bigger stomach will signal to the brain that it is full slower than a smaller stomach.
- Processed foods have a number of chemicals in them that artificially trigger feelings of hunger.
- Artificial sweeteners. Studies have shown artificial sweeteners tend to cause the consumer to crave sweets, causing you to want to eat even though you aren’t hungry.
- Sugar. Excessive sugar consumption spikes your insulin levels. The inevitable crash afterward will give you a false sense of being hungry.
You may have been eating these foods for so long you may have forgotten what it is to be truly hungry! Isn’t that weird?
Now if you are clever, you will recognize the above list of foods as the “bad foods” you are always told to avoid when trying to lose weight. In addition to the empty calories these “junk foods” provide, you have another reason to avoid them. These foods give you a distorted feeling of fullness and hunger.
You see what I am leading up to.
You can’t judge how hungry you are until you stop eating all this crap.
Until your body has a chance to reset itself, you won’t be able to judge how much you should be eating.
Are you with me so far? If you are, let’s list a couple of rules you should live by.
You cannot get fat eating clean food.
You cannot reset your metabolism unless you stop eating of all these foods.
It is very hard to over-eat when you are eating clean. Your jaws will give out before you are over-full. (True Story!)
So here is the plan.
Step 1: Eat clean.
Step 2: Have food on hand at all times.
The quickest way to lose fat and not muscle is to stay borderline hungry. People that never get to the point of starving have a huge advantage over those that starve and binge. Why? Being really hungry eats at your resolve. Not only will you end up eating more, you will tend to eat the stuff that fills you up faster, which generally is not the good food. Having something healthy to snack on will keep you on the edge where you need to be.
What should you carry as snacks?
- Mixed nuts. Salted is fine.
- Fruit
- Carrots, green peppers and other portable vegetables.
- Beef Jerky is a good source of protein. There are natural brands that aren’t loaded with chemicals and preservatives.
- Protein bars. Look for 12-25 grams of protein. Whey protein is preferred to soy but there is some debate about this. If you are lactose intolerant, check out the soy bars.
Step 3: Don’t worry about calories
By avoiding the bad stuff, you are eating good food that is easily broken down and utilized by your body. This is important because the food will give you constant energy. This along with getting enough sleep and working out will be enough for most people.
Final Tips
- Proteins and Fats will keep you full longer as well as giving you important building blocks to strengthen the muscles and immune system. Most women are not getting enough protein or Omega 3 fats.
- Eating fruits and vegetables will help keep you hydrated and maintain a good balance of water to electrolytes.
- Finding your hunger point will reset your metabolism and you will feel stronger and leaner.
