Week 4-6: 6 tips to reduce hunger when dieting!

So I’ve completed over a month of prep, and honestly I’m feeling great! I’m getting over from sicknesses I’ve been dealing with over the last week, but I’ve been keeping to my macros and training as best as I can, and my weight has been dropping very quickly. One thing I’ve found difficult is that I have been getting hungrier and hungrier every day! My macro’s have only decreased by 10 carbs (current macros 125P, 240C, 45F) but I definitely have noticed the difference. But how would you be able to notice that extra handful of blueberries Christi?! Trust me I can and I’m HANGRY over those damn blueberries!

I’ve chosen the topic of hunger for this blog because it is a problem that we all deal with when dieting. It’s the reason we reach for the cookie jar instead of the carrots. I mean pretty much everyone would rather have cookies over carrots but I digress… hunger is the thing that drives us. It is a basic instinct that when we are hungry we eat; that’s how we SURVIVE! So this instinct, as annoying as it can be, is very important, but when we get the urge to shove every single thing in the cabinet in our bellies, hunger becomes the enemy. So here are six of my best tips to resist the hunger monster and reduce binges:

1. Eat frequently – This by far is my most important and helpful tip for keeping your belly at bay. If you are eating every 2-3 hours you will keep relatively full and those frequent meals will keep your metabolism high because you’re constantly working to burn off the last meal.

2. Drink water and lots of it! – Drinking liquids is very important for your body so all of your systems to function properly. Drinking water, besides keeping you alive, can help ward off hunger too. If you are between meals, and really craving a snack try chugging a bottle of water and hopefully that can help take the edge off. Plus drinking lots of water during your meals will help fill you up more so you can feel more satisfied after eating.

3. Keep busy – I find myself getting the hungriest when I am just sitting around the house all day. When you are active, out of the house, and keeping your schedule full, you forget about “board mindless snacking” as I call it. Keeping yourself up and moving not only makes you feel great about being productive, but can significantly help in the dieting process.

4. Don’t play catchup with yesterday – When you have a diet break, whether it was planned or not, you should never try and restrict calories the next day. This leads to a vicious binge/restrict cycle that, trust me, is very hard to break. When you have a cheat meal, day, or week, and you are feeling guilty, don’t beat yourself up over it, just hop back on track and keep giving yourself POSITIVE motivation.

5. Hot tea/water – One of my favorite things to drink at bed time is a hot glass of water with one full squeezed lemon, and a tablespoon of honey. It helps curb late night cravings and its filled with micronutrients that help promote a restful night’s sleep. Hot herbal and green tea is also a great way to curb appetite.

6. Keep a steady blood sugar – One main reason you feel hungry soon after a meal is because the foods you ate spiked your blood sugar levels causing a release of insulin from the pancreas. Insulin causes your blood sugar to decrease which is a good thing, but it also is the reason you can feel hungry shortly after a meal of mainly carbs. Try to limit sugar intake to as minimal as possible, and try to eat more natural sugars like fruits and honey over processed sugars. Eating meals with a balance of carbs, fats, and proteins are the best way to keep balanced blood sugar levels and reduce insulin spikes (otherwise known as a sugar crash).

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