Trigger warning: this article contains advice on how to diet and how to manage hunger when choosing to engage in weight loss. If you feel compelled to lose weight, feel trapped and stuck with constant thoughts around how to lose more weight, and/or if you are disgusted with the way that you look, I would encourage you to not proceed with reading this article, and speak to a loved one or your GP instead about how you feel. You can also find more information about eating disorders and disordered eating atwww.beateatingdisorders.org.uk
So, you’ve started a dieting-phase, and all is going well. Feeling a bit leaner, dropping weight on the scale, not struggling at all… till it hits you.
The HUNGER is suddenly real, and you can feel yourself drooling over high calorie foods that you’d love to eat, but you know won’t help you achieve your goals. I know, it’s hard – your body does not want to lose fat, and it does not always like dieting, especially when you push it to the extreme!
But, when you have a goal – whether that is to lose some body fat to improve your physical health markers, get lean for a photoshoot, get shredded for stage, or simply feel more comfortable in your skin – sticking to your diet and your calorie deficit is important, and as such, learning how to manage hunger is also important.
This is by no means an exhaustive list of tips, and please note that I do not recommend you follow these if you struggle with disordered eating patterns or an eating disorder (please contact your GP if this is the case). But if your motivation to lose weight is an important value-oriented goal, and you find hunger management challenging, here are some of my top dieting tips:
Nutrition
Prioritise protein and green veg
It may sound like I’m stating the obvious, but I cannot emphasise the importance of this tip enough! Protein is the most satiating macronutrient, and if you pair it with low calorie green veggies – which are packed with fibre to fill you up, and have negligible calories – then you’re in for a winner. A meal like this will keep you fuller for longer, and help you manage that empty stomach feeling you might get when digging deep!
Make sure you stay hydrated
Not just because it’s important for nutrient mobilisation and just general health but staying hydrated can also help us “feel” fuller for longer. You can get your daily dose of hydration from water, flavoured water, low kcal squash, black coffee, flavoured teas (which help with cravings), and zero calorie fizzy juice. Yes, drinking 5L of artificially sweetened juice is not ideal but having a can / glass of something sweet can definitely “scratch that itch” of sweet cravings you may get during a dieting phase.
Explore low calorie snacks
Just because a pizza or biscuits are not optimal during a dieting phase – not just because of their low volume and high calorie density, but because they’re so moreish – doesn’t mean you need to cut out snacks to diet successfully. There are plenty of low-calorie snack options out there, so get curious and explore what you could add into your daily intake to spice it up and make it exciting.
Mindset
Accept hunger and defuse from it
Here’s the thing: if you’re in a calorie deficit, you are giving your body less energy intake than it needs to maintain its bodyweight and mass. As such, experiencing some hunger is completely normal and will be an inevitable part of the process. The good news is that although hunger can feel all consuming at times, it doesn’t get exponentially higher or worse. And in fact, the better you get at noticing it, acknowledging it, allowing it to be there, and accommodating it, the easier it becomes to manage it. You don’t have to get rid of hunger – notice it, and notice yourself noticing it, and let it be.
Be present in the moment
Mindfulness and being in the here and now are great ways to help you cope with hunger when it does show up knocking at your door. Coming into contact with the here and now will allow you to notice the hunger for what it is, but also see what else shows up. It’s not so much about being distracted with tasks in the present moment, but it’s more about ensuring that you don’t ruminate on previous times that you were eating the foods you were craving and/or it can help you move away form fantasising about food you want to eat in the future. Nothing wrong with either, but they’re just not particularly helpful mental states to be in when caloric restriction and dietary adherence are important to you!
Remember your why
So many people fall trap of dramatizing a dieting phase and acting like they will never get to eat a chocolate bar ever again. Thinking this way will only make things harder for you, and why would you spend hours looking at food porn on Instagram when your goal is to get lean? Do yourself a favour and focus on the task at hand. The reality is that you are the one who has chosen to diet, and irrespective of the reason behind it, it’s still a choice you’re making. Tasty food isn’t going anywhere. You will be able to eat pizza again. Making the choice to diet and choose to be hungry and set aesthetic/health goals is a value-aligned choice you’re making – so if you need reminding, go back to reflect on how staying consistent will help you be more like the type of person that you want to be, how it will enhance your life, and how moving away from this will get in the way of you feeling like your best self.
In sum, there are quite a few ways of making things easier for you when dieting. However, the bottom line is that if you are dieting, you will be hungry. I’m sorry, but that’s just the way it is. Getting lean takes effort, and a lot of self-discipline and goal-driven behaviour. The good news is that when you start to get hungry, it shows the diet / training / cardio / steps is working. Therefore, if you are finding things difficult, remind yourself of the fact that dieting is your choice: you have unconditional permission to eat whatever you want (because let’s be real, nobody will die if you chose to go off piste), so what do you want to do? 😉
